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R Relocatin l ting to t our mountains t i can be b tricky t i k for large out-of-town moving trucks. Our long-stan nding relationships with local moving companies can minimize expense and ensure a smooth h move.

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INTRODUCTION | Welcome

“Whether your interest is residential or commercial, as an experienced investor or a first-time buyer, our team is here to help you.”

— Neal Hanks Jr., President

Welcome. It is our privilege to introduce you to this beautiful

region we call home. We know that to discover Western North Carolina, you need to experience the splendor of our communities first hand. We are confident that when you do, you will find out why most never leave.

Choosing the right real estate company to assist you in your exploration is important. You want to be sure to choose the best, and in Western North Carolina, that choice is Beverly-Hanks. Our real estate brokers have earned a reputation for looking after their clients like no other in the area. Whether your interest is residential or commercial, as an experienced investor or a first-time buyer, our team is here to help you.

Our team not only has a deep understanding of the real estate market, but we also know the schools, hospitals, and even the service people to call when you have a specific need. We stand ready when you have tax, zoning, or home inspection questions. With relocation, mortgage, and title professionals under one roof, we are ready to deliver a convenient home buying process catered to you.

Every year, thousands of buyers and sellers choose Beverly-Hanks, REALTORS® to handle their real estate needs. Many have used our services before and others are referred by previous customers. The enthusiastic endorsement of our services is how we measure success.

Whether you were introduced to us by a family member, friend, or a relocation company who values our professional expertise, we are excited to Welcome you to Western North Carolina.

It is our hope you will find the information contained in Welcome useful for your exploration. We look forward to being of service to you.

Warm regards,

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ASHEVILLE, NORTH

820 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, NC 28804 (828) 251-1800

ASHEVILLE, SOUTH

One Town Square Blvd., Suite 140 Asheville, NC 28803 (828) 684-8999

BREVARD, DOWNTOWN 6 East Main St., Brevard, NC 28712 (828) 877-6006

BREVARD, SOUTH

7737 Greenville Hwy., Brevard, NC 28712 (828) 877-4490

BURNSVILLE

369 West US 19-E, Burnsville, NC 28714 (828) 678-9944

FLETCHER

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Welcome | CONTENTS

Features g g g g g g g g g g

10 Colleges & Universities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Health Care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Outdoor Recreation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Nightlife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Cuisine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Breweries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Arts & Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Nonprofits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Primary Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Resources

WNC Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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56 123 Useful Numbers & Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

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58 Weaverville & Barnardsville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Black Mountain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Arden & Mills River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Hendersonville & Flat Rock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Fletcher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Haywood County. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Madison County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Rutherford County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Yancey County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Polk County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Transylvania County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Asheville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Above: The Asheville Museum of Art. STERLING E. STEVENS

Welcome to Western North Carolina

ISSUE 16

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Welcome | EDUCATION

HENDERSON COUNTY SCHOOLS

Looking ahead WNC SCHOOLS ADAPT TO CHANGING REALITIES ne of the most important things to consider when you’re thinking about moving is the quality of the schools.

Even if you don’t have children or they are out of the nest, you want to know how good of an education the area provides.

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Western North Carolina’s schools consistently rank among the state’s best. The public schools that serve the area include Asheville City Schools, Buncombe County Schools, Henderson County Schools, Transylvania County Schools, Haywood County Schools, Jackson County Schools, Madison County Schools, Polk County Schools, and Yancey County Schools.

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City of Asheville Asheville City Schools has nearly 4,400 students, having experienced a significant increase in enrollment in the last decade.

Each of the elementary schools is a “magnet school,” meaning that parents may apply for admission to the school that best suits their child’s interests.

The number of students enrolled at Asheville Middle School is close to 800, and Asheville High School is a four-year school of over 1,000 students. It occupies a stately stone building designed

by Art Deco master Douglas Ellington.

Claxton Elementary (450 students) integrates the arts and humanities into curriculum teaching through drama, dance, music, visual arts, and creative writing.

Hall Fletcher Elementary (370 students) emphasizes science,

EDUCATION | Welcome SCHOOL STATS

For the most complete, up-to-date statistics on Western North Carolina school districts and individual academic institutions, visit ncpublicschools.org/src. The website includes student performance scores, graduation rates, teacher qualifications, school environment, and more. math, and technologies through course work such as science lab, its greenhouse, and “HopSports,” which works technology into physical education.

Ira B. Jones, a “Global Scholars school” of around 500 students, includes Spanish, multicultural awareness, and environmental stewardship in its studies.

Isaac Dickson, an experiential learning school of over 500 students, bases its core principles on the educational ideals of Dewey, Piaget, and Montessori.

The School of Inquiry and Life Sciences has 320 students, while Lucy S. Herring Elementary School invites its 477 students to study the people and cultures of the world and examine their relationships with the natural environment.

Public Schools Asheville City Schools 85 Mountain Street Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 350-7000 ashevillecityschools.net

Jackson County Schools 398 Hospital Road Sylva, NC 28779 (828) 586-2311 jcps.k12.nc.us

Buncombe County Schools 175 Bingham Road Asheville, NC 28806 (828) 255-5921 buncombe.k12.nc.us

Madison County Schools 5738 US 25/70 Marshall, NC 28753 (828) 649-9276 madisonk12.schoolfusion.us

Haywood County Schools 1230 N. Main Street Waynesville, NC 28786 (828) 456-2400 haywood.k12.nc.us Henderson County Schools 414 4th Avenue West Hendersonville, NC 28739 (828) 697-4733 hendersoncounty publicschoolsnc.org

Polk County Schools 125 East Mills Street Columbus, NC 28722 (828) 894-3051 polkschools.org Transylvania County Schools 225 Rosenwald Lane Brevard, NC 28712 (828) 884-6173 transylvania.k12.nc.us Yancey County Schools 100 School Circle Burnsville, NC 28714 (828) 682-6101 yanceync.net

Buncombe County Reflecting the diverse nature of the area’s population, Buncombe County Schools serves children of many different backgrounds. Students in the district speak more than 55 different languages. One of largest school systems in the state (and largest in Western North Carolina with nearly 25,000 students), Buncombe County Schools employs around 4,000 people, making it the county’s second largest employer.

The “graduation initiative” put into motion long-term changes to improve graduation rates. Since its inception, the program has drastically decreased the dropout rate in the system.

Reynolds High School hovers around 1,280 students, with Early College, one of the highest performing schools in the region home to 270 students.

Located in Candler, Pisgah Elementary and its 230 students are a shining example of excelling academic performance in the district.

Among Buncombe County Schools’ education initiatives is “Learn and Earn Online,” a program that allows sophomores, juniors, and seniors the opportunity to take online college-level courses taught by instructors from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. Students may also take classes not offered at their high schools through North Carolina Virtual Public School, which sets up coursework, group discussion, and student-teacher interaction via the Internet.

The system has 23 elementary schools, seven middle schools, and six comprehensive high schools, while also boasting a middle and early college and a STEM school.

Henderson County Henderson County Schools’ vision is “that every student will achieve success and graduate as a life-long learner, globally competitive, prepared for career, college, and life.”

With over 13,500 students in the district, the system has one of the highest graduation rates in the state. Its four middle schools HENDERSON COUNTY SCHOOLS

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Welcome | EDUCATION

HENDERSON COUNTY SCHOOLS

have been nationally designated as “Schools to Watch” because of their emphasis on strong academics and their sensitivity to their students.

The two largest schools in the district are North Henderson High School (1,100 students) and West Henderson High School (1,080 students). Home to 190 students, Henderson Early College is the top performing school in the district.

Henderson County Schools owns Historic Johnson Farm, a heritage education center, making it one of only three school systems in the United States to own a farm. The farm, open to the public and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, teaches students about farm life on its 15 acres of farmland, forest, fields, and streams. The school system also has the Bullington Center, a 12-acre horticultural education center that holds workshops to teach children and adults about gardening and plant science.

Transylvania County The Transylvania County school system operates four elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools, and one alternative school. It consistently ranks among the top school systems in North Carolina. Student attendance is among the best in the state.

To help prepare the district’s more than 3,400 students for careers in the computer age, the school system offers classes in network engineering and webpage development, as well as a Cisco Academy.

The main academic institution, Brevard High School, clocks in around 730 students.

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The school system has also made steady improvement in its student-to-adult ratio. It has sought and received state and federal grants for technology, reading improvement, exceptional children’s programs, school resource officers, library books, juvenile justice programs, and quality management practices.

In conjunction with the Brevard Chamber Orchestra, the system implemented a strings program in its elementary schools. It also started a “New Century Scholars” program that provides support and college tuition for at-risk students.

Haywood County “Success for today, preparation for tomorrow, and learning for a lifetime” sums up the vision of Haywood County Schools. With schools far smaller than the state average, the system is able to offer its over 7,200 students a great deal of personal attention.

In terms of student performance, Haywood was honored in recent years as having a “National Blue Ribbon School,” which was bestowed upon the Haywood Early College.

The biggest institutions in the district, Pisgah High School in Canton, has around 1,010 students, with Tuscola High School in Waynesville following closely behind at around 975 students.

Riverbend Elementary School and Haywood Early College were recognized as “Honor Schools of Excellence” for having more than 90 percent of their students score at or above standard on mandated state tests. More than two thirds of the system’s schools were state-designated “Schools of Distinction,” compared with less than one third for all state school systems as a whole.

Clyde, Hazelwood, Jonathan Valley, Junaluska, and Meadowbrook elementary schools, as well as Pisgah and Tuscola

EDUCATION | Welcome Private Schools Arden Christian School Grades 5-11 2568 Hendersonville Road Arden, NC 28704 (828) 687-0704 Asheville Catholic School Grades PreK-8 12 Culvern Street Asheville, NC 28804 (828) 252-7896 ashevillecatholic.org Asheville Christian Academy Grades PreK-12 74 Riverwood Road Swannanoa, NC 28778 (828) 581.2200 acacademy.org Asheville Montessori School Grades Pre-K-K 15 Julia Street Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 645-3433 ashevillemontessori school.com Asheville School Grades 9-12 360 Asheville School Road Asheville, NC 28806 (828) 254-6345 ashevilleschool.org Asheville-Pisgah Christian School Grades Pre-K-8 90 Academy Drive Candler, NC 28715 (828) 667-3255 ashevillepisgah.org

Azalea Mountain School Grades Pre-K-5 587 Haywood Road Asheville, NC 28806 (828) 575-2557 azaleamountain.org

French Broad River Academy Grades 6-8 191 Lyman Street, Suite 316 Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 348-4320 • fbra-avl.org

Carolina Christian School Grades PreK-12 48 Woodland Hills Road Asheville, NC 28804 (828) 658-8964 carolinachristianschool.com

Hanger Hall School for Girls Grades 6-8 64 W.T. Weaver Boulevard Asheville, NC 28806 (828) 258-3600 hangerhall.org

Carolina Day School Grades PreK-12 1345 Hendersonville Road Asheville, NC 28803 (828) 274-0757 carolinaday.org

Immaculate Catholic School Grades PreK-8 711 N. Buncombe Street Hendersonville, NC 28791 (828) 693-3277 • immac.org

Christ School Grades 8-12 500 Christ School Road Arden, NC 28704 (828) 684-6232 christschool.org

Learning Community School Grades K-8 PO Box 1143 Black Mountain, NC 28711 (828) 686-3080 thelearningcommunity.org

Mount Pisgah Academy Grades 9-12 75 Academy Drive Candler, NC 28715 (828) 667-2535 • pisgah.us Nazarene Christian School Grades PreK-5 385 Hazel Mill Road Asheville, NC 28806 (828) 252-9713 ashevillefirstnazarene.org

Providence Christian Academy Grades K-12 48 Woodland Hills Road Asheville, NC 28804 (828) 658-8964 Rainbow Community School Grades PreK-8 574 Haywood Road Asheville, NC 28806 (828) 258-9264 • rmcs.org

New City Christian School Grades K-5 216 Shelburne Road Asheville, NC 28806 (828) 252-8173 newcitychristian.org

Swannanoa Valley Montessori School Grades PreK-8 130 Center Avenue Black Mountain, NC 28711 (828) 669-8571 swanmont.org

New Classical Academy Grades PreK-8 38 Stoney Knob Road Weaverville, NC 28787 (828) 658-8317 thenewclassicalacademy.org

Temple Baptist School Grades PK-12 985 ½ Patton Avenue Asheville, NC 28806 (828) 252-3712 templebaptistschool.org

Montessori Country Day Grades PreK-K 158 Bradley Branch Road Arden, NC 28704 (828) 654-9933

North Asheville Christian School Grades PreK-12 20 Reynolds Mtn. Boulevard Asheville, NC 28804 (828) 645-8053 rmcacademy.org

Veritas Christian Academy Grades K-12 17 Cane Creek Road Fletcher, NC 28732 (828) 681-0546 veritasnc.org

Fletcher Academy Grades 9-12 185 Academy Drive Fletcher, NC 28732 (828) 687-5100 fletcheracademy.com

Montessori Learning Center Ages 18 months-6 years 1 School Road Asheville, NC 28806 (828) 259-9880 mlcasheville.org

Odyssey Community School Grades PreK-12 90 Zillicoa Street Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 259-3653 odysseycommunity.org

FernLeaf Community Charter School Grades K-3 58 Howard Gap Road Fletcher, NC (828) 398-9268 fernleafccs.org

The Franklin School of Innovation Grades 6-12 21 Innovation Drive, Asheville, NC 28806 (828) 318-8140 franklinschoolof innovation.org

The Mountain Community School Grades K-8 613 Glover St. Hendersonville, NC 28792 (828) 696-8480 tmcschool.org

Emmanuel Lutheran School Grades PreK-8 51 Wilburn Place Asheville, NC 28806 (828) 281-8182 emmanuellutheran.info

Charter Schools ArtSpace Charter School Grades K-8 2030 US 70 Swannanoa, NC 28778 (828) 298-2787 artspacecharter.org Brevard Academy Grades K-8 299 Andante Lane Brevard, NC 28712 (828) 885-2665 brevard.teamcfa.org Evergreen Community Charter School Grades K-8 50 Bell Road Asheville, NC 28805 (828) 298-2173 evergreenccs.com

Francine Delaney New School for Children Grades K-8 119 Brevard Road Asheville, NC 28806 (828) 236-9441 • fdnsc.net

Invest Collegiate 1000 Brevard Road, Suite 175 Asheville, NC 28806 (828) 633-6491 icimagine.org Lake Lure Classical Academy Grades K-12 PO Box 6, Lake Lure, NC 28746 (828) 625-9292 llca.teamcfa.school

Summit Charter School Grades K-8 370 Mitten Lane Cashiers, NC 28717 (828) 743-5755 summitschool.org

Shining Rock Classical Academy Grades K-6 21 Shackleford Hall Drive Lake Junaluska, NC 28745 (828) 738.2665 shiningrockclassical academy.com

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Welcome | EDUCATION Jackson County Tracing its history to the mid-1880s, Jackson County Schools received the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s ABC of Education Annual Accountability Report. The schools have joined other county agencies in challenging its staff and 3,690 students to improve their health through fitness.

The system has nine schools, all configured to meet the needs of a large county with few concentrations of population: Smokey Mountain Elementary, which has students from Pre-K to eighth grade; Blue Ridge, a Pre-K to 12th-grade school (one of the few in the state); the K-8 schools of Fairview, Cullowhee, and Scotts Creek; the Pre-K through 12th-grade School of Alternatives for students with special needs; Smoky Mountain High School; and Blue Ridge Early College and Jackson County Early College.

The largest institution in the district, Smoky Mountain High School enrolls 848 students and has been named a “School of Distinction.” In fact, half of the system’s schools have been designated “Schools of Distinction.”

One of the highest performing academic institutions in the district, Jackson County Early College enrolls over 140 students.

Polk County

high schools and Waynesville Middle School, were all “Schools of Distinction,” meaning that at least 80 percent of students performed at or above grade level on end-of-grade tests.

Madison County Madison County Schools has around 2,300 students who attend two early childhood education centers, four elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and one early college high school. Madison High School has also been designated a “School of Distinction.”

Compared to state averages, Mars Hill Elementary (490 students) had higher testing scores in almost all of its classroom testing. Recently, the school was recognized as a “School of Progress” for its high academic growth numbers.

With some of the best educational facilities in the state, the board of education has led an effort to rebuild and/or remodel all facilities over the last decade.

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Polk County Schools serves about 2,100 students in a system that ranks high on state and federal lists of academic achievement. All seven schools — Tryon Elementary, Saluda Elementary, Sunny View MORE AT Elementary, Polk County Middle, BEVERLY-HANKS.COM Polk County High, Polk Central, Did you know that local and Polk County Early College — schools impact the value of have made “adequate yearly your home? Find out why progress.” and how you can research schools as part of your Saluda was recognized in 2012 property search at as a “National Blue Ribbon beverly-hanks.com/blog/ School,” becoming one of only how-important-are-schools.

269 nationwide systems to receive the honor. In recent years, Tyron, Saluda, and Polk County Early College were named “Schools of Excellence” by the North Carolina Department of Public Institution, while Polk Central and Polk County Middle and High Schools received marks as “Schools of Distinction.”

An academic highlight for the district, Polk County Early College has around 70 students.

U.S. News & World Report magazine once named Polk County High School a “Bronze Medal School” in its report on America’s best high schools.

Sunny View and Tryon elementary schools were named “National Blue Ribbon Schools” by the U.S. Dept. of Education in previous years. High school students can take advanced placement English, science, history, and math courses. They can also earn college credits through several iSchool courses offered in conjunction with University of North Carolina-Greensboro.

Yancey County Yancey County Schools received the “North Carolina Academic Growth Award” in 2016-2017. With nine schools, the district is home to over 2,150 students.

Mountain Heritage High School in Burnsville added the honor to its two previous “School of Distinction” awards, with Bald Creek Elementary School also being named a “National Blue Ribbon School.” n

Welcome | HIGHER EDUCATION

MONTREAT COLLEGE

A higher calling COLLEGE OPTIONS ABOUND IN WNC

W

estern North Carolina is home to a large number of public and private colleges and universities, attracting students from around the world.

Selected by the Fiske Guide to Colleges as a Top 20 “Best Buy” school in the nation eight times since 2005, Warren Wilson College near Black Mountain is an environmentally friendly school whose students enhance their academic experience by working 15 hours a week on campus. They also must complete 100 hours of community service over four years. The college’s 680 students earn bachelor’s degrees in 20 majors and can choose from 24 minors and 24 concentration areas. Taking at least one class within each of the school’s eight liberal arts areas, they attend classes that average 14 people in size.

Western Carolina University in the Jackson County community of Cullowhee serves more than 12,000 students, including 10,000 undergraduates and 1,600 enrolled in graduate programs.

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Offering more than 115 undergraduate majors and concentrations, WCU features a nationally recognized teacher education program, a criminal justice program used as a model across the state, and the nation’s first accredited four-year emergency medical care program. Graduate students and undergrads can choose from 60 areas of study offered at the main Cullowhee campus or at Biltmore Park in Asheville.

With an enrollment of nearly 1,300 students, Mars Hill University was founded in 1856 and is affiliated with the North Carolina Baptist Convention. It offers 35 majors and 33 minors on its large, leafy campus in the Madison County town of Mars Hill. It has five schools: Business, Social, and Behavioral Sciences; Education; Fine Arts; Humanities; and Mathematics and Natural Sciences. A member of the South Atlantic Conference, it fields teams in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

Brevard College in Transylvania County offers more than 40 major and minor degree programs, including those in art, biology, English, environmental studies, exercise science, history,

mathematics, music, and psychology. Its pre-professional studies include pre-dentistry, pre-law, pre-medicine, and pre-nursing.

With a student body of nearly 700 students, the institution boats an average class size of 15 students.

With around 3,700 students, UNC Asheville is the only dedicated public liberal arts and sciences university in the UNC System, nationally ranked among the top 10 in this category by U.S. News and World Report, and is one of the top schools for “Making an Impact” by The Princeton Review.

UNCA offers more than 30 majors with 16 Division I athletic teams and dozens of campus clubs and organizations for students to participate in. The average lecture/seminar size is 20 students, with lab/studio classes holding upwards of 18 students.

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College has the highest enrollment of any Western North Carolina higher education institution, serving more than 27,000 students annually.

Established in 1959 as a trade school, A-B Tech offers 39 career programs, as well as courses that are transferable to any university in the UNC system.

One of the oldest and largest schools in the North Carolina Community College System, A-B Tech has five schools: Allied Health and Public Service Education, Arts and Sciences, Business and Hospitality Education, Continuing Education, and Engineering and Applied Technology. It also has a popular continuing education program.

The college has added several new programs, including an associate’s degree in healthcare business informatics, a mobile development diploma, a bio-gas option in industrial systems technology, and a geospatial technology option as part of surveying. A-B Tech has additional campuses in Enka and Marshall.

“Christ-centered, student-focused, service-driven — equipping agents of transformation, renewal, and reconciliation” is the motto of Montreat College, a small four-year school in Montreat. Its liberal arts curriculum includes traditional and selected undergraduate and graduate professional degree programs, including degree programs for adults in the areas of business, education, management, and nursing. Founded in 1897, Montreat College is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church of the United States. In recent years, it had an enrollment of 755 students, with a student/faculty ratio of 9:1.

Offering 30 areas of study, Blue Ridge Community College near Flat Rock in Henderson County has more than 100 degree, diploma, and certificate programs, many of them qualifying students to work immediately after completing their course work.

About 2,000 students are enrolled at its main campus and a satellite facility in Brevard.

UNC ASHEVILLE

Haywood Community College offers more than 30 programs.

About 2,220 students took courses during the 2017-18 academic year. Departments include arts, sciences and natural resources, business and industry, and health and human services. HCC also offers online learning and continuing education opportunities.

Like all of North Carolina’s community colleges, it offers general education courses that transfer to the state university system, allowing students to get their first two years of classes completed at a bargain price.

Southwestern Community College — serving Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties, along with the Qualla Boundary — provides coursework in arts, sciences, college transfer, career technologies, and health services. Over 3,300 students enter more than 60 academic programs, while approximately 6,000 annually participate in the school’s ongoing continuation programs.

Lenoir-Rhyne College’s main campus is in Hickory, but its Center for Graduate Studies of Asheville was launched in 2012 to expand the university’s mission and serve the specific needs of Western North Carolina and beyond. Lenoir-Rhyne purchased part of 36 Montford Avenue to house a state-of-the-art learning space in downtown Asheville, and has full-time, terminallydegreed faculty to direct the graduate programs, mentor students, and develop community partnerships. The Center for Graduate Studies of Asheville currently enrolls over 200 students in 12 programs and is becoming known for its leadership in key community initiatives. n

Colleges & Universities Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College 340 Victoria Road Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 254-1921 • abtech.edu

Haywood Community College 185 Freedlander Drive Clyde, NC 28721 (828) 627-4667 • haywood.edu

Blue Ridge Community College 180 W. Campus Drive Flat Rock, NC 28731 (828) 694-1700 • blueridge.edu

Lenoir-Rhyne Graduate Center 36 Montford Ave, Asheville, NC, 28801 (828) 407-4263 • lr1.biz

Brevard College 1 Brevard College Drive Brevard, NC 28712 (828) 883-8292 • brevard.edu

Mars Hill University 100 Athletic Street Mars Hill, NC 28754 (866) 642-4968 • mhc.edu

Montreat College 310 Gaither Circle Montreat, NC 28757 (828) 669-8012 • montreat.edu Southwestern Community College 447 College Drive Sylva, NC 28779 (828) 339-4000 • southwesterncc.edu

Warren Wilson College 701 Warren Wilson Road Swannanoa, NC 28778 (828) 298-3325 warren-wilson.edu Western Carolina University N.C. Highway 107 Cullowhee, NC 28723 (828) 928-4968 • wcu.edu

University of North Carolina at Asheville 1 University Heights Asheville, NC 28804 (828) 251-6600 • unca.edu

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Welcome | HIGHER EDUCATION The great outdoors | HAYWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE When it comes to the ancient Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountain ranges of Western North Carolina, there’s a wide network of stewards protecting and conserving these vast wilderness areas.

“Around our region and across the country, there are a lot of changes going on, especially when it comes to land use and making sure forests stay as forests,” said Alexander Storm.

An instructor for the Forest Management Technology program at Haywood Community College in Clyde, Storm is on the frontlines of teaching and inspiring the next generation of land stewards and forest rangers.

“Our programs have become a magnet for people who care about the environment,” Storm said. “And, by the time they graduate from our program, they have a better understanding of the environment and how humans interact with that environment — something we all need to know to ensure the survival of our natural world.”

Coupled with Forest Management Technology is the Fish and Wildlife Management Technology program.

Both offerings involve education and career paths in “planning, production, processing, management, and conservation of wildlife, timber, and agriculture.”

“Our students go on to become good communicators in how to protect our forests,” Storm said. “Not everyone understands the nuances of how forests and ecosystems are managed, and those nuances need to be able to be conveyed to the general public.”

Western North Carolina itself has a long, storied history of pioneering conservation for the modern world.

Established in 1916, the nearby Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah Forest is regarded as the “birthplace of science-based forest management,” something championed and funded by George and Edith Vanderbilt of the famed Biltmore Estate.

“What we’re doing at HCC is the legacy of those who came before us with the Cradle of Forestry,” Storm said.

“We’re making sure our students have experience in several areas of forestry and fish and wildlife management, something that’s always been supported by the college.”

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The HCC Lumberjack Team.

Though the HCC campus is equipped with high-tech classrooms and laboratories, a key component of the outdoor programs lies in off-site field trips and hands-on experiences in the depths of Mother Nature.

“We really utilize our local forests and also go out of the area to immerse the students in other practices, like controlled burns and monitoring coastal ecosystems,” Storm said.

And within these outdoor programs at HCC is the award-winning and nationally-renowned Lumberjack Team. Participating around the Southeast and beyond in forestry competitions, the team has won numerous trophies while pitted against larger four-year colleges and institutions.

“You see these students coming to us not knowing how to do an underhand chop or throw an axe for accuracy or climb a pole,” Storm marveled. “But, then we get them involved in these competitions, where they learn all these skill sets and end up winning these competitions.”

As each class passes through HCC and eventually graduates, Storm is well aware of the importance of those students now entering the world and the workforce as the future stewards of these ecosystems in vital need of protection.

“It’s about passing the knowledge of the forest and ecosystems from the faculty to our students — to carry on conservation traditions and techniques,” Storm said. n

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Welcome | HEALTH CARE Mission Hospital.

AARON HOGSED

State-of-the-art health care REGIONAL HOSPITALS EMBRACE NEW SPECIALTIES

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he refreshing air, cleansing waters, and the desire to get outside and enjoy the outdoors have always attracted those seeking good health, and that continues today in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Asheville has more doctors per capita than most cities of its size. But the wealth of talent and commitment isn’t confined to the region’s largest city. Western North Carolina has many fine

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hospitals that practice the latest techniques in treatment, surgery, and preventive care.

