WHAT: A performance by Juan Benavides Group benefiting Friends of Connect Buncombe
WHERE: Aloft Asheville Downtown’s rooftop venue
WHEN: Sunday, Aug. 28, from 5-8 p.m.
WHY: Hotels aren’t typically known as gathering spots for locals. But that’s the case at Aloft Asheville Downtown — at least on the evenings when Aloft invites the public onto its open-air terrace for live music, dancing and drinking. The festivities are part of the Sundays Live@Aloft concert series, which continues on Sunday, Aug. 28.
“It’s a space that our local residents would not be eligible to get to,” says the hotel’s general manager David McCartney, “except for these five Sundays each year when we open it up.” Aloft’s other spaces host residents throughout the year, though, McCartney adds.
Each Live@Aloft event features a pepped-up set by a local band, and 100 percent of proceeds from the voluntary $5 cover charge go to an area nonprofit. Plus, Aloft’s rooftop provides a scenic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the downtown bustle that it’s somewhat removed from, three stories up.
Flamenco fusion act Juan Benavides Group will perform at the next iteration, which supports Friends of Connect Buncombe in its efforts to “make greenways happen” throughout the county. The nonprofit will also get proceeds from a raffle that offers a night’s stay at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, including dinner and breakfast for two.
“It’s a $630 value,” McCartney says, and entry costs $5 per ticket. “Each month the money goes to the nonprofit, but the actual drawing is going to be for this one prize at our last Live@Aloft in October.” That event takes place on Sunday, Oct., 30, features Goldie and the Screamers, and benefits Charlie’s Angels Animal Rescue.
Visit aloftashevilledowntown.com for more information on Sundays Live@Aloft. Pool access is not permitted during these events.
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