Beverly-Hanks | Welcome 2018

Serving the Greater Asheville, Hendersonville & Waynesville areas

Welcome

TO WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

Liquid Gold

Culinary Delights

Protected Waters FROM ABOVE

WELCOME TO WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

“Choosing the right real estate company to assist you with exploring this area is important.”

-Neal Hanks Jr., President

WWelcome. It is our privilege to introduce you to this beautiful region that we call Home. We know that to truly discover Western North Carolina, one must experience the splendor of our mountains and communities. We are confident that when you do, you will find out why most people who visit never want to leave.

Choosing the right real estate company to assist you with exploring this area is important. You want to be sure you choose the best, and in Western North Carolina, that choice is Beverly-Hanks & Associates. With over 300 full-time professional real estate brokers who have the experience to handle your specific needs, we have earned a reputation for looking after our clients like no other real estate company in the area. If you are a first-time homebuyer or an experienced investor, whether you are interested in residential or commercial real estate, our sales associates can assist you.

Not only do we know the market, we know the area, because it is our home. We know the schools, the hospitals, the churches, the cultural opportunities, and who to call if you have a need. We can inform you on taxes, subdivision restrictions, zoning, home inspections, and more. When it is time for a move, we can assist with the relocation of your household. We even have in-house mortgage services. In many ways, we make your move a pleasant experience. Every year, thousands of buyers and sellers choose Beverly-Hanks & Associates to handle their real estate needs. Many have used our services before, and others are referred from previous customers, from the business community, or from one of the numerous relocation companies who value our professional expertise. Regardless of the source, our clients come to us for the professional service and consul that has been a hallmark of BeverlyHanks & Associates, REALTORS®, since 1976.

It is my hope that you will find the information contained in Welcome magazine useful in your exploration of Western North Carolina. We look forward to being of service to you.

Warm regards,

Neal Hanks, Jr. President, Beverly-Hanks & Associates

866.858.2257 toll free Downtown Asheville 300 Executive Park Asheville, NC 28801

800.868.7221 toll free

828.254.7221

North Asheville

820 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804

800.277.2511 toll free

828.251.1800

South Asheville 1 Town Square Blvd, Ste. 140 Asheville, NC 28803

800.868.8999 toll free

828.684.8999

Hendersonville

512 North Main St. Hendersonville, NC 28792

800.868.0515 toll free

828.697.0515

Waynesville

74 North Main St. Waynesville, NC 28786

800.849.8024 toll free

828.452.5809

Lake Lure 112 Mountain Blvd. Lake Lure, NC 28746

828.694.3001

Saluda 153 East Main St. Saluda, NC 28773

828.749.3504

Burnsville

369 West U.S. 19-E Burnsville, NC 28714

800.678.9944 toll free 828.682.7408

Beverly-Hanks

Mortgage Services

30 Town Square Blvd., Ste. 202 Asheville, NC 28803

828.775.9179

NAI Beverly-Hanks Commercial

410 Executive Park Asheville, NC 28801

828.210.3940

828.210.3940

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Mountains of Academia

BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR A LIFETIME OF LEARNING

One of the most important things to consider when you’re thinking about moving is the quality of the schools. Even if you don’t have children or they are out of the nest, you want to know the quality of education an area provides.

Western North Carolina’s schools consistently rank among the state’s best. The public schools that serve the area include Asheville City Schools, Buncombe County Schools, Henderson County Schools, Transylvania County Schools, Haywood County Schools, Madison County Schools, Jackson County Schools, Mitchell County Schools, Yancey County Schools and Polk County Schools.

City of Asheville

Asheville City Schools has more than 4,410 students, having experienced a significant increase in enrollment in recent years.

Each of the elementary schools is a “magnet school,” meaning that parents may apply for admission to the school that best suits their child’s interests.

Asheville High School, a four-year school of over 1,000 students, occupies a stately stone building designed by Art Deco master Douglas Ellington. With around 700 students, Asheville Middle School ranges from grades six to eight.

Claxton Elementary (450 students) integrates the arts and humanities into curriculum teaching through drama, dance, music, visual arts and creative writing.

Hall Fletcher Elementary (370 students) emphasizes science, math and technologies through course work such as science lab, its greenhouse and “HopSports,” which works technology into physical education.

Ira B. Jones, a “Global Scholars school” of 500 students, includes Spanish, multicultural awareness and environmental stewardship in its studies.

Isaac Dickson, an experiential learning school of 510 students, bases its core principles on the educational ideals of Dewey, Piaget, and Montessori.

The School of Inquiry and Life Sciences has 320 students, while the Vance School of Human Diversity and Ecology invites its 477 students to study the people and cultures of the world and examine their relationships with the natural environment.

Buncombe County

Reflecting the diverse nature of the area’s population, Buncombe County Schools serves children of many different ethnic backgrounds. Students in the district speak more than 55 different languages. One of largest school systems in the state (and largest in Western North Carolina with more than 23,990 students), Buncombe County Schools employs around 4,000 people, making it the county’s second largest employer.

High school students’ SAT scores consistently rank among the top districts in North Carolina. SAT scores in math, writing and critical reading exceeded state and national averages. The “graduation initiative” began in 2006 to examine and put into motion the long-term changes to improve graduation rates. Since its inception, the program has drastically decreased the dropout rate in the system.

Reynolds High School hovers around 1,280 students, with Early College, one of the highest performing schools in the regions, home to 270 students.

Located in Candler, Pisgah Elementary and its 230 students are a shining example of excelling academic performance in the district.

Among Buncombe County Schools’ education initiatives is “Learn and Earn Online,” a program that allows sophomores, juniors and seniors the opportunity to take online college-level courses taught by instructors from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. Students may also take classes not offered at their high schools through North Carolina Virtual Public School, which sets up coursework, group discussion and student-teacher interaction via the Internet.

Henderson County

Henderson County Schools’ vision is “that every student will achieve success and graduate as a life-long learner, globally competitive, prepared for career, college and life.”

With 13,500 students in the district, the system has both one of the highest graduation rates in the state and a dwindling dropout rate. Its four middle schools have been nationally designated as “Schools to Watch” because of their emphasis on strong academics and their sensitivity to their students.

As the biggest in the district, West Henderson High School has 1,080 students. With 1,060 students, North Henderson High School is the second-

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Asheville City Schools 85 Mountain Street, Asheville, NC 28801 828-350-7000 ashevillecityschools.net

Buncombe County Schools 175 Bingham Road, Asheville, NC 28806 828-255-5921 buncombe.k12.nc.us

Haywood County Schools 1230 N. Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786 828-456-2400 haywood.k12.nc.us

Henderson County Schools 414 4th Avenue West, Hendersonville, NC 28739 828-697-4733 hendersoncountypublicschoolsnc.org

Jackson County Schools 398 Hospital Road, Sylva, NC 28779 828-586-2311 jcps.k12.nc.us

Madison County Schools 5738 US 25/70, Marshall, NC 28753 828-649-9276 madisonk12.net

Mitchell County Schools 72 Ledger School Road, Bakersville, NC 28705 828-766-2220 mcsnc.org

Polk County Schools 125 East Mills Street, Columbus, NC 28722 828-894-3051 polkschools.org

Transylvania County Schools 225 Rosenwald Lane, Brevard, NC 28712 828-884-6173 transylvania.k12.nc.us

Yancey County Schools 100 School Circle, Burnsville, NC 28714 828-682-6101 yanceync.net

Education

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Arden Christian School

Grades 5-11

2568 Hendersonville Road, Arden, NC 28704 828-687-0704

Asheville Catholic School

Grades PreK-8

12 Culvern Street, Asheville, NC 28804

828-252-7896 ashevillecatholic.org

Asheville Christian Academy

Grades PreK-12

74 Riverwood Road, Swannanoa, NC 28778 828-581.2200 acacademy.org

Asheville Montessori School

Grades PreK-K

15 Julia Street, Asheville, NC 28801 828-645-3433 ashevillemontessorischool.com

Asheville School

Grades 9-12

360 Asheville School Road, Asheville, NC 28806 828-254-6345 ashevilleschool.org

Asheville-Pisgah Christian School

Grades PreK-8

90 Academy Drive, Candler, NC 28715 828-667-3255 ashevillepisgah.org

Azalea Mountain School

Grades PreK-5

587 Haywood Road, Asheville, NC 28806 828-575-2557 azaleamountain.org

Carolina Christian School

Grades PreK-12

48 Woodland Hills Road, Asheville, NC 28804 828-658-8964 carolinachristianschool.com

Carolina Day School

Grades PreK-12

1345 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803 828-274-0757 carolinaday.org

Christ School

Grades 8-12

500 Christ School Road, Arden, NC 28704 828-684-6232 christschool.org

Emmanuel Lutheran School

Grades PreK-8

51 Wilburn Place, Asheville, NC 28806 828-281-8182 emmanuellutheran.info

largest institution in the district. Home to 190 students, Henderson County Early College is the top performing school in the district.

Compared to the students throughout the state, Henderson County’s scholars scored better in ABC End-of-Grade tests in grades three through eight. Scores were considerably higher than the state average in Geometry, English 1 and Algebra 1 and 2. Achievements for both males and females exceeded state scores.

Henderson County Schools owns Historic Johnson Farm, a heritage education center, making it one of only three school systems in the United States to own a farm. The farm, open to the public and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, teaches students about farm life on its 15 acres of farmland, forest, fields and streams. The school system also has the Bullington Center, a 12-acre horticultural education center that holds workshops to teach children and adults about gardening and plant science.

Transylvania County

The Transylvania County school system operates four elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools and one alternative school. It consistently ranks among the top school systems in North Carolina in its students’ performances on the state ABC tests.

To prepare the district’s more than 3,400 students for careers in the computer age, the school system offers classes in network engineering and webpage development, as well as a Cisco Academy. On their first attempt, more than 98 percent of its eighth graders met state standards for technology competency.

The main academic institution, Brevard High School clocks in at around 730 students.

The school system has also made steady improvement in its student-to-adult ratio. It has sought and received state and federal grants for technology, reading improvement, exceptional children’s programs, school resource officers, library books, juvenile justice programs and quality management practices.

In conjunction with the Brevard Chamber Orchestra, the system implemented a strings program in its elementary schools. It also started a “New Century Scholars” program that provides support and college tuition for at-risk students.

View More Data:

For the most complete, up-to-date statistics on Western North Carolina school districts and individual academic institutions, visit ncreportcards.ondemand.sas.com/src.

Haywood County

“Success for today, preparation for tomorrow and learning for a lifetime” sums up the vision of Haywood County Schools. With schools far smaller than the state average, the system is able to offer its 7,200 students a great deal of personal attention.

In terms of student performance, Haywood was honored in recent years as having a “National Blue Ribbon School,” which was bestowed upon the Haywood Early College.

The biggest institutions in the district, Tuscola High School in Waynesville has around 1,020 students, with Pisgah High School in Canton following closely behind at 1,010 students.

During a recent school year, all of Haywood County’s schools made the state ABC program’s expected growth marks, with the majority of them achieving high growth. Less than a third of school districts in the state had 100 percent of its schools meet or exceed the academic growth standard, and Haywood County was the fourth largest district in the state to have done so.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Fletcher Academy Grades 9-12

185 Academy Drive, Fletcher, NC 28732 828-687-5100 fletcheracademy.com

French Broad River Academy

Grades 6-8

191 Lyman Street, Suite 316, Asheville, NC 28801 828-348-4320 fbra-avl.org

Hanger Hall School for Girls

Grades 6-8

30 Ben Lippen Road, Asheville, NC 28806 828-258-3600 hangerhall.org

Immaculate Catholic School

Grades PreK-8 711 N. Buncombe Street, Hendersonville, NC 28791 828-693-3277 • immac.org

Learning Community School

Grades K-8 PO Box 1143, Black Mountain, NC 28711 828-686-3080 thelearningcommunity.org

Montessori Country Day

Grades PreK-K

158 Bradley Branch Road, Arden, NC 28704 828-654-9933

Riverbend Elementary School and Haywood Early College were recognized as “Honor Schools of Excellence” for having more than 90 percent of their students score at or above standard on mandated state tests. More than two thirds of the system’s schools were state-designated “Schools of Distinction,” compared with less than one third for all state school systems as a whole.

Clyde, Hazelwood, Jonathan Valley, Junaluska and Meadowbrook elementary schools, as well as Pisgah and Tuscola high schools and Waynesville Middle School, were all “Schools of Distinction,” meaning that at least 80 percent of students performed at or above grade level on end-of-grade tests.

Madison County

Madison County Schools’ 2,280 students attend two early childhood education centers, four elementary schools, one middle school, one high school and one early college high school. Madison High School has also been designated a “School of Distinction.”

Madison Early College High School SAT scores were higher than state and national averages, possibly because a higher percentage of its middle school teachers than other teachers in the state have advanced degrees.

Compared to state averages, Mars Hill Elementary (490 students) had higher testing scores in almost all of its classroom testing. Recently, the school was recognized as a School of Progress for its high academic growth numbers.

With some of the best educational facilities in the state, the board of education has led an effort to rebuild and/or remodel all facilities over the last decade.

Montessori Learning Center

Ages 18 months-6 years

1 School Road, Asheville, NC 28806

828-259-9880 mlcasheville.org

Mount Pisgah Academy Grades 9-12

75 Academy Drive, Candler, NC 28715 828-667-2535 pisgah.us

Nazarene Christian School

Grades PreK-5

385 Hazel Mill Road, Asheville, NC 28806 828-252-9713 ashevillefirstnazarene.org

New City Christian School

Grades K-5 216 Shelburne Road, Asheville, NC 28806 828-252-8173 newcitychristian.org

New Classical Academy Grades PreK-8

38 Stoney Knob Road, Weaverville, NC 28787 828-658-8317 thenewclassicalacademy.org

North Asheville Christian School Grades PreK-12

20 Reynolds Mtn. Boulevard Asheville, NC 28804 828-645-8053 rmcacademy.org

Odyssey Community School Grades PreK-12 90 Zillicoa Street, Asheville, NC 28801 828-259-3653 odysseycommunity.org

Rainbow Mountain Children’s School Grades PreK-8 574 Haywood Road, Asheville, NC 28806 828-258-9264 rmcs.org

Spruce Pine Montessori School Pre-K -6 67 Walnut Avenue Spruce Pine, NC 28777 828-520-1145 sprucepinemontessori.org

Swannanoa Valley Montessori School

Grades PreK-8 130 Center Avenue, Black Mountain, NC 28711 828-669-8571 swanmont.org

Temple Baptist School

Grades PreK-12 985 ½ Patton Avenue, Asheville, NC 28806 828-252-3712 templebaptistschool.org

Veritas Christian Academy Grades K-12 17 Cane Creek Road, Fletcher, NC 28732 828-681-0546 veritasnc.org

Education CHARTER

SCHOOLS

ArtSpace Charter School Grades K-8

2030 US 70, Swannanoa, NC 28778 828-298-2787 artspacecharter.org

Brevard Academy Grades K-8

299 Andante Lane, Brevard, NC 28712 828-885-2665 brevard.teamcfa.org

Evergreen Community Charter School Grades K-8

50 Bell Road, Asheville, NC 28805 828-298-2173 evergreenccs.com

FernLeaf Community Charter School Grades K-3

58 Howard Gap Road, Fletcher, NC 828-398-9268 fernleafccs.org

Francine Delaney New School for Children Grades K-8

119 Brevard Road, Asheville, NC 28806 828-236-9441 fdnsc.net

The Franklin School of Innovation Grades 6-12

21 Innovation Drive, Asheville, NC 28806 828-318-8140 franklinschoolofinnovation.org

IC Imagine

1000 Brevard Road, Suite 175 Asheville, NC 28806 828-633-6491 icimagine.org

Lake Lure Classical Academy Grades K-12 PO Box 6, Lake Lure, NC 28746 828-625-9292 llca.teamcfa.school

The Mountain Community School Grades K-8

613 Glover Street, Hendersonville, NC 28792 828-696-8480 tmcschool.org

Shining Rock Classical Academy Grades K-6 21 Shackleford Hall Drive Lake Junaluska, NC 28745 828-738-2665 shiningrockclassicalacademy.com

Summit Charter School Grades K-8

370 Mitten Lane, Cashiers, NC 28717 828-743-5755 summitschool.org

Jackson County

Tracing its history to the mid-1880s, Jackson County Schools received the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s ABC of Education Annual Accountability Report. The schools have joined other county agencies in challenging its staff and 3,690 students to improve their health through fitness.

The system has nine schools, all configured to meet the needs of a large county with few concentrations of population: Smokey Mountain Elementary, which has students from Pre-K to eighth grade; Blue Ridge, a Pre-K to 12thgrade school (one of the few in the state); the K-8 schools of Fairview, Cullowhee and Scotts Creek; the Pre-K through 12th-grade School of Alternatives for students with special needs; Smoky Mountain High School; and Blue Ridge Early College and Jackson County Early College.

The largest institution in the district, Smoky Mountain High School enrolls 848 students and has been named a “School of Distinction.” In fact, half of the system’s schools have been designated “Schools of Distinction.”

One of the highest performing academic institutions in the district, Jackson County Early College enrolls over 140 students.

Polk County

Polk County Schools serves about 2,100 students in a system that ranks high on state and federal lists of academic achievement. All seven schools — Tryon Elementary, Saluda Elementary, Sunny View Elementary, Polk County Middle, Polk County High, Polk Central and Polk County Early College — have made “adequate yearly progress.”

Saluda was recognized in 2012 as a “National Blue Ribbon School”, becoming one of only 269 nationwide systems to receive the honor. In recent years, Tyron, Saluda and Polk County Early College were named “Schools of Excellence” by the North Carolina Department of Public Institution, while Polk Central and Polk County Middle and High Schools received marks as “Schools of Distinction.”

An academic highlight for the district, Polk County Early College has around 70 students.

The system is one of the highest among the 115 school systems statewide in local per-pupil spending. The ratio of teachers to students is one of the lowest in North Carolina. Test scores for students in grades 3-12 have consistently ranked among the top of both state and national averages in recent years. Every school has a fully equipped and staffed computer lab and media center.

U.S. News & World Report magazine named Polk County High School a “Bronze Medal School” in its 2007 report on America’s best high schools. Sunny View and Tryon elementary schools were named “National Blue Ribbon Schools” by the U.S. Department of Education in previous years. High school students can take advanced placement English, science, history and math courses. They can also earn college credits through several iSchool courses offered in conjunction with University of North Carolina-Greensboro.

Asheville School prepares high school

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Contact us today to schedule a visit, request an admission School and learn why our students have a competitive edge. of leadership and service. We invite you to discover Asheville For more than a century, Asheville School has fostered lives as “highly selective” and “most selective.” graduates are attending colleges and universities Barron’s rates from 21 states and 14 countries. The majority of our recent lessons in a nurturing, close-knit community of 288 students effectively, and form strong study habits. Students learn life our students develop critical thinking skills, communicate 828.254.6345

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Town & Country Magazine

WITHIN THEIR HANDS: ISAAC DICKSON ELEMENTARY

It’s taken the better part of five years, but Isaac Dickson Elementary School Principal Brad Johnson is beginning to see the light at the end of tunnel.

“Currently, [we’ve completed] our first year at the new site. Overall, the process took about five years from the planning, to the demolition, to construction, and delays to our current reality inhabiting the school for a year,” Johnson said in the summer of 2017. “We had teachers and students involved in every step of the way in the designing the new building. Each wing is different based upon the different needs of the students. We’ve been on our new campus for a full year now and are looking forward to the start of a new [school] year.”

Johnson sees not only a new chapter for the school, but also new opportunities moving ahead, especially in the realm of green initiatives that are continually being added into the long-term design of the property, and also, most importantly, the curriculum.

“We’re harvesting all the rainwater that falls on the hard surfaces, [and] we use that water to irrigate the landscape and flush toilets in our bathrooms. Daylighting is used extensively throughout our school. Research tells us that students perform better and are better able to pay attention with natural lighting,” Johnson said. “Geothermal wells are also utilized to decrease fossil fuel energy consumption. Our school is [also] pre-wired for photovoltaic panels. There’s a current effort underway to close a funding gap, which would provide our school with about an acre of PV which would make our school a net-zero school.”

The Green Built Alliance of Asheville has been among the catalysts for Isaac Dickson’s efforts, primarily through its

Appalachian Offsets Program. Appalachian Offsets is a voluntary carbon offset program that offers businesses, organizations, and individuals the option to easily reduce or offset their carbon footprint.

At the core of what Isaac Dickson is trying to accomplish is providing their students with a lifelong well of academic knowledge that goes far beyond the usual classroom subjects, where a passion for agriculture and sustainable practices is learned early on, only to transition into a love for the outdoors that ensures an appreciation for Mother Nature.

“The ultimate vision is to have students continue to learn to become responsible stewards of our environment,” Johnson said. “Our kids are immersed in an experiential education at Isaac Dickson each day, and by having our gardens, nature trail, chickens, greenhouse, and learning to care for our community and environment. We’re preparing kids for their future.”

Atop the priceless learning experiences for the kids, Johnson also sees the interactions and lessons as something of a two-way street between the pupils and their teachers, where both sides are coming away from their time together with a better understanding of each other, and the natural world in general.

“For me, this has been an incredible experience. Our teachers and students were able to have a true voice in the design of the building so that it best met the needs of the children and staff,” Johnson said. “Combined with that, we were able to construct a school that is outfitted with green technologies. Our students, staff and parents have been incredibly supportive and involved in our school both before our new building and after.”

Isaac Dickson also looks at itself as a template for other schools, perhaps even commercial spaces, where the information and techniques can be shared between academic institutions, and the community as a whole.

“I think people are becoming more aware of issues that affect our climate and environment,” Johnson said. “Here in Asheville, I think we have been ahead of the curve in terms of living responsibly. For many of our parents, our school and the strategies we use to save energy dovetail nicely with shared values.” n

Higher Education

Culture of Success

TAKING THE NEXT STEP

As the 21st century rolls along, the need for higher education and employees who are diverse in their talents and goals comes to the forefront.

Catering to a diverse population with a wide range of interests and talents, Western North Carolina offers residents an outstanding array of higher education choices.

UNC Asheville, the only dedicated liberal arts institution in the 18-institution University of North Carolina system, has been called one of the best colleges in the country for the money by the Princeton Review and Bankrate.com. It fosters critical thinking by exposing students to areas of interest that are outside of their chosen fields.

Offering 30 different majors, the school employs about 216 fulltime faculty members (86 percent have terminal degrees), giving

its nearly 4,000 students an average class size of 20. Students from 37 states and 28 countries have enrolled at UNC Asheville, one of the top public liberal arts universities in the nation, where they are able to pursue bachelor of arts, bachelor of science and master of liberal arts degrees. The university has 15 NCAA Division I teams.

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College has the highest enrollment of any Western North Carolina higher education institution, serving more than 27,000 students annually. Established in 1959 as a trade school, A-B Tech offers 39 career programs, as well as courses that are transferable to any university in the UNC system.

One of the oldest and largest schools in the North Carolina Community College System, A-B Tech has five schools: Allied Health and Public Service Education, Arts and Sciences, Business and Hospitality Education, Continuing Education, and Engineering and Applied Technology. It also has a popular continuing education program.

The college has added several new programs, including an associate’s degree in healthcare business informatics, a mobile development diploma, a bio-gas option in industrial systems

SHAPING THE MINDS OF TOMORROW: MARS HILL UNIVERSITY

With his 50-year college graduation anniversary coming up in 2019, Mars Hill University alumni Dr. Dan Lunsford won’t have to travel far for the celebration — he’s the school’s president.

“It has been a phenomenal experience. It’s the best job I’ve ever had, it’s the hardest job I’ve ever had, and I treasure it very much,” he said. “One thing that is very constant, from then to now, and will remain a hallmark of this place, and that is there’s a high degree of personalization. I knew the faculty, and they knew me, where I was from and what I was studying, and they cared about that. They sought me out to encourage me and provide opportunities beyond the required courses and required work — and that still happens today.”

Established in 1856, the private co-ed liberal arts school has become the heartbeat of the Western North Carolina mountain town that shares the same name. Coming into the 2017-2018 school year, the institution welcomed 1,277 students, a rising attendance number that ideally complements the university’s climbing retention rate.

“We have become a little bit more selective, in terms of students being prepared for college, entrance requirements specifically,” Lunsford said. “Secondly, we’ve changed some of our programming for freshman, in terms of making them as connected to the campus as quickly as we can. What we know about college students, is those who stay get involved in activities and programming beyond the academics, so we’ve been much more intentionally in that engagement early on — and we’ve had some measured success with this.”

In 2013, the school changed its longtime name of Mars Hill College to Mars Hill University, a move that Lunsford and the institution viewed as vital to the continued success and growth of their academic programs.