Mission Hospital, located in Asheville, serves as the regional tertiary and quaternary care center in Western North Carolina.

Mission Hospital is licensed for 815 beds. Its brand new, 630,000square-foot North Tower features the region’s most sophisticated emergency department and critical care facility with 94 emergency beds and 220 acute beds. It has the region’s only Level II trauma center, a comprehensive stroke center, a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, and the only children’s hospital in Western North Carolina. Mission Hospital is also a Magnet® designated hospital for nursing excellence.

Welcome | HEALTH CARE

Haywood Regional Medical Center — A Duke LifePoint Hospital. HRMC

Mission Children’s Hospital is a member of Mission Health, an operating division of HCA Healthcare. Its services include pediatric and adolescent specialty care, neonatal and pediatric intensive care, and pediatric and adolescent psychiatric care. Mission Children’s Hospital has 130 beds, averages 3,100 patient admissions to its pediatric inpatient units, 3,900 outpatient pediatric surgeries, and nearly 12,000 pediatric emergency department visits annually.

Each year, approximately 750 ill and premature newborns MORE AT receive lifesaving care in its BEVERLY-HANKS.COM Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Are you ready to be more Western North Carolina is healthy? Don’t let your home served by several other be the reason you flub your excellent hospitals, such as goals. Find five easy things you can do to make your home Angel Medical Center in healthier at Franklin, Blue Ridge Regional beverly-hanks.com/blog/ Hospital in Spruce Pine, new-years-resolution-for-yourCarePartners Rehabilitation home.

Hospital in Asheville, Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville, Harris Hospital in Sylva, Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde, Highlands-Cashiers Hospital in Highlands, Mission Hospital McDowell in Marion, Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville, AdventHealth in Hendersonville, St. Luke’s Hospital in Columbus, Swain Community Hospital in Bryson City, and Transylvania Regional Hospital in Brevard.

CarePartners Rehabilitation Hospital in Asheville is an 80-bed regional referral center with programs for those suffering from stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiple trauma, amputation, joint replacement, and neurological disorders. The only licensed rehabilitation hospital in Western North Carolina, it is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, meaning that it has met or exceeded rigorous standards.

Its therapists have an average of 14 years of experience, and its patient-to-nurse ratio is 6 to 1. It participates in a national database that compares its patient outcomes to similar rehabilitation hospitals around the country, which allows it to continually assess and improve the quality of its rehabilitation programs.

Charles George VA Medical Center is a 116-bed acute care facility with a separate 120-bed extended care and rehabilitation center serving more than 31,000 veterans from the region. It provides primary, tertiary, and long-term care in areas of

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Medical Facilities Angel Medical Center 120 Riverview St. Franklin, NC, 28734 (828) 524-8411 missionhealth.org/angel AdventHealth 100 Hospital Dr. Hendersonville, NC 28792 (855) 774-5433 adventhealthnc.com Blue Ridge Regional Hospital 125 Hospital Drive Spruce Pine, NC 28777 (828) 765-4201 missionhealth.org/blueridge CarePartners Rehabilitation Hospital 68 Sweeten Creek Rd. Asheville, NC 28813 (828) 277-4800 carepartners.org Charles George VA Medical Center 1100 Tunnel Rd. Asheville, NC 28805 (828) 299-2519 asheville.va.gov Harris Regional Hospital — A Duke LifePoint Hospital 68 Hospital Rd. Sylva, NC 28779 (828) 586-7000 westcare.org Haywood Regional Medical Center — A Duke LifePoint Hospital 262 Leroy George Dr. Clyde, NC 28721 (828) 456-7311 haymed.org

Highlands-Cashiers Hospital 190 Hospital Dr. Highlands, NC 28741 (828) 526-1200 missionhealth.org/highlandscashiers Mission Health 509 Biltmore Ave. Asheville, NC 28801-4690 (828) 213-1111 missionhealth.org Mission Hospital McDowell 430 Rankin Dr, Marion, NC 28752 Asheville, NC 28801-4690 (828) 659-5000 missionhealth.org/mcdowell Pardee UNC Health Care 800 N. Justice St. Hendersonville, NC 28791 (828) 696-1000 pardeehospital.org St. Luke’s Hospital 101 Hospital Dr. Columbus, NC 28722 (828) 894-3311 saintlukeshospital.com Swain Community Hospital 45 Plateau St. Bryson City, NC, 28713 (828) 488-2155 myswaincommunity.com Transylvania Regional Hospital 260 Hospital Dr. Brevard, NC 28712 (828) 884-9111 missionheath.org/transylvania

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Welcome | HEALTH CARE Mission Hospital.

AARON HOGSED

medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, oncology, dentistry, ophthalmology, geriatrics, women’s health, spinal cord injury, physical medicine, and rehabilitation. Because the hospital is a teaching hospital, it provides a full range of patient care services, with state-of-the-art technology and programs in education and research.

Blue Ridge Regional Hospital, a member of Mission Health, an operating division of HCA Healthcare, is a community hospital serving Mitchell, Yancey, lower Avery, and upper McDowell counties. Located in Spruce Pine, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital is a Critical Access Hospital operating 25 beds. Blue Ridge Regional Hospital offers medical specialties including emergency services, prenatal and postnatal obstetrical care, wound clinic, cardiac stress testing, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs, nuclear medicine, 3D mammography, endoscopy services, critical care, rehabilitation services and fitness center, cancer services, orthopedics, general surgical services, pediatrics and family medicine, and walk-in, non-emergency care at Mission My Care Now Spruce Pine.

Haywood Regional Medical Center is a 154-bed hospital serving Haywood and surrounding counties with 160-plus physicians on its medical staff. Haywood Regional Medical Center offers a comprehensive array of services including imaging, orthopedics, spine services, cardiology, general surgery, women’s care, birthing center, wound care center, emergency medicine, behavioral health, and 12 multi-specialty physician clinics. The campus,

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located in Clyde, is also home to the 54,000-square-foot Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center and the 44,000-square-foot Haywood Regional Outpatient Care Center (outpatient surgery center, laboratory, imaging center including women’s imaging and physician practices). Haywood Regional Medical Center also operates two urgent care centers in the county, in Hazelwood and Canton. As a part of Duke LifePoint Healthcare, Haywood Regional Medical Center is supported by Duke University Health System’s world-renowned leadership in clinical excellence and quality care and LifePoint Health’s extensive resources, knowledge, and experience in operating community hospitals.

Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva, established in 1925, is an 86bed acute and specialty care facility serving Western North Carolina with more than 100 physicians practicing in locations throughout a multi-county region, including Harris Regional Hospital Medical Park of Franklin, an outpatient facility in Macon County. Harris is also affiliated with Duke LifePoint.

Swain Community Hospital, established in 1950, is a 48-bed Critical Access Hospital serving a multi-county region with primary care, emergency medicine, and subspecialty care, including a pain clinic and a transitional care unit. Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital began an affiliation in 1997 and joined Duke LifePoint Healthcare in 2014.

In Highlands, Highlands-Cashiers Hospital, a member of Mission Health, an operating division of HCA Healthcare, is a community hospital serving Macon, Jackson, and the surrounding counties.

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Welcome | HEALTH CARE

Pardee Urgent Care locations can be found in Mills River, Fletcher, and Hendersonville. PARDEE UNC HEALTH CARE PHOTO

Located on Highway 64 between the towns of Highlands and Cashiers, the hospital offers 24/7 emergency care, acute inpatient care, and rehabilitation, as well as long-term care through Eckerd Living Center. Highlands-Cashiers Hospital has 24 beds for acute care services and 80 beds in the Eckerd Living Center. Ambulatory services are also available, including therapy services and primary care practices serving both Highlands and Cashiers.

Mission Hospital McDowell, a member of Mission Health, an operating division of HCA Healthcare, is a community hospital serving McDowell, Burke, and Rutherford counties. Located in Marion, Mission Hospital McDowell operates 30 beds, including 5 labor and delivery suites. Medical specialties offered include family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, general surgery, orthopedics, urology, obstetrics and gynecology, and walk-in, non-emergency care at Mission My Care Now McDowell. Five of Mission Hospital McDowell’s primary care practices have been recognized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as Rural Health Clinics.

Tracing its history back to 1913, Pardee UNC Health Care in Hendersonville is a not-for-profit hospital managed by UNC Health Care.

Pardee is home to a state-of-the-art cancer center, a comprehensive physician practice network, four urgent care locations, three rehabilitation and wellness centers, and six orthopedic clinics with a medical staff representing more than 40 specialties.

Pardee recently expanded its cardiac service by becoming a Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) designated hospital able to treat heart attack patients around the clock. Pardee is one of only two hospitals in Western North Carolina able to provide this level of care. The designation formally recognizes the collection of personnel and procedures Pardee's Emergency Department and Cath Lab have in place to handle these most serious heart attacks, further enhancing the continuum of cardiac care available 24 hours a day.

Committed to meeting the broader community’s growing

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needs, Pardee continues to expand its primary care, urgent care, and specialty services throughout Henderson, south Buncombe, Transylvania, and Haywood counties. In 2020, Pardee added a new urgent care, orthopedics, and physical therapy practice in Pisgah Forest, offering convenient care to Transylvania County residents. In early 2021, Pardee opened new primary care facilities in Brevard and Arden.

Pardee UNC Health Care has a number of awards and accreditations for patient safety, service, quality, and value by many well-known organizations, including the American Heart Association, American Stroke Association, Healthgrades, American College of Cardiology, and Great 100 Nurses, among others.

AdventHealth Hendersonville has been providing wholeperson care — body, mind, and spirit — to people across Western North Carolina for more than 100 years. Its network of care serves Buncombe, Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania counties with a full range of medical-imaging services, cardiac care and rehabilitation, state-of-the-art surgical care, nationally awarded cancer services, and full-service orthopedic care. AdventHealth Hendersonville is also a proud member of the AdventHealth family of more than 50 exceptional not-for-profit, faith-based hospitals located across the country.

Leading the way in firsts for health care in the region, AdventHealth now offers enhanced CT imaging to patients with its GE Healthcare Revolution Apex CT Scanner which provides 4D Imaging so physicians can see an entire organ, such as the heart, including its blood flow and motion. It is also the first health system in the region to implement the Age-Friendly Health System evidence-based practices for addressing health and wellness best practices for older adults. AdventHealth Hendersonville is now designated as an Age-Friendly Health System Participant and Committed to Care Excellence organization. AdventHealth’s wholeperson care promise includes a commitment to delivering safe, high-quality health care. AdventHealth is proud to be recognized as a Leapfrog Safety Grade “A” Hospital and a CMS 5-Star Hospital.

St. Luke's Hospital is a highly-rated, critical access, not-for-profit, independent, community-owned hospital serving Polk County and the Carolina Foothills since 1929. St. Luke's is nationally accredited

by The Joint Commission and accredited by the Better Business Bureau. It is one of only 266 hospitals nationwide to earn 5 stars for patient experience from Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services. St. Luke's services include a 24/7 emergency department, world-class orthopedic and rehabilitation care, and a state-of-theart, regional-leading cancer and infusion center. St. Luke's also offers top-rated services in pain management, urology, radiology, surgical services, and imaging services, including MRI, CT, bone densitometry, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, and sensorysurround digital mammography, all supported by a full-service laboratory and other ancillary services.

Transylvania Regional Hospital, also a member of Mission Health, an operating division of HCA Healthcare, is a full-service community hospital serving Transylvania and the surrounding counties. Located in Brevard, North Carolina, the hospital offers 25 inpatient rooms and 10 transitional care unit rooms.

Transylvania Regional Hospital offers comprehensive services representing a full spectrum of specialties. Transylvania Regional Hospital was recently named one of the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States.

Southeastern Physical Therapy is a physical therapist-owned company that has been serving Western North Carolina since 1999. It has 10 locations throughout the region and specializes in orthopedic sports and active physical therapy. Its specialty is to help people get back to their activities, whether that be sports, gardening, hiking, biking, walking, or just becoming pain free. n

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Welcome | OUTDOORS

CATALOOCHEE SKI AREA

A time to play OUTDOOR FUN IS NEVER VERY FAR

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here is no better place in the United States to live for people who love to take part in recreational activities that involve the great outdoors.

Surrounded by the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, the city of Asheville is nurtured by nature. Also passing through the metropolis is the Blue Ridge Parkway, the 469-mile two-lane road that meanders along mountain ridges and valleys from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Western North Carolina to the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

The 2,200-mile Appalachian National Scenic Trail — known as the AT — traverses this region, bringing hikers from around the world to test their stamina. Other inclusive hikes in this area include the 116-mile Bartram Trail (named after the 18th century botanist) and the 1,175-mile Mountains-to-Sea Trail (which begins in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and runs near the Blue Ridge Parkway for much of its path through the region).

Lake Powhatan is in the Bent Creek area of the Pisgah National Forest, just south of Asheville, and home to miles of mountain biking trails. Also in Asheville, the Kolo Bike Park offers four miles

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of trails and a whole bunch of jumps and terrain tests for adventurous riders who enjoy a challenge.

DuPont State Park near Brevard has tons of trails, as does the Jackrabbit Mountain biking and hiking trail system just outside of Hayesville in Clay County. Don’t forget Tsali Recreational Area, home to some of the finest riding trails in the entire country, only an hour and a half from downtown Asheville, and the Fire Mountain Trail System, a state-of-the-art mountain biking area that recently opened in Cherokee.

Road riders will love the popular flat cycle along the French Broad River between Asheville and Marshall. The Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, Asheville Bicycle Racing Club, and the Asheville Women’s Cycling Club host events, club rides, and races. There are also great road rides in Haywood County and in the Mills River and Cane Creek areas of south Buncombe and north Henderson counties. Several groups also offer winter rides for those who don’t want to put their bike away during the coldweather months.

Less than an hour and a half from Asheville, the Nantahala Outdoor Center can provide just about any kind of adventure you’d want, from biking to climbing to hiking to river floats to lake kayaking to tickets to the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

AGENT’S CHOICE:

“My son and I are active in Cub Scouts, and our pack always has a great time at Lake Powhatan near Bent Creek and the North Carolina Arboretum. It is a wonderful area where families can enjoy a leisurely day of fishing, picnics, and even camping. Our favorite spot is a secret though—real fishermen cannot divulge such secrets.”

The rafting companies along the Nantahala, Chattooga, and Pigeon rivers offer exhilarating guided whitewater raft rides that roll over rapids in trips that last about three hours. Whitewater Paddling magazine has named Asheville a “Top 10 Whitewater Town,” but the glory is shared by many towns on the French Broad, Pigeon, Nantahala, Tuckasegee, and Nolichucky rivers.

Other adventurous explorers might opt for harnessed canopy tours conducted in the beautiful Nantahala Gorge over six aerial bridges and numerous zip lines. The rides, meant to be more informative than jaw dropping, go through several ecosystems, and guides share cultural and ecological tidbits along the way.

MORE AT For those who like two feet BEVERLY-HANKS.COM on the ground, the region The first steps toward a offers unparalleled hiking in sustainable environment Pisgah National Forest, Joyce begin in the home. We've Kilmer Memorial Forest, and shared five high-impact ways Great Smoky Mountains to make your home more sustainable at beverlyNational Park, and state parks hanks.com/blog/sustainableat Chimney Rock, DuPont, luxury-home.

Gorges, Grandfather Mountain, Lake James, and South Mountains. There are several hiking clubs in the area, including the Carolina Mountain Club, established in 1923 and now the region’s most active hiking club.

Julian Price Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway’s largest campground, offers ranger-guided hikes during the day. The National Park Service also provides car camping in maintained sites at Linville Falls, Crabtree Meadows, Mount Mitchell, and Mount Pisgah. For backpackers, there’s excellent primitive camping in Linville Gorge.

Closer to Asheville, public campgrounds exist at Lake Powhatan, North Mills River, and Davidson River.

With thousands of acres to explore and traverse, The Biltmore Estate in Asheville also has many outdoor experiences, including river floats, fly fishing, horseback riding, hiking, and biking.

The fun doesn’t stop with the warm weather. Strap on your skis and head to Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, Wolf Laurel Ski Resort near Mars Hill, or Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain in Banner Elk. All have runs for various levels of expertise, as well as super-fun inner tube rides and ski lodges to nurse any sore muscles. Want to go cross-country skiing? Then head up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, closed to automobiles in the winter, but not to those strapped with poles ready to tackle the beloved road. n

NANTAHALA OUTDOOR CENTER

— Jared Prast, Biltmore Park office

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Welcome | OUTDOORS Seth Alvo.

Canton’s catalyst | CHESTNUT MOUNTAIN Seth Alvo makes defying gravity look easy.

Pushing off on his mountain bike, he gathers speed on a rolling portion of Berm Park’s double black diamond trail, careening around a curved berm until it joins a vertical wall. The bike lifts off the berm and — for just a moment — rolls perpendicular to the wooden boards before a solid landing again submits it to gravity’s rule.

“I’ve been doing wall rides since I was a kid,” Alvo said. “So, it just feels kind of natural. But, I think the best way to describe it is you have to get comfortable orienting your body in the same direction as the wall.”

Alvo, an Asheville resident who also happens to be the most popular mountain bike YouTuber in North America, hopes that kids and adults region wide will soon start developing a similar comfort with mountain bikes and the possibilities they bring when Berm Park — a bike skills park within Canton’s larger Chestnut Mountain property — opens in the spring of 2022.

“They’re already doing it the right way in other parts of the country,” Alvo said of public bike parks in general. “We know what works. And so, we’re excited to demonstrate it here and to show how everybody can be happy if you just do it the right way, and you plan from the start.”

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When Alvo first started his Patreon account in 2016, his YouTube channel Berm Peak was still young, and he depended on his supporters’ monthly subscriptions to help pay his bills.

But, as the channel grew, attracting ads, sponsorships, and deals with companies, Alvo started questioning whether he should continue pocketing the Patreon money. Eventually, he decided, it was time to put his money where his mouth was and use the $4,000 coming in each month to build a public bike park.

Alvo approached Canton with the idea, and the town jumped on it. Funded by his Patreon subscribers — as well as dedicated sponsors for each of the five trails — the “park within a park” is designed by Ashevillebased Elevated Trail Design.

“As a town, we recognize that it’s an unbelievable opportunity,” said Canton Town Manager Nick Scheuer. “It’s two miles and a quarter from downtown, and the impact that it can have on us and the quality of life can’t be overstated.”

With a set-up analogous to a downhill ski resort, Berm Park consists of five short trails of varying and clearly marked difficulty levels, with climbing trails leading back to the top.

The idea is that riders will do multiple loops per visit, honing their skills with each circuit.

The park aims to be enjoyable for all riders, from children trundling around the flat beginner’s loop at the top to pro riders shooting off a 10-foot drop while performing mid-air tricks.

Within each circuit, riders face choices that can make the loop harder or easier, depending on their skill level, with strategically placed “squirrel catchers” — a term for intimidatinglooking obstacles designed to scare off unprepared riders — keeping bikers from getting too far down loops they’re not ready for.

In addition, the town is also scoping out possibilities for the 3.3-acre parcel it bought adjacent to the Chestnut Mountain property. Ideas include turning the property into a restaurant, brewery, bike shop, or visitor center.

And the town has approached various nonprofits about potentially funding a low-cost bike rental fleet to lower the sport’s barrier to entry.

Key to it all is accessibility. Chestnut Mountain is just two miles from Canton, and 20 minutes from Asheville, right off a major highway. It’s the kind of place people can swing by to blow off steam after work, take their kids at the end of the school day, or budget a whole weekend to backpack the trails.

“We’re essentially bringing online a new Bent Creek or a new DuPont,” Scheuer said. “It’s an amazing opportunity to measure the impact. n

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Welcome | NIGHTLIFE

Storied musician J.D. Pinkus at Fleetwood’s in West Asheville.

A night to remember PLENTY TO DO WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN

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fter a great day frolicking around the picturesque mountains of Western North Carolina, the fun continues when the sun goes down.

Asheville comes alive with standup comedy at The Odditorium; screenings of documentaries, foreign, and independent films at the Fine Arts Theatre or Grail Moviehouse; stage productions at the Magnetic Theatre; jazz or swing music at 5 Walnut Wine Bar; international dance troupes at the Diana Wortham Theatre; symphony orchestras at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium; rock ensembles at The Orange Peel; Americana and folk showcases at The Grey Eagle; or funk nights at the Asheville Music Hall.

Heading down the road, the options are just as tempting. Catch

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a blockbuster flick at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville, bluegrass legends at The Colonial Theatre in Canton or the White Horse in Black Mountain, nationally acclaimed troubadours at 185 King Street in BreMORE AT vard or The Purple Onion in BEVERLY-HANKS.COM Saluda, maybe a beloved Entertaining from home Broadway production at the instead? Discover three places Flat Rock Playhouse in Henderwhere outdoor lighting will sonville, the Haywood Arts Reimprove your life and, gional Theatre in Waynesville, ultimately, the value of your or the Southern Appalachian home at beverly-hanks.com/ blog/home-outdoor-lighting.

Repertory Theatre in Mars Hill.

And that leaves you with only one question — what do you want to do tonight?

Welcome | NIGHTLIFE Let the good times roll | ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Along the hurried pace of Patton Avenue in downtown, the Asheville Music Hall has become a nationallyacclaimed bastion for live entertainment and spectacle over the course of its first 10 years in operation.

“There are so many talented musicians and acts that not only play here, but also live here in Asheville, too,” said Brian Good, co-owner of the Asheville Music Hall. “And when you have a community like this that loves music this much — whether they’re a performer or concertgoer — then you’re going to fight hard to bring those national artists to our city.”

In 2019, Rolling Stone magazine touted Asheville as one of the hottest live music scenes in the country. And that accolade was no surprise when — on any given night — dozens of local, regional, and national groups take to the stage and get behind the microphone for a raucous crowd of enthusiastic music freaks.

“I’ve always been a live music lover.

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, with that huge scene and the Rock & Roll

Hall of Fame, it’s part of who I am,” Good said. “And with my background in hospitality, I’ve always aimed to create an enjoyable experience within a space.

The Music Hall lends itself to those moments of pure joy and happiness.”

With the Asheville Music Hall (capacity: 400) and its sister venue downstairs, The One Stop (capacity: 200), their bread and butter has always been a keen sense of booking groups that are about to break big. It’s about bringing soon-to-be household names into an intimate setting mere weeks or months before they graduate to larger venues and big arenas.

“We’ve been around long enough to have so many incredible relationships with the management companies and their bands we put onstage,” Good said. “And those key relationships lead to us getting the first crack at the next up-and-coming band to bring through Asheville.”

Amid the thousands of artists that have performed at the Asheville Music Hall, several groups in recent years that have become marquee acts on the

national circuit include Billy Strings, Goose, and Marcus King.

“We’re the only music venue in the city that really allows you to grow as an artist. You bust your knuckles downstairs at The One Stop and then, when you’ve created a big enough draw, you move upstairs to the Music Hall,” Good said.

“Seemingly every single night, there’s live music on both of our stages. It’s about bringing people together for the beauty of performance. Nobody puts on more live music in Asheville than we do.”

With a decade under its belt, the Asheville Music Hall continues to be a leader in the Asheville and greater Southern Appalachian music scene.

“A lot of businesses close before they even reach five years in operation. But we’ve been able to beat the odds. And I think a lot of that comes down to our ability to grow and shift with the times,” Good said. “We’re always looking ahead at what more we can do, and how we can improve on what we already have — it’s about making people feel welcomed and comfortable, for the artists and the audience.” n

STEPHAN PRUITT PHOTOGRAPHY

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Welcome | FOOD & DRINK

Leo’s House of Thirst.

Curaté.

Fresh from the farm WNC CHEFS EMPHASIZE LOCAL INGREDIENTS

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ith the recent boom in demand for organic produce, meat, and farmto-table restaurants, Western North Carolina has become a hotbed for independent, natural food products.

Between handcrafted beer using local ingredients, fresh meat from grass-fed cattle, fine wines, fruits, and vegetables, the possibilities are as endless as they are available.

“Nearly every item on our menu will come out of the local market,” said executive chef/owner Kaighn Raymond of Frogs Leap Public House in downtown Waynesville. “We work with many local farmers and different purveyors, and we’ve always been here to help those purveyors grow. If you have those fresh, local ingredients for the level of fine dining use, then we’re willing to help support you.”

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As a result of its cosmopolitan approach towards the menu and its commitment to using local ingredients, Frogs Leap is regarded as a cornerstone of fine dining in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

“It’s been a 30-year process in the culinary industry to get to this point in fine dining in America. There was a sentiment then that nothing made in America was at the level of European fine dining,” Raymond noted. “All of these chefs and fine dining restaurants have tried to bring back those great American ingredients because so many delicious things from our own country got lost along the way. Now, those ingredients are becoming part of the American culture again, and people are excited to try those things.”

Those sentiments are also closely held by Katie Moore, manager at the Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery in Fairview. Tucked against a mountainside in a deep holler, the small business has been creating some of the finest local cheese for almost a decade.

“Every cow we get milk from is unique. Everyone’s cheese is unique,” Moore said. “With these smaller farms, you’re getting milk

AGENT’S CHOICE:

“I recommend Tin Roof Pizza, but I hate to share my secret!

Be prepared to wait, but it sure is worth it.

You can find them at Ecusta Brewery on Wednesday, Whistlestop on Thursday, and Friday and Saturday at Cedar Mountain Canteen.

They’re the best!”

— Sara Champion, Brevard office

from certain cows that are eating certain foods, breathing certain air, drinking certain water, walking in certain soil, so that milk has a certain flavor that then becomes part of the cheese.”

Aside from running the BRMC, Moore also is the executive director of the Western North Carolina Cheese Trail and the director of the Carolina Mountain Cheese Fest. Consisting of 11 cheese makers around the region — and dozens of farm stops and associate members (restaurants, breweries, cideries, cheese stores) — the trail came about in 2012.

“What I love about doing this is that it ties into a lot of things that are important to me — being in touch with the land, being in touch with the food, supporting artisanal methods, and working hard to preserve our farmland,” Moore said. “It’s this idea of upholding traditions that’s important, especially with food. I also think our farmland is incredibly important and these cheese makers actually help smaller farms stay in operation.”

While the culinary scene of the region expands, and palates become more sophisticated, the passion and love put into a meal comes from the mere fact that the restaurant chefs, owners, and servers all reside in Western North Carolina — a place they are proud to call home.

“Everything we serve is made in-house, with everything as fresh as possible,” said Eric Scheffer. “And it’s about creating an approachable and comfortable setting, where everybody knows each other, this environment of good food and great conversation.”

Owner and executive chef of Vinnie’s Fine Italian in North Asheville, Scheffer is at the helm of a restaurant that is regarded as the gold standard of Italian culinary delights in Western North Carolina. And since its opening over 10 years ago, it’s been voted the finest Italian spot in the city — every single year.

Scheffer remembers those iconic Italian restaurants of his native Brooklyn and Long Island. There, the sheer vibrancy of the people inside and the dishes served conjured a deep sense of love and connection, whether you were a loyal customer or first-time visitor — something he’s applied to Vinnie’s.

