Blue Ridge Pride hosted the annual Pride Festival on Saturday, Oct. 4, in Pack Square. The event was part of four days of Pride activities that included the Miss Blue Ridge Pride Pageant and a performance by comedian Jennie McNulty.
In photos: AAAC’s Gilded Ball
Asheville Area Arts Council held their annual color ball at Isis Restaurant & Music Hall on Saturday, Sept. 27. This year’s gilded theme was inspired by the organization’s new location in the Grove Arcade and the legacy of the Vanderbilts and the family’s involvement in Asheville’s art scene during the early 20th century.
Craig Bohanan’s Photo Blog: Blossom for a bobcat
Photographer Craig Bohanan shares his favorite of the photo of the week.
In photos: Asheville Greek Festival 2014
Be Greek for a day — or a weekend. Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Asheville will host a celebration of Greek traditional foods, crafts and dances starting today, Sept. 26, and reveling on until Sunday, Sept. 28.
In Photos & Video: Lost in Eliada’s corn maze
I learned several things today while snapping photos at Eliada’s annual corn maze. One: it’s challenging to take photos/video of folks running through a corn maze, because with 2.7 miles of trail, I couldn’t find any of the other folks. I could hear them laughing and chattering, but they were just always around the bend […]
Tube-ocalypse now: Photos & video from the zombie tube world record attempt
Hundreds of humans and zombies alike joined together on the French Broad River Sept. 20 to try to break the world record for most linked tubers on the water.
In photos: Planned Parenthood’s Condom Couture 2014
Planned Parenthood of Asheville held their annual fashion event, Condom Couture, at The Venue on Thursday, Sept. 18. The event invited local designers to create garments that included condoms in the design.
In photos: NC Mountain State Fair, not just funnel cakes
In a world where deep-fried cauliflower and deep-fried Oreos exist together in the same plexiglass display case, the North Carolina Mountain State Fair brings folks together to sample all sorts of (often deep-fried) culinary experiments.
Ride the rides? Sure. But maybe wait a bit after trying a deep-fried cheeseburger-on-a-stick.
Stones and bones: Volunteers help resurrect local African-American history
A revitalized volunteer push is underway to rescue Western North Carolina’s oldest known African-American cemetery from the ravages of neglect and obscurity. The effort includes a new website that features an interactive map of the cemetery and a digital guide to each of its graves.
In Photos: Big Love Festival
A downtown festival spread big local love on Sunday, featuring more than 150 local vendors, artists and organizations.
In Photos: Sun shines for Anything That Floats Parade
Early Saturday morning, many Ashevilleans were awake and putting the final touches on makeshift rafts — crafting colorful and creative buoyant devices to float themselves down the French Broad River for the 22nd Anything That Floats Parade.
Shiloh community celebrates a new outdoor gathering place
The Shiloh community celebrated their annual community garden potluck and summer celebration on Saturday, July 27. This year’s gathering was of particular significance to the community, as it marked the dedication of the garden’s new amphitheatre and outdoor kitchen.
Think small, grow big: Urban farming, without the farm
A mosaic of city roof top gardens? Vacant lots that create jobs? A backyard garden for folks without backyards? It’s all part of the small-scale urban farm model many in Asheville are striving for — where every tiny space is being utilized.
Will tiny homes be Asheville’s next big thing?
The blogosphere is abuzz these days with romantic visions of picturesque miniature dwellings. And a growing number of local advocates say the “tiny home movement” could help achieve a wealth of positive outcomes, from environmental efficiencies to enhanced affordability. Amid the swelling interest, however, many hurdles remain.
In photos: All Souls welcomes the RAD Farmers’ Market
All Souls Pizza celebrated their first year of business while welcoming the former Montford Farmer’s Market to the River Arts District.
In photos: Costume Drama brings high-fashion DIY to ACT
Asheville Community Theatre reprised their fundraiser Costume Drama: A Fashion Show for a third year on Monday, July 7. Designers and models from throughout the Southeast participated in the DIY runway event where they were challenged to create wearable art in themed categories: paper, nature, upcycled/recycled or — new this year— transformation.
Leaving fairyland: Wamboldtopia’s creators say goodbye to their garden home
Since 1999, Wamboldtopia has been the ever-growing home and garden of artists Damaris and Ricki Pierce. It began as a steep, shady hillside covered in grass, but after 15 years of transformation, Wamboldtopia is a West Asheville institution — a fairyland covered in stone. But for Damaris and Ricki, this is the last season in the garden before they place the home on the market and prepare to move on to new and separate lives.
‘Summer Cycle’ community ride draws hundreds of bikers
More than 200 bicyclists took to local streets June 28 for a community ride across north Asheville and the River Arts District. The annual Summer Cycle was organized by Asheville on Bikes, a volunteer group dedicated to cultivating local cycling culture. Its well-attended community rides and other advocacy work have helped get the attention of […]
Why I grow: Edible landscaping with Sheila Dunn
For many, edible plants are grown in rows in the vegetable garden — often kept out of sight in the back or side yard. But for Sheila Dunn, a retired microbiologist and Master Gardener, edibles are a beautiful necessity to be woven into the landscape. Dunn converted her steep, rocky Weaverville property into an edible landscape that now provides more than half of everything she eats.
In photos: Battle of the Bywater makes a splash on summer solstice
With bagpipes blaring and smoke clouding the battlefield, Team Red fought valiantly against Team Blue as children and adults alike kicked off the summer at the third annual Battle of the Bywater water balloon fight.
Juneteenth: First-ever 13th Amendment exhibit celebrates end of slavery
Nearly 150 years after the end of the Civil War, one of the era’s most important historical documents was displayed in Western North Carolina for the first time ever.