Labor Day Weekend Event: Beach Music Weekend at the Grove Park Inn

August 30 - September 2   Labor Day Beach Music Weekend  at The Grove Park Inn A annual festive Labor Day party with live beach music, a coastal seafood buffet, dancing and a variety of family activities all celebrating the last days of summer. Events include shag dance lessons, pool games, crafts, a grilling demonstration from one of the Resort's talented chefs and incredible live music throughout Inn.

For Last Minute Reservations at the Grove Park Inn CLICK HERE 

The Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa - Renowned spa, scenic golf course, sports complex with pool, tennis, racquetball, training. Onsite restaurants, lounge, bars. A large variety of rooms and suites, varying stages of updates with some original Inn antiques.   Get photos and details for the Grove Park Inn

Get complete local visitor information on the Asheville NC Guide.

Five more chances to see the comedy hit of the season in Blowing Rock NC

August 24 - September 1 from Blowing Rock's Ensemble Stage - If you haven't gotten tickets to "Bedside Manners" yet you better hurry because they're going fast.  People have been turned away at the door for all  performances so far because we were sold out, and if the response of the patrons leaving after the performance is any indication, they'll be selling out the rest of the shows.  Of course it doesn't hurt when you have a great cast to pull off a fast-paced comedy like this one. The professional cast includes Margot Moreland who spent over ten years performing shows at the Kennedy Center and Stephen Moore who most of you will recognize as the unsuspecting, terrified car salesman in the recent television commercial starring NASCAR driver, Jeff Gordon.  
"Bedside Manners" takes place in a secluded english hotel when a brother reluctantly agrees to look after it  while his sister is away.  However,  he did not anticipate all the wild comings-and-goings! He soon becomes hilariously engulfed in confusion and bewilderment as he tries  to prevent the inevitable meetings of husbands, wives, and lovers in assorted compromising situations.

Remaining performances for "Bedside Manners":
Tonight (Monday, 08/26) at  7:30 PM
Tuesday, 08/27 at 7:30PM
Friday, 08/30 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, 08/31 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, 09/01 at 2:00PM

All performances are at the Blowing Rock School Auditorium, 160 Sunset Drive in Blowing Rock NC. 

For Show Tickets; Go to http://www.ensemblestage.com/Box-Office.html, choose your date and seats then call 828-414-1844 or click the "purchase single tickets" button to make your reservations.

Adult Single Show Tickets are only $19 and Senior/Student/Military Single Show Tickets are only $17. 

Blue RIdge Parkway Reopens at Craggy Gardens

August 26, 2013 - The Blue Ridge Parkway has reopened a section of road connecting Asheville to Mt. Mitchell. This means the popular Craggy Gardens Visitor Center and Picnic Area have also reopened. The temporary repairs will allow visitors access to the popular section during the end-of-summer and leaf-peeping seasons.

The 21-mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway from Milepost 376 at Ox Creek Road to Milepost 355 at Mt. Mitchell State Park is now open. The speed limit has been reduced to 15 mph in this area and will be strictly enforced. The section will close again in November 2013 so that permanent repairs can be made.

The 500 foot long by-pass restores two-way traffic through the area affected by significant structural damage as a result of unusually heavy rainfall totals earlier this summer. It is anticipated that the bypass route will close again and the detour routes will be reinstated in November 2013 so construction can resume to stabilize the slope and repair the area permanently.

Get a link for the Blue Ridge Parkway and complete details on Craggy Gardens and Mt Mitchell on the NC Parks Guide.

Labor Day Weekend Events: NC Apple Festival

August 30 - September 2   NC Apple Festival  This annual Labor Day Weekend Event features a street fair on Historic Main Street including: entertainment, arts and crafts, apple products, children and youth activities, special exhibits, food and the King Apple Parade on Labor Day.

The NC Apple Festival has been one of Western North Carolina’s Premier Family Festivals for over 60 years. Start your day off with one of the breakfasts and then spend the rest of the day enjoying the excitement of Main Street as well as many other activities across the community.

