arts
Cats fantastic!
Dakota is a cat who loves chasing string, cuddling in warm laps and playing with classic toys like jingle balls. She also enjoys wailing on the drums like her paws…Planning your big day? Jennifer Callahan offers these words of wedding wisdom.
1. If you begin planning your wedding 12 months out, you'll save yourself a great deal of stress and be able to pick the vendors you really want to work…A cure for the common bridal expo
A marriage of the minds between Jennifer Callahan of Asheville Indie Weddings and The Big Crafty co-conspirators Brandy Bourne and Justin Rabuck, The Big Day offers inspiration for couples to…It’s a whole weekend of Make Noise
This weekend features a variety of performances and workshops related to Make Noise equipment and its downtown space. Friday, March 29, at The Apothecary, 39 S. Market St. Performances using…Modular people
Approaching Asheville from any compass point gives visitors a similar impression: a quiet, idyllic town nestled in the mountains, boasting a vibrant community of craftspeople and artisans. Without much back…Smart Bets: Shipwrecked!
"We follow our hero from sickly boy to exotic, world famous adventurer — and through the tangles of truth itself," reads the press release for Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing…Smart Bets: Europa Editions
If you read Muriel Barbery's The Elegance of the Hedgehog, then you know Michael Reynolds (sort of): he edited the book for Europa Editions. The New York-based indie publishing house…Smart Bets: Galen Kipar Project
Locally based Galen Kipar Project (Lyndsay Pruett, Jeremy Young, Ben Portwood, Aaron Ballance and Kipar) is known for “experimental folk masterpieces" that effortlessly fuse classical, jazz and blues influences into…Smart Bets: Kenny Roby
Singer-songwriter Kenny Roby is the former frontman of 6 String Drag, a roots-Americana band based in Raleigh. That group's '97 album, High Hat, was co-produced by none other than Steve…State of the Arts
Ambassadors of Asheville’s art scene took up residency in Atlanta for the past two months. Anna Jensen opened a solo exhibition at the Dockside Gallery and Gabriel Shaffer followed with…Smart Bets: The Big Bad Bunny Urban Scavenger Hunt
Much like life itself, Big Bad Bunny squads will rely on musicians, merchants and actors to help with their “quests through a variety of riddles, trivia, really, really, really ridiculously…Bird dogs and squiggles
“He copies things, but then he puts squiggles on them.” That’s how a young girl described Larry Turner’s paintings upon visiting him in his studio last winter. The proverbial mouth…Five Questions with the Apache Relay
If you're a fan of roots-rock outfits like The Lumineers, The Avett Brothers, Langhorne Slim & the Law, Of Monsters and Men and The Head and the Heart, then you've…Calendar highlights: YWCA swimming, Adirondack bluegrass and disc golf lessons
Clubland features: AFM Behind The Mic, Decent Lovers, Shimshai and Bene Pendentes
Modesty’s the best policy: The Decent Lovers don’t take themselves too seriously (if you hadn’t guessed from the name), but the band’s infectious indie rock, which makes liberal use of…The Odditorium Grand Opening Party
The Odditorium (located in the former Get Down space on Haywood Road) has technically been open since January, but this weekend, the revamped and remodeled "oddities bar for the peculiar…food
Kids at Work! hosts a benefit gala
Support Kids at Work! with a five-course meal at Chef Mo’s prepared by the students.Stromboli during the spin cycle
The Bar of Soap takes diversification seriously: It's a laundromat, a bookstore, a beer bar and, now, an Italian restaurant. “Don't put all your eggs in one basket,” says Sean…“The richest story ever told”
If you’ve seen a picture of Matt and Ted Lee recently, there’s a good chance they were riding skateboards in coat and tie. That’s their style in a nutshell: polished…Henry’s Cheese Spread
Some have likened this dip to pimento cheese, but it may have been more awesome, with the creamy-fiery thing of p.c., but torqued up by horseradish to a picklish, sinus-clearing…Community sizzle
The basic method behind sautéing is the toss: put your ingredients in the pan and encourage them to mingle. Steven Liebenhaut and Rosetta Star hope to do the same thing…Savory Nettle and Feta Rugelach
Filling: About 6 cups loosely packed fresh stinging nettle 3 tbsp. high quality butter 1 small sweet onion, chopped 1-2 cloves garlic, minced 1 egg 1/4 cup plain whole milk…Wild edibles
Since the 1960s, Euell Gibbons has influenced multiple generations to rediscover the art of foraging wild foods, included among them, my grandpa, Ted. As a former lawyer for the Cleveland…living
In the garden
Biltmore blossoms Imagine yourself as a guest in George and Edith Vanderbilt's home in 1895. After a decadent meal in the dining room, you step into the The Biltmore's winter…news
Equality or sacrilege?
After a tense March 19 public hearing, the Buncombe County commissioners narrowly approved extending benefits to both same- and opposite-sex domestic partners of county employees. Democrats David Gantt, Holly Jones,…Too resilient to fail
The current financial crisis has exposed how little control communities have over their local economies. It’s up to us to change that. As informed consumers, we recognize that spending at…Go Local CD launches
On March 22, Carolina Mountains Credit Union, a division of Self-Help Credit Union, launched its first-ever local certificate of deposit — the Go Local CD. On its first day, the…MSD impact study offers snapshot of moving merger target
In a proposed merger of the Asheville water system and the Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County, the already-complicated factors have multiplied. This month, state legislators have proposed a bill…march 28 meet-and-greet for new “TransPositive Support” program
The first “TransPositive Support” meeting will be a meet-and-greet luncheon on Thursday, March 28, at noon. TransHealth Coordinators and Western North Carolina AIDS Project are combining efforts to offer a…Politics and apologies: Saga continues in controversy over Fryar’s appointment to A-B TechR
Political wrangling and a series of apologies continue in the case of Buncombe County Commissioner Mike Fryar’s blocked appointment to the A-B Tech board of trustees. Earlier this month, A-B…Stabbing sparks community reaction, questions about possible hate crime
On March 17, a man — reportedly shouting homophobic and racist slurs — stabbed a Club Metropolis employee. The crime has sparked a community reaction. According to Asheville Police Department…Please hold…
The phones at Listening Heart Crisis Center will fall silent any day now — if they haven’t already by the time you read this. The local suicide hotline will suspend…Study drops Buncombe’s “healthiest county” ranking from 14th to 19th in North Caro
For the third year in a row, Buncombe ranks in the top 20 of North Carolina’s healthiest counties, according to the County Health Rankings project. But that’s down from 14th…Natural curiosity
“That rosy-cheeked, open-eyed, big-smiled expression — that’s what I’m looking for,” says Amica Venturi, co-founder of Natureplay Preschool in West Asheville. “You can learn anything when you’re in that state.”…opinion
Fighting back
Serenity Forest. Wildflower. Four Sims Hollow. Seven Falls. These failed developments may not provoke the kind of stark memories that the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Iwo Jima or the…Doneski
Even beautiful lives have to end. As David Forbes reported in “Goodbye Bele Chere, Hello ‘Creative Economies,’” Asheville City Council decided at its March 12 meeting to discontinue funding for…What’s next — polygamy benefits?
I am so disappointed in our political leaders who are continually trying to legislate homosexual lifestyles for the sake political expediency [see http://avl.mx/rf for the story]. This is another sad…You’ve tried sin — now try Jesus
People in Asheville need to turn from their sin and turn to Jesus. I am writing this letter about the people of Asheville and their wickedness that they have toward…Protect our puppies
Years ago, I was involved in rescuing and relocating dogs from a puppy mill, and images of that day will remain with me forever. Groups of dogs were living together…