Black Mountain Races for a Greenway

This Saturday April 2, Black Mountain Greenways is hosting the fourth annual Greenway Challenge 5K and 10K race, hosted by Pisgah Brewing Company. The event starts at 1 p.m. at the brewery on Old U.S. 70.

All proceeds go to the Black Mountain Greenway Commission whose mission is to create a pedestrian and bike friendly trail system that connects Montreat, Old Fort and Ridgecrest to Black Mountain, Swannanoa and Asheville.

You can still register for the race at REI, at the packet pickup from 5-7 p.m. Friday at Pisgah Brewing Co. or on the actual race day starting at 11:30 a.m. The entry fee is $25

Foodtopia for the Gluten Free

Sufferers of celiac disease know all to well how tough it can be to find viable food choices that do not contain gluten, a protein found in grains such as wheat and barley. It's found in many of the foods we eat and in some things you would never expect such as soups, pickles, baked beans, soy sauce, some blue cheeses and the list goes on and on. Dining out can be a tremendous challenge and finding delicious options can be an even larger challenge.

That's why Ingles Supermarkets is hosting the Gluten Free Food Fair at the Doubletree Biltmore Hotel in Asheville on Saturday, April 30 from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM. More than 50 vendors will be on hand to present viable food options for those living with a gluten intolerance.

Asheville being the Foodtopian Society that it is has several dining options for those living with the gluten free diet. Posana is a great example, as well as Laurey's Catering, Neo Cantina, and Well-Bred Bakery (in Weaverville). Each have multiple gluten free items on their menu.

It's important to note the a gluten free diet is not a fad diet to lose weight. It's the difference between feeling normal after eating or becoming terribly ill. Sensitivities to gluten vary and strict eating habits are a result. To learn more about gluten intolerance visit here.

Florida says "Asheville or Bust"

Getting to Asheville just got a little easier for Floridians looking to escape the summer heat wave. Vision Airlines has a new direct flight that connects Asheville, NC to the Fort Walton Beach area.

Asheville has long been known as a desirable destination for residents of the sunshine state. However, with the rising cost of gasoline it can sometimes be challenging to make the drive across the southeast. Vision Airlines will cut those travel costs significantly and provide faster transport to an affordable mountain escape.

Flights are currently scheduled on Thursdays and Sundays so you take take a long weekend or a full week to enjoy all that Asheville has to offer. Visit Vision Airlines to learn more information. Be sure to order your free Asheville travel guide to help plan your trip.

One Flea Spare

Performance Theatre is alive and well in Asheville and the spring season has many great show titles coming to town. One show of interest is called One Flea Spare and it is showing at the NC Stage Company starting April 13 and plays through May 1.

The story is about a wealthy couple preparing to flee London and the ravages of the plague when a sailor and a young girl are caught sneaking in to their boarded-up home. Now, quarantined together for thirty days, the only thing these strangers fear more than the Black Death is each other.

One Flea Spare is an award winning play that began in London circa 1995. Now is your chance to see this dark, fiercely intense & humorous play. Ticket prices vary by show date (anywhere from $16 - $28) and are available here.

McCormick Field Named a Top 10 Stadium

Take me out to one of the top 10 minor league baseball stadiums. That would be Asheville's very own McCormick Field, according to a recent listing by Livability.com.

Home for 87 years to the Asheville Tourists minor league baseball team, McCormick Field has come a long way from it's original wooden structure. Through the years there have been renovations, the largest one being in the early 1990's where it was constructed using concrete. The field also had a cameo appearance in the movie Bull Durham back in 1998.

Baseball season is gearing up with the season opening home game being on April 15th, 2011. You can learn more about the Tourists here.

Big Foot Sighting in the Mountains?

A mountain resident recently captured something he had never seen before; a tall furry beast walking upright across the street. Big Foot or Knobby sightings are common place in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Hike the Appalachian Trail and you will find information packs in the camping shelters telling you of area sighting reports and what to do if you come in contact.

Here in Asheville we more often see these kind of sightings. They can be just as surprising, but are a bit more commonplace than Big Foot.

So, is this real? You be the judge. You can find the full story here.

Creative Retirement Solutions Available in Asheville

Many factors go into the decision to retire and sometimes you'll find more questions than answers. Should I relocate? Will my money last? How will I spend my time? Making decisions for retirement can be challenging if you don't know what to expect. Fortunately, the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement (NCCCR), located in Asheville, has ways of helping you through this eventual life transition.