“You’re walking in, and you have the great smell of eggplant parmesan wafting through the room. And for a lot of people, walking in is like going home again,” Scheffer said. “It’s that sense of neighborhood and community that I remember as a kid in New York, which is something we have here in Asheville, too. You walk down the street, and out of the 10 people you passed, you knew at least three of them.”

Over the past decade, there has been a food revolution in the area. Along every downtown, you’ll find anything from Cajun to French, Asian to Italian, Mexican to Mediterranean. Whether it’s local establishments incorporating different dishes into the

Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery.

menus or the troves of culinary artisans relocating here, the desire to try something new and different is all around in this land of cosmopolitan country cuisines.

Featuring made-from-scratch pie crusts and fillings, the Baked Pie Company in Asheville aims to perpetuate the long-held traditions of baking, skills that used to be passed down between generations, but are rapidly disappearing in the modern era.

“These skills and foods will be gone soon if nobody keeps the traditions alive,” said owner/baker Kirsten Fuchs. “For people like myself, you have these vivid memories of being a kid and being in the kitchen. I MORE AT remember being in my great BEVERLY-HANKS.COM aunt’s kitchen, just watching her Want to live near the best and her sisters bake all these brunch spot in town? Map wonderful creations. And we’d out your individual home be sitting there, learning how buying needs and priorities they did it and would help out in a journal! We have five prompts to help you get when we could.” started at beverlyFired up over a decade ago, hanks.com/blog/ the wildly popular Luella’s in home-buyer-journal.

North Asheville specializes in North Carolina-style barbecue (vinegar based sauce, with a dash of honey, garlic, and tomatoes), Texas style brisket, a St. Louis dry rub for the smoked turkey breast, and their signature New Orleans/Creole andouille sauce.

Looking around at the growing culinary reputation of Asheville, it doesn’t surprise Luella’s owner/pitmaster Jeff Miller that the city has become a “foodie mecca” for the Southeast and beyond.

“The food scene has changed dramatically here, and I think the quality of food and the dining experience in this city has shifted greatly,” Miller said. “There’s always been a lot of variety and creativity in the Asheville food scene, but I feel that every place is hitting those standards found in other great food cities. More and more people are moving here and visiting here, and the expectations have been raised — and we’re meeting and exceeding those expectations.” n

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Welcome | FOOD & DRINK Karen Howard-Goss and Gary Goss.

Small town charm | IRON HORSE STATION Crossing the railroad tracks and entering the tiny mountain town of Hot Springs (population 600), one immediately notices the brightly-lit brick building to the left. There are several vehicles parked out front, with this swirling sense of joyful curiosity striking any and all who pass by.

“You are here to be loved on and feel comfortable,” said Karen Howard-Goss.

“This is a laidback environment, one with homemade, delicious food and quality service. Whether it’s the ingredients or the care provided, we focus on consistency.”

Co-owner of the Iron Horse Station with her husband, Gary Goss, the couple have become ambassadors of real deal Southern hospitality for Hot Springs and greater Madison County.

Originally from South Carolina, Karen and Gary would stay in Hot Springs often, always thinking about someday taking the leap and calling the town home. They befriended the previous owner of the Iron Horse, telling him if the property ever was to be sold, they wanted first crack at taking over.

“We just fell in love with this place.

Everybody is accepted here. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from — we’re all part of this community,” Howard-Goss said. “And, in 2018, the owner of the Iron Horse was looking to sell. He told us we were the only people he had in mind to take

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over and continue to uphold the high standards of this business.”

In terms of the menu, Goss will say “it’s a steak and seafood kind of place.”

But, upon glancing at the numerous dish options, the culinary delights are purposely cultivated through creativity and a keen sense of what will provide nourishment — physical and emotional — for the hungry souls wandering in.

“We always get the best product we can — we don’t skimp on anything,” Goss noted. “And we’re always tweaking everything we put out, trying new and better ways to make a dish or present a certain type of meal. We like to experiment and hone our craft of what we’re trying to do, and ultimately be.”

Regarded as the oldest brick building in Madison County, the structure has been dated back to the 1860s. One part of the massive property is the restaurant, with the other being home to 15 rooms as part of the inn component of the Iron Horse.

“Back then, this building was a halfway house for the people who worked far from home on the railroad,” Goss said. “And today, we accommodate guests from across the country and around the world, which is something we really enjoy being able to offer.”

Aside from the loyal local following and vast amount of folks on vacation in

the mountains of Western North Carolina, one of the sincerely cherished interactions comes from hikers popping off the nearby Appalachian Trail in search of a hot meal in the midst of an arduous trek.

“It’s an honor to hear the stories of every hiker that comes in, especially those who are thru-hiking the AT, each on their quest for a million of different reasons in doing so,” Goss said. “Some of the hikers are young and some have planned to do the AT for their entire life. The stories can be very emotional, where we’ll sit here for hours and listen to them. Just to have this spot where that connection occurs is something very special to all of us who work here.”

With the Iron Horse a continual beehive of friendly people, culinary treats, and unique lodging, there are already plans in the works by Karen and Gary to add another, much-desired business to Hot Springs — a brick-oven pizza establishment that’ll be located around the corner.

“A big priority for us will always be to give Hot Springs what it needs, with every business in town working together,” Howard-Goss said. “We want to be a positive catalyst for change here, and we are always looking for ways to do better. We’re not competitive here — we want to help each other grow and be proud of where we live.” n

Welcome | FOOD & DRINK

Noblebrau Brewing.

DAVID SIMCHOCK PHOTO

Refining their craft START-UPS KEEP BEER SCENE LIVELY

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ith around 75 independent establishments in Asheville and Western North Carolina, the craft beer industry is booming in these parts. Now known a “Beer City,” Asheville has become the epicenter for a beverage movement unseen in not only the industry, but also the nation as a whole.

It all started for Asheville in 1994 when Oscar Wong started Highland Brewing — the city’s first legal brewery since Prohibition — and tapped into the region’s craft beer potential.

Fast forward 20 years to 2014, and craft beer pioneer and industry leader Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (Chico, California) opened its $200 million, 217-acre East Coast production facility in Mills River, right outside Asheville.

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“The community around Asheville attracts such an artistic and eclectic mix of people, a very similar mix of people like Chico,” said Ken Grossman, founder/owner of Sierra Nevada. “The outdoors is something I try to do on a regular basis — get outside and hike.

We’re near mountains, streams, and places to recreate in Chico, and Asheville is just like that.”

An embracing, all-are-welcome attitude is perhaps one of the reasons Asheville’s brew scene has exploded. Competing brewers exhibit camaraderie toward each other, with seasoned big-hitters lending help to upstart companies.

Alongside Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, industry giants New Belgium Brewing (Fort Collins, Colorado) and Oskar Blues Brewery both opened East Coast headquarters in Western North Carolina.

In recent years, Oskar Blues opened an enormous nine-acre $10 million east coast facility in Brevard and New Belgium fired up its $140 million facility in the River Arts District of Asheville, a property that has become a beacon of economic and cultural significance for the city.

New Belgium and Oskar Blues have since been bought out by

Welcome | FOOD & DRINK The big list | WNC BREWERIES ASHEVILLE

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

12 Bones All Sevens Brewing Archetype Brewing Asheville Brewing Bhramari Brewing Burial Beer Co. Catawba Brewing Cellarest Beer Project Cursus Keme DSSOLVR Eurisko Beer Co. Fahrenheit Pizza & Brewhouse French Broad Brewing Ginger’s Revenge Green Man Brewery Hi-Wire Brewing Highland Brewing Hillman Beer New Belgium Brewing New Origin Brewing One World Brewing Oyster House Brewing Rye Knot Brewery Sweeten Creek Brewing Thirsty Monk Brewery Twin Leaf Brewery UpCountry Brewing Wedge Brewing White Labs Kitchen & Tap Wicked Weed Brewing Wicked Weed Funkatorium

ELSEWHERE

• Hayesville Brewing (Hayesville) • Hickory Nut Gorge Brewery (Chimney Rock/Mars Hill) • Hillman Beer (Old Fort) • Homeplace Beer Co. (Burnsville) • Hoppy Trout Brewing (Andrews) • Innovation Brewing (Sylva/Dillsboro/Cullowhee) • Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin/Sylva) • Lookout Brewing (Black Mountain) • Mad Co. Brew House (Marshall) • Mica Town Brewing (Marion) • Mill Town Brewing (Spindale) • Mills River Brewery (Mills River) • Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) • Nantahala Brewing (Bryson City/Sylva) • Native Brews (Cherokee) • Newgrass Brewing (Shelby) • Noblebrau Brewing (Brevard) • Nocturnal Brewing (Hayesville) • Oskar Blues Brewing (Brevard) • Pisgah Brewing (Black Mountain) • Riverside Rhapsody Beer Co. (Woodfin) • Oklawaha Brewing (Hendersonville) • Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) • Sidetracked Brewery (Morganton)

• Sideways Farm & Brewery (Etowah) • Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (Mills River) • Snowbird Mountains Brewery (Andrews) • Southern Appalachian Brewery (Hendersonville) • Testament Brewery (Murphy) • Triskelion Brewing (Hendersonville) • Turgua Brewing (Fairview) • Valley River Brewing (Murphy) • Whistle Hop Brewing (Fairview) • Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) • Zebulon Artisan Ales (Weaverville) • Zillicoah Beer Co. (Woodfin) CIDERIES & MEADERIES

• Appalachian Ridge Artisan Cidery (Hendersonville) • Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) • Barn Door Ciderworks (Fletcher) • Black Mountain Ciderworks + Meadery (Black Mountain) • Bold Rock Cider (Mills River) • Flat Rock Ciderworks (Hendersonville) • Noble Cider (Asheville) • Urban Orchard Cider (Asheville) • Wehrloom Meadery (Asheville)

Olkawaha Brewing.

• 7 Clans (Waynesville) • Appalachian Grail Brewing (Hayesville) • Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) • BearWaters Brewing (Canton/Maggie Valley) • Big Pillow Brewing (Hot Springs) • Black Mountain Brewing (Black Mountain) • Blue Ghost Brewing (Fletcher) • Blue Mountain Brew Pub (Weaverville) • Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) • Brevard Brewing (Brevard) • Burning Blush (Mills River) • Catawba Brewing (Morganton) • Currahee Brewing (Franklin) • D9 Brewing (Hendersonville) • Dry Falls Brewing (Hendersonville) • Ecusta Brewing (Pisgah Forest) • Eluvium Brewing (Weaverville) • Fonta Flora Brewery (Morganton) • Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) • Guidon Brewing (Hendersonville)

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Welcome | FOOD & DRINK AGENT’S CHOICE:

“I recommend Bold Rock Hard Cider in Mills River. Bold Rock is the purrrrrfect place to take your furbaby.

The drinks are yummy and cold, and the atmosphere is always fabulously fun.

The outdoor areas are cozy and oh-so pet friendly. #henniehuffman loves it!”

— Brandie Huffman, Biltmore Park office

larger beverage companies, as was local start-up brewer Wicked Weed a couple of years ago. Those buyouts are evidence of the ever-growing, somewhat topsy turvy nature of the craft beer scene as these newer, unique brews continue to grab a larger share of the national and international beverage market.

Since its opening in Asheville’s South Slope in 2013, Burial Beer Co. has become one of the most sought-after craft brands in Southern Appalachia and the MORE AT greater Southeast.

BEVERLY-HANKS.COM “Back then, it was just [head Want to learn more about brewer] Tim [Gormley], [my the craft beer movement in husband] Doug, and myself,” WNC? Discover the best beer tours in and around Asheville said Jess Reiser, co-owner of at beverly-hanks.com/blog/ Burial. “And I reflect on that best-beer- tours-aroundoften, knowing now we have asheville. about 75 employees and three locations. Those early days of hard work and figuring out our brand really set the foundation for who we are as a company.”

Focusing on concocting very unique and intricate ales, the brewery remains a beacon of quality and innovation in the renowned Western North Carolina craft beer industry.

“The ethos of Burial and what we celebrate is the cyclical nature of life and death, whether that be a person in your life or craft beer, food, older music, and art forms,” Jess said.

When Kelly and Andy Cubbins opened Southern Appalachian Brewing in Hendersonville in 2011, it was an up-and-coming town with no brewery at the time. But, the Cubbins felt the city had the same potential that Asheville held (and ultimately became) a decade or so earlier.

“Since we moved in there have been so many changes on Seventh Avenue. All of these incredible small businesses have

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come in, and on Main Street, too,” Kelly said. “The whole downtown area has been transformed into such a beautiful and welcoming space. And we also have a progressive town government that really tries to bring the community together, especially with things like the ‘Rhythm & Blue Festival,’ which has become such a huge event for downtown.”

“You get to live in this great town, with a lot of new families moving in,” Andy added. “And yet, within a 10-minute drive from downtown, you can be hiking on the side of a mountain where nobody around.”

Home to four breweries, Haywood County has become a scene in its own right. Boojum Brewing, 7 Clans, and Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville and BearWaters Brewing in Canton are each serving up a wide array of selections that perfectly compliment the innumerable varieties brewed in Asheville.

In one of the great success stories of regional craft beer, BearWaters Brewing has grown from humble beginnings in a Waynesville storage garage to a highly popular destination in a large warehouse along the Pigeon River in Canton.

And with its Canton location (aka: BearWaters BrewingRiverside) running on all cylinders, Sandefur and BearWaters co-owner Art O’Neil decided it was time to expand. This ultimately led to the discovery and acquisition of its new Maggie Valley location, aptly named BearWaters Brewing-Creekside.

“With this brewery, it’s kind of like watching your kids grow up, seeing how things develop and take shape,” Sandefur said. “For us, we like watching people enjoy the spaces we’ve created, things we’ve put together where there was nothing before. It feels great to be able to make a positive impact on these communities.”

Heading south towards Brevard you come across the intersection of U.S. 64/276. Sitting at that intersection is Ecusta Brewing. Coming to fruition in August 2016, the brewery has emerged as one of the finest craft beer operations in Western North Carolina.

“We’re about traditional beers. The flavor is meant to crisp, clean, and well-balanced,” said Josh Chambers, brewmaster at Ecusta.

“It’s all about balance, and we like to taste the malts with the hops.

It’s all about variety, too, where we brew a lot of different styles.”

“What I am consistently amazed at is the complexity of craft beer,” added Bill Zimmer, co-owner of Ecusta Brewing. “You think wine is complex? Dive into all different areas and styles of craft beer and you’ll see that the possibilities are as endless as there are different palates of what people want or want to experiment with.” n

Welcome | FOOD & DRINK Tapping into community | OKLAWAHA BREWING

Joe Dinan.

With the large garage door pulled all the way up, the bright afternoon sunshine streams into the taproom of Oklawaha Brewing in downtown Hendersonville. There are locals and visitors enjoying a craft beverage at the counter or on the patio along First Avenue.

“It’s been one wild ride to where we are right now,” said Joe Dinan, owner/head brewer at Oklawaha. “We have an amazing team here that makes it all happen. We all work together and have built this from the ground up.”

Hailing from New England, Dinan eventually found himself in Chicago, Illinois, where he ended up bartending at Goose Island Beer Company. Dinan found a real kinship and passion for the craft beer industry and, in 2011, relocated to Asheville and began working for Thirsty Monk downtown. In time, he soon landed a brewing internship at Wicked Weed.

“I think a lot of craft beer has to do with community. It brings a lot of people together and people are super excited about this industry and the businesses that are part of it,” Dinan said. “We all go on craft beer vacations and try new breweries. I’ve always been in search of the newest, hottest, and most delicious craft beers out there, always scribbling down recipe ideas we want to brew.”

All of these craft beer experiences soon parlayed into Dinan entering the brewing program at nearby Blue Ridge Community College, the final step in a

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longtime love of home-brewing. Also at this time, Dinan moved to Hendersonville.

“I would drive through downtown and kept thinking, ‘Why are we waiting for someone else to put a brewery in Hendersonville?’ Let’s put together a business plan and find a location,” Dinan said.

In August 2015, Oklawaha Brewing opened its doors. For Dinan, it was the ideal place to launch his business. It was in a community with its own unique identity and culture, but also still part of the world-renowned Asheville craft beer scene.

“This town is really tight — everybody knows everybody,” Dinan said. “There’s something to do all year here. So many great street festivals and events

happening all the time. The downtown is beautiful and we’re surrounded by this outdoor recreation playground of mountains and rivers.”

Pushing into the seventh year of this ever-growing endeavor, Oklawaha is currently transitioning from a threebarrel system to a 15-barrel setup. The expansion is not only a testament to the quality and popularity of the ales created here, but also the notion that once your dream is in motion, the possibilities are endless.

“It’s all gone by so fast, but there’s also been so much hard work and passion put into the brewery,” Dinan said. “I mean, I was a cubicle desk person with a dream to brew who just left the office world and went for it — and here we are.” n

Celebrating 20 Years in Downtown Asheville

19 Biltmore Ave., Asheville NC | 828.236.2660 | ARIELCRAFTGALLERY.COM

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Welcome | ARTS & CULTURE

Crafted by hand WNC ARTISTIC COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO THRIVE sing your hands to make what you need or desire is a unique trait in Southern Appalachia — the idea that if you can’t find it or afford it, you build it. That notion is soaked into the creative minds and curious spirits of Western North Carolina.

U

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This region has a storied history of handmade crafts, ranging from weaving to woodworking, pottery to jewelry. From the passed down traditions of basket weaving and stonework of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to the arts of metalsmithing and glassblowing, there has always been a rich atmosphere of creation in these parts.

Throughout the year, Western North Carolina plays host to numerous art and craft festivals, shows and exhibits, all in an effort to provide the crafter with a platform to share their wares with locals and visitors in search for that perfect piece.

Welcome | ARTS & CULTURE The art of sitting and listening | CITIZEN VINYL In a seismic move further propelling the Asheville and greater Western North Carolina music scene into the national spotlight, Citizen Vinyl has become a beacon of art, culture, and history for the region.

Situated in the historic Asheville Citizen-Times building on O. Henry Avenue in downtown, the property is home to an extensive artistic collaboration. At the heart of this musical project is Citizen Vinyl, a record manufacturing facility (the first ever based in the state).

The collaboration also includes Session (Citizen Vinyl’s adjacent bar/cafe), Coda: Analog Art & Sound (an immersive art gallery and retail space), and Citizen Studios (WWNC’s former broadcast station, now an in-house recording/mastering facility).

At the core of this artistic beehive is Gar Ragland of Citizen Studios. A longtime professional musician, record producer, and label head, Ragland brought WWNC’s legendary Studio A back to life. And with that, he helped a piece of American musical history currently enter its next bountiful phase.

Citizen Vinyl plays into something we love not only about Asheville, but Western North Carolina: the idea of collaboration.

Exactly. I think that this project is a great case study for that. We feel like it’s a tremendous privilege and responsibility to be doing what we’re

The lobby at Citizen Vinyl.

doing in that building. Our whole team has so much reverence for it and the architecture.

Our whole approach with this project has been to be as minimally invasive to the building, to our design, and our concept, as we possibly can be. And frankly, it’s to our advantage because [the building] has so much to offer.

Why would we mess this up and try to reconfigure it into something that it’s not? This [building] is beautiful art.

Obviously, our number one goal is to be a successful business. And we want to earn the reputation nationally for being the go-to for quality record manufacturing. But, as a collective under this building, we want to symbolize — and remind people of — the deep, historic, and artistic history of Asheville.

Two of the pillars of American music, Jimmie Rodgers and Bill Monroe, both got their starts in WWNC’s Studio A. Studio A is where Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys played live on the “Mountain Music Hour.” So, that for me is a total added bonus. It was always my dream that, with a project like this, I would have an onsite room where I could continue to do the work that I love — as a producer, a mixer, and a record label guy.

Also, we ended up with a building that had a history of manufacturing.

The Asheville Citizen-Times printed the

newspaper in the building [for many years]. So, we’re honored to be able to bring modern-day manufacturing back to this amazing building.

And not only that, but we now have a first-class state-of-the-art analog recording studio upstairs where we’re celebrating the history of that radio station.

It’s a very intentional experience. We want people to come in and feel included, invited, welcomed, and inspired by good sound and food. It’s a multisensory celebration of life. We hope that we can be the community resource that we have built this to be.

In a very endearing way, it feels like a love letter to Asheville.

Yeah, I mean, Asheville has been really good to all of us. This is a way of celebrating and honoring that. I think all great art is created in part by a sense of gratitude and grace. And if this is it, this is the way that we are manifesting that, then that’s a wonderful thing.

If we can use this project as a way to really reaffirm our artistic identity as creative forces in Asheville, and to help those new audiences that Asheville continues to attract learn about our rich cultural history and manufacturing — if we can serve that role as kind of an inspiration to the creative community, kind of a landmark in that way — then we would love that to happen to the benefit of Asheville. n

Gar Ragland.

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Welcome | ARTS & CULTURE AGENT’S CHOICE:

“The River Arts District in Asheville, home to many studio artists of the mountains, is definitely a favorite place to explore!

The Folk Art Center in Asheville is a ‘must stop’ along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Asheville Art Museum showcases Western North Carolina’s cultural heritage including Studio Craft, Black Mountain College, and Cherokee artists.”

— Michelle McElroy, Waynesville office The Bascom in Highlands.

Along with innumerable artisan galleries in every downtown and home studios dotting the mountainous landscape, there’s also a handful of renowned academic institutions promoting and teaching the specific skills to the next generation of crafters.

From the acclaimed Penland School of Crafts in Bakersville to the professional crafts program at Haywood Community College in Clyde, the future of handmade items is not only in safe hands, it’s revitalizing what it means to make something and be able to find a market for it.

MORE AT “The professional crafts BEVERLY-HANKS.COM program at HCC is very unique.

Can you imagine a local It promotes not only creativity community's identity based and craft, but also how to on its arts scene? Explore the ways art galleries make a market yourself as an artist,” difference in the community said Amy Putansu, fiber at beverly-hanks.com/blog/ instructor at HCC. “The impact-local-art-galleries-wnc. students here are learning to make things, and make things well, with the emphasis around their ethics very positive, very minded in the local sustainability movement. I love it because they’re creating a whole new future, a different shape of manufacturing in America, a new design in conjunction with manufacturing.”

With textile crafting a large part of the heritage in Western North Carolina, the students are not only preserving traditional skills, they’re perpetuating them.

“It’s about staying in touch with history,” Putansu said. “It’s maintaining that thread through generations, time, and history.

It’s about what we do, the objects we make, and it’s really important that history doesn’t get lost.”

Hailing from Rock Hill, South Carolina, woodworker Ben Grant has made Western North Carolina his home for the better part of the last seven years. Originally a construction worker, he became enthralled with the idea of building something from nothing.

“I fell in love with the hands-on aspect of woodworking

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immediately, but my craftsmanship was terrible. It took a while to get the hang of it, but I stuck with it and the results became very fulfilling,” Grant said. “I didn’t know where woodworking would take me exactly, but, at that point, I knew it was what I was going to be doing for the rest of my life.”

From 2009 to 2012, Grant found himself enrolled in workshops at Penland. In 2016, he graduated from HCC with a degree in “Professional Crafts-Wood.”

“The HCC woodworking program was extremely beneficial.

Students are given the freedom to explore design ideas and techniques while being skillfully guided,” Grant said.

Situated in the River Arts District (RAD) of Asheville, the gallery and studio of painter Mark Bettis is a living, breathing studio, where Bettis is constantly at work, turning a large blank canvas into something completely his own.

“There’s traditional painters that follow the rules — I don’t follow the rules. I’m always thinking, always getting lost in the zone of creativity,” Bettis said. “Here, it’s a working art studio. People come in, look at the paintings, watch me paint, ask me questions, maybe purchase something.”

Originally from Chicago, Bettis spent most of his formative years in Florida, bouncing between marketing, advertising, and design gigs for large firms. Although Bettis had visited Asheville in the 1980s on a road trip, it wasn’t until about 12 years ago when he put down roots in Western North Carolina.

“The love the creative aspect of Asheville. This place has always been a beehive of creativity,” Bettis said. “I like the freedom here to do whatever I want. This city is so welcoming to artists and supportive of whatever it is they want to create.”

Bettis’ studio is surrounded by dozens of other studios, which is the signature of what makes the River Arts District so rare of place to wander and explore.

“What makes the RAD so special is that we’re working art studios, instead of going to a gallery, where you don’t know who the artist is and you just see a name on the painting,” Bettis said.

“Here, you meet the artist, talk to them, and see what they do in real time. One thing I like about this town is that there’s a lot of entrepreneurs — artists or small businesses — who take charge and make their dreams a reality — anything goes here.” n

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Welcome | NONPROFIT

Helping hands UNITED WAY OF ASHEVILLE AND BUNCOMBE COUNTY s a catalyst for real, tangible change in the community, the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County aims at connecting the dots between local organizations, movers, and shakers for the greater good of all who call this area home.

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“Right now, we’re an organization that’s in the middle of some big changes happening across several aspects of our work,” said Dan Leroy, president and CEO of the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County. “For many years, we would raise money in a

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coordinated fashion and distribute those dollars to our nonprofit partners. These days, we’re moving towards more of a collective impact model.”

That collective impact model serves as a goal to help align the massive work done by the United Way with its nonprofit partners in a shared long-term vision for the community as a whole.

“The area where we’ve decided to really focus our efforts is ensuring that our youth — regardless of race, ethnicity, income level, or the neighborhood they grow up in — have the opportunity to graduate from high school and be college ready, to find a career, and to contribute to their community,” Leroy said.

Leroy noted that with the widening gap nationwide between people with a lot of resources and people without resources, there

is a strong need to nurture and champion academic achievement from the earliest stages of a child’s schooling.

“We have to make sure that opportunities exist here that are accessible to everyone, whether it be safety, access to health care, or a quality education,” Leroy said. “So, what we need is a more systemsoriented, holistic approach to how we solve these problems, which is something the United Way is really well-suited to do.”

These changes will emerge from the countless relationships the United Way already has with community members, local businesses, and other nonprofit entities working towards the same common goal of uplifting our youth.

“The United Way wants to be the backbone infrastructure of this targeted and strategic change by making investments in the community, both in terms of dollars and in terms of volunteers. It’s about having all the different parts working together,” Leroy said. “And the other side of this change is more accountability as an organization, where we hold ourselves and each other accountable and also adjust along the way in order to achieve those results.”

And with these intended results, the United Way wants to make sure everyone involved is not only on the same page, but also measuring the results by the same ways and means.

“Our partners operate on a full spectrum in our area — grassroots organizations, community leaders, people from the business, and the faith community,” Leroy said. “And one of our common strategies is creating community schools, where public schools are transformed into hubs of support for the surrounding community and its kids and families.”

Amid this wave of positive change and shifting initiatives in the United Way also comes the 100th anniversary celebration of its formation, something not lost on Leroy and his colleagues.

