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.

2012 Blue Ridge Foothills Protection Challenge

Once again, generous supporters have pledged to match up to $20,000 in gifts made during this once-a-year Blue Ridge Foothills Protection Challenge, which ends August 31. The von Drehle Corporation, Crescent Resources and an anonymous individual donor have made these special challenge pledges possible.

A special gift by you to the 2012 Blue Ridge Foothills Protection Challenge will be matched dollar-for-dollar and will help the Foothills Conservancy reach the challenge goal of $40,000 in support of the important protection work to be done we do this year and future generations.

Make a gift TODAY online at www.foothillsconservancy.org or
Mail your gift designated to the 2012 Blue Ridge Foothills Protection Challenge to:Foothills Conservancy, PO Box 3023 Morganton, NC 28680  or call  828-437-9930. 

Friends of Panthertown Host Horse Exhibition and Silent Auction Benefit

Friends of Panthertown has announced their biggest fundraising benefit event of the year, the 2012 Bald Rock / The Divide Horse Exhibition & Silent Auction. The event will be held on Saturday, June 30, 2012 from 11 AM. to 1 PM at Bald Rock / The Divide equestrian community located on US Hwy. 64 between Cashiers and Sapphire, North Carolina.

This exhibition will feature a spectacular horse show, silent auction, children’s activities, live music, food and family fun.  Admission is free. Parking is $10 per vehicle. Lunch will be available and children are welcome.

Gypsy Vanner colt

Over a dozen different breeds will be featured at the exhibition including Gypsy Vanner horses brought to America from Ireland in 1996. They are easy to train and highly intelligent with a temperament like a Golden Retriever. Originally a Gypsy’s caravan horse, they are now ridden in dressage, hunt seat, saddle seat, western, and bareback. Black and white in color, Gyspy Vanners are truly elegant in their presentation.

All donations and proceeds from this event will benefit Friends of Panthertown and their conservation projects in Panthertown Valley.

Friends of Panthertown is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that protects and maintains the 6,300-acre Panthertown Valley backcountry recreation area in the Nantahala National Forest.

Party Your Asana Off Tonight at The NC Aboretum

May 3, 6 - 9 PM: “Party Your Asana Off”, a fundraiser benefitting Asheville Community Yoga. The events will inlcude  an amazing array of entertainment, food and drinks - all guaranteed to last all night. Upon entry, enjoy the sounds of strolling fiddler Cailen Campbell. Then dance the night away with music provided by Asheville’s top DJ’s from Sound Extreme; making dance a key element of the party. Clan Destiny Circus will ramp up the fun with performances by their acrobalancers, stilt walkers and hoopers. Town Mountain Massage will offer donation based chair massages. 

 

Food, beer and wine are included with your ticket price - enjoy beer from Catawba Valley Brewing Company, Alamos wine and tables full of food from a variety of generous donors including Hickory Nut Gap, Zen Sushi and Roots. Bring your checkbook! There will be a raffle with over forty awesome items on which to bid.

 

Tickets are only $25 in advance or $30 at the door. Attendance is limited to 300 and a sellout is likely. This year, you need to purchase your tickets in advanced to receive the discount. Click Here to buy your tickets now. RSVPs on Facebook will not give you the discount at the door. Together we can help keep Asheville Community Yoga sustainable by attending this event, because 100% of the proceeds goes directly to the nonprofit.

 

The NC Arboretum is located on Brevard Road (Hwy 191), just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville NC. Parking is free for attendees.

 

CAKE WALK Fundraiser for the Appalachian Food Storybank

April 29, 1-5 PM - Slow Food Asheville has announced CAKE WALK! Fundraiser for the Appalachian Food Storybank. The free event will be held on  at Carrier Park Picnic Pavilion, 220 Amboy Rd. in Asheville. A traditional Appalachian cake walk, set to live music, will be one feature of the event. Cake walk tickets are $2 a round and in each round, someone wins a cake! Cakes come from local bakeries and individuals, some using heirloom ingredients or recipes.

