Party With the Animals

WNC Nature Center Hosts Second Annual Mountain Safari.

Be the first to try Asheville Brewing Company's
limited release, Rufus Red Ale.

The WNC Nature Center is hosting Mountain Safari, a party and "wild social adventure," tonight from 6 PM - 9 PM. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy an evening encounter with owls, otters, cougars, wolves, and more! 

Live entertainment includes bluegrass musician Rob Russell, the Asheville-based rock band Sunshine and the Bad Things, and native son and musical genius/headliner Aaron Woody Wood. The enchanting Bhangra dancers, Christine Garvin and Diana McCall, will be performing as well. 

Delicious food generously donated by the following area restaurants: Azalea Café, Chili’s, Fig Bistro, The Marketplace, and Ultimate Ice Cream will satisfy partygoer’s taste buds. To wash down the delectable bites, Asheville Brewing Company is generously providing beer and, to commemorate the Center’s “Year of the Red Wolf,” attendees are encouraged to come early for a limited release bottle of Rufus Red Ale! Attendees are encouraged to dress in their best safari gear, and those that do will be entered into a special raffle. 

Tickets are $50 at the door.

Asheville's New Renaissance

Popular Downtown Hotel Has a Beautiful New Look.

The Renaissance Asheville Hotel recently completed a multimillion dollar renovation of their public areas and restaurant. From their website: "Experience a new level of sophistication and style. Our casual chic transformation features bright, rich woods and marble flooring, creating a warm and inviting mood. Be sure to stop by the Writer's Bistro featuring farm-to-table dining."

Want to stay here? Check out the special deals happening right now!

Best Bets for Asheville Beer Week

Asheville Celebrates Brew Culture and Beer City Win!

Asheville, hot on the heels of its fourth Beer City USA victory, is celebrating with an 11 day extravaganza centered around its craft brew culture. 

Asheville Beer Week begins today and continues through Sunday, June 3. The complete list of events includes everything from special dinners to the "Sink It and Drink It" mini-golf putting crawl. Here are some top picks for the week.

Beer Week Best Bets

• Celebrating its third year, the Beer City Festival will play host to 32 breweries from across the country. On Saturday, June 2, you can sample new brews, try out some local food and enjoy live music. Tickets are available at Barley's Taproom and Brusin' Ales until May 31.
• Take a course in brewology. Join local columnist and beer diva, Anne Fitten Glenn, at Barley's Taproom for Beer 101. Get a lesson in beer styles, brewing, beer history and more. The event takes place Friday, May 25, from 4 to 6PM.
• Asheville's oldest brewery meets America's oldest brewery. Join Leah Wong Ashburn and Jennifer Yuengling at Highland Brewing Company for an event highlighting the next generation of family-owned breweries. It takes place Thursday, May 31 from 4:00 - 8:00 PM.

Beer Buzz

• Get your hands on this: Razor Wit, a Highland Brewing Company beer, was just featured on Esquire.com's Best Beers of 2012 list. 
• Mystery Unveiled: A new brewery is coming to town, but who is going to be? Head over to Wedge Brewing Company on Thursday, May 31, from 6:30 - 9:00 PM for the big reveal.
• District 12 release party: Asheville Brewing Company in downtown Asheville will roll out their new Hunger Games themed "District 12 Ale" for the first time. This free event takes place Wednesday, May 30, starting at 5:00 PM

Stay Connected

Download the free Asheville Beer Week app for iPhone and Android. It's full of useful maps, event listings, brewery information as well as fun extras like social sharing and a photo function that lets you apply your favorite beer-goggle effects. Also follow the action via the Asheville Beer Week's website, Facebook page and their Twitter account.

More Beer City Info

• Complete list of Asheville breweries.
• Tours, Tastings & Tips: The top 15 ways to experience Beer City USA.
• They put beer in what?

How to Make Moog Music in Minutes!

Asheville (and Google) Celebrate the 78th Birthday of Bob Moog.

