Asheville NC Vacation

For 73 years this renowned music institute hosting 400 extremely talented students ages 14 to post-college, 75 world-renowned visiting guest artists & artist faculty, and a full contingent of support staff gathers from mid-June to early August.  During an intensive 7 week program, students partake in a demanding and rewarding program of music instruction. 

The huge benefit to all the communities in Western North Carolina is that there are over 80 concerts given by students and the artist faculty during this 7 week festival at this incredibly beautiful wooded 150 acre campus in the Blue Ridge Mountains!  Evenings are beautiful in the mountains especially when accompanied by an open air concert (covered building but open sided).  Go early to enjoy patio fine dining or order a picnic to eat on the lawns.  Go to their website to decide what of their multitude of offerings will please you the most and buy your advance tickets. 

WEBSITE:  http://www.brevardmusic.org/

ADDRESS (PHYSICAL):  Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Lane, Brevard, NC 28712

ADDRESS (MAILING):  Brevard Music Center,  P.O. Box 312,  Brevard, NC 28712

PHONE (BOX OFFICE):  (828) 862-2105 or Toll Free (888) 384-8682
PHONE (MAIN OFFICE):  (828) 862-2100
DIRECTIONS:

From Asheville, NC

Take I-26 E to the Asheville Airport exit, #40. Turn right off the exit onto Highway 280 and drive 16 miles into Brevard. As you approach downtown Brevard, you will see directional signs to the Music Center. Travel time: 45 minutes from downtown Asheville.

From Hendersonville, NC

Take Highway 64 W to Brevard. At the intersection of Highways 280 and 64, turn left toward Brevard. As you approach Brevard, you will see directional signs to the Music Center. Travel time: 30 minutes.

If you plan to be in the area, we invite you to stay at one of our luxury vacation rental homes where we promise you will be outrageously spoiled by all our wonderful amenities!  See our website at www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com or call us at 828-274-9777 or email us at joyah@aol.com 

Ginny follows the romantic, etherial music through the greenhouse Conservatory and discovers two musicians seated among the flowers serenading her.

We decided on a quick visit to the Biltmore Estate gardens in Asheville NC to witness the ever-changing blooming gardens and happened upon delicious music floating on the air in the greenhouse Conservatory.  Rounding the corner, we discovered two musicians playing the most pleasing, ethereal music just perfect for the heavenly floral setting!  It is called “Musical Performances in the Walled Garden” and the hours are from 11:30 AM for half hour intervals until 4PM during most of May.  We visit year-round and are always surprised and delighted with all the extra special touches visitors receive.  Thanks, Biltmore Estate!

If you are visiting the mountains for your vacation (after all, beach vacations get to be quite boring!), we welcome you to stay at one of our luxury vacation rental cottages, chalets or homes.  Expect to be outrageously spoiled at our homes with all our fabulous amenities!  We are also authorized ticket distributors for the Biltmore and we sell our tickets at a discount and they are good for two full consecutive days! 

Our website:  www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com

Phone:  828-274-9777    Email:  joyah@aol.com

Ginny just loves to visit the ever-changing blooms in the Conservatory!

Need some exciting entertainment for kids & family all under one roof?  The aptly named FUN DEPOT in Asheville NC has a diverse variety of enjoyable activities:  Indoor & Outdoor Go-Carts, Multi-Level Laser Tag, Bumper Cars, Mini Bowling, Climbing Wall, Arcade, Soft Play Area, Indoor Mini-Golf, Batting Cages, Party Rooms & More!  Fun on any day, the Fun Depot is a particularly great idea to keep your kids happy on those wet & rainy days.  Their website suggests, for the price of a movie ticket, you can “BE THE ACTION” in your own life’s adventure!  This is definitely a favorite of our vacation rental guests staying at our nearby vacation homes!

Fun Depot Website:  www.ashevillesfundepot.com

Fun Depot Toll Free #:  866-303-4FUN  

Reviewed by Stephanie Joy Johnson of Asheville’s luxury vacation cabins, chalets, cottages and homes:  www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com  YOU DESERVE TO BE SPOILED and you will be outrageously spoiled at our vacation rental homes by our awesome amenities!!! We are child friendly!  Buy your discounted BILTMORE HOUSE TICKETS from us…save money, no waiting in line and tickets are good for TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS instead of just one!  828-274-9777  Email: Joyah@aol.com

Founded in 1952 and officially designated “The State Theatre of NC” in 1961, the FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE is host to 90,000 patrons annually. The delightful variety of musicals, dramas, comedies and classics has wide appeal to the entire family.  Considered one of the “Top Ten Theaters in the Country,” the Flat Rock Playhouse offers quality professional entertainment rarely found so far from Broadway.  You will be thoroughly entertained by the live theater, open mid-April through mid-December, presenting matinee and evening performances, Wednesday through Sunday.  See their website for a schedule of performances:  www.flatrockplayhouse.org

Not only is the Flat Rock Playhouse a fabulous place to enjoy live theater, it is an educational venue as well.  Youtheater works with local youth from pre-K to adult for performing arts workshops and classes as well as summer camps.  Apprentice Theater is for those aspiring to expand into a career in professional theater.

