Friday, August 5, 2011

What to do this Weekend: NC Mountain Events and Festivals

August 5    ASHEVILLE   Biltmore concert series:  Smokey Robinson  Enjoy a variety of live performances at Biltmore from July through October held on the South Terrace and the Diana at Biltmore. Dining options available.

August 5   MARION   First Friday Concert   Activities include music  - Free; 7-9pm; Main Street, Historic Downtown Marion.

August 5   WAYNESVILLE   Mountain Street Dances   Downtown is Alive at Night. Put on your cloggin' & square dancin' shoes and enjoy an old-fashioned mountain hoe down! Live mountain music, demonstrations and instruction by local clogging teams. Refreshments available, in front of the historic Haywood County Courthouse. 6:30-9pm.

August 5   NEWLAND   The Newland River Walk Concert Series   6 PM - 9 PM   A variety of music and entertainment in a family atmosphere. Bring your blanket, pop-up tent, table, chairs, cooler or whatever, for a family picnic while enjoying the summer long series.  Located at the Newland River Walk Band shell (adjacent to Lowes parking lot).

August 5   HENDERSONVILLE  Music on Main Street Concert Series  Every Friday evening from June - August . The event feature " oldies rock, beach music, variety and top 40 music. Bring a chair and enjoy the FREE  music.

August 5   HENDERSONVILLE  Music on Main Street Concert Series  Every Friday evening from June - August . The event feature " oldies rock, beach music, variety and top 40 music. Bring a chair and enjoy the FREE  music.
5 -6   BURNSVILLE   55th Annual Mt. Mitchell Crafts Fair   The oldest and largest crafts fair in the Blue Ridge Mountains. For the past several years the Southeastern Tourism Society has selected this event as one of the top twenty in the Southeast. Every kind of handmade craft imaginable can be found here... Whether you are looking for a quilt, jewelry from local gemstones, hand-turned wooden bowls, pottery of every shape and size made by skilled artists.

5 - 6   WEST JEFFERSON   Annual Ashe County Bluegrass & Old Time Fiddlers Convention  Celebrate at this family-friendly event that includes competitions between musicians from throughout the southeast for over $3,500 in prize money. If you can pick a note or two, you can even join in on a few of the jam sessions.  Bring your lawn chair & sweater and enjoy the music and cool blue ridge mountains of Ashe County.

August 6    WAYNESVILLE   DOWNTOWN DOG WALK   Courthouse lawn, Proceeds support the proposed Sarge's Adoption Center in Haywood County, 9:30-1pm 828-508-33006  

August 6  BRYSON CITY   Music in the Mountains - Free Concerts   Smoky Mountains Melodies   Every Saturday night from June through Oct, enjoy a FREE concert in Bryson City at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Train Depot from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Sit in one of the old church pews on the covered depot deck or bring a lawn chair to enjoy the show.

August 6    ASHEVILLE    Asheville Downtown Galleries Walk  Take a self-guided tour and explore the diversity of art in downtown Asheville.

August 6   WAYNESVILLE   Art After Dark  Stroll downtown Waynesville's many galleries and art studios the first Friday of each month, May thru December. Watch demonstrations and enjoy artist receptions, music and refreshments

August 6 - 7   ASHEVILLE   39th Annual Village Art and Craft Fair  The fair host 125 artists from 17 states, representing the full spectrum of craft media - jewelry, ceramic, wood, fiber, metals, two-dimensional art and more. The craft fair is a great opportunity to encounter new artists (15 are first-time exhibitors) and to talk with crafters one-on-one. The Fair is sponsored by New Morning Gallery and Bellagio and held on the grounds of the Cathedral of all Souls

August 7   BLOWING ROCK   Riders in the Sky at Tweetsie Railroad   America's Favorite Cowboys, Riders In The Sky will pull into Tweetsie to entertain "The Cowboy Way" and light up the Tweetsie Railroad stage at noon and 3:00 pm daily.  Come listen as this Grammy award-winning classic cowboy quartet captivates with a unique blend of Western harmony and outrageous comedy.

August 7   FONTANA   SERC/US Cup East Series #10   The series ends at without a doubt the most demanding course on the circuit, the trails surrounding the village are as tough as they come, better train hard for this one.