“It means a great deal, particularly when we look at what we do programmatically,” Lunsford said. “Since that time, we’ve launched one more master’s program in management, and then we are launching another one in criminal justice. Moving to university status, when you market master’s programs, it markets much better as a university than as a college.”

Lunsford noted the unique programs Mars Hill University offers, many of which are now at the master’s degree level, with special attention paid on opportunities for local and regional residents.

“We have to build on the programs that we do particularly well, so that’s a big piece of what we do, is market those programs, and build up those programs that have potential,” he said. “For instance, we have a zoology program, not many schools have that. Then, criminal justice, which has been a very strong program for us, we’re adding a master’s in that. We have a new nursing program that has a strong interest, and we’ve built scholarship programs particularly for students from Western North Carolina.”

Lunsford also pointed to the ongoing needs of the student body, whether it be modernizing residence halls or available capacities within the classrooms. He’s well aware of what it takes to properly equip the 21st century college student, with Mars Hill University addressing those needs at every corner, while at the same time remembering what it was like when Lunsford himself was in those same academic shoes.

“[Since I was a student here,] it has changed from a physical structure, for sure. We’ve also tried to preserve the historic, iconic structures, while at the same time building new structures that are needed in today’s curriculum,” he said. “The landscape for Mars Hill University is not unlike the rest of higher education, [where] we have some great opportunities and some pretty significant challenges.”

mhu.edu

“The landscape for Mars Hill University is not unlike the rest of higher education, [where] we have some great opportunities and some pretty significant challenges.”

— Dr. Dan Lunsford, Mars Hill University president

Higher Education

technology and a geospatial technology option as part of surveying. A-B Tech has additional campuses in Enka and Marshall.

Founded in 1889, Western Carolina University in Cullowhee serves more than 11,000 students from 39 states and 42 countries. Programs comprising more than 220 majors include the nation’s highest-ranked entrepreneurship and project management programs and a teacher education program that has won national awards. Boasting the nation’s first accredited four-year emergency medical care program, the university also has a criminal justice program upon which North Carolina has modeled an accreditation program. Students earn bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degrees.

With an enrollment of nearly 1,400 students, Mars Hills College was founded in 1856 and is affiliated with the North Carolina Baptist Convention. It offers 35 majors and 33 minors on its large, leafy campus in the Madison County town of Mars Hill. It has five schools: Business, Social and Behavioral Sciences; Education; Fine Arts; Humanities; and Mathematics and Natural Sciences. A member of the South Atlantic Conference, it fields teams in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field and volleyball.

Selected by the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 as a Top 20 “Best Buy” school in the nation for the eighth time since 2005, Warren Wilson College is an environmentally friendly school whose students enhance their academic experience by working 15 hours a week on campus. They also must complete 100 hours of community service over four years. The college’s 900 students earn bachelor’s degrees in 34 majors and concentrations and 24 minors. Taking at least one class within each of the school’s eight liberal arts areas, they attend classes that average 14 people in size.

“Christ-centered, student-focused, service-driven – equipping agents of transformation, renewal, and reconciliation” is the motto of Montreat College, a small four-year school in Montreat. Its liberal arts curriculum includes traditional and selected undergraduate and graduate professional degree programs, including degree programs for adults in the areas of business,

education, management and nursing. Founded in 1897, Montreat College is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church of the United States. In recent years, it had an enrollment of 755 students, with a student/faculty ratio of 9:1.

Brevard College in Transylvania County offers more than 40 major and minor degree programs, including those in art, biology, English, environmental studies, exercise science, history, mathematics, music and psychology. Its pre-professional studies include pre-dentistry, pre-law, pre-medicine and pre-nursing. With a student body over 708 students in 2015, the institution has 51 full-time faculty members with a student/faculty ratio of 12:1. The college has more than 30 student clubs, as well as lots of intramurals and outdoor adventure opportunities. Among its 18 varsity sports are baseball, basketball, cross country, cycling, football, golf, soccer, tennis, track and field and volleyball.

Offering 30 areas of study, Blue Ridge Community College near Flat Rock in Henderson County has more than 100 degree, diploma, and certificate programs, many of them qualifying students to work immediately after completing their course work. About 2,000 students are enrolled at its main campus and a satellite facility in Brevard. It has one of the largest continuing education programs in North Carolina.

Haywood Community College, serving primarily Haywood, Jackson and Buncombe counties, offers more than 50 programs. Its 2,011 students may select coursework in the departments of Advanced Technologies, Arts & General Education, Business & Entrepreneurship, Creative Arts, Health & Human Services and Natural Resources Management. It also offers distance learning and continuing education opportunities. Like all of North Carolina’s community colleges, it offers general education courses that transfer to the state university system, allowing students to get their first two years of classes completed at a bargain price.

Serving the people of Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, Southwestern Community College in Sylva offers coursework in arts & sciences, career technologies and health services. More than 2,600 students are taking classes within more than 60 programs, while another 5,500 participate in the college’s ongoing continuing education programs. n

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

Asheville-Buncombe

Technical Community College

340 Victoria Road Asheville, NC 28801

828-254-1921 • abtech.edu

Blue Ridge Community College 180 W. Campus Drive Flat Rock, NC 28731

828-694-1700 • blueridge.edu

Brevard College

1 Brevard College Drive Brevard, NC 28712

828-883-8292 • brevard.edu

Haywood Community College

185 Freedlander Drive Clyde, NC 28721

828-627-4667 • haywood.edu

Mars Hill College

100 Athletic Street Mars Hill, NC 28754

866-642-4968 • mhc.edu

Montreat College 310 Gaither Circle Montreat, NC 28757

828-669-8012 • montreat.edu

Southwestern Community College 447 College Drive Sylva, NC 28779

828-339-4000 • southwesterncc.edu

University of North Carolina at Asheville 1 University Heights Asheville, NC 28804

828-251-6600 • unca.edu

Warren Wilson College

701 Warren Wilson Road Swannanoa, NC 28778

828-298-3325 • warren-wilson.edu

Western Carolina University N.C. Highway 107 Cullowhee, NC 28723

828-928-4968 • wcu.edu

Options Abound

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA’S MEDICAL COMMUNITY

The refreshing air and cleansing waters of the mountains have always attracted those seeking good health, and that continues today. Because the area is so attractive, Asheville has more doctors per capita than most cities of its size. But the wealth of talent and commitment isn’t confined to the region’s largest city. Western North Carolina has many fine hospitals that practice the latest techniques in treatment, surgery and preventive care.

Mission Health, based in Asheville, is the state’s sixth-largest health system and the region’s only not-for-profit, independent community hospital system governed and managed exclusively in Western North Carolina. Mission operates six hospitals, numerous outpatient and surgery centers, post-acute care provider

CarePartners, long-term acute care provider Asheville Specialty Hospital and the region’s only dedicated Level II trauma center.

Its medical staff consists of more than 1,000 physicians and is certified in more than 50 medical specialties and sub-specialties.

Mission Health has seven Centers of Excellence: Cancer, Heart, Mission Children’s Hospital, Neurosciences, Orthopedics, Trauma and Women’s Health.

Mission Hospital, located in Asheville, is the system’s flagship hospital and is licensed for 763 beds. It is the regional referral center for tertiary and quaternary care. It also includes Mission Children’s Hospital — the region’s only children’s hospital. Other Mission Health member hospitals include Angel Medical Center in Franklin, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine, Highlands-Cashiers Hospital in Highlands, McDowell Hospital in Marion and Transylvania Regional Hospital in Brevard.

With approximately 10,700 employees and 2,000 volunteers, Mission Health is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of the people of western North Carolina.

Mission Health traces its roots to the 1880s when the local women of the “Little Flower Mission” paid weekly visits to the homes of the needy.

Mission Children’s Hospital has 60 board-certified pediatric subspecialists in more than 20 different specialties. With 130 beds, Mission Children's Hospital averages 3,000 patient admissions to its pediatric inpatient units, 4,500 outpatient pediatric surgeries

Major Attention. Minor Emergencies.

Now with more locations.

With three locations spanning from the City of Four Seasons to the Land of the Sky, quality care for your minor medical emergency is just a stone’s throw away. And, with nighttime and weekend hours, we’re here for you when you need us most.

All forms of insurance accepted.

Hendersonville

212-A Thompson St. 828-697-3232

Fletcher / Arden 2695 Hendersonville Rd.

Mission Pardee Health Campus 828-651-6350

Mills River

Opening Spring 2018 3334 Boylston Hwy., Suite 10 (Next To Ingles)

Health Care

and nearly 14,000 pediatric emergency department visits annually. Each year, about 700 ill and premature newborns receive lifesaving care in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Babies admitted to the NICU at Mission Children’s Hospital go home 13 days earlier than the national average.

Western North Carolina is served by several other excellent hospitals, such as Angel Medical Center in Franklin, CarePartners Rehabilitation Hospital in Asheville, Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville, Harris Hospital in Sylva, Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde, Highlands-Cashiers Hospital in Highlands, Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville, Park Ridge Health in Hendersonville, St. Luke’s Hospital in Columbus and Transylvania Community Hospital in Brevard.

CarePartners Rehabilitation Hospital in Asheville is an 80-bed regional referral center with programs for those suffering from stroke, brain injury, spinal chord injury, multiple trauma, amputation, joint replacement and neurological disorders. The only licensed rehabilitation hospital in Western North Carolina, it is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, meaning that it has met or exceeded rigorous rstandards. Its therapists have an average of 14 years of experience, and its patient-to-nurse ratio is 6 to 1. It participates in a national database that compares its patient outcomes to similar rehabilitation hospitals around the country, which allows it to continually assess and improve the quality of its rehabilitation programs.

Charles George VA Medical Center is a 116-bed acute care facility with a separate 120-bed extended care and rehabilitation center serving more than 31,000 veterans from the Western North Carolina area and portions of South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. It provides primary, tertiary and long-term care in areas of medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, oncology, dentistry, ophthalmology, geriatrics, women’s health, spinal cord

• Cardiopulmonary Services

• Emergency Services

• Fitness Center & Wellness Programs

• GI Center

• Haywood Breast Center

• Home Health/Hospice

• Imaging (CT, MRI, PET)

• Infusion Services

• Inpatient Adult & Gero Psychiatric Unit

• Intensive Care Unit

• Interventional Cardiology

• Interventional Pain Management

• Laboratory Services

• Lung Cancer Center of Excellence

• Osteoporosis Center

• Primary Care Clinics

• Rehabilitative Services

• Sleep Medicine

• Sports Medicine

• Surgical Services Including: Vascular/Thoracic, Spine, General, Gyn, Orthopedics, Ear Nose & Throat, Eye, Oral & Podiatry

• 2 Urgent Care Locations

• Vein Center

• Women’s And Children’s Services Including: Ob/Gyn, Labor & Delivery, Prenatal Classes, Pediatrics, Lactation Consultants

• Wound Care

Health Care

MEDICAL FACILITIES

CarePartners

Rehabilitation Hospital

68 Sweeten Creek Rd. • Asheville, NC 28813 828-277-4800 carepartners.org

Charles George VA Medical Center

1100 Tunnel Rd. • Asheville, NC 28805 828-299-2519 asheville.va.gov

Harris Regional Hospital —

A Duke LifePoint Hospital

68 Hospital Rd. • Sylva, NC 28779 828-586-7000 westcare.org

Haywood Regional Medical Center –

A Duke LifePoint Hospital

262 Leroy George Dr. • Clyde, NC 28721 828-456-7311 haymed.org

Highlands-Cashiers Hospital

190 Hospital Dr. • Highlands, NC 28741 828-526-1200 hchospital.org

Mission Health

509 Biltmore Ave. • Asheville, NC 28801-4690 828-213-1111 missionhospitals.org

Pardee UNC Health Care

800 N. Justice St. • Hendersonville, NC 28791 828-696-1000 pardeehospital.org

Park Ridge Health

100 Hospital Dr. • Hendersonville, NC 28792 855.PRH.LIFE (855.774.5433) parkridgehealth.org

St. Luke’s Hospital

101 Hospital Dr. • Columbus, NC 28722 828-894-3311 saintlukeshospital.com

Swain Community Hospital

45 Plateau St. • Bryson City, NC, 28713 828-488-2155 myswaincommunity.com

Transylvania Community Hospital

260 Hospital Dr. • Brevard, NC 28712 828-884-9111 trhospital.org

injury, physical medicine and rehabilitation. Because the hospital is a teaching hospital, it provides a full range of patient care services, with state-of-the-art technology and programs in education and research.

Haywood Regional Medical Center is a 169-bed hospital serving Haywood and surrounding counties with 160-plus physicians on its medical staff. Haywood Regional Medical Center offers a comprehensive array of services, including imaging, orthopedics, spine services, cardiology, general surgery, thoracic and vascular surgery, women's care, birthing center, wound care center, home care, emergency medicine, behavioral health and 12 multi-specialty physician clinics. The campus, located in Clyde, is also home to the 54,000-square-foot Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center and the 44,000-square-foot Haywood Regional Outpatient Care Center (outpatient surgery center, laboratory, imaging center including women's imaging and physician practices). Nearby is The Homestead, an inpatient hospice facility. Haywood Regional Medical Center also operates two urgent care centers in the county, in Hazelwood and Canton. As a part of Duke LifePoint Healthcare, Haywood Regional Medical Center is supported by Duke University Health System’s world-renowned leadership in clinical excellence and quality care and LifePoint Health’s extensive resources, knowledge and experience in operating community hospitals.

Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva, established in 1925, is an 86-bed acute and specialty care facility serving Western North Carolina with more than 100 physicians practicing in locations throughout a multi-county region, including Harris Regional Hospital Medical Park of Franklin, an outpatient facility in Macon County. Harris is also affiliated with Duke LifePoint.

Swain Community Hospital, established in 1950, is a 48-bed Critical Access Hospital serving a multi-county region with primary care, emergency medicine and subspecialty care, including a pain clinic and a transitional care unit. Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital began an affiliation in 1997 and joined Duke LifePoint Healthcare in 2014.

In Highlands, the Highlands-Cashiers Hospital — part of the Mission Health System headquartered in Asheville — has 24 hospital beds, four operating rooms and 84 nursing home beds. Its board-certified physician staff covers 14 areas of healthcare in specialties usually found only in much larger facilities. It continues to update its range of diagnostic procedures by adding new state-of-the-art equipment. The hospital provides general surgery, as well as hand, orthopedic, ophthalmology, gastrointestinal, dermatology and plastic surgery. Nearly all of its physicians’ offices are on the hospital campus.

Tracing its history back to 1913, Pardee UNC Healthcare in Hendersonville is a not-for-profit hospital managed by UNC Health Care. Licensed for 222 acute care beds, Pardee also has multiple facilities separate from its main campus throughout Henderson County, south Buncombe County, and Haywood County: A new, stateof-the-art Cancer Center, a comprehensive physician practice network, two urgent

Health Care

care locations, three rehabilitation and wellness centers, and five orthopedic clinics. The medical staff represents more than 40 specialties, including oncology, interventional cardiology, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, sports medicine, pulmonology, women's health, family medicine, internal medicine, diabetes care, rheumatology and more.

Pardee UNC Healthcare has been honored with a number of awards and accreditations for patient safety, service, quality and value by many well-known organizations, including Healthgrades, The Leapfrog Group, U.S. News & World Report, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Healogics, Women’s Choice Awards and Nerd Wallet.

Since its founding in 1910, Park Ridge Health in Hendersonville has grown from a destination for people seeking to improve health through nutrition, exercise and rest, to a leading health care organization, directly caring for more than a thousand people across Western North Carolina every day.

Their mission, Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ, is grounded in a legacy of faith-based health care built on the philosophy of whole person care including body, mind and spirit.

Park Ridge Health has grown into a multispecialty health care system that provides personalized care at more than 35 locations, offering a network of more than 250 physicians and providers, board-certified and fellowship-trained in 40 primary and specialty fields of care.

Park Ridge is the first hospital in Western North Carolina to offer nanomedicine in the operating room with the nanoLOCK™ Spinal Implant technology. It is also the first and only hospital in the region with the Pro-Axis™ Spine Surgery table, the Misonix™ Ultrasonic Spinal Surgery technology, and NAVIO™ Robotic Assistance for partial and total knee replacement.

In 2017, Park Ridge Health received The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for its Spine Center of Excellence Certification. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.

Park Ridge Health has also achieved national recognition and awards for its cancer services program, and for The Baby Place, labor and delivery center. It is home to nationally-accredited imaging services including 3D Mammography, 128-slice CT scanner, MRI and mobile Digital X-ray. Their commitment to excellence is also evident in their 5-Star Rated Home Health Services, caring for patients in their own homes in Buncombe, Henderson, Polk and Transylvania Counties.

St. Luke’s Hospital is a not-for-profit community hospital that has served Polk County and the Carolina Foothills for 87 years. Services include 24/7 Emergency Services and advanced orthopedic and rehab care. With two orthopedic surgeons on staff, patients receive the latest procedures for hip and knee replacement. St. Luke’s is also known for behavioral health services, surgical services and imaging services including MRI, CT, bone densitometry, nuclear medicine, ultrasound and sensorysurround digital mammography, all supported by a full-service laboratory and other ancillary service.

Transylvania Regional Hospital — also part of the Mission Health System headquartered in Asheville — is licensed for 92 beds and has six operating rooms. It opened the 4,000-squarefoot Brevard Cancer & Infusion Center at the hospital in 2009 and has treated hundreds of patients. That same year it launched “The Joint Experience,” enhancing its joint replacement surgery services. The hospital also has a digital mammography system that allows images to be archived so they can be easily recalled for comparison with future tests.

Health Care

GETTING TO THE SOURCE: CENTER FOR HOLISTIC MEDICINE

What began as a personal search for her own pain remedies led to a professional career in medicine for Nancy Hyton.

“I was an undergrad in college, and I was a vegetarian, joining the local health food co-op in Albany, New York,” she said. “My friend was the manager of the herb department, and she taught me about herbal medicine. For my own chronic medical conditions, western medicine was not able to help. But, through herbs and diets, I was able to fix it.”

That was almost two decades ago. Once she identified and treated the source of her pain, Hyton dove deep into the study of eastern medicine, ultimately getting her certifications to practice the tried and tested techniques that have been perfected over thousands of years.

In 2000, she was certified as an herbalist through Rosemary Gladstar’s program at Sage Mountain Herbal Retreat Center (Barre, Vermont). Hyton then became a licensed acupuncturist in 2007 after completing a four-year master’s program at Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts in Asheville. And for the better part of the last decade her office, the Center for Holistic Medicine, has been located on Haywood Road in West Asheville. “I tend to do combination treatments. I like to utilize all the tools of Chinese medicine,” she said. “And I feel they enhance the effects of each other — acupuncture, traditional body work techniques, cupping, topical medicated oils and ointments, diets and lifestyles.”

“It’s more about, ‘do you feel well, do you feel good?’ which is hard to measure. There’s no machine to measure that, it’s very subjective — what’s good for one person is not for another.”

— Nancy Hyton

And through her variety of techniques, Hyton will be the first to say that medicine, either eastern or western, is not a “one size fits all” approach.

“Not everybody gets cupping, not everybody needs to adjust their diet depending on what’s going on,” she said. “In terms of the benefits of Chinese medicine, it can often treat chronic conditions that mainstream western medicine can’t, because it’s not a symptom-management-only approach. It looks at the deeper, underlying imbalances that are going on with organ functions, it tries to normalize and regulate that, so that the symptoms just go away — you correct the underlying balance.”

Hyton aims to eliminate the medical issues, not just keep the symptoms at bay.

“Yes, you need to focus on the systems. But, for more people with chronic symptoms, they don’t want to take pills their whole lives and still be dealing with the condition,” she said. “It’s more about, ‘do you feel well, do you feel good?’ which is hard to measure. There’s no machine to measure that, it’s very subjective.”

And though she is well-versed and trained in eastern medicine, Hyton is also well aware of the rich history and modern advances of medicine in general in Western North Carolina.

“Asheville has been known as a Mecca for medicine forever,” she said. “For the native peoples that lived here, it was known as the medicine mountains to hunt and gather herbs like ginseng, and the Vanderbilts came here for the tuberculosis clinics. And now, it’s considered a Mecca for eastern medicine, and also western medicine, with a gigantic hospital for a small mountain city.”

Within her intricate techniques, Hyton also sees the vital importance of simply listening to her patients.

“It’s not just the kind of medicine you practice, it’s how you practice the medicine,” she said. “You need to be able sit with people, to give them time and space to tell you what’s really bothering them, and how you can treat it correctly.” n

centerholistic.com

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Mission Accomplished

RIVERLINK PROTECTS, PERPETUATES THE FRENCH BROAD

It’s a simple question — would the reboot of Asheville be possible without the restoration of the French Broad River?

“I don’t think so,” said Garrett Artz, executive director of RiverLink. “Our organization was formed 32 years ago out of a study that asked the question, ‘How can we get people to stay one more day than the one day they stayed visiting the Biltmore Estate?’ With the study, they thought if they could clean up the river and make it more accessible it would do that. Turns out they were right.”

A nonprofit created to clean up and utilize the French Broad River, the main artery of aquatic recreation in Western North

and within the numerous communities along the French Broad.

“It’s about getting people to experience the river, which began with having river access,” Artz said. “We believe if you see it and experience it, you’ll be more aware of it and likely take more care of it.”

Providing hands on learning experiences for children and adults, RiverLink stands by its three-word mission — experience, learn, conserve.

“We host concerts by the river, K-12 education, kid’s river camps, and created a paddle trail,” Artz noted. “The heavy lifting that’s done by our staff and organization, what we consider highimpact projects, are restoring places that were informal landfills. We’re currently turning a former junkyard into a park, and

implementing stormwater control measures that are doing both land and water conservancy.”

RiverLink’s founding Executive Director Karen Cragnolin recently retired, and Artz can’t stress enough how much her tireless work over three decades built an unbreakable foundation for the future of the organization.

“Karen was the driver and visionary,” he said. “She had to paint on an absolutely blank canvas, more like a tattered one, and she saw what the river could look like if it was cared for.”

Beyond its countless initiatives and programs, RiverLink takes great pride in its continued work on the Wilma Dykeman RiverWay Plan — a 17-mile greenway project years in the making and quickly nearing completion.

“This plan will accelerate what people are wanting to do and see with the development of the river,” Artz said. “And we’ve become such a water-based economy with all these breweries [along the

“It’s about getting people to experience the river. We believe if you see it and experience it, you’ll be more aware of it and likely take more care of it.”

— Garrett Artz, executive director of RiverLink

river]. What a difference they’ve made, all of them very much into the outdoors and conservation.”

And for Artz personally, it’s also the faces — young and old — he crosses path with through the physical and spiritual lore of the French Broad River.

“There’s a certain history and heritage that goes along with the river,” he said. “There’s just always great stories, I can’t ever learn enough about the history. All of these river communities, there’s so many stories of what this river means to them.” n

Adventure Is Calling

Recreation is truly “re-creation” in the Blue Ridge, whose mountains offer lucky residents and visitors the chance to renew their spirits through a rich variety of outdoor opportunities.

There’s plenty of fun to be had, and if you like sports, you’ll find plenty to root for here. Asheville turns out in force to watch the Asheville Tourists, affiliated with the Colorado Rockies, a Major League Baseball team that sends many of its first-round picks here to gain valuable experience. Grab the family, a sack of peanuts, and a couple of hot dogs, and watch some excellent baseball on a warm summer’s eve. It seems like everyone’s friendly in a minor league ballpark, and that’s no truer than at their venue, McCormick Field.

Or check out Asheville’s newest team sport, the Asheville City Soccer Club, which plays games at Memorial Stadium. The club is playing to a packed house at every game, and in spring 2018 a women’s team is starting up.

For something quirkier, roll over to the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Asheville to watch the Blue Ridge Rollergirls, members of North Carolina’s first all-female, flat-track roller derby league. The matches combine fashion, camp and fierce competition in an event that draws a spirited crowd as fun to watch as these young athletes going ‘round and ‘round.

Coached by basketball coach Nick McDevitt, UNC Asheville’s Bulldogs have been getting a lot of attention in the Big South League, playing to near-capacity crowds in at the Kimmel Arena. In nearby Cullowhee, Western Carolina University is home to Division 1 gridiron football, playing against the likes of the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers in recent years. Soccer and volleyball rule at Montreat College and Mars Hill College.

The Mountain Sports Festival in Asheville every Memorial Day Weekend is a three-day celebration of all things outdoors. Races and

events take in the sports of trail running and biking, cyclocross, ultimate Frisbee, rock climbing and dodgeball. Everyone from amateurs to professionals takes part in competitions and clinics that make participants better competitors. The festival also stages a lot of free music around downtown.

