Heinzelmännchen Brewery Celebrates 10 year Anniversary

April 24, 5 PM - 9 PM   Celebrate 10 years of Heinzelmännchen Beers   Beer, Soda, Food, Door Prizes and lots of celebration. Held at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Depot in historic downtown Dillsboro.

Activities include:
• Free tastings of Heinzelmännchen Beer, Sodas & Chocolate Stout Cake
• Anniversary Beer - Full Stein Ahead Cherry Bock
• WCU OcTUBAfest, a traditional German Brass Band 5 - 6:45 pm
• Fieldtrip! an eclectic, electric, dance-inviting Band 7 - 9 pm
• Pizza by Pizza Love
• Soft Pretzels by Backwoods Bakery & CakeWorks
• Photo Booth by Terri Clark Photography
• View Architectural Drawings of our Expansion Plans
• Join the Gnome Gnation Founders Club!

Heinzelmännchen Brewery was founded by Dieter Kuhn, Certified Brewmeister, and born and raised in Heidelsheim near the Black Forest of Germany. As a little boy he was sent to the local brauhouse to pick up the week’s worth of beer for his family. His uncle malted grain for beer, so the desire for wholesome, fresh ales was instilled in Dieter very early.

Dieter and his wife Sheryl Rudd opened Heinzelmännchen Brewery in 2004 in the tiny Sylva North Carolina, an old-fashioned mountain town an hour west of Asheville. The Brewery is located at 545 Mill Street in the historic downtown area.

The Brewery creates light, refreshing German beer made with fresh hops, wholesome grains and no preservatives. All beers are keg-conditioned and non-filtered, making them smooth and lighter in body.

You can enjoy their beer in take-home growlers, kegs, or by the pint in the Tap Room. The Brewery doesn't sell food, but you may bring your own from one of the local eateries and enjoy it in the Tap Room or visit a nearby restaurant that carries Heinzelmännchen on tap. 

The brewery is open Monday through Saturday. Take home a growler, or just drop by for a tasting.

Classic Car Cruise-In at Old Fort this Weekend

April 19   3rd Saturday Classic Car Cruise-Ins Held in downtown, historic Old Fort (at the Hardees on Catawba). Sponsored by the Route 70 Cruisers, all makes and models of cars, trucks and motorcycles are invited to join the fun, no entrance or admission fees! There will be food, crafts and a "swap meet" area for treasure hunters. 

Mountain Spirits: Easter Ham and Lamb Wine Tasting at Maggie B's

April 18, 5:30 - 8:00 PM at Maggie B's Wine and Specialty Store, 113 N Main Street in historic downtown Waynesville NC:  FREE Easter Ham and Lamb Wine Tasting.  Come meet your "Peeps" this Friday when Maggie B's will be pouring wines that pair with traditional Easter fare.  There will be tastings of crisp Rose to pair with salads and ham.  There will be refreshing whites to enjoy with the deviled eggs, and rich, earthy reds to satisfy the leg of lamb.

Maggie B's Deal of the Week:  Wooden Cheese Boards 10 X 7 inch, handcrafted, locally made WAS: $10.99 - THIS WEEK: $7.99.

Find links for other local information on the Waynesville NC Visitor Guide.  

Stories of Mountain Folk for 4-12-14

Stories of Mountain Folk is a weekly podcast produced by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia and archived at Western Carolina University.

April 12, 2014:
 

Storytelling: Amy slips back in time to when she was a teenager with her story “Going to the Movies,” when her family went to the Sylva Drive-in Theater and the Ritz Theatre.  Music: “The Offering”.

 

Creative Corner:  Doreyl's guest is Rob Bell with the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. They discuss the new Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina Guide Book and some of the local musicians.    Music: “Blue Ridge Harvest Moon” by Appalachian Fire.

 

Stories of Mountain Folk: Amy welcomes Lara Saunders Chew, a storyteller from Otto, NC. They talk about the early days of Macon County, Lara’s grandfather tragic problem with the “fence laws,”  and other family stories.  Music: “Take Me in Chains” by Compost Mountain Boys.

 

Stories of the Cherokee: Shawn shares stories about “Who are the Cherokee.” He welcomes Beloved Woman Myrtle Driver Johnson, an elder of the tribe, who tells a story about from where the name “Cherokee” comes.  Flute music is provided by Matthew Toon.

