Arty Asheville

standing there cardboard fish
Originally uploaded by zen

I love living in Asheville - where else would you find in someone's trash, discarded art because it was used to paint rustoleum on a metal art piece - a sort of modern Gyotaku. I considered taking this cardboard home and framing it, but instead took a 'standing there' photo of it and put it back in with the trash.

A Little Holiday Sneer

Cross-posted from Ukulele Rockstar:

Well, looks like the annual avalanche of x-mas “cheer” is upon us once again.

Art by Jake Hollifield

For those of you struggling not to be swept away by it, Mad Tea is throwing out a rope. Namely, we’re giving away two songs dedicated to the grinch in each of us. A little seasonal angst that you can dance to. So click here (or below) to download "Oh Sh*t it’s Christmastime” and “It’s Cold Outside” and add them to your holiday playlist.

You can also hear these songs live at the Mad Tea’s upcoming shows opening for Southern Culture on the Skids – Friday, December 4th at the Grey Eagle in Asheville, NC and Saturday, December 5th at the Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill, NC.

Have a slammin’ yule! We love you!

http://themadteaparty.bandcamp.com/album/oh-sh-t-its-christmastime

New comedy club offers 50 percent discount to bloggers

Funny Business, the new comedy club downtown is offering local bloggers HALF OFF late show tix Friday and Saturday with the promo code below. That's only $7 for Fri-Sat shows after 8 p.m.

Enjoy!

Hi guys,
We want to offer a discount to the local blog community. We will offer
half off ticket prices if they use the promo code "blogitup" on our
website. The offer is good for late shows Friday and Saturday. The promo
code is case sensitive. Please post this discount on your blog as soon as
possible. Hope to see you at the show!!

Here's this weekend's comedian:

Thanksgiving weekend roundup: Get on the bus!

Send YOUR hip, hot and happening Asheville-area events to blogasheville [at] hotmail daht cahm!

***

(Edwin has a new look and is really starting to look like Marc from West Asheville Orbit DVD)

Edwin McCain Band plus Nathan Lee
Friday
9 p.m. (8p.m. doors), the Orange Peel
$20/ $25
Ages 16+

***


It's a Wonderful Life
November 27 - December 20, 2009
Thursday - Saturday at 7:30, Sunday at 2:00
NC Stage Company

A team of intrepid radio actors brings you the perfect holiday antidote to rampant cynicism and commercialism. Rediscover this classic story of friendship, love and sacrifice in times of financial struggle.

***

Acoustic Syndicate
Saturday
9p.m. (8 p.m. doors), the Orange Peel
$15/$17
Ages 18+

Acoustic Syndicate, one of “North Carolina's best kept secrets” is returning this holiday season for a pair of very special shows. They will be at the Lincoln Theater in Raleigh, NC on Friday, November 27th, and return to the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC, for their annual Thanksgiving show on Saturday, November 28th.

Known for its high-energy, positive sound, Acoustic Syndicate delivers a genre-defying performance, masterfully blending its eclectic influences with trademark finesse that only 17 years of cohesive teamwork can bring.

***

Tyler Ramsey with Wayne Robbins
Saturday
9p.m., the Grey Eagle
$10/$12
Despite being a proud Ashevillean (I'm pretty sure I used to see him at the W Avl Earth Fare all the time), singer/songwriter/badass Band of Horses guitarist Ramsey doesn't play a whole lot of hometown shows, so don't miss this one. His recent solo album is a winner. Listen here.

***


Lazoom Thanksgiving Tour of Asheville
every last LaZoom holiday show is sold out but this one!
Saturday, 11 a.m.
$12-$22

You don't want to miss LaZoom's Annual Turkey Tour! It's the wildest ride in town! Come and help Asheville's favorite Tour Guide Babs, as she trys to catch a prize winning turkey and cook up some fun!

All tours leave from the French Broad Food Co-op at 90 Biltmore Ave. in downtown Asheville. Tours are 90 minutes long with a 15 minute break in the middle. Beer and wine are allowed on board to responsible passengers that are 21 years of age and older.

Prices listed below. No discounts apply. Please arrive at the French Broad Food Co-op 10 mins. prior to departure to allow time for boarding.