Through the NCCCR's numerous events, programs and workshops, people can learn how to make the most of their retirement. Twice a year they offer a program called Paths to Creative Retirement which is a strictly non-commercial educational program focused mainly on the non-financial aspects of life’s second half. This informative program guides participants through decision-making exercises that reveal opportunities at each stage, help transform anxieties about the next chapter of life into a learning process, and teach you to formulate an action plan. It is truly one of the most unique retirement workshops in the country.

You can also attend the Creative Retirement Exploration Weekend which helps you examine your issues, concerns and possibilities to gain insights and pose questions that you may not have thought to ask. Facilitated discussions help prepare you for decisions ahead.

More information on these events can be found on the NCCCR website. With such an informative organization in place, it's no wonder that Asheville has been featured on numerous lists as a top retirement destination.

Action-Packed Asheville

ActionFest, the only international film festival devoted exclusively to action cinema and its unsung heroes, will once again showcase the most exciting action films from around the globe right here in Asheville. From April 7-10, 2011 there will be multiple events, screenings and a Stunt Show Extravaganza!

ActionFest 2 promises to be one of those sequels that's better than the original. This year’s ActionFest Lifetime Achievement Award will go to legendary stuntman Buddy Joe Hooker, whose career spans six decades and countless classic films, including First Blood and Deathproof. There will be other honors and tributes paid during the festival. Full details can be found here.

Undoubtedly one of the top highlights of ActionFest will be the Stunt Show Extravaganza. This year’s show promises to be a spectacle not to be missed, and has been made possible by motion picture stunt business veteran John Cann (Machete, Tango and Cash, Predator 2), President and CEO of Action P.A.C. Stunts, L.L.C., who is creating the show and providing the equipment along with Randy Fife (Robocop, Arlington Road).

Here's what movies have been confirmed at this time:

• Ironclad — an epic, blood-soaked account of a brutal castle siege starring Paul Giamatti;
  
• Little Big Soldier — a new period action film written by and starring Jackie Chan;
• Hobo With A Shotgun — the hot Sundance selection starring Rutger Hauer;
• Super — vigilante madness starring Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Kevin Bacon and Liv Tyler;
• Bangkok Knockout — Thai action from the stunt team and filmmakers of Ong Bak;
• Outrage — a gritty and violent new Yakuza thriller from the legendary Takeshi Kitano;
• Bunraku — a surreal fist-and-sword epic starring Josh Hartnett, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson, Kevin McKidd, Ron Perlman and GACKT!;
• Machete Maidens Unleashed! — the titillating story of 70s exploitation films from the Philippines.

From Harlem to Asheville

The Harlem Globetrotter's (cue the whistling Sweet Georgia Brown theme song) are making their way to Asheville this Saturday, March 27 at 3:00 PM. Head over to the Asheville Civic Center to watch this legendary basketball troupe in action. A perfect event for kids and adults alike, the Globetrotter's have been entertaining audiences for 84 years and counting.

The team originally started out in south Chicago during the 1920's as the Globe Trotters. To give the team a better identity they added Harlem to the name in 1929, but even then it wasn't until 1968 that they played their first "home" game in the New York City borough. Despite their incredible record of wins (over 8,000), the team has changed over the years from competitive basketball to more of an entertainment exhibition. They have had their own feature film and numerous television cameos including Gilligan's Island, the Simpsons, and Futurama.

Tickets are still available to enjoy the antics of the Harlem Globetrotters. Prices range from $29 to $79 and are available here.

Widespread Panic plays a two day event in Asheville

Calling all "Spreadheads"! Widespread Panic, the band famous for never playing the same concert twice, is coming to downtown Asheville for a two day event at the Asheville Civic Center on April 8 and 9. Opening for them is JJ Grey & Mofro, a funky soulful band from Jacksonville, Florida.

Widespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. Since their inception in 1986, they have risen to elite status among American jam bands. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Todd Nance, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann, and guitarist Jimmy Herring.

Tickets are still available for either night or you can buy a two day pass. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster - $43. 40 for a single night admission and $79.80 for both nights. Doors open at 6:30 PM.

Horseback Riding Vacations in Asheville

Are you looking for a vacation activity that's off the beaten path? Do you want a way to sow your wild oats? Consider jumping in the saddle and taking a horseback riding tour. Bad puns aside, it's a unique way to take in Asheville's mountain vistas and wooded trails. With experienced guides available to assist even beginner riders can enjoy the trip. There are several tours available around the area, including the grounds of Biltmore.

