Press release here:
With magnificent Hickory Nut Gorge in the background, Asheville’s newest sustainable teaching and retreat facility, Laughing Waters Retreat Center, is celebrating its Grand Opening on Saturday, June 19, 2010 from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Festivities include live music, healthy food, kid’s activities, orchard tours, hikes, and a raffle offering free retreat, space rental and more.
“Imagine a holistic retreat offering a wide variety of classes, programs and gatherings in the middle of the Southern Appalachian Mountains,” says Jane Lawson, a local psychotherapist and co-founder of the retreat center.
Laughing Waters’ vision is to serve as a catalyst for positive change in the world and the mission is to offer a diversity of broad-minded programs and events to help people realize their fullest potential. Laughing Waters will offer and host events that promote environmental sustainability, healing arts, movement, yoga & dance, philosophy, natural building, esoteric studies, and much more.
“We’ve been creatively dreaming of a holistic, sustainable retreat center in the Asheville area for several years,” says John Myers, the co-founder of Hickory Nut Forest Eco-Community, where Laughing Waters is located. We are excited it is finally a reality and we can offer our first year’s calendar of interesting teachers and events.”
The brand-new 3200 square-foot facility is sustainably built, with extensive use of local, natural building materials from the surrounding area. “We plan to install a micro-hydro system on the creek later this year with the goal of becoming a ‘net-zero energy use building,’ meaning we make more energy than we use,” says Myers. “We want to demonstrate how to build a facility around renewable energy minimizing fossil fuel use.”
The Grand Opening offers Asheville and surrounding communities a chance to see the new retreat center, learn about upcoming classes and workshops, as well as get into the woods and experience a day of hiking, orchard tours, and kid’s activities. The Grand Opening includes an evening buffet of local, organic food catered by Jack Wedthoff of JackFood, a local catering business, and live music. Raffle prizes include a free weekend workshop, retreat facility rental and more.
WHAT: GRAND OPENING & LIVE MUSIC
WHERE: LAUGHING WATERS RETREAT CENTER
WHEN: JUNE 19, 3-9 pm: hikes, garden tours and kids’ activities from 3-6 pm, and dinner and live music from 6-9 pm
COST: FREE
FOR MORE INFORMATION & DIRECTIONS: Call John Myers at 828-712-4926 or email John@HickoryNutForest.com