Music pioneer, Bob Moog, would have been 78 today. For those unfamiliar with Moog's legacy, he created the Moog synthesizer, an instrument that revolutionized the world of music. Moog was a longtime resident of Asheville and his musical empire is still headquartered here at the Moog Factory near downtown Asheville.

Today only (May 23, 2012) you can make your own Moog music via the Google Doodle. Mix, tweak and record four layers of music that you can save and email to your friends. Very cool! Visit here for a tutorial.

Moog Factoids:

• If you enjoy the Google Doodle, then you probably should get your hands on the Animoog app. Within a week of its initial launch, Animoog became the number one selling iPad app, and now it's available for iPhone users as well.
• Every major musician in the world orders their American-made synthesizer from right here in the mountains!
• Each synthesizer is made by hand.
• You can tour the Moog factory to see how's these instruments are created.
• It's pronounced Moog - rhymes with vogue. Not like a cow moo(g).
• Moogfest is an annual celebration of electronic music that takes place in downtown Asheville each fall.

Want to know more about the Moog experience in Asheville? We've got the details on exclusive concerts and where you can purchase your very own Moog synthesizer. Learn more!

Biltmore Summer Savings

Biltmore's Slew of Summertime Savings Begins This Week.

The largest home in America is now offering some pretty large deals. Plan a trip to Biltmore this summer and take advantage of one of the cost-saving specials listed below. 

What does the price of admission get you? Besides touring an amazing 250-room castle, you can peruse acres of beautifully landscaped gardens, enjoy a complimentary wine tasting and dine at one of the many farm-to-table restaurants on the estate. And that's just a small sampling of everything you can do. Check out your other options here.

But back to those specials. Here they are:

Early Bird Special  
• Why wait? Purchase your tickets at least seven days in advance and save up to $15. Click here to purchase now.


Senior Savings
• With age comes wisdom and a chance to save $10 every Tuesday and Wednesday. 


Daddy Deals 
• This Father's Day, purchase a youth or adult ticket and Dad gets to tag along for free. 


Family Fun For Free
• From May 25 - September 3, kids ages 16 and under get free admission. 


Double Down 
• Purchase a one day pass and for $10 you can add on a second day of exploration at the estate.

Make it a Package
• The Biltmore partners with many of the Asheville area accommodations. Bundling the two provides substantial savings. Book here.

Learn more about the Biltmore experience.

Free Gas! Wait, What?!

Haywood Park Hotel Offers Summer Gas Promo.

Every summer ushers in predictions of gas prices escalating to new heights, but this year it would appear average prices are lower than previous years. While that is certainly welcomed news for travelers, the Haywood Park Hotel takes it one step further. This popular downtown Asheville hotel is offering a new gas promotion to ensure you enjoy a mountain retreat minus the "pain at the pump" travel concerns.

From their website:

Asheville, known for great food, awesome music, amazing shopping, microbreweries and free gas. Wait, what?! That’s right, if you drive to Haywood Park Hotel this summer, we will reimburse you $0.25 per mile, up to 200 miles for a discount of up to $50.00. 

Simply mention the Summer Gas Promo at the time of booking. Call 1.800.228.2522 to book your Blue Ridge Mountain getaway now!

Offer valid May 7-August 30, 2012 only. Through May 31, no restriction on length of stay, discount applies on stays of one night or more, excluding 5/25-5/27/12. June 1-August 30, three night minimum stay required. Cannot be combined with any other offer.

Book it now!

Red, White and Blueberry Chipotle

12 Bones BBQ Sauce to be Spotlighted at the DNC.

BBQ sauces from across the state of North Carolina competed for one of three spots at this year's Democratic National Convention, taking place in Charlotte. Judges tasted a variety of sauces looking for the best vinegar-based, mustard-based and tomato-based recipe. 

Asheville's popular 12 Bones Smokehouse took home the top billing in the tomato category. For anyone who's eaten there, this news probably comes as no surprise considering the restaurant has a line out the door every single day. Next time you're in town be sure to try their sweet tomato sauce, but keep in mind they have other sauces with a cult following as well, including their popular blueberry chipotle.