Less than an hour and a half from Asheville, the Nantahala Outdoor Center can provide just about any kind of adventure you’d want, from biking to climbing to hiking to river floats to lake kayaking to jet boat rides to tickets to the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

The Wildwater Rafting centers on the Nantahala, Chattooga and Pigeon rivers offer exhilarating guided whitewater raft rides that roll over rapids in trips that last about three hours. Other adventurous explorers might opt for harnessed canopy tours conducted in the beautiful Nantahala Gorge over six aerial bridges and numerous zip lines. The rides, meant to be more informative than jaw dropping, go through several ecosystems, and guides share cultural and ecological tidbits along the way.

For those who like two feet on the ground, the region offers unparalleled hiking in Pisgah National Forest, Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and state parks at Chimney Rock, DuPont, Gorges, Grandfather Mountain, Lake James and South Mountains. There are several hiking clubs in the area, including the Carolina Mountain Club,

Outdoors

established in 1923 and now the oldest and most active hiking club in Western North Carolina.

Julian Price Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway’s largest campground, offers ranger-guided hikes during the day. The National Park Service also provides car camping in maintained sites at Linville Falls, Crabtree Meadows, Mount Mitchell and Mount Pisgah. For backpackers, there’s excellent primitive camping in Linville Gorge. Closer to Asheville, public campgrounds exist at Lake Powhatan, North Mills River and Davidson River.

Lake Powhatan is in the Bent Creek area of the Pisgah National Forest, just south of Asheville, and home to miles of mountain biking trails. DuPont and Pisgah state parks have lots of trails, as does the Jackrabbit Mountain biking and hiking trail system just outside of Hayesville in Clay County. In the last two years, experienced riders call home to professional dirt courses at the Kolo Bike Park in Asheville and The Bike Farm in Brevard. Don’t forget Tsali Recreation Area, home to some of the finest riding trails in the entire country, only an hour and a half from downtown Asheville, and a new mountain bike trail that just opened in 2017 in Cherokee. Road riders will love the popular flat cycle along the French Broad River between Asheville and Marshall. The Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, Asheville Bicycle Racing Club and the Asheville Women’s Cycling Club host events, club rides and races.

Whitewater Paddling magazine has named Asheville a “Top 10 Whitewater Town,” but the glory is shared by many towns on the French Broad, Pigeon, Nantahala and Nolichucky rivers. The Biltmore Estate has many outdoor experiences, including river floats, fly fishing, horseback riding, hiking and biking.

The fun doesn’t stop with the warm weather. Strap on your skis and head to Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, Wolf Ridge Ski Resort near Mars Hill or Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain in Banner Elk. All have runs for various levels of expertise, as well as super-fun inner tube rides and ski lodges to nurse any sore muscles. Want to go cross-country skiing? Then head up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, closed to automobiles in the winter, but not to those ready to tackle the beloved road.

SHOOT TO SCORE: ASHEVILLE CITY SOCCER CLUB

On a recent mid-summer evening, the sun slowly fading behind the Blue Ridge Mountains, howls and cheers echo from high above downtown Asheville. It’s the cultivation of thousands of voices and the culmination of thousands of days of preparation that has led to the excitement flowing through the city.

It’s Memorial Stadium — home of the Asheville City Soccer Club.

“Soccer has a lot of unifying properties. It’s the world’s game, and therefore is a universal language, a common bond that can be shared with people from all over the world,” said Ryan Kelley. “Rivals of club teams come together to support national teams. It’s also exciting to be part of a sport in a country where it’s growing, where you can feel that you are playing a role — albeit a small one — in its development.”

As president of the ACSC, Kelley has overseen a successful and bountiful inaugural year for the organization, a collection of local, national and international talent, all brought together on a field in the middle of the city. Each home game is packed to the brim with soccer enthusiasts, curious residents and passerby tourists. They’re all eager to witness and participate in the fastest growing nightlife activity in the region, something that complements the long and storied tradition of recreational soccer leagues in Asheville and greater Western North Carolina.

“We’re all natives of the Asheville area, so we knew what Asheville is all about, and were surprised that [a soccer club] didn’t already exist,” Kelley said of himself and his business partners.

Kelley points to two key reasons why the city was a perfect fit for a soccer club.

“First, Asheville has been a soccer town for a long time. This wasn’t a situation where we would need to come in and teach people to love the game. The youth and adult playing associations are very well supported and organized. They’ve been our backbone from the beginning and will continue to be that,” Kelley said. “Second, Asheville is the perfect size. It’s large enough to meet basic demographic thresholds needed to make the business work, but simultaneously small enough that we matter in a major

way. Teams in larger cities, especially those with higher level teams, get lost in the noise — our events are circled on calendars and our players are local celebrities.”

Regional brewer Hi-Wire, located just a few blocks away from the Memorial Stadium, decided to become the main sponsor of the ACSC. For many in the know, the brewery has been a beacon of the sport for soccer players and enthusiasts since it opened, broadcasting national and international games as regularly as they change the taps (which is often).

“Asheville’s uniqueness is hardly a secret. It’s a place that takes pride in and, ironically, finds its collective identity in the embrace of our individual differences,” Kelley said. “I was surprised by how quickly our supporters bought into the mission and identity of the club. It was a pleasure watching friendships form among our supporters at home and on road trips all season long.”

Kelley also noted the upward trajectory of the ACSC, where fanfare never wavered from an initial interest, as attendance numbers and word-of-mouth buzz have simply amplified the purpose and intent of the club.

“I think a lot of people expected our debut to be our most popular event, and it was a great start, but we were able to grow attendance throughout the season, culminating in a sell-out of our last home game,” Kelley said. “Sustained growth is critical for the success of any business and we were thrilled to see that incremental buy-in over time.”

With the inaugural season of the ACSC in the books, the organization has one motto for 2018 — “Two Teams. One City.” This is in reference to the recent — and highly publicized — announcement that the ACSC will now play host to a women’s team, kicking off this spring alongside the men’s team in Memorial Stadium.

“We have a lot of exciting developments taking shape. The stadium is slated for a major renovation in the next few years, so we’re very active in that conversation in an effort to ensure the changes allow us to grow,” Kelley said. “Our complete vision has taken on new clarity with the U.S. Men’s National Team’s failure to qualify for the World Cup. U.S. Soccer has some growing to do, and we see ACSC as our ‘think global, act local’ approach to encouraging positive change.”

ashevillecitysc.com. n

Taste of the Town

ASHEVILLE’S RISE TO CULINARY CAPITAL

It’s 11 a.m. when they open the doors at Luella’s in North Asheville. The long shotgun style “drive-in” parking lot is empty, very quiet and unassuming to any passerby motorists on the busy Merrimon Avenue. But, by 11:15 a.m. there isn’t a spot available, where eager patrons might have to spend a few extra minutes tracking down a place on a nearby side street to ditch their car before their hunger gets the best of them.

“My passion is making people feel great from the moment they enter the door,” said owner and pit master Jeff Miller. “Any emotional qualities we can put into our cooking and ingredients will come out in the flavor.”

Opened a decade ago, the company specializes in North Carolina-style barbecue (vinegar based sauce, with a dash of honey, garlic and tomatoes), Texas style brisket, a St. Louis dry rub for the smoked turkey breast, and their signature New Orleans/Creole andouille sauce.

Looking around at the growing culinary reputation of Asheville, it doesn’t surprise Miller that the city has become a “foodie Mecca” for the Southeast and beyond.

“The food scene has changed dramatically here, and I think the quality of food and the dining experience in this city has shifted greatly,” he said. “There’s always been a lot of variety and creativity in the Asheville food scene, but I feel that every place is hitting those standards found in other great food cities. More and more people are moving here and visiting here, and the expectations have been raised — and we’re meeting and exceeding those expectations.”

While the culinary scene of the region expands, and palates become more sophisticated, the passion and love put into a meal comes from the mere fact that the restaurant chefs, owners and servers all reside in Western North Carolina — a place they are proud to call home.

Since it opened in 2011, Cúrate, an authentic Spanish tapas restaurant in downtown Asheville, has become a prized centerpiece of a lush, ever-growing food scene in and around the city.

“Our name means ‘to cure and take care of yourself,’ and that’s what we’re telling our guests they can do here,” Executive Chef/co-owner Katie Button said. “When you walk into this place on a Saturday night, the kitchen and the audience are going back and forth. It’s a ball of energy that’s so contagious you want to be part of it.”

Button’s intent for individuality in the kitchen is a notion wafting through restaurants around Western North Carolina. Over the past decade, there has been a food revolution in the area. Along every downtown, you’ll find anything from Cajun to French, Asian to Italian, Mexican to Mediterranean. Whether it’s local establishments incorporating different dishes into the menus or the troves of culinary artisans relocating here, the desire to try something new and different is all around in this land of cosmopolitan country cuisines.

“The professionals and entrepreneurs here are unbelievable,” Button said. “The community immediately welcomes outsiders and something completely unique to Asheville. You can relate to other business owners, and we’re all here for the same reasons.”

Residents and visitors alike are starting to take note. Go into any restaurant on a weekend evening or during the busy summer tourism months and you’ll see bellies full from a made-from-scratch or farm-to-table meal.

Launched in 2007, The Admiral in West Asheville has held a steady course as a word-of-mouth culinary sensation within Asheville. With a specialized menu that switches up monthly, The Admiral offers everything from flat iron steaks to a San Francisco-style seafood stew to farm-totable dishes that incorporate any number of fresh produce items bought directly from farmers and growers in Western North Carolina.

“We change up things seasonally, and we’ll have people knocking on our door every day with local greens and produce we’ve never used before,” said co-owner Drew Wallace. “Sometimes we’ll have fresh foraged mushrooms or a new pork product, which are all great things we have available locally here in Asheville.”

As head of operations for Neo Burrito (with locations in West/East Asheville and Biltmore Park), Walter Godfrey and the company stand at the crossroads of the farm-to-table movement, a growing scene and tightly held sentiment that permeates the culture of Asheville and greater Western North Carolina.

“Our motto has always been, ‘Making the world a better place one burrito at a time.’ We do our best to provide fresh ingredients to customers by utilizing local farms around the area, and also our own farm,” Godfrey said. “I strongly advocate the growing demand for farm-to-table restaurants and feel that the market has shifted towards this concept. Neo Burrito was a pioneer in the Asheville culinary scene with the idea of utilizing locally sourced food and being environmentally conscious. More restaurants have already adopted the local ingredients motto, but I foresee many places also embracing a shift towards sustainability as we’ve already done.”

BEVERLY-HANKS AGENT PICKS: Restaurants & Breweries

Asheville Admiral; Wedge Brewery

North Asheville Avenue M; Asheville Pizza and Brewing

South Asheville Abejas House Café; Hillman Brewery

Henderson Never Blue; Sanctuary Brewing

Haywood Church Street Depot; Boojum Brewery

Saluda Purple Onion; Green River Brew Depot (serves local beer)

EATING UP THE CITY: TACOBILLY

The smallest of canvases can contain the biggest of ideas.

“You can take anything and put it in a taco, and there are so many options with tortillas — the possibilities are endless,” said Hunter Berry.

Taking a seat at a local brewery in downtown Asheville one recent afternoon, Berry just completed another wild and crazy day at his popular restaurant, TacoBilly, in West Asheville. When asked about what it has been like for his business since it opened in 2015, Berry’s face lights up.

“I’ve been surprised in how well accepted and supported we’ve been by the locals in this community. The local business owners and officials have all come out and shown their support,” he said. “Greater Asheville seems to prioritize any local movement or organization, and I didn’t realize it was that strong when I moved here, but it’s very apparent.”

Originally from Texas, Berry bounced all over the central part of the state as a kid. And though he moved around a dozen times during his adolescence, what remained constant in his life was his love for food.

“I’ve always liked to eat. My parents always liked to joke that I would ask what was for breakfast as we were eating dinner,” Berry smiled. “I always liked the idea of cooking, of being a chef with a specific skill set. With tacos, I know what I like to eat, and I knew I wanted to start a business.”

Berry spent several years in Mexico, soaking up the country’s rich culinary traditions, Eventually, Berry and his family decided

they wanted to relocate back to the United States. But, where to?

“When we decided to leave Mexico, Asheville kept coming up,” he said. “My wife and I wanted seasons, a city with 100,000 people or less, some element of tourism, good schools for my kids, great food and outdoor scene. We visited here and fell in love with it. You can get in your car and drive in any direction and just find beauty here.”

Once in Asheville, Berry discovered the city and its incredible food scene would be the ideal place to launch TacoBilly.

“I always liked the idea of cooking, of being a chef with a specific skill set. With tacos, I know what I like to eat, and I knew I wanted to start a business.”

— Hunter Berry, TacoBilly

“The local food movement was pretty strong and alluring, the fact there are farmers markets every day of the week around here was real enticing,” he noted.

When one drives by the small shop on the large downhill along Haywood Road, you’ll see a line out the door of eager customers, many die-hard locals, who are in search of breakfast and lunch tacos, all asking for more sauce to douse their cravings into. When one steps into TacoBilly, you’ll also see and immerse yourself in the buzz of a social hub for the city.

“I’ve always enjoyed people and small talk, just getting to know a little bit about people,” Berry said. “And the volume of people I’ve been able to meet at TacoBilly has been incredible, to hear all their stories and what their lives are like — it’s become a little scene that’s been a lot of fun.” n

A Sip of Appalachia IN WNC,

CRAFT BEER ABIDES

With around 65 independent establishments in Asheville and Western North Carolina, the craft beer industry is booming in these parts. Voted “Beer City USA” several years running, Asheville has become the epicenter for a beverage movement unseen in not only the industry, but also the nation as a whole.

In 2014, craft beer pioneer and industry leader Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (Chico, California) opened its $200 million, 217-acre East Coast production facility in Mills River, right outside Asheville.

“The community around Asheville attracts such an artistic and eclectic mix of people, a very similar mix of people like Chico,” said Ken Grossman, founder/owner of Sierra Nevada. “The outdoors is something I try to do on a regular basis — get outside and hike. We’re near mountains, streams and places to recreate in Chico, and Asheville is just like that.”

Alongside Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., industry giants New Belgium Brewing (Fort Collins, Colorado) and Oskar Blues Brewery both opened East Coast headquarters in Western North Carolina. In 2016, New Belgium fired up its $140 million facility in the River Arts District of Asheville, a property that has become a beacon of economic and cultural significance for the city.

Owner/founder of Oskar Blues, Dale Katechis has built a wildly successful brand of craft beer that is rapidly spilling across the country. Originating in Lyons, Colorado, the business opened a nine-acre $10 million east coast facility in Brevard in 2013. Katechis decided on the location after years of visiting the region, soaking in the ideal combination of southern culture and endless outdoor recreation.

“I fell in love with this area,” he said. “When we were looking to build, Brevard offered quite the temptation. I knew my quality of life was not going to suffer being here.”

“We left our whole lives behind in Seattle to realize this passion of ours,” Jessica Reiser said. “It’s certainly been great here and I never want to let go of that feeling.”

Reiser is the co-owner of Burial Beer Co. in the South Slope neighborhood of downtown Ashville. Though somewhat tricky to find, one enters the shoebox-sized building with a sense of curiosity — just what is this place?

“The places we always liked when traveling were the ones tucked away, where you feel like you stumbled upon something really cool,” she said. “It’s like a hideout from everything. People can come here and feel comfortable, bring their kids. We want that casual environment. One of our customers once told us, ‘I feel like I’m hanging out at my friend’s house.’”

Opened in June 2013, Burial Beer Co. became a hit with craft beer drinkers and the region as a whole.

“It’s been crazy to keep up with the demand and that word-ofmouth popularity has been catching up with us, but that’s a good problem to have,” Reiser chuckled. “Seeing people sitting out here and enjoying our beer is a surreal thing, and we have more exciting things to come.”

With brewing beer comes the keen philosophy of “work hard,

BEARWATERS BREWING REOPENS IN CANTON

It was weird.

Driving around downtown Canton on a recent weekend, it was weird to have a hard time finding a parking space. In most Western North Carolina communities during the busy summer tourist season, this is the norm. But, for the blue-collar paper mill town of Canton, finding a parking spot has never been an issue.

That is, until now.

In the last couple of years, several businesses have popped up in downtown Canton, once again breathing life into a community many looked at as “dead” and “out of business.” But, one business was missing, especially when seemingly every single nearby town had one: a brewery.

“It’s a new chapter in my life, a new beginning,” said BearWaters Brewing co-owner/brewmaster Kevin Sandefur. “It’s pretty much a dream realized, to finally open a full-size brewery with production and distribution, [and] a real destination taproom with a restaurant.”

we all feel this sense of hope that we’re going to create this symbiotic relationship to start a new beginning.”

Overtaking an 11,000-square-foot, two-level building in downtown right on the Pigeon River, the brewery will kick things up a notch on its new 20-barrel system, which includes five 20barrel fermenters and three brite tanks.

Aiming to harness the property’s potential, BearWaters built a river access point for kayakers and tubers looking to stop by for a beverage. They also added a restaurant, the Pigeon River Grille, which features gourmet dishes and southern-inspired favorites. Haywood County businessman Richard Miller (of The Classic Wineseller and Church Street Depot in Waynesville) opened the gastro-pub within the facility. As well, Sandefur noted the cellar below will contain BearWater’s barrel-aging program.

“The Town of Canton is so pumped about this, [and] I think they really expect this to be a catalyst for more growth in the downtown corridor,” Sandefur said. “It’s being looked at as an anchor business to attract future business to be put around this showcase brewery. We’re seeing a lot of professionals from Asheville [coming here]. It’s definitely an exciting time for the town. We feel very fortunate to have this opportunity — the building is absolutely perfect for what we want to do.”

When Sandefur was looking for new investors, he found a special bond and kinship with Art O’Neil, who saw the promise of

For the last four years, BearWaters was located in Waynesville. But, with an increasing need for space, and also finding out their property would soon become a Publix supermarket, the brewery started to look for new digs last year. At that time, the Canton town officials were putting feelers out to finally bring a brewery into their downtown. The brewery and the town worked together to make the long-held dream a reality.

With their official “Grand Opening” in June 2017, every parking spot within walking distance of BearWaters (on Park Street) was filled, every single hand hoisting high a craft beer in celebration of a new day in the long and bountiful industrial history of Canton.

“We kind of said this early on when we made this decision [to relocate to Canton], the town and our company, I think we both have a tenacious and scrappy nature, we’re both fiercely loyal to what we do,” Sandefur said. “There’s been many times that Canton has been written off — ‘done’ or ‘over’ — and together this is a new beginning for both of us. The mill workers that come over here every day to check on the progress, and the town officials,

BearWaters and became a co-owner.

“It’s definitely an exciting time for [Canton]. We feel very fortunate to have this opportunity — the building is absolutely perfect for what we want to do.”

— Kevin Sandefur, BearWaters

Brewing co-owner

Wandering around the brewery, it’s surreal to see such a vivacious and jovial energy permeating through downtown Canton. For years, perhaps even decades, those fighting for Canton, those in the town’s corner, have been saying “someday, someday,” where you begin to realize that “someday” is actually today — right here and now.

“It’s been a journey that definitely has had its twists and turns, and there were definitely times where we didn’t know if we’d make it or not. But, with lots of perseverance and determination, we kept fighting and fighting, and we got our breakthrough,” Sandefur said. “I’ve fallen in love with the building, it’s overwhelming and turned out way beyond my expectations. If you focus on what’s at the end of the road, it can happen — [BearWaters] is living proof of that. I’ve had a lot of false starts, but to cross over the goal line, it’s like, ‘My god, this can be done.’”

ASHEVILLE BREWERIES

Archetype Brewing

Asheville Brewing

Bhramari Brewing

Burial Beer Co.

Catawba Brewing

Eurisko Beer Co.

French Broad Brewing

Ginger’s Revenge

Green Man Brewery

Habitat Brewing

Hi-Wire Brewing

Highland Brewing

Hillman Beer

Lexington Avenue Brewery

New Belgium Brewing

One World Brewing

Oyster House Brewing

Sweeten Creek Brewing

Thirsty Monk Brewery

Twin Leaf Brewery

UpCountry Brewing

Wedge Brewing

White Labs Kitchen & Tap

Wicked Weed Brewing

WNC BREWERIES

Andrews Brewing (Andrews)

Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva)

BearWaters Brewing (Canton)

Black Star Line Brewing (Hendersonville)

Blind Squirrel Brewery (Burnsville)

Blue Ghost Brewing (Fletcher)

Blue Mountain Brew Pub (Weaverville)

Boojum Brewing (Waynesville)

Brevard Brewing (Brevard)

Catawba Brewing (Morganton)

Currahee Brewing (Franklin)

Ecusta Brewing (Pisgah Forest)

Eluvium Brewing (Weaverville)

Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville)

Hickory Nut Gorge Brewery (Chimney Rock)

Homeplace Beer (Burnsville)

Hoppy Trout Brewing (Andrews)

Innovation Brewing (Sylva)

Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin)

Lookout Brewing (Black Mountain)

Mad Co. Brew House (Marshall)

Mica Town Brewing (Marion)

Mills River Brewery (Mills River)

Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City)

Nantahala Brewing (Bryson City)

Newgrass Brewing (Shelby)

Oskar Blues Brewing (Brevard)

Peaks & Creeks Brewing (Brevard)

Pisgah Brewing (Black Mountain)

Santuary Brewing (Hendersonville)

Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands)

Sideways Brewery (Etowah)

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (Mills River)

Sneak-E-Squirrel Brewing (Sylva)

Southern Appalachian Brewery (Hendersonville)

Triskelion Brewing (Hendersonville)

Turgua Brewing (Fairview)

Valley River Brewery (Murphy)

Whistle Hop Brewing (Fairview)

Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers)

Zebulon Artisan Ales (Weaverville)

Zillicoah Beer Co. (Woodfin)

Not sure what style of craft beer you like? Try a sample flight of brews.

play hard.” For Katechis, coming eastward was as much a business decision as it was a chance for adventure in the Great Smokies and beyond.

“We ride bikes and we drink good beer, and we want to turn other people onto that,” he noted. “I don’t clock out and go home. I hit the trails and everyday is like Christmas out there.”

With the craft brewery explosion in Asheville and greater Western North Carolina, Hi-Wire Brewing co-owner Adam Charnack sees it all as friendly competition.

“This industry is filled with camaraderie,” he said. “So what about competition? The more, the merrier. Asheville is this Mecca for craft beer, and the more people that place the words ‘Asheville’ and ‘craft beer’ in the same sentence, the better.”

Home to three breweries, Haywood County has become a scene in its own right. Boojum Brewing and Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville and BearWaters Brewing in Canton are each serving up a wide array of selections that perfectly compliment the innumerable varieties brewed in Asheville.

“This area is a vacation destination for the state, and all of these tourists are interacting with our companies while they’re here, and now they want our products where they live,” said Kevin Sandefur, owner/brewmaster of BearWaters. “If we’re making that kind of lasting impression, it’s great, and it says a lot of the breweries here and what we’ve accomplished in such a short time.”

Co-owner/manager of Boojum Brewing, Kelsie Baker and her family have quickly established themselves as one of the “must try” craft beer destinations in Western North Carolina. Amid a highly competitive industry — locally, regionally, and nationally — where your reputation resides in every beverage poured, Boojum has risen to the upper echelon of flavor, style, and selection. Between their off-site brewery and downtown taproom/restaurant, the business is a social and economic anchor within the community.

“From day one, we’ve always said that we want to keep it fresh and exciting, to never cut corners,” Baker said. “We’re really passionate about what we do — always experimenting, reading, learning new techniques and ideas. We use high quality, difficult to get hops, yeasts and flavorings (i.e. real raspberries and peanut butter), and these things are expensive and generally more difficult to work with, but the result is a much better product.”

And for Grossman, it’s about continuing to achieve perfection in a rapidly growing industry, one that has become a centerpiece of the Western North Carolina economy.

“We invest in quality, invest in people, and invest in systems,” he said. “We’ve been focused on quality since day one. And, I just like beer, I enjoy the whole science and alchemy of turning barley, yeast and hops into something amazing and wonderful.” n

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Finding Inspiration

ART AND ARTISTS FIND A HOME IN ASHEVILLE

Using your hands to make what you need or desire is a unique trait in Southern Appalachia — the idea that if you can’t find it or afford it, you build it. That notion is soaked into the creative minds and curious spirits of Western North Carolina.

This region has a storied history of handmade crafts, ranging from weaving to woodworking, pottery to jewelry. From the passed-down traditions of basket weaving and stonework of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to the arts of metalsmithing and glassblowing, there has always been a rich atmosphere of creation in these parts.

