It perplexed me to see diversity voted as the third-best reason to live in Asheville [“Best of WNC, Part One,” Aug. 6, Xpress]. This is not because I believe it is inaccurate nor that I lack an abiding love for the general weirdness of our city that the word was likely meant to encapsulate when … Read more
After an hour and a half of deliberation, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved funding for Pack Place for the new fiscal year, 2014-2015, though many questions linger. “From the beginning, every nickel of county money was to support the nonprofits [in Pack Place],” said Board Chair David Gantt. “We want to make sure these institutions … Read more
Ashevilleans, more so than residents of many other cities, know where their food is raised, grown or picked and can often participate in the process with little effort. This reverence for cuisine afforded Asheville the honor of hosting Food Blog Forum’s 2014 conference, a three-day networking and educational event for 120 food bloggers from across the nation.
Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries: everyone has their favorite U-pick treat. However, Van Burnette of the Hop’n Blueberry Farm wants folks in the Asheville area to remember there is another crop in season: hops. “Last year we had 6-1/2 feet of rain, it was a bad year for downy mildew, and we had root problems,” says Burnett. … Read more
Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival returns on Sunday, Aug. 31 with a full day’s worth of music, art street theater, local vendors, food and drink and more. Festival planners just released the lineup, which includes more than a dozen bands on two stages, with an additional stage programmed by Lex 18 moonshine bar. The … Read more
The Colorado-based jam-grass nomads of Yonder Mountain String Band log more than 100 live shows per year, so the musicians have to keep performances eclectic if only to preserve their own sanity. The band has an extensive catalog of rock-infused bluegrass to draw from, and rest assured that string-laden Hendrix covers are not off-limits. A … Read more
Fans of Asheville quintet Town Mountain will be familiar with the concept of podorythmie — not because they are well-versed in French Canadian percussive techniques, but because it’s nearly impossible to listen to the band’s jaunty bluegrass without adding your own toe-tapping beat. The self-described “hard-drivin’ Carolina string band” is in the running for an … Read more
In Theaters. This week we have one art title and three mainstream ones. The art title is a choice one. One of the mainstream ones might be. The other two smell strongly of the late August doldrums. Easily the most likely candidate for the best thing going this weekend is John Michael McDonagh’s … Read more
Through the organization’s Water Quality Internship Program, six interns are learning how to test water quality in local streams. But that’s only the beginning, as the interns will also work as educators and advocates, raising awareness of environmental concerns in the public housing developments near the streams.
