July 21, 2008

Bele Chere 2008 is coming! Insider tips and tricks Part II: Parking!

See Part I, which includes online and magazine guides to this year's Bele Chere festival, as well as transit information.

Parking. The straightforward, easy and obvious way to park is to use one of the many pay lots surrounding downtown. During Bele Chere, anyone that has a parking lot charges for public parking. When I've paid in the past, I've used the YMCA or First Baptist Church of Asheville parking lots, which are right next to each other, and located on the edge of downtown. There's no telling what they'll be charging to park though, and I've always found that I'd rather save that money for the great art, trinkets, food and drink you'll find downtown at Bele Chere.

My recommendation is to park on a neighborhood side street slightly away from downtown, off of Charlotte Street, College Street, or even Merrimon Avenue. You'll do a little more walking, but it is a street festival, after all - so you've got to expect some walking.

The neighbors who live on those streets might disown me for divulging that information, but all of the locals who go to Bele Chere are already parking there, so why shouldn't you? (SORRY neighborhood locals!)

Reservations
At Carolina Mornings (also known as Asheville Cabins), we still have 5 vacation rentals available right in Asheville proper - including a luxury Biltmore condo, a downtown Asheville condo, and cabin rentals. Other properties located outside of Asheville are also available, and some are within 30 minutes of town. Hotels are booking quickly and have high summer rates, especially during Bele Chere. You'll get a lot more for your money with a vacation rental. Call us at 800.770.9055 or visit us online!

Enjoy the 30th Anniversary celebration of the Bele Chere festival in Asheville! And most importantly, have fun and stay safe this Bele Chere!

2 comments:

Gordon Smith said...

BlogAsheville netizen,

See you Friday?

Kelly said...

I'd love to... but unfortunately I'll be visiting my parents in Eastern NC!

Also, since I've relocated to Chapel Hill, I'm not technically an Asheville resident anymore (though I definitely still live there in my head) and it's hard to find a place to rest my head during Bele Chere!

It sounds really amazing, though - can we have another sometime soon? :)