Throughout the year, Western North Carolina plays host to numerous art and craft festivals, shows and exhibits, all in an

effort to provide the crafter with a platform to share their wares with locals and visitors in search for that perfect piece.

“People will say to me, ‘Your pieces are happy,’ and I’ll say, ‘Yes, because I am a happy person,’” said Olga Dorenko, a beloved painter in the River Arts District of downtown Asheville.

Just across the railroad tracks from Dorenko, one walks up the stairs of the Wedge Studios, a world of art swirling around you with each step. From painting to pottery, glass to wax, textiles to jewelry, the entire spectrum of creative mediums spills out of the multiple floors of the epicenter of the River Arts District.

“I like being around other artists because I can be inspired by them,” said painter Sandra Bottinelli. “If I ever have a mental block, I’ll just go around and see what everyone else is doing in the other studios, and I’ll get new ideas, where it opens up other doors of creativity.”

Tucked cozily upstairs and to the back of the Wedge Studios, Bottinelli is one of dozens of artists who create, display and sell their work within the building, not to mention the hundreds of other artisans in several other buildings within a stones throw away.

“Art is good for people, it’s as simple as that,” Bottinelli said. “It makes a huge difference when you have art in your home, and

CONNECTING THE DOTS: LAKE EDEN ARTS FESTIVAL

Taking that first step is the key.

“Doors open and you walk through them,” said Jennifer Pickering. “Connecting cultures throughout the world with the cultures of Western North Carolina, that has remained at the core, what changes is how it all looks.”

Coming into its 23rd year, Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF) has grown from a twice-a-year celebration of local, regional, national and international culture and art to an entity that flows like water — moving to wherever it finds space to expand.

And at the helm of LEAF is Pickering, the founder and executive director. From humble beginnings, where no idea was too farfetched, the organization has connected the dots of culture around the world from its headquarters in Black Mountain.

“We use our resources to complement other programs in communities, and we’ve got all the international programs — everything weaved together at the festivals,” Pickering said. “The idea is to become year-round, for international cultures to come here throughout the year, to have this area as a landing spot for all these people and artists.”

A beehive of creativity and compassion, LEAF’s wildly popular multi-day spring and fall festivals have added a summer shindig in downtown Asheville in recent years, atop its continued innovation and increase in community outreach programs, where they provide the catalyst to spark the ideas of others in Western

North Carolina and beyond.

“LEAF is a unique model that is able to connect people to a lot of different cultures, new music and art,” Pickering said. “And also have a way that have a level of traditions and connections with family and friends in a positive environment, in a place that shows all the great aspects of humanity. LEAF is to you whatever you want it to be, and it might change over the years, whether you have kids with you or not, or where you are in your life as the years go along.”

Now that LEAF has created a strong, unbreakable foundation of partnerships that stretch around the world, the organization is looking in the mirror, trying to see what the next step is.

“We asked ourselves if what we do is meaningful enough and positively social changing enough that we really need to figure out how to find stability at the next level? And the answer we came with was — yes,” Pickering said. “There’s a lot of really great possibilities on the horizon.”

Though the world at-large may seem like a place where cultures seem to clash more than connect, Pickering will be the first to defend the latter, where LEAF is proof positive that the lines of social, economic, political, cultural and religious division blur once people from all walks of life find common ground through the arts.

“We really see LEAF as a sanctuary, and also a bridge,” Pickering said. “We’re on a journey really trying to understand how we can become more equitable and open platforms that don’t push, but invite people to step beyond their own perceptions, to find those moments that you can step into someone’s world and erase some of those ‘-isms.’”

Arts&Culture

how it affects you emotionally. I love doing art, and I get so excited coming here to work and create everyday — I’d live here if I could.”

Along with downtown galleries and home studios dotting the landscape, there’s also a handful of renowned academic institutions promoting and teaching the specific skills to the next generation of crafters. From the acclaimed Penland School of Crafts in Bakersville to the professional crafts program at Haywood Community in Clyde, the future of handmade items is not only in safe hands, it’s revitalizing what it means to make something and be able to find a market for it.

“The professional crafts program at HCC is very unique. It promotes not only creativity and craft, but also how to market yourself as an artist,” said Amy Putansu, fiber instructor at HCC. “The students here are learning to make things, and make things well, with the emphasis around their ethics very positive, very minded in the local sustainability movement. I love it because they’re creating a whole new future, a different shape of manufacturing in America, a new design in conjunction with manufacturing.”

From the passed down traditions of basket weaving and stonework of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to the arts of metalsmithing and glassblowing, there has always been a rich atmosphere of creation in these parts.

With textile crafting a large part of the heritage in Western North Carolina, the students are not only preserving traditional skills, they’re perpetuating them.

“It’s about staying in touch with history,” Putansu said. “It’s maintaining that thread through generations, time and history. It’s about what we do, the objects we make, and it’s really important that history doesn’t get lost.”

Standing next to Dorenko in her studio, she truly makes you feel at home, welcomed with such a sincere sense of kindness and zest for life, you feel like a magnet to her whimsical work.

“People ask me what inspires me, and I say life — how I feel, what I do everyday, sometimes it’s just whatever I’m seeing. I have my view. I’m a painter and I can express myself, not everybody can express themselves,” she said. “And maybe you can see the train differently or a tree differently. I’m lucky as a painter, I just pick up the brushes and it just comes out of my mind and my fingertips. It’s not just about selling a painting, you can feel like your time on this planet isn’t wasted because you're doing something that people enjoy.” n

Silver Screen Magic

GRAIL MOVIEHOUSE OFFERS A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE

Ahop, skip and a jump from the bustling intersection of Patton and French Broad avenues in downtown Asheville, several vehicles roll up to a small building. Car doors are slammed in haste, while each person scurries to the front door of the unassuming structure.

They’ve made it. They’re just on time for another screening at the Grail Moviehouse.

“To me, it's hard to top the experience of seeing a great film on the big screen with an audience,” Steve White said. “Films combine the individual artistry of a huge amount people focused on one goal — to make the best movie possible.”

Alongside his partner, Davida Horwitz, the couple opened the theater a couple years ago, with the business already becoming a beloved branch of the wide and ever-expanding artistic tree at the heart of the city.

“Asheville is unique in so many ways, but one that stands out is the artistic community here,” White said. “We believed that if we brought a wider variety of films to the area, that we would find an audience. Now that we've been in business for about 18 months, we're more convinced than ever.”

“I think that the people that live in and visit Asheville love Asheville. We wanted to be a part of that celebration of this city and hopefully add to it,” Horwitz added. “It’s great to see and get to know our local regulars. It’s also wonderful when we get tourists and are able to share what makes Asheville great with them, give them recommendations of our favorite local spots, and just promote everything that makes this city unique.”

The couple has called Asheville home for several years, but it was only in 2014 that they decided to take the leap and launch the Grail. Horwitz was headlong into a 20-year teaching career,

but was looking for a change. White initially managed seven theaters across North Carolina, then found himself involved in corporate media, but his lifelong passion for film never wavered far from his dreams.

“I’ve found as a business owner in this town that there are some of the most amazing, hardworking and supportive people living and working here. Asheville takes pride in its independent businesses and art, and I think we all work hard to give the best possible experience that we can to whomever walks through our doors,” Horwitz said. “We have the greatest places to eat, amazing local artists, and nothing is more beautiful than living in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I tell my children all the time even driving to school, ‘Look, do you see how beautiful it is this morning? Other people come here on vacation and we get to live here.’”

you relate so many experiences to film because when you watch a movie you’re bringing into the theater what your mindset is at a specific time in your life — your current attitudes and personal situation. You attach emotion to the people on the screen. You hear the score, which ties into your emotions. And, when you leave the theater, that experience stays with you.”

“We believed that if we brought a wider variety of films to the area, that we would find an audience. Now that we’ve been in business for about 18 months, we’re more convinced than ever.”

And though Asheville has always been supportive of independent businesses (especially arts related), it also has a large hunger for documentaries, indie films and cult classics. This can be attributed to the city being a place where knowledge and an appreciation for quality art has remained a cornerstone of the welcoming and curious nature at the heart of the region itself.

— Steve White, Grail Moviehouse

“Film is unique in that it is a shared experience, but also so personal to every person. We can watch the same film together and laugh and cry together, discuss it, quote our favorite lines, and recall favorite movies endlessly,” Horwitz said. “Individually,

Atop the usual first-run blockbuster and documentary releases, the Grail’s “bread and butter” (and ethos) resides in the pure magic of films that may or may not be well known. The theater pays homage to the silent film era, to iconic classics celebrating release anniversaries, the best of the worst during “Bad Movie Nite,” and the film’s viewers merely take a chance, only to walk out of the Grail forever changed.

“I was worried after leaving teaching that I would not be able to affect positive change and had done something purely selfish in changing careers. I’m learning that we can continue to affect change by the movies we select, [and] am so proud of some of the films we are able to bring to Asheville,” Horwitz said. “We have wonderful customers who thank us as they are walking out, and that makes us so happy and proud to be doing this. I think our vision for the theater has really expanded since we opened, and we could not be more appreciative of the people who continue to visit us. They are making a choice to leave their homes and have an experience here with us, and we appreciate that so much.” n

We Create

Golf Staying the Course

There’s nothing like playing a round of golf at high elevation to quicken the blood and make you feel alive. Golf courses in Asheville and Western North Carolina have attitude as well as altitude, challenging golfers in the most gorgeous of settings.

Condé Nast Traveler magazine included the golf course at Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa in its list of “Top 20 Southern U.S. Golf Resorts.” Designed by Donald Ross in 1926, the 18-hole, par 70 course has an undulating front nine and a back nine that can be steep. Over a decade ago, the resort invested $2.5 million to restore the course in a manner that Ross would approve. Players who have enjoyed its challenge include golf immortals Bobby Jones, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson, as well as other PGA stars like Doug Sanders, Gene Littler, Fuzzy Zoeller and Chip Beck.

The Country Club of Asheville has an 18-hole, par 72 Donald Rossdesigned course with a distinctive clubhouse that overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains. It also boasts a state-of-the-art indoor tennis facility that has eight outdoor clay courts and a modern fitness facility. Also available are a 25-tee driving range and putting and chipping greens.

One of the oldest golf courses in Western North Carolina, Asheville Municipal Golf Course is an 18-hole, par 72 course that opened in 1927. The front nine of this Donald Rossdesigned course measures 3,246 yards from the back tees, calling for a driver on every hole. The course is open daily to the public, weather permitting.

MOUNTAIN GOLF

according to the PGA Tour. Its greens, bent grass fairways, clever bunkering and elevation changes make it a challenge that calls for a sharp eye.

In Weaverville, just north of Asheville, is Reems Creek Golf Club, an 18-hole, par 72 course. Located in the beautiful Reems Creek Valley, it’s surrounded by tall mountains through which the Blue Ridge Parkway passes. The 6,492-yard course was designed by Hawtree & Sons, a British firm that worked on Royal Birkdale, a course that's in the British Open rotation.

South of Asheville in Mills River is High Vista Country Club, whose golf course is open to the public. Established in 1976 and designed by Tom Jackson, the 18-hole course has dramatic elevation changes and winding fairways. Nearby, Etowah Valley Golf Club has three 9hole courses, all knitted together in one spectacular championship golf experience. Create the combination you want from six tee positions on a scenic mountain plateau 2,200 feet high.

The 18-hole golf course at Biltmore Forest Country Club went through a $2.5-million restoration, accompanied by an $8.5-million renovation of the clubhouse, just a few years ago. The upgrades brought both back to their 1922 splendor. Over the years, the course has attracted the likes of Bobby Jones, Bill Tilden, John D. Rockefeller, William Jennings Bryan, William Howard Taft and Calvin Coolidge.

Sporting the only golf course in Western North Carolina designed by Jack Nicklaus, The Cliffs At Walnut Cove is a par 71, 18-hole course that opened in tournament-ready conditions,

Height matters at Mount Mitchell Golf Club, located near Burnsville. Lying at about 3,000 feet in elevation and bordered by peaks that exceed 6,000 feet, the course is relatively flat. The South Toe River runs through it, a factor that must be taken into account for many shots.

In the mountain region west of the Asheville area, there are a handful of top-notch public courses, including the Sequoyah National in Cherokee (designed by Robert Trent Jones II) and the historic 27 holes at Waynesville Inn, Golf Resort and Spa. In the Cashiers area of Jackson County, the scenic High Hampton Inn has one of the most picturesque courses in the country.

“You go onto the course and you see quotes from Bobby Jones. You go into the locker room and see a name label with Ben Hogan. The history that’s here is phenomenal.”

— Frank Holly, Omni Grove Park Inn assistant golf professional

SWING FOR THE SMOKIES: OMNI GROVE PARK INN

Frank Holly aims to find the pieces that fit.

“Every swing is different,” he said. “And each golfer is different puzzle to figure out.”

Holly is the assistant golf professional at the Omni Grove Park Inn. High atop a mountain ridge overlooking downtown Asheville, the iconic 513-room inn and its legendary 18-hole, 6,400-yard golf course have remained a top destination for locals and visitors for over a century.

“Initially, when I heard about the position at the Grove Park, it’s the sheer history that’s here,” Holly said. “You go onto the course and you see quotes from Bobby Jones. You go into the locker room and see a name label with Ben Hogan. The history that’s here is phenomenal, and the course, thankfully, matches that history.”

Originally from County Cork, Ireland, Holly has played and enjoyed the game of golf his entire life. His hometown of Charleville was also the course where he got his start in 2012.

“I had played on that course since I was 5 years old, so it was nice the way it worked out that the job came up when I turned professional,” he reminisced. “I really enjoyed it, learned a lot there, did a lot of teaching there, which I loved.”

Although his father did play a bit of golf, it was Holly himself

who developed his own love of the game.

“It was more to do with the area I was in, the southwest [of Ireland] — there’s some of the best golf in the world there,” he said. “I just loved being out on the course with friends, seeing incredible courses within an hour of yourself, and I found out I was decent at it at a young age.”

In 2016, Holly and his fiancé, a North Carolina native, relocated to Asheville upon his acceptance of the assistant pro position at the Omni Grove Park Inn. The job, well, fit like a glove for Holly, a strategic player looking for more of a challenge than just simply crushing a drive straight to a green.

“It’s such a good Donald Ross design that’s very tricky to play — the greens are very penalizing,” he laughed. “What I really love about the course is that you have to really think through your shots. And it’s the same with many Donald Ross courses — if you just play for the flag, you’re going to shoot a high score. You have to be very respectful for where those flags are, being very respectful of those greens. For me, even if I’m driving the ball really well, I have to think through those iron shots.”

Holly spends his days on the course instructing those looking to not only improve their game, but also their experience.

“On the coaching side of it, I get to go out onto a range with someone who is vulnerable about their game, and within 30 minutes, you’re seeing confidence build and the understanding of their swing grow,” he said. “By dealing with someone who wants to get better at this game, which is difficult enough as it is, and being able to impart your knowledge and ability to help them with that — it’s so rewarding out there.”

BENEFIT FROM OUR EXPERIENCE

Relocating to our mountains can be tricky for large out-of-town moving trucks. Our longstanding relationships with local moving companies can minimize expense and ensure a smooth move.

Area Golf Courses

Asheville Municipal Golf Course

Municipal

226 Fairway Drive, Asheville 828-298-1867 • ashevillenc.gov

Biltmore Forest Country Club

Private 31 Stuyvesant Road, Asheville 828-274-1261 • biltmoreforestcc.com

Black Mountain Golf Course

Municipal 15 Ross Drive, Black Mountain 828-669-2710 • blackmountaingolf.org

Broadmoor Golf Links Public

101 French Broad Lane, Fletcher 828-687-1500 • broadmoorlinks.com

Champion Hills

Private 53 Hogan’s View Circle, Hendersonville 800-633-5122

Cliffs At Walnut Cove

Private

268 Walnut Valley Parkway, Arden 888-988-3040 • cliffscommunities.com

Country Club of Asheville

Private

170 Windsor Road, Asheville 828-258-9762 • countryclubofasheville.net

Crowne Plaza Tennis & Golf Resort

Public

1 Resort Drive, Asheville 828-253-5874 • ashevillecp.com

Cummings Cove Golf & Country Club Public

20 Cummings Cove Parkway, Hendersonville 828-891-9412 • cummingscove.com

Etowah Valley Golf Club Public

470 Brickyard Road, Etowah 800-451-8174 • etowahvalley.com

High Hampton

Semi-Private 1525 Highway 107 South, Cashiers 800-334-2551 • highhamptoninn.com

High Vista Country Club Public

88 Country Club Road, Mills River 828-891-1986 • highvistagolf.com

Mount Mitchell Golf Club

Public 11484 N.C. 80 South, Burnsville 828-675-5454 • mountmitchellgolf.com

The Omni Grove Park Inn Public

290 Macon Avenue, Asheville 800-438-5800 • groveparkinn.com

Orchard Trace Golf Club Public

3389 Sugarloaf Road, Hendersonville 828-685-1006

Reems Creek Golf Club

Semi-private

36 Pink Fox Cove Road, Weaverville 828-645-4393 • reemscreekgolf.com

Rumbling Bald Resort Public

112 Mountain Boulevard, Lake Lure 828-694-3000 • rumblingbald.com

Sequoyah National Golf Club Public

79 Cahons Road, Whittier 828-497-3000 • sequoyahnational.com

Smoky Mountain Country Club Public

1300 Conley Creek Road, Whittier 800-474-0070 • smokymountaincc.com.

Southern Tee Golf Course Public

111 Howard Gap Road, Fletcher 828-687-7273

Springdale Country Club Public

200 Golfwatch Road, Canton 800-553-3027 • springdalegolf.com

Waynesville Inn, Golf Resort & Spa Public

176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville 800-627-6250 • wccinn.com

Small City, Big Ideas

With a population of 88,000 and growing, Asheville is the largest city in Western North Carolina and serves as the area’s economic and cultural nerve center in many ways.

Billed as a place where “altitude affects attitude,” Asheville is surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains and is just a short car ride to the nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s been renowned as a place to retreat and take in natural wonders since the 1800s.

Over the last decade, its once-dormant downtown has exploded with commerce and entertainment that is second to none in the Southeast.

With a theme of “cosmopolitan country,” the culinary scene is bursting at the seams in and around the city.

The Daily Meal ranked Asheville “The #1 Locavore City in America” (food that comes from within a 100-mile radius), while The Huffington Post named it one of the “Cities You Need To Visit.”

As far back as 2007, Asheville started getting noticed. It topped the Relocate-America.com list of the 100 best places to live, while U.S. News & World Report named it one of “America’s best affordable places to retire.” Good Morning America pegged Asheville as one of the “10 most beautiful places in America.”

There are dozens of craft breweries in Buncombe County, with their delicious output lauded by beer enthusiasts. Imbibe magazine’s readers voted Asheville the “best craft beer city in America,” and from 20102012, Asheville won a national online poll for the coveted title of “Beer City USA.”

In 2014, the city was named one of the “Top Ten Foliage Destinations” in the United States by USA TODAY, ranked one of the “Best Places to Live” by Livability.com and one of the “Smartest Cities in America” by Forbes. It was also recognized by National Geographic on their list of the “World’s Best Cities,” who described the

location as “a mecca of awesome mountain scenery, bohemian art and southern cuisine.”

These days, Asheville is firming up its reputation as a culinary center with a sizable and rapidly evolving food scene. The city has some 250 independent restaurants and 12 farmers markets. Livibility.com named it one of the country’s top-10 “surprisingly vibrant food cities,” and Huffington Post listed it among the top “undiscovered local food cities.” The best of the city’s culinary offerings is celebrated at events like the Asheville Wine & Food Festival, an annual weeklong event featuring cuisine and spirits from dozens of area eateries, wineries and breweries.

Outdoors enthusiasts find no shortage of activities in Asheville, whether it’s hiking, biking and climbing, paddling and fishing on the French Broad River and local lakes, careening through the trees on a zip line, or golfing at one of the area’s renowned courses. Asheville is such an outdoors destination that a few years ago Outside magazine named it “Best Southern Town” for outdoor adventures. And of course, no survey of Asheville’s outdoor offerings would be complete without a mention of the area’s stunning leaf season. TripAdvisor.com recently named the city the best place in the nation to view fall foliage.

Amid this renowned city are six distinct areas — Downtown, Biltmore Village, Biltmore Park, North Asheville, River Arts District and West Asheville — each as unique as the people, places and things that inhabit them.

Downtown Asheville

The heart of the city, downtown Asheville is a cultural mecca. For several years, Asheville was voted the “top small-city arts destination” in the country, just one of many labels this vibrant, evolving district has been tagged with. Downtown is full of galleries and shops displaying all manners of art, from traditional mountain crafts to more modern creations.

The Asheville Art Museum, which has helped anchor the arts scene for decades, recently announced major expansion plans. The Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center hosts exhibits, talks and workshops that celebrate the legacy of the college, a noted avant-garde institution from 1933-1957.

The performing arts also flourish in Asheville, with dozens of venues hosting live music, readings, theatre and comedy on a nightly basis.

The sky’s the limit for activities and opportunity in downtown Asheville. Food to festivals, crafts to craft beer, music to mountains — it’s all here, ready for the taking.

The U.S Cellular Center is the largest, with both a 7,600-seat arena and the 2,400-seat Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. The center hosts everything from performances by the Asheville Symphony Orchestra to roller derby bouts starring the Blue Ridge Rollergirls. More intimate performances take place at the Diana Wortham Theatre, a 500-seat venue that is part of a downtown cultural and educational center, Pack Place, and the recent opened Ellington Underground, an intimate downstairs venue in the historic Asheville S&W Cafeteria (built 1929).

The Orange Peel, a renovated 1970s-era music club, draws national acts on a nightly basis and was recently named one of the best rock venues in America by Rolling Stone. And on just about any given night, innumerable bars, breweries, clubs and restaurants around the city feature live music of various genres.

There’s also a burgeoning comedy scene, with both amateur and professional stand-up comics performing several times a weeks on various stages. The annual Laugh Your Asheville Off, held in in July, is the biggest comedy festival in the Southeast.

Some of the area’s biggest art events take place in Asheville. In July and October, the U.S. Cellular Center is home to the four-day Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands, which has taken place for more than 60 years. At the event, more than 200 local and regional craftspeople fill the center, offering their creations of clay, fiber, glass, leather, metal, mixed media, natural materials, paper, wood and jewelry. A newer event, The Big Crafty, has exploded in popularity in recent years. Held in July and December at Pack Place, it’s a kind of community bazaar, with quirky handmade crafts, local food and beer, and live music.

The annual Mountain Sports Festival hosts an array of outdoor gear demonstrations, live music and craft beer each Memorial Day weekend in nearby Carrier Park. For those who find largescale festivals too big for their liking, there’s a smaller, but still-vibrant event in September: the Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival — a family-friendly celebrating the funkier side of Asheville’s underground arts and music.

Of course, traditional music also gets its due. On Saturday nights throughout the summer, thousands of mountain-music fans gather for the Shindig on the Green. The outdoor event was founded back in 1930, as the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, by legendary Appalachian song collector and folk historian Bascom Lamar Lunsford. It’s still one of the best ways to take in mountain music and dance performed by the young, old and everyone in between.

Asheville also has a vibrant literary culture that springs from deep roots. The great American novelist Thomas Wolfe was born and raised here, and other noted writers of his era, including O. Henry and F. Scott Fitzgerald, did some of their best work while staying in Asheville. The Thomas Wolfe Memorial, a state historic site in Wolfe’s restored childhood home, hosts tours, readings and other events to celebrate his rich body of literature.

The city has recently emerged as a center of local, specialized food production, thanks in part to Blue Ridge Food Ventures, an 11,000-square-foot kitchen that’s part of Asheville-Buncombe Technical College, which is home to a renowned culinary-education program. With its cooking and food storage capacity, along with classes and marketing assistance, BRFV has helped scores of food entrepreneurs find a recipe for success.

The sky’s the limit for activities and opportunity in downtown Asheville. Food to festivals, crafts to craft beer, music to mountains — it’s all here, ready for the taking.

TURNING

THE PAGE:

MALAPROP’S BOOKSTORE & CAFÉ

Tucked away in the vast aisles and shelves of Malaprop’s Bookstore & Café in downtown Asheville is the 35-year history of a business that remains a vital economic and social beacon for a city that’s evolved exponentially over the last few decades.

“We do feel like we’re an important part of the community, and we’re always looking for new ways to keep reaching deeper in the community around us — we don’t take for granted being here for 35 years.” said Melanie McNair, director of marketing for Malaprop’s.

Originally from Asheville, McNair has always known the beloved bookstore, a place as unique and welcoming as those who peruse its selection, and who work behind the counter.