The Biltmore offers a guided tour trail ride, a three hour private lunchtime trail ride that includes a picnic or a two hour private trail rides (sans lunch). It's recommended that you make reservations at least two days in advance. You can learn more about horseback riding tours at Biltmore here. So trot on over to Asheville and try it out. (Sorry, couldn't resist)

Thank you to Lee Ann Donnelly who provided the photo for this post.

Download an audio tour guide of Asheville’s Urban Trail

It has never been easier to take a tour of downtown Asheville’s Urban Trail, thanks to a free downloadable audio guide made available through the City of Asheville’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department.

The tour is designed for mp3 players, and walks participants through the 1.7-mile, 2-hour trail that highlights Asheville’s history, architecture, public art and local personalities. Though the Urban Trail has seen guided tours in the past, it was intended to be a self-guided, so people walking the trail can stop in shops and restaurants or other attractions and resume the tour on their own, a feature enhanced by the audio tour.

To further enhance the experience of the Urban Trail, a version is in the works that is geared towards children, as well as a tour that can be accessed by cell phone and an online slideshow tour with audio so people outside of Asheville can see the rich history its downtown holds.

Click here to download the audio tour, as well as both the Urban Trail map and brochure.

2nd Saturdays in the River Arts District

This weekend Asheville's River Arts District is proud to participate in Collect Art Asheville, the region-wide Second Saturday Initiative. Artists and art organizations throughout Western North Carolina open their doors and host openings, events classes and workshops on the second weekend of each month. All events are free and open to the public. Here are a few things you will see on Saturday, March 12 in the River Arts District.

Pink Dog Creative
• Brad Stroman - open 10-3 (Brad will be working on a new piece, so people may stop in and watch as a wabi-sabi composition is painted. He'll also be available to answer questions about the Japanese Zen Buddhist aesthetic of wabi-sabi.)
• William Price - open studio from 10-4

Studios of The Cotton Mill & Mill Gallery at 122 Riverside
• Cloth, BZ Design and Margaret Couch Cogswell - open 11-4:30
• Exhibition of works of building artists:
Upstairs: Ed Bauer, Christine Daugherty,John Mac Kah, Genie Maples, Skip Rohde, Nancy Silver
On display and for sale: works on paper, stained glass, landscape and prints in oils, etchings, figure in oils & acrylic.
Instruction available, demos, ongoing in some studios.
Downstairs: Eileen & Marty Black, Margaret Couch Cogswell, sutherland Handweaving Studio, Robin Black Walder, Barbara Zaretsky. Pottery, textile and fiber arts, jewelry, weaving
Workshops, demos and instruction.
Open from 10AM until 4PM, Monday through Saturday

Riverside Studios
Located on the corner of Riverside Dr.and W Haywood/Craven St, 828-551-5045
New paintings by Brit J Øie, Ben Kaleblevi and Lucretia Speas. - open 11am-4pm

Riverview Station
Elizabeth Henderson - special open hours 11-3

The Wedge
Studio 2B2: Joyce Thornburg - extended open hours 10-5

240 Clingman Ave
Jonas Gerard Fine Art will be offering a fun-filled afternoon in which we'll be sharing the artists' history and work, first hand. Day also includes:
• A hospitality station with light refreshments
• Ongoing personal tours of the gallery and chance to see his "life story wall"
• Experience of our in-house dye-sublimation process by purchasing your own 8x8 or 12x12" tile
• An opportunity to win a free print for those visitors who are added to our email list
It's an exciting day for the whole family to enjoy!

Constance Williams Gallery
Salon du Vineyard and Constance Williams Gallery present conceptual clay artist Greg Vineyard’s latest showing of works for interaction and discussion, plus charity fundraiser.

"Mis-Community-Cation: Dioramas of Discord" encourages viewers to think about interaction and communication, as well as to play with art and attempt to bring harmony to chaos.

Meet the artist, play with the dioramas, mingle, make new friends.

10% of Vineyard’s proceeds on any of his work in Constance Williams Gallery during the run of the show will go to Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+, www.craftemergency.org), a non-profit that assists artists and crafters in need.

Constance Williams Gallery is located at 9 Riverside Dr., the middle building in the CURVE studios & garden tri-plex. Open Every Day 11 am – 4 pm.

Learn more about the River Arts District by visiting here.

Farm Fresh Bounty in Asheville this weekend!