***

Asheville City Market Holiday Bash
Sunday
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Asheville Public Works Building
161 South Charlotte Street

***
Dave Rawlings Machine plus Abigail Washburn
Sunday
8 p.m. (7 p.m. doors), the Orange Peel
$18/$20
Ages 18+

Acony Records is proud to announce the November 17 release of the Dave Rawlings Machine record, A Friend Of A Friend. The album features members of Old Crow Medicine Show, Benmont Tench from the Heartbreakers, Karl Himmel, Nate Walcott of Bright Eyes, and of course, Gillian Welch. Dave Rawlings Machine is hitting the road in November and December to play shows and visit some of the finest indie record stores in the Southeast and Mideast. The Machine will include Dave and Gillian along with Ketch Secor, Willie Watson and Morgan Jahnig of Old Crow Medicine Show.

Listen here.

Local Artist Feature: Circles and Squares

As "Black Friday" looms on the horizon, I wanted to take a minute to remind everyone about the amazing local artists we have here in Asheville. I hope to be able to feature a handful of my favorite crafters between now and the holidays. These are folks who live in our community, support our local economy and enrich the cityscape on a daily basis. While the prospect of standing in line at 4am outside a big box store to get a $99 flat screen for your nearies and dearies might sound appealing... to someone... spending your hard earned cash with local artists who support their families (and our communities) with their craft does double duty. It gets your loved ones super cool, hand made gear that shows you actually thought about them this holiday season while doing something good for the local scene. WooHoo!

I had the pleasure of spending a little time with the Circles and Squares family this past weekend at a small local show. I have been oogling their amazing screen printed tees for months now and, after being in the same room with them for 6 hours and change, I love them even more. Their line is instantly recognizable, featuring hand drawn animals like meerkats and guinea pigs and stylized silhouettes on super soft, American made tees and hoodies. I was lucky enough to score a chocolate hoodie with a sky blue Bush Baby print for Henry (the 6 year old beast) and he has worn it every single day since. It got the seal of "aaaaaaaaaaawesome" when I showed it to him and he forgot to be disappointed that I had the audacity to call a piece of clothing "a present". It was already well loved by the time I snapped some pictures.



Circles and Squares is offering 15% off everything in their Etsy shop through the end of the month (HERE), but they can also be found most days in the portico outside of the Grove Arcade downtown, where they have a much bigger selection. I highly suggest stopping by and paying them a visit. It is always cool to be able to chat with the people who made what you are buying with their own two hands.

So. Tomorrow at the crack of dawn when half the world is standing in the WalMart parking lot showing their holiday spirit by throwing elbows at old ladies to get at the 'door busters'... sleep in. Take a walk downtown and get a cup of coffee at one of our local joints. Swing on by the portico and show our amazing Ashevillian artists and crafters some holiday love.

Thanksgiving with Asheville's Wild Turkeys

Wild turkeys enjoy Thanksgiving in my front yard in Asheville's Beaverdam neighborhood.

This group of adults frequently visits my property, so I've named them: Butterball, Bourbon, Ben Franklin, Giblets, Leftover, Stuffing, and Neck Bone.

Happy Thanksgiving, folks!

[x-posted ephemera]

All-local family Thanksgiving, Appalachian Style

From Phillip Gibson of the Swannanoa Journal, a special holiday cross-post about his family's all-local Thanksgiving meal for 18. All food was produced within a 200 mile radius of Gibson's home in Candler.

A meal prepared with local ingredients is not a new concept to me. We had a garden growing up, canned vegetables, homemade jams, frozen corn and a deep freeze with a side of beef that carried us through the winter. My grandparents taught me to make dishes such as wilted wild
poke salad with hot bacon grease for the dressing. But, that was a few decades ago.

At 43, living 600 miles from my birthplace, my memory of managing a garden or being closer to my food source is rooted back in Kentucky. So, when my wife and I decided to compose a Thanksgiving meal entirely made from local ingredients the task seemed daunting.


one of two local, minimally processed WWC turkeys for the Gibson family meal

Thanksgiving is a holiday that I greet with a bit of trepidation – baked versus deep fried turkey, potatoes versus dressing and the inherent family dynamics spurred by all their respective food preferences. Aside from these complexities, getting the ingredients without being “local” is as simple as driving to a grocery store and pushing a cart around.

