Good day and welcome to DKos Asheville. This is the weekly DKos Asheville Open Thread for Saturday, December 4th, 2021.
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Mountain Express, Justin McGuire, 11/30/2021
Come in for a beer, head home with a new painting.
That’s one of the ideas behind Refraction Holiday Art Market, which returns to Wedge at Foundation in the River Arts District on Sunday, Dec. 5, noon-6 p.m. The event first launched in 2019 but was canceled last year due to COVID-19.
“The experience reads somewhere between an art market, a gallery opening and a community hang,” says Amy Massey, an Asheville artist who founded the event with her husband, Andrew. “It’s not structured in the typical art market rows of 10-by-10 booths arranged in clean lines. The layout is organic, with artists spread throughout the bar itself as well as the outdoor patios.”
The gathering will feature more than 15 local creatives working in mediums such as ceramics, handcarved wooden spoons, silversmithed jewelry, paintings and prints, macramé and embroidered fiber art, as well as wreaths made with homegrown and harvested flowers, and wearable botanicals. Meanwhile, DJ Malinalli will provide the day’s entertainment.
Wedge at Foundation is at 5 Foundy St. For more information, visit avl.mx/auu.
Henderson County’s Historic Johnson Farm, built by hand 1876-80, will host a number of Christmas events throughout December.
“For any of the tours, visitors will learn how the Johnson family celebrated Christmas while enjoying the time-period decorations,” says Mandy Gibson, executive director of the Historic Johnson Farm Foundation.
Candlelight Christmas Tours will be held Friday, Dec. 3, and Saturday, Dec. 4, at 5 p.m., 6:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The first two tours each evening will be geared toward families with children. Reservations and prepayment are required for the candlelight tours.
The farm will also host Daytime Christmas Tours at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 6- Friday, Dec. 10, and again Monday, Dec. 13–Friday, Dec. 17. The daytime tours also have a self-guided option, with or without audio, each day, 1-3 p.m.
The Blue Ridge Orchestra will be joined by bluegrass trio the Krüger Brothers for its annual holiday concert at UNC Asheville’s Lipinsky Auditorium on Sunday, Dec. 5, at 3 p.m.
The first half of BRO Revels! 2021 will feature the full orchestra ensemble performing a mix of classical and holiday songs. During the the second half, the full orchestra and the Krüger Brothers will play a blend of traditional tunes and original compositions for full orchestra by Jens Krüger.
Originally from Switzerland, the Krüger Brothers began playing North American folk music at an early age and were inspired by recordings of Arthel “Doc” Watson, Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys, Bill Monroe and others.
Lipinsky Hall is at 300 Library Lane on the UNC Asheville campus. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $10 for members and $5 for students. For more information or to buy tickets, visit avl.mx/auv.
WLOS, 12/3/2021
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Biltmore Village celebrated "A Dickens Christmas" on Friday, Dec. 3.
It's an annual tradition that really gets people in the holiday spirit each year.
"There’s not a better backdrop for sort of a old world charming Christmas experience," said Dema Badr, owner, Scout Boutique, Biltmore Village Association. "You get to come in and not only support the local businesses, but sort of fill your heart with all of that romantic holiday cheer."
A Dickens Christmas will happen until 8 p.m. Friday and then again Saturday, Dec. 4 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
There will be Dickens-themed acts performing throughout the village, including people singing, a chestnut roaster, dance groups, instrumental acts, jugglers and mimes. (Your Author will be a juggling Elf from 2:00 — 4:00 pm)
Mountain Express, Gail Solomon 12/2/2021
“Painting your own pottery is cheaper than therapy and a lot more fun,” says Linda Chester, co-owner of Fired! Up Creative Lounge.
And after nearly two years of navigating COVID-19, she and other local arts and crafts businesspeople are ready to embrace the joyous holiday spirit and the unique opportunities their storefronts offer shoppers.
But along with looking ahead, these business owners can’t help but look back on the obstacles they’ve overcome and the ways the past 21 months have changed and impacted their day-to-day operations.
FEATURED:
Like mother, like daughter
Winter Wonderland
Fragile and colorful
Domino effect
Mountain Express, Soorya Townley, 12/4/2021
Everyone knows Asheville is the place to go for craft beer, outdoor gear and anything a person could possibly want with a black bear emblazoned on it. Less attention is paid, though, to the many businesses selling locally made skin care products. True to Western North Carolina’s independent-minded ethos, many of these skin care lines are made in smaller batches using sustainably sourced ingredients and without potentially irritating chemicals. Asheville may have gotten its first Ulta Beauty this year, but there are plenty of places to shop local when trying to nourish chapped winter skin. Here are four shops that sell skin care products, from soaps to serums to bath bombs.
Great-grandmother’s inspiration
Owner Victor Taylor of Appalachian Natural Soaps got an early start learning about soap-making from his great-grandmother, with whom he lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains. “I thought my name was ‘Git Wood’ until I was 12 because I ran back and forth keeping the fire going for her concoctions,” he laughs. She made her soaps from pork fat and lye.
As an adult, Taylor inherited his great-grandmother’s soap pot. One day, he showed off his soap-making skills to his wife, Pam Taylor, and their children. “Pam washed with one bar for a week and marveled at how her skin allergies disappeared,” he says. (Larger skin care brands that use petroleum and sulfites, which are used as preservatives, in their products may have caused irritation, he believes.) As soon as the couple began gifting their soaps to friends, they switched from animal fat to vegetable oils and added plant extracts and essential oils as well.
Mountain Express, Linda Ray, 12/2/2021
After more than a year of lockdowns and hesitant restarts, the Madison County college town of Mars Hill is feeling the effects of shifting trends, says Angela Morgan, owner of Black Bear Realty. “People have decided they want to have a less congested life but still have access to restaurants and shopping,” she notes. “And during the lockdown, people had a lot of spare time to go online and look for places to live and open small businesses.”
Quite a few of those internet surfers have since turned into residents, with significantly higher home prices and a larger volume of residential sales recorded in Madison County in 2021 compared with previous years. Some of the recent arrivals have launched new enterprises, with at least six businesses opening since last fall.
Driven by their proximity to Asheville and scenic landscape, Morgan says, “Mars Hill and Marshall are definitely up-and-coming.”
WLOS, 12/3/2021
HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Hendersonville continues to welcome locals and visitors to join in holiday cheer each week.
Hendersonville held its Home for the Holidays event Friday, Dec. 3. It features activities for kids as well as markets and horse and carriage rides through downtown.
There was also a Christmas show at the Flat Rock playground. "The kids get to hang out with Santa, tell him what they’re looking for for Christmas," said Carleen Dixon, director of Henderson County Parks and Recreation Department. "We give them candy canes; we have crafts and activities going on for the kids that are all free.”
Of course, Santa was there, too.
Hendersonville's Christmas parade is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 4 at 10:30 a.m. Anyone who missed Friday's activities can join in next week, as the event is held each Friday until the end of the year.
Thanks for reading and contributing, I hope you have a safe weekend!
PS: I didn’t want to ruin the mood with Madison Cawthorn horror stories, just didn’t seem right. But you can catch up tomorrow at 1:00pm on North Carolina Open Thread. There is plenty to be concerned about. But today? Just going shopping, thanks again.