Get specific hours and schedule of events on the website. Street Fair - Fri-Sun 10:00 AM-8:00 PM from 6th Ave-Caswell St; mini-festival on Mon. 10:00 AM-5:00 PM from 2nd Ave-Caswell St., King Apple Parade on Labor Day at 2:30 PM.

Find links for Hendersonville cabins, rental and inns as well as local visitor information on the Hendersonville NC Guide.

If you love the Mountains it's time to donate and get matching funds

August 21, 2013 -  Save the places you love in the Blue Ridge Mountains and foothills. The FINAL 10 days - Donors have offered to Match up to $30,000 in the Blue Ridge Foothills Protection Challenge. In June of this year several donors offered to match special donations given through August 31 to the 2013 Blue Ridge Foothills Protection Challenge.

The Foothills Conservancy has announced that the goal has almost been reached, but they need your help.  If you haven't already made a donation,  please help The Conservancy reach this goal by giving today!

Give online at www.foothillsconservancy.org or mail your gift to FCNC P.O. Box 3023, Morganton, NC 28680.

Together, we will leave an everlasting gift to all who live in, love and depend upon the lands and waters of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and foothills.

Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, a regional land trust, is dedicated to working cooperatively with landowners and public and private conservation partners to preserve and protect important natural areas and open spaces of the Blue Ridge Foothills region, including watersheds, environmentally significant habitats, forests and farmland, for this and future generations. The Conservancy, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, serves eight counties: Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Lincoln, McDowell and Rutherford.

WNC Chef Challenge Semi-finals: in Asheville

August 20 - 21   WNC Chefs Challenge Semi-finals:  8 /20 - Tomato Jam Café vs. Zambra ; 8/21 - Strada Italiano vs. DOUGH. Chefs battle for the championship and dinner guests will receive six courses (3 from each team) and will participate in scoring the dishes to determine the winner of the Chef Challenge Semifinals. Special wines are selected based on the "Secret" ingredient and are available for purchase along with beers and cocktails.
The first round and quarterfinals of The Chefs Competition were held February through May at Chestnut restaurant in downtown Asheville. The semifinal dinners will be held at Pack’s Tavern, with the finale taking place on August 24 during the Grand Tasting at the Asheville Wine and Food Festival.

There’s still time to reserve your tickets to be a judge during the semifinals, yet the final food fight is left to a panel of judges. Attendees of the Grand Tasting can watch all the action from the sidelines. The winner walks away with a $5,000 cash reward and the title of Best Chef in WNC.

Proceeds from the 2013 WNC Chefs Challenge benefits Eliada, a 109-year-old agency serving Western North Carolina’s children and families.

Get links for complete local visitor information on the Asheville NC Guide.

Renovations at Biltmore Bring the Past into the Present

Two rooms inside the 250-room Biltmore House,  the Second Floor Living Hall and the Salon,  will re-open this fall after the estate’s Museum Services team completes a restoration of the rooms to the appearance  the rooms had when George Vanderbilt opened Biltmore House in 1895.

 “We’re constantly striving to interpret the house authentically as it appeared during the Vanderbilts’ time,” said Darren Poupore, Chief Curator.

In recent years, the Second Floor Living Hall was used as an exhibition space.  Prior to that, it was exhibited as a sitting area. An early 1950s photo offered a glimpse of the original furnishings of the space including gilded sconces, paintings and a suite of oversized Baroque furniture placed around the perimeter of the room. Additional research led curators to determine that the room’s primary function was intended as a picture gallery and formal hallway.Bringing the room back to its original state includes conserving all the furnishings, recreating elaborate window treatments and making structural changes.

“We discovered that the original upholstery was a gauffraged fabric, a rich wool velvet with a pattern pressed into it, in a striking gold color,” said Poupore. “We had it reproduced in France by Prelle, the same company that made many of our historic fabrics for the Louis XV Suite project.”

