The N.C. Arboretum (one of my favorite spots in town - the photos you see are ones I took 2 summers ago) is hosting a new monthly event called Twilight Tuesdays.

Twilight Tuesdays include free parking and admission to the arboretum as well as live music and access to the gardens, bonsai, and other exhibits. (Here’s the introductory Citizen-Times article regarding this event series.)

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Thanks to a recent BlogAsheville post about the new West Asheville ice cream shop for this blog idea!

One of my favorite things about Asheville in the summertime is all the local ice cream shops. Let’s face it: what the locals know is that there is no way any of the Cold Stones or TCBYs out there could compare with Ultimate or the Hop.

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July 4th in Western North Carolina. Several towns in WNC have fireworks and other festivities.

My personal favorite is downtown Weaverville, which, while still crowded, is more quaint and more easily manageable than fireworks in downtown Asheville.
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I love sushi. In fact, I might be a sushi addict, since I feel compelled to eat it at least once a week. Asheville is a great place for sushi lovers (or those who like Japanese food in general).

Here’s a list of sushi bars, in order of my personal preference. Click the names for Web sites, if available, or restaurant locations on Google maps.

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Thanks to commenter Pete Kennedy for bringing this to my attention.
I love getting tips and insights from those of you commenting on blog entries, so please keep it coming!

The Marshall River Arts District just began French Broad Fridays (sorry I didn’t include it last week before the opening night but now you’ll know for future Fridays!), which will continue every Friday through October.

This will undoubtedly be an amazing and fun way to breathe new life into downtown Marshall, located among the beauty of Madison County, and about 30 minutes (easy driving) north of Asheville. French Broad Fridays has food, dancing, shopping, performances, river activities, and more - most shops will keep their doors open until 9 pm.

Places to check out:
Feather Your Nest
Penland’s
Redneck Rafter
Good Stuff
Zuma
The Taqueria
Marshall High Studios, and other open art studios

Here is a map guide to French Broad Fridays, which has festivities from 5pm - midnight.

Did anyone have a chance to check out ‘opening night’? What did you think?

See this on our NEW blog!