The fundraiser will also feature heirloom plant vendors, food vendors, demonstrations of traditional Appalachian tools and methods, and a phenomenal raffle. Prizes include gift certificates to local restaurants, a class at John C. Campbell Folk School, gift baskets, and more. Zach Phillips of Cultured Foods will give a Kraut making demo, and Jean Benfield will be present to sign her book, Mountain Born. Most of all, attendees will enjoy an afternoon in the park with good food and friends.

The Appalachian Food Storybank is an oral history initiative centered on southern Appalachian heritage foods and foodways. The project works to preserve and collect precious stories of heritage foods and traditional foodways in Appalachia. A “storybooth” will be in place at the CAKE WALK! event, presenting an opportunity for attendees to record their stories of history, culture, and heritage.

Sponsors, Vendors, and Raffle Donors include: ASAP, John C. Campbell Folk School, Imladris Farm, Reems Creek Nursery, Sow True Seed, Tupelo Honey Cafe, Bill Whipple, Buchi, Barbara Swell’s Log Cabin Cooking, Spinning Spider Creamery, Earth and Spirit Designs, Red Stag Grille, Wildwood Herbal, Rise Up Rooted Farms, Fifth Season, Eagledove Greenhouses, Gypsy Queen Cuisine, Southern Fryz, the Potters of Madison County.

Bakeries represented include: Short Street Cakes, West End Bakery, French Broad Chocolate Lounge, Farm and Sparrow, and the Montford Walk-in Bakery.

10th annual Dining Out For Life® in Asheville

April 26 - 10th annual Dining Out For Life®  in Asheville NC. You are cordially invited to join the Asheville Downtown Association for the 10th annual Dining Out For Life® benefit to support the mission of the Western North Carolina AIDS Project (WNCAP).

This year's event is well under way and needs support more than ever this year with a reduction in federal funding, and an increasing number of clients who need help. Over 100 of the finest restaurants in WNC will  donate 20% of their gross sales occuring on April 26th.  You can do your part by simply dining out for breakfast, lunch or dinner or all three. And don't forget to visit the DOFL restaurants all year round and thank them for their kind support.

Last year's Dining Out For Life® benefit raised over $138,000 to support the mission of WNCAP and thanks to the generous sponsors, only 5.1% of that total went to cover expenses. Through the efforts of so many giving individuals and businesses, much needed AIDS awareness and education has been provided throughout WNC, while providing case-managed care to those whose lives have already been affected by HIV/AIDS.

If you would like to be a part of this year's benefit as an Ambassador, please check the Volunteer section of the menu. Volunteering has never been so much fun!

Flat Rock Cinema Holds 2nd Annual NCAA Benefit

April 2  doors open at  Monday at 7 PM for  the NCAA championship game in high definition on the big screen at the Flat Rock Cinema. Proceeds benefit the Henderson County Hunger Coalition. The event is sponsored by Flat Rock Cinema, the Hendersonville Lions Club and Morris Broadband. Tickets are a suggested minimum of $10

donation.

A live auction will happen at half time and the cinema's full food and beverage MENU, including beer, wine and cocktails, will be available. Tickets are available by calling John  at 828-702-3317. Last year over $2,000 was raised for Meals on Wheels so let's try to top that! There are still some tickets left so get yours today!

Get more information on the Flat Rock Visitor Guide

John C Campbell Folk School hosts Annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser this weekend

March 3, 5 PM - 7 PM -   Empty Bowls at John C Campbell Folk School   Event Tickets are $25.00 which includes a a take-home handmade bowl by a local potter plus soup, bread, salad and dessert. Enjoy  sharing a hearty meal and fun evening with friends while supporting local food banks. Extra bowls will be for sale for $20.00 after the event.  All proceeds benefit  the Clay and Cherokee County Food Banks.

The John C. Campbell Folk School provides experiences in non-competitive learning and community life that are joyful and enlivening. Located in scenic Brasstown, North Carolina, the Folk School offers year-round weeklong and weekend classes for adults in craft, art, music, dance, cooking, gardening, nature studies, photography and writing. The school also hosts concerts, festival and a variety of cultural events. Get a link for the Folk School HERE

Adventure Films help benefit Riverlink

February 16, from 7:30 PM - 9 PM., Horizon Line Pictures will host a night of short adventure films at the Southern Appalachian Brewery in Hendersonville, with a portion of the proceeds going to local non-profit RiverLink. Entry is only $6, with a raffle for a kayak from Liquid Logic and door prizes provided by Diamond Brand Outdoors.

