Goombay Festival Weekend

Goombay Festival is this weekend! See downtown Asheville transform into a fantastic celebration of Africa’s Caribbean Diaspora and enjoy an expose of the rich and dynamic culture that has traveled around the world all the way to the Blue Ridge Mountains. From Friday, August 27^th at 12:00 pm to Sunday at 6:00 pm, leave the comfort of your vacation cabin and walk the streets of downtown to see a variety of FREE live entertainment, including dancing, drumming, contemporary rhythm bands, and much more. Try delicious Caribbean food, buy local and international arts and crafts, and browse the booths and wares of local organizations. It’s Goombay’s biggest and greenest festival yet!

Mountain Dance & Folk Festival: 84 Years in the Running

For a record 84 years, downtown Asheville’s Mountain Dance & Folk Festival has continued to bring together the many different heritages found in our beautiful Western North Carolina Mountains. From August 4^th to the 6^th at the Diana Wortham Theatre, both locals and visitors alike will join the festivities and delight in song, dance and musical performances reflecting the syncretism of Scottish, English, Irish, Cherokee and African cultures. Bring your friends and family to this vintage and well-loved festival, a chance to enjoy the artistic traditions handed down from generation to generation, from the Great Smokies to the Blue Ridge Mountains.

PUSH Asheville Fashion this Friday

Thanks to AskAsheville for the tip!
This Friday, March 27 (that's tomorrow for those who have trouble keeping up with the days of the week) is the first-ever PUSH Asheville Fashion show.

The show, organized by Sonia Lida K. Hendrix, will showcase 15 designers, 30 winter outfits, and 15 styles commonly seen around Asheville.

The goal is to bring attention to great local shopping opportunities in order to encourage spending in our Asheville community, therefore strengthening the local economy and helping our small businesses!

Primarily sponsored by AB Tech's business club (Phi Beta Lambda), this event will officially tie our local community college into the local arts and music culture. Other partners include Coma gun Music, Cinebarre, and Mutiny tattoo and piercing.


Details:
The Garage at Biltmore
Doors open at 9pm, show starts at 10pm
$10 tickets at the door
Ages 18+

Local boutiques:
Hip Replacements
Terra Diva
Fashionistas
Virtue
Frock
Union
Hunk
Honey Pot
Vintage Moon
Custom
Wink
Va Va Voom
Boga Global Fashion
All outfits under $120!!

Performances:
Asheville Dance Revolution
Ras Brohan of Krystal Kind
Jen & the Juice followed by
Plaza Real


Should be a really good time, come out and support Asheville's community businesses, art, fashion, and music!

Simplify your vacation for 2009 - stay in the NC mountains

It seems like everyone is experiencing some effects from the economic slowdown. But a tough economy doesn't mean you necessarily have to forgo your entire annual vacation. Leisure and fun are important, especially in more stressful times, and it's important to remember to keep money moving through the economy.

How do Asheville & Carolina Mornings help vacationers acheive this?

Visiting Asheville and the surrounding NC mountains is a great way to slim down your vacation costs, support local businesses, and still get away for fun and relaxation. Those in the Southeast will cut costs by sticking closer to home. Those from other parts of the country - especially the larger cities - will often find Western North Carolina more affordable in comparison to home. Those who usually go to faraway destinations can have a really fantastic trip with the arts, culture, food, and shopping that Asheville has to offer - without spending extra money on European (for example) travel costs.

Asheville has many free or affordable attractions. There are many art galleries and studios to visit free. Enjoy theater performances (including impressive traveling national and international acts) at Diana Wortham and Thomas Wolfe Auditorium at affordable ticket prices. Spend an entire day strolling the streets of downtown and window shopping. Eat at nationally acclaimed restaurants for under $20 a plate for dinner, $10 and under for lunch.

There are many reasons Asheville is called the Paris of the South, or the San Francisco of the East. Enjoy the perks and attractions of big city atmosphere in a small community setting - all for less than you would spend in other locations.

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For your affordable Asheville mountain vacation, give Carolina Mornings a call. Our Vacation Specialists will help you find the perfect property for your stay!

Weekly Weekend in Asheville

All Weekend
Flatrock Playhouse presents "And then there were none" -

This classic story comes from the imagination of legendary mystery author, Agatha Christie. Ten people, each with something to hide and something to fear, are invited to a mansion where they are cut off from everything but each other and the inescapable shadows of their own past lives.