But now my wife and I are tossing this ease to the side. For what? For taste and integrity.

We have been amazed over the past six months, at the cravings we have for an heirloom tomato sliced thickly and tucked neatly inside two slices of black bean turtle bread with just a thin layer of Duke’s mayo. It has been that way with each fresh vegetable we have gotten at the Asheville
City Farmer’s Market.

We have gotten to the point that we know which farmer has eggs with the richest yellow yolks, who is the only maple syrup maker in NC and how to make a slaw using a variety of seasonal root vegetables.

local potatoes

The first pork chop carried home from the City Market and grilled – nothing on it – received the highest praise from my wife. The penny pincher she is…she felt it was worth every one of them.

Purchasing food locally that was made locally is an idea now reaching large numbers of people. National grocery stores are now featuring a local option to their existing produce selections. Meanwhile, the integrity of food itself has come into question with the news highlighting bacteria on national shipments of produce as well as concerns about avian flu, mad cow disease and swine
flu entering the food system.

Global warming activists have also linked international food shipments to increased carbon dioxide emissions – promoting a decrease in a family’s overall carbon footprint on the planet.

Yet, between the motivators of taste and integrity, it is taste that stands tallest and gives reason to the challenge of gathering each ingredient for the upcoming holiday meal.

local onions

This has been Phillip Gibson of the Swannanoa Journal.

Sausage, apple and sweet potato casserole (first cooking post on BlogAsheville)

BlogAsheville admin Jen Saylor invited me to post a recipe from my foodie blog, the occasion to post being that I'm using some key local ingredients. The sweet potatoes and the collards are from our CSA box that we get from Flying Cloud Farm in Fairview.

This was first posted on my food blog, Yes We Cook! which is a shared blog for which I do most of the posts lately. I am the most frequent poster there but not the only one.



That photo looks like it's all sweet potato, and it wasn't at all.

So I had some chicken hot italian sausages. These are really good natural sausages. They do not have that weak chicken sausage flavor so many chicken sausages have. So if I didn't know these were great sausages and you prefer pork, then I'd go with pork for this recipe.



I browned about a pound of sausage. I took off the skins and sauteed it like ground meat. Before I did the saute I boiled a massively huge sweet potato. Two regular sized large sweet potatoes would do. These are from the CSA box we're getting so nothing is typical which is lovely because you know it's not been genetically modified or altered in any way for it to look "normal" for the grocery store. So I cut up the potato in pieces and boiled it.

After the sausage was cooked I put it on the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish. I topped that with a layer of thinly sliced apple.

I mashed the potatoes once they were cooked and added salt. Then I put this over the apples and sausage. I baked it covered for 1/2 an hour at 400 degrees and then uncovered for 20 minutes.



I had no idea how this would turn out except I had a vague memory of liking pork sausage with sweet potatoes---where I got this idea I didn't know. My husband later reminded me I used to get an egg scramble in a restaurant we used to frequent in which there was both a hefty amount of sweet potatoes and sausage. The apple was a new addition. I wasn't sure if I'd like it but I did and in fact I loved it!



Served it with (also) local collard greens from the CSA box for an all around Southern feel.

Whiteside Watch: 1,740 yards

Andrew Pearson, blogger of the HS Sports Huddle blog at the AC-T, writes "Asheville High quarterback Brandon Whiteside has now thrown for 1,740 yards and 19 touchdowns with five interceptions in 12 games for the Cougars (11-0-1).

[Pearson is] I am tracking Whiteside's passing this football season since he is donating $1 to charities that fight cancer for each of his yards.

To help his cause, go to www.relayforlife.org/asheville

Click "donate," then select the "Search for a Participant" option and type in Brandon Whiteside's name.

Whiteside has already raised over $2,000."

Amanda Palmer in Asheville TODAY?

Cross-posted from AskAsheville:

Rockscope photo by Dese'Rae Stage

A little after 10 this morning, AFP herself Tweeted about a visit to Asheville (she's currently touring in our area:

heading to asheville,NC to visit the moog factory & play w/ their toys. will consider a ninja gig if enough people tweet in & there's time

So you know what to do, Asheville: show some Twitter love! She loves NC, you know.

