Firestorm Cafe and Books Coffee shops have often been associated with poets, activists, college students and any artistic type looking for a caffeinated connection. And, given that the patron saint of Firestorm is writer and feminist Voltairine de Cleyre, this stereotype fits perfectly with this café in Asheville, NC, and not in a bad way. The cafe opened in 2005 with the goal to be worker-owned, and for the past six years, they have achieved that goal while also using Counter Culture Coffee to make a mean cup of joe. Link | via

The 1st Annual - Asheville Tattoo Fest

March 15 - March 18 , 2012

The A.T.F. is coming ! St. Patricks Day weekend

Asheville's 1st ever tattoo convention! This event will be held in beautiful downtown Asheville, NC. @ The Renaissance Hotel

*Over 50 of the worlds greatest Tattoo Artists/Tattoo Shops
*Local and National Sponsors / Vendors
*Burlesque Performances
*Live LOCAL Music & LOCAL Art Openings
*Seminars by some of the top tattoo shop owners,artists,machine builders & tattoo magazines.
*An Outdoor Ratrod Car Show
*Art Fusion and Silent Auction (Proceeds going to a local charity)
*Childrens Area (This Event Is all Ages!)
*Appearances by TV,Movie and Sports personalities
& lots more to be announced!

Link

Hip, Hip, Hoo-ray for Hooligans

A city like Asheville naturally has a very hip and understanding city "guv'ment".

"Patience, understanding, dialogue"..., says Gordon Smith regarding the Occupy Asheville group to which I will add "open-minded" to describe Gordon or anything he's involved in.

Asheville has always attracted the brightest minds. Whether you are here busking on the corner or teaching in our schools, we are fortunate to have 99% of you.

Occupy Wall Street Asheville

Lots of action around town. I've been busy and out of town and checking out a few events so here's a rushed version of what I've found so far. Feel free to add to the list in the comments, dear friends.

Here's a list of links to check out a few of the nationally links and in Asheville:

https://www.facebook.com/occupyashevillemediagroup
http://www.imageasheville.com/2011/10/occupy-wall-street-asheville-day-one
http://www.mountainx.com/article/35903/Occupy-Wall-Street-moves-to-camp-out-in-Pack-Square-Park
http://occupyasheville.org

Why I'm in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street - http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/10/05

Bloody Hell, Jeff Mangrum at Occupy Wall Street yesterday!

Global Revolution's Live Stream is covering the New York Wall Street peaceful event around the clock. Go take a look. http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution

Moogfest 2011

MoogFest is a three-day festival celebrating the innovative vision of sonic pioneer, Robert Moog, to be held Halloween weekend, October 28-30, in Asheville, NC.

In addition to the festival’s extraordinary musical offerings, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in workshops, engage with artists in panel discussions, enjoy visual art exhibitions, installations and film screenings, and explore their own musical creativity with a variety of Moog instruments.

IMPORTANT LINKS
Official Website
Day-by-Day Schedule

Featuring very special guest, Brian Eno. Also Beats Antique, Flaming Lips, Moby, St. Vincent, and many more.

BLUE RIDGE PRIDE Today!

Blue Ridge Pride festival is happening with lots of entertainment noon-6 p.m. at Pack Square Park. Performers include children’s entertainer 23 Skidoo, Stephanies id, Cantaria, Natalie Smalls Productions and and the Idgies. After the festival, singer CeCe Peniston performs at the Grove House, 11 Grove St.

We'll be taking over Pack Square Park from 12-6 pm on Saturday Oct 1 to celebrate and raise awareness of the diversity of our community. We've got great entertainment, vendors, and community groups all coming in to make this a day you can't miss! Don't forget to check the events page for pre and post festival parties!

On the Net: www.blueridgepride.com

The TURQUOISE Ball

link

America's "New Age Mecca"

Asheville is a richly spiritual and metaphysical place, maybe because it's surrounded by mountains enjoying heavenly views, and angelic cloud forms, or it could be the huge amount of non-coherent quartz crystal in the ground (trillions of tons!)