Showtimes: Friday 8:15 pm; Saturday 2:15 and 8:15 pm; Sunday 2:15 pm
Tickets: $25-29 dollars
Buy tickets online, or call toll-free 866.732.8008.


Friday
The Carbon-Free Home: 36 Remodeling Projects to Help Kick the Fossil-Fuel Habit.

Learn how to go green one step at a time with Stephen and Rebekah Hren’s The Carbon-Free Home: 36 Remodeling Projects to Help Kick the Fossil-Fuel Habit. The Durham-based authors will share their own tried and tested methods for retrofitting an existing home with green, cleaner energy, as well as tips for conserving in all areas of your life.

Malaprops. Friday 7pm.

Saturday
Wines of the Old World Dining Train.
Enjoy a ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad dinner train, featuring the pairing of premium wines from select vineyards of the Old World.
Call 1-800-872-4681 for more details and pricing.

Saturday at the Movies - The Coen Brothers' The Big Lebowski. Free screening and local movie critics' discussion afterwards.
Pack Library Downtown, Saturday 2pm

Poet Glenis Redmond reads at Malaprops

Glenis Redmond is a 2005-2006 North Carolina Arts Council Literary Award recipient and a Denny C. Plattner Award winner for Outstanding Poetry sponsored by the Appalachian Heritage journal. She has been inducted in the Mt. Xpress' Hall of Fame for Best Poet in Western North Carolina after winning for over seven years. She is a Kennedy Teaching Artist and her work has aired on National Public Radio. She is a past winner of the Southern Fried Slam and a finalist of National Poetry Slam. She has been published most recently in Meridians, African Voices, EMRYS, The Asheville Poetry Review, 2006 Kakalak: A Journal of Carolina Poets, Appalachian Heritage and the Appalachian Journal. Glenis is a native of Greenville, South Carolina. She presently resides in Asheville, North Carolina with her twin daughters Amber and Celeste. When she is not writing Redmond frequently travels the country teaching poetry to all age levels.

Saturday 7pm

Grilled foods and wine at the Asheville Wine Guy. Tasting of nine wines made to pair with food from the grill. Examples of grilled food will be served.
Saturday 7-9pm
Tickets: $25

Shindig on the Green
Martin Luther King Jr Park
Saturday 7pm

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PLUS It's Labor Day Weekend...
and Carolina Mornings has dropped to a 2 night minimum. There's still a dozen or so properties available for Friday-Sunday rental, even more for Friday/Saturday - Monday.

Call us at 800.770.9055 to book your last minute weekend getaway!
*Book by 3pm for same-day arrival.

The Weekly Edition of This Weekend in Asheville

Music on Main
Downtown Hendersonville
TONIGHT! 7:00-10:00 pm

Downtown After 5
Downtown Asheville. Headliners Jeff Sipe and Shannon Whitworth Band with local performer Peggy Ratusz.
TONIGHT! 5:00-9:00 pm

Tomato Tasting at the WNC Farmer's Market
Saturday, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Studio tour of 22 Leicester artists
Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 am - 6 pm

Coen Brothers Critique and Film Series
Pack Library, downtown Asheville
Showing of "Blood Simple" (rated R), followed by a rumble between four of Asheville's most well-known movie critics as they argue, grumble and answer fiendish questions about the Coen brothers. Win door prizes - a pair of movie tickets to Carmike Cinemas and a framed copy of the movie poster!
Saturday, 2:00 - 5:00 pm

Shindig on the Green
Martin Luther King, Jr Park (downtown Asheville)
Saturday, from about 7:00 - 10:00 pm

ALL of these events are free to the public! Enjoy!

Weekend Events

Warm weather in Asheville means there's tons to do this weekend...

Gemfest 2008
10am-6pm Friday & Saturday; 11am-5pm Sunday. Colburn Earth Science Museum, Pack Place. Tons of dealers, free admission to the museum, silent auction.

Lighten Up Yoga: Free Yoga Day
Classes from 9am-4pm. Door prizes every hour. Open to new students, current students can play free if they bring a friend or family member.

Naked Bike Ride(please beware of naked photos on this Web site, click only at your own discretion).
Why? To make an impactful statement about world dependency on oil and petrochemicals. To protest the war in Iraq and the Middle East; to make a statement for Peace, civil rights and personal sovereignty. -From the Web site.
11am at the French Broad Co-op at 11am for a ride through downtown. Organizers work with the Asheville Police Department, and nearly everyone covers the 'important bits' - so while you might see scantily-clad people biking downtown on Saturday, you probably won't see complete nudity.

