A FREE Daily Visitor Guide for the North Carolina Mountains and 50+ NC Mountain Cities: downtown Asheville festivals

Showing posts with label downtown Asheville festivals. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Asheville's Bele Chere Music and ArtsFestival

July 26-28 35th Annual Bele Chere Festival The largest FREE outdoor street festival in the Southeast. The three-day festival on the streets of Downtown Asheville features live, original music all day and all night for 200,000+ festival-goers.

Bele Chere means "beautiful living" and comes from an ancient Scottish dialect. Bele Chere offers the unique opportunity to see, taste and hear some of the region's finest art, cuisine and music.

The 2013 music line-up includes such local notables as: Antique Firearms, Balsam Range, Blair Crimmins and the Hookers, Boys in the Well, Carolina Rex, Chalwa, Chuck Brodsky, CrazyHorse & Colston, Dan Deacon, Dave Dribbon & the Stomping Rain and dozens more.

The Arts Park features some of the best artists of Bele Chere, exhibiting jewelry, photography, pottery, woodwork, paintings, and metalwork. All items sold in the Arts Park are handmade. Visit the selected artists in the Drhumor and Asheville Savings Bank lots on Patton Avenue between Church Street and Lexington Avenue. Artists not featured in the Arts Park exhibit throughout the festival grounds.

Get a link for Asheville's Bele Chere Festival and other local events, attractions and lodging on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Mardi Gras Begins this week in Asheville

This February the spirit of Mardi Gras invades Asheville with five days of parties, celebrations and Good Times.
Asheville offers a variety of events filled with music, dance and costumes.

February 7 - LaZoom Mardi Gras Tour. Get on the purple bus for a humorous twist on a city tour. The creators of LaZoom hail from New Orleans so they know first hand how to throw an authentic Mardi Gras celebration. Take part in one of two Mardi Gras tours where you can enjoy performances by David Earle and the PlowShares.

February 8 - Running of the Winos Asheville Mardi Gras annual traditions of “wine hopping” downtown to spread the Asheville Mardi Gras spirit!

February 9 - Zapow Gallery Steamboat Punk Carnival Show from 7-9 with music by The Extraordinary Contraptions.
Scandal’s Night Club – Krewe Party/Drag Show Party.
Toy Boat – Seduction Side Show with After Party to Follow.
Olive or Twist – Zydeco Dancing.

February 10 - Mardi Gras Grand Parade at 3:05 p.m. in downtown Asheville. This event will happen rain or shine. They'll be dancing in the streets of Asheville.

6th Annual Queen’s Ball: Immediately following the Parade at Pack’s Tavern’s Century Room, Free and open to the public. Music by Bayou Diesel

Fat Tuesday February 12 - Mardi Gras Day

Get a link for details about Mardi Gras events on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide

Saturday, November 17, 2012

NC Holiday Events: JingleFest in Downtown Asheville

November 17 Downtown JingleFest Enjoy an afternoon of free fun and entertainment with from 1 to 4 PM at Roger McGuire Green in Pack Square Park in downtown Asheville NC. Get an autograph from an Olympic athlete, get a close look at Window World’s custom silver St. Jude Dream Bike, enjoy a special performance by Asheville High School’s Marching Band and be entertained by dance troupes from the Parade, plus jugglers, singers and more.

Once Santa makes his way through the Asheville Christmas Parade, he and Mrs. Claus will be at JingleFest so all the boys and girls can tell Santa what they want for Christmas. There will be a bounce house and other inflatables to keep the young kids busy while they’re waiting, too. Plus hot cider and goodies, and some good old-fashioned caroling.

Get a link for details about JingleFest and other Asheville holiday events and attractions on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

NC Holiday Events: Christmas Parade in Asheville

November 17 66th Annual Asheville Holiday Parade The parade begins at 11 AM with bands, dancing, characters, and of course, our Olympic Silver Medalist Grand Marshals, Lauren Tamayo and Manteo Mitchell.

Look for the patriotic float sponsored by Deerfield Retirement Community. Santa Claus himself will close the parade atop his float sponsored by Express Employment Professionals.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

NC Fall Leaf Season Event: Asheville Oktoberfest

October 13 During Asheville Oktoberfest downtown Asheville's Wall Street will transform into "Little Germany" for the Asheville Downtown Association's 4th Annual Oktoberfest. Internationally-renowned "oompah" band, The Stratton Mountain Boys, returns to the stage with happy yodeling songs, shoe-slapping dances and lively spirited Polka music sure to incite dancing in the street and rousing cheers of "ein Prosit!"

This lively event will feature beer tastings from local breweries including Highland Brewing, Asheville Brewing Company, Pisgah Brewing, Green Man Brewery, Craggie Brewing and French Broad Brewing Company. Many brewers are featuring seasonal ales for Oktoberfest, and will be on hand to discuss their beers. Oktoberfest Games are back as well with some old favorites like the Stein Races and Keg-rolling contests as well as some new ones.

Get a link to learn more about the Asheville Oktoberfest and other local events on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.

The Blue Ridge Parkway at 469 miles long is the nation's longest scenic rural parkway. Now 70 years old it is administered by the National Park Service and host to approximately 20 million visits annually. It connects the Shenandoah Valley National Park with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. Along the route are opportunities for lodging, dining, camping, hiking and simply enjoying breathtaking views from easily accessible overlooks and picnic areas. For additional information visit :The Blueridge Parkway Association

The River Arts District is open year around with the opportunity to meet artists in their studios. Schedules are available online. This unique area along the French Broad River is home to more than 165 artists with working studios located in 18 turn-of-the-century industrial buildings. The artists of the River Arts District welcome you into their studios to talk with them, see their latest artwork, watch demonstrations, and experience for yourself the magic hidden inside the time-worn factories and warehouses along the French Broad River.

Chimney Rock Park is named for a 500 million-year-old giant granite monolith overlooking Hickory Nut Gorge. Visitors are awed by the breathtaking view that spreads 1200 vertical feet beneath them and 75 miles across the Carolinas. The now state owned park encompasses 1,000 acres offers the best of the mountains in one place with spectacular 75-mile views, hiking trails for all ages, a 404-foot waterfall, a variety of special events and much more. Chimney Rock NC

The National Scenic Byways Program is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. The program is a grass-roots collaborative effort established to help recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United States. Since 1992, the National Scenic Byways Program has provided funding for almost 1500 state and nationally designated byway projects in 48 states. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation recognizes certain roads as All-American Roads or National Scenic Byways based on one or more archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic qualities.

Tsali Recreation Area is an outdoors lover's paradise. Probably the most popular features of Tsali Recreation Area are the 39 miles of trails suited for mountain bikers and horse-back riders, as well as hikers. The 4-loop system offers a variety of landscapes. You can climb 1-foot wide rugged paths or travel flat, well-beaten roads. The four trails--Right, Left, Mouse Branch, and Thompson Loops--meander through mixed pine and hardwoods on a peninsula stretching into Fontana Lake. Near Bryson City NC and Robbinsville NC.