Goombay is back in 2014 and it's better than ever. The festival has many new and exciting things to look forward to this weekend. This year there is a focus on health, wellness and celebration of the many things Asheville calls part of its cultural scene.
Here are just FIVE reasons not to miss Goombay this weekend:
1. Our new location! This year because of the expansion on "the block" the event will be at
Pack Square park from 2-10pm on Friday and 10-10pm on Saturday. The Saturday celebration will kick off at 10am with yoga in the park with Denver Lululemon Ambassador
Tyrone Beverly with an amazing flow in the park, followed by the
Percussion Procession, which starts at Eagle Street and Biltmore Avenue complete with stiltwalkers, dancers and lots of drums!
2. Asheville is a place where people have moved in order to have a better place to raise their children. Thriving families are part of our culture and to that end there will be an incredible
kids area for children to learn, move, have fun and enjoy the weekend.
LEAF Easel Rider will be on deck sharing circus act and African drumming workshops as well as hip hop and African dance.
The Urban Arts Institute and the
Underdog Crew will be teaching a dance class on Saturday Morning and the
Asheville Mardi Gras Parade Krewe will be helping kids to make masks. There will also be
Cross Fit for kids on Saturday from 2-4 and we know how much Ashevillans love Cross Fit!!
3. AWESOME opportunities to
dance all day on both days.
Studio Zahiya is sponsoring a dance competition on Friday from 3-6 pm. for school aged attendees with a cash purse and
DJ Pride on the ones and twos. More dancing will follow with
DJ Supaman, who will spin more beats into the 9:00 with evening's headliner,
ZANSA!!! Some of our local favorite bands:
LYRIC,
Jonathan Scales Fourchestra,
Free Flow,
Hip Hop 4 Peace, and
Uprock Citizens Brigade and imported for your maximum groove pleasure
ReggaeInfinity and the
Mardi Gras Indians. No matter how you like to groove, there will be something there for everybody!
4. Beer! Are you even allowed to throw a festival in Asheville and not have beer? We will have tasty drinks from
Asheville Brewing Company,
French Broad Brewery,
Sierra Nevada, and
PBR.
5. AFTER PARTIES on Friday and Sunday nights at our friends' place
NEW MOUNTAIN both starting at 10pm!!! On Friday night you can get and up close performance with
101 Runners featuring Big Chief Juan Padro and original members of the
Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Acoustic Syndicate and
The Bluegrass Project. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 the day of. On Sunday night we bring you the man known as "The Hendrix of the Sahara"
Vieux Farka Toure with Mande Foly, son of legendary Malian Guitar Player,
Ali Farka Toure. Tix are $12 in advance, $15 the day of.
We have made sure to have something for everyone, whether you want to come out and hang for a little while or all day, this promises to be a weekend to remember! Let's celebrate culture in true Asheville style. You can find the complete schedule at
ashevillegoombayfestival.com
We'll see you on the green.
-Daniele Martin