“We’re really proud of the history of the United Way and the impact we’ve had over many years. And we’re even more excited about where we’re heading in the future,” Leroy said. “A big part of that change is what we call ‘collective wisdom,’ which is bringing all aspects of our community to the same table to be part of the solution — we’re celebrating our past, but embracing the future.” n

SECTION | Welcome

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Welcome | GOLF

The Omni Grove Park Inn. OMNI HOTELS & RESORTS

Tee time A GOLFER’S PARADISE IN WNC

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here’s nothing like a round of golf at high elevation to quicken the blood and make you feel alive. Golf courses in Asheville and Western North Carolina have attitude as well as altitude, challenging golfers in the most gorgeous of settings.

Condé Nast Traveler magazine included the golf course at Omni Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa in its list of “Top 20 Southern U.S. Golf Resorts.” Designed by Donald Ross in 1926, the 18-hole, par 70

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course has an undulating front nine and a back nine that can be steep. Over a decade ago, the resort invested $2.5 million to restore the course in a manner that Ross would approve. Players who have enjoyed its challenge include golf immortals Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, and Byron Nelson, as well as other PGA stars like Doug Sanders, Gene MORE AT Littler, Fuzzy Zoeller, and Chip BEVERLY-HANKS.COM Beck.

Looking for the perfect golf The Country Club of community for your needs Asheville has an 18-hole, par 72 and interests? Discover some Donald Ross-designed course of the best in the region at with a distinctive clubhouse beverly-hanks.com/blog/.

14-new-home-communities. that overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains. It also boasts a state-of-the-art indoor tennis facility that has eight outdoor clay courts and a modern fitness facility. Also available are a 25-tee driving range and putting and chipping greens.

Asheville Municipal Golf Course is an 18-hole, par 72 course that opened in 1927. The front nine of this Donald Ross-designed course measures 3,246 yards from the back tees, calling for a driver on every hole. The course is open daily to the public

The 18-hole golf course at Biltmore Forest Country Club went through a $2.5-million restoration, accompanied by an $8.5-million renovation of the clubhouse, just a few years ago. The upgrades brought both back to their 1922 splendor.

Over the years, the course has attracted the likes of Bobby Jones, Bill Tilden, John D. Rockefeller, William Jennings Bryan, William Howard Taft, and Calvin Coolidge.

Sporting the only golf course in Western North Carolina designed by Jack Nicklaus, The Cliffs At Walnut Cove is a par 71, 18-hole course that opened in tournament-ready conditions, according to the PGA Tour. Its greens, bent grass fairways, clever bunkering, and elevation changes make it a challenge that calls for a sharp eye.

In Weaverville, just north of Asheville, is Reems Creek Golf Club, an 18-hole, par 72 course. Located in the beautiful Reems Creek Valley, it’s surrounded by tall mountains through which the Blue Ridge Parkway passes. The 6,492-yard course was designed by Hawtree & Sons, a British firm that worked on Royal Birkdale, a course that’s in the British Open rotation.

South of Asheville in Mills River is High Vista Country Club, whose golf course is open to the public.

Established in 1976 and designed by Tom Jackson, the 18-hole course has dramatic elevation changes and winding fairways. Nearby, Etowah Valley Golf Club has three 9-hole courses, all knitted together in one spectacular championship golf experience. Create the combination you want from six tee positions on a scenic plateau 2,200 feet high.

Height matters at Mount Mitchell Golf Club, located near Burnsville.

Lying at about 3,000 feet in elevation and bordered by peaks that exceed 6,000 feet, the course is relatively flat.

The South Toe River runs through it, a factor that must be taken into account for many shots.

In the region west of the Asheville area, there are a handful of top-notch public courses, including the Sequoyah National in Cherokee (designed by Robert Trent Jones II) and the historic 27 holes at Waynesville Inn & Golf Club. In the Cashiers area of Jackson County, the scenic High Hampton Inn has one of the most picturesque courses in the country. n

Get to know

Maggie. Between the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains rests one of the best golf courses in North Carolina .

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1819 Country Club Drive, Maggie Valley

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golf | fish | hike | raft | dine | play | stay 51

Welcome | GOLF

Maggie Valley Club.

Where to play | WNC GOLF COURSES Asheville Municipal Golf Course

Country Club of Asheville Private 170 Windsor Road, Asheville (828) 258-9762 countryclubofasheville.net

Laurel Ridge Country Club Semi-private 9 Cupp Lane Waynesville (828) 452-0545 laurelridgeexperience.com

Biltmore Forest Country Club Private 31 Stuyvesant Road, Asheville (828) 274-1261 biltmoreforestcc.com

Crowne Plaza Tennis & Golf Resort Public 1 Resort Drive, Asheville (828) 253-5874 ashevillecp.com

Mount Mitchell Golf Club Public 11484 N.C. 80 South, Burnsville (828) 675-5454 mountmitchellgolf.com

Black Mountain Golf Course Municipal 15 Ross Drive, Black Mountain (828) 669-2710 blackmountaingolf.org

Cummings Cove Golf & Country Club Public 20 Cummings Cove Parkway Hendersonville (828) 891-9412 cummingscove.com

Municipal 226 Fairway Drive, Asheville (828) 298-1867 • ashevillenc.gov

Broadmoor Golf Links Public 101 French Broad Lane, Fletcher (828) 687-1500 broadmoorlinks.com Champion Hills Private 53 Hogan’s View Circle Hendersonville (800) 633-5122 championhills.com Cliffs At Walnut Cove Private 268 Walnut Valley Parkway, Arden (888) 988-3040 cliffscommunities.com

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Etowah Valley Golf Club Public 470 Brickyard Road, Etowah (800) 451-8174 etowahvalley.com High Hampton Semi-Private 1525 Highway 107 South Cashiers (800) 334-2551 highhampton.com High Vista Country Club Public 88 Country Club Road, Mills River (828) 891-1986 highvistagolf.com

The Omni Grove Park Inn Public 290 Macon Avenue, Asheville (800) 438-5800 groveparkinn.com Orchard Trace Golf Club Public 3389 Sugarloaf Road Hendersonville (828) 685-1006 Reems Creek Golf Club Semi-private 36 Pink Fox Cove Road Weaverville (828) 645-4393 reemscreekgolf.com Rumbling Bald Resort Public 112 Mountain Boulevard Lake Lure (828) 694-3000 rumblingbald.com

Sequoyah National Golf Club Public 79 Cahons Road, Whittier (828) 497-3000 sequoyahnational.com Smoky Mountain Country Club Public 1300 Conley Creek Road Whittier (800) 474-0070 smokymountaincc.com Springdale Country Club Public 200 Golfwatch Road, Canton (800) 553-3027 springdalegolf.com Waynesville Inn, Golf Resort & Spa Public 176 Country Club Drive Waynesville (800) 627-6250 waynesvilleinnandgolf.com

Commercial Growth in We Western North Carolina (SØHRØNEÚBH@K our local area is now a nationally acclaimed destination. With this popularity comes the opportunity for economic growth, be it a small independent business or a national chain. Enter NAI Beverly-Hanks. Since 1976, owners, tenants, and investors alike have chosen NAI Beverly-Hanks to re reprre esent hundrre eds of commercial re real estate prroperties each yearr..

Our afffifiliation with NAI Global enables us to extend our services to companies and investors with 7,000 professionals and 400 offfifices worldwide. The power of dirrect contact with other markets allows our clients to more efffificiently acquirre e and dispose of re real estate.

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Welcome | GOLF Swing away | THE CLIFFS AT WALNUT COVE

Today when you see Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Costner roaming farmland nestled between peaks and valleys, most likely you are watching the acclaimed television show “Yellowstone.” But, 17 years ago, The Cliffs at Walnut Cove hosted the famed entertainer alongside golf’s greatest champion, Jack Nicklaus, to officially open the coveted golf and lifestyle community.

Expectations were high for The Cliffs at Walnut Cove’s debut in 2005, when it was selected to host a PGA TOUR event. The course was equipped and delivered in spectacular fashion, a credit to the design team and the greenskeepers. After almost two decades, it continues to stand the test of time. In Golfweek’s 2022 Ultimate

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Guide, The Cliffs at Walnut Cove was again featured as one of the Best Residential Courses in the country.

“Walnut Cove is an aesthetically pleasing course that people will look at and say is really pretty. They’ll also say it’s a fun place and look out from their homes across the fairways and realize how happy they are to be living here,” course designers Jack Nicklaus said at the 2005 grand opening. “There are some really good shot values and plenty of variety, too. Some holes are difficult, some holes are easy, and you have a nice blend of holes in different directions.”

The Cliffs at Walnut Cove sprawls across more than 1,300 acres of former farmland, tucked beside the Pisgah National Forest and Blue Ridge

Parkway. Golfers are met with stunning views of four distinct seasons throughout the year, from spring’s renaissance of greens to summer’s popping wildflowers to fall’s vibrant orange and reds to winter’s snowcapped gorges.

Winding through sweeping meadows, bubbling creeks, and dense forest, the famously polite culture in “The Land of the Sky” can be felt daily within the gates of The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. The golf course offers gorgeous long-range sights from the start when players hit from an elevated tee box on hole No. 1 with draping mountain backdrops off in the distance. Towards the end of the hole, players are rewarded with a view from the highest point on the course from which five holes and the spring-fed stream are visible.

During the round, players can tackle this par 71, 7167-yard course to fit their playing style. The course presents plenty of challenges for scratch golfers, yet offers a variety of strategic shot options both off the tee and into the greens to allow a fair chance for players of all ability levels to score.

The routing includes five par 3s, which gives golfers added pin seeking opportunities to claim that elusive first hole-in-one. Playing the par 3s at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove requires accuracy and pure focus. Like hole No. 2, where Nicklaus puts an emphasis on club selection, forcing players to take aim from a steep tee box looking down to a green heavily guarded with bunkers off the right side. If the wind is swirling, there is minimal room for error and the safer shot is to fall short rather than too long.

The Tudor-style Clubhouse and Tavern have recently been updated to include an outdoor lawn connecting dining areas to the new-look pro shop and revamped locker rooms. An added culinary bonus within the gates of The Cliffs at Walnut Cove is Creekside Farm, a pleasant 60-acre agrihood, giving members a true taste of farm to table.

Like the course’s shot options, real estate at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove caters to a variety of families looking for their forever or second home, just minutes from the vivacious art and craft brewery scene of Asheville. n — By Bo Wood

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As a full-service real estate brokerage, Beverly-Hanks, REALTORS® is staffed with professionals dedicated to providing personal and prompt attention to every client.

With locations in communities throughout the area, our associates are immersed in our local markets. Let us put our local knowledge and expertise to work for you, whether buying or selling real estate in Western North Carolina.

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Asheville 300 Executive Park Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 254-7221

Asheville, Biltmore Ave. 40 Biltmore Ave. Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 571-0744

Asheville, North 820 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804 (828) 251-1800

Asheville, South One Town Square Blvd., Suite 140 Asheville, NC 28803 (828) 684-8999

Brevard, Downtown 6 East Main St. Brevard, NC 28712 (828) 877-6006

Brevard, South 7737 Greenville Hwy. Brevard, NC 28712 (828) 877-4490

Burnsville 369 West US 19-E Burnsville, NC 28714 (828) 678-9944

Fletcher 4005 Hendersonville Road Fletcher, NC 28732 (828) 484-3130

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Hendersonville 512 N. Main St. Hendersonville, NC 28792 (828) 697-0515

Lake Lure 1518 Memorial Hwy. Lake Lure, NC 28746 (828) 436-5120

Lake Lure at Rumbling Bald 112 Mountains Blvd.

Lake Lure, NC 28746 (828) 694-3001

NAI Beverly-Hanks 410 Executive Park Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 210-3940

Saluda 153 East Main St. Saluda, NC 28773 (828) 749-3504

Walnut Cove Realty 630 Long Shoals Road Arden, NC 28704 (828) 684–5151

Waynesville 74 North Main St. Waynesville, NC 28786 (828) 452-5809

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Office Locations

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Welcome | ASHEVILLE

Asheville’s appeal

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2021 SALES

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Buncombe County

Within this renowned city are six distinct areas — Downtown, Biltmore Village, Biltmore Park, North Asheville, River Arts District, and West Asheville — each as unique as the people and places that inhabit them.

AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MEDIAN $ PRICE . . . . . . . .

405,000 28 PERCENT OF % LISTING PRICE . . . . . . 100 NUMBER OF UNITS . . . . . . . . . . 5,073

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illed as a place where “altitude affects attitude,” Asheville is surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains and is just a short car ride to the nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s been renowned as a place to retreat and take in natural wonders since the 1800s. Over the last two decades, its once-dormant downtown has exploded with commerce and entertainment that is second to none in the Southeast.

With a theme of “cosmopolitan country,” the culinary scene is bursting at the seams in and around the city. The Daily Meal ranked Asheville “The #1 Locavore City in America” (food that comes from within a 100-mile radius), while Huffington Post named it one of the “Cities You Need To Visit.”

As far back as 2007, Asheville started getting noticed. It topped the Relocate-America.com list of the 100 best places to live, while U.S. News & World Report named it one of “America’s best affordable places to retire.” Good Morning America pegged Asheville as one of the “10 most beautiful places in America.”

There are dozens of craft breweries in Buncombe County, with their delicious output lauded by beer enthusiasts. Imbibe magazine’s readers voted Asheville the “best craft beer city in America,” and from 2010-2012, Asheville won a national online poll for the coveted title of “Beer City USA.” Recently, the city was named one of the “Top Ten Foliage Destinations” in the United States by USA TODAY, ranked one of the “Best Places to Live” by Livability.com and one of the “Smartest Cities in America” by Forbes. It was also recognized by National Geographic on their list of the “World’s Best Cities,” who described the location as “a mecca of awesome mountain scenery, bohemian art, and Southern cuisine.”

These days, Asheville is firming up its reputation as a culinary center with a rapidly evolving food scene. The city has over 250 independent restaurants and numerous farmers markets.

Livibility.com named it one of the country’s top 10 “surprisingly vibrant food cities,” and Huffington Post listed it among the top “undiscovered local food cities.”

Outdoors enthusiasts find no shortage of activities in Asheville, whether it’s hiking, biking and climbing, paddling and fishing on the French Broad River and local lakes, careening through the trees on a zip line, or golfing at one of the area’s renowned courses.

Asheville is such an outdoors destination that a few years ago Outside magazine named it “Best Southern Town” for outdoor adventures.

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Welcome | ASHEVILLE

Downtown THE CENTER OF THE SCENE

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he heart of the city, downtown Asheville is a cultural mecca. For several years, Asheville was voted the “top small-city arts destination” in the country, just one of many labels this vibrant, evolving district has been tagged with.

Downtown is full of galleries and shops displaying all manners of art, from traditional mountain crafts to more modern creations.

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The Asheville Art Museum, which has helped anchor the arts scene for decades, recently celebrated its expansion. The Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center hosts exhibits, talks, and workshops that celebrate the legacy of the college, a noted avantgarde institution in operation from 1933-1957.

Some of the area’s biggest art events take place in Asheville. In July and October, the Harrah’s Cherokee Center is home to the four-day Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands, which has taken place for more than 60 years. At the event, more than 200 local and regional craftspeople fill the center, offering their creations of clay, fiber, glass, leather, metal, mixed media, natural materials, paper, wood, and jewelry. A newer event, The Big Crafty, has exploded in popularity in recent years. Held in July and December at Pack Place, it’s a kind of community bazaar, with quirky handmade crafts, local food and beer, and live music.

The performing arts also flourish in Asheville, with dozens of venues hosting live music, readings, theatre, and comedy on a nightly basis.

The Harrah's Cherokee Center is the largest, with both a 7,600seat arena and the 2,400-seat Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. The center hosts everything from performances by the Asheville Symphony Orchestra to roller derby bouts starring the Blue Ridge

Welcome | ASHEVILLE Rollergirls. More intimate performances take place at the Diana Wortham Theatre, a 500-seat venue that is part of a downtown cultural and educational center, Pack Place, and recently, Highland Brewing opened a taproom and dining hall in the historic Asheville S&W Cafeteria (built 1929).

The Orange Peel, a renovated 1970s-era music club, draws national acts on a nightly basis and was named one of the best rock venues in America by Rolling Stone. And on just about any given night, dozens MORE AT of bars, breweries, clubs, and BEVERLY-HANKS.COM restaurants around the city Is your goal to live amid the feature live music of various hustle and bustle of genres. downtown? Learn everything you need to know about There’s also a burgeoning condo owner associations at comedy scene, with both beverly-hanks.com/ amateur and professional blog/beginners-guide-hoa. stand-up comics performing several times a week on various stages. The annual Laugh Your Asheville Off, held in in July, is the biggest comedy festival in the Southeast.

The annual LEAF Downtown AVL in August celebrates communities, creativity, diversity, and families through an event showcasing local, regional, and national musical talent, all alongside professional artisans and children’s activities.

Of course, traditional music also gets its due. On Saturday nights throughout the summer, mountain music fans gather for the Shindig on the Green. The outdoor event was founded back in 1930, as the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, by Appalachian song collector and folk historian Bascom Lamar Lunsford. It’s still one of the best ways to take in mountain music and dance

AGENT’S CHOICE:

“My favorite place to get together with friends and family, including my fur babies, is Ben’s Tune Up. The outdoor garden represents Asheville’s laid-back feel while providing outdoor entertainment, homemade sake, and great food.”

— Leann Kiddell, North Asheville office

performed by the young, old, and everyone in between.

Asheville also has a vibrant literary culture that springs from deep roots. The great American novelist Thomas Wolfe was born and raised here, and other noted writers of his era, including O. Henry and F. Scott Fitzgerald, did some of their best work while staying in Asheville. The Thomas Wolfe Memorial, a state historic site in Wolfe’s restored childhood home, hosts tours, readings, and other events to celebrate his rich body of literature.

Food to festivals, crafts to craft beer, music to mountains — it’s all here, ready for the taking. n

Live music at The One Stop.

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The Basilica of St. Lawrence.

Welcome | ASHEVILLE

BILL GREEN

A catalyst for change | BLUE SPIRAL 1 For more than 30 years, the Blue Spiral 1 art gallery in downtown Asheville has been not only a pillar of the creative spirit in the city, but also the keystone of what Asheville has evolved into in the 21st century.

“It’s definitely an honor for me to be part of this business. After 30 years, we’re not slowing down at all — if anything, we’re growing,” said Michael Manes, director of Blue Spiral 1. “And we’re evolving as the art scene changes in Asheville and beyond. For us, it’s being part of our artists’ lives, fostering relationships with them as they grow and create.”

The late John Cram pioneered the vision for Blue Spiral 1. Founder of the storied New Morning Gallery in Biltmore Village, Cram was decades ahead of his time in what he felt Asheville could — and eventually did — become. When he launched Blue Spiral 1 in 1990, downtown Asheville was pretty empty and without any kind of economic engine to revive the fading city.

Cram saw the potential of the desolate downtown and sought to put

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down deep roots, perhaps open an anchor business in the district. Thus, when he was in need of a space to display and sell works from the estate of Southern Modernist Will Henry Stevens, he came up with the concept for Blue Spiral 1.

“John realized that he needed a Michael Manes proper home for the caliber of work that was in the Stevens estate. He had this foresight about downtown and took a chance in starting this business,” Manes noted.

“We’ve had a Southeastern focus since the beginning, but we also have artists from all over the country. Now we represent artists of all mediums and backgrounds, this very diverse roster — it’s what we strive for, and who we are.”

Among galleries near and far, Blue Spiral 1 is known as one of the largest in the Southeast, a three-story structure with a wide array of

exhibitions and showcases offered throughout the year.

“We’re fortunate with this space in what we want to do and how we want to maximize it,” Manes said. “Having a building of this size really plays into how we want to present an artist’s work, which has also helped us in the curatorial process.”

And for Manes, though the gallery is a place to showcase and acquire art, it’s also a venue where any and all can wander in and be exposed to fine art in an inclusive setting — whether to purchase a piece or merely find yourself in awe of the art posed right in front of you.

“When a customer sees something they like, it’s this moment of discovery, which could either result in a sale or acquisition or not. And we approach every person who walks in here the same way,” Manes said. “We want your experience in here to be individualized — an educational process of going through the gallery and answering questions about an artist or a particular work. There’s nothing like that feeling of people coming in and being inspired.” n

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Welcome | ASHEVILLE

Biltmore Village HISTORY COMES ALIVE ne of the most unique shopping experiences in the South, Biltmore Village is home to high-end boutiques, open-aired restaurants, locally owned retailers, and other points of interest.

Built as a community entrance for the renowned Biltmore Estate, the village is filled with tree-lined streets, historic homes, and majestic architecture.

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Nearby is the Biltmore Estate, site of the Biltmore Mansion, one of the largest private residences ever built. Completed in 1895, today the 250-room, French renaissance-style house and the 8,000-acre grounds are open to guests for tours, dinners, concerts, and outdoor activities. The gardens, stables, restaurants, winery, and hotels all help make this North Carolina’s top tourism destination, with more than a million people now visiting each year. The estate’s Biltmore Winery is also one of the largest in the Southeast, and features both tours of the vineyards and an expansive tasting room. n

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AGENT’S CHOICE:

“My favorite place to find local treasures is New Morning Gallery in Biltmore Village. They have such a wide variety of gifts, so it makes it easy to find the perfect gift for everyone on your Christmas list. They even have cider, warm treats, and carolers around the holidays! You can’t ask for a better shopping experience.”

— Hannah Bayles, North Asheville office

MORE AT BEVERLY-HANKS.COM You've noticed the distinct architecture, but how much do you know about Biltmore Village? Learn five interesting things you never knew at beverly-hanks.com/blog/biltmorevillage-history.

Welcome | ASHEVILLE

The finer things | CASABLANCA CIGAR BAR Sam Souhali was sitting atop his motorcycle at the intersection of Hendersonville Road and Lodge Street in Biltmore Village when it hit him.

“I wasn’t having a good day, so I went for a ride on my bike,” Souhali said. “At that time, I kept thinking about opening a cigar bar. And there I was at the stoplight, gazing around, only to see the for-sale sign on the building next to me — I thought, ‘this is it.’”

What “it” is has now become the Casablanca Cigar Bar. A cherished institution of fine tobacco, high-end liquor, and hearty conversation, the space has become a pillar of escapism for locals and tourists alike — folks who seek out some of the finer things in life, all within a welcoming, inclusive environment.

“We have customers who come in once a day, customers who come in three times a day, or customers who came in on their vacation and we’ll only see them once,” Souhali said. “And I’m extremely grateful for everybody who walks through the door, to give us the chance to see what we do and how we do it — it’s an honor.”

Originally from Casablanca, Morocco, Souhali was initially running a handful of tobacco shops in eastern North Carolina. After a while, he decided that he wanted to be his own boss, and to open his own tobacco shops. And, just

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at that time, his wife was contemplating going to culinary school.

“One of her teachers told her that if she wanted to be really serious about her career and wanted to be a chef, that she should go to A-B Tech in Asheville, where they have a renowned culinary program,” Souhali said. “So, as they say, ‘happy wife, happy life,’ and we decided to move to Asheville where she could pursue her dream of being a chef.”

With his wife at A-B Tech, Souhali opened Tobacco Plus in downtown Asheville. Although his vision was to be an upscale tobacconist, the hustle and bustle of the downtown corridor meant more people were simply looking for grab-n-go tobacco and not a quality sitdown experience.

“And that was fine, because that’s what the customers in that area wanted,” Souhali said. “So, you leave it as it is and polish it more to make it better. But, I never forgot the idea to open a real deal tobacconist shop.”

And, about six years ago, there Souhali was, at that stoplight in Biltmore Village. He immediately contacted the Realtor® and purchased the building. The doors to the Casablanca Cigar Bar opened, with a second location in Hendersonville soon to follow.

“I promised myself I was going to do it right — we didn’t want to cut any

corners,” Souhali said. “Usually with cigar bars, you either have a great selection of cigars and a decent selection of liquor or vice versa. We aim to provide the best of both, with a cozy space to enjoy your cigar and your beverage.”

And it’s that ancient, sacred allure of quality tobacco and the art of the cigar that has never ceased to intrigue Souhali in his pursuits, personally or professionally.

“It’s about having a great cigar and a nice drink, sitting in a comfortable chair and having a phenomenal conversation,” Souhali said. “You smoke a cigar when you feel great, and you smoke it when you have a bad day and want to convert it into a better day — that feeling of simple enjoyment of a moment with a cigar.”

With deep roots now planted in Western North Carolina, Souhali can’t help but be sincerely proud and grateful for not only what he’s created here, but also the friends and family that have come into his life.

“I was born in Casablanca, Morocco, and I named this place after where I was raised,” Souhali said. “Though that’s where I’m from, being in Asheville makes you feel at home, surrounded by people who love you, and you love them — we care about each other and are there for each other.” n

Established in 1998, ScreenDoor offers 22,000 sq. ft. of home and garden furnishings.

An eclectic blend of antiques, mid-century modern, industrial and shabby chic.

Our bookstore offers the latest editions of cooking, gardening, and design books at discounted prices.

Located just up the hill from Biltmore Village.

MON-SAT 10-5 SUNDAY 12-5 YEAR-ROUND

115 FAIRVIEW RD. | ASHEVILLE, NC | (828) 277-3667 WWW.SCREENDOORASHEVILLE.COM

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Welcome | ASHEVILLE

Biltmore Park URBAN VIBRANCY “fresh re-imagining of the Main Streets of the past, made to meet today’s standards of smart growth, green living, and reduced driving,” Biltmore Park is just minutes from downtown Asheville.

Between an array of apartment, condo, townhouse, and residential home options, its strength lies in the vibrant commercial/urban core of the community, which extends outwards into neighborhoods as unique as the people who inhabit them.

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AGENT’S CHOICE:

“Baked Pie Company not only has the most amazing pies, but their selections also include gluten free, sugar free, and vegan options.

My personal favorite is their honey pecan. Grab an entire pie, a slice, or a pie flight. Yum!” — Nichole Davis, Biltmore Park office At the center of the town are numerous restaurants, cafes, spas, health clubs, boutiques, and gathering spots. Consumers and residents alike enjoy catching a flick at the Regal Biltmore Grande Stadium 15 & RPX movie theater or perusing retailers like REI, LOFT, and Barnes & Noble. Amid these stores are plenty of local, independent businesses and world-class merchants. n

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Welcome | ASHEVILLE Margaux Weinstock.

Breaking tradition | WILDFLOWER BRIDAL When she was engaged, Margaux Weinstock was in search of the perfect dress for her special day. And yet, at that time, she wasn’t able to find something that didn’t come from a corporate brand or felt like an at-arm’slength interaction between company and customer.

“I was 27 and my friends were all getting engaged and married, too,” Weinstock said. “And everyone was feeling the same way — there was really nowhere in town that spoke to those of us who didn’t want the traditional cake-topper kind of dress.”

Thus, Weinstock launched Wildflower Bridal in Biltmore Park in 2014. The vision was to create a welcoming, cozy space where clients come and engage in a real, tangible interaction with Weinstock and her team — ultimately resulting in a dress that’s not only functional but, more importantly, represents the unique creativity and intricate style of each bride.