Tickets for the kayak raffle are $10 and available at the RiverLink office at 170 Lyman Street in the River Arts District, Monday thru Friday 8 AM. - 5 PM. They are also on sale at the Southern Appalachian Brewery Tasting Room, 822 Locust Street, Hendersonville, NC 28792. Open Wednesday thru Friday, 4 p.m. to close, and Saturday thru Sunday, 2 p.m. to close.

Several of the films were produced in WNC, including "Longboarding Asheville" and "The Smokies: Punished into Ecstasy." The two others are titled, "The Grand Canyon in Winter" and "World Championships of Kayaking."

Legacy Paddlesports, the parent company of Liquid Logic Kayaks, recently moved their base of operations to Henderson County.

RiverLink is a regional non-profit spearheading the economic and environmental revitalization of the French Broad River and its tributaries as a place to live, work and play. Monies collected in this raffle and movie event will be used to further work on The Wilma Dykeman RiverWay Plan, a 17-mile greenway linking the French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers with walking and biking trails anchored on the south at the NC Arboretum and on the east by the Blue Ridge Parkway and on the north by UNCA.

RiverLink Co-sponsors Winter Warmer Beer Festival

RiverLink is proud to partner with many of Asheville's local micro-breweries to host the Winter Warmer Beer Festival againfor 2012. Winter Warmer takes place at the Asheville Civic Center on January 21 from 3 to 7 PM. Asheville is known as Beer City USA with its many innovative and creative world class breweries. Equally important is the local great water needed to make great beer.

Again this year RiverLink will be dedicating all the donations from Winter Warmer to the greenway development fund, affectionately referred to as the "Missing Link" fund. What better way to celebrate the river than to build greenways next to it so that everyone - local or visitor - can access and enjoy this precious natural resource? Rivers belong to everyone. It is one of those really precious shared resources, like air. We all own it and we all share it -- both the rights and responsibilities.

Get information about the Winter Warmer Beer Festival and other
Asheville events and festivals HERE

Diamond Brand Outdoors host benefit for Asheville's Diana Wortham Theatre

October 6 from 5 PM to 8 PM Diamond Brand Outdoors located at 2623 Hendersonville Road in Asheville NC - 20% off storewide purchases throughout the event. Enjoy live entertainment by the Sarah Woods Trio and a Barbeque Dinner all sales of which benefit the Theatre. Plus - there will be drawings for prizes and give-aways all evening. Shop, save AND benefit the theatre.

The Diana Wortham Theatre is at the center of Asheville’s vibrant downtown arts scene offering live performances of music, theatre and dance throughout the year by nationally touring artists as well as professional and avocational regional arts groups. The Mainstage Season, runs from September through May, and features more than 30 performances by nationally touring artists in music, theatre and dance.Get a link for the Diana Wortham Theatre HERE

Slow Food Asheville hosts F.E.A.S.T

September 22 from 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM at 21 N Market Street in Asheville NC - Enjoy Asheville’s finest restaurant fare at F.E.A.S.T. Asheville Affiliates and Slow Foods Asheville are excited to host this special culinary event including live entertainment, silent auction, raffle, local cuisine, and refreshments.

The Event offers a bounty of local food generously donated by The Marketplace, Curate, Fiore, Roots, Cucina 24,Solace, Cafe Ello, The Southern, Earth Fare, West End Bakery, Corner Kitchen, Greenlife, and Table. Beer will be provided by Catawba Valley Brewing Company.

Buy your tickets now by clicking HERE. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.

FEAST is a program of Slow Food Asheville,  providing a hands on, group cooking experience focusing on locally grown fruits and vegetables. Slow Foods Asheville seeks to advance the benefits of locally produced food and healthy eating by working with educators, farmers, restaurants, professional organizations and advocacy groups. The Asheville Affiliates is a community network that hosts “Parties with a Purpose” to support Asheville area non-profit organizations.