“We’re bibliophiles, and we share that real love of books with our customers,” she said. “It’s hard to separate the independent spirit of Asheville from Malaprop’s. The bookstore was such a cornerstone of the development of the city and what we’re seeing here. People love it here so much because of the independent business owners, and that spirit draws people here. And there’s something about having a bookstore filled with creative and independent people that makes people feel safe.”

Though the future of independent bookstores was uncertain at the turn of the 21st century — with online shopping and big box retailers — McNair sees the tide changing, turning in the favor of that cozy locally-owned shop just around the corner.

“It’s actually a good time to be a bookstore,” she said. “Independent bookstores are on the rise again, with more stores being opened than ever before. And physical book sales are back up — people are craving connections with other human beings

and connections with physical objects because we’re so plugged in with our digital devices.”

And McNair noted Malaprop’s has one thing wholesellers don’t. “What we do is something that they can’t do — customer service,” she said. “And for a lot of us here, the fact that Malaprop’s is such an important part of the community is one of the reasons why it’s so important for us to work here, and why we love working here, and why we have such a deep appreciation for the place.”

Beyond the city limits, Malaprop’s is nationally recognized for its readings by bestselling authors and stocking its shelves with some of the finest literature from near and far.

“We’re

bibliophiles,

and we

share that real love of books with our customers. It’s hard to separate the independent spirit of Asheville from Malaprop’s.”

—

Melanie McNair, director of marketing, Malaprop’s

“In the national landscape of bookstores, Malaprop’s is known,” she said. “So, when we go to trade shows and conferences, it’s really fun to find out what Malaprop’s means to booksellers, authors and other store owners that don’t live here.”

Though McNair was born and bred in Asheville, she did leave for a period, only to return to her hometown, truly appreciative of what this city — and the bookstore — has to offer.

“What brought me back was the natural beauty, and the funky vibe that we still have retained as the city has grown — we’re a beacon across the south,” she said. “[As for the bookstore], I think we’ll hopefully continue to grow as a hub for great literature, nationally and locally — this is a great book town.”

Biltmore Village

One of the most unique shopping experiences in the South, Biltmore Village is home to high-end boutiques, open-aired restaurants, locally owned retailers and other points of commercial and residential interest. Built as a community entrance for the renowned Biltmore Estate, the village is filled with tree-lined streets, historic homes and majestic architecture.

Nearby is the Biltmore Estate, site of the Biltmore Mansion, one of the largest private residences ever built. Completed in 1895, today the 250-room, French renaissance-style house and the 8,000-acre grounds are open to guests for tours, dinners, concerts and outdoor activities. The gardens, stables, restaurants, winery and hotels all help make this North Carolina’s top tourism destination, with more than a million people now visiting each year. The estate’s Biltmore Winery is also one of the largest in the Southeast, and features both tours of the vineyards and an expansive tasting room.

Biltmore Village is filled with art galleries, cafés, boutiques and high-end restaurants.

ACROSS THE WORLD, AROUND THE CORNER:

LONDON DISTRICT STUDIOS

It’s from their fingertips to the walls and floors of your home.

“We envisioned a neighborhood-based business with a focus on community and lifestyle-driven offerings of furnishings and fine relevant art with a global relevance,” said Leslie Rowland. “We’re somewhat deceiving as we have a funky neighborhood store, yet we both play on the global scale in the home décor and furnishings stage.”

A duo of artisan furniture designers, Rowland (L. Rowland Art/L. Rowland Abstract Paint Jeans) and Wade Oppliger (ABW Brand) launched London District Studios in 2016. Since then, they’ve created a space where high-end art and fashion styles intersect with the unique tastes of their clients looking to surround themselves with something with equal parts comfort and inspiration.

“Well, the concept germinated while we were living in Austin, Texas. So much of the great vibe people hear about Austin comes from the local start-up business models,” Oppliger said. “Part of the charm of many of them is their venue itself. Unexpected,

“One thing we share is extensive travel

in and out

of the USA. For creative people, exposure to new places, people and culture can’t help but impact your interpretation of well, everything really.”

— Wade Oppliger

reuse is as interesting as the business itself — we’re seeing quite a bit of that in Asheville, as well.”

Located in the London Entertainment District of Biltmore Village, the studios are part of a new and exciting chapter in the village, a vibe that is continually swirling around the city of Asheville.

“With another very large apartment complex coming up just behind ‘The District,’ our newly tagged neighborhood — the London Entertainment District — will soon be the center of another pocket of the diverse and engaging town that Asheville is,” Oppliger said.

“Randy Shull has been updating his studio, 22 London, presenting two major installations and recently hosting a magical dance troupe from Philadelphia in conjunction with Black Mountain College Museum. Burial Beer purchased the six buildings at the end of our block, around the corner Hillman Beer and Rise Up Deli opened, [and] Eda Rhyne Distillery will soon open their tasting room next to the newly relaunched French Broad Brewing.”

Both Rowland and Oppliger come from extensive artistic and professional business backgrounds. They’ve traveled the globe as much as they’ve conjured ideas from it, a well of knowledge and innovation whose depths are unknown.

"One thing we share is extensive travel in and out of the USA. For creative people, exposure to new places, people and culture can't help but impact your interpretation of well, everything really,” Oppliger said. “For Leslie, her time in Asia, India and South America greatly shaped her appreciation for nature and culture

— aspects [that] show up in her work all the time. One of her strengths is her observation of the nuances that make things unique and compelling coupled.”

"Similarly, Wade was exposed to many different aspects of the furniture industry,” Rowland countered. “Starting in the more conservative and traditional design world of the 1980s, then branching off towards the creation of furniture that better fit how people actually lived — comfortable, less-fussy, classic designs. I think the new tagline for Wade's furniture collection, ABW, captures that nicely — ‘Tradition. Luxury. Remastered.’”

"I guess that's what defines our work — comfortable, thoughtful and relevant,” Oppliger added.

Now that they’ve put down roots in Asheville, Rowland and Oppliger are constantly in awe of those they cross paths with in the city, and within the region. The openness and artistic buzz of folks here has become a magnet for creative and spiritual minds.

“On top of the ability to live very close to nature, we’re both energized by the creativity around us,” Oppliger said. “Strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere in town, and you immediately connect to passion. Ashevillians care and act on those feelings. From art to food to beer and now distilled liquors, to theatre to dance to music to design — Asheville truly excels in each. This town offers more than many areas that are 10 times and more our size. Go explore.”

“I’ve lived in a lot of great places — Seattle, San Francisco, Hawaii, Fort Lauderdale, Austin. I’ve never felt more in tune and in touch with a place as I do now,” Rowland added. “I have an overwhelmingly intense connection to this land, these mountains, and I love the culture and people of Asheville. I have found my tribe. We are a kind, intellectual, honest, cultured and down-toearth community — what could be better?”

Biltmore Park

A“fresh re-imagining of the Main Streets of the past, made to meet today’s standards of smart growth, green living and reduced driving,” Biltmore Park is just minutes from downtown Asheville. Between an array of apartment, condo, townhouse and residential home options, the strength lies in the vibrant commercial/urban core of the community, which extends outwards into neighborhoods as unique as the people who inhabit them.

At the center of the town are numerous restaurants, cafes, spas, health clubs, boutiques and gathering spots. Consumers and residents alike enjoy catching a flick at the Regal Biltmore Grande Stadium 15 & RPX movie theater or perusing retailers like REI, LOFT and Barnes & Noble. Amid these stores are plenty of local, independent businesses and world-class merchants.

Premier Jewelry Makers

At Marthaler Jewelers, we believe that authenticity matters in gemstones and relationships. While our independently above all, the relationship with our clients is the most precious thing.

Andy, an expert gemologist, takes pride in sitting down with each of our clients and reported industry insider valuations.

We have built the Marthaler brand on the values that guide our daily lives: trust, transparency, and a commitment to excellence.

A PIECE TO LAST A LIFETIME:

MARTHALER JEWELERS

Entering its eighth year of operation, Marthaler Jewelers is looking to switch it up a bit.

“We’ve experienced growth every year we’ve been open. And we started changing a lot of the things typical jewelry stores do — we’re moving away from brands,” said co-owner Tonya Marthaler. “In jewelry, customers want someone they can trust, someone that’s fair and provides a good product.”

With her husband, professional gemologist Andy Marthaler, behind the scenes creating intricate pieces of beauty, the couple has built a business on long-term friendships with their customers.

“The honesty isn’t just a tagline for us — personally and professionally, that’s our moral compass,” Tonya said. “People work hard, and it takes a lot to make that $10 or $20 an hour. We work hard to focus on relationships, and I think that’s where we’ve really set ourselves apart from other stores. There’s not enough advertising you could pay for to undo bad business practices.”

Originally from Minnesota, Andy found himself in the jewelry industry at age 16, subsequently being formally trained at the Gemological Institute of America in California. Hailing from Charlotte, Tonya has an extensive background in nursing, which she finds a similar skill set in her new position running the jewelry store.

“It’s meeting people’s needs and building relationships,” she said. “Trust is huge, where you can’t start a procedure on someone without gaining their trust.”

And as the company edges towards a decade in business in Biltmore Park, the couple takes great pride in “paying it forward,” where they give a percentage of their profits each quarter to a

“In jewelry, customers want someone they can trust, someone that’s fair and provides a good product.”

— Tonya Marthaler

local nonprofit organization. That initiative is just one of the many reasons they live, work and thrive in Western North Carolina.

“The diversity — it’s a melting pot,” Tonya said. “There’s just a multitude of opportunities in this area. If you can imagine it, it’s available. The people that we’ve met, it really is such a great representation of the best of what this country has to offer.”

For the Marthalers, it’s about avoiding an arm’s length interaction, where you feel — and are — treated like family.

“It’s one of the best feelings, when you know someone is going to go to their significant other and present them with this gift they are so proud they were able to come in and find,” Tonya said. “It’s incredible — you get to be part of people’s stories.”

West Asheville

Quite possibly the fastest growing area in the city, West Asheville has become home to numerous small businesses.

From cafés and breakfast nooks (West End Bakery, Biscuithead, Sunny Point Café) to restaurants (Nine Mile, The Admiral, West Asheville Lounge & Kitchen), music venues (The Mothlight, Isis Music Hall, The Odditorium) to breweries (UpCountry, Oyster House), and everything in between, the area offers a warm welcome to the possibilities of niche commerce. The section is known for its “neighborhood friendly” image, where you’ll see just as many baby-strollers and joggers moseying down the sidewalks as patrons heading toward a concert or lunch date.

Welcome to our neighborhood by the lake.

Living at Biltmore Lake is like a continuous escape from the world-at-large, a place where being with friends and neighbors preempts, well, pretty much anything else. With a full calendar of community activities, the Biltmore Lake clubhouse provides a welcoming venue for community gatherings and events. The centerpiece of the community is the gorgeous 62-acre shimmering lake. Surrounding all this is a network of trails, sidewalks, and parks that stretch for miles. Biltmore Lake offers diverse opportunities for ownership within the master-planned community.

Biltmore Lake Sales Center 80 Lake Drive • Biltmore Lake, NC 28715

Asheville

THE ART OF THE SPIN: HARVEST RECORDS

Coming into its 14th year, Harvest Records in West Asheville is proof positive that the neighborhood record store will never disappear.

“All we can really say is that, from day one, we've tried to operate from the perspective of ‘don't force anything big — you'll know big changes need to happen when they present themselves naturally,’” said Harvest Records co-owner Mark Capon. “That was what happened when we started our music festivals, when we expanded and doubled our square footage in 2011, when we've hired new employees for new positions — all our big decisions came to us when it made sense.”

In the same timeline as Harvest Records, the entire music industry has gone from its high-water mark to utter collapse. That fall from grace was partly the fault of the industry itself, and partly due to the technological advances and options of the internet and streaming services.

Amid all that, the neighborhood record store of “Main Street USA” has regained footing in recent years. With more artists working within a do-it-yourself business model, these independent record stores have become the vital and crucial connector between artists and music lovers, where special releases and the resurgence of vinyl are at the core of these beloved locations.

“We're in a lucky position in that we get to see people come in and buy things that will bring them joy,” Capon said. “Or help them

through difficult times, or maybe even just scratch that nagging collector/completist itch. But, no matter what, they're choosing music to be a part of their human experience, and we're happy to have a small role in that.”

Befriending each other in college in Virginia, Capon and Harvest Records co-owner Matt Schnable found a deep and mutual love of music while working at their college radio station and through concert promotions run by the station.

“Our approaches and skill sets seemed to complement each other well, our communication was easy and free and flowing, so we started tossing around the idea of opening a record shop somewhere together,” Capon said. “It was partially the classic college pipe dream, but it never went away. So, on a whim, we

visited Asheville and happened to see the ‘For Lease’ sign while exploring West Asheville. We signed the lease a couple of days later. Moved here in May of 2004, and the shop opened three months later.”

But, it’s one thing to open a record store — somewhere, anywhere. It’s another to open it in a city like Asheville that truly has an appreciation for not only music (live and on record), but also takes pride in small businesses, where having a record store is viewed as a cherished pillar of the community, rather than something one might take for granted.

“It was quite obvious that the city was supportive of local businesses, that it had a palpable sense of community,” Capon said. “And that it was full of interesting, diverse people that would probably be open to lots of different types of music — and [that] turned out to be accurate.”

And as Harvest Records has expanded, so has Asheville itself. The city has gone from a small music haven to a mecca of the southeast touring circuit in the last decade. Whereas bands used to roll through town on an off-night or weekday, huge national and international acts will now start and finish tours onstage in Asheville, all making sure that the city is on the itinerary. These bands understand the unique fervor of Asheville live music fans, atop being able to enjoy the pleasures of city — culinary, craft beer, artisans, great outdoors — while passing through.

“We all respond to different types of music in a million different ways — it's all a part of the human experience,” Capon said. “Something we know when we feel it, but have no accurate way to explain. It has an intense mystery about it, which I think is at the root of my personal journey with music. I’m obsessed with the unknowable, the haziness, the discovery, the imperfection. In the words of a Smog song, ‘there is no love in the unerring.’”

“We’re in a lucky position in that we get to see people come in and buy things that will bring them joy. Or help them through difficult times, or maybe even just scratch that nagging collector/completist itch. But, no matter what, they’re choosing music to be a part of their human experience, and we’re happy to have a small role in that.”

— Mark Capon, Harvest Records

River Arts District

Arising jewel of the Southern Appalachian arts scene is the River Arts District, an everexpanding complex of studios and galleries near the French Broad River that’s also becoming one of Asheville’s culinary and entertainment hubs.

The Grey Eagle, a nationally-renowned music venue in the RAD, brings in top talents from around the region and across the country, and has bubbled up to become one of the acclaimed spots in the Southeast for live entertainment. Brewing some of the finest craft beer in the region, The Wedge is tucked behind the dozens of artists showcased in the Wedge Studios, all within an earshot of numerous restaurants (White Duck Taco, The Bull & Beggar, All Souls Pizza) and performance spaces (Magnetic Theatre, The Bywater) that dot the RAD.

As of 2016, the centerpiece business became New Belgium Brewing Company, one of the largest craft beer companies in the country (based out of Fort Collins, Colorado), who recently opened their $140-million east coast production facility in the heart of the RAD.

AN ARTIST’S BEST FRIEND: ANGELA ALEXANDER

Stepping into the studio of painter Angela Alexander, one is immediately awe-struck by the bright and vibrant nature of her pieces, something that seamlessly complements her warm personality.

“I want my art to make people happy — it’s the heart and soul,” she said. “It’s a joy to watch people walk into my studio and there’s an instant smile on their faces.”

Situated above Depot Street in the River Arts District (RAD) of Asheville, Alexander specializes in painting abstract portraits of dogs. What started out as a hobby has now garnered Alexander national attention and accolades for her mesmerizing canvases.

“The way I see it, dogs are obviously what I’m most passionate about. But, for me, this style of painting is all about their energy, their inner color,” she said. “When I look at a dog, I see all of that, all their emotions that are just like us — they go from happy and sweet to guilty or that inquisitive look.”

Unable to have children of her own due to medical issues, Alexander is a proud “dog mom,” with her cherished canines helping her physical and emotional woes disappear.

“For me, dogs are unconditional love. They’re always happy to see me, I don’t know anyone who is always happy to see me,” Alexander laughed. “You walk out the door and you come back in 10 minutes and they’re all smiling — they’re just constant companions.”

Amid her lifelong battle with Type 1 diabetes, Alexander developed rheumatoid arthritis, something that changed her once intricate style into a more free-flowing approach.

“I started having problems with my hands and vision. I’m a painter, this is what I do. What’s going to happen to me? I was afraid,” she said. “I remember being so frustrated when my hand was so bad. I barely finished this one piece for a big show. And I was told not to paint for a few weeks, and after 10 days, I had to dip my hands into paint, and this new style emerged from out of nowhere. It’s a gift. It truly happened out of the blue.”

That style — bigger brushes, looser strokes — became Alexander’s artistic signature, where her work is now highly sought after. Seeing the popularity of her portraits, Alexander used that platform to help local animal organizations.

Launching the “Forget Me Not” series, Alexander paints portraits of dogs that have been in shelters for long periods of

“Dogs are obviously what I’m most passionate about. For me, this style of painting is all about their energy, their inner color.”

— Angela Alexander

time. A portion of the proceeds go to Brother Wolf Animal Rescue. Alexander also displays her work in the Aloft hotel in downtown Asheville, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Asheville Humane Society.

“You have to give back in life. The way I help is with my artwork,” she said. “I want to tell the stories of these dogs to not only bring awareness, but also donate money to the shelters.”

When asked about what makes the RAD so special, a place filled with hundreds of artists from as many different creative mediums, Alexander noted the camaraderie and collaboration between the artisans.

“It’s a beehive of creativity — we inspire each other,” she said. “The energy here is just wonderful. Just in the mountains alone, I think if you’re creative, you’ll flourish in this environment.”

And even with her health concerns, Alexander looks at it as obstacles she aims to overcome — one painting at a time.

“Painting is therapeutic — it feeds my soul,” she said. “I’m going to keep painting. I’m just going to keep rolling with it. I’ve learned there’s always something good in a bad situation. Just keep going, just keep painting — I have to paint.”

North Asheville

With a large focus being placed on the rest of the city, North Asheville has been working behind the scenes, creating a steady stream of new, small business and eccentric development. Once overlooked, it is rapidly becoming a hot spot for retail and commercial businesses looking to stake out their own piece of land to pursue and cultivate their dreams.

Science and education also loom large in the North Asheville community. The University of North Carolina at Asheville’s 3,600 students participate in such projects as the local hub of the statewide Renaissance Computing Institute, or RENCI. RENCI’s mission is to “bring the latest cyber tools and technologies to bear on pressing problems.”

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SLOW FOOD, RIGHT QUICK: HOMEGROWN

It’s the intersection of local culinary delights and affordability.

“I knew we wanted to build the menu around what was available from local growers and producers, and I knew we wanted to make it affordable and approachable for everyone,” said Miki Kilpatrick. “We talked to farmers. We knew they had produce that the fancy places weren't buying — yellow squash and collard greens that grow easily and abundantly here, ugly tomatoes or little bell peppers that taste divine, but don't meet the visual standard. We knew that farmers were leaving tailgate markets with a half-bushel of this or that. We knew those farmers would love to sell all their product rather than take it back to farm. We listened to what our customers wanted, we listened to what worked for our farmers, changing as we went, but staying highly loyal to our big chalkboard menu that could change daily depending on what we had available — it all came together.”

Co-owner of HomeGrown, a farm-to-table culinary hot spot in North Asheville, Kilpatrick started the restaurant as way to branch off their initial business, Saffron Fine Foods, a localvore catering service that offered 100-mile radius menus of ingredients. Opened in 2010, HomeGrown came about as way to offer another option, or alternative, to higher-priced farm-to-table restaurants, an idea Kilpatrick was determined to see to fruition.

“We don't dispel that myth, [local produce] does cost more,” she said. “That being said, we work really hard to keep our prices affordable and we do that by being smart about how we utilize the product. We work closely with our farmers.”

Whereas Asheville and greater Western North Carolina has as rich an agricultural history as its soil, the farm-to-table movement has also taken off in spades over the last decade and a half. Countless locally-sourced restaurants, all wandering into and picking from dozens of local farmer’s markets and open air markets. And with this increasing awareness of the importance — in terms of personal health and economics — in buying and consuming local produce and meats, comes the need for more affordable and accessible ingredients.

Picklers, Yellow Branch Cheese, Ashley Farms and Hickory Nut Gap, HomeGrown will find ingredients from seemingly all corners of Western North Carolina.

“We work with Whispersholler Farms quite a lot. While he does grow some stuff for us, he works more like a broker for a bunch of smaller farmers,” Kilpatrick said. “So, he has a guy out in Candler who raises chickens and supplies our eggs to the tune of about 90 dozen a week, [and] he gets us tomatoes from a family over on the south side of Buncombe [County], and so on.”

Growing up in nearby Madison County, Kilpatrick was raised around fresh produce, a sentiment and experience that was (and remains a key component of a normal childhood here.

“We always had a garden, mom canned and froze veggies for the winter — it was just how you lived,” she said.

Just down the road from Madison County, Kilpatrick made Asheville her home, a place and state of mind that has yet to gather any moss on her intent and ultimate enjoyment of this area.

“It’s beautiful. I've been here my entire life and I’m still constantly in awe of the beauty that surrounds us — it’s so dang easy to get outside,” she said. “There are a ton of great hikes, walks, vistas all within a 30-minute drive. The art and music scene is incredible. Oh, and there's that whole culinary scene, too.”

“Now that we've been at this a few years, some of our farmers even ask us what we want them to grow for us the following year, which means that they know they have a market for what they are growing and are able to specialize on one crop. It's cheaper for them to produce,” Kilpatrick said. “Of course, there are challenges. We have to closely watch our price point and if it's a bad year for something then we just don't have it. This is a little different than the way most restaurants work, especially those on the higher end.”

Working with folks like Whisperholler Farms, Green River

“We listened to what worked for our farmers, changing as we went, but staying highly loyal to our big chalkboard menu that could change daily depending on what we had available.”

— Miki Kilpatrick, HomeGrown

Arden & Mills River

BUNCOMBE COUNTY

In

Arden and Mills River, there’s lots of room to roam

— and you don’t have to go far to experience some of

the finest facets of mountain life.

Arden is an unincorporated community in south Buncombe County. It’s a quick jump off of Interstate 26, with Asheville 15 minutes to the north and Hendersonville 15 minutes to the south. It’s just a few miles from the Asheville Regional Airport and right next door to some of the best spots on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The community is bordered to the east by the French Broad River and just down the road from the North Carolina Arboretum. An extraordinary public garden that adjoins the Parkway, the 434acre Arboretum has 65 acres of cultivated gardens and 10 miles of hiking and biking trails, hosts one of the most unique bonsai collections in the country, and stages a steady stream of exhibits on subjects ranging from mountain quilts to rare plants.

Also nearby is Bent Creek Research and Demonstration Forest, a federal facility that’s part of the Pisgah National Forest, and the Lake Powhatan Recreational Area, which together offer dozens of mountain trails and lakeside camping sites.

A favorite Arden locale for kids is Jake Rusher Park, a huge public park with playgrounds and a walking area. One of the play areas includes several castle-like structures, so some locals call the facility “Castle Park.”

One of Arden’s most impressive historic structures is the Blake House Inn Bed & Breakfast, which was built as a summer retreat in 1847 by the son of a Charleston plantation owner. The house is

a rare example of Italianate architecture with Gothic Revival influences. It has been restored and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.

In August 2014, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. opened a $200 million, 217-acre facility (with most of it remaining a natural landscape) in Mills River, right next door to the Asheville Regional Airport. As one of the pioneers of the craft beer industry, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has become a leader in their field and maker of some of the finest microbrews for the last 35 years. Based out of Chico, California, the company’s East Coast headquarters hosts brewery tours, a restaurant, and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating with free outdoor music many nights.

Another nearby community, Skyland, is home to scores of additional eateries and shops and more recreation facilities. The county-run Zeugner Center has a heated indoor pool, measuring 35-by-75 feet, that hosts water exercise classes and open swim times for the public.

Another county-run facility, Lake Julian Park, is popular among local families. The 300-acre lake and surrounding park offers picnicking spots, boating, fishing and a playground. The lake has an abundance of fish, including bass, brim, catfish, crappie and tilapia. Anglers can fish from the shore and, for a small fee, from privately owned or rented boats. The park also rents paddle boats and canoes, and provides free use of a pontoon boat for people with disabilities, senior citizens and student groups. On the shore, there’s a sand volleyball court and horseshoe pits.

The park is open year round, though the hours vary with the seasons. In addition to the regular offerings, Lake Julian is center stage for special annual events, including fireworks displays on July 4, fishing tournaments and the Festival of Lights.

