Warm weather in Asheville means there’s tons to do this weekend…

Gemfest 2008
10am-6pm Friday & Saturday; 11am-5pm Sunday. Colburn Earth Science Museum, Pack Place. Tons of dealers, free admission to the museum, silent auction.

Lighten Up Yoga: Free Yoga Day
Classes from 9am-4pm. Door prizes every hour. Open to new students, current students can play free if they bring a friend or family member.

Naked Bike Ride(please beware of naked photos on this Web site, click only at your own discretion).
Why? To make an impactful statement about world dependency on oil and petrochemicals. To protest the war in Iraq and the Middle East; to make a statement for Peace, civil rights and personal sovereignty. -From the Web site.
11am at the French Broad Co-op at 11am for a ride through downtown. Organizers work with the Asheville Police Department, and nearly everyone covers the ‘important bits’ - so while you might see scantily-clad people biking downtown on Saturday, you probably won’t see complete nudity.

Knit in Public Day
11am at Charlotte Street Park/EW Grove Park.

Urban Block Party
Food, beer, and music. On Eagle Street from 4-9pm.

Ferral Chihuahuas
Sketch comic hilarity at 35Below, show times are 8 pm & 9:30 pm.

I stumbled upon this really amazing kids’ fundraiser being held at Lake Lure, Lure of the Dragons.

The event is being held at Lake Lure, the site of Dirty Dancing and a really beautiful and fun place to visit. (About 45 minutes from Asheville.)

Teams (anyone can sign up!) will race small dragon boats just beginning to be exported from China - in fact, this is the first exclusive small boat race in the United States!

The race is held in concert with the Asian-American and Southern Culture Festival, which will offer all day food, crafts, music, dance, demonstrations, games, inflatable play park and a playground for the kids, and a picnic area.

And, the best part of the event is that all of the proceeds go to WNC non-profits or services that work to improve quality of life for children and teenagers.

The Lure of the Dragons - boat race & festival
May 10, 2008
8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Morse Park at Lake Lure, NC

Read more about the event, beneficiaries, and how to sign up for a team at the Lure of the Dragons Web site link at the top of this blog entry.

For those who might be interested in traveling to the area and putting Lake Lure (and this event) on your itinerary, you may also want to check out the Asheville Mountain Discovery Pass, with a free ticket to Lake Lure Tours, and Chimney Rock Park.

Chimney Rock is minutes away from Lake Lure - which makes it an easy extra for a short weekend in WNC.
The Park is open all day, and tickets are $14 adult, $6 youth, free under 6.

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Although it doesn’t sound like a name for an appetizing (though smelly) treat, ‘ramp’ actually refers to a vegetable, also known as wild leek, that grows wild in Appalachia every spring.

According to a National Geographic article, ramps come from the same family as onions, garlic, and scallions. Therefore, they taste like a ‘garlicky onion’ - which, in my opinion sounds YUMMY. Ramps, however, also make you stink. They have a strong pungent odor, which - like garlic - leaks out of your pores after consumption.

Ramps, native to our WNC mountains (and the rest of Appalachia), are harvested in the wild and only grow between the time the snow melts and the leaves come back on the trees. They grow in the Blue Ridge, Great Smokey Mountains, and the Appalachian Mountains.

Ramp festivals have become really popular among small-town locals and tourists - causing some to fear that the mass harvesting is harming the abundance of ramps. In fact, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in NC and TN has banned ramp harvesting since 2002.

Read this article, jam-packed with interesting tidbits about ramps.

If this interests you as much as it interested me (I didn’t even know about it, and I’m a native North Carolinian who’s lived in WNC for over 4 years!), check out some of the ramp festivals happening nearby. It’s a great time of year to visit Western NC and Asheville, too.

• Robbinsville Smokey Mountain Romp & Ramps Festival. Sat, April 26. Nature walks, workshops, music, and dinner. Stecoah Valley Arts Center. Call 800-470-3790.
• Waynesville Ramp Festival - Sun, May 4. American Legion Field. Call 828-456-8691.
• Crossnore Ramp Festival - May 24-25. Bluegrass music, dancing, and ramp recipes to try. Jim & Jennie’s Music Barn and Campground. Call 828-733-2807.

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The Orange Peel is known for showcasing the best of local music and well-known musicians, including Bob Dylan and a 10-night visit by the Smashing Pumpkins.

The Orange Peel: Social Aid and Pleasure Club, for those who are not familiar, is often considered Asheville’s hottest music venue.

The venue itself has a main open area for dancing, plus some seating in the back for those who need a break. The building has been set up with some great acoustics, so even picky ears are likely to be happy with the sound. There is also a fully stocked bar (beer and wine, including great local brews on tap) that runs the entire length of the room with several pay stations for quick transactions.

Coming this season to the Orange Peel (click the name of the act for more info)…

Rusted Root
Sunday, March 16th

Michael Ian Black (comedy show)
+ Michael Showalter
*Recently rescheduled to Friday, April 4th

Citizen Cope
Tuesday, April 8th

Lifehouse
Thursday, April 10th

Lou Reed
Tuesday, April 29th

Josh Ritter
+ Ingrid Michaelson
Friday, May 2nd

X
+ Detroit Cobras
Wednesday, May 28th