The Asheville Cinema Society begins 2nd Season with a Riverlink Fund Raiser

Sept 23  - The Asheville Cinema Society (ACS) kicks off its second season with "The River Why," the story of 20-year-old fly fisherman Gus Orviston, who leaves his big city home to live in a secluded cabin on the banks of a wild river and do nothing but fish. Instead of finding fishing bliss, his desolation drives him on a reluctant quest for self-discovery.

The event will be a fundraiser for RiverLink and a membership drive for ACS, taking place at the Diana Wortham Theater in Downtown Asheville on Friday, Sept. 23. The Asheville Cinema Society (ACS) will be giving 20 percent of the ticket price of $25 to help RiverLink protect North Carolina's rivers and streams. In addition, ACS is extending a discounted membership offer of $250 per person (a $50 savings) and $400 per couple (a $100 savings) for its 2011-2012 Season (September 2011 - April 2012).

The Asheville Cinema Society was founded in 2010 to bring highly entertaining independent feature films, foreign films and documentaries to Western North Carolina. ACS is showing 15 films this year; two Tuesday nights per month at Asheville's  Biltmore Regal in Biltmore Park. Following the screening, the filmmaker or someone associated with the film or an expert versed in the subject matter of the film will participate in a Q&A.

Starlight Night on the Farm Fundraiser for Full Spectrum Farms

September 17 from 5 PM - 9 PM - the  4th annual Starlight Night: A Night on the Farm. This is an exciting event for the whole family and  includes a Southern-style meal, silent auction, wagon rides, fun activities for the young and young at heart, and live music. Dance under the stars and enjoy a great night in support of Full Spectrum Farms, located at 3101 Old Cullowhee Road Cullowhee, NC

Tickets for Starlight Night are $45.00 for adults and $10.00 for children ages 4-14. Children under 4 may attend free of charge. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Full Spectrum Farms' office at 828-293-2521 or e-mailing at info@fullspectrumfarms.org. Starlight Night 2011 is sponsored by Aramark, Stanberry Insurance, Cullowhee Real Estate, WCU Campus Dining Services, F. Patrick McGuire, DDS, Andy Shaw Ford and Budweiser.

Auction Items and Donors:
Annie’s Bakery: Gift Basket WCU- PAC Center: 2 Tickets Art
Work, Hand Made Dolls Balsam Mountain Preserve: Golf for 4
Backgammon Set Catamountsports: 2 Tickets
Chad Hallyburton: Guitar Lessons Dollywood: 2 Tickets
Golden Carp: Gift Certificate Grove Park Arcade: Dinner for 2
Hairport: Free Haircut Heinzelmannchen: Growler of Beer
Highlands Brewery: Gift Basket Jarrett House: Dinner For 2
Lulu’s:$20.00 Gift Certificate Mountain Diva: Hand Bag
Oaks Gallery: Fine Art Phoumala Salon: Cut and Color
Queens Junque: Decoupage Stained Glass Piece
Tree House Pottery: Vase Tuckaseegee Outfitters: Raft Trips
Chinese Calligraphy Drawing Handmade Necklace & Earrings
Hand-Quilted Lap-robe Scott Hotaling - Framed Photo
Gourd Bird Feeder Wal-Mart: $25.00 Gift Card
West Carolina Internet Café: Gift Basket
Kel Save: Tin Ornamental Hanging
Kris Mart: Bracelet and Earrings Set
Ear rings and Necklace sets made with FSF pottery
Fusions Day Spa: 2 Gift Certificates
Lydia Aydlett: A Dozen Fresh Eggs each Month for 6 Months
Lynn Dillard: 2 Silk Flower Arrangements
Smoky Mountain Country Club: 1 Round of Golf
Smoky Mountain Pet Services: $40.00 Grooming
Special Bottle of Wine Valued over $100
Donations and sponsors are still being accepted

Membership Drive for Asheville Slow Food

Get  involved and connected with the Slow Food movement in the Asheville community. One of the easiest and most powerful ways to do that is through membership. Join Slow Food USA during the September campaign, when your donation -- in any amount -- will make you a member. Your membership helps benefit  on-going programs in the community.  Click here to join now.

