Downtown Market survives building foreclosure, celebrates with ribbon-cutting

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Ribbon cutting is Friday Aug. 3, one-year anniversary event is Saturday Aug. 4.

From an email from Sly Grog and the Downtown Market:

The Downtown Market celebrates its one year anniversary of occupying a foreclosed building and cuts the ribbon on Sly Grog Wine and Beer Lounge August 3 at 11AM with The Asheville Chamber of Commerce.

One year ago the owners of 45 South French Broad Ave. in Downtown Asheville, were foreclosed on and ready to shut the doors on the multiple businesses that it housed. The vendors of the antiques, craft and art market, along with Hi-Fi Café and Amazing Savings decided to stay and wait it out, hoping they could rent from the bank that would own it.

The plan worked and The Downtown Market is a success story of economic recovery! Why?…because it’s time to see markets in a new light. This economy is not the post-war version or the post dot com economy. It is an economy of community, one where people care more about neighborhood accessibility, re-using resources, investing in things that are useful, well crafted, whimsical and thoughtfully put back into the economic loop and not into a landfill.

What does this have to do with a new wine and beer bar in Asheville? Well, Sly Grog is a meeting place, a crossroads, not only of diverse people but of traditions. Getting your stuff, food, clothing, home goods…should not demand that you leave your sphere of ease and go into an unnatural environment driven by corporate greed. The Downtown Market is becoming a center where most of the stuff you need can be procured without you having to barter your soul. Sly Grog is a natural extension of that atmosphere offering an inexpensive good beer or wine and a well-prepared economical small plate of food.

Come to 45 South French Broad, to the Downtown Market the weekend of August 3-4 for a celebration of this wonderful example of Asheville’s sustainable community and how it has fashioned its own brand of almost everything. There will be a Asheville Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting ceremony on Fri, Aug. 3rd at 11am, a community puppet show telling The DTM story at 11AM on Sat, rouge puppet sightings, an all day raffle of cool stuff, chair massages, henna tattoos, face painting, local music, food trucks and of course, happy hour-like beer and wine all the day.

From the Facebook event page:

Friday Aug. 3rd 11AM
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with The Asheville Chamber of Commerce!
Friday 5-7PM

Happy Hour and Community Toast! Meet the DTM community in Sly Grog Wine and Beer Lounge 2.0!
Saturday Aug. 4th
All Day One Year Anniversary Event
11am Family Friendly Puppet Show-The Market Story
Free Raffle w/ Cool Prizes! Drawing at 4:30
Food Trucks, Henna Tattoos, Foot Massages, Chair Massages, Tarot Readings, Face Painting, Leather Working Demo and Great Local Music all day!!!!

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1

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