Community News

This July 11-13th the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center will once again host a RibFest . However, this year the festival sports a new name, new promoter and a new direction. Long a mainstay on the local summer festival scene, the Carolina Mountain RibFest is now the Carolina West RibFest and is being produced by AKA Entertainment & Media an event production company  based in Greensboro, NC. Local event producer John Patterson, the man who began the RibFest in 2007 has handed over the reins due to health concerns.

According to Allen McDavid, the president of AKA and producer of NC’s Premier Barbecue and Music Festivals series www.premierbbq.com , the new name is an integral part of transitioning the festival so that it will appeal to a broader audience. Says McDavid, “barbecue festivals generally follow the tired old formula of barbecue, cover bands and a children’s carnival.” The Carolina West RibFest will feature an expanded group of national barbecue teams and an eclectic mix of entertainment including 3 days of local, regional and national music acts on the main stage, Lucha Libre wrestling, a sideshow and saloon featuring can-can girls. McDavid adds, “There are few places where seven dollars can buy this amount of entertainment.” McDavid has tagged the RibFest with the slogan, “A different type of BBQ festival.”

The 2014 Carolina West RibFest will have six barbecue teams vying for awards but mainly will focus on satisfying the appetites of thousands of BBQ fans. This year’s line-up includes local purveyor Big Bad Wolf BBQ from Etowah, Big Boned BBQ (Charleston, SC), Camp 31 (Castleberry, Alabama), Porky Chicks (Farmington, Arkansas), Carolina Rib King (Moore, SC) and Florida Skin Bones (Arcadia, Florida). The judges panel will consist of folks from the event’s Facebook family, local chefs and foodies as well as local dignitaries including David Gantt, Chairman of the Buncombe County Commission.

Joining local musical acts like Underhill Rose and Circus Mutt will be national acts Moon Taxi and Jason McKinney. UIW Wrestling will showcase a diverse group of luchidores and the RibFest’s sideshow will be hosted by The Squidling Brothers from Philadelphia, PA. Rounding out the festival will be a marketplace, kids’ zone and the Shady Lady Saloon. New participants Leinenkugel beer and Cupcake Vineyards will provide product samples.

The Carolina West RibFest kicks off at 11 AM on July 11 and continue through July 13 at 8 PM. Admission for adults is $7 and children get in free. The event website has complete details - www.carolinawestribfest.com. Updates will come via Facebook - www.facebook.com/carolinawestribfest.

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Many changes are coming about in Asheville, especially on Brevard road. Construction is well underway on the former Biltmore Square Mall as the Winter Construction company out of Atlanta has torn the roof off of the building and started demolishing the existing structures. The construction is making way for 75 new retail stores spanning 325,000 square feet of space. While all of this is happening, the anchor stores remain open and are reported to remain as a part of the mall during its transformation. Dillards Outlet, The Dollar Tree, Belk's, and Cinebarre are continuing to serve the Asheville community. 

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Wanting something to do on the 4th of July, but not sure where to go? We have a rundown of all of things happening in and around Asheville for Independence Day. Grab a cooler and some drinks, your friends, and be ready to have a good time. 

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As it is Wednesday, all I can think about is an overly excited camel belting out “hump daaaayyeee” across a rather boring office and how many others like myself are eagerly anticipating the weekend.  But who said Wednesday can’t be great.  Here are a few things making my Wednesday much more interesting than yours.

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Asheville will have one less license plate agency location as of Friday, June 27th when the contract ends.

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Looking for something to do this weekend? There is a flurry of activity happening and it seems like there is something for everyone - and I don't use that phrase lightly. From fiber arts to film festivals, freebies to paid amusement, I have some suggestions on what to do and where to go that are sure to fit any budget and style. 

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The Biltmore Coffee Company (Not to be confused with Biltmore Coffee Traders on Hendersonville Road), located at 1 North Pack Square, in the bottom portion of the Biltmore Office Building, is closing doors effective Friday, June 27th. Upon hearing this I gave a little gasp of horror as I not only love their space, but I adore their chai lattes. I did a little digging to find out the cause of closure and what would happen to the building.

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The name is confusing to some, if not most. Harry Potter Alliance? “What do you do, sit around and talk about Harry Potter all the time?” Well…no. Not really. Actually, not much at all.

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It has been a long road, but tonight crowned Asheville's very own Caleb Johnson the winner for the 13th season of the hit reality television show American Idol! Since the season premiered January 15th

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