There are a variety of membership benefits, but the best part is knowing your contribution plays a critical role in bringing the community together to support local farmers and local food traditions, teaching the next generation about good food, and transforming laws to make a healthy meal as affordable as a Happy Meal.


This September 17, you're invited to help take back the 'value meal' by getting together with family, friends and neighbors for a slow food meal that costs no more than $5 per person. Host a dinner or have a potluck, and then post it on the Asheville Slow Food facebook page along with your recipe if you wish.

Recently, Slow Food Asheville members got together with the Farmer's Film Project and had a $5 Challenge dinner....look for the video on the website soon!

To learn more about the $5 challenge and what you can do to get involved, visit the Asheville Slow Food website

Music Lineup for 2011 RiverFest is Announced

August 13, 1 PM - 7 PM at the French Broad River Park, Asheville NC - The band lineup is set for RiverFest 2011, co-sponsored by Prestige Subaru and Southeastern Sports Medicine.   The festival will include live music from headlining act Josh Phillips Folk Festival as well as acts chosen  the RiverFest Music Showcase competition. Winners in this year's Music Showcase were local acts The River Rats, The Big Hungry, Polar Eye and Pick Your Switch. 

In addition to a great musical lineup, RiverFest offers local beer from Craggie Brewing, and food from such local favorites as Luella's BBQ, Jason's Deli, and Blue Daisy Café. Asheville's own Ultimate Ice Cream is providing cool dessert treats.

Returning to the festivities will be the "Anything that Floats Parade." Groups from all around WNC will put together watercraft of all kinds to float the French Broad from Hominy Creek to the festival. The only rules are that the vessels must float and be removed from the festival grounds upon completion of the race. A registration form is now available at www.riverlink.org, with a deadline for "yachts" of Wednesday, August 10.

Asheville Aerial Arts will perform their gravity-defying stunts and local hula-hoopist extraordinaire MelMac Pink will return to dazzle the crowd between musical acts.

RiverFest offers lots of fun for kids, too, with face-painters, art supplies, and animals from the Western North Carolina Nature Center to touch and learn about.  Kids can also ride, skate, walk, run, and skip in costume in the Kids Parade.

Proceeds from RiverFest benefit RiverLink, the local environmental non-profit working to revitalize the French Broad River as a place for everyone to live, work and play.    

  

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
1:00 PM - Festival Opens

1:15 PM - Kids & Dogs on Parade

1:30 PM - Hula Hooping with MelMac Pink

2:00 PM - Music Showcase: River Rats

2:30 PM - Belly Dancing Demo

3:00 PM - Music Showcase: Big Hungry

3:00 PM - Cornhole Tournament Begins

3:30 PM - Sun Soo Tai Kwondo

4:00 PM - Music Showcase: Polar Eye

4:30 PM - Asheville Aerial Arts

5:00 PM - Music: Pick Your Switch

5:30 PM - Raft Race Awards

5:30 PM - Music Showcase Award

6:00 PM - Music: Josh Phillips Folk Festival

7:00 PM - Festival Concludes

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Telethon and Fundraising

Submitted by Holly Scott, Friends of the Smokies Every year in August, we hold the only telethon (that we know about) to help preserve and protect a national park. Even if you're not in the viewing area of Asheville's WLOS-TV or WBIR-TV in Knoxville, your support for the 17th Annual Friends Across the Mountains Telethon can make a big difference in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Click here to give today via our secure website. Because you love the Smokies, we know you'll enjoy reading these stories of generosity toward the Park that's meant so much to all of us.