Green velvet draperies adorn windows featuring exact reproductions of four pelmets, or valances. For two years, local textile artist Heather Allen Swarttouw painstakingly embroidered and appliquéd each pelmet to match the originals.As appropriate for such a prominent space, several notable paintings are being returned to their original locations. John Singer Sargent’s portraits of Richard Morris Hunt and Frederick Law Olmsted and Anders Zorn’s painting “The Waltz,” which have been hanging temporarily in the Salon, will once again hang where George Vanderbilt intended. The restored Living Hall will be completed and re-opened September 1, 2013.

Relocating the paintings from the Salon has led to its reinterpretation, centered on the fact that the Salon was one of the few first floor rooms not completed during Vanderbilt’s lifetime.

“Draperies were placed in the archways to prevent the Vanderbilts’ guests from seeing inside the room,” Poupore said. “It had bare brick walls, a rough subfloor and a structural tiled ceiling without its finished treatment. In the 1920s, Edith Vanderbilt turned it into a Turkish sitting room, but in 1930 everything except the 1920s ceiling treatment was removed and it became a space to display special objects.”

Curators decided to tell the story of how the room has changed through the years. Removal of a wall revealed an original firebox and brick walls. A section of the fabric ceiling treatment is being removed to show the terra cotta tiled ceiling above. Information panels will explain the new interpretation of the room when it re-opens October 1 2013.

Get a link to learn more about Biltmore on the NC Attractions Guide.

Discount Biltmore tickets may be purchased through our Value Rewards Program - CLICK HERE . for details or purchase online. 

Saluda Tailgate Market the Place to be on Friday

August 16 - The Saluda Tailgate Market will be open this Friday from 4:30 - 6:30 PM.  Grab your basket, put on your hat and join locals and visitors alike in the west end parking lot to support Saluda area growers. Plan your menus around summer produce, mushrooms, eggs, chicken, beef, lamb and Wildflour goodies. Find some plants to enhance your own garden. Eat fresh, support local, and enjoy this charming small-town community. 


About 25 Market venders participate including:

Market Vendors

• Bow Wowzers, natural dog treats
• Buttercup Cottage/Dan's Garden, marinara sauce, sauerkraut, jams, jellies, relish, vegetables, fruit
• Camp Creek Farm, fresh chicken, rainbow trout, lamb, eggs 
• Carolina Herbs, herbs, potted perennial and annual flowers, produce, eggs 
• Charlene's Garden, a wide variety of vegetables and pork sausage  
• Charles Owens, A truck full of white and yellow peaches 
• Clair Ernst, Bluebird Ridge, Zinnia bouquets
• Decatur McGuinn, summer produce 
• Deepwoods Mushrooms, shitakes and chanterrelles
• Deerwood Nursery,  pork sausage, bratwurst, chicken, eggs 
• Emerald Springs, goat cheese, swiss chard
• Frank Ward, plants for your garden, eggs
• Growater Farm, hydroponic lettuces, cabbage, beans, squash 
• High Valley Farms, vegetable plants, herbs, flowering plants, seasonal produce
• James Taylor, seasonal produce
• Kay Farm, potatoes, onions, beans, cucumbers, melons, bok choi, tomatoes, peppers  
• Leap Farm,  all kinds of produce
• Living Herbs, herb plants
• Meanwhile Back in Saluda,  Green Olive Citrus Tapenade
  Black Olive Citrus Tapenade
  Lemonade with Watermelon Ice
  Lemonade with Peach Ice 
    
• Mountain Valley Farm, Saluda raised beef 
• Piece O' Cake, brownies, pound cake, sweet treats 
• Randy Case, cabbage, beans, beets, corn, cucumbers
• Red Rooster Farm, plants, vegetables, eggs, blueberries 
• Rose's Best, jams, jellies, spreads, quiches
• Sacred Mountain Herbals, herbal products for body, home, garden, and pets 
• Saucy Susan, Twisted Fork,chutney flavor Green Apple and Lemon Herb Bean Pate' along with pestos
• Sexton Farms, tomatoes, peppers, corn, squash, cabbage, onions, eggs
   
