arts
Big bang theory: Where to spend your Fourth of July
From fireworks to festivals, from water sports to watermelon, from road races to hot rods, we’ve got a Fourth of July celebration for pretty much every kind of Independence Day…Pod people
Following the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, a girl called Annejoule wakes with a terrible headache to find her home reduced to rubble, her mother and brother dead, and mysterious…Dramatic rendition
Why hold just one fundraiser when you can hold seven? Seven times the funds raised, and seven times the fun. “The idea behind DramaRama is to offer many different events…Smart Bets: The Big Crafty
"Shop indie. Shop handmade. Shop fun," says the press release for The Big Crafty, which returns to the Asheville Art Museum and Pack Square on Sunday, July 7. The best…Smart Bets: Truth Beneath the Roses
“As a biracial young woman, there is an innate lack of belonging,” writes local artist Liana Murray, a rising senior at Asheville High. “The need to shift between the black…Smart Bets: A Ghost Like Me
February took a drummer/keyboardist from local instrumental/electronic collective A Ghost Like Me. But March brought a new drummer — Josh Newton (formerly of Dashvara) rounds out the band (with Brad…Smart Bets: Turchi
Kudzu-boogie outfit Turchi (named for front man Reed Turchi) has been nonstop touring for the past year or so, and it's paying off. Like, with a feature in Oxford American…State of the Arts
The Media Arts Project is now accepting submissions for their Community Arts Grants. The grants will award up to $1,200 to two projects designed by WNC artists or groups of…An uncommon sense of place
Each of the five collections of stark acoustic picking attributed to Glenn Jones bares a similar cover. The motif is that of a different cute cartoon creature strumming away. On…Calendar highlights: Art in Waynesville, Asheville and Black Mountain
Clubland features: Shane Perlowin, Islands to Highlands Reggae Festival and Asheville FM
food
Post-Consumer Pantry
A few weeks ago I had a lively discussion about sunscreen on Twitter. My friends are as befuddled as I am — is sunscreen an essential part of summer, or…Chicken and waffles settle in West Asheville
Forever is a long time to think about chicken and waffles, but such has been the plight of John and Julie Stehling. Julie says she feels like the concept for…Wheels on fire: New city regs pave the way for more food trucks
Find out where food trucks are headed next, and check out the newest additions.Deen Out
Tremors from the highly publicized collapse of the Paula Deen empire have spread into Western North Carolina. Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort announced it will re-brand Paula Deen’s Kitchen, the 400-seat…Smorgasbord
Subway leaves downtown The $5 Footlong has retreated to the 'burbs, at least for now. Downtown's Subway, located at 33 Battery Park Ave. near the Grove Arcade, closed last week.…living
Farm & Garden: Gentle bees and troubled plants
The joy of gentle bees The temperament of bees is something new beekeepers probably don't consider. Take my first hive, which I managed to put in the wrong spot, then…news
Peppermint O yes
A local startup has launched a lightweight Linux operating system that is gaining popularity.Bugged out: Kids take part in Cradle of Forestry’s annual event
Families trickle into the Cradle of Forestry for Bug Day, an annual celebration of all things insect. A full day of crafts and bug hunts await eager children and their…Bugle call: Elk herd transforms Cataloochee, drawing thousands of visitors each year
On a recent May morning, Joe Yarkovich waded into the tall grass in a field in the Cataloochee Valley of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A wildlife biologist with…A cultural bypass
Amid a contentious behind-the-scenes debate, a bill that would've originally allowed Buncombe County and its cities to consolidate parks and recreation departments was revised June 26 in the North Carolina…Gue$$ing game
Asheville’s most chaotic budget season in many years appears to have come to a close June 25, though not without some further turmoil. Amid predictions of financial doom due to…Not so fast
After hearing from dozens of residents who spoke out on the matter June 25, Buncombe County commissioners denied a request to expand where motor sports facilities can be built. Stacy…Spreading the word
Books aren't dead, according to Buncombe County Public Library Director Ed Sheary, but he admits that libraries cannot ignore the growing popularity of downloadable materials like e-books and digital audiobooks.…On alert
In a mere two years, the bat population in a Haywood County mine has dropped from 4,000 to 250, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission biologists report. White nose syndrome appears…USDA awards Mountain BizCapital $38,500 for entrepreneurial training program
In recognition of National Small Business Week, the USDA announced that Mountain BizCapital has been selected to receive $38,500 in Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) funding for technical assistance for…opinion
New Thinkin’
Equality
Asheville Disclaimer 07/03/13
Harrah’s Cherokee to rebrand Paula Deen RestaurantKeep your current trajectory
I just have to drop Xpress and Asheville a line here and "express" my appreciation for the coverage that was given to the workers involved in the April 30 sewage…Living Wage Campaign a success
Thank you, Asheville City Council, for passing the final phase of the Living Wage Campaign at the June 25 City Council meeting. As safety nets for the working poor are…How sick is that?
Without gerrymandering, Reps. Tim Moffitt, Chuck McGrady and their pals in Raleigh could not engage in their vindictive war on the institutions of Asheville. Neither of these guys really listen…For your information
This Independence Day marks 47 years since the landmark Freedom of Information Act was signed into federal law, yet Americans are still distrustful of government. A 2013 Pew Research Center…Eliminate corporate personhood
The last U.S. presidential election was the most expensive in history primarily because unlimited corporate contributions to PACs and super PACs has been allowed by the Supreme Court's Citizens United…Is North Carolina really a progressive state?
Progressive compared to what? Mississippi? Utah? South Carolina? Indiana? And what about Asheville? Where does it fit into the idea (which has been around since the 1950s) that North Carolina…