The streets of downtown Asheville were free of cars on Sept. 17 — but that doesn’t mean they were quiet. Open Streets Asheville returned for its second year, filling the roadways with people and activities, including art, dance, sports and music.
![](https://mountainx.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Open-Streets-AVL-20-330x225.jpg)
The streets of downtown Asheville were free of cars on Sept. 17 — but that doesn’t mean they were quiet. Open Streets Asheville returned for its second year, filling the roadways with people and activities, including art, dance, sports and music.
It was a warm, friendly and welcoming atmosphere throughout the night with no shortage of dancing, clapping and smiles during both Kishi Bashi and a great opening performance by Tall Tall Trees.
Special guests who joined Philo onstage throughout the night included members of Empire Strikes Brass, local Grammy-nominated vocalist Debrissa McKinney, MC Smidi and more.
It was a (quite literally) jam-packed night with tons of guests sitting in with each group’s sets.
This year’s meal fed over 700 people and was served by community volunteers, including Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer, Vice Mayor Gwen Wisler, District Attorney Todd Williams and Terry Bellamy, director of communications for the Asheville Housing Authority.
LEAF festival, held last weekend at Lake Eden in Black Mountain, started chilly but quickly heated up with music, dance, performance and visual art. On Friday, hip-hop artist Chali 2na took the Lakeside stage with jazz-fusion band Naughty Professor and performed two songs with students from Eliada Homes. Electronic/world music collective Beats Antique headlined to […]
It was history in the making. It was an arrival. And it was probably also a departure because, as much as River Whyless is cut from and contributes to the fabric of Asheville’s music scene, this is a band that is no longer just local, just ours. The group has made its leap to the next level and it was a joy to watch them take flight.
Andrew Scotchie is a steady force in the local music scene. Frontman of Andrew Scotchie & The River Rats, Scotchie is one of the most active touring musicians in town and the founder and coordinator of Asheville Barnaroo Music Festival, a three-day event held at Franny’s Farm in Leicester. “First and foremost, it’s a big […]
The inaugural Open Streets Asheville brought residents and visitors into the streets to enjoy downtown in a new way. With Battery Park Avenue, Wall Street and portions of Haywood Street, Patton Avenue and Church Street closed to automotive traffic, folks did art projects, movement-based activities, listened to buskers and relaxed with yoga and massage.
He hails from Chicago, though, “as a musician,” he said during his performance, “I always wanted to be big in Asheville. I love it here.”
Local wellness, food and art vendors converged on Pack Square Park on Sunday to celebrate all things organic and sustainable.
Festival organizer Kris Kraft talks about the numerous changes to this year’s festival and why there is no longer a WNC Chef’s Challenge. Photo gallery from Sweet and the Grand Tasting by Adam McMillan