Downtown Asheville Blog

Sept. 30, 2009. If you’re going to be in Asheville this weekend, you’re in luck. This Friday will see the final Art Walk of the year.

Sponsored by the Asheville Downtown Gallery Association, the Art Walk begins with a map that shows 24 galleries. Each will have their doors open, wine bottles uncorked, and hors d’ouevres laid on tables. It’s a wonderful opportunity to soak in some art, get some walking exercise, and have a few drinks with friends and family.

This is a great time of the year to gallery hop. Many of the paintings and photos on display feature autumn scenes and warm fall colors. Other jewelry and craft shops have beefed up their inventories in anticipation of the Christmas season.

Remember, the nights are getting cool in the mountains, so bring a light jacket.

Sept. 22, 2008. Asheville Bravo! Concerts has announced its 2008-09 season, and the lineup looks great. This annual series brings a cross-spectrum of music and performing arts that might normally be found in a big city. All shows are held in the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium.

Here’s the lineup:

October 25
The Five Browns - Dubbed “Classical music’s first family of virtuosos.”

December 6
Denyce Graves, Mezzo-Soprano - An “operatic superstar.”

January 31
The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra

February 21
Russian National Ballet Theatre - Cinderella

April 3
The National Acrobats of China

Season tickets are also available for this series, guaranteeing premium seating at a nice little discount. It’s a great way to reintroduce “date night” or to gather with friends.

Sept. 17, 2008. Although we focus in this blog on the Downtown Area, there is so much more to Asheville that we must occasionally venture elsewhere in our topics. This week, we wanted to let you know about to Appalachian crafts events.

The 28th Annual Heritage Weekend will be held Saturday and Sunday at the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Folk Art Center. The free festival includes traditional music and dancing, storytelling and heritage craft demonstrations. Theres also the 28th Annual World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Competition, which will be hold 2-3 p.m. Saturday. Curious? If you don’t know what a gee haw whimmy diddle is, you’ll have to come down and see for yourself.

The North Carolina Arboretum will also be holding Heritage Crafts Weekend on Saturday and Sunday at the Heritage Garden. The event features demonstrations, plant sales and musical performances, as well as crafts for sale such as baskets, brooms, hand-made paper, naturally dyed and woven fabric,  jewelry and wood carvings.

Posted by Mark Vanderhoff, Asheville Realtor.

Sept. 15, 2008. One of Asheville’s most popular free music events, Downtown After Five, will hold finale for the season this Friday. Two bands are on tap: Laura Reed and Deep Pocket, and Blue Mountain.

Some people have referred to Laura Reed and Deep Pocket as “progressive R&B.” It’s a mix of soul, funk, and R&B with very uplifting and socially conscious lyrics. Reed’s belting vocals lead the tight, rythmic group.

Blue Mountain’s guitar-driven brand of Americana includes songs about whiskey, lost love and life in the South.

The music begins Friday at 5 p.m. on Lexington Street by I-240 and Hiawassee Avenue. Food and drink will be available from local vendors.

Posted by Mark Vanderhoff, Asheville real estate agent.

If you’re planning on doing a little shopping downtown this week, you’ve picked an ideal time. Summer clothes are on clearance, and fall threads have arrived at many stores.

At The Old North State Clothing Company (23 Broadway), the latest in upscale outdoors and traditional sportswear has hit the racks. That means a new selection of Icebreaker, Arc Teryx, Woolrich, Bills Khakis, Ibex, and more.

Mast General Store also has a similar selection, but it’s the custom Blue Ridge Parkway/Mast T-shirts that have us really excited. The mountain decor/outdoors store is donating 10 % of sales made on Saturday to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.

Don’t forget to bring your own shopping bag. When it comes to choosing paper or plastic, the best choice is neither! Reusable fabric shopping bags are all the rage right now, and there are plenty for sale in the downtown shops, in all shapes, sizes and colors.

Posted by Mark Vanderhoff, a certified ECO (Environmental Consultant) REALTOR in Asheville.

Sept. 8, 2008. If you’re planning on spending time in Downtown Asheville this week, you might also want to head out to the county and attend the 2008 NC Mountain State Fair. It’s being held through Sunday at the WNC Agriculture Center, near the airport.

Here are our picks at the fair:

Rhonda Vincent concert - One of bluegrass music’s best ladies, she always puts on a heck of a show.

Children’s soap carving workshop - If Little Johnny’s allowed to carry a pocket knife, this daily workshop will take his whittling a step further.

The dhalia show - Roses are romantic, but dhalias are sumptuous. You never knew these flowers were so great.

Thursday is $15 unlimited rides wristband day - What a deal! Just don’t ride the spinning ones too many times in a row.

Posted by Mark Vanderhoff, an Asheville real estate agent.