Check out the full story from the Mountain Xpress. 

Downtown After 5 Begins 2012 Season

Downtown's Free Music Festival Starts Tonight.

The ever-popular Downtown After 5 series begins tonight in the streets of Asheville. Headlining the event is Velvet Truckstop, featuring keyboardist Tom Constanten (Grateful Dead). The opening act is Analog Moon. 

The event kicks off at the Lexington Ave. stage beginning at 5:00 and running until 9:00 PM. There will be plenty of food, drink and shopping vendors available.

Tips for a great experience:

1. Bring cash for everything

2. Bring an ID

3. Leave your pets and coolers at home

Here's more about the artists from the Downtown Association's website.

Asheville Wins Again!

Asheville Ties With Grand Rapids in Beer City USA Poll.

The competition was fierce in this year's Beer City USA poll, as a new rivalry emerged between defending champion, Asheville, and newcomer, Grand Rapids, MI. The two cities played a game of tug-of-war throughout the 13-day voting period with each city never gaining more than a two percentage lead. In the end, the two cities tied for top position.

This isn't the first time a tie has occurred in this popular online poll, hosted by Examiner.com. Asheville tied with Portland, OR, the first year and then went on to win by a landslide in 2010 and 2011. The Beer City victories have certainly garnered Asheville's amazing craft brew scene some national attention,  attracting big name brewers like Sierra Nevada, New Belgium and Oskar Blues, all of whom are opening up an east coast operation in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Learn more about Asheville's craft brew culture!

Yoga on the Lawn

Asheville B&B Offers Unique Experiences For Guests.

The Hill House Bed and Breakfast Inn, located in the heart of Asheville, is offering some wonderful experiences for guests of their inn. Aside from their jacuzzi tubs, fireplaces (in most rooms), complimentary breakfast and bottomless cookie jar, they have also added some unique extras not always found at a B&B. 

• Yoga on the lawn: In partnership with Asheville Yoga Center, the inn offers morning yoga classes before breakfast (7:30 am - 8:30 am) for inn guests as well as local residents. Classes will be on Saturday, Sunday, and additionally either Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday and cost $10.

• Badminton on the lawn: The same as above, but different. The game is reserved for inn guests.

• "Junior Citizens" discount: In a twist from the typical "Senior Citizens" discount, Hill House is also extending a discount to adult guest parties whose average age is less than 30, opening the doors to a younger audience who may not think of a B&B as their first lodging choice.

• Local Music: Each guest room comes with a number of CD's featuring local music from the mountains that can be enjoyed using the in-room CD players.

Book one of these great deals now!

Oskar Blues Brews

Another Colorado Brewery Announces Move to the Mountains.

It's official! Oskar Blues Brewery has decided to open its doors in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Makers of the popular Dale's Pale Ale recently announced their plans to open shop in Brevard, NC, by December of this year. Lured in by the outdoor beauty of the mountains and the buzz surrounding the area's amazing craft beer scene, Oskar Blues has become the third big-name brewer to make a move to the region. The others include Sierra Nevada and New Belgium.

Oskar Blues started in 1997 as a small restaurant in Lyons, CO. Two years later, owner Dale Katechis transitioned the business to a brew pub and his beer started gaining a fan base. In 2002 he started packaging beer in cans for distribution and built up a national following. The east coast expansion will now help them build that fan base even more. Learn more about the brewery and their various accolades here.

Learn more about Asheville's craft brew culture.

Geek Out

Photos of the Day: This past weekend, fans came out to celebrate their favorite fantasy genre at the first installment of GeekOut. The Renaissance Asheville Hotel hosted this multi-genre event that brought out the kid in everyone. Attendees enjoyed gaming lounges, costumed characters, live performances and even a zombie prom.

Check out these fandom images captured by Asheville photographer, Alan Hantz.

More of Alan's photos from this event can be found here.

Solar Pillar and Contrails... Oh My!

AB Tech Institute of Climate Education Shares Latest Weather Fun Fact.

