FREE Concerts of the Quad at UNCA

This is my favorite time of year — time when you can spread a blanket out on the grass at UNCA and listen to great music on Monday evenings for several weeks in the summer.

The concerts take place at 7 p.m.  Signs point to the area for chairs and the other area to spread out blankets. All performances are free, with the exception of the Folkmoot ticketed performances.

This year’s Concert on the Quad series kicks off Monday, June 14, 2010 with Cool John Ferguson (blues, gospel and funk).

June 21: ELM. Collective—World music, jazz and fusion
 
June 28: Pan Jive—Energetic, genre-defying steel drums
 
July 5: April Verch—Traditional roots, fiddle and step-dancing
 
July 12: One Leg Up—Gypsy jazz
 
July 24–25—The 27th annual Folkmoot USA festival, the only ticketed event of the series, will feature folk dance and music from around the world. Folkmoot tickets range from $10-$25 and are available online at www.folkmootusa.org or by phone at 877/FOLKUSA.

Free Sledding Hill at Beech Mountain

Sledding conditions are great at Beech Mountain (elevation 5,506 feet) in the N.C. High Country. The best news: Kids 12  and under can sled FREE daily at the Beech sledding hill, located next to the Chamber of Commerce. Parents may ride with smaller children.

Plastic sleds are required. Folks are encouraged to bring their own sleds, or they may be purchased at stores on the mountain.

The sledding hill is operated by the Beech Mountain Parks and Recreation Department. It is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (weather permitting) with safety
personnel on duty. A loud speaker plays music and hot chocolate is available at nearby restaurants.

Parking and restrooms are provided by the chamber. People are encouraged to call the chamber at (800) 468-5506 to receive live updates on sledding conditions.

Additional info on the Beech Mountain sledding hill is available at: www.beechmtn.com.

Biltmore Estate Discounts

Big savings are available to those visiting Biltmore Estate from January 4 to March 18, 2010. Adult admission is only $35 IF you purchase the tickets online. But the savings don’t stop there. Kids ages 16 and younger are admitted FREE with a paying adult!

Buy online tickets HERE

Heritage Weekend at the Folk Art Center 9/19 - 9/20

Enjoy a full schedule of free traditional music, storytelling, dancing, and other entertainment at the 29th annual Heritage Weekend at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway. A highlight is the world whimmy diddle championship. If you’re not familiar with whimmy diddles, they are a pair of sticks, one with notches and a propeller. Rubbing the other stick against the notches causes the first stick to spin around. Also at the festival will be beekeepers, a blacksmith, basketweavers, and much more.

The entertainment runs from 11AM to 3PM on Saturday, September 19th, and from 12:30 to 3:30 on Sunday, September 20th.

Street Dances in Hendersonville, NC

In addition to the Friday night “Music on Main” concerts in Hendersonville, you can also kick up your heels in town on Monday nights.

The 91st Annual Street Dance kicks off July 6 and runs every Monday night through August 31. The dances will be held 7 to 9 p.m. at Visitors Information Center, 201 South Main Street.

The Street Dance comes alive with people square dancing and clogging to a band playing traditional bluegrass music. Special appearances by area clogging teams make for a entertaining, foot stomping evening.

Lively instructions are given to the dancers by a local caller. At 6:30 PM, caller Walt Puckett will teach audience members some basic square dancing, such as the Right Hand Across, Open the Garden Gate, and the Shoe Fly Swing moves mean in traditional Appalachian square dancing.

Bring a chair, but leave your pets and alcohol at home. FREE Event.

Free Music on Friday Nights in Hendersonville, N.C.

More FREE music this summer. The 11th Annual Music On Main Street presents a concert every Friday evening from June 5 through August 28 at the Visitors Information Center, located at 201 South Main Street in Hendersonville, NC.

Bring a chair, but leave your pets at home. Also, no alcohol. The music runs from 7 to 9 p.m.

Click here for the complete schedule.

UNCA Concerts on the Quad

One of my personal favorites for FREE summer music in the Asheville area takes place at UNCA. Get ready for the 27th Annual Concerts on the Quad June 15 - July 13. It’s a great family event — bring a blanket, chairs, picnic baskets, frisbees, and get ready to enjoy great music in a relaxed, family friendly atmosphere. No pets allowed, and if it rains the music will move indoors to Lipinsky Auditorium. Click here for the complete lineup.  The music begins at 7 p.m.

Clay Day at the Folk Art Center

Set your calendar for June 6, 2009 for a fun FREE family event at the Folk Art Center. Clay Day runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event features demonstrations of throwing on the potter’s wheel, hand building and surface design. There are hands-on activities for kids and adults.

FREE Family Film Festival This Summer!

I’m already strategizing about how to keep the kids entertained for part of the summer. I just found a great deal that makes it a little easier.

Selected Regal movie theaters, including two in Asheville: the Beaucatcher 7 and the Biltmore Grande Stadium 15, will offer FREE G and PG rated movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the festival.

All the details are listed here. The FREE movies begin at 10 a.m.

Beaucatcher 7 schedule:

Biltmore Grande Stadium 15 Schedule: