Asheville North Carolina

For more information, contact Stacy Merten at 259-5836 or Cristin Moody at 259-5638.

Events - 31 Days of Preservation

Explore the rich cultural, architectural and natural heritage of our region ALL MONTH (and all year) with these activities and events.

May 2010

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
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2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

Saturday, May 1

12^th Annual French Broad River Festival

Time: April 30 - May 2, see website for daily schedules

Location: Hot Springs, NC

Cost: Purchase online - $65 before 4/20/10 and $70 after 4/20/10. Tickets will be $75 at the gate.

Description: The 13^th Annual French Broad River Festival, a benefit for American Whitewater, The Mountain Area Child and Family Center and Hot Springs Community Learning Center. Come spend the weekend with family and friends listening to the sounds of the James McMurtry and the Heartless Bastards, The Blue Rags, Snake Oil Medicine Show, Sol Driven Train, Larry Keel and the Natural Bridge, Shane Pruitt Band, Zach Deputy, Michelle Malone, WSNB, Mad Tea Party, and loads of other great regional and national recording artists, shopping for new outdoor gear at the Live Auction or with one of our many vendors, and watching or participating in the “Paddle with the Pros”, the 6th Annual FBRF Mountain Bike Race, or the 13th Annual French Broad River Raft Race. Come on out for a weekend of fun, family, art, music and adventure!

Website: www.frenchbroadriverfestival.com

Renovation, Repair and Painting Training

Time: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Location: Jensen Lecture Hall, Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Rd. , Swannanoa , NC 28778

Cost: $225

Contact information: Linda Block, 828-771-5821, lblock@warren-wilson.edu

Event description: Learn to protect your health and that of your family and clients when working in an environment containing lead paint, varnish, stains, or shellac. The course will combine hands-on practice, slide show presentations, sharing of experiences and group problem-solving activities. Participants who successfully complete the course will each receive polypropylene coveralls, an N-100 dust mask, course materials, and an EPA Certificate of Completion. EPA Renovator Certification is required before April 22, 2010 and is good for 5 years. Firm certification is also required and is good for one year.

Sunday, May 2

21^st Annual Spring Herb Festival

Time: April 30 - May 1, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm; May 2, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Location: WNC Farmers Market, 570 Brevard Road, Asheville

Cost: Free

Contact information: Farmers Market, 828-253-1691

Website: www.wncherbfestival.com

Monday, May 3

St. Lawrence Basilica

Time: Church open daily. Docent guided tours available on Sundays after noon mass or by appointment.

Location: 97 Haywood Street, Asheville

Contact information: Call Docent Coordinator, Shirley Gregory, to schedule a tour at 274-4592.

Description: Visit this National Historic Landmark built in 1909. Designed by Rafael Guastavino in the ornate Spanish Renaissance style, the Basilica features many distinctive architectural features.

Website: www.saintlawrencebasilica.org

Tuesday, May 4

Biltmore Estate Festival of Flowers

Date/Time: Through May 16^th, open daily, see website for times

Location: Biltmore Estate, 1 Approach Road, Asheville, NC 28803

Cost: varies

Contact information: Call 800-411-3812 or 828-225-1333

Decsription: During our celebration, enjoy live music daily in the Winter Garden and in the Conservatory. On weekends, our horticulture professionals are in the Walled Garden to answer your gardening questions.

Website: www.biltmore.com

Wednesday, May 5

On Earth’s Furrowed Brow: The Appalachian Farm in Photographs - Photographs by Tim Barnwell

Through May 31^st, Exhibit Center: Monday through Sunday, 9 am to 5 pm.

Location: North Carolina Arboretum

Cost: Free with the standard parking fee (only $8 per personal vehicle); always free on Tuesdays.

Contact: 828-665-2492

Description: Tim Barnwell has spent a lifetime exploring the southern Appalachian region, documenting the farm culture, visiting with and photographing the people of its isolated mountain enclaves. The acclaimed author of The Face of Appalachia, Barnwell once again turns an intelligent and compassionate eye toward rural America in this traveling exhibit based on his book, On Earth’s Furrowed Brow. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains, 30 black and white photographs provide a window onto a world that is quickly fading. Portraits of people in their homes and at work in the fields illuminate the richness and rhythms of everyday life.

Website: www.ncarboretum.org

Thursday, May 6

Cost: No fee to attend. Light snacks will be provided; drinks and food from the regular menu may be purchased.

Event description: An opportunity for preservation professionals and enthusiasts to get together. Bring your questions, find out who does what. Come celebrate in one of our newest old buildings!

