While studying Fiber Art at the University of Texas, Rachel Elise Aughtry put her passion for arts and crafts to practical use by designing and making bags she then sold at a local coffee shop and on a crafts marketplace that was brand-new at the time: Etsy.
Before pursuing art full-time, Kevin Andrew earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in Civil Engineering, worked in corporate America and exited a successful entrepreneurial business.
After a hiatus during recovery and rebuilding after Hurricane Helene, the fun, friendly and colorful 18th Annual Mermaid Parade & Festival returns to downtown Marshall on Saturday and Sunday, June 6–7. Festivities kick off Saturday at 12 p.m.
There was a time in Western North Carolina when survival depended on one thing: a dog with grit. “The region was still wild country, and a good dog was integral to survival as a hunter, a protector and a friend,” says Bob Plott, a descendant of the family behind the Plott hound, a rugged big-game hunting breed.
Back in 2017, Dave Bohager noticed a major gap in the community landscape of Mars Hill: there was no local coffee shop. “When we traveled we would always visit local coffee shops and knew Mars Hill was in desperate need of one,” he says.
In May, I like to play a game called How Many Friends I Can Feed Strawberry Desserts To. The prizes awarded inherently within the game are manifold: I get to experiment with baking, I get to feed people I love and I get to consume absolutely delicious, fresh, fruity treats. There are truly no losers.
The 29th Annual Bluff Mountain Festival returns on Saturday, June 13, drawing musicians, artists and families to the grounds of the Hot Springs Resort and Spa for a full day of traditional Appalachian culture.
The sixth annual Pastoral Palette Art Gala, presented by the Appalachian Barn Alliance, will take place Friday, May 22, and Saturday, May 23, at the historic Ivy Building on the A-B Tech campus.
The Laurel of Asheville is available in both print and digital editionsWe are delighted you have chosen us to be your gateway—both through our popular print Asheville lifestyle magazine and our website—to the arts, culture, and communities that comprise the remarkable area that is Western North Carolina. In these pages, you will find behind-the-scenes stories about the region’s concerts, theatre and dance productions, festivals, restaurants, artists, and the multitude of locally-based businesses. We also enjoy bringing you features about the people and organizations who are caring for those in need, protecting our historic heritage, preserving our rich and diverse environment, and nurturing our cultural soul.