• The Farm, Mark and Sharon Searcy, heirloom, hybrid, and roma tomatoes, peppers, okra, potatoes, peaches, apples, squash, kale, lettuce, cabbage  
• Thunder Ridge, seasonal produce
• Vineyards Edge Dairy, flavored and plain goat cheese and feta
• Wendell Pace, vegetables, vegetable
• Wildfour Bakery,   Orange Cranberry Scones
  Melba Breakfast Braids (Peach/Raspberry)
  Big Debi Cupcakes -(Dk. Choc. with a creamy center)
  South of the Border Pockets (Pinto, Cheddar & Tomato in Cornmeal Crust)
  Tuscan Bread
  Crackers, Granola, Pizza Crusts and more Bread    
• Yielding Branch, micro greens               
  
  
  The Tailgate Market is located in the west end parking lot off main street in historic downtown Saluda NC.

Root Ball Will Rais Funds for Asheville Greenworks

August 15, 6:30 PM to 9:30PM   Asheville Affiliates will host The Root Ball, a fundraiser for Asheville Greenworks.  The party will be held at their spankin' new boathouse on the French Broad, and they want us to check it out and help christen it with a night of music, fun and food.
Live music will be performed by Lyric. If you have not heard her...you should. Get a sneak peek here. The food, wine and beer will runneth over. Catawba will be bringing the kegs, Skyland Distributing will be offloading the wine, and food will be prepared by Mark Rosenstein and Green Opportunities' Kitchen Ready program. There will also be great raffles and giveaways, giving YOU  the chance to win some special items.

Admission is $20 if you RSVP now or $25 at the door.  CLICK HERE to RSVP. The Asheville Greenworks Boathouse is located at318 Riverside Drive in Asheville NC.

NC State Bluegrass Festival this Weekend in Marion

August 15-17    39th Annual NC State Bluegrass Festival   Featuring Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, The Primitive Quartet, Bobby Osborne & the Rocky Top X-press,  Rye Holler Boys, The Troubadours and dozens more. Tickets are available at the gate or in advance by calling 706-864-7203. 

The event is held  "rain or shine" with performances under covered pavilion. The cafe will be serving breakfast and lunch, with hot food and other concessions also available. Bring your lawn chairs - no alcohol, smoking or pets in the performance area.

Get links for local visitor information on the Marion NC Guide. 

Have the TIme of Your Life at the Lake Lure Dirty Dancing Festival

August 16-17   Dirty Dancing Festival  A dance and music festival for all ages celebrating the classic American movie filmed in Lake Lure, NC. Fans can relive their favorite "Dirty Dancing" moments with a film screening, live music, dance performances and lessons, special guests, games and more. Visitors from more than 24 states and two foreign countries have attended previous festivals.

The Dirty Dancing Festival Lakeside Screening is from 7:00 PM-10:00 PM.  Admission: FREE! (Donations are welcome)  Bring a picnic dinner, some blankets and chairs and cuddle up to watch Dirty Dancing alongside the famous Lake Lure. There will be food and beverages for sale onsite, no alcohol permitted.

AFTER PARTY DANCE PARTY SAT. 7-10 PM  This year the official 'After Party Dance Party' Saturday night Aug. 17th from 7-10 PM will be at the Geneva Riverside.  Dance alongside the river under the stars for live music by Rock and Roll Reunion, plus food, drinks and more. Admission is FREE and open to all ages.

Get links for Lake Lure Lodging and complete visitor information on the Lake Lure NC Guide.

Last Day for the Black Mountain Sourwood Festival

August 9 - 11   36th Annual Sourwood Festival   Great music and lots of fun for all ages fills downtown Black Mountain. Held each year in August, it's a time for good food, good fun and good friends. Music, dancing, arts & crafts, super food, kid's rides and games, face painting and more in a no alcohol environment make it the perfect event for you and your entire family.