Location:  2661 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock, NC 28731

Phone:  828-693-0731

Directions:  From Interstate 26 take exit 53:  from I-26 east, turn right onto Upward Road OR from I-26 west, turn left onto Upward Road. At intersection with light (176/Spartanburg Hwy) continue straight. Upward Road turns into Highland Lake Road. Road dead-ends at Hwy 225/Greenville Hwy & turn left.  Go .5 mile to Theater on the right.  (Look for Flat Rock Playhouse signs along the way.)

Flat Rock Playhouse Website:  www.flatrockplayhouse.org

Note:  Also plan to see the nearby Carl Sandburg’s Home National Historic Site while in the area.  You are invited to stay at one of our Hendersonville NC vacation rental homes just 10 minutes away:  www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com.  We are authorized Biltmore Estate ticket distributors. Buy your discounted BILTMORE HOUSE TICKETS from us…save money, no waiting in line and tickets are good for TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS instead of just one at their higher price one day price!  Email:  Joyah@aol.com  Asheville Vacation Homes:  828-274-9777

Referred to as one of the “largest yard sales” in the Southeast on 20 acres with over 100,000 square feet selling area, SMILEY’S FLEA MARKET is a fun adventure of bargain hunting!  As you would expect from any flea market there is a huge variety of almost anything you can imagine for sale at bargain prices.  It’s even a great place to buy your fresh homegrown produce and plants. There are permanent buildings including a giant antique mall as well as the huge outdoor area with 700 selling spaces.  Open since 1984 in Fletcher NC, this well-established flea market is a weekend tradition to many shoppers (from 12,000 to 17,000 people attend each weekend!). 

Hours: They are open Saturday and Sunday from 6 AM to 5 PM….but the outside venders are usually gone by 1 PM so plan to shop in the mornings. 

Location:  Smiley’s is located a half mile north of Interstate 26, Exit 44 at 5360 Hendersonville Road (Highway 25), Fletcher NC 28732.

Phone:  828-684-3532

If you are visiting in the area, be sure to stay at one of our nearby luxury vacation rental chalets and cottages!  See our website at www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com or call us at 828-274-9777 or email us at joyah@aol.com.  

BILTMORE HOUSE TICKETS:  We are authorized Biltmore Estate ticket distributors.  Buy your DISCOUNTED Biltmore tickets from us to save on gate entry price, avoid waiting in ticket lines, tickets upgradeable to season passes, free wine tasting tickets  and best of all, tickets are good for TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS instead of just one day at their higher one day price!  Contact us at 828-274-9777 or email us at Joyah@aol.com or see our website at www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com  

Produced by Asheville Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts Department, BELE CHERE (pronounced Bell Share and translates to mean “Beautiful Living”) is in its 31^st year and has evolved into an awesome entertainment, food and arts festival attracting over 300,000 visitors….AND IT IS FREE!  Taking over Asheville’s downtown core area with streets closed to traffic, the city is transformed into a vibrant and colorful festival where you can experience the best this region has to offer in the way of music, food, fine art, local crafts, dancing, street performers and much more! 

Enjoy wandering the multitude of booths with every conceivable item for sale and visit the Arts Park with amazing craftsmen/artists selling their unique jewelry, furniture, paintings, glassware, pottery and more!  Plan to stay all day until 11 PM to enjoy the many and varied music performances….from bluegrass, country, jazz, song-writer ballads, blues….held on stages throughout downtown.  As experienced every year, plan to see incredible local talented bands along with famed national entertainers.  It’s well worth the price….FREE!!!

And the FOOD!  The Asheville Independent Restaurant Association of local restaurants presents the TASTE OF ASHEVILLE food court at Bele Chere where you can experience the delectable specialty dishes they are famous for.  And for the carnival feel, you can still go for those hot dogs, ice cream and funnel cakes as well. 

Kids love it here with their special children’s area with all sorts of rides, games, clowns, storytellers and entertainment just for them!  This is an alcohol-free zone.

Parking lots are all open downtown, but you may want to take advantage of their shuttles ($3 round trip) that run about every 20 minutes to outlying parking areas.  See the festival website for details.

Be sure to book your stay early!  Our homes fill up fast for this amazing festival event.  Contact us at 828-274-9777 or see our website at www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com  to stay the week at one of our luxury vacation rental cabins, cottages or chalets.