Western North Carolina has been enjoying some beautiful weather since the rain moved out on Wednesday.  Those mostly clear skies set the stage for a beautiful sunset on Thursday evening – with some atmospheric optics to boot!

The image above was shot about 4 minutes after the sun dipped below the mountain last night. The high, thin, wispy clouds painted gold by the setting sun are called cirrus clouds and are made of ice crystals (as opposed to liquid droplets that makes up most other clouds, including the darker clouds to the right). Also visible are at least 10 contrails (short for condensation trails) produced by condensation of water vapor in the exhaust of aircraft jet engines. 

The six-sided, plate-like ice crystals that form the cirrus clouds can create some very interesting optical phenomena, depending on how they are aligned within the clouds. In this case – the crystals are aligned horizontally, so that the light from the sun reflects off of the bottom side of the crystal, creating a vertical solar pillar. When the crystals are alligned vertically – we can see sun dogs (see the October 27, 2011 account here). 

Are you interested in learning about severe weather? Join us on Saturday, June 2nd for a FREE Severe Weather Workshop. The Institute is hosting Basic and Advanced Skywarn severe weather spotter training by the National Weather Service from 9:30 am – 2:30 pm on the A-B Tech Asheville campus. While the event is offered free of charge, we are asking participants to pre-register by May 31st. For more information, visit the Institute’s website here. I do hope you’ll join us for this great opportunity!

Art Safari 2012

Weaverville Art Safari Kicks Off This Weekend.

This weekend, take a driving tour to discover a number of working artist's studios (41 to be exact) in the quaint town of Weaverville, just north of Asheville. The Weaverville Art Safari is celebrating its eleventh year of showcasing local artists. The safari takes place this Saturday and Sunday, May 12 and 13, from 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM.

Expect to find unique crafts like pottery, painting, fine jewelry and woodworking. Here's a complete list of artists.

A preview party is planned this Friday, May 11 at the Reems Creek Golf Course clubhouse from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM. Admission is $10.

Asheville's Hotel Indigo Rated #1

Boutique Hotel in Downtown Asheville Rated Number One in North America.

Asheville's Hotel Indigo was just rated the number one hotel of all Indigos in the Americas. Based on guest satisfaction surveys over the course of three months, the Hotel Indigo Asheville has consistently scored higher than all others in terms of cleanliness, service, attention to detail and more.

"I am immensely proud of all the staff," said Susan Newton, Director of Sales for the Asheville Indigo. "Each one brings their personality to the core. This "core" creates synergies our guests get to experience. Each staff member is focused on details - to deliver an experience beyond expectation."

The Hotel Indigo has risen up against some other stellar Indigos, especially the one in Jacksonville, FL who has maintained the number one position for two years running.

Kudos to the entire Indigo team!

15 Ways to Experience Beer City USA

Tours, Tastings and Tips in a Craft Beer Mecca.

Perhaps you have heard the buzz about Asheville's growing beer culture. A three-peat winner of the national Beer City USA poll, Asheville offers an abundance of activities based around brew. So what's a visitor to our craft beer mecca to do? We've compiled a list of the top ways to truly experience Asheville's craft beer scene. Click the link to learn more.

The Top 15 Ways to Experience Beer City USA

VOTE NOW!

Asheville is currently in the running for a fourth victory in the 2012 Beer City USA poll so be sure to vote here if you haven't already.

Asheville Bites and Sips

Asheville's Food and Beer Scene Highlighted in Unique Culinary Event.

The Asheville Chamber of Commerce will host Asheville Bites & Sips, a unique culinary affair, on Thursday, May 17, at the Wilma M Sherrill Center at UNC Asheville. 

Presented by Mission Health System, Asheville Bites & Sips is a casual evening celebrating local food and beer with a festival atmosphere. Tickets are $50 to enjoy food from 18 restaurants and beer from 7 breweries along with music and vendors. Purchase tickets online or call 828-258-6101. 

