Each year, on the last full weekend of July, the streets of downtown Asheville are closed to autos and trucks and open only to foot traffic and revelry. The annual Bele Chere festival in Asheville features a rich array of musical entertainment, street vendors, food, and family fun that makes everyone forget it’s the dog days of summer.

Bele Chere Celebrates 30 Years of Festivals

In 2008, Bele Chere turns 30 years old. This City of Asheville sponsored event not only brings the best of local and national musical entertainment to more than a half dozen street stages, but also creates a venue for artisans to sell their wares directly to the public. Much of the original hand made art, clothes, decor and more is only available at the Bele Chere festival or through artists themselves or independent distributors. Bele Chere is a fun way to celebrate beauty, creativity, and culture.

Bele Chere Stages

There are several stages for Bele Chere and live music can be heard all day long on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Stages include: Battery Park Stage, Biltmore Stage, Memorial Stadium, Haywood Stage, Lexington Avenue Stage, and the Coxe Avenue Stage. Check the locally published music schedules in the Mountain Xpress or the Asheville Citizen-Times for specific performers or visit the Bele Chere Entertainer page.

Shuttle Service

The City of Asheville offers shuttle services to and from Bele Chere from East and West Asheville locations. For shuttle users, the fare is $3.00. Consider taking the shuttle from the K-Mart Plaza shopping center on Patton Avenue in West Asheville or the Asheville Mall in East Asheville.

Festival Parking

Parking in downtown Asheville is crowded, but the Civic Center, Rankin Avenue, Wall Street and BB&T public garages are open and accessible during the festival for a special events parking fee. Public garages and private lots make traveling to and from Bele Chere by car easier. Remember, lots do tend to fill up quickly, and parking downtown is diminished due to less access to streets, so the shuttle is a great option.

What to Wear to Bele Chere?

Bele Chere occurs during the height of the summer season, and it can still be quite hot, even in the mountains of Asheville. Temperatures can range from the late eighties to ninety degrees. Dress in cool, comfortable attire, and wear flat shoes or sandals that are designed for walking. The streets in downtown Asheville are hills and a challenge for some. Take frequent breaks to avoid overheating.

Use the Cooling Stations and Stay Well Hydrated

One of the nicest things about the Bele Chere festival is the cooling station provided for the crowds. Bele Chere attendees only need to walk through the gentle mist of water for a few seconds to emerge on the other side feeling refreshed and a whole lot cooler. Don’t forget to bring drinking water along (or purchase some at the festival) and drink water often. Hot temperatures at Bele Chere during the day are not so bad. Use the heat as an excuse to duck into a favorite downtown Asheville restaurant, bar, or store.

Rules for Alcohol Consumption at Bele Chere

Bele Chere is a well renowned Blue Ridge Mountain festival that has drawn in crowds over a quarter to nearly a half million strong. Purchase of beer and drinking on the streets of Asheville is permitted during this special time of year. To be issued a wristband, visitors must present a valid, picture identification and be age 21 or older. The wristband is available for a small fee and must be worn at all times, for consumption of alcohol. Local microbreweries are featured, and all of the downtown restaurants and bars have Bele Chere specials on sale inside and outside stores for the event.

At Whisper Mountain, the development and design of our small community of Western North Carolina properties has been a labor of love dedicated to the creation of a lifestyle that makes conservation and preservation a major priority. Our goal has been to not only build an exceptional community of North Carolina mountain homes but also to engage our residents with ways to actively support:

• land conservation
• wildlife preservation
• forest preservation
• conservation of natural resources
• preservation of open space

The Community Garden: A Vision of Mountain Heritage Merged with Green Living

The Whisper Mountain organic community garden sits on the site of what was once a historic farm with an old apple orchard, tobacco barn and a spring-fed stream with views of the adjoining farming valley and long range views of the Black Mountains. Built on the lowest elevation found on the Whisper Mountain property, at 2600 feet, the garden space gets optimal sun exposure and has a longer growing season than the higher elevation homesites. The garden site was also once home to the oldest standing structure in Madison County. So we believe by preserving the old Tobacco barn, the scattered apple trees, the spring and streams still found on the property we also preserve a piece of Appalachian mountain history.

Whisper Mountain residents will be given their own individual plots to maintain at the garden, similar to European-style allotment gardens. There will be restrictions against the use of any inorganic pesticides and standards for the quality of seeds planted in the garden. It has been decades since the garden property was farmed or the land disturbed so the soil is rich, fertile and ripe for planting. We hope to see a wide variety of flowers, fruits and vegetables grown each year to help residents live a more sustainable lifestyle that is in harmony with the land.

Appalachian Mountain Plants Found in the Mountains of North Carolina

Choosing the plants, vegetables and flowers that will grow in the community garden will be based on the land conservation goals of the Whisper Mountain community. A focus on native species, heirloom seeds and high quality starters will help residents reap a beautiful, healthy and delicious harvest. Below are some resources for residents who want to explore gardening on land in Western North Carolina.

Garden Asheville
A social network of the Asheville Citizen Times-local gardeners come together.

The Asheville Botanical Gardens
Visit to learn more about local plants

The North Carolina Arboretum
Offers a variety of botanical and garden classes to help anyone interested in understanding Appalachian mountain plants and the Appalachian mountain climate.

