Belechere Street Festival- Asheville- Largest in S.E.-FREE-July 24-26!

UPDATE - This will not be an organized event. Feel free to use the comments or message board to discuss and work with each other to meet up for this event. This change is due to Bernie's departure to warm waters in his quest to sail. Feel free to email me if you have any questions - Brad A. At a Glance Bele Chere is turning 31! The South’s ultimate entertainment, arts and food festival will be July 24-26, 2009 in downtown Asheville. Internationally known as a cultural hub, Asheville is one of the East Coast’s most vibrant cities recently named “Best Southern Town” by Outside Magazine. Drawing more than 300,000 visitors, Bele Chere offers the unique opportunity to see, taste and hear some of the region’s finest art, cuisine and music. The best part of the event, it’s FREE! With more than 30 hours of live entertainment, festival-goers will be treated to every genre of music from homegrown bluegrass to sultry jazz, rocking blues to folksy singer-songwriters. National entertainers last year included Travis Tritt, The Wailers, Cowboy Mouth, Original P, Edwin McCain, The Lee Boys and Doyle Larson and Quicksilver. Western North Carolina is a hotbed for musical talent, so visitors can be sure they’ll see lots of local musicians and bands in the festival’s lineup. Bele Chere (pronounced Bell Cher) is an art enthusiast’s dream featuring craftsmen and artists showcasing their wares. Arts Park, where more than 30 percent of artists are from Western North Carolina, is on par with the best craft fairs in the country. Mountain handcrafts, pottery, furniture, photography and blown glass of the finest quality are just a few of the treasures to be discovered. Outside Arts Park, even more crafts can be found like hand-knitted hats or mittens, garden art and carved wood. Festival-goers will also want to pick up official festival gear including Bele Chere T-shirts, hats and limited edition posters. There’s plenty for food aficionados, too! The Asheville Independent Restaurant Association, a group of locally-owned restaurants, bands together to present “Taste of Asheville,” a showcase of the area’s signature dishes made with fresh local produce. Of course visitors will also find festival favorites like corndogs and funnel cakes. Parents will find lots to keep their kids entertained. The festival’s children’s area presented by Food Lion has everything the little ones are looking for – rides, games, and clowns, oh my! The area, always alcohol-and smoke-free, touts a Western North Carolina History, Heritage & Culture theme and will abound with arts and craft projects, storytellers and special kid-friendly entertainment sure to inspire the imagination. Other fun activities include the Purina Ultimate Air Challenge presented by Ingles where dock diving dogs take center stage. Festival-goers can cheer on their favorite pups as they attempt to break the world record for dock diving. Visitors will also have the opportunity to cool off in the Foggy Mountain Misting Tents scattered throughout the festival. Celebration Stage presented by U.S. Cellular, has moved about a mile away to Memorial Stadium, behind McCormick Field and will feature nationally-known musicians and groups. Tickets will go on-sale May 1 through Ticketmaster. Stay near downtown & walk! Small Bed & Breakfasts | Large Bed & Breakfasts | Book a hotel deal. Schedule for Bele Chere 2009 Friday, July 25: Noon-11 pm Saturday, July 26: 10 am-11 pm Sunday, July 27: Noon-6 pm FAQs Where exactly is Bele Chere? In the central downtown business area, with Pack Square roughly at the center. What does Bele Chere mean? Bele Chere means “beautiful living” and comes from an ancient Scottish dialect. Pronounced Bell Cher. How do I get there? You have a couple of options. You can drive to the festival or you can ride the Bele Chere Shuttle. If you drive, be aware parking is at a premium during peak times, but all the parking decks in the downtown area are open for business. The two shuttle routes - one from the east and one from the west - run approximately every 20 minutes and the cost is $3 roundtrip. Where can I park? City Parking Decks: Civic Center, Rankin Avenue, Wall Street, and BB&T. Several surface lots will also be open; a special events parking fee will apply in most cases. Free handicapped parking will be available at any metered parking space outside the festival boundaries. Looking to perform at Bele Chere or sell art? Get applications and more info on the Bele Chere Web site www.belecherefestival.com. I've been to several of these and they're fun.Hey, this could be a good reason to see the Biltmore Estate too, see www.biltmore.com. There's so much to see and do, so see www.belecherefestival.com for complete details.We can do a day trip, camp, or stay in a cabin or hotel.