2nd Annual Vance Craft Explosion!!

The Vance Holiday Craft Explosion will be held Sunday, November 22nd from noon-5pm in the gym at Vance Elementary. The event will be right off the lower parking lot on Clinton Avenue, but there will be plenty of parking all around.

There will be a great collection of vendors including:
Crankypants Knits
Faerie Made Soap
Roly Poly Crafts
Spotted Dog Farm
Circles and Squares

and many more!

There will also be a yummilicious bake sale and silent auction.

Get a jump on your holiday shopping and support Vance Elementary and local artists at the same time! What could be finer?

Need Something to do with your Thanksgiving Visitors?

Okay, your family is on their way into town. What will you do for 5 days?

How about a fun Turkey Ride on the big purple LaZoom bus? More details on Pollinate Asheville.

Weekend Event Roundup Nov. 20-22

J. Tillman w/ Pearly Gate Music at the Grey Eagle
Friday, 9pm
$8 advance / $10 day of show.
Standing room only.
If you like Band of Horses, Bon Iver or Fleet Foxes, you will probably love this guy.
From allmusic.com

Singer/songwriter J. Tillman's music paints languid, sadly beautiful portraits of love and life on the margins with the moody depth of Nick Drake and the country-influenced textures of Ryan Adams. Tillman first made a name for himself playing drums in a pair of indie rock bands, Saxon Shore and Stately, while attending college in New York City. In his spare time, however, he began writing material of his own, citing the music of Nick Drake and Pete Seeger and the writings of Flannery O'Connor as key influences.

***

this video is NSFW

Carl LaBove @ Funny Business Comedy Club
Friday and Saturday
21+ show
8p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
$16
According to the Funny Business people, the first 20 people to buy tickets for any show this weekend can see Carl LaBove for half price. Use code "outlaws" at checkout!

***

The Downtown Market
indoor tailgate market
8-5 Fri-Sun
45 S. French Broad

Featuring the best our LOCAL community has to offer- Produce, Artists & Crafts, Musicians, Events & Demonstrations and an Ecclectic Flea Market. Shop "local" this Christmas. Also newest location for Amazing Savings Grocery.

Interested vendors, Reserve now for upcoming "holiday shopping" weekends in this 42,000 square foot, heated/cooled facility. Ample parking in front and in parking lot for United Way of Asheville - located directly across the street. For more info, become a FACEBOOK Fan at "The-Downtown-Market". Call 828.712.3083.

***


Annual Holiday Shopping Extravaganza
Tuesday, November 17 - Sunday, November 22, 2009
Regular Museum Hours
Pack Place Front Gallery

Eat, drink, be merry and shop at the annual Holiday Shopping Extravaganza in the Pack Place Community Gallery! This year features unique gifts, holiday ornaments, works by local artists, calendars, children's toys and a book sale!

Get in the holiday spirit and support local artists and your Asheville Art Museum as you shop in style! All shoppers who spend over $50 during the Holiday Market will be entered to win a fabulous prize: one night stay + dinner at Asheville's beautiful Sourwood Inn. (Some restrictions apply.)

There will also be book signings by local authors:

* Tim Barnwell, Friday, November 20, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
* Anna Fariello, Saturday, November 21, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
* Andrea Clark, Sunday, November 22, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
* AND Crafts + Cocktails with Sue Millions on Friday, November 20, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. (ages 21 and up)

This year there will be free gift wrapping and holiday refreshments. The Museum will offer 20% off all sales for our Members Friday, November 20.

***


Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School Presents Casino Royale

"Dames, drinking and drawing" -- also strip poker.
Saturday
Grove House, 11 Grove Street
Doors 6:30, sketching at 7
Bring your own art supplies!
$10

***

The Honeycutters
Saturday
Jack of the Wood
$5
From Mountain X
Local country band The Honeycutters does not take its CD title from the Lead Belly folk standard. Instead, the tune is an original by vocalist/guitarist Amanda Anne Platt whose pragmatic voice and exceptional lyrics never falter on this 12-song collection. The crisp, waning autumn/time passing/unrequited love/dusty roads and pale sun feel of this album would be enough, but the Honeycutters breathe bittersweet nostalgia into every tasteful chord, from the lovely anguish of Ben Riva's fiddle on "Lillies" to the nimble mandolin intro by Spencer Taylor on "Waiting in the Morning" to the gratifying twang of Matt Smith's pedal steel on "Marie," Irene takes all the best elements of old school country and somehow makes them new again.

