Some say you can tell how long someone has lived in Asheville by his or her opinion of Bele Chere. Newbies seem to dig it, while longtime locals may go so far as to leave town to avoid the summer juggernaut.
Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy has lived here her entire life, so her comments at the weekend’s City Council retreat seem telling.
“We’re about to go into ‘Do we want to do it?’” Bellamy said of Bele Chere. “Has it outlived its life?”
There are no hard and fast plans to eliminate the festival, but the mayor’s statement makes it clear that all options are on the table for the upcoming public forum on Jan. 30.
– Brian Postelle, staff writer