Location: Tours are by reservation and leave from various locations depending on the tour.

Cost: Admission Fee $18.00 for adults, $12.00 for students 6-18 years old. Group tours available.

Event Description: Walking tours of historic Downtown Asheville. Step back in time to glimpse the history of Asheville as you come along on a walking architecture/history tour in the heart of the city. Tours of Montford and the elegantly landscaped Riverside cemetery and are also available. Tours must be booked in advance.

North Carolina Historical Highway Marker Dedication: Zelda Fitzgerald - "America's First Flapper"

Event description: Zelda Fitzgerald and husband F. Scott Fitzgerald were among the best known “beautiful people” of the 1920s “Jazz Age.” Fitzgerald, author of “The Great Gatsby” dubbed his wife “America’s first flapper.” On Friday, May 7, at 2 p.m. a North Carolina Highway Historical Marker will be dedicated to Zelda Fitzgerald, who died in a fire at the psychiatric Highland Hospital in Asheville in 1948. The marker dedication is open to the public and will be on Broadway Street near the Buncombe Turnpike marker.

Event description: The Asheville Outdoor Center will offer a variety of activities for the whole family, including kayak and raft rides, live music, volleyball, gem mining, fishing classes, a casting contest, a playground and horse shoes, as well as a fishing tournament.

Event description: As part of Fiber Weekend, demonstrations on Saturday include: quilting, doll making, weaving, mixed media fiber arts, clothing design, printing and surface design, and natural dyeing. Fashion show on Sunday will feature clothing and accessories designed and handmade by members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild. Participants in this year’s show will be exploring the topics of recycling, repurposing and sustainability through their fiber art.

Description: Take a self-guided tour the Grove Arcade through a downloadable guide describing the historical and architectural highlights of this landmark. Download the brochure at www.grovearcade.com The tour is available in two parts: a brief history that provides information about Asheville and E.W. Grove and a walking tour that will take visitors around the exterior and interior of the building. The tour takes approximately 35 minutes to complete.

Times: Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday noon to 4 p.m., and Sunday 2 to 5 p.m. Closed on Mondays

Description: This season's themed exhibit, "Protecting Our Natural Scenic Beauty–A Flood Runs Through It," will be on display throughout 2010. Oh, and you won't want to miss the special whimsical corner exhibit, "Blowdowns," featuring chairs from the Front Porch of Western North Carolina.

Hands in Harmony: Traditional Crafts and Music in Appalachia, Photographs by Tim Barnwell

Dates/Time: May 14 - October 10, 2010, Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm; Sunday 1 - 5 pm

Event description: Hands in Harmony is a photographic exploration of the makers of Appalachian folk music and traditional handcrafts by photographer Tim Barnwell. The exhibition includes approximately 30 black-and-white photographic portraits of well-known figures in the Appalachian music and crafts communities and images of some who are not as well known

Location: The Bankers House, located at 319 N. Lafayette Street, just one block north of uptown Shelby.

Event description: Join us on May 15, 2010 at the Banker’s House. This is an opportunity to provide the entire community with demonstrations of historic preservation trades, ask questions of the demonstrators, and discuss the Historic Trades Training Program. This Historic Preservation Trades Day will be the public kick-off for this exciting program.

Times: Weekly, Tuesdays through Fridays, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. Other times by appointment

Description: Housed in one of Asheville’s national historic landmarks commissioned by George Vanderbilt in 1983, the center features exhibit galleries, classes and performances.

Location: Tours are by reservation and leave from various locations depending on the tour.

Cost: Admission Fee $18.00 for adults, $12.00 for students 6-18 years old. Group tours available.

Event Description: Walking tours of Asheville’s historic Montford neighborhood. Step back in time to glimpse the history of this charming community as you come along on a walking architecture/history tour of Montford, which includes a surprise visit to a bed & breakfast. Tours of elegantly landscaped Riverside cemetery and downtown Asheville are also available. Tours must be booked in advance.

Event description: Preservation Awards ceremony honoring the citizens working to sustain the heritage and sense of place that is Asheville and Buncombe County. Light hors d’ oeuvres and informal building tours begin at 6:00. Award presentations begin at 7:00. The Sondley Award will also be presented.

Location: Tours are by reservation and leave from various locations depending on the tour.

Cost: Admission Fee $18.00 for adults, $12.00 for students 6-18 years old. Group tours available.