***


Asheville Holiday Parade
(Yearly since 1946!)
Saturday
11 a.m.
Grand Marshals for 2009 are David Holt and Laura Boosinger
The parade starts at South Charlotte Street and turns up Biltmore Avenue toward Pack Square—this year's performance area. Action starts at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21.

***


Secret Agent 23 Skidoo with 40 Fingers and a Missing Tooth (awesome local jugglers)

Post-Parade Party
Saturday 1p.m.
$8, The Orange Peel
From an Orange Peel Email:

Secret Agent 23 Skidoo is the top KID HOP artist performing today. What is KID HOP you ask? That's where kids are introduced to hip hop without compromising either one! 23 Skidoo combines a love and understanding for child mentality with a deep respect for hip hop culture, resulting in music that bumps up both the volume and the self esteem.

With funk, reggae, bluegrass and classic breaks laying out a landscape populated by witty stories about dragons, mermaids, and flying fish plus a load of positive party rhymes, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo raises the bar for this genre higher than the cookie jar on top of the fridge. With a #1 hit on XMRadio and shows at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and the Smithsonian, 23 Skidoo won't remain secret for long!

***

photo by Anna Fisher and ninoz

Idiotarod 5K Shopping Cart Race
charity event for the 12 Day Project
$100 per 5-person team; free to watch
Sunday
11 a.m.
Riverside Drive
From Pollinate Asheville:
The Idiotarod is essentially the same thing [as the Alaskan Dog Sled race] except we’ll cover like a 5k and instead of dogs we use people (idiots) and instead of sleds we use shopping carts (super pods of wonder), which are extremely energy efficient by the way. This first-annual Asheville Idiotarod benefits The 12 Day Project. You can still sign up!

***

If YOU have an upcoming event to share, send it to us at blogasheville [at] hotmail daht cahm!

YWCA Accepting TWIN Nominations

The YWCA is now accepting nominations for the 19th Annual YWCA Tribute to Women of Influence (TWIN) Awards Banquet which will be held on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at the Renassiance Asheville Hotel.

TWIN honors the professional achievements of women and companies who support the advancement of women. That evening, the YWCA will celebrate all of the TWIN 2010 Honorees. In addition, one woman will receive special recognition as “Honoree of the Year.”

Proceeds from the event will benefit the YWCA’s many programs dedicated to eliminating racism and empowering women.

The YWCA TWIN nomination form can be downloaded from the YWCA website, www.ywcaofasheville.org, or can be requested by calling 254-7206 x 206.

Photo of Maria Roloff, YWCA TWIN 2009 Honoree of the Year, by Jason Sandford

It Begins: Asheville Art Museum Holiday Shopping Extravaganza

From a museum email:

Annual Holiday Shopping Extravaganza!

Tuesday, November 17 - Sunday, November 22, 2009
Regular Museum Hours
Pack Place Front Gallery

Eat, drink, be merry and shop at the annual Holiday Shopping Extravaganza in the Pack Place Community Gallery! This year features unique gifts, holiday ornaments, works by local artists, calendars, children's toys and a book sale!

Get in the holiday spirit and support local artists and your Asheville Art Museum as you shop in style! All shoppers who spend over $50 during the Holiday Market will be entered to win a fabulous prize: one night stay + dinner at Asheville's beautiful Sourwood Inn. (Some restrictions apply.)

There will also be book signings by local authors:

• Tim Barnwell, Friday, November 20, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
  
• Anna Fariello, Saturday, November 21, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
• Andrea Clark, Sunday, November 22, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
• AND Crafts + Cocktails with Sue Millions on Friday, November 20, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. (ages 21 and up)
  

This year there will be free gift wrapping and holiday refreshments. The Museum will offer 20% off all sales for our Members Friday, November 20.

