Celebrate Earth Day in Asheville

It's hard to imagine a more idyllic setting than western North Carolina to celebrate Earth Day this upcoming weekend. If you live in the area, be sure to come out and celebrate with us and learn more about promoting and protecting our local environment . If you don't live here, it's the perfect opportunity to bring your family or your friends (or better yet, bring them all) to Asheville, NC. Drink in the spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, inhale the cool fresh air, and gaze upon all of the lush spring foliage this area has to offer this time of year.

In addition to immersing yourself in our relaxing natural surroundings (which is reason enough to visit or reside here), plan to take some time out to visit some of the Earth Day celebrations that are going on locally. There is something for everyone to enjoy with an educational and cultural focus on what we can all do to increase sustainability, conservation, and appreciation of our earth.

In downtown Asheville on Saturday April 21, you can find the 5th Annual Asheville Earth Day Festival happening on Lexington Avenue beginning at noon and continuing until 10p.m. This is a free festival that has something for everyone in the family to enjoy.

Check out some of the featured Asheville Earth Day Festival highlights this year:

• Musicians from various genres including special performances from Underhill Rose, New Orleans Suspects, Mark Farina Mushroom Jazz, The Fritz, and Floodwood (members of Moe).
• Leaf in Schools and Streets performance.
• Eco-friendly speakers.
• A Kids Village that provides fun and educational activities encouraging environmental awareness.
• An Eco-Village highlighting non-profit and local business organizations providing demonstrations, exhibits, and performances on community involvement in environmental change.
• Food from Green Light Cafe, local vendors, and more!
• (We could tell you more but we think you should come and see for yourself!)

If you're thinking of heading out of downtown Asheville that day, Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa is also hosting an Earth Day celebration on its campus from 8a.m. to 4p.m. which features a family-friendly day of presentations, workshops, and old-time music. Events are free except that some workshops require a small materials fee. The theme here centers around Sustaining Our Mountain Culture and Environment and promoting skills for acting locally.

Some additional Earth Day at Warren Wilson College features include:

• Western North Carolina Plein Air Painters (WNCPAP) will be on hand painting various pastoral scenes from the Swannanoa Valley setting. The artwork painted that day will be available for sale from 4-5p.m. with WNCPAP donating 30 percent of the sales to support programs of Warren Wilson's Environmental Leadership Center. 
• Fiddles & Folklife is an annual Appalachian folklife festival and old-time music competition held from noon to 5p.m. at the Bryson Gym on campus. There are categories for fiddle, banjo and string band, including a youth category (ages 16 and under) for banjo and fiddle.
• Other activities include horse-drawn wagon rides, cakewalks, jam sessions, food and craft vendors, fiber arts, blacksmithing and other folklife demonstrations. 

We hope we have whet your appetite for some of the fun (and informative) things happening here this weekend. If so, make your plans now! If you can't make it this weekend, come see us any time of the year. There are always things to see and do here that we know you will enjoy.

Asheville Connections has a wide variety of vacation rentals to suit your specific needs. We offer everything from condos to cabins, chalets to luxury homes, and so much more. We can help you find accommodations in downtown Asheville if you're looking for convenience to this weekend's festival.

Do you have a favorite Asheville activity? We always love hearing about your Asheville adventures so please share them with us in our comment section!