Event Description: Walking tours of Asheville’s historic Riverside cemetery. Step back in time to glimpse the history of this elegantly landscaped cemetery as you on a walking architecture/history tour. Tours of downtown Asheville and Montford are also available. Tours must be booked in advance.

Self guided tours - CD is available at the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center, 36 Montford Avenue, $12. MP3 download available at www.history-at-hand.com, $8.99. iPhone application available at the iPhone store, $8.99.

Description: This historic community was planned and built in the 1890s as a picturesque manorial village to complement the Biltmore Estate and house its workers. many unique shopping and dining destinations occupy istoric cottages The Compleat Naturalist and Once Upon a Time, will be offering a 20% discount on the book titled, Around Biltmore Village.

Times: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday - group appointment only (15 visitors, minimum); Thursday - Saturday 10 am - 4 pm; Sunday 12pm - 4pm

Description: The Smith-McDowell House is the oldest surviving house in Asheville and the finest existing example of brick antebellum architecture in Western North Carolina. The house is fully furnished with authentic period pieces and its programs reflect the eras in which the Smith and McDowell families lived, including the Museum's acclaimed annual Victorian Romance Christmas Celebration.

Time: Self- guided tours anytime (maps are available in Pack Place and at the Arts Council), guided tours by reservation

Contact information 828-258-0710, ext. 108. Call 10 days to 2 weeks in advance of your desired tour date to coordinate a tour.

Description: Follow this outdoor museum consisting of thirty stations of bronze sculpture around downtown Asheville. Each station has a plaque illuminating some of the very interesting history of the downtown development and the various notable people who once lived here. The Urban Trail is divided into The Frontier Period, The Gilded Age, The Times of Thomas Wolfe, The Era of Civic Pride and The Age of Diversity and marked with a pink granite symbol to lead you through the ages. In total, it is a 1.7 mile walk that begins and ends at Pack Place.

Event description: Learn about Preservation Easements, Rehabilitation Tax Credits, National Register and Local Historic Districts and other useful preservation tools.

Black Mountain College History Preserved Museum

Location: Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, 56 Broadway, Asheville, NC

Cost: Admission – Free on Wednesdays & always for BMCM+AC members, $3 otherwise

Contact information: For more information contact Alice Sebrell, Program Director, 828-350-8484, bmcmac@bellsouth.net

Description: The BMC Museum & Arts Center preserves and presents the fascinating story of the legendary experimental college by offering a variety of resources to help visitors understand Black Mountain College’s famous artistic and educational community.

Art Break, Preservation Month at the Asheville Art Museum

Description: The Museum presents lunchtime art breaks, a series of gallery talks and presentations designed to inform and engage you in dialogue with members of our curatorial and education departments, docents and special guests.

Join Nancy Sokolove as she discusses the importance of Historic Preservation Month at the Asheville Art Museum, including elements of the historic Pack Memorial Library Building that the Museum is housed in.

Times: May 28 – 31; Guided history tour at 10:00 am; various other activities all weekend, see website for detailed schedule.

Event description: Join us as we celebrate the best of North Carolina’s heritage at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa during our Memorial Day Weekend celebration. Our salute to summer includes guided history tours, cooking demonstrations, pool games, a puzzle tournament, and lots of live music…we know you’ll find something to enjoy at our legendary resort.

Description: The Destination Center features a variety of exhibits which highlight the natural and cultural diversity, economic traditions, and recreational opportunities found in Western North Carolina along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Center also houses interactive kiosks which enable visitors to purchase discounted tickets to nearby attractions.

Description: The museum features a restored Norfolk and Western Bay Window Caboose. Inside, visitors can view old photographs of the railroad and Depot going back more than 100 years. Multi-media exhibits portray the coming of the railroad to the Swannanoa Valley, construction of the tunnels through Old Fort Mountain, and oral histories of Souther Railroad personnel.

Description: Take some time to enjoy browsing this amazing collection of local historical records available via the web! Resources include digitized drawings, photographs, archival documents, maps and architectural plan, biographies and oral histories.

May 2010: Historic Preservation Month

"Old is the New Green" Celebrating Heritage Sustainably

May is Historic Preservation Month, and this online resource is dedicated to helping you find more information about events and programs celebrating the region's heritage and history. Visit the links below for more information.

Events - 31 Days of Preservation

Explore the rich cultural, architectural and natural heritage of our region ALL MONTH (and all year) with these activities and events.

Black Mountain College History Preserved Museum

Art Break, Preservation Month at the Asheville Art Museum

"Old is the New Green"
Celebrating Heritage Sustainably