AshevilleFM Meeting at W.Izzy's tonight

AshevilleFM, the grassroots community radio station, is meeting again at Izzy’s west 373 Haywood Road this evening at 6pm. Come by and sip some great coffee and find out what we're up to. At least come by to meet our radio personalities and see what we have lined up for the rest of the year! Check out our studio with a very close and personal tour conducted by one of our extremely attractive volunteers!


Wait, What is AshevilleFM again?

Asheville Free Media is that internet radio station created by Friends of Community Radio that you listen to by going to AshevilleFM.org and clicking on the live streaming button. We're a non-profit, our goal is to add to and reflect the rich stew of arts, culture and community involvement that is Asheville. We want to hear music, news, and the unusual all produced right here in our neck of the woods. We want to hear sounds from around the world, discerned and distilled just for us by our neighbors. We want to help make connections between diverse groups and support the local economy of ideas.

For a program guide (and some previous show links) go to our program guide.

Join us on Facebook and Twitter for more immediate updates.

Short Street Cakes

Photographs by Jesseca Bellamare of The Modern Baby Company

Would you Act like an 'Idiot' for a Good Cause?

Yes?

Pollinate Asheville's asking you to prove it by signing up for the Asheville Idiotarod, a 5K Costumed Shopping Cart race happening this Sunday.

More at Pollinate Asheville.

The Asheville Civil War

According to Wikipedia, “a Civil War is a war between organized groups within a single nation state.” In a Civil War, there are 2 sides (most of the time)… and no, they are not right and wrong. It is more like one side wants it “as it is” and the other side wants it “as it should be”. When a neutrality or understanding is not landmarked; the war begins. When we think of being Civil… we think of being courteous, respectful, and fair. Around here we may call it “common courtesy”. It is sort of like an unwritten rule that’s says to all of us “Hey… Be Cool”. We practice this in our families, companies, and in the common relationships we make daily. When we violate these “terms”, a civil war may begin brewing. How many times have you seen an awesome family, couple, or friendship get destroyed from the inside out? At least when warfare is coming from the outside, you can always band together on common ground and fight it in a reasonable manner. When we fight our own; we take away, destroy potential, and everyone ends up wondering how everyone lost.

Asheville is a place with great potential. The local talent consists of people who have lived here their whole lives, others that have relocated here, and then those that regularly visit the area. Some of these people bring different lifestyles, various faiths, and new ideas. We begin to become a civil community, respecting and accepting as they come. When this civility begins to be compromised, we end up living in a divided world even though we may be only a few miles apart.

Asheville is faced with a choice. Use the similarities and differences we have as grounds for a fight, or purposely plan on how it can create a strong synergy among us. People are different (oh so very different). We all have things we are passionate about. We have things we are prejudiced against maybe due to a prior experience in our lives. We work with all of these things to benefit the whole, which is Asheville to us. One of the reasons many churches around the world fail inside and in their community efforts is because they cannot band together in unity to carry the purpose or vision they have in mind. Gossip, division, backbiting, and jealousy can destroy any hope. What is our vision for Asheville? Do we leave it to the area Politicians to dictate our dreams? Or do we (me and you) take civil control and create a better world in own lives and right here in our AVL community? We are Asheville, and AVL will always be a product of the people it consists of. We are here; ready to grow and become even better. What about you?

My Faces of Asheville Portrait

My Faces of Asheville portrait (Marty Weil).

For more information about Jenny Bowen's fascinating community project, click here.

Photograph courtesy of Jennybowen.com.

[x-posted from ephemera.]

Beer Thursday: French Broad Wee-Heavy-est Release @ Bruisin' Ales

Asheville’s French Broad Brewery returns for this week's tasting with the kick-off of the Wee-Heavy-est ‘09. Won’t you join us at Bruisin' Ales this Thursday, November 19th, 5-7 p.m.?