We Know the Smokies Are Unforgettable- And Here's How! Angela and Doug I wanted to share with you three messages that I recently received. "Dear Friends -- This morning, I logged on to Friends of the Smokies and purchased an annual membership at the $100.00 level. My partner and I spent a wonderful week in the park June 17-24 and are still talking about how beautiful it was!  The first experience for both of us. Each day brought a new adventure: a sunset drive through Cades Cove; walking through a thick and mysterious fog to reach the summit at Clingman's Dome; a silent and primieval-feeling hike out to Andrew's Bald to see the flame azaleas; seeing a bear (from a safe distance!) at Laurel Falls; synchronous fireflies (who knew?!) at Chimney Tops; owl and deer along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail; the decaying beauty of the once vibrant cottage community at Elkmont; and MORE! It seemed, however, that each and every time we passed a donation box...neither of us had any bills to contribute!  I did feel awful about that, and wanted to make it right, as I know now that GSMNP will be a place we return to again and again. It is a special place, and what a joy and gift to be able to experience it up-close. We also watched on with fascination and untold appreciation as a VERY hard-working crew were chiselling rock and laying BY HAND a new section of trail from the Clingman's Dome parking lot out to Andrew's Bald. And here I'd just thought all of those wonderful stone steps had popped up naturally from the earth, carved by Mother Nature!  To see these men and women out there in the mud and muck and hot sun working so hard, but also clearly LOVING what they do.....wow.  That, alone, is more than worth $100.00!! Thank you so much for all you are doing to help protect and preserve this amazing space so that generations can continue to enjoy it! Jay Aldrich in 201 -Angela Holton & Doug Smith And from Trails Forever volunteer Jay Aldrich- "Being part of the Friends of the Smokies has been one of the most rewarding associations we have been involved in throughout our lifetime.  We have already worked with Trails Forever in 2010 and then in 2011 we have so far spent 6 days on the Forney Ridge Trail near Clingman's Dome. One must walk this trail to see the amazing work and effort that has gone into getting this trail into the condition it is today.  It is mind boggling as one hikes down the trail and doesn't even realize that the steps with the enormous rocks have not been there forever. The Trails Forever Project is one way each of us can be absolutely be sure that our trails in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park will be here for generations to come.  Why would anyone who uses these trails not want to see them exist for their children and their children's children.  We all have a responsibility to see that the Great Smoky Mountain National Park be the most pristine park in the NPS system. The FOTS does just that by helping the park with a crew and allowing volunteers to be part of the future. Thank you, FOTS for everything you do and we are proud to be part of this association. You know that you can always count on us to help this great national treasure!" And finally, from JBThomasWalker - "The only reason I ever wanted to be rich was to be able to give to others. I wish I had ten million dollars to give to GSMNP! I could never repay the joy and serenity the Park has given me on my many, many trips there.   The first time I ever visited the Smokies at age almost eight, I hid in the woods behind our rental cabin in Gatlinburg in hopes that my family would leave me there to live.   When my Dad finally found me, he was sweet and understanding, not angry at all. He asked how I intended to live, what would I do when winter came and it got cold? `The mountains will take care of me,' I said.   And though I've never lived there, indeed the mountains have "taken care" of me in both joyous (including my honeymoon) and sad times since that trip back in the early 1950's. I wish I could watch the telethon, but I live in the Nashville area. (Have you ever thought of broadcasting it in Nashville also...almost everyone in Middle TN visits the Smokies often, and we consider them "our" mountains, too. I'm sure many people here would contribute.)  I hope you raise tons and tons of money for the Smokies!"  - Jane" People from all parts of the country, and all walks of life cherish the memories they've made in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  The August 11th Friends Telethon at 7:00 p.m. on WBIR-TV and WLOS-TV will tell you about even more fantastic Smoky Mountain memories.  Tune in Thursday night if you can, but please consider a gift of support today!

Thank you for caring about Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and helping us to care for it, too. And while you're at it, enjoy this fabulous story that aired on WBIR about a 100-year-old camper who just thrills at the chance to spend time with her family in Smokemont Campground!  http://www.wbir.com/news/article/178787/8/Even-at-100-years-old-Ottie-Roberson-is-a-happy-camper Ottie Roberson's profile on WBIR-TV

BRAHM Art & Antiques this Weekend

July 28 - 31   BRAHM Art & Antiques Weekend Event   View hundreds of beautiful antiques and art pieces at this annual exhibition and sale presented by the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum.   
Gallery Talks   ($5 each) - Enjoy coffee and croissants at the gallery talks on Friday and Saturday. The speakers will begin their programs at 9 AM:

Friday: Graham Holiday, a fifth-generation antique furniture dealer who has been in the business for 50 years,  will discuss how English furniture complements – and has heavily influenced – the American furniture industry and how to care for antique furniture so that it retains its value.