Knit in Public Day
11am at Charlotte Street Park/EW Grove Park.

Urban Block Party
Food, beer, and music. On Eagle Street from 4-9pm.

Ferral Chihuahuas
Sketch comic hilarity at 35Below, show times are 8 pm & 9:30 pm.

Folkmoot Festival July 14-27

Hey readers - has anyone been to Folkmoot in the past? Experiences, tips, or recommendations to share?

From the Folkmoot USA brochure & Web site:

Folkmoot USA, North Carolina's Official International Festival, is a two-week celebration of the world's cultural heritage through folk music and dance. Held each summer across the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina, Folkmoot features performances, parades and workshops by more than 350 performers from a dozen or so countries. Performers demonstrate a cultural heritage through colorful, authentic and original reproduction costumes, lively dance and beautiful sounds. During its 25-year history, over 200 folk groups from more than 100 countries have shared their heritage and culture at Folkmoot USA.

This is Folkmoot USA's 25th anniversary celebration! Countries who are expected to participate include Argentina, Belarus, Canada (Nova Scotia), Chinese Taipei, France, Japan, Kenya, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, and Trinidad. The U.S. Host Team, Whitewater Bluegrass Company & Mars Hill College's Bailey Mountain Cloggers will appear at the Gala, Opening, & Closing performances.

Events and performances are located all over WNC. See the detailed schedule.

Tickets are currently on sale, and purchase options include:
Online at www.folkmootusa.org
By phone at 828.452.2997
Or by contacting the specific venue

Check out a Hawaiian Fire Dancer at Folkmoot 2007.

The Green Sage: Fair trade coffee, local organic foods, and eco-friendly business

Today I came across this Around Asheville post about the Green Sage coffee shop, located downtown at the corner of Broadway and College Street.

I did know the Green Sage was open, and am glad to have another coffeehouse where the beloved Bean Streets used to reside. But until coming across this post, I had no idea the Green Sage's hook is all fair trade coffee, local organic food, and ecologically minded business practices. This post also brought to my attention their roof-top solar panels, which I hadn't noticed when driving through town (too busy trying not to run over pedestrians or rear-end other vehicles!).

Tonight the Green Sage hosts a talk about what makes a model green business, at 6:30pm.

I probably won't make it to the talk, but after viewing the list of goals (to the left) on their Web site, I'm definitely checking it out - hopefully for brunch tomorrow!

They also have great hours:
Coffeehouse
Mon-Wed 7:30am - 9pm
Thursday 7:30am - 10pm
Friday 7:30am - 11pm
Saturday 8am - 11pm
Sunday 8am - 9pm

Café (Seasonal Hours)
Breakfast until 4pm Daily
Lunch & Dinner 11am-8pm (Sun-Thurs), 9pm (Fri,Sat)

Who doesn't love a late brunch on a Saturday!?

Gas prices soar, tourism still in good spirits

The recession and painful gas prices are putting a damper on tourism and traveler's spirits all over the country, but Asheville seems to offer a balm for both.





Never fear, East Coast travel-lovers! Can't afford to fly to Europe (man the Dollar-to-Euro ratio is a bummer right now) and don't want to spend the money to drive great distances? Asheville is a great place to visit when trying to keep your travel cost low but still wanting lots to see and do.

Asheville, for those who don't know, offers a combination of activities to suit any desires:
Culture - art galleries, performances, festivals, shopping, historic sites
Outdoor activities - hiking, swimming, rafting, Blue Ridge Parkway
Pampering - Tons of spas, outdoor hot tubs in Hot Springs, NC
So, no matter what you are looking for in a destination, a trip to Asheville and WNC can be molded to whatever kind of trip you want to take.










Never fear, Asheville! Looks like the tourist industry is "cautiously optimistic" about this year's tourist season, pretty much for the reasons listed above ("Tourism will likely stay strong despite economy"). Asheville is a really wonderful place (we know, we chose to live here!) that is convenient to a lot of people in the South East, or even up and down the East Coast.

This is pretty pertinent to those who live here, too. The more money tourism brings in, the more locals get to take advantage of the festivals, traveling Broadway performances, great bands, and other fun things that brought us all to Asheville in the first place. So, if this subject interests you, check out the Asheville Citizen-Times linked above.

