Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Some of what’s going around:
–Eater.com has a look inside the newest Tupelo Honey restaurant opening in Atlanta.
–Woodpecker Pie is set to open inside The Mothlight on Haywood Road in West Asheville later this month. From Woodpecker Pie on FB:
We were inspected by all the inspectors and granted our certificate of occupancy. Woodpecker Pie will open for business Friday June 24th at 5pm. Thanks for all the support and encouragement. Kickstarter rewards for those who donated are being assembled and heading your way soon.
-An opening reception for Sunset Motel, a new art exhibition at Push Gallery inside PUSH skate shop, will be held from 6-10 p.m. on June 24. Here’s more:
Sunset Motel marks the 3rd exhibition by artist couple and collaborators, Brock Forrer and Ally Alsup. Since moving to North Carolina from Alaska a year ago, Alsup and Forrer have changed their medium and direction from printmaking and sculpture, to large scale acrylic paintings. Their imagery is a combination of graphic portraiture, architecture, and vintage ephemera. With no obvious concepts being drawn on, the duo relies on the narrative between their work and imagery to convey meaning and intention. Overall, Sunset Motel is the artists’ everyday depiction of what it has meant to leave home and start over in a completely new place.
-A collaborative effort between Jackson County and Mainspring Conservation Trust will open 308 acres for public access, creating additional space for people to hike, hunt and fish in the area, according to a press release. More:
Mainspring, a Franklin-based regional non-profit land trust serving the six western-most counties in North Carolina, was able to purchase the property with the help of $140,000 contributed by the Jackson County Commissioners. The property is strategically located between two tracts owned by the National Forest Service. Linking the public lands will bridge those two tracts into a larger tract of accessible public property.
Located in the community of Little Canada in Jackson County, the property originally belonged to H.B. Wood. When he died in 1931 without a will, the property was shared among his 11 children. As the years passed, the number of descendants grew to eventually reach more than 100, leading the land to be known as the “Wood Heirs” property.
“The Commissioners believe it was in the best interest of the citizens of Jackson County to have the Wood Heirs property become part of the NC State Game Lands,” says Brian McMahan, Chairman of the Jackson County Commissioners. “This would allow for perpetual access for recreational purposes, which is an investment in the quality of life for the residents here. We were happy to partner with an outstanding conservation organization like Mainspring to make that happen.”
The property will be enrolled in the State’s Game Lands program to be managed by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Mainspring expects the property to be open to the public by late fall 2016. For more information, visit www.mainspringconserves.org and visit the “Our Projects” section.
–Asheville on Bikes presents the 10th annual Summer Cycle on Sunday, June 26, according to a press release. More:
The summer social ride begins at Second Gear on Haywood Rd in West Asheville, rolls through a variety of neighborhood streets before connecting to Hominy Creek and French Broad greenways and culminates at Kolo Bike Park located on the Crowne Plaza grounds with Oskar Blues Brewing, food trucks and mountain biking. The ride ends at Kolo Bike Park located at the Crowne Plaza Resort where participants can enjoy the biking trails for a discounted rate of $5, demo a bike from a local bike shop, and enjoy an Oskar Blues beverage. 100% of all beverage sales support Asheville on Bikes.
–Asheville YogaFest will be held July 8-10 at the Morris Hellenic Cultural Center in the Montford neighborhood, 227 Cumberland Ave. Here’s more from a press release:
A special locals only ticket for all three days of the festival is now on sale for $100. The locals only price is available for Buncombe County residents, public servants, non-profit workers and students in order to make this yoga celebration accessible to the local community. Asheville YogaFest 2016 is a project of the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission.
Asheville YogaFest 2016 will showcase its evolution into the preeminent yoga festival in the Southern United States, as prominent yoga teachers from around the South will team up with luminaries from the yoga mecca of Asheville to present three full days of deep yoga practice. Notable yoga teachers from Chattanooga, Atlanta, Birmingham, Charleston, Pensacola, Raleigh and Charlotte will align with eight of Asheville’s best to create a real regional experience and expose yogis to a wide variety of yoga styles. This will allow locals to practice with many master teachers that they have never seen while still honoring local favorites.
Asheville YogaFest will present 12 thematic two-hour yoga workshops and will also unveil YogaTalks on Friday night. YogaTalks are a yoga-centric take on Ted Talks, where five noteworthy speakers will present 12 minute talks with a focus on cutting edge yoga theory and practice. Saturday night, Asheville YogaFest 2016 is honored to welcome hometown kirtan favorite, Osel featuring Michael Johnson, for an uplifting mantra driven concert.
There will also be a vendor village with approximately 25 exhibitors.
Asheville is deep in the practice of yoga, with more studios and more practitioners than any city of similar size. It is well known in the yoga community across America that there is something special happening here. In order to allow inclusion of local practitioners, a deeply discounted $100 ticket, all inclusive, is available on the website, ashevilleyogafest.net. Limit of 100 tickets.