 

Going Down Another Road: Judy and Susan Moore continue comparing their childhood memories of growing up in Black Mountain and Hot Springs—bare feet, scraps, playing outside, climbing trees, pocket knives, whittling, making whistles, snakes and more.  Music: “Black Mountain Rag” by Vance Trull.

 

Closing Song: “Hometown Blues” by Blue Ridge Rounders

CLICK HERE to listen to Stories of Mountain Folk 

RiverLink Hosts Clean up and Celebration on The French Broad River

April 26 - Join the fun from 1 PM to 3 PM with Carolina Mountains Credit Union, along with RiverLink, The Forest Service, and the Little River Volunteer Fire Department collaborating to celebrate the completion and opening of the New French Broad River Access at Penrose, NC, near Brevard. The event, to be held at 170 Apac Drive in Penrose, is part of the Earth Month River Celebration and will begin at 1 PM.


CMCU's special event, called "When Pigs Swim!" , will be a Swimming Pig River Race at 2 PM. This race will be on the order of a rubber duck race, where children can choose a plastic pig, put their name on it, and then cheer along their favorite swimming pig to compete for prizes for first, second, and third pig to the dock. All pigs involved in the race will be rescued by the Little River Fire Department's Swift Water Rescue Team at the end of the race.  You must be present to win! And there is a limit of 150 pigs to enter the race!

There will also be a special appearance by Penny, the Pig, the Carolina Mountains mascot. Carolina Mountains Credit Union and its parent organization, Self-Help Credit Union, have a long-standing relationship with RiverLink. Volunteers from CMCU have participated for years in RiverLink's Adopt-A-Stream days, helping to keep the French Broad River a place to live, work, and play. RiverLink also recognized Self-Help in 2012 with a RiverBusiness Award for its economic development work in the River District. Self-Help's entry in the 2012 Anything That Floats parade, the Fabulous Floating Floral Fantasy, was that year's winner in the "Most Creative" category. Self-Help is also one of the sponsors this year of RiverLink's Voices of the River art and poetry contest.
Carolina Mountains Credit Union was originally chartered by the Employees of Dupont. The land that this new river access is on was once owned by Dupont, who gave it to the Fire Department for water rescue training. The Fire Department signed it over to the Forest Service, who, in turn, worked with RiverLink to develop this new river access point.

RiverLink staff will be present and offer watershed education and hands-on activities with the children.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact  828-884-8835.

Located in Asheville's River Arts District, RiverLink is a regional organization spearheading the economic and environmental revitalization of the French Broad River watershed as a destination where everyone can work, live and play.

Flat Rock Playhouse Downtown Presents The Fantasticks

April 17 - May 11   "The Fantasticks" at the Flat Rock Playhouse Downtown The Fantasticks opened in 1960 at The Sullivan Street Theatre in New York City and has the distinction of being the longest running musical in the world. This musical tells the story of two neighboring fathers who trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into falling in love by pretending to feud. 

The Playhouse Downtown is located at 125 Main Street in historic Hendersonville NC. 

 

10th Annual Herb Festival in Old Fort

April 12 - 13   10th Annual Herb Festival   Savor the smell and taste of fresh-grown herbs with a selection including several unique medicinal, cooking and ornamental herbs. The herbal combination planters include the Scarborough Fair Combo, the Indoor Herbs Combo, and several other attractive and useful assortments.

More than 25 craftsmen, vendors and musicians will exhibit and entertain both days. The event is held at Painters Greenhouse, approximately 5 miles south of I-40 at exit 73.

Fiddlin' 5 K Run for the Music Road Race this Weekend in Mars Hill

April 12 -  Fiddlin' 5 K Run for the Music Road Race.  The race, beginning at 9 AM and ending on the beautiful Mars Hill College campus, will benefit the Bascom Lamar Lunsford "Minstrel of Appalachia" Festival and the Junior Appalachian Musicians. 

Sponsored by the Liston B. Ramsey Center for Regional Studies, the Fiddlin' 5k will include live local music performances scattered along the course and, at race end, activities for the whole family on the upper quad of MHC, including a service project with non-profit Sole Hope.

Get a link for the Run and Music Road Race on the Mars Hill NC Visitor Guide. 

Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival this Weekend in Blowing Rock

April 10 - 13   Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival    Enjoy wine tastings, seminars, cooking classes, BRAHM's Cork and Canvas and much more. Look for special Winemaker's Dinners which pair wines with some of the area’s best restaurants fare. Work off all the wine and great food at this year's Chetola Resort Corkscrew 5k run on the 12th. 

Some of the events at the Festival include:
 
Blowing Rock Realty Open House at the SweetGrass Lake House
Blowing Rock Realty will have an open house at the SweetGrass Lake House from 10 to 5 on Saturday April 12th. Come out to enjoy a sampling of local wines and cheeses by the beautiful SweetGrass Lake.

Rowland’s Signorello Wine Dinner
Rowland’s at Westglow has just a few seats remaining for their much anticipated Signorello Wine Dinner! The remaining seats have been reduced to $150 per person (plus tax and gratuity). See details of the event under Wine Dinners and call […]

Blowing Rock Ale House and Brewery
Taste Blowing Rock Ales at TASTE! on Thursday night, the concert Friday night with Jonny Kaplan, and Saturday at the Grand Tasting and at a tent at the Ale House! 

For complete local visitor information see the Blowing Rock NC Guide.

Mountain Spirits: Argentinian Wine Tasting at Maggie B's

April 11,  5:30-8:00 PM at Maggie B's Wine & Specialty Store, 10 C South Main Street in historic downtown Weaverville NC: FREE Argentinian wine tasting.  Sample wines from Bodega Paiman in Argentina.  The winery is brand new to the North Carolina area, and offers some amazing wines.  Come enjoy their Viognier, Tannat, Malbec, and more.

And don't miss Mimosa Mornings on Saturdays - All Day.  There's nothing better than a Mimosa to start your Saturday, or end it, or enjoy with lunch.  Starting this Saturday, Maggie B's will be offering $5 Mimosas all day!

Deal of the Week:  Antique Door Knob Wine Stoppers, "A beautiful way to save your wine."  WAS: $7.99 - THIS WEEK: $4.99. 

RiverLink Announces New FREE APP for Free French Broad River Paddle Trail

Thanks to a generous grant from the NC Adopt-A- Trail program and  contributions from our board of directors, RiverLink is  excited  to release the new  comprehensive French Broad River Paddle Trail  enjoyment map and app -- 13 interactive layers of information to help you identify and locate all the services you will need to enjoy  recreating in the French Broad River watershed.  RiverLink told its design team  to make this a "one stop" application for fun in the  French Broad River watershed - and they did.   It 's just in time for spring and summer so you can plan your trip anywhere in the French Broad watershed.

Map/app layers include: overnight camping, health & wellness,  craft and arts studios, local attractions, lodging,  outfitters, recreation, restaurants, cafes and breweries, river access, river gauge, river hazards and transportation options. The map and app offer all the things you will need to plan your river  trip,  be it a day trip or a longer overnight stay.  The app geo-locates you  wherever you are in the watershed.

The app is now downloadable from iTunes, in the Google Play Store for Android users can get it now at Google play or on the RiverLink website NOW. 

Along with the French Broad River Paddle Trail map and app, you are invited to see, learn and enjoy information at one of the 21 new kiosks we have installed along the watershed that  will inspire you about the flora, fauna, history, people and families who influenced the French Broad watershed.

To have your business included on the app and map - here's what to do: 

Here's the application and process:

Application Process:

1. You will need the latest version of Adobe Reader to fill out the application.  

2. Download the Application from our website at riverlink.org

3. Save the application as a .PDF file on your computer.

4. Fill out the application using Adobe 

5. When finished SAVE your work on computer.

6. Email a live version, or Printed & scanned version, to  WaterResources@riverlink.org,  

Volunteer Opportunities at RiverLink:

RiverLink staff member and Watershed Manger Nancy Hodges has received a full scholarship to "Leave No Trace Leadership Training School."  RiverLink will  host a series of free  training programs this summer  for anyone who wants to learn how to be a sustainable river user  and leave no trace at our free overnight camping sites along the river that require no reservation and are permanently protected by conservation and recreation easements.

For more information about RiverLink or how you can work with our 1,700 volunteers and become involved check out the website at www.riverlink.org or contact information@riverlink.org

Located in Asheville's River Arts District, RiverLink is a regional organization spearheading the economic and environmental revitalization of the French Broad River watershed as a destination where everyone can work, live and play.