It is claimed that this area has more geological vortexes than anywhere in America...or maybe, as legend says, it's the energy that the Atlantian and Lemurian scientists implanted here after their civilization fell into the sea! There are even rumors that the Cherokee (with their blue eyes) were Atlantians. Asheville's mountains (oldest in the world!) tower some 6,800 ft above sea level, the highest point on North America closest to the Atlantic ocean

link

Asheville TravelingBonfires

The Indie is BACK! Now called, “The Indie of Asheville,” this community publication that plied the streets and back-alleys and lounged at indie cafes and stores of Asheville for 7 seven years, will be back in August—alongside a rejuvenated Traveling Bonfires. We had a two-year sojourn in Los Angeles and another two years of “hiatus” in the mountains of Candler—but we are BACK, for sure! In case you want to hop in the beautiful madness (as intern/volunteer, writer-journalist, cool spirit)—CHECK OUT http://theindieasheville.blogspot.com/ and email me: pasckie@yahoo.com

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are in Asheville per Ashvegas reader

Just wanted everyone to know that Tim Burton is staying at Hotel Indigo (from someone who works there) and Johnny Depp is in town as well. Busy time for stars in AVL!

Link  Keep checking this link for more updates.  Their people are more out and about and informed about this than I but we're all checking sources re: JD and Tim Burton.

Lots of famous people visit with us. From what I've gathered through the years, they can keep their privacy quite well here.

Asheville, NC, is one of the world's best kept secret spots where visitors exclaim soon after they come here that they're moving here permanently as soon as they can make it happen.

We are a big blue dot surrounded by a red state and we have almost a communal vibe with all the friendly musicians, street performers, concerts, protests and other fun gatherings. We're also very gay-friendly.

Drive towards downtown, park your car, get out and mingle to the sights, scents, and sounds of Asheville, Johnny. I'll be looking out for ya!


UPDATE: they're scouting locations for the impending Dark Shadows movie,a Gothic soap opera, where Johnny Depp plays Vampire Barnabus Collins.  Tim has to be in LA today, May 28th, so don't know if he'll come back or if they're through.

Gay Games 2011

GAY GAMES - In The Park

Plus - The Gay 5K
A fundraiser for Blue Ridge Pride

June 18, 2011

Carrier Park - West Asheville

Volunteers needed and sponsorships welcome. For more information or to learn more about the event and how you can get involved contact: gaygames2011@gmail.com / Amy Sawyer 823.490.1864

LINK

Walk A Mile in Her Shoes

This event already happened Saturday morning. Sorry to be late but definitely wanted to document this worthy cause.

Join the hundreds of Asheville and Buncombe County men who are dedicated to ending sexual violence in the second annual "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" on Saturday April 30th at 9:00 am at City County Plaza. Register yourself or a team online today at www.walkamileasheville.org

This is part of Walk a Mile in Her Shoes ® - The International Men's March Against Rape, Sexual Assault and Gender Violence and is a benefit for Our VOICE, the Buncombe County Rape Crisis and Prevention Center.

Link

World Peace is coming to Asheville!

On Wednesday May 4th, World Peace and Other Fourth Grade Achievements will be screened at the Diana Wortham Theater. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A session with the film’s star, John Hunter, followed by a regional education leadership dialogue.

WHEN: May 4, 2011 at 6:45 PM
WHERE: Diana Wortham Theatre
TICKETS: K-12 Educators: Free, Non-Educators: $16

To learn more about the film, as well as the screening, please visit WorldPeaceAvl.com.

TED talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/john_hunter_on_the_world_peace_game.html

Asheville Bliss

Asheville is not just ONE kind of bliss... it's layer upon layer of bliss... bliss which is often subtle, often hidden, with many aspects taking time and networking to discover.