“We live in an age of transparency, and that’s a big value for my generation and the younger generations,” Weinstock said. “We as consumers want to have a connection with what we’re buying and who we’re buying from. It’s definitely still about the product, but it’s more about the connection to the product.”

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Originally from the Northeast, Weinstock was an English literature major in college in New York City, where the cosmopolitan landscape played heavily into her deep, lifelong passion for fashion.

“I always thought I would end up staying in New York and working for Vogue magazine or a design house there,” Weinstock reminisced. “I’ve had this passion for the fashion industry since I was a kid. Expressing oneself through clothes has always been part of who I am, and I’ve always wanted to tap into that.”

But life had other plans for Weinstock. She soon fell in love, something that parlayed itself into the young couple relocating to Western North Carolina. Eventually, she was engaged and got married. All the while, the seed for Wildflower Bridal was growing as Weinstock felt inspired to make her dream a reality. Within a few years, the store opened and that initial idea had now come to fruition.

“We try to bring a little bit more of a high-fashion aesthetic to the store itself, whether it’s the dresses or the décor. But, it is all still approachable, in terms of price and style,” Weinstock said. “I’m always thinking about what designs we can bring in and

incorporate into our brand that stand out from the rest — something wearable and stylish that won’t have you thinking in 20 years, ‘Oh, my gosh, what was I wearing?’”

Now a proud, successful small business owner in this region, Weinstock sincerely appreciates the people, places, and things here in Western North Carolina.

“New York City can be kind of an isolating and lonely place, which is ironic because of how many people are there — everyone is kind of a stranger there,” Weinstock noted. “But, here?

Everyone is a friend. I’m constantly running into people that are current or former brides, or simply people in general that are sincerely friendly and welcoming.”

Looking back at the starting line for Wildflower Bridal, Weinstock also can’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude for chasing, creating, and cultivating her dream in real time.

“I just knew I wanted a shift in my life, that the time was right now to do something completely different,” Weinstock said. “I knew if I didn’t do this that I’d inevitably see someone else do it and be living my dream. I would be kicking myself for the rest of my life if I didn’t do this — so, I took the leap.” n

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Welcome | ASHEVILLE

Orbit DVD.

West Asheville THRIVING SMALL BUSINESS uite possibly the fastest growing area in the city, West Asheville has become a haven for an assortment of small businesses.

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From cafés and breakfast nooks (West End Bakery, Biscuithead, Sunny Point Café) to restaurants (Nine Mile, The Admiral, West Asheville Lounge & Kitchen), music venues (One World Brewing, The Odditorium, Isis Music Hall, Fleetwood’s) to breweries (UpCountry, Oyster House), and everything in between, the area offers a warm welcome to the possibilities of niche commerce. The section is known for its “neighborhood friendly” image, where you’ll see just as many baby-strollers and joggers moseying down the sidewalks as patrons heading toward a concert or lunch date. n

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AGENT’S CHOICE:

“If you have babies or young kids, you can’t miss stopping in at The Littlest Birds in West Asheville. They have a unique variety of toys, clothes, shoes, and baby carriers— many of which are locally made with organic materials.”

— Katie Hermida, Waynesville office

MORE AT BEVERLY-HANKS.COM The French Broad River separates West Asheville from the rest of town. Are you ready to get in the water? Find everything you need to know about the French Broad at beverly-hanks.com/blog/french-broad-beginners-guide.

Welcome | ASHEVILLE

Austin Inselmann.

Fine wine and fine dining | LEO’S HOUSE OF THIRST Along the far end of bustling Haywood Road in West Asheville sits an unassuming bungalow-style structure.

To the untrained eye, it seems like some cozy abode. But, to those who’ve wandered through, behind the front door is Leo’s House of Thirst, an establishment of culinary delights.

“There’s definitely a cozy nature to this place,” said Austin Inselmann, head chef at Leo’s. “When you’re in here, you see all of these people having a great time, whether they’re sitting inside at a table or outside under the tree. They’re all coming together as a community, and this energy and buzz fills the air.”

Opened in the fall of 2020, Leo’s is the creation of famed Asheville restaurant owner Drew Wallace, who is also the founder of The Admiral and The Bull & Beggar. With Leo’s, he created an intimate space with a menu focused on small plates filled with local, seasonal ingredients.

“With such a focus on local ingredients, you’re kind of forced to bring these things together in the fall and winter months that maybe aren’t normal together. How do I make cabbage taste good? How do I make a carrot taste good? Though that isn’t

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hard because carrots are delicious,” Inselmann laughed. “But, in that, it also sparks creativity to try something different, where we can present new and interesting menu items with each passing season.”

Originally from San Antonio, Inselmann has bounced around the country, finding himself as a chef at high-profile restaurants from coast to coast, including a stint at the renowned Le Pigeon in Portland, Oregon, and Asheville’s own Curate.

“My wife and I ended up in Asheville after a cross-country road trip,” Inselmann said. “We went all over the South looking for where we wanted to live and ended up in Asheville for a day and a half. Eating. Hiking. Wandering around. We soon looked at each other and said, ‘This is it. This feels right.’”

For the young couple, Asheville and greater Western North Carolina was exactly what they were looking for.

“We moved here because it was smaller, but still had this prevalent food scene,” Inselmann said. “Asheville was pretty surprising and unexpected. It has this vibrancy and culture similar to larger cities we loved and had lived in previously.”

Aside from being the head chef at Leo’s, Inselmann’s wife is also the pastry chef. The duo doesn’t take for granted the long, storied history of farming in this region, or the seemingly never-ending variety of ingredients grown nearby.

“When you’re more involved in your local produce, you’re more conscious about what you put inside your body and where it comes from,” Inselmann said. “And with all of these ingredients available, we can really express ourselves in the kitchen and on the menu.”

Now in its second year of operation, Leo’s has become the “must try” wordof-mouth culinary spot in Asheville. The offerings are delicious and plentiful, the conversation and company seated next to you enjoyable and affable, which is the ambiance and unfolding scene Inselmann intended.

“Especially with this being a small restaurant, you get to send something out to a table and can take a quick peek and watch them take the first bite,” Inselmann said. “When you see them smile and enjoy the dish, it makes you feel good — this instant gratification that you’re making someone happy.” n

Welcome | ASHEVILLE

Odyssey Clayworks.

River Arts District ART COMES ALIVE sparkling jewel of the Southern Appalachian arts scene is the River Arts District, an ever-expanding complex of studios and galleries near the French Broad River that’s also become one of Asheville’s culinary and entertainment hubs.

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The Grey Eagle, a nationally renowned music venue in the RAD, brings in top talents from around the region and across the country, and has bubbled up to become one of the acclaimed spots in the Southeast for live entertainment.

Concocting some of the finest craft beer in the region, Wedge Brewing Co. is tucked behind the dozens of artists showcased in the Wedge Studios, all within earshot of restaurants (White Duck Taco, The Bull & Beggar, All Souls Pizza) and performance spaces (Magnetic Theatre, Asheville Guitar Bar) that dot the RAD. New Belgium Brewing Company, one of the largest craft beer companies in the country, has their $140-million East Coast production facility in the heart of the RAD. n

AGENT’S CHOICE:

“When folks come to visit, we love taking them to visit the galleries in the River Arts District. Our two favorites to shop in are Akira Satake Ceramics with his nature- and Asian-inspired pieces, and Jonas Gerard with his fantastic use of color. Both are located on Lyman Street.”

— Kelly Hetherington, Biltmore Park office

MORE AT BEVERLY-HANKS.COM Ready to take advantage of Asheville’s vibrant “live, work, play” culture? Take a look at places you’ll love to walk to from the new condos, The Landings, at beverlyhanks.com/blog/walkable-to-the-landings.

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AGENT’S CHOICE:

“The town of Maggie Valley has done an exceptional job planning events throughout the year, and the fireworks are no exception.

They shoot them off from the beautiful Maggie Valley Fairgrounds. My family and I park across the street at Market Square where we enjoy a nice ice cream from the front porch at Jelly Bellys and take in the lovely fireworks show.”

—Pamela Williams, Waynesville office

AGENT’S CHOICE:

“My favorite local gift to give is a bottle of wine from our favorite local winery, Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards. As the saying goes, ‘I’m dreaming of a white Christmas … But if the white runs out, then I’ll drink the red.’”

—Kandi Hendricks, Hendersonville office

AGENT’S CHOICE:

“Skinny Dip Falls off the Blue Ridge Parkway and Lower (or Second) Falls at Graveyard Fields are great places to swim or sit and picnic.”

—Marty Prevost, Waynesville office 79

Welcome | ASHEVILLE

HALIMA FLINT

Leaving your mark | ODYSSEY CLAYWORKS The sun has set behind the Blue Ridge Mountains cradling Asheville. On Clingman Avenue in the River Arts District stands a large warehouse that’s home to Odyssey ClayWorks — all lit up and buzzing with the spirit of creativity and inspiration.

“Our mission here is to build community through the artistic medium of clay,” said Halima Flynt, program director at Odyssey ClayWorks. “We not only see clay as kind of this vehicle for the work that we’re doing, we also realize that what’s going on in here is so much more than clay.”

For decades, the property has remained a haven for longtime potters and beginners looking to immerse themselves in clay and into their minds, too — all coming together for the sake of creation and camaraderie.

“Community outreach is something at the heart of who we are here,” Flynt said. “The underlying theme is to create a sense of community within these walls, and to take that love found here and put it out into the world.”

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And even before the River Arts District became world renowned for its numerous art studios and galleries, Odyssey ClayWorks was part of the initial spark that led to so much beauty and culture emerging in this neighborhood. Aside from the studios and kilns, there’s also a co-op for artists to promote and sell their work.

“One of the things that I love about clay is that you could be doing it for a hundred years, and yet still not learn everything there is to know about this craft. It keeps people humble,” Flynt smiled. “And when you hold a piece of pottery, you start to see the hands of the person that created it. You can visualize what they did to achieve the design and shape of a piece. It’s a pretty powerful thing to connect to an artist like that.”

With around 25 studio assistants and several resident artisans on site, there’s a treasure trove of expertise and passion for clay. This expertise is not lost on those who take one of the countless classes or workshops offered.

“We want to be a well of information and experience. There are people from any skill range, background, or demographic coming in and picking up from where they left off or simply starting from scratch,” Flynt said. “And one of our main goals is to never let money come between people who want to touch clay, which is why we have scholarship programs, tuition assistance, and a veterans program.”

Wandering around the floor of Odyssey ClayWorks, Flynt can’t help but get a little misty-eyed when asked about why — in the grand scheme of things — it’s important that places like this beehive of creativity exist.

“This place is a home away from home for our artists and students. You can truly be yourself when you’re here,” Flynt said. “This is a safe place to make mistakes, to learn, and to grow.

There are so many people who were told early on by someone that they could never be an artist. Everyone is an artist, and we’re here to bring out that light in you.” n

Welcome | ASHEVILLE

Montford Park Players.

AGENT’S CHOICE:

North Asheville COUNTRY MEETS CITY ith a large focus being placed on the rest of the city, North Asheville has been working behind the scenes, creating a steady stream of new small business and eccentric development. Once overlooked, it is rapidly becoming a hot spot for retail and commercial businesses looking to stake out their own piece of land to pursue and cultivate their dreams.

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Science and education also loom large in the North Asheville community. The University of North Carolina at Asheville’s 3,600 students participate in such projects as the local hub of the statewide Renaissance Computing Institute, or RENCI. The mission of RENCI is to “bring the latest cyber tools and technologies to bear on pressing problems.” n

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“The Weaverville Art Safari is a great place to see local art and how it is made! You get to meet the artists where they work. The Art Safari event is held each year in spring and autumn.”

— Christie Melear, Biltmore Park office

MORE AT BEVERLY-HANKS.COM When was the last time you planned a weekend in Montford? Whether you’re vacationing or stay-cationing, this historic neighborhood is ripe for another visit. Build your itinerary at beverly-hanks.com/blog/48-hoursmontford.

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Welcome | ASHEVILLE Taking flight | BEAVER LAKE BIRD SANCTUARY Sitting in a small gazebo bordering Beaver Lake in North Asheville one recent afternoon, Tom Tribble starts naming some of his favorite birds that reside on the eight-acre wetland property.

“What I’ve learned over the years is how important birds are, although we shouldn’t have to justify their existence by their economic value to humans," said Tribble, the at-large director of the Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter. “The mission of our chapter is to protect birds and the places they need, which is what motivates me and other members nationwide.”

Bordering busy Merrimon Avenue, Beaver Lake is surrounded by picturesque homes and Tom Tribble serene, tranquil neighborhoods, each street filled with inhabitants who cherish the nearby wetland. But, it wasn’t always like that.

Back in the 1980s, it was simply another piece of land north of a growing city, one that was initially intended for another purpose.

“At that time, there was talk of developing this land into a strip mall,” Tribble said, shaking his head in awe.

“But, the neighborhood association — the Lake View Park Commission — approached our Audubon chapter and asked if we’d be interested in buying the property in order to preserve it.”

With time of the essence, the Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter quickly raised more than $400,000. And in 1988, they purchased the first four acres of the property, ensuring its survival against commercial development. It was a small, yet crucial victory for the chapter, the neighborhood, and nature lovers — a win that only amplified in importance with each passing season of enjoyment spent at Beaver Lake.

“A lot of times these things don’t happen. In terms of development, usually the land gets developed and ecosystems get destroyed, sadly,” Tribble said. “But, the owner of the property was a local developer, and there was a fair amount of pressure put on him to save the property.”

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Great Blue Heron at Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary. LESLIE WAUGH Beaver Lake.

Tribble estimated that the sanctuary gets about 50,000 visitors a year, which doesn’t include the countless local residents and outdoor enthusiasts who roam the landscape to run, walk, kayak, or canoe. In regards to the birds onsite, there have been 205 species and counting documented at Beaver Lake.

“Beaver Lake is a bird haven. Threequarters of the birds in this country are migrants, meaning their real home is Central or South America. They spend five months of the year in our country breeding,” Tribble said. “So, when they migrate, they’re looking for green areas and places where they can refuel. It’s a bird truck stop of sorts, which is what this place offers.”

Alongside the numerous species of

birds found at the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary, the Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter also offers several bird walks and outings for its members and novices interested in the fascinating hobby that is birding. Living just around the corner from Beaver Lake, Tribble can’t help but feel a deep sense of pride for the property.

“It gives me great pleasure to walk down here and see all of these people enjoying the sanctuary. I think all of us need to get out in nature from time-totime — see the leaves, see the trees, see the birds and other things,” Tribble said. “And a lot of people can’t travel to national parks or state parks. But, here, we’re in a relatively urban area — this is a place of solace, a place to feel and to heal.” n

AGENT’S CHOICE:

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“While visiting Western North Carolina, don’t miss our very own Saluda Art Festival. Happening on May 21, it’s a great way to spend your day. Saluda also is home to Heartwood Contemporary Craft Gallery, which features local artists of various mediums, including pottery, metalwork, and jewelry; the artist Jim Carson has his gallery next to the visitor center; and finally, Earthly Minds Gallery also features local art right next to Wildflour Bakery (don’t forget to get a treat). And just a short trip down the mountain is the Tryon Arts & Crafts School. It’s an amazing place to appreciate and buy art from local artists and even take classes if you are so inclined.”

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“I cool off at the foot of Triple Falls in DuPont State Forest. The water is always refreshing, the rocks are smooth, and it’s a great place for kids and dogs to play.”

—Gaia Goldman, Biltmore Park office

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Welcome | LOCALES

Downtown Weaverville.

Buncombe County WEAVERVILLE AND BARNARDSVILLE

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eaverville and Barnardsville, two of the oldest communities in Buncombe County, pride themselves in being communities that attract artists and adventurers.

Weaverville is situated just five miles north of Asheville in the Reems Creek Valley, adjacent to Interstate 26.

The Weaverville tourism website doesn’t mince words in describing its allure: “Weaverville and the Reems Creek Valley have been a beacon to yearning souls since pioneers began settling in what was still Cherokee territory in the 1700s. The natural beauty of the area, the healthful climate, and its proximity to Asheville’s urban attractions have made Weaverville the perfect small town.”

Weaverville has earned a reputation for keeping its neighborhoods clean and green. The town has received Tree City USA certification every year since 1990, and in 2009, the Arbor Day

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Foundation named it the top Tree City in the state.

The town maintains Lake Louise Park, a perfect spot for family and community events, exercise, and romantic strolls, with picnic tables and shelters, outdoor grills, a playground, and a walking trail.

A walk downtown reveals a variety of local craft breweries, offering flavors from classic traditional to historical English styles and farmhouse Belgian beers.

The number of eateries and shops is impressive, with favorites on Main Street like Blue Mountain Pizza & Brew Pub, Well-Bred Bakery & Café, The Glass Onion, Main Street Grill, Twisted Laurel, Mangum Pottery Studio & Gallery, and Eluvium Brewery.

In the nearby community of Alexander is the Alexander Bike Park, with six miles of intermediate single-track trails in two loops.

The short loop is 1.1 miles with variable terrain. The long loop consists of 5 miles of tight-twisting single track with moderate climbs. The park also has a dual slalom downhill track that will challenge even the most experienced riders.

From Weaverville, it’s just a 15-minute drive to the scenic views

AGENT’S CHOICE:

“The best food truck in Burnsville is the Hog Hollow Wood-Fired Pizza Truck that is often found outside of Homeplace Brewery. It serves the most delicious pizza around. I never miss the opportunity to purchase a pie from this truck—it tastes oh, so GOOOOD!”

Navitat Canopy Adventures.

— Donna Banks, North Asheville office

of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the town is home to Reems Creek Golf Course, a semi-private course designed in part by Hawtree & Sons, British architects who specialize in crafting classic Scottishstyle links.

Local galleries and studios showcase the work of jewelers, painters, potters, glass artists, sculptors, and fiber artists. In September, there’s Art in Autumn, which fills Main Street with arts and crafts. In May and October, there’s the Weaverville Art Safari, a free, self-guided studio tour featuring face-to-face encounters with dozens of area artists and craftspeople.

One of Weaverville’s main attractions is the Vance Birthplace, a state historic site where visitors can explore the restored childhood homestead of Zebulon Baird Vance, the state’s Civil War governor who also served in the state legislature and was a North Carolina senator.

Ten miles northeast of Weaverville is Barnardsville, a bucolic community set amidst rolling hills, pastures, and mountain farms.

Like Weaverville, it is home to folks who enjoy a relaxed environment and to a substantial number of professional artists.

It’s also home to Navitat Canopy Adventures, one of the oldest zip line destinations in the region. The company opened in 2010 and has constantly expanded its offering of tree-based adventure experiences.

MORE AT Locals are proud of the Big BEVERLY-HANKS.COM Ivy Community Center, which Are you ready to put your yard was initially organized by to work? Support local residents and has evolved into nurseries and garden centers near you. See a list of our a vibrant hub of activity. The favorites at beverlycenter hosts a swimming pool hanks.com/blog/nurseries. and space for an array of gatherings, events, and services, including pre-school and after-school programs, a community library, a book club, senior lunches, bingo bouts, computer classes, and yoga and Zumba sessions. Every October, the center hosts Mountain Heritage Day, featuring local cuisine, crafts, music, and exhibitions on traditional mountain living.

The center’s grounds are also home to the Big Ivy Historical Park, which is dedicated to preserving local heritage. The centerpiece of the park is a pre-Civil War cabin and a replica of a one-room schoolhouse that was built in the 1890s.

Barnardsville is full of farms, so fresh, local food is literally a part of the landscape. There are numerous community-supported agriculture organizations and weekly farmers markets at the Old Barnardsville Fire Station. Residents often end up buying all of their seasonal produce from their neighbors. n MARGARET HESTER

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Welcome | LOCALES Liquid gold | ELUVIUM BREWING COMPANY Just off Main Street in Weaverville sits Eluvium Brewing Company. Launched in the fall of 2017, the brewery and taproom have become a popular social hub within the small, tight-knit community just north of Asheville.

“It means so much to us when someone comes in and tells us they love our beer,” said Shea Varner. “It’s not been exactly the easiest road to where we are now. But, this is our dream and our passion, and we couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.”

Varner and her husband, Jon, are closing in on five years in operation. It’s a wild, bountiful milestone, considering the impetus for the entire business was a leap of faith into something each enjoyed immersing themselves in.

Jon started homebrewing in 2013, an activity he found was an ideal way to decompress from his routine deployments as a longtime member of the Army National Guard.

“When I got home after one deployment, I felt like this could be a really cool hobby. So, I bought all of the equipment and made my first batch of homebrew. Then, I made another batch and just kept diving deeper into the process,” Jon reflected. “All of this led to me getting a job doing mobile canning for a brewery. I kept going further down the rabbit hole of this industry, and I loved it all.”

For Shea, who had a medical background, craft beer was something the couple had in common, the intricate and vast nature of a beverage that was as unique and distinct as the communities, businesses, and brewers each style emerged from.

Eventually, the duo started talking about having a brewery of their own. It was a small spark of inspiration that quickly grew into the Varners coming across its current building in Weaverville.

“We figured a brewery would be five years down the road for us. But, we

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Jon and Shea Varner.

bought a house here in November 2016 and moved in before Thanksgiving, only to sign a lease on the brewery building in February 2017.

It was all kind of a blur,” Shea laughed.

By October 2017, Eluvium Brewing Company was ready for business. That name, Eluvium, is an ode to not only the rich, storied mining history in North Carolina, but also a symbolic quest by the Varners to produce “gold-medalworthy beer.”

“We didn’t have investors or backers when we opened; we built this from the ground up,” Jon said. “We had gotten to the point where we had to open. We had no choice — it was time to turn our dream into a reality.”

Amid its growing selection of ales comes a keen awareness by Eluvium to incorporate as many local ingredients

as possible — honey to sweet potatoes, malts to fruit. And with that, also comes solidarity and pride in the brewery and the community it serves.

“Most of the people coming in here are regulars who walk in from the nearby neighborhood,” Shea said.

“Everyone in this town has been super supportive of what we’re trying to do here. Even during the shutdown, all of these people came in to buy growlers and gift cards just to make sure we stayed open.”

“It’s hard to believe that it’s already been five years since we started,” Jon added. “And one of things we love about not only living in this area, but also the local business community and craft beer world, is that everybody looks out for each other — that’s what being part of a small town is all about.” n

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Welcome | LOCALES

Buncombe County BLACK MOUNTAIN

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he town of Black Mountain claims a history of art, education, and fellowship, while looking to the future as a vibrant and energetic community in the eastern part of Buncombe County.

Located under the gaze of some of the oldest peaks in the country, Black Mountain enjoys proximity to rivers, trails,

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mountain vistas, Interstate 40, and some of the region’s most notable worship communities.

Town residents can jump on the interstate for jaunts to Asheville or Charlotte.

Black Mountain features a hearty selection of 40-plus independent restaurants, breweries, shops, art galleries, and numerous antique dealers. Venues include White Horse Black Mountain, Black Mountain Alehouse, Pisgah Brewing, Bad Craft, Foothills Butcher Bar, Seven Sisters Tap Room, Black Mountain

Natural Foods, and Lookout Brewing.

With a population of more than 8,000, Black Mountain has a vibrant but quaint commercial center. It breathes with a particular kind of mountain energy, embracing both its natural surroundings and a tastefully configured, small-town urban core, centered around the old rail depot that gave the town its name.

Part of Black Mountain’s vitality can be attributed to its draw as a place to gather, consult, and worship. Popular retreats and conference centers include the Blue Ridge Assembly, Christmount, and Ridgecrest. Nearby is Montreat, a small community that was home to renowned evangelist Billy Graham. The community also includes the Montreat Conference Center and Montreat College, the site of a major speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965.

The valley’s historic feel is enhanced as home of the avantgarde Black Mountain College, located next to Lake Eden from 1933-57, where titans of 20th Century art — Merce Cunningham, John Cage, Buckminster Fuller, Willem and Elaine de Kooning, and Josef and Anni Albers, among others — taught a generation of artists and thinkers.

Outdoor recreation is one of Black Mountain’s hallmarks. Hiking trails abound, including the comfortable bank-side trail at the 10acre Lake Tomahawk.

The Black Mountain Golf Course, run by the town, features a whopping 747-yard par 6, one of the longest holes in America.

Black Mountain hosts the 40-mile Mt. Mitchell Challenge in February, one of the toughest foot races in the country.

Montreat College and nearby Warren Wilson College offer concerts, theater productions, and dances. The valley is also home to Givens Highland Farms Retirement Communities, the N.C. State Veterans Nursing Home, and the Black Mountain Veterans Park.

AGENT’S CHOICE:

“The Progressive Education Program is run through Buncombe County Schools for children up to 21 years of age that have special needs including speech, OT, PT, and a therapy pool.

The resource center is named after our daughter, Meryl Snyder Memorial Library!”

— Vivien Snyder, Biltmore Park office Every August, The Sourwood Festival fills downtown Black Mountain with entertainment for both adults and children. More than 30,000 people turn out for the festival.

The town is also home to the LEAF Festival, an intergenerational celebration of world culture that takes place on the site of the old Black Mountain College, with a stunning array of rolling hills, lakes, streams, and mountain beauty on hundreds of acres of comfortable camping grounds. n

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Welcome | LOCALES

Christmas lights at the NC Arboretum. HOLLY KAYS

Buncombe & Henderson Counties ARDEN & MILLS RIVER heavyweight in American craft brewing put Mills River on the map in 2014, when Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. opened its $200 million, 217-acre facility in the rural community, right next door to the Asheville Regional Airport.

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As one of the pioneers of the craft beer industry, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is a leader in their field and maker of some of the finest microbrews for over 40 years. Based out of Chico, California, the company’s East Coast headquarters in Mills River hosts brewery tours, a restaurant, and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating for a heavy rotation of live music events.

Despite the arrival of the national brewery, the communities of Arden and Mills River still offer a lot of room to roam.

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AGENT’S CHOICE:

“Try Our Recipe Roots in Flat Rock.

They are a familyowned local bakery that specializes in all types of pies, delicious cinnamon rolls, cookies, and many other baked goods. Get there early since they usually run out.”

— Karen Bosse, Hendersonville office

The South Buncombe area is also home to the North Carolina Arboretum, an extraordinary public garden that adjoins the Blue Ridge Parkway. The 434-acre Arboretum has 65 acres of cultivated gardens and 10 miles of hiking and biking trails, hosts one of the most unique bonsai collections in the country, and stages a steady stream of exhibits on subjects ranging from mountain quilts to rare plants.

Nearby is the Bent Creek Research and Demonstration Forest, a federal facility that’s part of the Pisgah National Forest, and the Lake Powhatan Recreational Area, which together offer dozens of mountain trails and lakeside camping sites.

A favorite Arden locale for kids is Jake Rusher Park, a huge public park with playgrounds and a walking area. One of the play areas includes several castle-like structures, so some locals call the facility “Castle Park.”