Come support farms, farmers and food at "Farm Fresh North Carolina" events in Asheville this weekend, March 11 and 12. Farm Fresh North Carolina is the first statewide guidebook of its kind and takes readers on a lively tour of more than 425 farms, produce stands, farmers' markets, wineries, children-friendly pumpkin patches and corn mazes, pick-you-own orchards, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, agricultural festivals and more. All destinations are open to the public and have been personally vetted by travel writer Diane Daniel.

FRIDAY, March 11, at 7 p.m., Laurey's Café, 67 Biltmore Ave. Join farmers and fans at our Western launch party, compliments of the University of North Carolina Press. Food and drink provided (until they run out). Book sales hosted by Malaprops and there will be book signings by Diane Daniels.

SATURDAY, March 12, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Grove Park Inn, 290 Macon Ave. Diane will be sitting, selling, and signing outside of Grove Park Inn's breakfast area, probably from 9 to 10:30. At the Blue Ridge Dining Room.

SATURDAY, March 12, 3 p.m., Malaprops Books, 55 Haywood St. Diane will be hosting the conversation "From Farm to Fork" with chef William Dissen of Market Place in Asheville and Missy Huger of Jake's Farm in Candler, followed by farm-fresh nibbles and book signing.

St. Patrick's Slay at the Roller Derby

It's a St. Patrick's brawl on wheels! Prepare yourself for a season opening double header as the Blue Ridge Roller Girls prepare to take on the Soul City Sirens on March 12, at the Asheville Civic Center. Also competing on the rink, The French Broads versus the Twin City Derby Girls.


Founded in June of 2006, the Blue Ridge Rollergirls make up Asheville, NC’s first all-female, flat track roller derby league. With their popularity and fan base soaring across Western North Carolina, BRRG was officially selected as a WFTDA (Women's Flat Track Derby Association) Apprentice League. WFTDA, the international governing body for women’s flat track roller derby, selected Blue Ridge for apprenticeship along with nine other leagues from the United States, Canada and Europe. WFTDA apprenticeship is the entry step to becoming a full membership league in WFTDA making it the “big leagues” for the exploding sport of women’s flat track roller derby.


Tickets for the event are $10 in advance/ $12 the day of the bout. Fans under 12 are admitted free and the first bout starts at 5:00 P.M. Halftime entertainment includes the Asheville Hoops Troupe and Fifty Year flood. 

Asheville's WOW Factor

People have traveled far and wide to see Asheville's beautiful Blue Ridge mountain ranges, the vibrant culture and of course the Biltmore. Now is your chance to see what makes Asheville such a unique destination.

Thanks to Chris Cassels with Casablanca Media for this great footage.

Hatch Asheville gears up for a third year

The third year of HATCH Asheville is slated for April 14-17 with a number of panels, workshops and events open to the public.

What is HATCH? It is a program that provides mentorship, education, inspiration and recognition to the next generation of creative innovators. The focus is on creative industries and how to best leverage creative professions to impact the community and the planet in a positive and sustainable way. HATCHfest brings together luminaries in the arts and entertainment world to serve as mentors to groundbreaking new creative talent. They host panels, workshops, keynotes, exhibits, networking parties, and mentoring sessions for four days in the heart of downtown Asheville.

Local studios, galleries, theaters, concert halls, and other locations become HATCH venues during the festival for experiential exhibits, panels, workshops, and networking events. Downtown Asheville comes alive.

A full list of mentors will be announced in the coming weeks and tickets are on sale for the special events being planned. However, many panel discussions and events are free. Click here for more information.

Three great concerts this weekend at The Orange Peel

If you're looking for some great concert options this weekend then look no further than The Orange Peel in downtown Asheville. This weekend they have a fantastic lineup that spans a number of musical genres.

Friday, March 11

Hear the twangy sounds of the legendary Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, an American country-folk-rock band that has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California in 1966. The group's membership has had at least a dozen changes over the years, including a period from 1976 to 1981 when the band performed and recorded as The Dirt Band. The band is often cited as instrumental to the progression of contemporary country and roots music. Their music has achieved multi-platinum success including distinct honors of having their album Circle preserved by the Library of Congress.