Sunday hours are 9 AM - 5  PM.
With about 200 vendors you will discover lots of local and unique arts and crafts and there will be something to please every palate with BBQ and vegetarian fair, custom-crafted ice cream and funnel cakes and jellies. Summertime favorites include sausages and corn on the cob. And don/t miss the gourmet sourwood honey.

Learn more about Black Mountain NC Here.

Brevard Music Center Steinway and Sons Pianos for Sale

In June of this year, Steinway & Sons delivered over 70 pianos to the Brevard Music Center for the summer festival. These instruments have been used by the talented students and faculty throughout the summer, and now they can be yours.

This weekend, Steinway & Sons is selling our festival pianos at incredible discounts.

3 Days Only - Friday, Saturday and Sunday. August 9, 10 and 11

Call 888-845-3896 or visit www.pianosalebrevard.com for your opportunity to view the pianos and select the instrument of your dreams at incredible savings.

Learn more about local events, attractions and lodging on the Brevard NC Visitor Guide. 

Street Dance Tonight in Waynesville

August 9  Mountain Street Dance   Put on your cloggin' and square dancin' shoes and enjoy an old-fashioned mountain hoedown. Live mountain music, demonstrations and instruction by local clogging teams. Refreshments are available for purchase. 

Limited bleacher seating available so feel free to bring a chair or blanket for the Courthouse lawn in charming downtown Waynesville NC. 

Mountain Gateway Museum Second Saturdays Heritage Events

August 10   2nd Saturdays at the Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center Features food, crafts, implements, storytelling and farm animals. Each 2nd Saturday is a hands-on heritage, family fun and arts event. Held on the grounds of the Museum.

The Mountain Gateway Museum is located in downtown Old Fort NC.

RiverFest this Weekend in Asheville

August 10   14th Annual RiverFest   Crafts, kid fun, a raft race, music and more. RiverFest is an event especially for families and outdoor enthusiasts. Craft vendors sell local handmade goods, there are kids parades and activities and the popular Anything That Floats raft parade also takes place that afternoon. Live music continues into the evening. 

A variety of local food trucks will offer vegetarian and meat-loving options. This year food truck food court includes Gypsy Queen, The Lowdown, Melt Your Heart, Pho Ya Belly, as well as Ursa Minor Coffee and the Hop Ice Cream. There will be beer from five sponsors this year: Highland Brewing Co. , New Belgium, Asheville Brewing Co., Pisgah and Sierra Nevada.

A highlight of the Festival is the Anything that Floats Parade. Groups and organizations build watercraft of all kinds for an opportunity to show off their creativity and their cause and have lots of fun doing it. Participants can construct their vessels out of anything they can find that floats and parade them by the festival grounds. The only rules are that they must float and must be powered by wind, solar or our own herculean strength - no motors allowed - and be removed from the festival grounds upon completion of the race. If you don't have time to build a "Yacht" to be on the river that day,  rent a tube and enjoy the festivities from the water.

The event is managed and hosted by RiverLink,  a regional non-profit spearheading the economic and environmental revitalization of the French Broad River and its tributaries as a place to work, live and play. 

Get a link for RiverFest and other local events and attractions on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.

BBQ and Music Festival this Weekend in Franklin

August 9 - 10    Mountain High BBQ & Music Festival  Enjoy BBQ, Music and a Car Show. This two-day event features authentic, mouth-watering BBQ, live entertainment, an exciting car show, a cornhole tournament, local crafters and the tastin’ tent. 


Clint Black performs at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts on Friday night at 7:30 PM.  Receive a free pass into the BBQ Festival when you purchase a ticket.  Clint Black, has long been heralded as one of country music's brightest stars. The singer-songwriter has written, recorded and released more than one hundred songs, a benchmark in any artist's career.