One of Arden’s most historic structures is the Blake House Inn Bed & Breakfast, which was built as a summer retreat in 1847. The house is a rare example of Italianate architecture with Gothic Revival influences. It has been restored and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.

Mills River Park opens at dawn and closes at dusk, and offers a 1.2-mile multi-use trail, a dog park, playground with sunshade, swings, restroom facilities, picnic shelter, tennis/pickleball courts, handicapped accessible fishing pier, and canoe/kayak launch.

The town of Mills River is also in the design phase for the Mills River Valley Trail, a new path along N.C. 280 creating a safe route for walking and biking, and linking the heart of Mills River to the French Broad River.

Another nearby community, Skyland, is home to scores of

additional eateries and shops and more recreation facilities. The county-run Zeugner Center has a heated indoor pool, measuring 35-by-75 feet, that hosts water exercise classes and open swim times for the public.

A major attraction in the Skyland area is Biltmore Park Town Square, a modern town-center-style development boasting smart growth, green living, and reduced driving. The development links condominium living with shopping, restaurants, cafés and gathering spots, spas and health clubs, and businesses and employers. Storefronts include national retailers like LOFT and REI, as well as Barnes & Noble.

The 300-acre Lake Julian and surrounding park in Skyland offer picnicking spots, boating, MORE AT fishing, and a playground. The BEVERLY-HANKS.COM lake has an abundance of fish, Make every day an adventure! including bass, brim, catfish, Whether you’re vacationing or crappie, and tilapia. Anglers stay-cationing, we've put can fish from the shore and, together a quick itinerary for a fun-filled weekend in Mills for a small fee, from privately River at beverly-hanks.com/ owned or rented boats. The blog/48-hours-mills-river. park also rents paddle boats and canoes, and provides free use of a pontoon boat for people with disabilities, senior citizens, and student groups. On the shore, there’s a sand volleyball court and horseshoe pits.

The park is open year round, though the hours vary with the seasons. In addition to the regular offerings, Lake Julian is center stage for special annual events, including fireworks displays on July 4, fishing tournaments, and the Winter Festival of Lights. n

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Welcome | LOCALES Downtown Hendersonville.

Henderson County HENDERSONVILLE | FLAT ROCK enderson County is a gem of a place nestled in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. Widely known for its abundance of apples and as the final home of American poet and writer Carl Sandburg, this popular destination spot offers not only history and agriculture, but also an array of culinary, musical, and leisure experiences.

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Henderson County was established as the southern gateway into the Blue Ridge. Completion of the Buncombe Turnpike in 1827 began a period of cultural and economic expansion for Western North Carolina.

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Hendersonville is nothing short of a playground for cool exploration and warm, Southern hospitality — all grounded by an authentic, small-town experience. It’s the careful balance of both creative innovation and classic tradition that makes the area so intriguing.

Few downtowns in the area can boast such a concentration of attractions, especially museums. The Henderson County Heritage Museum is housed in the historic old courthouse, built in 1905.

The Mineral and Lapidary Museum on Main Street offers geologic highlights from near and far. Also downtown are Hands On!, a free educational museum for children, and the Historic Hendersonville Train Depot, home of the Apple Valley Model Railroad Club.

Another unique addition is The Appalachian Pinball Museum, housed in a historic building that was once a music theater. It’s fun and nostalgic to get in the classic stance and hammer away at the silver ball. Not only does the venue offer over 50 pinball

machines, but it also houses other classic games such as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong.

Downtown bustles with special events throughout the year. In the summer, the free Monday Night Street Dances take place, bringing traditional mountain music and dancing. Attendees are welcome to tap their toes as spectators or cut a rug on Main Street. Music on Main Street, a weekly summer concert series on Friday nights, showcases diverse styles of local live music.

Henderson County The biggest event of the year is the North Carolina Apple Festival, held MEDIAN $ every Labor Day weekend for more PRICE . . . . . . . . than 70 years. A celebration of the AVERAGE DAYS county’s major crop, the festival pays ON MARKET . . . . . . . . . . . . . tribute to everything the fruit has to PERCENT OF % LISTING PRICE . . . . . . offer, along with other local foods, crafts, and entertainment.

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Local foods get a boost at the Henderson County Curb Market, a farmers market held downtown three days a week during warmer months and once a week during winter. The market has a true local focus. Vendors must be county natives and all items for sale are required to either be handmade or locally grown.

Nearby Flat Rock, once known as “The Little Charleston of the Mountains,” has long been a resort escape for Southerners fleeing summer heat. It is home to the Flat Rock Playhouse, the State Theater of North Carolina, where varied performances draw some 100,000 visitors each year.

Flat Rock is also home to the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, where the renowned poet and writer lived out his last

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22 years. The estate, named “Connemara,” welcomes the public to view everything from Sandburg’s 10,000-volume library to his wife’s goat farm. Lilian Sandburg was the one who pushed for the Sandburgs to move to Western North Carolina, for she needed more room for her award-winning goat breeding business than they had at their Michigan home.

She found the Flat Rock house for sale in 1945 and arranged for its purchase. She also arranged to deed the property to the National Park Service after her husband’s death.

Etowah, a community to the west of Hendersonville, has become a residential and retirement haven that features some of the finest golf in the area.

The Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2021, stages frequent performances and conducts both music education programs and a youth orchestra.

The Center for Craft, Creativity, and Design also makes a major contribution to the local arts scene. Based at a 50-acre facility in Hendersonville, its programs include craft and design research and publishing, exhibitions, public art projects, and conferences that draw artists from across the country.

A popular destination is the Elijah Mountain Gem Mine. Elijah Cloer was eight years old when his parents wanted him to learn the ins and outs of creating a business. He said his favorite thing to do while on vacation was to visit a gem mine, so that is what he wanted to pursue.

What started as one flume is now a popular thriving business rated the top gem mine in North Carolina by Tripadvisor. Along with mining, visitors can peruse the gift shop, picnic beside a backyard creek, pet and feed goats, and say hi to chickens and roosters walking freely in the store.

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Welcome | LOCALES AGENT’S CHOICE:

“My whole family loves Pi-Squared Pizza in Hendersonville.

Everything we have tried is delicious! My favorites are the authentic Detroitstyle square Hawaiian pizza, boneless wings with Sweet Heat sauce, and Cheesy Pi Bread!”

— Kelsey Clark, Hendersonville office The town of Hendersonville manages a wide array of local parks integrated into a comprehensive greenways plan. Berkeley Mills Park has a baseball field and a large pavilion, and plans have been developed for a nature trail. Boyd Park has two tennis courts and a miniature golf course. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park features picnic tables, a walking path, and a granite memorial to King. The park also has a baseball field, a mile-long nature trail, and a half-mile walking trail. Lenox Park is another popular picnicking spot, as are Toms Park, which has more than 20 shuffleboard courts, and Sullivan Park, which has basketball courts and a playground. The two-mile-long Oklawaha Greenway Trail passes through several of the parks.

Patton Park is one of the larger facilities with two baseball fields, a football and soccer field, basketball, racquetball and tennis courts, pavilions, picnic tables, two gazebos, a playground, a walking trail, an Olympic-size swimming pool, and skate park.

Hendersonville is uniquely situated when it comes to outdoor activities. Nearby are the Pisgah National Forest, DuPont State Forest, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and numerous mountain lakes and rivers. Just five miles from downtown is Jump Off Rock, a storied scenic overlook. According to local legend, hundreds of years ago, a Cherokee chief and his sweetheart would meet on the rock, until he was called off to battle. She waited at the rock for him to return, but he was killed in combat, so she leapt to her death. Her ghost, the legend goes, appears on moonlit

nights. Whatever the truth to the story, today the views remain fantastic, and the trails around Jump Off Rock are popular with hikers.

The Holmes Educational State Forest, eight miles from downtown, offers more opportunities to explore nature in a managed forest setting. There’s a series of trails and several picnic areas, all surrounded by trees, azaleas, rhododendron, and wild flowers.

Henderson’s ties to traditional mountain agriculture and culture are on display at Historic Johnson Farm, a former farm and tourist retreat that was established in the late 19th century.

The centerpiece of the property is a house built from handmade bricks, the home of a wealthy farmer. Several outbuildings, including a blacksmith shop, barn, and cottage, have also been preserved. In 1987, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and today the 15-acre site is owned and run by the county school system and provides a unique range of heritage education programs, including field trips, tours, classes on farm animals, and guided nature walks. A renovated boarding house is home to the Heritage Weavers & Fiber Artists, a group dedicated to preserving the history of local textile arts.

Another Hendersonville MORE AT treasure is the Mountain Farm BEVERLY-HANKS.COM & Home Museum, which is Turn your space into dedicated to preserving something new! From new agricultural and domestic purchases to antiques, we equipment, methods, and shared just a few of our literature related to rural life in favorite local home 19th century Western North furnishings stores in Hendersonville at beverlyCarolina. The museum offers a hanks.com/blog/ trip back in time, and is home-furnishings/#hvl. packed with such relics as a 16-foot water wheel, a local doctor’s buggy, grain reapers, and threshing machines, and antique engines, tractors, butter churns, and tools.

The cornerstone of higher education in Henderson County is Blue Ridge Community College. The two-year, comprehensive post-secondary school serves more than 15,000 students a year.

The college offers 100 programs of study and one of the largest continuing education programs in the state. It has placed special emphasis on technical programs in automotive technology, emergency response, law enforcement, nursing, engineering, and machining technology. n

Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site. NPS

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Welcome | LOCALES

Suzanne Camarata.

Creating the conversation | THE GALLERY AT FLAT ROCK When Suzanne Camarata moved from Boston, Massachusetts, to Western North Carolina in 2010, she was in search of a place to not only get away from big city life, but to also find balance in her work.

“It’s the mountains here that I like the most,” Camarata said. “I was raised in Japan. I grew up in the mountains there, and this area reminds me of that place, with its four seasons and sense of community.”

Initially, Camarata, who was a freelance photographer in New England, came to Henderson County to, perhaps, create her own art or photo studio. She had planned on doing pet portraits, all in an effort to try to expand her talents throughout the region.

But, as the studio began to take form, Camarata started to incorporate the works of other local artists to fill the vast walls and floor of the building. By 2015, The Gallery at Flat Rock had opened its doors to local artisans and collectors.

“Soon, it just morphed into wanting to do a gallery more than anything else because there’s so much talent around

here. It was really natural to find wonderful artists to display,” Camarata said. “I’m always looking for artists with their own unique sense of style. At this point, we showcase a really eclectic mix of mediums and styles, with everyone sharing a mutual sentiment of love for this area we all live in.”

Whenever a customer enters the gallery — either in search of something special or simply to wander around the displays — Camarata revels in that singular moment of discovery felt by an onlooker in the presence of artistic beauty.

“It’s in that moment that I know I’m doing things right, that this is what I’m supposed to be doing,” Camarata said.

“It’s also a chance to share with them the background of the artist and the inspiration behind their work — this ongoing conversation between myself, the customer, and the artist.”

Never once losing her appetite and drive to create, Camarata still pursues photography. During the 2020 shutdown, with community members practicing social distancing, she began doing “porch portraits,” going from

house to house and snapping an image of a person or family, as a gesture of solidarity and camaraderie amid uncertain, confusing times.

“I felt like I should help out where I was needed, so I gave a portion of each portrait sold to the Flat Rock Playhouse, which was closed for a period during the shutdown,” Camarata said. “It was a way for me to give back to this community that has given so much to me — as a gallery owner and as a resident.”

Aside from the represented works, The Gallery at Flat Rock also plays host to several events throughout the year in an effort to bring the community together through art, food, and live music.

“We’re always trying to engage the public in all kinds of different ways,” Camarata said. “And this is because I believe that the more you engage people with the gallery, the more they take ownership of it being their gallery.

You’re growing your vision, and you want to bring people into that vision.

It’s not just my gallery, it’s this area’s gallery, too.” n

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Welcome | LOCALES

Western North Carolina Mountain State Fair.

MATTHEW WELLS

Henderson County FLETCHER letcher sits in the middle of just about everything in Western North Carolina, close enough to be a jumping-off spot for any adventure, while also nestled in right near the Asheville Regional Airport for quick access to everywhere else.

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Fletcher is uniquely positioned for national and international travelers, and it has an ever-expanding footprint of things to do that might make you stick around.

The biggest draw of all is the weeklong Western North Carolina Mountain State Fair, held each September at the WNC Agricultural Center, just across the street from the airport.

The Agricultural Center’s 87-acre multi-use facility hosts events year round, including horse and livestock shows, professional conferences, classic-car events, and trade shows. The center also welcomes the Land of the Sky Gun and Knife Show in the Davis Event Center, a 45,000-square-foot arena that’s outfitted with huge exhibit spaces and an onsite restaurant.

Fletcher has expanded its health and recreation initiatives, implementing a greenways master plan to make the community friendlier for walkers and bicyclists. The town is planning a network with 13 miles of trails.

Two local parks offer opportunities for exercise and enjoyment: The 60-acre Fletcher Community Park features playgrounds, picnic

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areas, walking trails, and baseball and soccer fields, and Kate’s Park, adjacent to the Fletcher Library, has playgrounds, trails, and an outdoor grilling area.

Bluegrass lovers flock to the Feed and Seed, a church and music venue located in the old feed and supply building that has been a landmark for 100 years. The church focuses on serving the community, and it hosts top-notch Appalachian music every weekend. The Feed and Seed is family oriented, offering RC Cola and Moon Pies, popcorn, and coffee. There’s no cover charge for the music, either.

People are also talking about Blue Ghost Brewing, which regularly rolls out new tastes and flavors at its Underwood Road location. “Blue Ghost Brewing aims to make world-class beer while being a community center in Fletcher, promoting family, worthy causes, and our local natural wonders,” is the company’s mission statement.

The town is also home to Diamond Brand Gear, maker of legendary wall tents, as well as hiking and camping gear.

Community celebrations, from free concerts to parades, take place throughout the year. Many annual highlights are staged in the fall. Pickin’ in the Park, a bluegrass-infused get-together in September, turns Fletcher Community Park into a center of mountain music, local food, and kids’ activities.

The town, which celebrated its 30th birthday in 2019, is developing a downtown area called the heart of Fletcher district to support small retail businesses, professional offices, restaurants, and a new Town Hall complex. n

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Welcome | LOCALES

Lake Junaluska. A SHOT ABOVE OF WNC

Haywood County WAYNESVILLE | CANTON | MAGGIE VALLEY | LAKE JUNALUSKA | CLYDE aywood County is a popular destination for visitors and those seeking a thriving-yet-quaint home in the mountains.

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The community offers miles of scenic drives along the Blue Ridge Parkway, hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and vacation cabin rentals in Maggie Valley, Waynesville, Lake Junaluska, Canton, and Clyde.

Haywood is home to the Cataloochee Valley, one the most remote parts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This is where elk were successfully reintroduced in 2001. The majestic elk can be sighted in the valley throughout the warm months, and can also be frequently seen wandering through Maggie Valley.

Downtown Waynesville’s bustling Main Street is a pedestrian’s dream, with working art studios, fine restaurants, breweries, a

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coffee roastery, gift shops, a bakery, and more. The first Friday of each month, residents and visitors enjoy Art After Dark, a gallery stroll with meet-the-artist events and a street party atmosphere.

A couple blocks away is the Waynesville Recreation Park, with walking trails, tennis courts, a dog park, volleyball courts, an 18hole disc golf course, catch-and-release trout stream, recreation center with an indoor pool, water park for kids, full-sized basketball court, and a variety of classes.

Hazelwood Village has maintained its own identity and evolved into a revitalized retail district to the west of Waynesville, including pottery studios, a welcoming coffee shop, a bustling book store, gourmet food offerings, and Hazelwood Soap Company, a familyowned business producing small-batch offerings of homemade soaps and lotions.

Hazelwood is where you can also find the Folkmoot Friendship Center, headquarters for a two-week international dance and music festival every July.

Welcome | LOCALES Lending a helping hand | WOMEN OF WAYNESVILLE In its almost 10 years of existence, Women of Waynesville has raised more than $200,000 for families in need in Haywood County. With a focus on women and children in the community, the nonprofit remains a powerful, evergrowing force for fundraising efforts and the numerous charities it helps throughout the year.

“It’s one of the best organizations for promoting women’s positivity and giving back to the community,” said Michelle Jacobs, president of WOW. “And the best part for me as a member is the amount of fun we have while raising money and doing good for our community.”

And fun they have. From Kentucky Derby cocktail socials to street festival canvassing, to staging and selling their famous “Naked Calendars” (where volunteers are posed in various Appalachian settings), the members of WOW come from as many different backgrounds and ideologies as the

families they aim to support.

“We’re all so supportive of each other, especially when we put together the annual ‘Naked Calendar,’” Jacobs said. “It’s just so bold and in your face, all while promoting body positivity amongst all of us — it’s exciting.”

With the calendar a hot ticket item each year for WOW, the funds raised go to an array of local charities, including REACH of Haywood County, Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC, Kids Advocacy Resource Effort (KARE), The Power of Pink, Haywood Healthcare Foundation, and Haywood County Meals on Wheels, amid numerous others.

“One of the biggest reasons WOW formed was to help other small nonprofits who maybe don’t have the adequate resources to reach out as far as they want to in the community,” Jacobs said. “But, the core of our mission is the ‘stealth missions’ that help women and children — who are

sometimes in difficult financial situations — get back on their feet, and to catch those people who sometimes fall between the cracks of our society.”

Originally from Indiana, Jacobs and her family relocated to Haywood County in 2013. At that time, she was new to town and didn’t have a set group of friends or social circle. But, through word of mouth, she heard about WOW and decided to swing into one of the group’s many “meet-n-greet” membership open house gatherings.

“So, I walked in and saw all of these wild women just being boisterous, drinking some wine, laughing together, and being supportive of each other. I knew I had found my people,” Jacobs chuckled. “Back then, I was working from home a lot. I started to become a hermit and was losing my social skills.

With WOW, I found this group of friends that accepts you for who you are, what you are, and who you will become.” n Women of Waynesville.

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Welcome | LOCALES Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center is home to the World Methodist Conference and the Southeastern jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church. It offers a public, 2.5-mile paved path around the lake and accommodations at the Lambuth Inn, an elegant and historic inn listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The lake offers canoe rentals, bird watching, a seasonal public pool, and lakefront properties. In season, it is not unusual to spy bald eagles nesting in the tall trees around the lake.

Waynesville is also home to Haywood Regional Arts Theatre, a Haywood County playhouse with two indoor stages that MEDIAN offers productions all year. Sharing $ PRICE . . . . . . . . grounds with the theater is the AVERAGE DAYS Museum of North Carolina ON MARKET . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Handicrafts in the historic Shelton PERCENT OF House, featuring 19th century pottery, % LISTING PRICE . . . . . . . . . quilts, baskets, and woodworking.

NUMBER Just 10 miles away is Maggie Valley, OF UNITS . . . . . . . . . . a mountain delight that rolls out the welcome mat to visitors year after year. From spring to autumn, the valley welcomes motorcyclists from around the country who come to traverse the Blue Ridge Parkway, motor through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and enjoy the camaraderie of other riders who make an annual trek to visit the Dale’s Wheels Through Time Museum, which houses some of the world’s finest historic motorcycles.

Maggie Valley is also home to Elevated Mountain Distillery, which produces several unique brands of distilled spirits for sale or sample.

Cataloochee Ski Area offers delightful snowboarding and skiing, and typically is one of the first resorts in the eastern United States to open each year. Nearby is the Cataloochee Ranch, with cabins, horse stables, a grand old lodge, and restaurant atop a 5,000-foot mountain. Those staying at the ranch can join staff and other guests for evening cookouts, where you might even hear local storytelling and mountain music.

The town of Canton is a snapshot of a classic Southern mill town, with unique and beautiful bungalows and buildings still intact in the core of downtown. The downtown district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and its crown jewel is the

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AGENT’S CHOICE:

“One of my favorite places to cool off in Western North Carolina is at one of the swimming holes in the Smokies.

Midnight Hole is on the Upper Big Creek River (off of the Pigeon) just outside the NC border with Tennessee. It’s incredibly beautiful there! This location is one of Mother Nature’s finest … but don’t tell anyone else! Brrr … cold water.”

— Amy Fleming, Biltmore Park office Imperial Hotel. Originally crafted as a stately home, it includes the Southern Porch, a family owned restaurant offering excellent food, a diverse menu, and friendly service. Just down the street on the banks of the Pigeon River is BearWaters Brewing, an awardwinning brewery and restaurant that features a cozy interior and welcoming outdoor seating.

The restored Colonial Theater in Canton features concerts, shows, films, and other entertainment events in a beautifully restored historic theater. A centerpiece of downtown, the theater has hosted world-class acts over the years.

Clyde, a hamlet that lies between Canton and Waynesville, can boast as its own the oldest structure in Haywood County. The Shook-Smathers House, home to the Shook Museum, was built around 1820, with additions and renovations made for decades, producing the finished product we see today. The home’s attic chapel played host to many storied circuit preachers over the years, many of whom have left their mark in the collection of signatures that decorate the chapel’s walls. n

Dale’s Wheels Through Time Museum

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Welcome | LOCALES

828 Market on Main.

Taking the leap | 828 MARKET ON MAIN What started out as a simple idea to open a bottle shop has morphed into a hub of culinary delights and handmade goods in downtown Waynesville.

“We wanted to have this little spot where people could get a beer or cider, maybe hear some local music,” said Carrie Griffin. “But, the whole thing has changed so much from where we were when we opened. People come in and constantly request things for us to carry, to bring things to the market that maybe nobody else is providing in the community.”

Co-owner of the 828 Market on Main, Carrie and her husband, Richie, launched the business in July 2019. The couple and their two sons moved to Western North Carolina from Charlotte four and half years ago. Initially, the relocation was for the family to finally immerse themselves in the mountain life and culture.

“There’s been such a push for shopping local in recent years. I mean, you used to hear it said a lot. But, I feel like you’re actually seeing it more and more now,” Carrie said. “And these days, that the idea of ‘local products’ is really ingrained in people, where they go to Main Street, seek out local things and support local businesses — it’s a great feeling to be part of that.”

When the Griffins arrived in

Haywood County, they initially started a brand of headwear called “828 Hats.” In an effort to get the merchandise in area stores, they soon began to realize there was a niche in the business sector for a localized market in Waynesville. Thus, the wheels began to turn as to just what this new venture could and would be.

“I’ll admit that I was the nervous one about doing this. Richie’s better at taking a leap,” Carrie reminisced. “But I think if we’d never done it, we Carrie Griffin would constantly be wondering ‘what if.’ What if we never had taken this leap? It was a huge move for us, and it’s been a great learning experience ever since.”

And when opening day rolled around, the Griffins were bowled over by the love and support by friends, family and strangers alike.

“We did a soft opening, inviting all our Charlotte friends and family, people we’d met in the community here,” Carrie said. “And we didn’t really think about anybody buying anything that first night, but we sold so many

things — it was really exciting to see.”

Since then, the market itself has added several features to the space, from offering a lunch menu to shaved ice, atop the sitting areas and sidewalk tables for locals and visitors to grab a meal, take a seat, and watch the world swirl by the storefront.

“We’ve been able to move and shift direction when we need to with everything going on. With the pandemic, the to-go food items and drink selection have made it easy for customers to call in an order or just come in quickly for what they need,” Carrie said.

With its third anniversary appearing on the horizon this summer, the Griffins can’t help but shake their heads in gratitude for the market and what it’s brought to the daily lives of those on both sides of the register.

“You know, just the other day, we were out to dinner and someone tapped me on the shoulder, asking if the market was still open that evening — it’s still very surreal to feel part of this incredible community,” Carrie said. “Sometimes I have to pinch myself and realize that we made this place a reality. We came together with our community and created a space for all of us to enjoy — new ideas and things are always happening here.” n

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Welcome | LOCALES

Roger Howell Fiddlers.

PEGGY BAKER

Madison County MARS HILL | MARSHALL | HOT SPRINGS adison County offers visitors and residents a taste of small-town heritage, outdoor exploration, and a timeless tradition of musical history recognized around the world.

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The county seat, Marshall, population 870, is some 20 miles north of Asheville. The town, shoehorned between peaks on the banks of the French Broad River, is an enclave of artists, galleries, and studios. Stroll down Marshall’s Main Street and you’ll find books, cafes, galleries, antique shops, eateries, and a coffee shop that hosts weekly jam sessions for true bluegrass and mountain music fun.

Marshall High Studios is located in the historic schoolhouse built in 1925 for the high school. Perched on a 10-acre island in the French Broad River, the restored building houses 26 studios, an auditorium, and an enormous deck in a park-like setting. The

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updated facility has attracted artists in all media: painting, textiles, jewelry, sound recording, yoga/movement, ceramics, photography, design, writing, massage, print making, music, and fiber.

The Depot, a converted railroad station, is a popular Marshall community performance venue each Friday night as locals strike up a soundtrack of traditional bluegrass and country music.

There’s also plenty of music at the town’s regular French Broad Fridays, a series of free outdoor concerts.

The Madison County Arts Center, also on Main Street, presents traditional and contemporary art exhibitions.

The entire county offers outdoor sports for all enthusiasts, whether you want a rafting trip, a cycling adventure along country roads, or an invigorating horseback ride.

East of Marshall is the town of Mars Hill, a small community big on mountain traditions.

Mars Hill University, a private liberal arts school with an enrollment of more than 1,275 students, contributes significantly to the character of the town. Founded in 1856, the schools is one of the oldest educational facilities in Western North Carolina.

AGENT’S CHOICE:

“We are so lucky to have immediate access to the greatest artist of all, Mother Nature.

Whether it is the spruce-fir forests near the summit of Mt. Mitchell, the pristine grounds of the Biltmore Estate, or the sweeping sunset views from the Blue Ridge Parkway, the natural art of this area could not be more magical.”

— Joseph Breiter, Downtown Asheville office The university’s Rural Life Museum preserves and presents artifacts of traditional Appalachian communities, while the Weizenblatt Art Gallery shares visiting exhibitions and student and staff works.

Mars Hill hosts two long-running festivals celebrating craft, music, and dance: the Heritage Festival and the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Music Festival. Both occur the same weekend in October.

The university is also home to the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, founded in 1975 to become one of the region’s top theater draws.

There are 1,800 residents within Mars Hill town limits, and it sits close to Interstate 26, offering quick access to Asheville to the south or Madison County Tennessee to the north.

MEDIAN Wolf Ridge Ski Resort opens each $ PRICE . . . . . . . . winter in northern Madison County, AVERAGE DAYS with 82 acres of terrain for skiers and ON MARKET . . . . . . . . . . . . . snowboarders.

PERCENT OF Throughout the year, the Ebbs % LISTING PRICE . . . . . . . . .

Chapel Performing Arts Center’s 250NUMBER seat theater hosts musical OF UNITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . performances ranging from classical to the traditional.

About 15 miles northeast of Marshall is the resort town of Hot Springs, which is also nestled next to the French Broad River and features the Appalachian Trail winding its way through town on Bridge Street.

