When Zackary Vernon moved to Boone to begin teaching at Appalachian State University, he took on the personal challenge of trying to make ethical food choices: gardening, raising chickens, buying food from local farmers and volunteering at a certified organic farm.
Downtown Weaverville will once again transform into an open-air concert venue on Saturday, June 13, as the eighth annual Music on Main returns from 4–9 p.m. The free community festival will bring together live music, food trucks, craft beer, family activities and local sponsors along Main Street.
Set against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, La Vie en Rosé returns to Marked Tree Vineyard from Friday, June 12, through Sunday, June 14, offering a three-day immersion into art, music, fashion and wine.
The juried exhibition Connecting to Place: Blue Ridge Craft Trails Invitational 2026 opened in May and features the work of 20 craft artists from Western North Carolina.
On Saturday, June 13, the Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum at Grovewood Village will celebrate its 60th anniversary. The event will honor the legacy of Harry D. Blomberg, whose passion for automobiles and preservation helped shape both the collection and the broader Grovewood campus.
Souther Williams Vineyard, in Fletcher, will be the setting on Friday, June 12, for the Blue Ridge Orchestra’s (BRO’s) Summer Soirée, an annual fundraiser to help the non-profit orchestra pay for various venues at which to perform while its concert hall undergoes renovations.
Bryan E. Robinson’s latest novel is the second installment in his Einstein Brad Pope mystery series, which began with Way DEAD Upon the Suwanee River. He is already at work on the third and final book in this series that plays upon the titles of American folk songs with origins in slavery.
The Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) is an unmistakably beautiful bird that gives even the most avid birders pause. The male is adorned with vivid shades of blues, reds, yellows and greens that seem to fuse together, creating subtle and soft pinks, purples and hints of orange.
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.