The goal of AshevilleBliss.com is to reveal to visitor, newcomer, and long time resident alike, what makes Asheville so blissful, including aspects of Asheville's BLISS which aren't so readily apparent... to make these many wonderful islands and rivers of little-known bliss accessible ... in a way which has never before been done.

Whether you're into whitewater rafting or sitting sangha, Asheville Bliss will have the links for you. And plenty more.

Link

Waking Up Mama - Spring Equinox

CELEBRATION OF THE VERNAL EQUINOX
Saturday, March 19, 2011

7:00pm to 9:00pm

Waking up Mama - celebration of the Vernal Equinox (Public Ritual)

Family-friendly pubic ritual to celebrate the vernal equinox.

Location: Parish Hall of All Soul's Episcopal Church, Asheville, NC

This family-friendly and light-hearted spring welcoming ritual is open to the respectful public. A love offering will be accepted for Temple outreach projects and Mother Grove continues to gather non-perishable food items for the Mother's Cornucopia food pantry.


For more information, contact the Temple at info@mothergroveavl.org or

828-230-5069 | Link

If you are looking for a unique place to worship, visit this website for more information on their Sunday gatherings.

Asheville Mardi Gras Parade and Ball

This year's theme-"Homegrown, Fancy, and Free"
Sunday, March 6 · 3:00pm - 10:00pm
Downtown Asheville, and Pack's Tavern's Century Room

Everyone is invited to participate in, or simply spectate this family friendly spectacle. Asheville's Mardi Gras celebration is rapidly growing as more and more sparkles, feathers, and beads show up each year to march in our annual parade. The parade, led by this year's King and Queen, will be full of dancers, roller skaters, drummers and krewe's of colorful characters. The parade will line up in Pack's Square, NOT Walnut Street at 2:00 pm and will step off at 3:00 pm sharp, RAIN OR SHINE. We will then dance and march our way towards Walnut St, then to Lexington Ave, making a left on to Lexington, and then a right on to College St. Next, the parade will loop around Pritchard Park and up Patton Avenue to Pack Square. This is where the parade ends and the Mardi Gras Ball begins.

Interested in being a part of the parade? Gather your krewe of friends, family, classmates or co-workers or just yourself and come be a part of this great event. Feel free to get creative! Art cars and homemade floats are always welcome. Please register them on the Asheville Mardi Gras Facebook groups page. Remember that Asheville's Mardi Gras is a family friendly event and is “Homegrown, Fancy and Free”. Another great way to enjoy this event is to gather your friends and family, pull up a chair, sit back and watch the show! Bring a camera and be ready to catch beads.

After the parade is over around 4:00 pm, continue the fun and revelry at the Mardi Gras Ball in Pack's Tavern's elegant Century Room. Costumes are not required to enter the ball. This is a free event for the entire community to enjoy. There will be festive libations and extraordinary live music performed by Sirius B to keep us dancing all night long. For more information on the Parade or Ball, and for Mardi Gras events leading up to the parade day, check in with the groups page on Facebook under Asheville Mardi Gras.

Link

Grand Krewe at the Parade
Sunday at 12:00pm
Pack Square, Vance Monument/fountain area

Bike Love Party

Asheville on Bikes is proud to announce the 5th Annual Bike Love Party and Fundraiser, happening Saturday February 26th at the new downtown Arcade Asheville. It will be another memorable night of bike lovin’ featuring three bands: headliner Uncle Mountain, AoB’s own Red Dirt Floor, and the world premier performance from C Scott with The Multimodalers.

link

Nataraj

Nataraj, translated from Sanskrit, means "king of dance", and we do our best to live up to that name.

Combining dynamic drumming with soaring otherworldly melodies, Our music weaves flowing improvisation together with the dancer's energy to create an interactive and high energy atmosphere. They are from Asheville, NC.

Facebook | Website

(cross-posted to Easy Bake Coven)