Chocolate festival: Cafe Soleil will present a deliciously decadent celebration on Saturday, April 30, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Billed as “Asheville’s first-ever Chocolate Festival,” the event will feature a cornucopia of chocolate confections made by local bakers and, you guessed it, include chocolate martinis. There will also be plenty of music and local … Read more
I live out in Sandy Mush — as vibrant and sensuously pleasing a place as one could dream of. From the porch of my little cabin, I can see the winter-dark ridges turning mauve as the tree buds swell, set off by the greening of the high pastures. In the woods the pink-striped spring beauties, … Read more
Celebrate the medical miracle of public health April is National Public Health Month — a time to celebrate and recognize the contributions that public health makes in our community and in our nation. In recent history, we have seen many modern medical miracles. Yet most people do not realize the contributions public health has made. … Read more
In 1999, Christy Sloan was diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Discovering that no viable long-term treatment existed, she and her parents decided to establish their own nonprofit organization to increase funding for promising new research and treatments. Their group, the ALS Race for Research Foundation, will be hosting Art from the … Read more
Misplaced money There’s about $570 million of unclaimed property (much of it cash) currently being held by the N.C .Department of State Treasurer, according to Kirsten Weeks, a spokeswoman for the department. And there’s a chance — one in eight, actually — that some of it could be yours. Where does the money come from? … Read more
Only two county residents were on hand for a public hearing during the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners’ April 19 formal session. The hearing concerned a proposed $8 million cash advance for the city and county schools, part of a $51 million funding package (for the Asheville and Buncombe County school systems plus A-B Tech) … Read more
Biking Biking Town Mountain Hill ClimbFestival Village 5-8 p.m. Just for kids Iron Kid Challenge Festival Village 5 p.m. 7 p.m. Kid’s Climbing Competition Montford Center 7-9 p.m. Climbing Wall Festival Village 5-9 p.m. Music City/County Plaza Gamble Brothers Band5 p.m. Geoff Achison7 p.m. Jeff Coffin Mu’tet with special guest Future Man9 p.m. Sat, Apr … Read more
The Mountain Sports Festival will be jamming all weekend long, with free live music on the main stage in Festival Village beginning Friday night (see grid for schedule). Plenty of musical pedigree will be featured in a lineup that includes Jimbo Mathus (former lead singer of the Squirrel Nut Zippers), Jeff Coffin Mu ‘Tet and … Read more
The Mountain Sports Festival turns 5 this year — and after several rounds of fiddling with the recipe, this bouillabaisse of outdoor-sport competitions, events and activities is finding its true flavor. The three-day festival runs from 3 p.m. on Friday, April 29, through 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 1, accompanied by a full complement of … Read more
The dreaded hemlock woolly adelgid has finally made its appearance in Asheville. They’ve actually been here for a while, but I’ve now seen them with my own eyes (or, rather, I’ve seen the waxy white “wool” these tiny insects create to shield themselves and their eggs: minute tufts of cottony material glowing against the base … Read more