FLYING INTO THE FUTURE:

ASHEVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT

Tina Kinsey, Director of Marketing for the Asheville Regional Airport, can cite statistic after statistic to show the exponential growth of the airport over the last decade. Those numbers, she notes, parallel the explosive growth of Asheville and the surrounding area.

“We had a 100,000-person month in July [2017]. That was a big milestone. We’ve been seeing steady growth trends going on four years — it’s not slowing down,” she said. “People in Western North Carolina like to fly out of Asheville. If all the pieces are right for travelers, they will fly out of Asheville. The planes are full flying in and out of Asheville. We’re also seeing an influx in visitation. A strong destination pull. There’s some very strong and targeted efforts going on [to attract visitors].”

There are currently four “Legacy Carriers” atop the airline industry — American, Delta, Southwest, and United — and Asheville offers three of those (American, Delta, United) and a couple of smaller, more regionally connecting airlines (Allegiant, Elite).

“These flights start early in the morning and end late at night,” Kinsey said. “There are hundreds of connections you can reach from Asheville, plus all the nonstop flights.”

another taxi area for aircraft, and also commercial land for aeronautical development. But, the airport is much more than that — far more.

“We bring elements of what makes Western North Carolina special into the airport terminals,” Kinsey said. “We feature local artists, have an art gallery and do four shows a year. We have a program called ‘Music on the Fly,’ which features local musicians doing popup concerts in the terminal gates. There’s ‘Paws for Passengers,’ where we have pet ambassadors that roam the

“We had a 100,000person month in July [2017]. That was a big milestone. We’ve been seeing steady growth trends going on four years — it’s not slowing down.”

— Tina Kinsey, Asheville Regional Airport Director of Marketing

Because of the rapid growth, the airport’s planning process has been sped up.

“We do have a master plan. It’s a 20-year master plan, doing forecast growth, and we’re ahead of the master plan, which accelerated the timing of implementing the parking garage,” she said. “We have seen strong growth in airline seat capacity in the market. That’s a very positive indicator. We’ve had three record years of passenger utilization, and 2017 will be another record year.”

With the brand new $22 million dollar parking garage (containing 1,100 spaces), the airport is also in the final stages of its new runway, which will allow the current runway to become

terminal on a daily basis and interact with passengers. We also partner with the Arc of Buncombe County to host ‘Wings for Autism,’ an annual event that helps autistic people and their loved ones familiarize themselves with the air travel experience.”

Listening to Kinsey speak about all the different avenues the airport takes in connecting with the community and its customers, one gets the itch to simply hang out and enjoy the airport, which for many other cities comes across as more of an aggravating experience than a pleasant one.

“We’re the gateway to and from the world for our region, an economic anchor for our region,” Kinsey said. “And that’s significant and impactful, and we have a team of people who work hard to make sure we have the best airport for this region.” n

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Weaverville & Barnardsville

Two communities in north/central Buncombe County offer laid-back living opportunities a short distance from the hustle and bustle of Asheville.

Weaverville, with a population approaching 4,000, has had a mini growth spurt in recent years. The town is situated in the Reems Creek Valley, adjacent to Interstate 26 and just five miles north of Asheville, where many Weaverville residents work.

The town has its own economic base, with local favorites on Main Street like Blue Mountain Pizza & Brew Pub, Well-Bred Bakery & Café, The Glass Onion, Main Street Grill, Twisted Laurel, and Mangum Pottery Studio & Gallery, amongst other beloved businesses.

Weaverville has earned a reputation for keeping its neighborhoods clean and green. It’s garnered the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA certification every year since 1990, and in 2009 the foundation named it the top “Tree City” in the state.

The town maintains Lake Louise Park, a hub of local recreation.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY

The small lake is surrounded by picnic tables and shelters, outdoor grills, a playground and a walking trail, making it a perfect spot for family and community events, exercise and romantic strolls.

From Weaverville, it’s just a 15-minute drive to the scenic roads and trails of the Blue Ridge Parkway. And the town is home to Reems Creek Golf Course, a semi-private course designed in part by Hawtree & Sons, British architects who specialize in crafting classic Scottish-style links.

Weaverville prides itself on a tradition of neighborliness, offering residents ample opportunities to get to know each other, be it in a park, at a local brewery or sporting event, or at the Weaverville Downtown Go Around, a casual monthly event that’s one part meet-and-greet, one part walking tour.

A key part of Weaverville’s recent growth has been in its bustling art scene. Local galleries and studios showcase the work of jewelers, painters, potters, glass artists, sculptors and fiber artists. In September, there’s Art in Autumn, which fills Main Street with arts and crafts. And twice a year, in May and October, there’s the Weaverville Art Safari, a free, self-guided studio tour featuring faceto-face encounters with dozens of area artists and craftspeople.

One of Weaverville’s main attractions is the Vance Birthplace, a state historic site. There you can visit the restored childhood homestead of Zebulon Baird Vance, a storied North Carolina

leader who was the state’s Civil War governor and also served in the state legislature and the U.S. Congress. The property, in a serene part of Reems Creek Valley, hosts regular tours, reenactments and educational presentations. The Vance home, a five-room log cabin, has been reconstructed around the original

chimney and preserved in appropriately rustic, early-19th century style, as have the six original log outbuildings.

Ten miles northeast of Weaverville is the bucolic community of Barnardsville, set amidst rolling hills, pastures and mountain farms. Like Weaverville, it’s home to both folks who enjoy a relaxed environment and a substantial number of professional artists.

Barnardsville was once a town, but the residents decided to go unincorporated in 1970. As it shed its municipal government, it found other ways to build community connections.

A local association coalesced and founded the Big Ivy Community Center, which has evolved into a vibrant hub of activity. The center hosts a swimming pool and provides space for an array of gatherings, events and services, including a pre-school, after-school programs, a community library, a book club, senior lunches, bingo bouts, computer classes, and yoga and zumba sessions. The space is also available for rent, and is used for workshops, reunions, birthday parties, weddings and other special events. Every October, the center hosts Mountain Heritage Day, featuring local cuisine, crafts, music and exhibitions on traditional mountain living.

The center’s grounds are also home to the Big Ivy Historical Park, which is dedicated to preserving local heritage. The centerpiece of the park is the pre-Civil War cabin of Henry Carson, grandson of the community’s founding family, the Dillinghams. There’s also a replica of a one-room schoolhouse that was built in the 1890s.

Barnardsville is in a part of Buncombe that’s full of farms, so fresh, local food is literally a part of the landscape. There are several community-supported agriculture options, and weekly farmers markets at the Old Barnardsville Fire Station, so residents often buy their produce from their neighbors. n

Black Mountain

Nestled in the Swannanoa Valley, Black Mountain enjoys proximity to nearby mountain vistas, rivers and trails, and has plenty to offer in its own right.

The town of more than 8,000 residents has a vibrant but quaint commercial center and is noted for its cultural and recreational offerings. It’s a community that breathes with a particular kind of mountain energy, embracing both its natural surroundings and its tastefully configured, small-town urban core.

Part of Black Mountain’s vitality can be attributed to its draw as place to gather, consult and worship. Popular retreats and conference centers include the Blue Ridge Assembly, Christmount, The Cove, Ridgecrest and the Montreat Conference Center. The last of those centers is located in Montreat, a small village adjoining Black Mountain that is also home to evangelist Billy Graham and a liberal arts school, Montreat College.

Downtown Black Mountain features a hearty cluster of 30-plus independent restaurants and several breweries, gift stores, craft shops and art galleries, and several antique dealers. Town Hardware & General Store offers an inventory of 35,000 items and the quintessential old-timey shopping experience.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY

The town’s historic feel is enhanced at local institutions like the Swannanoa Valley History Museum, located in the former Black Mountain Fire Department building, which was designed by Richard Sharp Smith (project architect for Asheville’s Biltmore mansion) in 1921. Also downtown is the nicely preserved historic train depot, which is run as a gift shop and event and display space by The Old Depot Association.

To take in one key part of the town’s history — the distinguished run of the avant-garde Black Mountain College, which was located next to Lake Eden from 1933-57 — visit the Swannanoa Valley Historic Museum for a display and history of the college.

Outdoor recreation is one of Black Mountain’s hallmarks. Nearby hiking trails abound, and just north of town the 10acre Lake Tomahawk and its bank-side trail are a favorite spot for a stroll, fishing off the bank or a non-motorized boat ride. Several local summer camps are some of the oldest in the area.

The Black Mountain Golf Course, which is run by the town, has a special claim to fame: one of its 18 holes is a whopping 747-yard par 6, one of the longest in America.

And the town hosts numerous foot races. The 40-mile Mt. Mitchell Challenge in February is one of the toughest races in the USA. Bike rides and other athletic contests are held on regular basis. The annual Sourwood Festival the second week in August and the LEAF Festival in May and October bring tens of thousands of visitors for celebrations featuring mountain handicrafts and art, rides, games, traditional foods, music and dancing.

Several local institutions, including Montreat College and nearby Warren Wilson College, offer frequent concerts, theater productions and dances.

COMMUNITY CROSSROADS: TOWN HARDWARE & GENERAL STORE

Sitting in their office atop the Town Hardware & General Store in downtown Black Mountain, owners Peter and Beth Ballhaussen expressed gratitude for being a part of the community they serve.

“We like to tell folks that we have everything you need, and you’ll find that to be true if you walk through the store,” Peter chuckled. “That’s who we are. We consider ourselves an iconic part of this community.”

The store, which celebrates its 90th year of operation in 2018, is not only a space where one takes a step back in time — amid endless shelves and aisles of toys, tools and truly everything under the sun — it’s also a social hub, a crossroads of the small mountain community.

“Being able to celebrate our 90th anniversary says we have had what customers were looking for and the town has supported us for 90 years,” Peter said. “We cater to locals and to visitors from out of town, and we really need both of them to survive. We also have customer traffic because of the activities that are offered here in this region, whether it’s vacation rentals, day-trippers or campers.”

“And we have great employees, with experience in the real world, who know and understand how to do a variety of things,” Beth added. “People come to them for advice, and they’re very approachable, whereas in some big box stores it’s hard to even find a person, much less somebody who has experience.”

Though the idea of a “local hardware store” may seem more the exception than the norm these days, loyal customers of the business (and those curiously wandering in) find a sense of place.

They find a comforting familiarity when they hear the tinkling bell at the front door and walk on the creaky wooden floors, well-aged by those who traversed them in search of whatever it would take to start or finish a project, or put a smile on a face with a simple gift or token of gratitude.

“We have people that have been coming to the store for decades,” Peter noted. “We have some back steps that the locals usually come up. [One day], I heard two gentlemen coming up the steps, and one guy said to the other, ‘You know, I’ve been walking up these steps for 70 years, used to be a whole lot easier than it is now.’ He was probably in his 80s.”

Living in the Hickory area, the Ballhaussens had planned on retiring to Black Mountain.

“For a small town, we’re blessed to be in a [place] that attracts a lot of folks. You’ve got good food and shopping options, lots of galleries, not to mention Asheville [nearby],” Peter said.

Owning a decades-old small business was something out of left field for the couple. In 2013, when the previous owners were looking to retire themselves, the Ballhaussens jumped at the opportunity to launch the next chapter of Town Hardware & General Store. The store now has become a centerpiece in their personal and professional lives.

“I just hope that it continues to be a vital part of the community,” Peter said. “Just in the five years here, the store has evolved, but we’ve tried to keep the character. We’ll continue to strive to make this place meet the needs of our customers — that’s what has made us successful for 90 years.”

When asked just what makes Town Hardware so special and one of a kind, Beth paused for a moment before responding.

“Regardless of how much technology changes and increases — it’s the human factor,” she smiled. “That’s what we offer here.” n

Hendersonville & Flat Rock

Hendersonville is tucked into the heart of Western North Carolina and is nothing short of a playground for cool exploration and warm, southern hospitality — all grounded by the backbone of an authentic, small-town experience. It’s the careful balance of both creative innovation and classic tradition that makes the area so intriguing.

Diverse attractions, festivals, cultural and recreational activities, and historical sites all collide with a quaint and quirky downtown to provide the ultimate destination for everything from shopping to summer evening concerts, cidery and brewery tours and simply savoring the scene. Outdoor adventures, along with

HENDERSON COUNTY

more cosmopolitan endeavors including Broadway-quality performances and a cutting-edge culinary community, create a destination with countless opportunities to explore both town and country.

The town’s many tranquil neighborhoods and housing developments all surround a sturdy core — a downtown that’s a unique blend of the past and the present. It’s full of pubs, restaurants, museums, general and specialty stores and other independent businesses, welcoming to pedestrians, bikers and cars all at the same time.

Few downtowns in the area can boast such a concentration of attractions, especially museums. The Henderson County Heritage Museum is housed in the historic old courthouse, built in 1905. The Mineral and Lapidary Museum on Main Street offers geologic highlights from near and far. Also downtown are Hands On!, a free educational museum for children, and the Historic Hendersonville Train Depot, home of the Apple Valley Model Railroad Club. The club has installed a remarkable scale model railroad that has over 600 feet of track. And just outside of town is the Western North Carolina Air Museum, the first air museum in the state, which features restored and replica antique and vintage airplanes. Downtown bustles with special events throughout the year. In the summer, the free Monday Night Street Dances take place,

bringing traditional mountain music and dancing. Attendees are welcome to tap their toes as spectators or cut a rug on Main Street. Music on Main Street, a weekly summer concert series on Friday nights, showcases diverse styles of local live music.

The biggest event of the year is the North Carolina Apple Festival, held every Labor Day weekend for more than 70 years. A celebration of the county’s major crop, the festival pays tribute to everything the fruit has to offer, along with other local foods, crafts and entertainment.

Local foods get a boost at the Henderson County Curb Market, a farmers market held downtown three days a week during warmer months and once a week during winter. The market has a true local focus. Vendors must be county natives and all items for sale are required to either be handmade or locally grown.

The arts also make a strong showing in and around Hendersonville, with the Arts Council of Henderson County taking the lead. The council recently launched a performing arts series. The Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra, which celebrates its 47th anniversary in 2018, stages frequent performances and conducts both music education programs and a youth orchestra.

The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design also makes a major contribution to the local arts scene. Based at a 50-acre facility in Hendersonville, the center is a project run by the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Its programs include craft and design research and publishing, exhibitions, public art projects and conferences that draw artists from across the country.

The town of Hendersonville manages a splendid array of local parks, which are integrated into a comprehensive greenways plan. Berkeley Park presently has a baseball field and a large pavilion, and plans are being advanced to develop a nature trail there. Boyd Park has two tennis courts and a unique municipal park feature:

The town’s many tranquil neighborhoods and housing developments all surround a sturdy core — a downtown that’s a unique blend of the past and the present.

Locales

a miniature golf course. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park features picnic tables, a walking path and a granite memorial to King. The park also has a baseball field, a mile-long nature trail and a half-mile walking trail. Lenox Park is another popular picnicking spot, as are Toms Park, which has more than 20 shuffleboard courts, and Sullivan Park, which has basketball courts and a playground. The two-mile-long Oklawaha Greenway Trail passes through several of the parks.

Patton Park is one of the larger facilities. The 19-acre park has two baseball fields, a football and soccer field, basketball, racquetball and tennis courts, pavilions, picnic tables, two gazebos, a playground, a walking trail, an Olympic-size swimming pool and skate park.

When it comes to outdoor recreation, Hendersonville is uniquely situated. It’s close to the Pisgah National Forest, DuPont State Forest, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and several mountain lakes and rivers. Just five miles from downtown is Jump Off Rock, a storied scenic overlook. According to local legend, hundreds of years ago, a Cherokee Indian chief and his sweetheart would meet on the rock, until he was called off to battle. She waited at the rock for him to return, but he was killed in combat, so she leapt to her death. Her ghost, the legend goes, appears on moonlit nights. Whatever the truth to the story, today the views remain fantastic, and the trails around Jump Off Rock are popular with hikers.

The Holmes Educational State Forest, eight miles from downtown, offers more opportunities to explore nature in a managed forest setting. There’s a series of trails and several picnic areas, all surrounded by hardwood trees, azaleas, rhododendron and wild flowers.

Henderson’s ties to traditional mountain agriculture and culture are on display at Historic Johnson Farm, a former farm and tourist retreat that was established in the late 19th century. The centerpiece of the property is a house built from handmade bricks, the home of a wealthy tobacco farmer. Several

outbuildings, including a blacksmith shop, barn and cottage, have also been lovingly preserved. In 1987, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and today the 15-acre site is owned and run by the county school system and provides a unique range of heritage education programs, including field trips, tours, classes on farm animals and guided nature walks. A renovated boarding house is home to the Heritage Weavers & Fiber Artists, a group dedicated to preserving the history of local textile arts.

Another historic Hendersonville treasure is the Mountain Farm & Home Museum, which is dedicated to preserving agricultural and domestic equipment, methods and literature related to rural life in 19th century Western North Carolina. The museum offers a trip back in time, and is packed with such relics as a 16-foot water wheel, a local doctor’s buggy, grain reapers and threshing machines, and antique engines, tractors, butter churns and tools.

The cornerstone of higher education in Henderson County is Blue Ridge Community College, the main campus of which is just south of Hendersonville. The two-year, comprehensive post-secondary school serves more than 15,000 students a year. The college offers 100 programs of study and one of the largest continuing education programs in the state. It has placed special emphasis on technical programs in automotive technology, emergency response, law enforcement, nursing, engineering and machining technology.

Hendersonville is neighbored by smaller towns that also have much to offer. Nearby Flat Rock, once known as “The Little Charleston of the Mountains,” has long been a resort escape for southerners fleeing summer heat. It’s home to the Flat Rock Playhouse, where the many and varied performances draw some 100,000 visitors each year. It’s also where you can visit the Carl Sandburg Home, where the renowned poet and writer lived out his last 22 years. The estate, which Sandburg christened “Connemara,” is a National Historic Site and welcomes the public to view everything from Sandburg’s 10,000-volume library to the goat farm that was lovingly tended by Sandburg and his wife.

Etowah, also close by, has become a residential and retirement haven that features some of the finest golf courses in the area.

Locales

JOINING THE FAMILY: SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWING

Andy Cubbin thought he was late to the game.

“When I came to Asheville and wanted to start a craft brewery, there was Highland, Green Man and Pisgah,” he said. “And I thought maybe there were too many already in the area to try my luck at having my own.”

That was in the early 2000s. And since then, there has been a craft beer explosion in Western North Carolina. Asheville alone has around two dozen breweries, with over 30 more in surrounding counties. To say the region is a “must see” craft beer destination is an understatement, with quality products being created, concocted and poured each day.

“The craft beer industry is one big family,” Cubbin said. “We’re always looking out for each other, learning from each other, and enjoying each others’ brews.”

Cubbin and his wife, Kelly, grew up in Michigan, eventually finding themselves in Chicago. For the better part of 12 years, they were professional photographers in the city. With a long-time love of cooking and coming up with recipes, Andy soon started dabbling in homebrewing. And it was at this point that the idea to start their own craft brewery began to bubble to the surface.

“This was around 2001, so right when the craft beer movement was beginning to emerge,” Andy said. “But, the laws to build a brewery in Chicago were very tough, not to mention how expensive owning a business there would be, let the alone the fact that Chicago is a cocktail town.”

The Cubbins would wander down into Asheville from time to time while visiting Andy’s parents in South Carolina. They began to think about relocating to Asheville — a smaller, more approachable city in terms of launching a new business from the ground up, and with a leaner budget to do so.

Andy befriended the folks at the former Appalachian Brewing Company in Rosman (just west of Brevard). It was a nano-brewery, one that sold small amount of products to local bars and restaurants. Eventually, Andy made an offer on the brand and the equipment, where he then launched Southern Appalachian Brewing in Fletcher, with plans to move the operation to the South Slope district of downtown Asheville.

“But, one day we drove by the building we had in mind for the brewery in the South Slope (now Hi-Wire Brewing), and we saw a fermenter being loaded into it,” he chuckled. “So, at the point, we could see the craft beer industry in Asheville taking off, and we wanted to find a town where we really could make our own individual mark.”

The Cubbins ultimately shifted their focus to Hendersonville. It was an up-and-coming town, with no brewery at the time, and also seemed to have the same potential that Asheville held a decade or so earlier. By April 2011, the brewery had reopened in its current 13,000-square-foot location in the historic 7th Avenue district.

“Since we moved in there have been so many changes on 7th Avenue. All of these incredible small businesses have come in, and on Main Street, too,” Kelly said. “The whole downtown area has been transformed into such a beautiful and welcoming space. And we also have a progressive town government that really tries to bring the community together, especially with things like the Rhythm & Blue festival, which has become such a huge event for downtown.”

“You get to live in this great town, with a lot of new families moving in,” Andy added. “And yet, within a 10 minute drive from downtown, you can be hiking on the side of a mountain where there is nobody around.”

Now a decade or so into making their craft brewery dream a reality, the Cubbins still marvel at the space they’ve created not only for themselves, but for the camaraderie and sense of community that walks through their doors and enjoys their products.

“It’s amazing the amount of support we’ve gotten from craft beer lovers and the from the industry itself,” Kelly said. “It makes all the hard work worth it when you see people appreciating what you’re doing.” n

Fletcher

Asmall town that enjoys close proximity to some of Western North Carolina’s biggest attractions, businesses and natural wonders, Fletcher is no longer simply a sleepy stopping point between Asheville and Hendersonville.

The town’s motto, fittingly, is “Pride in our past, and faith in our future.” Fletcher is growing at a steady and smooth pace, with its current population of just over 8,000 more than double what it was a 20 years ago. The town sits on six square miles of relatively flat land, with the Blue Ridge Mountains on the close horizon.

Located in north Henderson County, Fletcher is just a quick jaunt from some of the most vibrant and culturally rich cities and towns in the region. Asheville, Black Mountain, Brevard, Flat Rock, Hendersonville, Mills River, Lake Lure and Saluda are all within a 20-mile radius of the town.

Fletcher is uniquely positioned for national and international travelers, and a great spot to host visitors from near and far. In addition to ready access to the nearby Interstate 26, residents are just minutes away from Asheville Regional Airport, which offers nonstop flights to almost all major U.S. cities. The airport is going through a growth spurt of its own, adding new routes on a regular basis.

In recent years, the town has expanded its health and recreation initiatives, implementing a greenways master plan that makes the

HENDERSON COUNTY

community more walkable and bikable. Eventually, the town will have a network with 13 miles of trails. Two local parks offer opportunities for exercise and enjoyment close to home:

The 60-acre Fletcher Community Park features playgrounds, picnic areas, walking trails and baseball and soccer fields, and Kate’s Park, adjacent to the Fletcher Library, has playgrounds, trails and an outdoor grilling area.

Community celebrations, from free concerts to parades, take place throughout the year. Many annual highlights are staged in the fall. Pickin’ in the Park, a bluegrass-infused gettogether in September, turns Fletcher Community Park into a center of mountain music, local food and kids’ activities.

The biggest festival draw of all is the weeklong Western North Carolina Mountain State Fair, held each September at the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher. The state-run fair is a counterpart to the annual North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh. The Mountain State Fair draws an estimated 175,000 attendees from around the region.

The WNC Agricultural Center’s 87-acre multi-use facility hosts events year round, including horse and livestock shows, a variety of professional conferences, classic-car events and trade shows. Several times a year, the WNC Agricultural Center welcomes visitors to the Land of the Sky Gun and Knife Show, which outgrew its previous home at the U.S. Cellular Center in Asheville. The show has expanded significantly, adding 130 new vendors (upwards of 450). The upsizing was made possible by the recent completion of the Davis Event Center, a 45,000-square-foot arena that’s outfitted with huge exhibit spaces, several conference rooms and an onsite restaurant.

New economic opportunity is brewing in Fletcher, as the town, in conjunction with the Fletcher Area Business Association, is developing a “Heart of Fletcher District.”

Other new economic opportunity is brewing in Fletcher, as the town, in conjunction with the Fletcher Area Business Association, is developing a “Heart of Fletcher District.” The mixed-used district is being tailored to support small retail businesses, professional offices and independent restaurants, and features a new Town Hall complex, built in part with a special $5 million community facilities loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, Fletcher has long been home to (and close to) major manufacturing and industrial facilities. n

Tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains, Fox Run Preserve is only minutes from vibrant downtown Hendersonville. Once you pass through the gates, you will experience large wooded homesites and open spaces surrounded by nature. Land/home packages from the Biltmore Farms Cottage Collection are available at Fox Run Preserve. Explore the opportunity to live in a new construction home designed and constructed with care and focus by Biltmore Farms Homes.