Check out the line-up…  

  Breweries: 

• Highland Brewing Company 
• Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company 
• Oyster House Brewing Company 
• Craggie Brewing 
• Pisgah Brewing Company 
• New Belgium 
• Green Man 

Restaurants: 

• Carmel's 
• Corner Kitchen 
• Storm Rhum Bar 
• French Broad Chocolate Lounge 
• The Lobster Trap 
• City Bakery Cafe 
• Plant Restaurant 
• Early Girl Eatery 
• Vincenzos Restaurant and Piano Bar 
• Vinnie's Neighborhood Italian 
• The Green Sage 
• The Chop House
• Posana Cafe 
• Gypsy Queen Cuisine 
• The Junction 
• Sunny Point 
• Sazarac 
• Strada 

Vendors: 

• Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project 
• WNCW 
• Biltmore 
• Wake Robin Farm Breads 
• Farm and Sparrow wood-fired craft bakery 
• On The Fly Asheville 

Entertainment from local buskers: 

• Leo Johnson and the Space Heaters 
• Skinny Beats Drum Duo 
• Professor Whizpop

May Contest: Zip to the Moon

First-Time Ever Zipline Delivery of the First Pitch.
The Asheville Tourists baseball team, in partnership with the Asheville Zipline Canopy Adventures, have created an unprecedented way to deliver the first pitch. At each one of their home games, one lucky fan will ride a zipline from behind third base to home plate, where Tourist mascot, Mr. Moon, awaits their arrival.


Watch & Win! 

Now you can soar across the tree tops with a dramatic view of downtown Asheville. We're giving away four passes for a zipline experience at the Asheville Zipline Canopy Adventures. Plus you will also win tickets to see an Asheville Tourists baseball game. Want to win?
Enter here!

Shop Asheville Online!

Asheville Visitor Center Opens Online Store.

Looking for some great Asheville souvenirs? While in town, you can find a wide selection of items at the Asheville Visitor Center. However, if you haven't had a chance to go by there, you can still get your hands on some great Asheville branded merchandise through a new online store! 

Items currently available are hoodies, t-shirts, mugs and art. New items will be added to the list over time so stay tuned!

Here's a link to the store!

NC's First Wine Tap Room

Asheville Wine Bar Taps Into Something Big.

Asheville's wine scene has something you won't find anywhere else in North Carolina. It's a new wine tap system, and it promises to be a game changer in the world of wine.

When Carla Baden, owner of Santé Wine Bar & Tap Room, discovered keg wine, she knew she was on to something big. After a brief remodel to install the new tap system, the keg wine is flowing, and the wine's flavor and quality is just as good, if not better, than wine from a bottle.

The benefits of tap wine are numerous. Wine lovers can now enjoy the highest quality wine available, as the tap wine has not touched air until poured into a glass. By using kegs, the cost of wine production is reduced and less waste is produced from glass, labels and corks. Also, kegs are reusable, making tap wines more eco-friendly than their bottled counterparts.

The best benefit is being able to taste the wine before you buy. There are currently 12 wine taps at Santé, and Baden plans to install more in the near future. Some of the wines featured are only available by the keg so be sure to visit this downtown hot spot to find your favorite. Also be sure to take home a beautiful Santé growler filled with your choice of tap wine. You can bring it back in for a refill!

Beer City USA Poll Now Open

Vote Asheville for Beer City USA!

It's that time again! Online voting for the Beer City USA poll has officially started for 2012, and Asheville needs your support to put us back in the winner circle!

Asheville stands as reigning champ, having held the Beer City title for three consecutive years (the first year resulting in a tie with Portland, OR). This year, the competition is fierce with a number of new cities entering the race, each determined to take the crown. And who could blame them? The Beer City designation has certainly put Asheville's craft beer scene on the map, garnering the attention of major brewers such as Sierra Nevada and New Belgium. Both breweries recently announced plans to make the Asheville area their east coast home.

We want to keep the momentum going, so please, cast your vote for Asheville! The poll runs May 1-13 and you only get one vote per email/IP address.

Learn more about Asheville's craft beer culture, including a list of breweries, tours and brews news. Our online guide will give you all the information you need to make the most of your journey to Beer City USA.

Vote Here!