These two institutions of higher education are leading the way in continuing education in the area, but they are by no means the only schools actively serving the continuing education population. Mars Hill College, AB Tech, and Penland School of Crafts also offer continuing education. Working professionals are in need of continuing education and many retired professionals need continued training to take part fully in the workplace and community service, or simply enhance their knowledge or skill in an area of interest. There are plenty of options for adult learners in the Asheville area to do just that.

University of North Carolina Asheville (UNCA)

UNC-Asheville is one of the sixteen schools in University of North Carolina system and it is the only one dedicated solely to the liberal arts. UNCA began as an institution that prioritized the humanities and has flourished into one of the top liberal arts schools in the country. UNCA has also established a North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement (NCCCR) where adult learners can pay an annual membership fee of $40  and receive access to university resources such as the library, and classes. NCCCR members take classes in a variety of useful subjects that can enhance professional skills, nurture creative talents, and allow study in areas where more knowledge is desired such as: computer software, finance, art, and photography.

Mars Hill College

Mars Hill College is a Baptist institution of higher education located in the town of Mars Hill. Adult Access at Mars Hill College is a program that caters specifically to the needs of professional adults. Mars Hill College offers classes in the evening in the areas of business management, teacher and special education, social work and teaching English as a second language. Academically and intellectually gifted and reading classes area also available. Some classes are also available online, on the Moodle platform, and at satellite classrooms in Asheville, Burnsville, Hendersonville, Marion, and Waynesville.

Warren Wilson

Warren Wilson College inherited a distinguished program called the MFA for Writers from Goddard College,  that is designed for the professional adult learner. This low residency program is taught during summer and winter academic breaks so that active professionals can take part. The highly distinguished faculty and students have made the program what it is today, one of the top MFA programs in the nation.

Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College (AB Tech)

AB Tech is located in Asheville and surrounding locations and works especially hard to meet the needs of working professionals seeking continuing education opportunities. Through its close association with the Small Business Incubator and Small Business Center,  AB Tech offers a variety of choices of continuing education classes for the business professional. Many classes are taught at night or on Saturdays. Class topics range from “Marketing Your Business for Success” to “Accounting for Non-Accountants” and “How to Value a Business”. Most classes cost $75-175. The Small Business Incubator is one of the few programs like it in the country, and is housed at the AB Tech Enka/Candler campus, just west of Asheville.

Penland School of Crafts

One of the world’s most highly acclaimed school of crafts is located just outside Burnsville, North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Penland School of Craft’s mission is “individual and artistic growth through craft”. It supports this with one to eight-week workshops in a variety of craft mediums, artist residencies, and a top-notch gallery that exhibits the best in student and faculty work, and other craft artists. A complete updated list of classes is available on their website.

Mission is Known in Western North Carolina and Beyond

Mission Hospital is not just known in Western North Carolina, but is nationally recognized. The Heart Services department of Mission was voted one of the Top 100 best heart hospitals in the nation in 2007 by Thomson. This distinguished award was given to Mission Hospital’s Heart Services for overall outcomes for congestive heart failure, heart attacks, bypass surgery, angioplasties, and other coronary problems.

Mission Hospital Orthopedics: Best in the North Carolina Mountains

Mission is a widely renowned health care leader in Orthopedics as well. In 2006, U.S. News and World Report selected Mission Hospital as one of the top 50 Orthopedics hospitals. Many factors were taken into consideration, including death rates, Medicare discharges, complex procedures, number of nurses to patients, technology, and quality of care. The orthopedic nurses and physician staff agreed that teamwork had a great deal to do with the U.S. News and World Report ranking.

Patients treated at Mission Hospital remark on the quality of care, the professionalism of staff, and the facilities. In addition, there are a multitude of other health care resources surrounding the Mission Hospital district in Asheville, including dentists, women’s health care, chiropractors, dermatologists, cancer treatment, and more.

Asheville North Carolina: A Health Care Hub

Because Asheville is one of the largest cities in the Western North Carolina area, it is a hub for health care services. Many who live in the rural mountain communities surrounding Asheville rely upon Mission Hospital for high quality health care.

Southern Living Green Idea House Proceeds Benefit Mission Children’s Hospital

Whisper Mountain has a special relationship with Mission Hospital. From June 21 to October 12, 2008 the Southern Living Green Idea House will be open to the public for interpretive tours. The admission fee will be $5. A portion of the proceeds from the Green Idea House tour will be donated to Mission Children’s Hospital . Fifty percent of the proceeds from the Green Idea House will benefit children in need of health care. Volunteers from the Mission Hospital Foundation will greet visitors at the Green Idea House while it is open to the public.

The Southern Living Green Idea House  demonstrates home energy conservation. Solar panels, radiant heated floors, and a gray water system are some of the elements of green building technology that went into the Idea House. The three-bedroom 4 bath Green Idea House includes a separate barn with a two-car garage and a guesthouse. Southern architecture, interior design, and landscaping techniques are all incorporated into the Green Idea house.

Whisper Mountain Provides a Heli-Pad for Medical Emergencies

There are times when every second counts, and that’s during a medical emergency. Whisper Mountain has a heli-pad available for community use, should someone need immediate assistance. Once the helicopter is dispatched and airborne, the trip to Mission Hospital takes about 7-8 minutes by air.

The heli-pad is a great addition to Whisper Mountain because it provides peace of mind to residents and their guests. If a medical emergency should arise, the community has the heli-pad in place for faster transfer to one of the nation’s leading healthcare facilities.
In fact, Mission Hospital just did a survey among new residents and having emergency air transport was high on everyone’s list. Mission Hospital offers a service called MAMA – Mountain Area Medical Airlift.