Saturday, March 12

Portland, Oregon's experimental-rock trio Menomena is always full of sur­prises. Since self-releasing its debut, I Am The Fun Blame Monster!, in 2000, it's been a solid 10-year career full of innovative music. Over the past decade, the perfectionists fuse guitar, glockenspiel, bass, baritone and alto sax, keys, percussion and vocals, playing several instruments at once and swapping between songs. At their aid is their very own homemade computer program, which loops their instrumental riffs together, allowing Menomena to delicately mix punk and funk rhythms with eerie, deep melodies, and gorgeous vocal harmonies. Clearly their process is an intricate one, but it makes for quite a spectacular live experience.

Sunday, March 13

If you love the soulful sounds of old school R&B, then you will not want to miss Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings. This band played to a sold out audience the last time they visited The Orange Peel ensuring a hasty return to Asheville. This Brooklyn based band is steeped in the gilded and gritty sounds of gospel, soul, and funk. This nine-piece act continues to electrify fans, disc jockeys, critics, record collectors, and bloggers the world over with their heart-felt sound.

Tickets are still available for each show. For venue information please visit here. If you would like to see what other activities are happening in Asheville to complement your concert experience see our calendar of events.

Let the Good Times Roll

Laissez les bon temps rouler, or in English, let the good times roll! Asheville has a special affinity for New Orleans culture. We may not have voodoo dolls at our gift shops, but we do love a good party and any excuse to dress up in lavish costumes.

Mardi Gras events are planned all next week starting with the annual Mardi Gras parade on Sunday, March 6 at 3PM. This family friendly event promising to be a fantastic spectacle in the streets of downtown Asheville, complete with beads. An after party is planned at Pack's Tavern.

Fat Tuesday, March 8 you will find a number of celebrations around the area including events at Barley's Taproom, Jack of the Wood and Ed Boudreaux's Bayou BBQ. Come join in on the fun.

Asheville Arts Community Vying for Top Spot

Calling all art lovers! Now is your last chance to vote for Asheville as your favorite arts destination for a small city in the AmericanStyle magazine's Top 25 Arts Destination readers' poll. In years past Asheville has held a top spot in the category, finally clinching the number one ranking in 2010. It's no surprise that Asheville has received this accolade so many years running. With the creativity that flows from the River Arts District and the eclectic mix of street artists in downtown Asheville, visitors have found that we have our own unique style and place in the arts community.

The poll continues through this Saturday, March 5. Results of the Top 25 Arts Destinations readers' poll will be published in the Summer 2011 issue of AmericanStyle magazine, on newsstands in late May 2011, and online at www.AmericanStyle.com.

Visit here to vote for Asheville as the number one small city arts destination! You may be the lucky winner of $500!

Signs of Spring at Biltmore

Spring is coming early to Asheville this year (assuming Nibbles the groundhog was correct) and the gardening team at Biltmore has been gearing up in preparation for April's Festival of Flowers. Starting April 2 and running until May 15, the Festival of Flowers will display thousands of tulips and acres of azaleas in full bloom.

Additional Festival of Flowers activities will include:

• Live music daily in the Conservatory and Winter Gardens.
• Special menu items at Biltmore restaurants.
• Ask a Gardener stations featuring Biltmore's horticultural experts answering guest questions on the weekends.
• Festival of Flowers commemorative wines at the Winery.
• Daily complimentary seminars at A Gardener's Place in the Conservatory
• An art show at Deerpark Restaurant.

Biltmore will also have new hours of operation starting in April. The Admissions gate opens from 8:30 a.m. and is open until 6:30 p.m. Biltmore House opens it's doors at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 4:30 p.m. More information about Biltmore can be found here.

Bright Eyes coming to the Asheville Civic Center

Coming this Saturday, March 5 to the Asheville Civic Center, indie-rock band Bright Eyes will be performing songs from their new album The People's Key, their 11th album to be released.

Bright Eyes is the musical project of singer-songwriter Conor Oberst--an Omaha native who many have dubbed "rock's boy genius." And when one considers his prolific musical output; the ease at which he writes complex, poetic lyrics that accurately sum up many facets of the American experience; that he has been recording music since 13 and, by 24, has recorded over a dozen albums (not to mention a few EPs) and mans his own enormously successful indie record label, Saddle Creek--they may just be right. Many of Oberst's works have been hailed as veritable masterpieces and several critics (as well as a legion of fans) already consider him to hold a place among the great American songwriters.

Tickets are still available through Ticketmaster and cost $38.65 (that's with fees). The concert starts at 8PM. To learn about other events being held at the Asheville Civic Center, please check out their calendar of events. To learn more about things to do in Asheville please visit ExploreAsheville.com.