Blue Ridge Parkway turns 75 years old this year

Fantastic scenery and recreational opportunities make the Blue Ridge Parkway one of the most popular sections of the National Park System. Named “America’s Favorite Drive,” the 469-mile scenic road celebrates its 75-year anniversary in 2010.

Learn more about the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway >

Asheville Winter Romantic Getaways 2010

Surprising to some, in most winters it rarely snows in Asheville.

The city is protected by the surrounding mountains, so it often snows about 20 miles away on the mountaintops. Meanwhile, the valley rarely gets a big snow, so it’s a great time to visit. The summer and fall crowds are gone, making a perfect time for a North Carolina mountain getaway to unwind.

Check out Romantic Asheville’s Top 12 Winter Outings >

Candlelight Christmas Evenings at The Biltmore

Firelight and candlelight fill the house with a warm glow and accent delicate ornaments and priceless treasures. Get into the holiday spirit with choirs singing European carols, vintage ballroom dancers, and dramatic Christmas readings. The Front Lawn of Biltmore House sets the scene with a sparkling holiday illumination of evergreens bathed in thousands of twinkling lights.

Christmas is spectacular at The Biltmore >

Asheville’s eighth brewery set to open

Craggie Brewing Company is ready to open its doors and let the taps flow. Located at 197 Hilliard Avenue downtown, the grand opening will be on Friday, November 20th and Saturday, November 21st from 4:30-10:30pm.

In November 2007, Bill Drew and Jonathan Cort partnered to create a hometown brewery, with passion for quality craft beer and strong community values. Two years to the date, Craggie opens for business with its Battery Hill Bitter and a seasonal pale ale on tap. Solshine and Swannanoa Sunset will be ready the following week and Craggie brew will hit select watering holes Thanksgiving weekend.

In a nationwide competition with more than 16,000 votes, Asheville and Portland, Oregon tied and were both named Beer City USA in 2009.

Welcome Asheville’s newest microbrewery >

Asheville fall color forecast promising

It’s late September and we’re starting to see good color in the region’s higher elevations, particularly above 5000’. Mountains shielded Asheville from the worst of last week’s downpour, so the trees still have plenty of leaves.

The US Forest Service predicts that peak colors in areas which received plentiful rain should be most vivid and vibrant when drier cooler weather triggers foliage change. Director of Horticulture at Biltmore Parker Andes explains, “If October progresses like previous years, then we’ll have a dry month with the first frost near the middle of the month. This will mean great fall color, because we still have lots of leaves on the trees.”

Read the report and make plans to leaf peep >

Only in Asheville: the Foodtopian Society

While the farm-to-table movement is not new, taking the idea to an all-out way of life as a community is a little radical. Welcome to the Foodtopian Society, a commitment to societal (and gastronomical) change by Asheville, North Carolina.

Asheville has 17 active farmers’ markets, 135 independent restaurants and seven fantastic microbreweries—all within a city of 100,000!

Get a taste of what Asheville has to offer >

Best Boomer Town: Asheville, NC

The internet radio show Best Boomer Towns hosted by Nancy Shonka featured Asheville as one of the best towns for the boomer generation to retire to. Jane Anderson, VP of Member Services at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, was a guest on the show.

Listen to the radio show that featured Asheville >

Nancy Shonka is Founder and President of bestboomertowns.com. Nancy and her team researched the best places to retire or relocate in the U.S. They selected 21 towns that meet baby boomer needs: excellent health care, university presence, airport access, fine dining, low crime, cultural activities, favorable climate, active lifestyle, & average cost of living. Site features include noted columnists, local bloggers, weather & news, community video, retirement books, town photos and town specific community & lifestyle information.

Read more about Best Boomer Towns, including Asheville >

Pack Square Park renovation progresses

Asheville’s Pack Square Park will soon be a beautiful new public gathering place in downtown’s historic central square. The 6.5-acre park has been under construction for an lengthy period, but the project is now slated for completion by late 2009. Pack Square is a block and a half from Asheville Loft Downtown.

The Pack Square Conservancy is the sponsor of the renovation and still raising funds to cover the cost of the project as well as future enhancements.

Check it out for yourself >

Enjoy music this summer at Brevard Music Center

The Brevard Music Center has announced their summer institute and festival in the mountains of scenic western North Carolina.  Each summer four hundred students, seventy-five guest artists and faculty members, and a full staff of technical and support personnel assemble in Brevard, creating a unique community of learning, teaching, and performing. A festival of more than eighty public concerts brings major orchestral, chamber, and operatic repertoire to tens of thousands of listeners each year.

Book your tickets >

In a Vanderbilt’s Backyard

NEW YORK TIMES – Asheville, between the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains in western North Carolina, has been called the San Francisco of the East and the Paris of the South. While it may or may not live up to those expectations, its politics are diverse and progressive, its music and art are ubiquitous, its food is taken seriously, and its architecture is impressive.

The article continues >