Asheville, NC; to me, is
the ideal place for anyone remotely interested in anything ‘artsy’; from
various music styles, elaborate dance, fine art, exquisite cuisine and much
more. Being ‘bored’ is a word you will soon forget. As a musician, I tend to seek out the
activities music related (at least at first). Of which, festivals are something I’ve had a
growing interest in and have come to enjoy even more since my move here
(Western North Carolina) back in late 2008.
Asheville
is known for its diverse atmosphere and the styles of music represented here
truly confirm that. You can find anything from bluegrass to mountain music to
jazz and hard rock all in one place. “[It] has been heralded as a prime arts destination
by the New York Times, Southern Living, Travel + Leisure and American Style
Magazine, just to name a few media accolades” (2, Things to do – The Arts).
Every
year Asheville hosts the largest street festival in the southeast; Bele Chere, an eclectic, diverse, fun
filled festival which occurs during the last weekend of July (Friday -
Sunday). Although, this is an annual
event, I must reluctantly admit this year will be my first in attendance.
However,
up until now I have been researching and getting feedback on the kinds of
activities that occur, bands that play, foods available, etc. And I must say it has been and will still be
pretty impressive. Oh yeah, did I
mention that the event is FREE? Well it
is, which makes it even more enticing to enjoy the festivities.
Musical
groups and individuals such as: Spicy
Moustache & the Flavor Saviors, Lucero, Blackberry Smoke, Inner Visions,
Larry Keel, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, Lyric (one of my favorites), David Holt and more will be there. This is really going to be a great
weekend. Check out the schedule here.
Stay
tuned because I will submit a follow up post after the first day (Friday, July
27th) of the festival just to let you know how things are
going. And believe me, I’m certain it
will be good.
I hope to see you during the festival.