This is an official North Carolina State BBQ Championship with $11,000 in cash and awards. Dozens of Pro Teams will be completing from all over the Southeast including Bald Hawg BBQ, Big Bad Wolf BBQ, Big on the Pig, Bub-Ba-Qand many more. Backyard Teams will also be smoking and stoking with participants such as, Backyard Porkers, Big Boys BBQ, Boobies BBQ, Burningtowns Best and others.

Admission at the gate is: Adults $5 for one day and $8 for both days. Children 12 and under are free. Hours are Friday 11 AM - 8 PM and Saturday 10 AM - 6 PM. The event is held at the Wayne Proffitt Agricultural Center,  1436 Georgia Road in Franklin NC.

Annual Ola Belle Reed Music Festival this Weekend in Lansing

August 9 - 11   Ola Belle Reed Music Festival A showcase of top notch local and visiting musicians honoring Ola Belle Reed, a local legendary bluegrass and gospel musician. Free event with donations welcomed. Bring a lawn chair or blanket.

The event features top-notch award winning visiting and local musicians from Americana, Bluegrass, Old-time, Country and Folk traditions, the Ola Belle Reed Festival is a community-based event and fundraiser sponsored by the Greater Lansing Area Development Committee (GLAD), a 501(c)3 organization committed to the revitalization of Lansing, the birthplace of Ola Belle Reed. The group consists of community volunteers who are dedicated to this annual event in the spirit of Appalachian tradition.

The Festival site is located in the town of Lansing NC, 15 minutes north of West Jefferson and near the banks of Big Horse Creek and in the shadow of Phoenix Mountain. Musical acts will provide continuous day and evening concerts in addition.  

The The Swannanoa Gathering Continues with Mano and Banjo Week and Fiddle Week

August 4 - 10   The Swannanoa Gathering  is Warren Wilson College's continuing education program of summer folk arts workshops held on the campus in the Swannanoa Valley on the outskirts of Asheville.
Each week offers a different instrument and/or musical style.

This week is Mando & Banjo Week and Fiddle Week.. Public Concerts are offered at Kittredge Theatre at 7:30 PM throughout the Gathering.

Warren Wilson College is located between Asheville and Black Mountain just off route 70.

Ravel Concert at the Brevard Music Center Today

Date:      August 3   Walton and Ravel at The Brevard Music Center  Ken Lam leads the Brevard Sinfonia in an evening of music from the early twentieth century featuring works by Ravel and Walton. The concert opens with Ravel's orchestration of his own piano piece Alborada del gracioso, which beautifully blends demanding technical passages with Spanish musical themes. In a second offering from Ravel, pianist Norman Krieger will perform the composer's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand. The concert will close with a performance of English composer William Walton's first symphony.  PreConcert at 6:30 PM  - Special pre-concert performances one hour before curtain, featuring BMC's students and artist faculty.

Falstaff at 2 PM with Pre-opera at 1 PM.

Brevard Symphonic Winds at 10 AM - FREE Concert

Annual Biltmore Village Art and Crafts Fair thie Weekend

August 3-4   Annual Village Art and Craft Fair   Held on the grounds of All Souls Cathedral in Biltmore Village this year's Fair, the 41st,  will include 118 exhibitors.  Enjoy high quality art and crafts including ceramics, furniture, glass, jewelry and more. Hours are Saturday 10 AM - 7 PM and Sunday 12 PM - 5 PM.

Old Time Bluegrass Fiddlers Convention in Jefferson NC

August 2 - 3  Old Time Bluegrass Fiddlers Convention  This bluegrass and old-time music competition is typical of the many fiddlers conventions. There is lots of jamming and socializing among the musicians‚ and visitors are welcome to listen. This event is sponsored by the Rotary Club of the Jeffersons‚ and advance tickets are available from the Ashe County Chamber of Commerce. The events will be held in the Ashe County Park.

Get complete get a link for the Bluegrass Fiddlers Convention and local visitor information on the Jefferson / West Jefferson NC Guide.