Cool Asheville Things (in brief)

Cool Asheville Thing #1:
Today is Dining out for Life. Eat lunch or dinner at participating restaurant and proceeds go to the Western North Carolina AIDS Project (WNCAP), a group that helps provide a number of services to those with HIV/AIDS. See the huge list of participating restaurants (as well as more information on Dining out for Life).


Cool Asheville Thing #2:
Day in the Life of Asheville takes place each year, when anyone who wants to can take photos during the designated 24-hour period and submit them for judging. This year's photos can be see here.

This year also included Citizen Camera, in which disposable cameras were also placed all around downtown Asheville for passerby to take any picture they chose and then leave the camera for the next person. Apparently it was a big success, and you can view Citizen Camera photos here.

If you live in Asheville or know a lot of Ashevillians, it's worth checking out - you never know who you're going to see (I saw my roommate from my freshman year at UNCA)!
(To read more about DITLO Asheville and also Citizen Camera, see this blogasheville post.)

Downtown in Bloom (Flower Show)

The Grove Arcade in downtown Asheville hosts its 6th Annual flower show this weekend (Saturday, April 26 - Sunday, April 27). Flowers will be displayed inside and outside the building (which itself is beautiful to look at, even when it isn't covered with blooming flowers).

Various Informational Events and Workshops
Saturday, April 26
12:00 pm - Arbor Day Celebration with Susan Roderick (Director of Quality Forward)
1:00 pm - Everything You Wanted to Know About Honey Bees and Were Afraid to Ask; Chris Mathis (Owner of Spicewood Farms)
2:00 pm - Greening Your Wedding; Meredith Law of Aria Floral
3:00 pm - Sustainability in Your Garden; Alison Arnold (Director of Horticulture at the North Carolina Arboretum)

Sunday, April 27
1:30 pm - Bog Gardens; Josh Lynch (Owner of Carnivorous Plant Connection)
2:30 pm - Container Gardening; Peter Loewer (Author of The Wild Gardener)
3:30 pm - Quick Centerpieces with Fruit and Flowers; Betsey Baker (Horticulturist, Floral Department at Biltmore Estate)


Built by E.W. Grove, the visionary and creator of the Grove Park Inn, the Grove Arcade opened in 1929 and thrived until World War II as one of the country's leading public markets. The historically renovated Grove Arcade reopened to the public in 2002 as a destination featuring boutique shopping, exciting dining and regional crafts in a beloved downtown architectural wonder.
-Grove Arcade Web site

Read more about this historic building's interesting background.

Orange Peel featured in Rolling Stone Magazine

Rolling Stone magazine just named the Orange Peel one of the nation's top 5 best rock clubs. (I was betting last summer's extended visit by the Smashing Pumpkins must have helped, the Rolling Stone write-up confirmed that.) The magazine hit the shelves Friday, but you can see the online version here.

Okay, okay so I'm behind in the times a little with this tidbit. I did hear about it last week on our local NPR station (WCQS) but hadn't mentioned it in the blog. Ashvegas gets credit for being ahead of the game something like over a week ago. See: Still speculating on Rolling Stones pick of Asheville rock club, Rolling Stone: Orange Peel one of top 5 music clubs in the US (includes a tidbit from the Asheville Citizen-Times article).

Asheville Performances Mar-Apr

Ronald K. Brown/Evidence - One Shot
Mar 25 - 26
Diana Wortham Theatre

One Shot is Ronald K. Brown's newest work inspired by the life and work of African American photographer Charles "Teenie" Harris, nicknamed "One Shot". In this new work, Ronald K. Brown continues to blaze the trail in creating significant works documenting and celebrating the universal importance of the African American experience to American and world culture and history. Using the music of Phyllis Hyman, Billy Strayhorn and other jazz masters, this work invokes and inspires the beauty of this cultural community.

Underneath the Lintel: The Mystery of the Abandoned Trousers
Apr 2-20
NC Stage Company

A small town librarians sheltered life is changed forever when the library receives a returned book 134 years overdue. A note scribbled in the margin and an unclaimed dry-cleaning ticket spur him to break the daily habits of his life and solve a mystery that spans continents and centuries. Underneath the Lintel (thats the doorway, not the legume) is the funny and moving story of one man's stubborn search for an answer, and what happens when the answers are all questions.

Shakespeare's The Tempest
Apr 9
Diana Wortham Theatre

A magical, hour-long production of Shakespeares fantastical romance intertwines puppetry and object theatre with actors to recreate Prosperos world. This public evening performance is presented in partnership with Theatre UNCA and UNCA's The Center for Diversity Education.