Each April, the town hosts a weekend-long Trailfest, a celebration of all things AT, complete with live music, local foods, and athletic events.

Hot Springs got its name from the extraordinary natural mineral springs constantly heated above 100 degrees, and it is home to the 100-acre Hot Springs Resort and Spa, which dates to before the Civil War. Downtown Hot Springs is lined with cafés, coffee shops, and gift stores, though many say the real action is in the surrounding waters and ridges, renowned for biking, fishing, kayaking, and tubing.

Every May, Hot Springs sponsors the French Broad River Festival, featuring an impressive roster of musical groups, whitewater and bike races, arts and crafts vendors, and a kids village. In September, the town also plays host to the French Broad Fall Fest, a celebration of craft beer and live music set against the beauty of fall leaf season. n

2021 SALES

359,750 67 99 311

MADISON COUNTY TOURISM

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Welcome | LOCALES “Marshall Tracks”

by Calvin Edney.

Creating a better tomorrow | MADISON COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL When it comes to the preservation and perpetuation of the history and culture of Western North Carolina, the litmus test of the strength of a community resides in the power and support of its arts and artisans.

“Whether we’re strengthening creative opportunities for artists themselves or we’re giving opportunities to people in the county to come see stuff, it’s about bringing people together and creating an atmosphere of financially and culturally contributing to each other’s lives,” said Laura Boosinger, executive director for the Madison County Arts Council.

Located in downtown Marshall, the arts council is a bastion of creative light and possibility in this picturesque small mountain town. At the helm of the beloved nonprofit organization is Boosinger, a storied and awardwinning Appalachian musician, historian, and folklorist.

“We hope to always be evolving as a place where people are getting ideas from other people,” Boosinger said. “It’s about being inspired by others, by the history of this region, and by the beauty of the natural landscape surrounding us.”

Since forming in 1978, the arts council has been a vital source of information

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within Marshall and greater Madison County. Today, the organization even has its own radio station, wART 95.5 FM, which features local music, news, talk, storytelling, and more.

“It’s a community radio station, with a low-power license that just reaches our local listeners. But, you can also listen to it worldwide by streaming it online (wartfm.org),” Boosinger said.

“We’re always trying new things with the station Laura Boosinger by having new programs and letting the members of the community dictate what music they’d like to play during their DJ set.

From classical to rock-n-roll to bluegrass — it’s all there and more.”

But, aside from its year-round programming of live music, artisan workshops, and demonstrations, the arts council’s popular Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program is at the heart of what the organization aims to promote and nurture — the next generation of Appalachian musicians and performers.

“Our program doesn’t necessarily run like the other JAM programs in the area.

As opposed to going to a classroom or doing a one-on-one lesson, we meet together as a community of musicians, which is the way it used to be when you wanted to learn music,” Boosinger said.

“We’ve developed our JAM program into a group setting, to learn and play together as a string band, and then the kids will eventually form their own string band. Without having that community element, you don’t really understand what music is all about.”

When she came to Western North Carolina at 18, Boosinger found a sense of self and of community not felt in other areas of the country. Although she wasn’t born here, she had finally found her real home in this place of ancient mountains and sacred tones — something cherished and radiated each year at the art council’s Fiddlers of Madison County gathering.

“I’ve always felt like there’s magic in our rural counties here, each with a little bit of its own flavor,” Boosinger said. “It’s always been about family in these mountains, whether you are from here or eventually found yourself here, with the local arts and music at the center of that coming together as a community.” n

George F. Goosmann, IV John R. Rose Veronica H. Colvard Elizabeth L. M. Cramer Catherine N. Toler W. Matthew Willet Scott C. Best Alexander R. W. Paschal

828.258.0150 • WWW.GRCCLAW.COM • 68 N. MAIN STREET, WEAVERVILLE, NC 28787 TWO TOWN SQUARE • SUITE 340 • BILTMORE PARK • ASHEVILLE, NC 28803 CENTRAL AVENUE PROFESSIONAL PARK • 77 CENTRAL AVE • SUITE H • ASHEVILLE, NC 28801 107

Welcome | LOCALES

Lake Lure. VISITNC.COM PHOTO

Rutherford County LAKE LURE | BAT CAVE | CHIMNEY ROCK VILLAGE | GERTON utherford County offers the peace and quiet of scenic country roads, punctuated with spectacular views, an abundance of outdoor activities, a temperate climate, and a unique ecosystem.

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The expansive Hickory Nut Gorge, nestled between the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountains, gives visitors and residents the feel that they are in a land unto itself.

Four small townships are in the gorge: Gerton, Bat Cave, Chimney Rock Village, and Lake Lure. Each has its own particular charms, but a common thread that benefits them all is the famed biodiversity of the area.

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Hickory Nut Gorge, home to 14 rare animal species and MORE AT 36 rare plant species, is a BEVERLY-HANKS.COM haven for biologists, Can't wait to live the lake life geologists, and birders. It’s in Rutherford County? Review studded with streams and a list of things you should stunning rock formations, as consider before deciding well as Hickory Nut Falls, a whether to sell your current home now or buy a new one waterfall with a 404-foot drop first at beverly-hanks.com/ that’s one of the biggest in blog/sell-home-buy-home. the region. The falls made a big splash on the big screen, serving as the setting for a fight scene in the 1992 film “The Last of the Mohicans.”

Welcome | LOCALES

Chimney Rock State Park.

The crown jewel is the 6,892-acre Chimney Rock State Park. A climb up the stairs to the top of 315-foot-tall Chimney Rock (or elevator ride) is rewarded with panoramic views as far as 75 miles on some days. The park has a network of trails and ample opportunities for bouldering and rock climbing, along with a rich history that gives it deep ties to the region.

Lake Lure offers visitors a hike in the woods, a thrilling mountain bike Rutherford County ride, a sheer rock face to climb, or a day on the water for fishing, boating, MEDIAN $ PRICE . . . . . . . . or kayaking. The lake is also home to AVERAGE DAYS a variety of lodging, dining, and ON MARKET . . . . . . . . . . . . . shopping opportunities.

PERCENT OF Nearby are Bat Cave and Chimney % LISTING PRICE . . . . . . . . .

Rock Village. In Bat Cave, the Old Cider NUMBER Mill sells mountain crafts and curios, OF UNITS . . . . . . . . . . and, during apple season, freshpressed cider. In Chimney Rock Village, Bubba O’Leary’s General Store offers a trip back in time to an era before chain stores and strip malls.

Hickory Nut Gorge also hosts a wide range of lodging options, from short-term cabin rentals to stately mountain inns.

Less than a mile east of Chimney Rock Village is the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge. Boasting more than 2,000 types of plants and flowers, you can also find a picturesque sunset mural. n

2021 SALES

260,000 39 90 1,021

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AGENT’S CHOICE:

“The best food truck in WNC is Relish Food Truck. Don’t believe it? Stop by the corner of Highway 64 and Island Creek Road, and see the locals patiently waiting in line. No one is in a hurry. We are all on Lake Lure time. They offer creative delicacies at reasonable prices.

They now have their own space with plenty of parking. Come on down and enjoy the eats!”

— Lyn Weaver, Lake Lure office

Welcome | LOCALES Growing a community | LAKE LURE FLOWERING BRIDGE For more than a decade, the bridge that once connected the main highway through Lake Lure has remained dormant from vehicles of longtime residents and passerby visitors. But, in its place now resides a space of connectivity, cultivation, and community.

“The bridge has become an attraction that our community is proud of,” said Debbie Clark. “The community came together to create it, and they continue to volunteer their services and stay committed to the bridge — this sense of pride and accomplishment.”

Known as the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, the structure is now home to more than 30 different gardens maintained by community members. In total, there are around 2,000 distinct types of flowers and plants represented along the walking path that occupies the bridge, and which also includes murals, garden art, and other structures.

“The bridge development and construction became an object of pride, community involvement, and a way to save the old bridge by creating something beautiful out of it,” said Clark, the marketing chair for the LLFB.

“People come into our community to enjoy the flowers, but the bridge also helps our economy because people will visit local stores and restaurants, and stay in rentals.”

Each year, tens of thousands of people come and wander through the garden, which has become a pillar of the community’s cultural and artistic identity. For Clark, the LLFB was — and continues to be — a source of artistic inspiration and natural beauty. It's also why she and her husband decided to call Lake Lure home several years ago.

“We visited the Lake Lure area about 25 years ago. We thought the area was beautiful, clean, and friendly, and we liked the small-town charm,” Clark said.

“We started talking about moving somewhere with warmer winters.

About six years ago, we found our home, and it was in Lake Lure. There are so many things to do in North Carolina — we enjoy the area and all of what the state has to offer.”

As a Lake Lure resident, Clark is not only delighted at the growth of the project, she’s also one of the community gardeners — in addition to being a landscaper, garden writer, and an acclaimed “Master Gardener.”

“I started gardening when I was a little girl. I’ve always been fascinated with the science of how plants grow, bloom, and reproduce, and just being able to be artistic in creating a garden,” Clark said. “And I find that people who visit the bridge are there for many reasons — they love gardening and being surrounded by the beauty of the mountains, forest, flowers, animals, and insects here.”

Built in 1925, the three-arch bridge spans 155 feet over the Broad River. In 2011, when the new bridge was completed for U.S. 64/U.S. 74-A/N.C. 9 and opened to traffic, the old structure might have been dismantled and left to disappear into the annals of history.

Luckily, members of Lake Lure stepped up in an effort to not only preserve its past but also perpetuate its future.

“I’m a nature lover and the bridge is my happy place, where I can spend time doing what I love and spend time with others who also enjoy the same things I do,” Clark said. “The bridge gardens are a peaceful, serene place where — for a short period of time — you can forget your problems, have fun with your family or friends, and enjoy what nature has provided for us.” n

Lake Lure Flowering Bridge.

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Welcome | LOCALES Downtown Burnsville.

SAM DEAN

Yancey County BURNSVILLE | MOUNT MITCHELL

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ancey County boasts more than 600 working artists, including renowned glassblowers, metalsmiths, basket makers, painters, paper makers, potters, quilters, sculptors, and weavers.

It is also home of the largest telescope in the Southeast dedicated to dark sky research and recreational activities.

Combine the highest mountain peaks in the eastern United States with a growing and vibrant town center in Burnsville and

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you get premier alpine settings, rolling farmland, and experiences that go above and beyond.

The county is bordered by Tennessee to the north, while the southern border follows the Blue Ridge Parkway. Burnsville is the county seat, with 1,638 town residents. The county, with 11 townships, has a population close to 18,000. Asheville is just 35 miles to the southeast, MORE AT and Johnson City, Tennessee, BEVERLY-HANKS.COM is 50 miles to the north.

Learn more about Yancey An ongoing $25 million fiber County Humane Society in optic upgrade is making fast Burnsville and how you can help them meet their mission and reliable internet access at beverly-hanks.com/ available throughout much of blog/nonprofit-ychs. the community.

Mayland Community College offers state-of-the-art programs, including nursing, applied engineering, mechanical design, welding, and machine processes. The college is also home to the first International Dark Sky Association-certified Star Park in the southeastern United States, as well as a dark sky observatory.

The Carolina Mountains Literary Festival is held in Burnsville each September. It began in 2005 and has grown to be a renowned literary happening with readings, workshops, plays, and seminars.

The Parkway Playhouse, founded in 1947, is the longest running community theater in North Carolina. It produces a wide range of shows and has a dramatic arts education program for children.

The Burnsville Little Theatre also performs several shows a year.

Just a few miles from town looms 6,684-foot-tall Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Rockies, joined by four of the top 10 summits in the east. These peaks have a unique climate that is cooler and wetter than areas just 10 miles away.

Accessible from the Blue Ridge Parkway, the highest peak is surrounded by the 2,000-acre Mount Mitchell State Park — the oldest state park in North Carolina — which is full of invigorating spots for hiking, camping, picnicking, and outdoor education. Multiple trails run throughout the area, and the peak is capped with a modern Yancey County observation deck and seasonal restaurant, offering a perfect perch MEDIAN $ PRICE . . . . . . . . for high-altitude sightseeing.

The North Carolina High Peaks AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET. . . . . . . . . . .

Trails Association maintains numerous hiking trails throughout PERCENT OF % LISTING PRICE . . . . . . . . . the Black Mountain range, in which NUMBER Mt. Mitchell is the anchor.

OF UNITS . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mt. Mitchell Golf Club is nestled 3,000 feet below the high peaks, offering rolling fairways with bentgrass from tee to green. The course received a four-and-a-half star rating from Golf Digest.

Numerous county communities offer access to either the North Toe River or the South Toe River, with stretches known for premium trout fishing and rafting.

The local arts council sponsors Toe River Studio Tours twice a year, when area artists open their studios to the public. Each August, downtown Burnsville also comes alive with the Mt. Mitchell Crafts Fair, celebrated for more than 60 years.

Burnsville’s square is anchored by the Nu-Wray Inn, built in 1833.

The oldest remaining lodging house in the region, it has hosted such notables as Mark Twain, Thomas Wolfe, and Elvis Presley.

The Yancey County Library overlooks Burnsville in a remodeled 1901 building that once housed the Yancey Collegiate Institute –

2021 SALES

310,000 149 94 382

AGENT’S CHOICE:

“My favorite locations to fish are those that are not in the ‘easy to get to’ locations. The South Toe River in Micaville and areas south are the best to fish for big brown trout. I call them gray ghosts. It is a place that by the time you get there, you have traveled from the hustle of life to the slow pace of the river with its eddies and deep holes.”

— Don Bell, NAI Beverly-Hanks a college prep high school. Another YCI building is now home to the Lesley Riddle Recording Studio. Riddle, born in Burnsville, was an African-American musician whose influence on the Carter Family helped shape modern country music.

A nearby native rock structure built in the 1930s as part of a Works Progress Administration initiative is now the Yancey County Schools administration office.

Yancey County Parks and Recreation maintains a system of parks, recreation facilities, and open areas for public enjoyment.

One of the region’s most picturesque roads, Highway 80, meanders 12 miles through the shadow of the tall mountains. It runs by the Carolina Hemlocks Recreation Area, which offers some of the best easily accessible camping sites in the region. A noted motorcycle road, N.C. 80 also provides access to horseback riding, arts and crafts, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the golf course, and the European-styled Celo Inn, part of the Celo Community, a collective settlement founded in 1937. Families there adhere to a loosely defined humanist ethic and help run a farm and the Arthur Morgan School, a progressive middle school with roots in Quaker values and the Montessori educational approach. n

Mount Mitchell observation deck.

The 14th hole at Mount Mitchell Golf Club.

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Welcome | LOCALES The wonder from above | BARE DARK SKY OBSERVATORY What was one person’s trash has now become one school’s treasure.

Located in the Earth to Sky Park in Burnsville, the Bare Dark Sky Observatory has become a place of wonder and discovery for students of Mayland Community College and the general public.

“At night, the sky is just huge. You don’t often get big skies in the mountains here like you do out west, but it really opens up because the observatory is located on a knob,” said Margaret Earley-Thiele, foundation director for Mayland Community College. “When you’re up there, you get this huge sky to see those objects in the night sky — it’s surreal and makes you feel small in this universe.”

Initially, the vast property was a mica mine in the middle part of the 20th century, only to close and then be transformed into a landfill for Yancey and Mitchell counties. By the end of the 1990s, the landfill was reaching capacity, soon to be transformed into the EnergyXchange, which transformed methane from the closed landfill into energy to fuel artist studios and other projects onsite.

“But, eventually after about 12 years, the methane ran out and the EnergyXchange ended,” Earley-Thiele said. “The property was co-owned by Yancey and Mitchell County. They didn’t want to deal with the next step for the property, so they asked Mayland if we’d like to take over the management for it.”

For a period, Mayland Community College was using the property for extra classroom space, which included a horticulture program. As fate would have it, one of the MCC staff members was an amateur astronomer, who would go out to the property at night and gaze at the stars because of the immersive darkness atop the knob (a 360-degree view with an elevation of 2,736 feet).

“He told us there’s this organization — the International Dark-Sky Association — that certifies parks as Dark Sky Places, and that MCC could possibly get the certification,” Earley-Thiele said. “The president of the college told him to go for it and, two years later, we were certified — becoming the first Dark Sky Park in North Carolina.”

Aside from the gazing aspect of the park, attendees can also view the night

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ROBIN DREYER

sky through a large custom-built Newtonian telescope (the largest public telescope in the state) and small Meade planetary telescope. Mayland Community College also offers astronomy courses.

“What you can see through the Newtonian telescope is incredible — like the rings of Saturn and the gaps between the rings,” Earley-Thiele said.

“It’s like you’re in a rocket ship looking out the window, viewing different segments of the moon and various star clusters.”

And with all of this cosmic exploration also comes an urgent need on planet Earth.

“A big part of our mission with the park is about dark sky education and really informing the community about

why it’s important to have dark skies,” Earley-Thiele said. “It’s about preserving and protecting what’s above by mitigating light pollution down here on the ground, and how that affects the health of our environment.”

For Mayland Community College, the observatory is part of a larger picture the school is creating, this rural academic hub with resources and possibilities not necessarily found at most colleges and universities.

“We’re always expanding and evolving. This year we’ll also be opening a planetarium,” Earley-Thiele said. “We work really hard on community development and offering things that are unique to our area, and the observatory is one of those things that brings the community together.” n

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Welcome | LOCALES

Tryon Arts & Crafts School.

Polk County TRYON | SALUDA | COLUMBUS

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outed as the “First Peak of the Blue Ridge,” Polk County ranges in elevation from 300 feet to 3,200 feet above sea level. Each foot seems to offer visitors something different.

Most of Polk’s 20,000 residents live in or near the county’s three main towns — Columbus, Saluda, and Tryon. Each community has long welcomed visitors to enjoy a community rich with history, culture, crafts, vast natural areas, and exciting culinary traditions.

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The Tryon area has long been known as a hotspot for equestrian activities. Each April there’s the Block House Steeplechase, a day of races that’s the longest running steeplechase in North Carolina. The event is sponsored by the Tryon Riding and Hunt Club, which also stages horse shows throughout the Polk County year. The Foothills Equestrian Nature Center also offers regular equestrian MEDIAN $ PRICE . . . . . . . . events at its 400-acre facility in Tryon.

The Tryon International Equestrian AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Center — which opened in 2014 — PERCENT OF hosted the 2018 FEI World Equestrian % LISTING PRICE . . . . . . . . .

Games, which drew nearly 500,000 NUMBER people from more than 70 countries.

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Tryon is proud of the legacy of its most famous native, the late jazz and soul great Nina Simone, who was born there in 1933. The heart of downtown features Nina Simone Plaza, home to a striking bronze sculpture of Simone playing piano keys suspended in midair. Simone was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, and her childhood Tryon home has

2021 SALES

350,000 44 99 452

AGENT’S CHOICE:

“With many studios forced to close doors during the pandemic, finding a place to practice yoga near Saluda was a challenge. So, I was so grateful when I found Yoga at the Treehouse in Tryon, where Lori Corda has transformed her deck into a beautiful outdoor studio. She offers in-person, as well as live streaming and on-demand online, classes.”

— Misty Proctor, Hendersonville office been designated a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Saluda is nestled in the mountains in the southeastern corner of the county. The town sits atop the Saluda Grade, once the steepest railroad grade in the United States. Saluda is known for its town

center, featuring a main street lined with restaurants, shops, art galleries, and historic buildings like the M.A. Pace General Store, a hub of local commerce and community.

Saluda is also home to The Gorge, a linked series of 11 zip lines — four of them 1,000 feet long — that drop 1,100 feet from beginning to end.

Polk County is home to dozens of parks and recreation areas.

The Green River Cove Recreation Area offers access points for fishing, tubing, kayaking, canoeing, and hiking. Tryon’s 50-acre public park, Harmon Field, features wading areas, a playground, tennis courts, a MORE AT walking track, sports fields, BEVERLY-HANKS.COM and horse rings. There are Are you ready for a thrill? scores of hiking trails, ranging Then, this is the destination from easy to strenuous, in Polk you seek! Explore five ways to County, which is noted for its enjoy the outdoors in Polk County at beverly-hanks.com/ numerous summer camps. blog/polk-county-outdoors.

May brings the Saluda Arts and Music Festival. The Art Trek Tryon Studio Tours, held each July, showcase the town’s many artists, as does the Tryon Arts and Crafts Fall Festival in October.

Each June, Tryon hosts the Blue Ridge BBQ Festival. The event includes the state barbecue championship, featuring some 90 competing teams.

Polk County is also home to Adawehi Wellness Village, a community that offers a healing center, a health food store, and holistic health practitioners. n

Hunter competition at the Tryon International Equestrian Center.

COURTESY OF TIEC

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Welcome | LOCALES

Connecting community | TRYON COFFEEHOUSE CO-OP & GREENLIFE INN

What started out as frustration towards Old Man Winter has turned into one couple’s unrelenting passion for a small mountain town in Polk County.

“My wife and I both grew up in northeastern Ohio,” said Kevin Parker.

“We were done with the long winters and never-ending lake effect snow. So, we packed up everything and bought a farm down south, loaded up the truck, and started a new life.”

After they initially found themselves running a farm in South Carolina, Kevin and Mary Parker eventually crossed the state line and landed in Western North Carolina. By 2018, they’d not only become co-managers of the beloved Tryon Coffeehouse Co-Op, the duo had also opened the GreenLife Inn at The Mimosa just down the road.

“The coffeehouse is the social hub of Tryon, the weigh station for everyone who either lives here or passes through,” Kevin said. “You’ll see the police chief, fire chief, mayor, town manager — everybody goes there.”

Opened in 1998, the coffeehouse is well known for its food and beverage offerings, alongside community events

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and gatherings aimed at fostering a deep sense of camaraderie at the heart of any small town.

“And Tryon itself has evolved so much in the past five years or so,” Kevin said.

“Besides people just wanting to live in this beautiful place, the nearby Tryon International Equestrian Center has become a huge economic boon for the area — riders and visitors from all over the world come here.”

In 2015, the Parkers took over an old home that had seen better years but had the potential to be a beacon for those seeking respite from the organized chaos of life. Two years later, the GreenLife Inn rented its first room in the picturesque boutique bed and breakfast.

“This isn’t your grandmother’s type of bed and breakfast, filled with antique furniture and with the feel of a museum — it’s about comfort and relaxation,” Kevin said. “We want people to walk in and feel at home, to look out the big picture window, to see the mountain right in front of you and the gigantic magnolia tree.”

And the Parkers are more than happy

to open their home to any and all in search of the natural beauty and rich culture permeating this rolling landscape of high peaks and low valleys.

“You want people to feel special when they stay here,” Kevin said. “You’re extracting them from the stresses of their daily lives and craziness of wherever they’re traveling from. It’s impossible to have high blood pressure when you’re in these mountains.”

Musing over the long and rollicking journey taken since leaving the Midwest for the Southeast those many years ago, what remains is a true sense of joyous fate and sincere gratitude felt as the Parkers awaken each morning into their ever-evolving existence in Western North Carolina.

“Although this is a very tight-knit community, we’ve been overwhelmingly received here, and I think that has to do with being genuine in your intent — of who you are and what you want to do,” Kevin said. “Tryon is a place where your friends are your neighbors, you host each other for dinner, and help each other out in a time of need — that’s what community is all about.” n

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Welcome | LOCALES

Whitewater Falls.

TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY TOURISM/EXPLOREBREVARD.COM

Transylvania County BREVARD | ROSMAN | LAKE TOXAWAY

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ransylvania County is a mashup of authentic, quaint mountain communities and wilderness destinations that are the heart of adventure for any visitor or resident.

“There’s an incredible amount of things to do,” says Clark Lovelace, executive director of the local tourism development authority.

Transylvania County has long been known as “The Land of Waterfalls,” with some 250 waterfalls ranging from small and gentle to big, breathtaking plunges into mountain pools. Looking Glass Falls drops 60 feet amid a stunning crop of boulders and is one of the most photographed waterfalls in the country, while Sliding Rock is a natural waterslide where a quarter-million

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visitors each year careen down its long, slick surface into a sixfoot-deep pool at the bottom.

The charm and appeal of the county’s seat, Brevard, MORE AT distinguishes it as an epicenter BEVERLY-HANKS.COM for outdoor adventures, City life got you down? Rural education, art, and music. living can also be luxury living More than half of the land in in the mountains of Transylvania is publicly owned, Transylvania County. Discover including 88,000 acres of four ways to live a luxury lifestyle in WNC outside city Pisgah National Forest, the limits at beverly-hanks.com/ 10,000-acre DuPont State Park, blog/wnc-luxury-rural. and the 7,600-acre Gorges State Park. The headwaters of the French Broad River, one of the oldest rivers in the world, are located near the town of Rosman, and the Davidson River, a renowned trout-fishing destination, flows through the national

AGENT’S CHOICE:

“The best place to fish in WNC is in DuPont State Recreational Forest. DSRF contains five lakes that are classified as inlandpublic fishing waters, wild trout being the main fish in these waters. The joy of fly fishing is excellent relaxation and a great way to bring home the catch of the day.”

— Christopher Purser, North Asheville office

forest and along the outskirts of Brevard itself.

Check a list of the best biking, camping, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, horseback riding, paddling, and sightseeing opportunities, and Transylvania County is almost always counted among the best.

An editor for Bike Magazine called Transylvania County “definitely one of the top three places in the universe I’ve ever ridden. Maybe the best.”

Another natural treasure tucked within the Pisgah National Forest is the Cradle of Forestry, the first forestry school in the United States. The national forest is also home to the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education, which hosts students of all ages.

Perched in a sun-dappled plateau on the edge of Brevard, The

Brevard Music Center stands as one of the country’s premier summer programs for orchestral ensembles, chamber music, and opera. Faculty and students present numerous concerts each season, and the center has hosted world-class soloists, including Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, and Frederica Von Stade.

Its summer festival concert series has welcomed a variety of nonclassical artists, from Lyle Lovett to Peter, Paul, & Mary. Then, there is plenty to enjoy in the heart of Brevard, a vibrant and walkable hub of shops, boutiques, galleries, pubs, and eateries.

Music aficionados also enjoy shows at Brevard College’s Paul Transylvania County Porter Center for the Performing MEDIAN Arts. The college, a small liberal arts $ PRICE . . . . . . . . school of over 700 students, is AVERAGE DAYS located near downtown.

ON MARKET . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The college hosts the worldPERCENT OF % touring Banff Mountain Film Festival, LISTING PRICE . . . . . . . . . a big-screen celebration of films and NUMBER documentaries about life and sports OF UNITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . in the wild.

Between April and December, the Fourth Friday Gallery Walks offer a pleasant way to explore local businesses. More local arts are highlighted on the Scenic 276 South Fine Art & Craft Corridor — a 13-mile stretch of highway that showcases numerous galleries and studios.

The Brevard area is home to a rare concentration of white squirrels, and each May the community celebrates with the White Squirrel Festival, which features a parade, free concerts, a “Squirrel Box Derby,” and other “nutty” amusements.

