Downtown Asheville Blog

July 17, 2008. It’s going to be a busy weekend in Downtown Asheville, with a variety of entertainment to suit everyone. Here’s a brief wrapup:

Friday

Downtown After Five - This rockin’ event is now halfway through its five-show series. The Waybacks and Plato de Mambo will take the stage, while local microbrews and food are served nearby. It’s all on Lexington Avenue, near I-240 and Hiawassee. FREE.

Saturday

Shindig on the Green - If your musical tastes are inclined toward bluegrass, this is your evening. Bring lawn chairs or a blanket, and a picnic basket and cooler. Or, have some barbecue sold at the venue. FREE.

Friday and Saturday

Laugh Your Asheville Off - The second annual Laugh Your Asheville Off Comedy Festival kicked off tonight, and lasts through the weekend. Friday features two separate performances by Alonzo Bodden, winner of NBC’s Last Comic Standing. Saturday features a Standup Comic Blowout, with several East Coast names and some comedy seminars throughout the day. $7-$15.

Posted by Mark Vanderhoff, a real estate broker in Western North Carolina.

Shindig on the Green, one of the town’s most popular summer traditions, showcases a rich array of bluegrass music, one of the region’s most popular art forms. The annual series began a couple of weeks ago and continues this Saturday evening at Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

If you love bluegrass music, this is the place to be. Afficianados will find everything from newgrass to old-timey to gospel to solo balladeers up on stage. Around the park, musicians gather in “jam sessions.” There’s also clogging and something called big circle mountain dancing, in which everyone in the audience is invited to get up and dance to the instructions of a caller.

One of the best parts of this tradition is simply being able to relax on a lawn chair outside, watching the sun set over the Downtown Asheville skyline. The weather cools down, so bring a light jacket.

Shindig on the Green starts every Saturday in the summer around 7 p.m. and continues to around 10 p.m. It’s free, and there’s food and beverages for sale in the park. Attendees can also bring their own food and drink.

Posted by Mark Vanderhoff, an Asheville real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Kasey & Associates.

The tag is what hooked me: “If your parents never let you break open your Etch A Sketch to find out how it works…” Toys: The Inside Story is a new exhibit at The Health Adventure, a museum at Pack Place. It will fascinate children and parents alike.

I was one of those kids who always took apart his G.I. Joes and then rearranged the body parts to create new characters. One of my childhood friends started his electronics career by taking apart every radio and alarm clock he could find, much to the chagrin of his mother.

Now, we have an exhibit with features on pulleys, circuits, cams, linkages and gears. The interactive displays incorporate recognizable icons such as an Elmo doll and the board game Operation.

The Health Adventure is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The children’s museum also features exhibits on nutrition, the human body, energy and mechanics.

This particular show is sponsored by The Toy Box of Asheville, a great little store at 793 Merrimon Avenue. Another great local toy store is The Enviro Depot at 58 College Street.

Posted by Asheville real estate agent Mark Vanderhoff, who can’t wait to take his one-year-old daughter to a museum one day.

After recently writing about Downtown Asheville’s Art Walk, it’s only fair that I mention the River Arts District’s Studio Stroll. This funky, industrial part of town has been incubating its own vibrant arts scene, which includes everything from glass blowers to welders to painters to furniture makers and more. Best of all, visitors will literally be touring the artists’ studios, as well as galleries that carry a variety of work.

Located barely one mile from downtown, the River Arts District became popular with artists seeking an inexpensive place to set up shop. Just ten years ago, most of the old buildings and warehouses were completely abandoned. Now, it’s the Next Big Thing.

As an added bonus, the Wedge Brewing Company, Asheville’s newest microbrewery, will be open all weekend during the Studio Stroll. Located in the Wedge Building, site of many artist studios, the buzz has been intense. This new watering hole has had very limited hours up until now, and only one beer - Iron Rail IPA - on tap. Word on the street is that new beers will be introduced this weekend.

Posted by Asheville realty broker Mark Vanderhoff.

No doubt, many fans are excited about catching opening night of “Sex and the City,” the movie, Friday night. But for those who would rather catch a movie at Downtown Asheville’s Fine Arts Theatre, some equally compelling films open this weekend: “Son of Rambow” and “The Visitor.”

Don’t roll your eyes just yet at “Son of Rambow.” This is not an ill-conceived parody of the action film, but rather a unique story about two young boys making a home movie. The creators of “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” have received a lot of buzz for this, their second outing, at the film festivals this year. They tell the story of a boy whose religious family shields him from the outside world - including movies - until a school friend exposes him to “First Blood” and suggests they make their own Rambo movie. It’s a coming-of-age story with an unusual angle.

“The Visitor” tells a story of passion for life rekindled in an unlikely way. No, it’s not a romance. When a middle-aged economics professor finds that a scam artist has rented his apartment to an immigrant couple, he is at first taken aback. Of course, he feels sorry for them, and before long, they forge a friendship. That friendship - and the professor’s will - are tested when one of the immigrants is threatened with deportation.

Check the Fine Arts Theatre website for showtimes.

Posted by Mark Vanderhoff, Asheville real estate broker.

Tonight is Thirsty Thursday, one of the busiest days by far at this red brick stadium on Downtown Asheville’s south side. Some fans come for the baseball, of course, but most people come for the cheap beer - $1 domestics and $2 microbrews. Tickets only cost $6.

Still, the Asheville Tourists have offered plenty to get excited about this season. They have won the past five of six games, cementing their lead in the Southern Atlantic League’s Southern Division. Pitcher Jhoulys Chacin has tied for the lead in wins for the league. These sluggers have also played 17 games above the .500 mark.

Last night, they rallied from behind to beat the Rome Braves. The two teams face off again tonight at 7:05 p.m.

Posted by Mark Vanderhoff, a home-run hitter among Asheville real estate agents.