August 7 - 16   FLAT ROCK   Flat Rock Playhouse Music on the Rock  Anything Goes: The Music of Cole Porter.   Summer Music on the Rock Concerts offer audiences a variety of music of well-known artists performed by exceptional singers and musicians.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Call to Action Against Mercury Polution

Submitted by  Donna Lisenby Director of Water Programs, Appalachian Voices

There is an urgent matter that could determine whether the fish from our streams are fit to eat and whether thousands of newborns will be born with neurological disorders. The problem? Mercury emitted by dirty and outdated coal-fired power plants.
Mercury, a toxic heavy metal, contaminates our air and water, and works it way up through the food chain from small fish to large fish, then to people. Seven out of ten women of child-bearing age have enough mercury in their blood to cause damage to their fetus should they become pregnant.
The EPA is currently accepting comments on a proposal to make utilities clean up their act and reduce mercury pollution by 91%. The deadline to submit comments is midnight, Thursday, August 4.
Coal-fired power plants are the biggest source of mercury pollution and almost every state in the country has a fish mercury advisory. The Clean Air Act requires utilities to use what's called "Maximum Available Control Technology" to stop mercury pollution before it reaches our air and water.  Forty percent of power plants already use this technology.
Furthermore, a study by CERES and Political Economy Research Institute of the University of Massachusetts shows that this proposal and the Clean Air Transport Rule, which was just finalized, will create a combined total of over 290,000 jobs.
Utilities are fighting to weaken this standard, and while they have their high-powered lobbyists and a lot of money, we have thousands of citizens who care deeply about air and water.

Please
take action to protect all Americans from mercury pollution.
For clean streams and healthy babies,
Donna Lisenby
Director of Water Programs

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Mountain Spirits: Wine and Beer this week, AUGUST 3

Aug 4, Table Wine, 1550 Hendersonville Road in Asheville NC - Ridge Vineyards and Ribs (Smoky Bones) - only 6 seats left. $50/person...$40 for Grape Nuts, We have room for 36 - RSVP and pre-payment please. Call us at 828.505.8588 to save your spot.  South Asheville's Best Free Wine Tastings This Friday (4 to 7 p.m.) and Saturday (2 to 5 p.m.), we give you the chance to try before you great wines at great prices.  August 12 - Friday Wine Down - Goin' down South, 4 - 7 PM. August 19 - Table Wine's first year anniversary from 6 - 9 PM,
Taste 30 wines, eat food and the rest takes care of itself.

August 5 Heinzelmannchen Brewery,
545 Mill Street since 2004 in Downtown Sylva NC -  Food & Beer Pairing.  5-8 PM AT the Brewery to enjoy food samples from Fatz Cafe Franklin , paired with the Braumeiseter's selection of Heinzelmannchen Beers. 

August 6 - 7 Roundpeak Vineyards, 765 Round Peak Church Rd in Mt Airy NC - 3rd Annual Dog Days of Summer Weekend. On Saturday Aug 6th attend the Dog Days of Summer in Downtown Mt. Airy from 11-3 pm. Then come on out with your pup and hang out at Round Peak for the rest of the day and do grillfest...we are open until sunset.  On Sunday Aug 7th 12-5 pm at Round Peak bring your favorite canine and support our local animal rescue organizations. They will have dogs for adoption, and we'll have a number of other pet related vendors. Bring your dog, a picnic, walk the vineyards, taste some wines, relax, play some lawn games, and have a great time!
Aujust 5   Classic Wine Seller, 20 Church Street in Waynesville NC - Friday Night LIVE! form 7PM - 10 PM under the new Bandstand, Waynesville's new outdoor venue. Live music, food wine and beer. Enjoy the musical stylings of Michael Pilgrim with his country fiddle and his jazz mandolin.


August 5th 4-7pm  Hops and Vines, 797 Haywood Rd, Ste 100 in Asheville NC  -  Olde Hickory Pro-Am Winners-  Come taste two years of Best in Show Pro-Am winners from Olde Hickory Brewing this Friday. We'll be tasting my 2010 winner "Death by Hops" and 2011 winner Jason McCammon's "Monkey Dunkel", a German style Dunkel (dark) lager made with 90% Munich malt. Both will be on tap, samples are free for everyone. Free wine tasting this Saturday  July 30th, 3-6pm  Nugan Estate Wines from Australia

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Riverlink Volunteer Information Sessions, August 10, 2011

Asheville, NC -- RiverLink is an exciting place with an abundance of opportunities for volunteers to get involved. From office work to helping us host special events to cleaning litter from local waterways, RiverLink can match most everyone with a way to help out.
  
Western North Carolinians (and others) who would like to be involved in restoring the French Broad Watershed as a place to live, work and play are invited to join the team by attending one of two volunteer information sessions on Wednesday, August 10, 2011. There's a morning session at 10 a.m. and an afternoon session at 5 p.m. at the RiverLink office, 170 Lyman Street in the River Arts District of Asheville.

The information session will detail RiverLink's volunteer positions in a Powerpoint presentation. Volunteers will have a chance to fill out a volunteer application, and Volunteer Coordinator Dave Russell will be available to answer questions and help everyone find their best fit at RiverLink.

Please RSVP to Dave by calling (828) 252-8474, ext. 11 or via e-mail at volunteer@riverlink.org.