You’re invited to visit the Fox Run Preserve Model Home 563 Monarch Road • Hendersonville, NC 28739

Haywood County

WAYNESVILLE, CANTON, MAGGIE VALLEY, LAKE JUNALUSKA & CLYDE

Waynesville and its quaint, historic Main Street are just part of what makes it a unique mountain community. Haywood includes Maggie Valley, a small town long popular to visitors, and Canton, a longtime industrial town that takes pride in its blue-collar roots.

Where to Retire magazine named Waynesville one of its 100 Best Places to Retire, calling it the best mountain town and saying it had the best main street. It also referred to Waynesville as a “low-cost Eden.” The town’s proximity to Asheville offers residents the best of a larger city while still holding on to its small-town amenities.

Downtown is a pedestrian’s dream with much to choose from, including working art studios, fine restaurants, breweries, coffee roastery, gift shops, bakery, and more. The first Friday of each month is Art After Dark, a gallery stroll with meet-the-artist events that is almost like a street party due to the number of people who show up.

There are also the popular Mountain Street Dances on several Friday nights during the summer beginning at 6:30 p.m. in front

of the Haywood County Historic Courthouse, fun, free events where you can listen to live music and take part in the traditional dancing. No worries for those new to the art form, as the caller takes his time and walks everyone through the steps.

Waynesville is also one of those mountain towns that provides a great jumping off point for a mountain vacation. It’s close to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, Pisgah National Forest, mountain biking trails and whitewater rafting rivers.

A couple blocks from downtown is the Waynesville Recreation Park, which has walking trails, public tennis courts, a dog park, volleyball courts, an 18-hole disc golf course, catch-and-release trout stream, recreation center with an indoor pool, water park for kids, full-sized basketball court and many classes.

Just outside of Waynesville is Cold Mountain, the peak that Charles Frazier used to name his acclaimed novel that also became the title of the subsequent film. Hiking the mountain requires a map and an entire day, but you can view it by following U.S. 276 out of Waynesville until you hit the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Cold Mountain overlook is right at the U.S. 276/Blue Ridge Parkway intersection.

On the west side of Waynesville is Hazelwood Village, which has merged with the town but has maintained its own identity and evolved into a revitalized retail district, including pottery studios, coffee roastery, book store, gourmet restaurant and a business that makes homemade soaps and lotions (which make

great gifts). Hazelwood also is home to the Folkmoot Friendship Center, which serves as the headquarters for the two-week international dance and music festival that is held every July.

Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center is home to the World Methodist Conference and the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church. It features a public, 2.5-mile paved walking/jogging path around the lake with a 1.5-mile extension available. There are ducks, geese and swans, benches, bridges, a dam, butterfly garden and a rose walk along the path. There is also an outdoor pool and visitors can rent stand-up paddleboards, canoes, kayaks and paddle boats. In addition to lodging accommodations, a couple of good restaurants and the World Methodist Museum also are on the grounds, along with a native plant garden and meditation labyrinth. Paddleboats can be rented on the lake. There is also a pool and playground. The lake is just off U.S. 19 north of Waynesville and east of Maggie Valley.

5,000-foot mountain. Those not staying at the ranch are invited to join staff and visitors for evening cookouts, where you might even hear some local storytelling and mountain music.

From Maggie Valley, it’s a short drive to Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Elk again roam free in the valley, thanks to a re-introduction program. Dusk is the best time for guaranteed sightings, but please, stay away from the elk — they have antlers for a reason.

Waynesville is also home to Haywood Regional Arts Theater, a playhouse with two indoor stages and a bistro that has productions all year. Sharing grounds with the theater is the Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts, which is located in the historic Shelton House and features 19th century crafts, including pottery, quilts, baskets and woodworking.

Just 10 miles outside of Waynesville is Maggie Valley, a mountain delight that sprang up to cater to visitors and still rolls out the welcome mat to traveling tourists. From spring to autumn, the valley is also packed with motorcyclists from around the country, who come to traverse the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, motor through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and enjoy the camaraderie of other riders who make annual treks to Maggie Valley to visit the Wheels Through Time Museum. The museum is among the highlights of a visit to Maggie Valley, featuring a worldclass collection of historic motorcycles and cars. Recently opened in Maggie Valley is Elevated Mountain Distillery, which offers tours and has several of its unique brands of distilled spirits for sale.

Cataloochee Ski Area features the best skiing in the southern mountains and typically is one of the first ski resorts in the East to open. Near the ski resort is the Cataloochee Ranch, which has cabins, horse stables, a grand old lodge and restaurant, all atop a

For true local charm, look no further than Canton and Clyde, the neighboring towns nestled in eastern Haywood County. They are situated around the Evergreen paper mill, which has been running steadily for more than 100 years.

Canton is a snapshot of a classic mill town, with many of the unique and beautiful bungalows and buildings once built for mill workers and managers still intact. The downtown district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and its crown jewel is the Imperial Hotel. Originally crafted as a stately home, it currently includes Southern Porch, a popular restaurant. Just down the road a few blocks and right on the Pigeon River is BearWaters Brewing, an award-winning brewery and restaurant that features a cozy interior and beautiful outdoor seating.

The restored Colonial Theatre features concerts, shows, films and other entertainment events in a beautifully restored historic theater. The stage features a winter music series hosted annually by the International Bluegrass Music Association award-winning local group Balsam Range.

Clyde, a hamlet that lies between Canton and Waynesville, can boast as its own the oldest structure in Haywood County. The Shook-Smathers House, home to the Shook Museum, was built around 1820, with additions and renovations made for decades, producing the finished product we see today. The home’s attic chapel played host to many storied circuit preachers over the years, many of whom have left their mark in the collection of signatures that decorate the chapel’s walls.

ABOVE THE DISTRACTION:

THE SWAG COUNTRY

INN

Heading up Hemphill Road, just outside of Maggie Valley, the lush fields and bungalow homes of Jonathan Creek fade into the rearview mirror. Pulling up to a large metal gate, it opens slowly and you soon find yourself meandering a dirt road, pushing ever so carefully toward the top of the 5,000-foot ridge.

At the end of the dirt road, where you feel as if you’d drive off the edge of the earth if you went any further, a large wooden guesthouse appears, surrounded by several small cabins, all tucked underneath large trees and thick vegetation — welcome to The Swag.

“I’ve been the owner and innkeeper since 1969, when my husband, Dan, and I bought this property and developed it,” said Deener Matthews. “People from all over the world come here, and it’s so exciting. I get so energized when I see just how far people are traveling to be part of what we’re doing.”

But, in their decades of proud ownership, The Swag is turning a new corner this year. With the recent passing of a law that ends the longtime stance of Haywood County being dry (in terms of alcohol being purchased or sold outside of the city limits of Waynesville, Maggie Valley and Canton), the mountaintop retreat is aiming to change things up a little bit.

The Swag will not only be able to sell alcohol onsite, they’re also planning on hosting craft beer tastings. They held their first event last summer, as Hi-Wire Brewing of Asheville poured their wares in celebration of the craft beer boom that has taken over Western North Carolina in recent years.

“We’re hoping to do craft beer tastings about once a month up

here,” said Haley Stevenson, beverage coordinator for The Swag. “With craft beer, we’re also looking to draw in new faces up to The Swag, and also younger guests, who can come up here and enjoy the beauty for the first time.”

Although The Swag is a well-known international high-end travel destination for lodging and culinary delights, Stevenson noted the inn is trying to get the word out that you don’t have to reserve a room to enjoy a one-of-a-kind fine dining experience.

“We’re trying to get more locals to come see what we’re all about, more people from Asheville,” she said. “And I think the more new faces we bring in, the more that ideas will emerge on what else we can do and offer up here.”

Following the Hi-Wire tasting, The Swag showcased their new executive chef, Jake Schmidt. Though he’s only been at the inn for the better part of four months, the culinary wizard comes with a long line of credentials, including stints as an executive chef at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville and the executive sous chef at The Signature Room, a renowned restaurant on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Center in downtown Chicago.

“My style is ever evolving, ever changing,” Schmidt said. “We get whatever we can locally and seasonally. We’re also bringing in fish from the coast three times a week. We like to show our staff and our guest perhaps things they’ve never seen before. And it’s nice to work with fresh ingredients right from our garden, where we have a master horticulturist onsite.”

Corralling the guests who are scattered around the property — many enjoying the priceless view over Haywood County with their wine glass held high, several wandering the picturesque garden, a handful disappearing for a quick jaunt down hiking trails into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (which borders The Swag) — Deener thanked everyone within earshot for being part of her lifelong creation.

Her sincerity for all of those in attendance is only matched by Schmidt’s joyful explanation of “Tonight’s Menu,” a never-ending long table of intricate salads, tantalizing finger foods, fresh vegetables, lean proteins and scrumptious desserts. It’s a feast “made for a king,” or a queen in all actuality, when you see the ear-to-ear smile on Deener’s face, sitting at the head of one of the large dining tables, immersed in conversation about these mountains and their intricate history with friends and guests from down the hill or across the country.

Even after all these years, one finds oneself sitting there — facing other dinner guests, now fast friends — in awe of the scene unfolding in front of you. It’s proof positive that The Swag remains a place where you’re “above the distraction,” a unique mountain property where one shakes off the trials and tribulations of everyday life with each curve in the road leading to the inn — an escape route back to nature, back to the essence of yourself.

“At 5,000 feet, we’re the highest inn in the eastern United States. And it’s been thrilling to do this,” Deener noted after the commotion of the dinner had died down. “When I first opened as an inn, I was the key employee. And we had a man who slept on Gooseberry Knob in a tent who helped mow the lawn, get firewood and wash the dishes. And to see it now? It’s just incredible.” n

Madison County

Located in a mostly rural, picturesque part of Madison County, Mars Hill is a small town that’s big on mountain traditions.

There are 1,800 residents within the town limits, and 11,000 within a five-mile radius of downtown. Mars Hill sits close to Interstate 26, offering quick access to Asheville, which is 15 miles south. The state’s border with Tennessee is just 11 miles north.

Mars Hill University, a private liberal arts school with an enrollment of more than 1,275 students, contributes significantly to the character of the town. It was founded in 1856, making it one of the oldest educational facilities in Western North Carolina.

The university’s artistic and cultural offerings are considerable. The Rural Life Museum preserves and presents artifacts of traditional Appalachian communities, and the Weizenblatt Art Gallery shares both visiting exhibitions and student and staff works. The 1,800-seat Moore Auditorium hosts frequent concerts and other performances. The Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, founded in 1975, has become one of the region’s top theater draws.

Come winter, nearby Wolf Ridge Ski Resort is open for business. The resort recently expanded its operations, and now offers 82 acres of terrain for skiers and snowboarders.

The area around Mars Hill is rich with other outdoor opportunities, including nearby stretches of the Appalachian Trail,

MARS HILL, MARSHALL & HOT SPRINGS

numerous other trails in the Pisgah National Forest and the fishing- and paddling-friendly French Broad River.

Throughout the year, the Ebbs Chapel Performing Arts Center’s 250-seat theater hosts musical performances ranging from the classical to the traditional.

Two other small Madison County towns, Marshall and Hot Springs, have made the most of riverside living.

Marshall, population 870, is the county seat and sits on the banks of the French Broad River some 20 miles north of Asheville.

The town is an enclave of artists, local galleries and studios. Stroll down Marshall’s Main Street and you’ll find a bookstore, numerous cafes, galleries, antique shops and eateries.

One mainstay is The Depot, a converted railroad depot building. It’s a great community performance venue on Friday nights, when local musicians strike up a soundtrack of traditional bluegrass and country music. There’s also plenty of music to be heard at the town’s regular French Broad Fridays, a series of free outdoor concerts.

Several other institutions keep Marshall’s art scene humming. The Madison County Arts Center, also on Main Street, presents exhibitions of both traditional and contemporary art.

About 15 miles northeast of Marshall is the resort town of Hot Springs, which is also nestled next to the French Broad. Though its resident population is only 560, the town’s numbers swell with visitors seeking relaxation and recreation.

Hot Springs got its name from one of the region’s extraordinary natural features: mineral springs with a temperature of more than 100 degrees.

The town itself is quite quaint, lined with cafes, coffee shops and gift stores. The real action is in the surrounding waters and ridges, which are renowned for outdoor activities including biking, fishing, kayaking and tubing.

Hot Springs’ real outdoor claim to fame, though, is its intimate relationship with the Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. The AT passes literally right through the town, bringing hikers to Hot Springs throughout the year. Each April, the town hosts the weekend-long Trailfest, a celebration of all things AT complete with live music, local foods and athletic events.

In May, Hot Springs sponsors the annual French Broad Brew Festival, featuring an impressive roster of musical groups, whitewater and bike races, arts and crafts vendors and a kid’s village. In September, the town also plays host to the French Broad Fall Fest, a celebration of craft beer and live music set against the beauty of fall leaf season. n

Rutherford County

BAT CAVE, CHIMNEY ROCK VILLAGE, GERTON & LAKE LURE

Off the beaten path, about 20 miles southeast of Asheville via N.C. 74A, is a Western North Carolina community that enjoys spectacular views, an abundance of outdoor activities, a temperate climate and a unique ecosystem.

The expansive Hickory Nut Gorge, nestled between the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountains, feels like a land unto itself. The 14-mile mountain canyon is split by the Rocky Broad River, which ultimately flows into Lake Lure.

Four small townships are in the gorge: Gerton, Bat Cave, Chimney Rock Village and Lake Lure. Each has its own particular charms, but a common thread that benefits them all is the natural setting, which is famed for its biodiversity.

Hickory Nut Gorge is home to 14 rare animal species and 36 rare plant species, and is a haven for biologists, geologists and

birders. It’s teeming with streams and stunning rock formations, as well as Hickory Nut Falls, a waterfall with a 404-foot drop that’s one of the biggest in the region. The falls made a big splash on the big screen, serving as the setting for a fight scene in the 1992 film “The Last of the Mohicans.”

The crown jewel of the gorge is the 6,892-acre Chimney Rock State Park, home to a hulking granite monolith that the park is named after. A climb up the stairs to the top of 315-foot-tall Chimney Rock (or an elevator ride there) is rewarded with panoramic views to spots as far as 75 miles away.

The park has a network of trails and ample opportunities for bouldering and rock climbing. And impressive as it is, Chimney Rock isn’t even the high point. Other easily accessed features above the rock include the Opera Box, a stone enclosure with a broad opening where you can take in the sights; Devil’s Head, a menacing rock “face” perched over the gorge; and Peregrine’s Point, at 2,640 feet it’s the park’s highest point, some 200 feet above Chimney Rock.

The park has a rich history that gives it appropriately deep ties to the region. The land it sits on was bought and developed by a Missouri native, Lucius Moore, a doctor who was diagnosed with tuberculosis circa 1900. Moore moved here to clear his lungs with the mountain air, and went on to develop both the park and the nearby resort town of Lake Lure.

After being privately owned for more than a century, the site was purchased by the state of North Carolina in 2007. The park offers guided hikes March through December.

In August there’s the Race to the Rock, which is actually two races: a 5K run and a 25-mile bike race, both of which end at Chimney Rock. In September, there’s the Flock to the Rock, a day-long celebration of the area’s exemplary birding scene.

Four small townships are in the gorge: Gerton, Bat Cave, Chimney Rock Village and Lake Lure.

Nearby are the townships of Bat Cave and Chimney Rock Village. In Bat Cave, the Old Cider Mill sells mountain crafts and curios, and, during apple season, freshpressed cider. In Chimney Rock Village, Bubba O’Leary’s General Store offers a trip back in time to an era before chain stores and strip malls.

Hickory Nut Gorge also hosts a wide range of lodging options, from short-term cabin rentals to stately mountain inns. n

Locales

Yancey County

BURNSVILLE & MOUNT

MITCHELL

Yancey is an elevated county with some of the highest mountains found in Western North Carolina (and in the eastern U.S. for that matter). It makes sense, then, that the county offers living situations and outdoor experiences that go above and beyond the norm.

The county is bordered by Tennessee to the north and a stretch of the Appalachian Trail to the south. There are 11 townships in Yancey, the largest of which, Burnsville, is the county seat and has 1,700 residents. Located in the center of the county, Burnsville is 35 miles north of Asheville and 50 miles west of Johnson City, Tennessee.

Just a few miles from Burnsville looms Mount Mitchell, the tallest peak east of the Mississippi River, reaching to 6,684 feet above sea level. The mountain is surrounded by the 2,000-acre Mount Mitchell State Park, which is full of choice spots for hiking, camping, picnicking and outdoor education. Several trails of varying lengths lead to the summit of Mount Mitchell, where a recently built observation deck offers the perfect perch for highaltitude sightseeing. Flowing right by the park is the Toe River, which offers premium trout fishing and whitewater rafting.

In addition to its peaks and valleys, Yancey County is known for its extraordinarily rich artistic output. The county boasts more that 400 full-time and 200 part-time working artists, including basket makers, glassblowers, metalsmiths, painters, paper makers, potters, quilters, sculptors and weavers.

Twice a year, the Toe River Arts Council sponsors the Toe River Studio Tours, as scores of local artists, from both Yancey and neighboring Mitchell County, open their studios for a free, upclose look inside the creative process. And each August, downtown Burnsville comes alive with local art at the Mt. Mitchell Crafts Fair, celebrated for more than 50 years.

The Carolina Mountains Literary Festival is held in Burnsville each September. It started as a small gathering of authors and readers in 2005, and has blossomed into a full-fledged literary happening complete with readings, workshops, plays and seminars.

The performing arts have a strong presence here as well. The Parkway Playhouse in Burnsville, founded in 1947, is the longest running community theater in North Carolina. It produces a wide range of performances, and has a special dramatic arts education program for children ages 4 to 18. A nonprofit group, the Burnsville Little Theatre, performs fundraising shows for various local nonprofits.

Another standout Burnsville’s institution is the Nu-Wray Inn, built in 1833. The oldest lodging house in the region, it’s hosted such notables as Mark Twain, Thomas Wolfe and Elvis Presley. The inn is known both for its historic charms and its signature Southern breakfasts, with most menu items sourced from local farms.

The John Wesley McElroy House was built around the same time, in 1840. McElroy, a local businessman and lawyer (and later a Confederate brigadier general) constructed the 3,000-square-foot home as a mountain mansion for his wife, Catherine. In later years, the family of William Moore, a state senator and Union Army officer, took residence in the home. The home got a new lease on life in 1987 when a local historical association purchased it and established the Rush Ray Museum of Yancey County History.

Yancey is also home to one of the most unique communities in the South — Celo, a settlement and land trust founded in 1937. There, some 40 families adhere to a loosely defined humanist ethic and help run a collective farm and the Arthur Morgan School, a progressive middle school with roots in Quaker values and the Montessori educational approach. n

Tryon & Saluda

Touted as the “First Peak of the Blue Ridge,” Polk County has long welcomed flatlanders to a higher altitude, offering foothills rich with history, culture, crafts, vast natural areas and unique culinary traditions.

Elevations in the county range from 300 feet to 3,200 feet. Most of Polk’s 20,000 residents live in or near the county’s three main towns — Columbus, Saluda and Tryon. Columbus, the county seat, is a scenic small town dotted with

POLK COUNTY

historic houses and other noted buildings, such as the Polk County Courthouse, which has been preserved in all its 1859 splendor.

Saluda is nestled in the mountains in the southeastern corner of the county, and in fact its borders stray over into neighboring Henderson County. The town is famous for sitting atop the Saluda Grade, once the steepest railroad grade in the United States. It is also well known for its charming town center, with a main street lined with restaurants, shops, art galleries and historic buildings like the M.A. Pace General Store, a hub of local commerce and community that recently celebrated its 119th birthday.

Tryon has long been a haven for artists, crafters, musicians and writers. Back in the early 1900s, when Tryon was a small village, artists flocked in from Europe and major U.S. cities like Chicago and New York, establishing an informal creative colony. Today, the town’s art scene still thrives, with numerous studios, galleries, art schools and theaters.

This year, the Tryon International Equestrian Center — which opened in 2014 — will act as a magnet for international visitors to the foothills of North Carolina. The Center is set to host the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games Sept. 11-23, which is expected to draw nearly 500,000 people from more than 70 countries. Much like the Olympics, this event is held every four years and is second only to the Olympics in importance on the world equestrian calendar. Tryon will join an impressive list of cities such as Stockholm, Sweden (1990), The Hague, Netherlands (1994), Rome, Italy (1998) and Normandy, France (2014) to host the Games.

The area has long been known as a hotspot for equestrian activities. In April, there’s the Block House Steeplechase, a day of races that’s the longest running steeplechase in North Carolina, now celebrating its 71st year. The event is sponsored by the Tryon Riding & Hunt Club, which also stages horse shows throughout the year. The Foothills Equestrian Nature Center also offers regular equestrian events at its 400-acre facility in Tryon.

Tryon has also taken recent steps to celebrate the legacy of its most famous native, the late jazz and soul great Nina Simone, who was born there in 1933. The heart of downtown features Nina Simone Plaza, home to a striking bronze sculpture of Simone playing piano keys suspended in midair.

Polk County is home to dozens of parks and recreation areas. In Saluda, the Green River Cove Recreation Area offers access points for fishing, tubing, kayaking, canoeing and hiking. Tryon’s 50-acre public park, Harmon Field, sits next to the Pacolet River and features wading areas, a playground, tennis courts, a walking track, sports fields and horse rings. There are scores of hiking trails, ranging from easy to moderate to strenuous, in the county, and Polk is noted for its numerous summer camps.

May brings the Saluda Arts and Music Festival, and in July, Saluda hosts the lively annual Coon Dog Day Festival, a bark-filled celebration of the mountains’ favorite canine that includes a classic car show and parade. The Art Trek Tryon Studio Tours, held each July, showcase the town’s many artists, as does the Tryon Arts & Crafts Fall Festival in October. Each June, Tryon hosts the Blue Ridge BBQ Festival. The event includes the state barbecue championship, featuring some 90 competing teams. And several of the county’s wineries and vineyards host tours and feature tasting rooms.

PEELING BACK THE LAYERS: THE PURPLE ONION

Tucked away in the thick forests below the Green River is the small town of Saluda. The row of downtown businesses takes a few minutes to stroll by, with railroad tracks providing the only physical barrier between the commercial corridor and neighborhoods dotting up and down the nearby hillside.

And at the center of the quaint, cozy downtown is The Purple Onion.

“When we started [this business] 19 years ago, we were hoping to create a gathering place for people to come together, enjoy good conversation, good food and live music,” said Susan Casey. “And it really is better than I ever dreamed it could be, in a lot of ways. It’s such a pleasure to be in there and see people enjoy themselves.”

Owner of the beloved Polk County restaurant, Casey and her husband, sculptor Stoney Lamar, moved to Saluda in 1980. The town hasn’t changed much in that time, in terms of population, and also a sincere attitude where a sense of adventure intersects with a sense of community.

“It felt like home the first time I came here,” Casey said. “It’s small, it has always felt safe, there’s a strong sense of community, it’s beautiful. And it has some natural boundaries — Saluda Grade, Green River Gorge and Greenville Watershed — which protects it and provides for a lot of natural beauty.”

After running her own catering business for several years, Casey opened The Purple Onion in 1998. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, the location offers a Mediterranean-themed menu with a regional flare from locally-sourced produce and meats.

“Well, we must have come up with the right equation because so many restaurants don’t make it this long. Probably a lot of it is

perseverance, especially in the early days,” Casey laughed. “[Twenty years] is a milestone as a restaurant, and as a music venue.”

Hosting live music several nights a week year round, The Purple Onion has become a haven for talented local acts and nationally known groups, all in search of a place they’ll be treated well, and genuinely listened to, as seen by the overzealous and attentive audiences that are continually captivated by the caliber of groups rolling through their town.

“We were hoping to create a gathering place for people to come together, enjoy good conversation, good food and live music.”

— Susan Casey, The Purple Onion

“The live music has definitely kept it more interesting, and every year we make upgrades, to our sound system and now the permanent stage. The musicians and customers appreciate that, and it enables us to attract musicians that may not play a small venue,” Casey said. “And I stress to my management staff all the time how important [lifelong relationships with the musicians and customers] is — it makes for a much more pleasant life.”

And as The Purple Onion enters its third decade of operation, Casey couldn’t be prouder of what the business stands for — “good conversation, good food and live music.” It’s a testament to her vision, and the community as a whole, which has supported the restaurant since day one.

“It’s a great deal of satisfaction,” Casey said. “It makes me happy to work hard to create something like this, and when it works, it’s very satisfying. It makes the hard work worth it to be in the midst of that — we feel really lucky to be part of this community.” n

Brevard

Being a small town doesn’t mean you can’t offer some of the finest charms Western North Carolina has to offer. Just ask the 7,600 residents of Brevard, the county seat of Transylvania County. The town has distinguished itself as an epicenter for nearby outdoor adventures, education, art and music.