13 Rebels ESB: “French Broad Brewery’s interpretation of the classic UK Extra Special Bitter. A bright copper color with a complex malt palate is complemented by traditional British hops, notably East Kent Golding. French Broad has made this classic public house session beer a cult classic with its skull and crossbones artwork.” [5.2% abv]

Rye Hopper: “The Ryehopper began as a fall seasonal and has now found it’s way into our regular line-up. The brewers noticed a lack of rye beers in the Asheville area and wanted to fill that gap. This beer represents assistant brewer Chris Richards’ first recipe released by the brewery. The malted rye contributes both a rounded maltines and a sharp earthy flavor, bridging the maltiness of the barley and the bitterness of the hops. In essence, the Ryehopper is a hoppy rye beer. Seriously, what else did you expect?” [5.9% abv]

Wee Heavy-er: “Our Wee Heavy-er Scotch Ale is based on our Wee Heavy Scotch Ale recipe, but with a little more-er alcohol. This traditional Scotch Lowland ale is one of our most popular brews. Some of you may remember the original Wee-Heavy from the days when North Carolina brewers could not brew beers containing more than 6% ABV. We would like to take a moment and thank the people of Pop-the-Cap for all their hard work.” [7.0% abv]

Wee Heavy-est: Same recipe as the popular Wee Heavy-er, but with a Belgian yeast strain! [9.0% abv]

Looking for a Few Good Avl Podcasts

We missed the boat at Spookypalooza this year, no category for Best Podcast! All that will change next year.

Meanwhile, all of us here at BlogAsheville want to hook YOU up with the very best in local podcasts.

We've heard about Chicken Pop Pod (@chickenpoppod on Twitter), and we still miss the semi-retired Word Nerds. And Gillian Coats of 7 Layer Dip on AshevilleFM has some podcasts over at her page on the MAP website.

But we know we're missing a lot of good stuff. If you've got a podcast, won't you tell us all about it? We'd love to have you post podcasts to BlogAsheville, and link your site in the podcast section of our sidebar.

Spread the word! BlogAsheville wants your podcasts. Comment or send email to blogasheville [at] hotmail daht cahm.

Information Superhighway Tonight

This stellar group from Chicago is in town for one night only. I caught them last time I was there and was blown away by the powerhouse lead singer Leslie Beukelman (who happens to be shacked up with my brother-in-law) and the musicianship of the band. Come to Bobo Gallery tonight and get blown away. Opening act Joe Burkett and Shane will go on about 9pm with Info Superhighway to follow. You can give 'em a listen at their MySpace page. I hope to see you there!

Kid-Friendly Attraction: NC Arboretum

There is a local attraction that really doesn't get mentioned often in the kid-friendly category, but it's one of our favorite places to go with the kids: the NC Arboretum. People don't automatically think to take kids to an arboretum, but this one really has lots for little ones to do.

There are a few reasons why we love taking the kids there:

• It's cheap. It costs $6 for the whole family (as long as they fit in one vehicle, since the only charge is for parking). Better yet, it's free on Tuesdays.


• It's a semi-contained area to let the kids run free. There are a few places, like the bonsai garden, where it's a series of walkways and bridges with railings, so for those of you with multiple kids like us, you don't have to worry as much about each kid sprinting a different direction. In fact, the Arboretum was the first outing where we took the kids and let the twins go stroller-free when they started walking.


• They have kid-friendly hiking trails as short as a half-mile tound-trip.


• It's one of the few attractions I've seen anywhere (not just Asheville, but in all my travels in seven countries) that actually caters to toddlers and preschoolers. They have a Wee Naturalist program for kids age 2-4 to encourage parents and kids to explore.


• They always have a cool, hands-on or personal experience type of exhibit that kids love. Currently, it's an exhibit on bats. One of the coolest was a greenhouse filled with real live butterflies that the kids could walk into and experience.
  

The coolest part is probably that adults can actually enjoy this. With maybe the exception of winter, the arboretum is, beyond all the things I listed above, a very cool attraction for moms, dads, grandparents and pets, too. (I see lots of people walking their dogs there.) Each season is unique. Even in winter, it's a great place to visit for a hike on a nice day.



But my husband and I, and the kids, love the bonsai collection (the largest in the Southeast from what I have heard). Here's a cool thing some people don't really think about either, but these bonsais go through the seasonal changes as well. If you get a chance, I definitely recommend checking out the Arboretum during the fall color change.



Here are several other pictures I took during visits in spring and fall: