Asheville Blog Your Source for all things Asheville

Your family and/or friends are in town for the holidays - what do you do? Recently someone in my family got married, which meant that some of my relatives from Oregon flew into town. This was their first time in North Carolina, and Asheville so I had to make sure to show them the sights and entertain them while making sure they enjoy the city. While it is easy for us to appreciate Asheville, there are certain things you just must introduce out-of-towners to so that they can appreciate the city and get a feel for our zany, eclectic culture. Here is a short list of things that I consider a 'must' for any Asheville tour.

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XAVL is a celebration of creative culture, with 30+ artists demonstrating the creative process in real time, including live painters and graphic designers, installation art, photography, fashion, videography, music, and much more!   This is an all-day event, with workshops and panel discussion taking place during the day (2-6:30pm) and main event with music, etc from 8:15pm-2am.  There will be giveaways from Make Noise and Ableton as well as a raffle for a $750. Producer Bundle prize pack (Moog Minitaur + QuNexus).  Tickets on sale now at Harvest Records / The Moog Store  / Online: http://xasheville.eventbrite.com / At the door if event does not sell out beforehand.

The X event has 3 main intentions:

1. Present the creative process in an ecstatic and engaging way, live and uncut.

2. Allow attendees to follow the creative process in real time, giving them an added appreciation for the talents, mediums and forms of modern of expression.

3. Feature cutting-edge local and national talent, furthering the spirit of collaboration as we shape the evening and our future together.

Lineup Includes:  Fashion by Royal Peasantry. Live painters Josh Spiceland, Makasi Siriwayo, Andy Reed, and Caesar Weasel. Nine Bar Creative will have three graphic designers working as a team to demonstrate work flow and the creative process (their screens will be projected live for all to see). Design curator Craig McAnsh (of Mojo Coworking / NATiVE Marketing), Music performances by Jeremy Ellis! , Aligning Minds, Marley Carroll, and Panther God. Plus: Dance by Kathleen Hahn; Photography by (SIC) Images and Micah Mackenzie; Videography by Imaginari Studios; 3D mapped stage design by 27 Folds; Timelapse installation by Daniel Lowe; Performance Art by Jeramie Bellmay… Plus daytime music workshops and panel discussion.

http://xavl.org

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After way too many drinks one night, somehow the idea of a flight sounded right. I normally stick to my IPAs and brews that I have a connection to (Stone Brewery, I love you). Anyway, that night I can't tell you what else I tasted in that flight. It was like there was nothing else in those teeny glasses. Nothing mattered once I had one sweet sip of my newest (oldest) obsession.

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Now, we fika!

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Welcome to a new regular feature here at AshevilleBlog.com., where I spill the beans and let the cat out of the bag without hanging around long enough to clean up the mess. Here is what you need to know. Asheville is a friendly place. People smile here. They wave to each other. Parking lots are littered with loitering companions, either unwilling to leave each others’ company or unable to find a gap in the conversation long enough to say “Goodbye.” Honking your horn in this town is just plain rude. But what if someone asks you to? Pack Square has long been the city center … and a rather confusing intersection. I suppose that’s the reason dissidents flock there. It’s an inviting and visible place to exercise your constitutional right to free speech, and drivers must slow down to navigate the traffic lights. But outspoken protesters aren’t satisfied unless they can coerce you to exercise your rights as well, assuming you agree with them: “Honk if you love Jesus.” “Honk to stop the war.” “Flash your lights if you’d rather be hiking.” “Flash your breasts to annoy the conservatives.” I’ve seen (and heard) my share of drivers join the protests, but while civil disobedience can be the seed of …

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