g Weaverville &Barnardsville

Downtown Weaverville.

Buncombe County

WEAVERVILLE AND BARNARDSVILLE

Weaverville 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 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!”

— 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 MORE AT adventure experiences. BEVERLY-HANKS.COM Locals are proud of the Big Are you ready to put your yard to work? Support local Ivy Community Center, which was initially organized by nurseries and garden centers residents and has evolved into near you. See a list of our a vibrant hub of activity. The favorites at beverly- center hosts a swimming poolhanks.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

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 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

Jon and Shea Varner.