AVL LIFE

#mayorofbrewgrass20 nominees
We've narrowed the entrants of our Instagram contest down to a round of 5 Finalists! Vote here until midnight on September 14th, and we'll announce the new Mayor of Brewgrass on September 15th!

Designer Kristin Alexandra Tidwell
Asheville Fashion Designer Kristin Alexandra Tidwell Goes Beyond Couture to Make Fashion Accessible to All

GritVegas Panthers
This weekend, Asheville is filled with all types of fun! From beer to crystals and river cleanups to pickle competitions, we've got something for everyone. Let us know what we missed!

Battle Trance
Asheville Grit spoke with Travis Laplante, the founder of tenor saxophone quartet Battle Trance, before their upcoming show. The show happens on Friday, September 9th at the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center and is presented by Free Range Asheville. All proceeds will go to the BMCM+AC.

RBTS WIN
RBTS WIN play the Mothlight Saturday, 9/3, with Doc Aquatic and Marley Carroll. RBTS is one of the Grit's favorite bands and this is an incredible lineup, so we thought it was the perfect time to release this just-recovered (post-tech crash) interview we did with them at Moogfest!

We've got your weekend events for Labor Day weekend in Asheville, from Thursday, September 1st through Labor Day!

Steve Mann, Eagle Street
Acclaimed local photographer Steve Mann lost his wife, Chrystel, to a hard-fought battle with cancer. Now he's selling his prints from his show at Asheville's Pink Dog Creative to help cover medical costs.

Rasheeda Speaking
Rasheeda Speaking is a recently off-Broadway play that premieres at Asheville's BEBE Theatre tomorrow, September 1st. The play runs through the 17th and is a dark satire about "post-racial" America in the workplace.

"You throw a line through unseen intercepts That finds me when I'm too far gone to save." Watercolor: Brandon Beeson
Jeff Thompson is bringing a new format for the Giving Trio's live show to the Altamont, where he'll play on Saturday, September 3rd. The show will feature special guests and a visual art and dance installation that will accompany the music.

Telephone poles
Asheville Missed Connections: cesspool or delightful dip?

Chris Pitsiokos
The first in a series of shows from Cotton Mill Studios' REVOLVE + the Asheville Guitar Bar brings the CP Quartet and Shane Parish to the stage.

Views from the Montford. Photo: Erin Fowler
Asheville's newest rooftop bar sits atop the new Hyatt Place at the corner of Montford Ave and Haywood St in downtown Asheville. Even though it's technically a hotel bar, it's got a big local focus, from its food and drinks to its targeted clientele.

GritVegas Weekend Update August 25
This weekend kicks off with the 100th birthday of our national parks, plus a ton of other fabulous events, from free music and dance at the Millroom to Queer Girls Reading at the Mothlight. Where will you be, Ashevillains?

Mayor of Brewgrass
Are you the next Mayor of Brewgrass? Enter our Instagram contest and see if you'll be crowned! The winner gets amazing prizes and VIP access at this year's Brewgrass Festival on September 17th.

AVLGLITCH
#AVLGLITCH, new group photography show, released their open call for submissions for an upcoming juried exhibition. Submissions will be accepted until 9/9, and the show runs through October.

AVL Music & Dance Night
This Thursday, the Millroom hosts the first night in their new monthly live music and dance night. The Juan Benavides Band will hold it down as you dance the night away. Asheville Grit is also giving away three free entries to Underground Sound to artists (or their representatives) who attend!

Slow Down AVL sponsors
Have you seen the Slow Down Asheville signs in your neighborhood? The Slow Down Asheville campaign, which launched in February of this year to raise awareness about pedestrian safety, has released a brand new video that outlines the goals of the project and shares some compelling information.

Horse Lords. Photo: Theo Anthony
Horse Lords will play West Asheville's the Mothlight with openers Nest Egg on 8/30. We talked with guitarist Owen Gardner about the upcoming show and the goals they had for their new album, Interventions, out now on Northern Spy.

dunno joins Asheville Grit!
Dunno is here to haunt Asheville Grit in the most harmless and perplexed way.

Asheville GritVegas Weekend Update
Asheville, how's your week been? What are you getting into this weekend? We have some ideas in our newest Asheville GritVegas Weekend Update! And a special guest--Toybox, from Asheville Puppet Week! Check it out, and let us know what you're most excited about.

Hempeh
Local business Smiling Hara Tempeh celebrates the opening of their new facility in Barnardsville, NC. They're expanding their production of tempeh and soy-free "hempeh" products.

Wham Bam Puppet Slam
Asheville Puppetry Week starts on Thursday, 8/18 at venues across town. Events includes a performance of Billy the Liar, a children's show from Atlanta's That Puppet Guy, the Wham, Bam! Puppet Slam, and David Liebe Hart from The Tim and Eric Awesome Show. Yes, please.

CCCD 20 Years
This Thursday, the CCCD (Center for Craft, Creativity, and Design) in the Broadway Arts District will celebrate 20 years as a leading resource for artists and craftspeople through this party and benefit. Tickets are on sale now.

GritVegas Weekend Update August 11-14
Asheville, we love you. But you've got to chill out on the rain. We've got the full lineup of events that will keep you dry or just get you right into the French Broad River, which we know is what's really on your mind. From Anything That Floats to Geek Out AVL to a bluegrass and kitten brunch, GritVegas has you covered.