Eiko & Koma
Apr 12
UNC Asheville's Lipinsky Auditorium

UNC Asheville presents these Japanese-American avant-garde dancers as they perform "Mourning," their original choreography accompanied by pianist Margaret Leng Tan, a devotee of John Cage. Since performing in the US in 1976, Eiko & Koma http://www.eikoandkoma.org/ have presented their works at theaters, universities, museums, galleries and festivals across North America, Europe and Japan.

The Orange Peel Pulls in Big-Name Acts

The Orange Peel is known for showcasing the best of local music and well-known musicians, including Bob Dylan and a 10-night visit by the Smashing Pumpkins.

The Orange Peel: Social Aid and Pleasure Club, for those who are not familiar, is often considered Asheville's hottest music venue.

The venue itself has a main open area for dancing, plus some seating in the back for those who need a break. The building has been set up with some great acoustics, so even picky ears are likely to be happy with the sound. There is also a fully stocked bar (beer and wine, including great local brews on tap) that runs the entire length of the room with several pay stations for quick transactions.

Coming this season to the Orange Peel (click the name of the act for more info)...

Rusted Root
Sunday, March 16th

Michael Ian Black (comedy show)
+ Michael Showalter
*Recently rescheduled to Friday, April 4th

Citizen Cope
Tuesday, April 8th

Lifehouse
Thursday, April 10th

Lou Reed
Tuesday, April 29th

Josh Ritter
+ Ingrid Michaelson
Friday, May 2nd

X
+ Detroit Cobras
Wednesday, May 28th

View the entire Orange Peel calendar.

Pictures from The Orange Peel Web site.

Asheville Performances Feb-Mar

Going to the theater to see a stage production is one of my favorite things to do. Luckily Asheville is known for some great performances, especially for a city of its size. Below is a small sampling of February and March events.

Each title is linked to the show and venue's web site - click to read more about the performance and to see what else the venue is offering! Diana Wortham has some particularly spectacular modern dance groups coming through, NC Stage always has the best local talent, and Thomas Wolfe Auditorium features the best traveling Broadway productions and ballet companies.


Moonlight and Magnolias

NC Stage Company; Feb 20 - Mar 10
A hilarious comedy.


Langston Hughes Project : "Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz"
UNC Asheville's Lipinsky Auditorium; Feb 22

MOMIX: Lunar Sea

Diana Wortham Theatre; Feb 24-26
A dance production of fantasy and spectacle.



Romeo and Juliet - St. Petersburg Ballet Theater

Thomas Wolfe Auditorium (Asheville Civic Center); Mar 1
Shakepeare's famous tale transformed into a full-length Russian classical ballet performance.


Jesus Christ Superstar
Diana Wortham Theatre; Mar 19-21
Benefit for Eblen Charities, featuring the best of local talent.


I'm sure many people are feeling the economy crunch as 2008 gets going (I know I am). But that doesn't mean we're willing to sacrifice our vacation! Especially for those nearby, Asheville can be a great destination for a really fun and affordable trip - even if just for a weekend. Cooking in a vacation home also saves a lot of money, rather than staying in an expensive hotel and having to eat out every meal.

However, it is worth spending a little extra cash to check out one of the many fantastic restaurants in Asheville... a list of the best is coming soon!

Asheville is on the Map - For Happiness!

Asheville was in the news recently as one of the happiest places in the world. The distinction comes from researchers at the University of Leicester (UK), who have established the first color-coded world map of happiness. In addition, author Eric Weiner traveled the happiest places in the world for his book The Geography of Bliss, and determined that America’s happiest place is Asheville, NC!

Those of us who live in Asheville, or enjoy visiting, didn’t need the media to tell us. But this does validate what we already knew. The question is, how in the world did they measure happiness?

Measuring Happiness

As it turns out, scientists have been trying to determine the ’science of happiness’ for years. Factors leading to life satisfaction? Friendship, marriage (or life partnership), meaning in life (stemming from spirituality, religion, or philosophy), and long term goals that are fun to work towards. For more in-depth information, check out this 2006 article from Mike Rudin, BBC News series producer of “The Happiness Formula.”

Weiner’s decision to settle on Asheville for the happiest place in the US was based on our beautiful surroundings, abundance of art & culture, and sense of community.

More Reading

To read the news articles on Happy Asheville for yourself…
Has Singapore Found the Secret to Satisfaction? (see Weiner on Asheville, pg 3)
Nine Happy Places (see Weiner on Asheville, pg 10)