Saturday:  Prominent Blowing Rock antiques dealer and cut glass expert Bill Brooks will be back by popular demand to educate attendees on the beauty and variety of exquisite glass.
Early Bird Sale & Preview Party Thursday: 4-6 PM.  $30 includes refreshments & weekend admission Gallery Talks: Friday & Saturday at 9 AM $5  includes Coffee & Croissants.

Funds from ticket and café sales benefit BRAHM. Tickets can be purchased at BRAHM, Finley House Antiques, Carriage Trade Antiques or at the door.

Saluda's Purple Onion hosts Fundraiser for ECO

July 24 the Purple Onion, located at 16 E Main Street in Saluda NC, will host a Funsraiser for Eco featuring the music of Scott Ainslie. The Purple Onion Sunday Evening Music (POSEM) concert this month is more special than usual as the Purple Onion joins forces with ECO, a non-profit organization with a mission of preserving the natural heritage and environment of Henderson County and the mountain region. The purpose of the evening is to raise money for ECO's work in the area and also represents the café's interest in supporting their efforts.

The highlight of the evening will be a concert by Scott Ainslie (http://www.cattailmusic.com ) , a master guitarist/historian of blues music of all kinds. Scott heard Virginia Bluesman and grave digger, John Jackson (1924-2002) play a couple of songs in the middle of a Mike Seeger concert just outside of Washington, DC, back in 1967.

Scott started playing guitar a month later and has now spent nearly forty years studying and playing traditional music, visiting and documenting senior musicians in America's old-time banjo and fiddle music, Blues and gospel traditions. With four CDs, a teaching DVD on the guitar techniques of Delta Blues legend Robert Johnson, he continues as a performer and a teacher presenting programs that are vital and entertaining.

ECO staff and volunteers work continually to keep the environment healthy in our community. They need your help. In these tough economic times your financial support is even more critical than ever. $30 VIP passes get you in the door early (5:30) to claim the best seats, and enjoy a supper buffet on the deck before the 7:00 concert. Concert-only tickets are $15..

Reservations are required: online at eco-wnc.org or by calling the ECO office at 692-0385. Contributions and/or purchases made through ECO are tax-deductible. You may also make them by contacting the Purple Onion Café at 828-749-1179.

  

Foothills Conservancy 2011 Annual Summer Fund Challenge amid Major Budget Cuts

Double Your Gift's Impact and Protect the Blue Ridge Mountains & Foothills

Start your summer by helping Foothills Conservancy protect the places you love across the eastern Blue Ridge Mountains and Foothills during our 2011 Summer Annual Fund Challenge! Make your special gift by August 31 on-line at www.foothillsconservancy.org or by check to FCNC, PO Box 3023, Morganton, NC 28680, and you will double your impact and help conserve our beautiful region’s natural landscapes, abundant waters, fertile farms and forest lands.

Generous donors have pledged to match your gifts to help us reach our $25,000 Summer Challenge goal! Be a part of the vision to connect people-visitors and area residents, adults and children-to nature and history at spectacular places like Wilson Creek, Catawba Falls and Chimney Rock; scenic byways like th Blue Ridge Parkway and Linville Gorge's Pisgah Loop; farming communities like Happy Valley; rivers like the Johns, Jacob Fork, First Broad and Yadkin; and trails like the Revoluntionary War's historic Overmountain Victory Trail.  Donate Now!

Due to state budget cuts your gifts to the Annual Summer Fund Challenge are even more important this year for conservation work in your backyard.

2011-2012 NC State Budget cuts are as follows:
Clean Water Management Trust Fund REDUCED to $11.25 million (from $50 million this year)
Parks and Recreation Trust Fund REDUCED by $8.45 million
Natural Heritage Trust Fund REDUCED by $8 million
Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund REDUCED by 15 percent to $1.7 million

Even though these important trust funds were cut, we want to thank everyone who made calls on behalf of conservation in North Carolina.