In nearby Rosman is the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, a former NASA tracking station reimagined as a science learning center designed to engage learners of all ages. n

2021 SALES

372,500 47 98 780

Cradle of Forestry. MARGARET HESTER DAVID SIMCHOCK

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Welcome | LOCALES Reaching the top | FOX MOUNTAIN GUIDES & CLIMBING SCHOOL What started out as a simple family excursion turned into a life-altering event for Cristin Knowlton.

“I was a lawyer living in Florida, and my son got interested in rock climbing, so we’d take trips to Western North Carolina to climb,” Knowlton said. “After that first climb, I became obsessed. I’ve gotten so into it and have been able to climb all over the world, which ultimately led me to buying Fox Mountain.”

Now the owner/manager for Fox Mountain Guides & Climbing School in Brevard, Knowlton has operated the company since 2012. Created in Cristin Knowlton 2004, Fox Mountain is the only accredited guide service and climbing school recognized by the American Mountain Guides Association.

“Our family had only been doing some indoor rock climbing in Orlando for a few months. But, we came up here for a wedding and decided to take our kids on a real rock climbing trip,” Knowlton said. “We chose Fox Mountain because of the company’s phenomenal guides and how welcoming they were to beginners looking to get into the sport.”

Even though Knowlton was apprehensive about heights, there was something invigorating about rock climbing. She couldn’t shake the feeling of exhilaration and accomplishment felt atop a mountain after a rigorous climb.

Knowlton was hooked.

“Honestly, it’s the singular focus that it takes to climb, and I think that’s what draws people to it. It’s one of the few things you can do that completely requires one hundred percent focus,” Knowlton said. “And, when you’re up there, you stop thinking about everything else. You could be having the worst day, and then go rock climbing and forget everything else — it’s the physical and mental beauty of it all.”

When the founder of Fox Mountain decided to relocate to New Zealand and needed to sell the business, Knowlton and her business partner jumped at the opportunity.

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“Here I was, this housewife and lawyer, with no athletic background, buying a rock climbing business,” Knowlton said. “But, with rock climbing, it’s kind of like physical chess. It’s as much about making the right next move as it is actually pushing your body up a climbing route.”

From several of her favorite spots in Western North Carolina to routes in the Grand Teton Mountains in Wyoming/Idaho, Joshua Tree National Park in California, and Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, Knowlton has used the sport as a vehicle to travel the planet.

Her favorite climb has been the legendary Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps.

“Before rock climbing, I’d only taken one flight on a plane in my life,”

Knowlton marveled. “And with this love for climbing, I was given this other purpose to go and travel, to explore and experience all of these different perspectives that you get when visiting a new place.”

As for living in Western North Carolina, Knowlton doesn’t take for granted how special and unique this area is when it comes to the outdoors and the seemingly endless opportunities to immerse oneself in the depths of Mother Nature.

“Pretty much anything you could want to do outside is in this region,” Knowlton said. “Rock climbing, mountain biking, horseback riding, kayaking, skiing — there’s something for everybody.” n

Welcome | WNC REGIONAL CALENDAR Festival of Flowers at the Biltmore Estate.

Ongoing Events • Late Winter/Spring — Festival of Flowers at Biltmore Estate in Asheville. Enjoy the beauty of tulips, azaleas, and countless flowers as spring takes over this historic site.

STAY INFORMED Due to the ever-changing nature of events and festivals (as well as local and state mandates) in this current time and place, please be sure to check for updates by the hosting organizations, new safety protocols implemented, and so on.

featuring local and regional acts from all genres.

• April-December — Art After Dark, Waynesville. First Friday of the month. Evening stroll of galleries, restaurants, and breweries in downtown.

• June-August — Brevard Music Center Concert Series. A wide-array of outdoor events at the center featuring some of the finest national and international classical, opera, and string performers on the beautiful mountain campus.

• May-September — Downtown After 5, Asheville. Monthly concert series on Lexington Avenue featuring local and national acts.

• Early June-Labor Day — Pickin’ in the Park, Canton. Weekly jam session showcasing local and regional musicians.

• May-September — Rhythm & Brews Concert Series, Hendersonville. Monthly series featuring an array of local and regional acts.

• Mid-June-Late October — Art in the Park, Asheville. Dozens of artisan vendors, with live demonstrations.

• Memorial Day-Labor Day — Concerts on the Creek, Sylva. Weekly concert series

• Late June-Early September — Shindig on the Green, Pack Square Park, Asheville. Free

traditional music concerts held outdoors in downtown.

• Early November-Jan. 1 — Christmas at Biltmore Estate. The grand estate puts on a show every holiday season with lighting, lit fireplaces inside, special musical performances, and other events.

• Mid-November-Early January — National Gingerbread House Competition viewing at the Grove Park Inn. Walk through the inn and see hundreds of intricate gingerbread creations and the award winners.

• Early to Mid-December — Dillsboro Luminaries & Lights. Jackson County town is lit with luminaries, stores host open houses, Santa, children’s activities, horse and buggy rides, music.

123

Welcome | WNC REGIONAL CALENDAR

Shindig on the Green.

Upcoming Events January

• Winter Warmer Beer Festival, Asheville.

February

• Comedy Classic Weekend, Grove Park Inn, Asheville.

March

• Southern Conference Basketball Championships, Asheville.

April

• Greening Up the Mountains, Sylva. A kickoff to the spring season, the festival features a day of music, crafts, and more.

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May

STAY INFORMED Due to the ever-changing nature of events and festivals (as well as local and state mandates) in this current time and place, please make sure to regularly check the websites listed to see any updates by the hosting organizations, new safety protocols implemented, and so on.

• Lake Eden Arts Festival, Black Mountain.

LEAF aims to connect cultures and create community through music and art in the great outdoors. Music, poetry, dancing, camping, kids activities, and more.

• French Broad River Festival, Hot Springs.

A weekend filled live music, outdoor recreation, craft beer, and more, all along the mighty French Broad River and nearby Appalachian Trail.

• Asheville Beer Week. A weeklong event celebrating the craft beer scene in Asheville and greater Western North Carolina.

• White Squirrel Festival, Brevard.

Weekend event of live music, craft beer vendors, and more.

• Beer City Festival, Asheville. Featuring

dozens of local, regional, and national craft breweries.

• Sandburg Folk Music Festival, Carl Sandburg Home, Flat Rock.

• Saluda Arts Festival. Outdoor market of arts and crafts vendors, demonstrations, and live music.

• Hook, Line, & Drinker Festival, Sylva.

Celebrating the WNC Fly Fishing Trail, the event features a day of live music, craft vendors, and more.

June

• Cold Mountain Music Festival, Lake Logan. Two days of regional and national touring musical acts in the mountains of Haywood County.

• Brevard Blues N’BBQ Festival. Serving up fine southern barbecue and blues music.

• Art Trek Tryon. Dozens of artisan studios open to the public.

July

• Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands, Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville.

• Folkmoot USA, Waynesville. Two-week international dance and music festival.

Headquartered in Haywood County, but events also held at venues throughout Western North Carolina.

• LEAF Downtown Asheville. A weekend of live music, dance, and culture put on by the Lake Eden Arts Festival.

• The Big Crafty, Asheville. Over 150 artisan crafters, live music, and food vendors.

August

• Sourwood Festival, Black Mountain.

Music, dancing, arts and crafts, super food, kid's rides and games, face painting, and more in an alcohol-free environment, along with gourmet sourwood honey.

• Mountain Dance & Folk Festival, Diana Wortham Theatre, Asheville. Since 1928, mountain fiddlers, banjo pickers, dulcimer sweepers, dancers, balladeers, and others have gathered the first weekend in August at the event.

• Laugh Your Asheville Off. Weekend comedy festival featuring local, regional, and national comedians.

• Mount Mitchell Crafts Fair, Burnsville.

Dozens of craft vendors in a picturesque small mountain town.

• Smoky Mountain Folk Festival, Stuart Auditorium, Lake Junaluska. Two nights of the finest traditional music and dancing in the region.

September

• Canton Labor Day Celebration. Live music, vendors, rides, and children’s activities.

• The NC Mountain State Fair, Western North Carolina Agricultural Center, Fletcher.

Celebrating mountain traditions with rides, exhibits, art, food, concerts, and more.

• The North Carolina Apple Festival is held annually over Labor Day Weekend in Hendersonville. Visitors enjoy four days of fun including one of the most best known Street Fairs in the Carolinas with freshly picked apples, arts & crafts, festival food, and free Entertainment at the Historic Courthouse on Hendersonville’s Main Street.

• Mountain Song Festival, Brevard Music Center. Nationally touring bands, local artists, children’s activities, nature exhibits, and more.

• Greek Festival, Asheville. Sample traditional foods while enjoying Greek music, dance, and culture.

• Mountain Heritage Day, Cullowhee.

Annual celebration featuring live Appalachian music and dance, with artisan crafters and demonstrations.

October

• Taste of Sylva. Culinary event showcasing restaurants in downtown and around the community.

• Maggie Valley Oktoberfest. Live music, craft beer, and food vendors.

• ColorFest, Dillsboro. Local artisan demonstrations.

• Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands, Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville.

• Lake Eden Arts Festival, Black Mountain, LEAF aims to connect cultures and create community through music and art in the great outdoors. Music, poetry, dancing, camping, kids activities, and more.

Mountain Song Festival.

• Church Street Art & Craft Show, Waynesville. Over 20,000 visitors pass through this festival throughout downtown. Dozens of artisan booths, food vendors, as well as live Appalachian music and craft demonstrations.

• HardLox Festival, Pack Square, Asheville.

Jewish food and entertainment.

• Oktoberfest, Asheville. Live music, craft beer and food vendors.

• Apple Harvest Festival, Waynesville. Live artisan demonstrations, Appalachian music/clogging and dozens of craft booths and food vendors. Over 40,000 people stroll through downtown during the celebration.

November

• WNC Pottery Festival, Dillsboro.

Featuring master potters, the daylong event includes live demonstrations and craft booths. The festival was named a “Top 20 Event” by the Southeast Tourism Society.

• Tryon Beer Fest. Celebrating all things craft beer.

December

• Warren Haynes Christmas Jam. A popular all-day concert fundraiser in Asheville, presented by Haynes (guitarist for Gov’t Mule and The Allman Brothers Band).

• Balsam Range Art of Music Festival, Lake Junaluska. Two days of nationally acclaimed bluegrass and Americana groups in the legendary Stuart Auditorium.

• “A Night Before Christmas,” Waynesville.

A family holiday celebration in downtown, filled with live music, caroling, old-fashioned wagon ride, storytelling, and a special appearance by Santa.

• First Night Asheville. Entertainment, games, and fireworks in an alcohol-free atmosphere.

Concerts on the Creek in Sylva.

125

Welcome | INFORMATION

Getting started Brevard

36 100

20 56

124 129 158 208 251 268 302 314 360 471 584 691 794

111 144 137 187 275 247 281 293 339 495 563 714 773

93 141 133 206 237 242 281 285 298 470 558 696 760

153 112 178 169 279 288 322 335 380 500 604 719 815

132 152 157 183 283 267 301 314 359 503 583 722 793

Voter Registration Buncombe County 35 Woodfin St., Asheville • (828) 250-4200 Haywood County 1233 N. Main St., Waynesville • (828) 452-6633 Henderson County 75 E. Central Ave., Hendersonville • (828) 697-4970 Jackson County 401 Grindstaff Cove Road, Sylva • (828) 586-7538 Madison County 5707 Hwy. 25-70, Marshall • (828) 649-3731 Polk County 40 Courthouse St., Columbus • (828) 894-8181 Rutherford County 298 Fairground Rd., Spindale • (828) 287-6030 Transylvania County 221 S. Gaston St., Brevard • (828) 884-3114 Yancey County 225 W. Main St., Burnsville • (828) 682-3950

Drivers License Buncombe County 85 Tunnel Road, Asheville • (828) 252-8526 1624 Patton Ave., Asheville • (828) 251-6065 Haywood County 290 Lee Road, Clyde • (828) 627-6969 Henderson County 125 Baystone Drive, Hendersonville (828) 692-6915

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January February March April May June July August September October November December

46 50 58 67 74 81 84 83 77 68 58 50

27 29 36 44 52 60 64 62 56 45 37 30

3.07 3.19 3.83 3.16 3.53 3.24 2.97 3.34 3.01 2.40 2.93 2.59

Asheville City Buncombe County Haywood County Henderson County Jackson County Madison County Polk County Rutherford County Transylvania County Yancey County North Carolina United States

2020

Waynesville

29 64

2016

Lake Lure

12 59

Median household income 2008

Hendersonville

15 80

Avg. Precip.

Asheville Asheville Airport Greenville/ Spartanburg, SC Charlotte, NC Knoxville, TN Columbia, SC Atlanta, GA Raleigh, NC Charleston, SC Myrtle Beach, SC Savannah, GA Wilmington, NC Washington, DC Orlando, FL New York, NY Miami, FL

Avg. Low

Climate

(in miles)

Avg. High

Distances

$39,906 $43,805 $39,042 $46,047

$50,541 $50,538 $45,290 $53,638 $44,004 $40,765 $47,185 $38,699 $44,578 $39,686 $50,343 $59,039

$49,930 $55,448 $51,612 $61,651 $47,759 $50,062 $53,405 $44,547 $55,628 $47,664 $54,602 $67,521

$38,077 $36,966

$46,574 $52,029

SOURCE: N.C. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.

Jackson County 876 Skyland Drive, Sylva • (828) 586-5413 Madison County 164 N. Main St., Marshall • (828) 649-2248 Polk County 130 Ward St., Columbus • (828) 692-6915 Rutherford County 596 Withrow Rd., Forest City • (828)266-2973 Transylvania County 50 Commerce St., Brevard • (828) 883-2070 Yancey County 116 N. Main St., Burnsville • (828) 682-9619

Vehicle Registration Buncombe County 85 Tunnel Road, Asheville • (828) 252-8526 780 Hendersonville Road, Asheville (828) 667-2104 Haywood County 478 Champion Drive, Canton • (828) 646-3406 80 Waynesville Plaza, Waynesville • (828) 452-1577 Henderson County 145 Four Seasons Mall, Hendersonville (828) 692-0648 Jackson County 454 E. Main St., Sylva • (828) 586-3886 Madison County 133 S. Main St., Marshall • (828) 649-3528 Polk County 51 Walker St., Columbus • (828) 894-6430

Rutherford County 1639 U.S. 74, Spindale • (828) 287-3600 Transylvania County 69 New Hendersonville Hwy., Pisgah Forest (828) 883-3251 Yancey County 14 Town Square, Burnsville • (828) 682-2312

Tax offices Buncombe County (828) 250-4910 buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/tax Haywood County (828) 452-6734 • haywoodnc.net Henderson County (828) 697-4870 • hendersoncountync.org/ca Jackson County (828) 586-7541 • jacksonnc.org/tax-collector Madison County (828) 649-3402 • madisoncountync.org/-tax Polk County (828) 894-8954 polknc.org/departments/taxassessor Rutherford County (828) 287-6355 • rutherfordcountync.gov Transylvania County (828) 884-3200 transylvaniacounty.org/tax-administration Yancey County (828) 682-2198 • yanceycountync.gov

Helpful links Electricity

Duke Energy duke-energy.com Haywood EMC haywoodemc.com Progress Energy progress-energy.com

Natural Gas Progress Energy progress-energy.com PSNC Energy psncenergy.com/en

Public Utilities

City of Asheville Water Resources ashevillenc.gov/ departments/water Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County msdbc.org City of Asheville Sanitation ashevillenc.gov/departments/ sanitation Henderson County Utilities hendersoncountync.org

Internet/ Phone/Cable

AT&T • att.com DirecTV • directv.com Mountain Area Information Network main.nc.us Skyrunner Internet skyrunner.net Spectrum • spectrum.com StarBand • starband.com TDS Telecom • tdstelecom.com Verizon • verizon.com

Transportation

AIRPORTS Asheville Regional Airport flyavl.com Hendersonville Airport hendersonvilleairport.com TRAINS Amtrak • amtrak.com Great Smoky Mountains Railroad • gsmr.com PUBLIC TRANSPORT Buncombe County Transportation buncombecounty.org/governing/ depts/transportation

Government

BUNCOMBE COUNTY buncombecounty.org Asheville • ashevillenc.gov Barnardsville • barnardsville.com Biltmore Forest biltmoreforest.org Black Mountain townofblackmountain.com Fletcher • fletchernc.org Montreat • townofmontreat.org Weaverville • weavervillenc.org HAYWOOD COUNTY haywoodnc.net Canton • cantonnc.com Clyde • townofclyde.com Maggie Valley townofmaggievalley.com Waynesville townofwaynesville.org HENDERSON COUNTY hendersoncountync.org Flat Rock Village villageofflatrock.org Hendersonville cityofhendersonville.org Laurel Park • laurelpark.org JACKSON COUNTY jacksonnc.org Sylva townofsylva.org MADISON COUNTY madisoncountync.org Hot Springs • townofhotsprings.org Marshall • townofmarshall.org Mars Hill • townofmarshill.org POLK COUNTY polknc.org Columbus • columbusnc.com Tryon • tryon-nc.com RUTHERFORD COUNTY rutherfordcountync.gov Lake Lure • townoflakelure.com Rutherfordton • rutherfordton.net TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY transylvaniacounty.org Brevard • cityofbrevard.com YANCEY COUNTY yanceycountync.gov Burnsville • townofburnsville.org

Chambers of Commerce

Asheville Area ashevillechamber.org Black Mountain-Swannanoa blackmountain.org Brevard/Transylvania brevardncchamber.org

Property taxes

Carolina Foothills polkchamber.org Cashiers Area • cashiers-nc.com Downtown Waynesville Association downtownwaynesville.com Haywood County haywoodchamber.com Henderson County hendersoncountychamber.org Jackson County mountainlovers.com Madison County madisoncounty-nc.com Maggie Valley • maggievalley.org Polk County • polkchambernc.com Rutherford County rutherfordcoc.org Saluda Business Association saluda.com Yancey County yanceychamber.com

Tourism

Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority exploreasheville.com Cashiers • cashiersnc.com Dillsboro Merchants Association visitdillsboro.org Haywood County Tourism Development Authority visitncsmokies.com Henderson County Travel and Tourism historichendersonville.org Jackson County Travel and Tourism mountainlovers.com Lake Lure Tourism rutherfordtourism.com Madison County visitmadisoncounty.com Polk County • nc-mountains.org Rutherdford County Tourism Development Authority rutherfordcountync.gov Transylvania County Tourism visitwaterfalls.com Weaverville Tourism visitweaverville.com Yancey County visityancey.com

Newspapers

Asheville Citizen-Times citizen-times.com Asheville Tribune thetribunepapers.com Black Mountain News blackmountainnews.com Crossroads Chronicle crossroadschronicle.com Hendersonville Times-News blueridgenow.com Hendersonville Lightning hendersonvillelightning.com

Buncombe . . . . . . . $0.529 Asheville . . . . . . $0.4289 Biltmore Forest . . $0.345 Black Mountain. . $0.3325 Montreat . . . . . . . . $0.41 Weaverville . . . . . . $0.38 Woodfin . . . . . . . . . $0.28 Haywood . . . . . . . . $0.585 Canton . . . . . . . . . . $0.58 Clyde . . . . . . . . . . . $0.45 Maggie Valley . . . . $0.43 Waynesville . . . . $0.4957 Henderson . . . . . . . $0.561 Flat Rock . . . . . . . . $0.13 Fletcher . . . . . . . . . $0.34 Hendersonville . . . $0.49 Laurel Park . . . . . $0.435 Mills River . . . . . . . $0.19 Saluda (in Henderson) . . $0.665 Jackson . . . . . . . . . . . $0.38 Dillsboro . . . . . . . . $0.21 Forest Hills. . . . . . . $0.15 Highlands (in Jackson) . . . . $0.1563 Sylva . . . . . . . . . . . $0.425 Webster . . . . . . . . . $0.05 Madison . . . . . . . . . . $0.50 Hot Springs . . . . . . $0.51 Mars Hill. . . . . . . . . $0.47 Marshall. . . . . . . . . $0.49 Polk . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.5494 Columbus . . . . . $0.4746 Saluda (in Polk) . . $0.665 Tryon . . . . . . . . . $0.6088 Rutherford . . . . . . . $0.597 Lake Lure . . . . . . . . $0.36 Transylvania . . . . . $0.636 Brevard . . . . . . . . . $0.51 Yancey. . . . . . . . . . . . $0.60 Burnsville. . . . . . . . $0.52

Mountain Xpress mountainx.com Rutherford Daily Courier thedigitalcourier.com The Blue Banner thebluebanner.net The Mountaineer themountaineer.villagesoup.com The Smoky Mountain News smokymountainnews.com The Sylva Herald thesylvaherald.com The Transylvania Times transylvaniatimes.com The Tryon Daily Bulletin tryondailybulletin.com Yancey County News yanceycountynews.com

127

Welcome | INFORMATION Magazines Asheville Lifestyle Magazine ashevillelifestylepubs.com Blue Ridge Outdoors blueridgeoutdoors.com Blue Ridge Motorcycling blueridgemotorcyclingmagazine.com Bold Life boldlife.com The Laurel of Asheville thelaurelofasheville.com Smoky Mountain Living smliv.com WNC Magazine wncmagazine.com

Television Stations WYFF-TV 4 (NBC) Greenville • wyff4.com WLOS-TV 13 (ABC) Asheville • wlos.com WSPA-TV 7 (CBS) Greenville/Spartanburg wspa.com WYCW-TV 62 (The CW) Greenville/Spartanburg carolinascw.com WHNS-TV 21 (FOX) Greenville/Spartanburg foxcarolina.com

Radio AM 570, WWNC news, radio, wwnc.com 880, WPEK news, talk, therevolution.com 920 WPTL country, news, talk, wptlradio.net 1230, WSKY Christian, wilkinsradio.com 1310, WISE sports, talk, 1310bigwise.com 1450, WHKP news, music, whkp.com FM 88.1, 98.3, Blue Ridge Public Radio NPR news, classic music • bpr.org 88.7, WNCW eclectic music, news • wncw.org 90.5, WWCU Western Carolina University, wwcufm.com 92.5, WYFL Bible Broadcasting Network, bbnradio.org 93.7, WFBC Top 40 • b937online.com 96.5, WOXL Lite rock • 965woxl.com 97.3 Pure Oldies pureoldies973.com 98.1, The River 981theriver.com 99.9, WKSF Kiss Country 99kisscountry.com 100.3 Rewind rewindasheville.com 105.1, WQNS Rock 1051rocks.com

128

105.5, WTMT Classic Country outlawasheville.com 105.9, WTMT Rock 1059themountain.com

Medical Centers AdventHealth adventhealth.org Asheville Specialty Hospital missionhospitals.org Blue Ridge Regional Hospital spchospital.org Care Partners Rehabilitation Hospital carepartners.org Haywood Regional Medical Center haywoodregional.com Harris Regional Hospital myharrisregional.com Henderson County Red Cross hcredcross.org Mission Health missionhealth.org Pardee Hospital pardeehospital.org Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care urgentcares.com St. Luke’s Hospital saintlukeshospital.com Transylvania Regional Hospital trhospital.org VA Medical Center asheville.va.gov

Tours Asheville By Foot Walking Tours ashevillebyfoottours.com Brews Cruise Brewery Tour brewscruise.com Grayline Trolley Tours of Asheville graylineasheville.com Lazoom Tours of Asheville lazoomtours.com Segway Tours movingsidewalktours.com

Libraries Avery-Mitchell-Yancey Regional Library amyregionallibrary.org Buncombe County Public Libraries buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/Library Haywood County Public Library haywoodlibrary.org Henderson County Public Library henderson.lib.nc.us Jackson County Public Library fontanalib.org/sylva Madison County Public Library madisoncountylibrary.org Transylvania County Public Library library.transylvaniacounty.org

Public Schools

Charter Schools

Asheville City Schools ashevillecityschools.net Buncombe County Schools buncombe.k12.nc.us Haywood County Schools haywood.k12.nc.us Henderson County Schools hendersoncountypublicschoolsnc.org Jackson County Schools jcps.k12.nc.us Madison County Schools madisonk12.schoolfusion.us Polk County Schools polkschools.org Transylvania County Schools transylvania.k12.nc.us Yancey County Schools yanceync.net

ArtSpace Charter School artspacecharter.org Brevard Academy brevard.teamcfa.org Evergreen Community Charter School evergreenccs.com FernLeaf Community Charter School fernleafccs.org Francine Delaney New School for Children fdnsc.net The Franklin School of Innovation franklinschoolofinnovation.org Imagine Collegiate icimagine.org The Mountain Community School tmcschool.org Shining Rock Classical Academy shiningrockclassical academy.com Summit Charter School summitschool.org

Private Schools Asheville Catholic School ashevillecatholic.org Asheville Christian Academy acacademy.org Asheville Montessori School ashevillemontessorischool.com Asheville School ashevilleschool.org Asheville-Pisgah ashevillepisgah.org Azalea Mountain School azaleamountain.org Carolina Christian School carolinachristianschool.com Carolina Day School carolinaday.org Christ School christschool.org Emmanuel Lutheran School emmanuellutheran.info Fletcher Academy fletcheracademy.com French Broad River Academy fbra-avl.org Hanger Hall School for Girls hangerhall.org Immaculate Catholic School immac.org Learning Community School thelearningcommunity.org Montessori Learning Center mlcasheville.org Mount Pisgah Academy pisgah.us Nazarene Christian School ashevillefirstnazarene.org New City Christian School newcitychristian.org New Classical Academy thenewclassicalacademy.org North Asheville Christian School rmcacademy.org Odyssey Community School odysseycommunity.org Rainbow Mountain Children’s School rmcs.org Temple Baptist School templebaptistschool.org Veritas Christian Academy veritasnc.org

Colleges & Universities Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College abtech.edu Blue Ridge Community College blueridge.edu Brevard College brevard.edu Haywood Community College haywood.edu Lenoir-Rhyne Asheville lr.edu/asheville Mars Hill College mhc.edu Montreat College montreat.edu Southwestern Community College southwesterncc.edu University of North Carolina at Asheville unca.edu Warren Wilson College warren-wilson.edu Western Carolina University wcu.edu

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DOW WNTOWN ASHEVILLE (828) 258-1945

SO OUTH ASHEVILLE (8 (828) 828) 654-6402 654 6402

WAYNESVILLE (828) 8) 564-2389 564 2389 (828

HEND DERSONVILLE (828) 698-7924 698 7924

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Live in Ab bund dance Home is a place p to enjo y the comp pan y of lo ve d onees and celebr ate living in Weestern No orth Car olina. When it’ss time fo or your ne xt x chapter, allo w us to help. h We combinee de c ades of e xp eriencee as the region’s lead ding luxury r eal estate f irm with nation al e xp osur e available th hr ough our memb e rship w ith Luxury Porttf olio o ® nships Internationaal . Our global r elation conne ct clieents’ homes to luxury buy b ers in 800+ citiees, gener ating thousand ds of inquir es and d billions in sales each year.

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