Save Our Southern Forests
As the days get hotter, the number of Southerners standing up to protect and fight for forests increases steadily: it’s almost as if unrest is in direct proportion to the degrees on a thermometer. Summertime in the South conjures up images of being sleepy and slow-moving, but the opposition to burning forests for fuel is livelier than ever.

GritVegas Weekend Update
This weekend's got everything: whether you're looking for live music of all genres, beer releases, unicorns, glitter wrestling, experimental theatre, arts and craft, film, or a new furry companion, there's something for you.

Biltmore Lawn
We continue to pose hypothetical proposals at our great city and this week look to the nation's largest home to house a southern version of MOMA's PS1 Design Competition. Wouldn't that front lawn look great with a temporary art/architecture installation?

Audra with Sam Calagione and Luke Dickinson
Audra Gaiziunas, who cut her teeth at Dogfish Head and heads up Brewed For Her Ledger, talks with Brewing Up a Storm about the beer industry and beer culture in Asheville.

Transplanting
The second season of Transplanting, Asheville's hilarious web series, airs on Wednesday, September 7th, coinciding with the release of season one on Laff TV.

Meditate.io
Buddhist Geek founders Vincent and Emily Horn are bringing their newest program, Meditate.io, to Asheville as a popup meditation. The first event happens this coming Wednesday, August 3, from 7:30-8:30 am at the Asheville Yoga Teacher Training Center.

Ben Sollee
This coming Tuesday, 8/2, Ben Sollee and Go Yoga take the stage at the Orange Peel for a yoga dance party and concert to benefit OXFAM. We've got two tickets--enter by leaving a comment on our Facebook post!

Digable Planets: Ladybug. Photo: George Sieburg
Digable Planets took the stage at the Orange Peel last week (with support from openers Camp Lo). It was a night of old-school hip hop, fresh beats, and rising temperatures.

GritVegas Weekend Update July 28-31
What's up Asheville? Be sure to check our our weekly GritVegas Weekend Update, with the scoop on LEAF and other AVL events. We're also doing a ticket giveaway on Instagram for the person who hits the most spots! Win 2 tickets to Asheville Fashion Week--all you have to do it go out and have fun. Happy weekend!

Medea Galligan. Photo: Erin Fowler
Medea Galligan, of Medea's Real Food Cafe in Asheville, sat down with us to talk health, wellness, and the importance of delicious things.

AVL Grit logo
Asheville Grit + Ashvegas are hiring! We're looking for an sales executive with a love for all things Asheville.

Asheville Fashion Week
After a successful inaugural year, Asheville Fashion Week, one of the most highly anticipated fashion events in town, returns. Tickets are on sale now!

From "The Sun." Photo: Christopher Greene
Tarocco: A Soldier's Tale is a gorgeous, unique production from Fox and Beggar Theater playing through the weekend at Diana Wortham in downtown Asheville. Includes a photo gallery from Christopher Greene.

GritVegas Weekend Update
It's going to be hot this weekend, Asheville! We've got 5 tips to beat the heat, plus a whole bunch of events that will keep your weekend cool (in every sense of the word).

Underground Sound
Announcing the launch of our music video competition! Underground Sound: The Path to Music Video Asheville gives area musicians the chance to win $2500 towards a professionally-produced music video that will be automatically entered into the 2017 Music Video Asheville event! Open for entries now through September 15th.

A Mall Downtown?
In 1980, citizens of Asheville had the vision to vote against a mall that would forever change the character of downtown. Let's take a minute to see what that would have looked like and what we would have lost.

Teatro del Gusto
Sunday night at the Orange Peel, Teatro del Gusto--a theater of pleasures--takes the stage with original burlesque, circus arts, dance, and more! We're giving away 2 tickets when you leave a comment on this post. The winner will be announced Friday at 5 pm!

Tarocco: A Soldier's Tale
Tarocco: A Soldier's Tale is a vibrant story set during WWI that also tells the archetypal journey of the Fool through the tarot's Major Arcana. It will be performed by Asheville's Fox and Beggar Theater this weekend at the Diana Wortham Theatre.

Musashi Xero/Xero God at All Go West. Photo: Shayanne Gal
Asheville's Musashi Xero (Tyler Jackson) reflects on the past two years of his musical and personal evolution, including his collaborations with members of the Asheville Beat Tape Collective and his upcoming projects with Xero God.

GritVegas Weekend Update 7/14-17
Welcome to your weekend in Asheville!

Blue Ridge Rollergirls
The Blue Ridge Roller Girls are taking it vintage Asheville derby in their final home game of the season, happening July 16th at the US Cellular Center.

asheville gate
We take a look at what Patton Avenue could look like if it were to have an official gateway entry to downtown Asheville.

Steve Gunn
Steve Gunn and the Outliners hit the Mothlight stage on Wednesday, July 13th with openers Spacin' to celebrate his new album, Eyes on the Lines, out now on Matador Records.

GritVegas Weekend Update June 7-10
This weekend, beat the heat with these awesome events. Live music, benefits, fundraisers, and fashion shows are just a few of the options. What are you going to do?

Asheville Parklet
When is a parking space not a parking space? When it's a parklet! Cities everywhere have transformed the 9'x18' spots into mini parks; what if Asheville did the same?

Erik Lars Myers as Twiggy Stardust
Erik Lars Myers, President of the NC Brewers' Guild, founder of Mystery Brewing, and author of North Carolina Craft Beer and Breweries, will be at Malaprop's Bookstore in downtown Asheville on Wednesday, July 6th.