Transylvania can justly claim to be “The Land of Waterfalls,” as some 250 waterfalls exist in the county. Some are relatively small and gentle. Others take big, breathtaking plunges into mountain pools. Looking Glass Falls, for example, drops 60 feet amid a stunning crop of boulders and is one of the most photographed waterfalls in the country. The wildly popular Sliding Rock is a natural waterslide where thousands of visitors slide down its long, slick surface into a six-foot-deep pool at the bottom.

Remarkably, more than half of the land in Transylvania is publicly owned and protected, including 88,000 acres of Pisgah National

LIFE IN THE LAND OF WATERFALLS

Forest, the 10,000-acre DuPont State Park and the 7,600-acre Gorges State Park. Together, these offer myriad opportunities for biking, camping, climbing, hiking, horseback riding, paddling and sightseeing.

Another natural treasure, tucked within the Pisgah National Forest, is the Cradle of Forestry, site of the first forestry school in the United States. The national forest is also home to the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education, a state-run facility that hosts students of all ages to learn about the region’s unique biodiversity.

The headwaters of the French Broad River, one of the oldest rivers in the world, are located near Brevard. A few miles west of the town, the master guides at Headwaters Outfitters help residents and visitors alike take advantage of all the river has to offer. It’s a hot spot for tubing, canoeing, kayaking and fly fishing. Nearby, the Davidson River, another renowned trout-fishing destination, flows through the Pisgah National Forest.

There’s also plenty to enjoy in the heart of Brevard, a vibrant and walkable hub of independent shops, boutiques, galleries, pubs and eateries. Between April and December, the Fourth Friday Gallery Walks — a monthly celebration of local art, food, wine and music — offer an especially pleasant way to peruse local businesses and get to know neighbors. More local arts are highlighted on the Scenic 276 South Fine Art & Craft Corridor — a 13-mile stretch of state road that showcases numerous galleries and studios.

It’s a rare town that can boast of hosting an equal number of

Transylvania can justly claim to be “The Land of Waterfalls,” as some 250 waterfalls exist in the county.

barbecue joints and Asian restaurants — and just as many ice cream parlors — but in Brevard it’s true.

The Brevard Music Center has hosted noted performers for the past 81 years. Its signature event is the annual Brevard Music Festival, which spans seven summer weeks and features more than 80 different acts. Local music aficionados also take in shows at Brevard College’s Paul Porter Center for the Performing Arts. Contributing to the town’s special character is Brevard College, a small liberal arts school of over 700 students founded in 1934 and located adjacent to downtown.

In March, the college hosts the world-touring Banff Mountain Film Festival, a big-screen celebration of films and documentaries about life and sports in the wild. In May, the town pays tribute to its signature furry creature with the White Squirrel Festival. White squirrels, you ask? As it happens, the Brevard area is home to a rare concentration of, well, white squirrels. The festival features a parade, free concerts, a “Squirrel Box Derby” and other, well, “nutty” amusements.

Come summer, Brevard’s Main Street becomes a prime place to cut a rug. Each Tuesday night, Old Time Street Dances are held to a soundtrack of live bluegrass. n

cabinets, countertops, windows,

flooring, paint – you name it, you’ll find it here. After all, we’ve had more than 30 years to learn just what our Western North Carolina neighbors need.

What to Do?

There are as many unique events in these parts as there are folks that live and work here. Western North Carolina takes great pride in celebrating its locals and its heritage, a welcoming attitude that has always been extended to visitors and the curious alike.

Below are just a sampling of the hundreds, if not thousands, of events and activities held throughout the year in our backyard. We’re an active region, one whose people, places and things are constantly surprising us with awe in their pure beauty and raw sense of adventure.

JANUARY

• Winter Warmer Beer Festival, Asheville Featuring the best in local and regional craft beer and cider, the festival also includes live music, as well as other events around the city. uscellularcenterasheville.com

FEBRUARY

• Comedy Classic Weekend, Grove Park Inn, Asheville World-renowned stars and up-andcoming stage acts come together for a weekend of laughs at the picturesque Grove Park Inn. groveparkinn.com

MARCH

• Southern Conference Basketball Championships, Asheville The 10-team athletic conference battles it out for the league title in one of the most popular sporting events each year in Asheville. uscellularcenterasheville.com

APRIL

• Mélange of the Mountains, Laurel Ridge Country Club, Waynesville Experience the culinary talent of some of Western North Carolina’s most regarded restaurants and

vendors as area chefs compete in categories ranging from salad to seafood to dessert. haywood-nc.com

MAY

• Lake Eden Arts Festival, Black Mountain LEAF aims to connect cultures and create community through music and art in the great outdoors. Music, poetry, dancing, camping, kids activities and more. theleaf.com

• Asheville Beer Week A weeklong event celebrating the craft beer scene in Asheville and Western North Carolina. avlbrewers.com

• White Squirrel Festival, Brevard Weekend event of live music, craft beer vendors and more. whitesquirrelfestival.com

• Beer City Festival, Asheville Featuring dozens of local, regional and national craft breweries. avlbrewers.com

• Sandburg Folk Music Festival, Carl Sandburg Home, Flat Rock nps.gov/carl

JUNE

• Brevard Blues N’BBQ Festival Serving up fine southern barbecue and blues music. brevardmusic.org

• Blue Ridge Barbecue & Music Festival, Tryon Considered one of the most popular

sanctioned barbecue competitions in the United States. All proceeds benefit the local chamber of commerce. blueridgebbqfestival.com

• Appalachian Lifestyle Celebration, Waynesville Celebration of mountain culture, featuring live music, food, dance and crafts. downtownwaynesville.com

• Art Trek Tryon Dozens of artisan studios open to the public. romanticasheville.com

JULY

• Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands U.S. Cellular Center, Asheville. Showcasing hundreds of artisan crafters, the fair also offers live demonstrations and other creative activities throughout the weekend. southernhighlandguild.org

• Folkmoot USA, Waynesville Two-week international dance and music festival. Headquartered in Haywood County, but events also held at venues throughout Western North Carolina. folkmootusa.org

• LEAF Downtown Asheville A weekend of live music, dance and culture put on by the Lake Eden Arts Festival. theleaf.com

AUGUST

• Sourwood Festival, Black Mountain Music, dancing, arts and crafts, super food, kid's rides and games, face painting and more in an alcohol-free environment, along with gourmet sourwood honey. sourwoodfestival.com

• Mountain Dance & Folk Festival, Diana Wortham Theatre, Asheville Since 1928, mountain fiddlers, banjo pickers, dulcimer sweepers, dancers, balladeers and others have gathered the first weekend in August at the event. folkheritage.org

• Asheville Wine & Food Festival Culinary event showcasing dozens of restaurants, breweries, wineries and more. ashevillewineandfood.com

• Waynesville Beer Faire Pouring local and regional craft beers, with live music and food. waynesvillebeer.com

• Laugh Your Asheville Off Weekend comedy festival featuring local, regional and national comedians. laughyourashevilleoff.com

• Smoky Mountain Folk Festival, Stuart Auditorium, Lake Junaluska Two nights of the finest traditional music and dancing in the region. smokymountainfolkfestival.com

SEPTEMBER

• Canton Labor Day Celebration Live music, vendors, rides and children’s activities. cantonlaborday.com

• The NC Mountain State Fair, Western North Carolina Agricultural Center, Fletcher Celebrating mountain traditions with rides, exhibits, art, food, concerts and more. mountainfair.org

• Mountain Song Festival, Brevard Music Center Food, local artists, children’s activities, nature exhibits and more. mountainsongfestival.com

• Greek Festival, Asheville Sample traditional foods while enjoying Greek music, dance and culture. romanticasheville.com

• Mountain Heritage Day, Cullowhee Annual celebration featuring live Appalachian music and dance, with artisan crafters and demonstrations. wcu.edu

OCTOBER

• Taste of Sylva Culinary event showcasing restaurants in downtown and around the community. mainstreetsylva.org

• Maggie Valley Oktoberfest Live music, craft beer and food vendors. maggievalleyoktoberfest.com

• ColorFest, Dillsboro Local artisan demonstrations. mountainlovers.com

• Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands U.S. Cellular Center, Asheville. Showcasing hundreds of artisan crafters, the fair also offers live demonstrations and other creative activities throughout the weekend. southernhighlandguild.org

• Lake Eden Arts Festival, Black Mountain LEAF aims to connect cultures and create community through music and art in the great outdoors. Music, poetry, dancing, camping, kids activities and more. theleaf.com

• Church Street Art & Craft Show, Waynesville Over 20,000 visitors pass through this festival throughout downtown. Dozens of artisan booths, food vendors, as well as live Appalachian music and craft demonstrations. churchstfest.com

• HardLox Festival, Pack Square, Asheville Jewish food and entertainment. hardloxjewishfestival.org

• Oktoberfest, Asheville Live music, craft beer and food vendors. ashevilledowntown.org

• Apple Harvest Festival, Waynesville Live artisan demonstrations, Appalachian music/clogging and dozens of craft booths and food vendors. Over 40,000 people stroll through downtown during the celebration. haywoodapplefest.com

NOVEMBER

• WNC Pottery Festival, Dillsboro Featuring master potters, the daylong event includes live demonstrations and craft booths. The festival was recently named a “Top 20 Event” by the Southeast Tourism Society, which represents 12 states. wncpotteryfestival.com

• Tryon Beer Fest Celebrating all things craft beer. tryonbeerfest.com

DECEMBER

• Warren Haynes Christmas Jam A popular all-day concert fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity, presented by Haynes (guitarist for Gov’t Mule and The Allman Brothers Band). xmasjam.com

• “A Night Before Christmas,” Waynesville A family holiday celebration in downtown, filled with live music, caroling, old-fashioned wagon ride, storytelling and a special appearance by Santa. downtownwaynesville.com

• First Night Asheville Entertainment, games, fireworks in an alcohol-free atmosphere. ashevilleparks.org

Ongoing Events

• Late Winter/Spring — Festival of Flowers at Biltmore Estate in Asheville Enjoy the beauty of tulips, azaleas and countless flowers as spring takes over this historic site. biltmore.com

• April-December — Art After Dark, Waynesville First Friday of the month. Evening stroll of galleries, restaurants and breweries in downtown. downtownwaynesville.com

• May-September — Downtown After 5, Asheville Monthly concert series on Lexington Avenue featuring local and national acts. ashevilledowntown.org

• May-September — Rhythm & Brews Concert Series, Hendersonville Monthly series featuring an array of local and regional music acts. downtownhendersonville.org

• Memorial Day-Labor Day — Concerts on the Creek, Sylva Weekly concert series featuring local and regional acts from all genres. mountainlovers.com

• June-August — Brevard Music Center Concert Series A wide array of outdoor events at the center featuring some of the finest national and international classical, opera and string performers on the beautiful mountain campus. brevardmusic.org

• Early June-Labor Day — Pickin’ in the Park, Canton Weekly jam session showcasing local and regional musicians. cantonnc.com

• Mid-June-Late October — Art in the Park, Asheville Dozens of artisan vendors, with live demonstrations. ashevilleartinthepark.com

• Late June-Early September — Shindig on the Green, Pack Square Park, Asheville Free traditional music concerts held outdoors in downtown. folkheritage.org

• Early November-Jan. 1 — Christmas at Biltmore Estate The grand estate puts on a show every holiday season with lighting, lit fireplaces inside, special musical performances and other events. biltmore.com/visit/calendar/holiday.asp

• Mid-November-Early January — National Gingerbread House Competition viewing at the Grove Park Inn Walk through the inn and see hundreds of intricate gingerbread creations and the award winners. groveparkinn.com

• Month of December — Dillsboro Luminaries & Lights Jackson County town is lit with luminaries, stores host open houses, Santa, children’s activities, horse and buggy rides, music. visitdillsboro.org/specialevents.html

Info Getting Started

DISTANCES (IN MILES)

CLIMATE

Asheville Airport 15 12 22 36 20

Greenville/ 80 59 60 100 56

Spartanburg, SC

Charlotte, NC 124 111 138 153 132

Knoxville, TN 129 144 123 112 152

Columbia, SC 158 137 165 178 157

Atlanta, GA 208

VOTER REGISTRATION

Buncombe County

35 Woodfin St., Asheville • 828-250-4200

Haywood County

1233 N. Main St., Waynesville • 828-452-6633

Henderson County

75 E. Central Ave., Hendersonville • 828-697-4970

Jackson County

401 Grindstaff Cove Road, Sylva • 828-586-7538

Madison County

5707 Hwy. 25-70, Marshall • 828-649-3731

Polk County

40 Courthouse St., Columbus • 828-894-8181

Transylvania County

221 S. Gaston St., Brevard • 828-884-3114

Yancey County

225 W. Main St., Burnsville • 828-682-3950

DRIVERS LICENSE

Buncombe County

85 Tunnel Road, Asheville • 828-252-8526

1624 Patton Ave., Asheville • 828-251-6065

Haywood County

290 Lee Road, Clyde • 828-627-6969

Henderson County

125 Baystone Drive, Hendersonville • 828-692-6915

Jackson County

876 Skyland Drive, Sylva • 828-586-5413

Madison County

164 N. Main St., Marshall • 828-649-2248

Polk County

130 Ward St., Columbus, • 828-692-6915

Transylvania County

50 Commerce St., Brevard • 828-883-2070

Yancey County

116 N. Main St., Burnsville • 828-682-9619

VEHICLE

REGISTRATION

Buncombe County

85 Tunnel Road, Asheville • 828-252-8526

780 Hendersonville Road, Asheville • 828-667-2104

Haywood County

478 Champion Drive, Canton • 828-646-3406

80 Waynesville Plaza, Waynesville • 828-452-1577

Henderson County

145 Four Seasons Mall, Hendersonville 828-692-0648

Jackson County

454 E. Main St., Sylva • 828-586-3886

Madison County

133 S. Main St., Marshall • 828-649-3528

Transylvania County

69 New Hendersonville Hwy., Pisgah Forest 828-883-3251

Yancey County

14 Town Square, Burnsville • 828-682-2312

TAX OFFICES

Buncombe County

828-250-4910

buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/tax

HaywoodCounty

828-452-6734 • haywoodnc.net

Henderson County

828-697-4870 • hendersoncountync.org/ca

Jackson County 828-586-7541 • jacksonnc.org/tax-collector

Madison County 828-649-3402 • madisoncountync.org/-tax

Polk County

828-894-8954 • polknc.org/departments/taxassessor

Transylvania County

828-884-3200

transylvaniacounty.org/tax-administration

Yancey County

828-682-2198 • yanceycountync.gov

Helpful Links

ELECTRICITY

Duke Energy duke-energy.com

Haywood EMC haywoodemc.com

Progress Energy progress-energy.com

NATURAL GAS

Progress Energy progress-energy.com

PSNC Energy psncenergy.com/en

PUBLIC UTILITIES

City of Asheville Water Resources ashevillenc.gov/departments/water Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County msdbc.org

City of Asheville Sanitation ashevillenc.gov/departments/ sanitation

Henderson County Utilities hendersoncountync.org

INTERNET/ PHONE/CABLE

AT&T att.com

CharterCommunications charter.com

DirecTV directv.com

Mountain Area Information Network main.nc.us

Skyrunner Internet skyrunner.net

StarBand starband.com

TDS Telecom tdstelecom.com

Verizon verizon.com

AIRPORTS

Asheville Regional Airport flyavl.com

Hendersonville Airport hendersonvilleairport.com

TRAINS

Amtrak amtrak.com

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad gsmr.com

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Buncombe County Transportation buncombecounty.org/governing/ depts/transportation

CITY/COUNTY GOVERNMENTS

BUNCOMBE COUNTY buncombecounty.org

Asheville ashevillenc.gov

Barnardsville barnardsville.com

Biltmore Forest biltmoreforesttownhall. homestead.com

Black Mountain townofblackmountain.com

Fletcher fletchernc.org

Montreat townofmontreat.org

Weaverville weavervillenc.org

HAYWOOD COUNTY haywoodnc.net

Canton cantonnc.com

Clyde townofclyde.com

Maggie Valley townofmaggievalley.com

Waynesville townofwaynesville.org

HENDERSON COUNTY hendersoncountync.org

Flat Rock Village villageofflatrock.org

Hendersonville cityofhendersonville.org

Laurel Park laurelpark.org

JACKSON COUNTY jacksonnc.org

Sylva townofsylva.org

MADISON COUNTY madisoncountync.org

Hot Springs townofhotsprings.org

Marshall townofmarshall.org

MarsHill townofmarshill.org

POLK COUNTY polknc.org

Columbus columbusnc.com

Tryon tryon-nc.com

RUTHERFORD COUNTY rutherfordcountync.gov

Lake Lure townoflakelure.com

TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY transylvaniacounty.org

Brevard cityofbrevard.com

YANCEY COUNTY

main.nc.us/yancey

Burnsville townofburnsville.org

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

Asheville Area ashevillechamber.org

Black Mountain-Swannanoa blackmountain.org

Brevard/Transylvania brevardncchamber.org

Carolina Foothills polkchamber.org

Cashiers Area cashiers-nc.com

Downtown Waynesville Association downtownwaynesville.com

Haywood County haywoodnc.com

Henderson County hendersoncountychamber.org

Jackson County mountainlovers.com

Madison County madisoncountync.com

Maggie Valley maggievalley.org

Polk County polkchambernc.com

Saluda Business Association saluda.com

Yancey County yanceychamber.com

TOURISM

Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority exploreasheville.com

Cashiers cashiersnc.com

Dillsboro Merchants Association visitdillsboro.org

Haywood County Tourism Development Authority visitncsmokies.com

Henderson County Travel and Tourism historichendersonville.org

Jackson County Travel and Tourism mountainlovers.com

Lake Lure Tourism rutherfordtourism.com

Madison County visitmadisoncounty.com

Polk County nc-mountains.org

Transylvania County Tourism visitwaterfalls.com

Weaverville Tourism visitweaverville.com

Yancey County visityancey.com

Asheville Citizen-Times

citizen-times.com

Asheville Magazine ashevillemagazine.com

PUBLICATIONS

TheMountaineer themountaineer.villagesoup.com

The Smoky Mountain News smokymountainnews.com

The Sylva Herald thesylvaherald.com

The Transylvania Times transylvaniatimes.com

The Tryon Daily Bulletin tryondailybulletin.com

Yancey County News yanceycountynews.com

MAGAZINES

Blue Ridge Outdoors blueridgeoutdoors.com

Capital At Play capitalatplay.com

The Laurel of Asheville thelaurelofasheville.com

Smoky Mountain Living smliv.com

Sophie Magazine sophiemagazine.com

Verve Magazine vervemag.com

WNC Magazine wncmagazine.com

WNC Woman wnc-woman.com

TELEVISION STATIONS

WYFF-TV 4 (NBC) Greenville • wyff4.com

WLOS-TV 13 (ABC) Asheville • wlos.com

WSPA-TV 7 (CBS) Greenville/Spartanburg wspa.com

WYCW-TV 62 (The CW) Greenville/Spartanburg carolinascw.com

WHNS-TV 21 (FOX) Greenville/Spartanburg foxcarolina.com

AM RADIO STATIONS

570, WWNC news, radio wwnc.com

880, WPEK news, talk therevolution.com

920 WPTL country, news, talk wptlradio.net

1230, WSKY Christian wilkinsradio.com

1310, WISE sports, talk 1310bigwise.com

1450, WHKP news, music whkp.com

FM RADIO STATIONS

88.1, 98.3, WCQS NPR news, classic music • wcqs.org

88.7, WNCW eclectic music, news wncw.org

90.5, WWCU Western Carolina University • wwcufm.com

92.5, WYFL Bible Broadcasting Network • bbnradio.org

93.7, WFBC Top 40 b937online.com

96.5, WOXL Lite rock 965woxl.com

98.1, The River 981theriver.com

99.9, WKSF Kiss Country 99kisscountry.com

105.1, WQNS Rock • 1051rocks.com

105.5, WTMT Classic Country outlawasheville.com

105.9, WTMT Rock 1059themountain.com

MEDICAL CENTERS

Asheville Specialty Hospital missionhospitals.org

Blue Ridge Regional Hospital spchospital.org

Care Partners Rehabilitation Hospital carepartners.org

Henderson County Red Cross hcredcross.org

MedWest haymed.org

Mission Hospitals missionhospitals.org

Pardee Hospital pardeehospital.org

Park Ridge Hospital parkridgehealth.org

Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care urgentcares.com

St. Luke’s Hospital saintlukeshospital.com

Transylvania Regional Hospital trhospital.org

VA Medical Center asheville.va.gov

TOURS

Asheville Urban Trail romanticasheville.com

Asheville Historic Trolley Tours ashevilletrolleytours.com

Brews Cruise Brewery Tour brewscruise.com

Lazoom Tours of Asheville lazoomtours.com

Segway Tours movingsidewalktours.com

Walking Tours of Historic Asheville history-at-hand.com

LIBRARIES

Avery-Mitchell-Yancey Regional Library amyregionallibrary.org

Buncombe County Public Libraries buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/Library

Haywood County Public Library haywoodlibrary.org

Henderson County Public Library henderson.lib.nc.us

Jackson County Public Library fontanalib.org/sylva

Madison County Public Library madisoncountylibrary.org

Transylvania County Public Library library.transylvaniacounty.org

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Asheville City Schools ashevillecityschools.net

Buncombe County Schools buncombe.k12.nc.us

Haywood County Schools haywood.k12.nc.us

Henderson County Schools hendersoncountypublicschoolsnc.org

Jackson County Schools jcps.k12.nc.us

Madison County Schools madisonk12.schoolfusion.us

Polk County Schools polkschools.org

Transylvania County Schools transylvania.k12.nc.us

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Asheville Catholic School ashevillecatholic.org

Asheville Christian Academy acacademy.org

Asheville Montessori School ashevillemontessorischool.com

Asheville School ashevilleschool.org

Asheville-Pisgah ashevillepisgah.org

Azalea Mountain School azaleamountain.org

Carolina Christian School carolinachristianschool.com

Carolina Day School carolinaday.org

Christ School christschool.org

Emmanuel Lutheran School emmanuellutheran.info

Fletcher Academy fletcheracademy.com

French Broad River Academy fbra-avl.org

Hanger Hall School for Girls hangerhall.org

Immaculate Catholic School immac.org

Learning Community School thelearningcommunity.org

Montessori Learning Center mlcasheville.org

Mount Pisgah Academy pisgah.us

Nazarene Christian School ashevillefirstnazarene.org

New City Christian School newcitychristian.org

New Classical Academy thenewclassicalacademy.org

North Asheville Christian School rmcacademy.org

Odyssey Community School odysseycommunity.org

Rainbow Mountain Children’s School rmcs.org

Temple Baptist School templebaptistschool.org

Veritas Christian Academy veritasnc.org

CHARTER SCHOOLS

ArtSpace Charter School artspacecharter.org

Brevard Academy brevard.teamcfa.org

Evergreen Community Charter School evergreenccs.com

FernLeaf Community Charter School fernleafccs.org

Francine Delaney New School for Children fdnsc.net

The Franklin School of Innovation franklinschoolofinnovation.org

Invest Collegiate icimagine.org

The Mountain Community School tmcschool.org

Shining Rock Classical Academy shiningrockclassical academy.com

Summit Charter School summitschool.org

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College abtech.edu

Blue Ridge Community College blueridge.edu

Brevard College brevard.edu

Haywood Community College haywood.edu

Mars Hill College mhc.edu

Montreat College montreat.edu

Southwestern Community College southwesterncc.edu

University of North Carolina at Asheville unca.edu

Warren Wilson College warren-wilson.edu

Western Carolina University wcu.edu

Downtown Asheville

300 Executive Park Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 254-7221

North Asheville 820 Merrimon Avenue Asheville, NC 28804 (828) 251-1800

South Asheville

One Town Square Blvd, Ste. 140 Asheville, NC 28803 (828) 684-8999

Hendersonville

512 North Main Street

Hendersonville, NC 28792 (828) 697-0515

Waynesville

74 North Main Street

Waynesville, NC 28786 (828) 452-5809

Weaverville 62 N Main Street

Weaverville, NC 28787 (828) 251-1800

Burnsville

369 West US 19-E Burnsville, NC 28714 (828) 682-7408 Saluda

153 East Main Street

Saluda, NC 28773 (828) 749-3504

Rumbling Bald Resort on Lake Lure 112 Mountain Boulevard Lake Lure, NC 28746 (828) 694-3001

Beverly-Hanks Mortgage Services 2 Town Square Blvd., Ste. 220 Asheville, NC 28803 (828) 775-9179 NAI Beverly-Hanks Commercial 410 Executive Park Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 210-3940