Bele Chere website:  www.belecherefestival.com

Bele Chere Days/Hours for 2009:

Friday, July 24:  Noon – 11 PM

Saturday, July 25:  10 AM – 11 PM

Sunday, July 26:  Noon – 6 PM

While you are in the area, be sure to visit our world famous BILTMORE ESTATE with 250 room home and acres upon acres of gardens, nature trails, winery, restaurants, hiking, biking, horseback riding and more!  We at Asheville Vacation Homes are authorized ticket agents and can sell you DISCOUNTED Biltmore Estate tickets that are good for TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS instead of the higher priced one day tickets sold at the gate!  www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com  or call us at 828-274-9777 or email at joyah@aol.com 

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL CENTER & FAIRGROUNDS (locals refer to as the “Ag Center”) is one of the premier facilities in the U.S. praised for its design and multi-use functions!  Not only is it home to the famous 10-day N.C. Mountain State Fair, almost every weekend there are horse shows, rodeos, motorcycle rallies, dog shows, children clothing sales, RV shows, truck shows, fiber arts shows, and even a weekly cowboy church.  Buildings can be rented for reunions, weddings, business meetings and almost anything you can imagine. 

The Ag Center is under constant upgrade and improvement.  Currently under construction, a beautiful 4,615 SF log Arts & Crafts Building is due to be completed by the September 2009 Fair.  It’s also in the plans to build a new Expo Building for the ever-expanding livestock shows and events held here.  Most of the buildings are slated for major renovations and minor face-lifts to make this a world class facility. 

A brief overview of some of the facilities offered are:

• McGough Arena:  65,000 SF enclosed indoor show facility with a 3000 seating capacity and a 120’ x 240’ show ring.
• J. Clayton Davis Arena: 45,000 SF covered facility with a 120’ x 240’ ring with a 150’ x 50’ to corral cattle.
• Three outdoor Warm-Up Rings.
• Livestock Facility with 500 seating and a 50’ x 250’ attached barn.
• 603 well-ventilated permanent and 271 portable Stall Barns under roof.
• Private Meeting Facility with 99 Seating, air conditioned.

DATES:  for the 2009 NC Mountain State Fair is September 11 – 20, 2009.  Check their website for upcoming events or to arrange a rental for your own event. 

LOCATION:  1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher NC 28732 (across the street from the Asheville Airport.)

PHONE:  828-687-1414

WEBSITE:  www.agr.state.nc.us/markets/facilities/agcenters/western/

NEAR-BY LODGING:  www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com  for vacation rental homes in walking distance to the Ag Center. 

Reviewed by Stephanie Joy Johnson of Asheville’s luxury vacation cabins, chalets, cottages and homes:  www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com  YOU DESERVE TO BE SPOILED and you will be outrageously spoiled at our vacation rental homes by our awesome amenities!!! Buy your discounted BILTMORE HOUSE TICKETS from us…save money, no waiting in line and tickets are good for TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS instead of just one!  828-274-9777  Email: Joyah@aol.com

LEAF FESTIVAL:  LAKE EDEN ARTS FESTIVAL at Camp Rockmont in Black Mountain, North Carolina (Just a few miles from Asheville)

• Dates:  SPRING: May 7 – 10, 2009 and FALL: October 15 – 18, 2009
• Address:  377 Lake Eden Road, Black Mountain, NC 28711
• Phone:  828-686-8742
• Website:  www.LakeEdenArtsFestival.org
• Online Ticket Purchases:  www.theleaf.com/tickets
• Email LEAF Customer Service at:  info@theLEAF.com

Come participate in this mountain celebration of family, community and life!  The LEAF (Lake Eden Arts Festival, “a non-profit organization established to build community and enrich lives through the Arts”) weekend gala has something special for everyone of all ages: folk arts, handcrafts, healing and culinary arts, poetry, music and dancing, camping, hiking, swimming and so much more.  There is a special kids’ play zone, art market, petting zoo, costumes, face painting, games and more.  There’s even a “Mommy and Me Baby Tent.” Come play, learn and share!  Go to their website to see the list of this year’s stellar performers.  (No pets allowed.) Camp onsite or stay at local area vacation rental cabins & homes: www.AshevilleVacationHomes.com 

Tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance!  This popular mountain event is always sold out!  Per day on site there will be about 5500 people.  Choose from a variety of day or weekend passes (see their ticket webpage for all your prices, options and deadlines).  They always need volunteers (about 500!) and you can trade your time toward ticket purchases. 

While you are in town, plan to visit the world famous, American’s largest home, the Biltmore Estate!  Purchase DISCOUNTED BITLMORE HOUSE TICKETS for less than the gate price and enjoy a pass for 2 consecutive days instead of just one!  Buy these tickets from http://www.ashevillevacationhomes.com/BILTMOREESTATETICKETS.html   or call 828-274-9777.