Cool Off at Sliding Rock

Sliding Rock

Sliding Rock has been a popular cooling off spot in the North Carolina mountains for many years. Located in the Pisgah National Forest near Brevard, the natural 50-foot waterslide delights many thousands each summer. They make a splash in a pool and swim a few strokes to the shore, get in line, and do it all over again. Lifeguards supervise the fun during the peak summer months. It’s near Looking Glass Falls along the Forest Heritage Scenic Byway, about 38 miles from downtown Asheville. Changing rooms and restrooms are open during the summer swimming season and the area is lifeguard protected from Memorial Day to Labor Day from 10 AM to 5:30 PM. Sliding Rock is also open when lifeguards are not working. Cost to enter the recreation area is $2 per person (no credit cards).

Here are the latest tips and regulations for Sliding Rock:

• You must know how to swim (the pool is approximately 8 feet deep).
• Children under 7 years of age must slide with an adult (one adult per child and child must be able to swim).
• Wear jean shorts since the rock can tear other material. Water shoes recommended.
• Everyone must slide in a seated position only.
• Coast Guard approved life jackets are the only floatation devices allowed.
• Pets must be on a leash, and are not allowed on the rock, or in the swimming area.
• Organized group limit is 50 people per day.  Groups of any type, including organizational/summer camps, must sign in with collection officer/lifeguard before sliding.  Best time for large groups is before 11am or after 4pm; otherwise, the area may be too full to accommodate your group.
• The following are prohibited at Sliding Rock:  all foods, glass containers, and use of alcoholic beverages.
• Fishing is prohibited on the rock and sliding area.
• When the parking lot is full:  The Forest Service does not regulate parking and does not guarantee parking spaces will be available.  First come, first served.
• Watercraft (kayaks, rafts, tubes, etc.) are not allowed on Sliding Rock, or in the swimming area.

Directions from Asheville: Take I-26 East to Exit 40 for Highway 280 (Asheville Airport). Take a right onto Highway 280 West and go 16 miles toward Brevard. As you enter the Brevard area, you will see a big shopping center on the right (with Wal-Mart). Just past the center, turn right onto US Highway 276 North (Forest Heritage Scenic Byway) to enter the Pisgah National Forest. Go  7.6 miles to a parking area on the left. It is near Looking Glass Falls, Looking Glass Rock, Daniel Ridge Falls and Cradle of Forestry. From the Blue Ridge Parkway, take U.S. Highway 276 South at Milepost 412 for eight miles.

Go to our Sliding Rock Guide for more. Find other swimming holes in Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville.

4th of July Fireworks & Celebrations in Asheville & North Carolina Mountains

July 4th Fireworks

Here’s a list of special events, festivals, parades and fireworks for July 4th celebrations in and near Asheville, North Carolina. For more details, go to our Asheville July 4th Guide.

Downtown Asheville: Festivities start July 4 at 4 PM in Park Square Park and close with fireworks at 9:30 PM, with live music, old-fashioned games and a variety of food from area vendors. Free

Tourist Baseball Game Fireworks: On July 2 & 3, the popular baseball and fireworks double feature begins at 7:05 PM when the Asheville Tourists host the Augusta Greenjackets. Tickets go on sale now and will sell-out ahead of time.

South Asheville Fireworks: At Lake Julian, fireworks show starts at dark, but come early. Bring your lawn chair or blanket and find a spot along the lake. The park offers picnic tables, grills, a sand volleyball court, two horseshoe pits, boat rental and a playground. Free

Downtown Brevard: After a morning 5K/10K Firecracker Run, downtown streets are closed for a big Fine Arts & Craft Showcase. The Classic Automobile Show stretches for blocks and the Courthouse Gazebo is center stage for musical entertainment. Fireworks at 9:30 PM.

Black Mountain/Montreat: Montreat will host a parade on July 4 at 10:30 AM. barbecue lunch available at noon for $10. Black Mountain will have family fun and fireworks beginning at 7 PM on July 4. You can also watch the fireworks from top Sunset Mountain with a hike led by the Swannanoa Valley Museum.

Weaverville: This small town a little north of Asheville will have fireworks at Lake Louise.

Orchard at Alta Pass on Blue Ridge Parkway: The annual covered dish picnic is open to all. Live music all day is free! Admission for the meal is a dish to share or $10 per meal. The Orchard provides fresh barbecue, water, iced tea and paper goods.

Cherokee: 4th of July Fireworks display is at the Acquoni Expo Center.

Hendersonville: July 4th Fireworks display at dark, viewable from downtown Hendersonville, with free live outdoor music 7-9 PM downtown at 201 South Main (Visitors Center).

Lake Lure: Watch color explode in the sky from the shores or take a ride on a Lake Lure Tours boat for the best seat in the house.

Waynesville: The Stars and Stripes daytime celebration runs from 11 AM to 3 PM along Main Street with music and sidewalk sales on July 4. No fireworks in downtown Waynesville, but see them nearby in Maggie Valley and Lake Junaluska.

Maggie Valley: Red White & Boom, 2-11 PM and Fireworks blast at 10 PM at Maggie Valley Festival Grounds.

Cashiers: Cashiers Mountain Music Festival on June 30 & July 1. Fireworks at dark on July 1 at 9:30 PM.

Franklin: 4th of July Parade in Historic Downtown at 10 AM. Fireworks at dark at Macon County Veteran’s Memorial Rec Park. U.S. 441 South.

Dillsboro: Enjoy free play with different games on July 4th around town – checkers, horseshoes, corn hole and more. Entertainment begins at 5 PM on the main stage at the intersection of Church Street & Front Street. Fireworks will begin at dark from Harrison Quarry. There are lots of good places to watch the fireworks – just ask a local.

Old Fort: Community Picnic on the grounds of Mountain Gateway Museum between 1 and 3 PM. Bring your food, drinks, chairs, blankets. Afterwards, stroll out to Catawba Avenue and watch the Independence Day Parade that begins at 4 PM.

For more details, go to our Asheville July 4th Guide. Also see our Top 20 Picnic Spots and our list of vacation packages at hotels, cabins and B&Bs.

New Videos: Three Waterfalls Along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina

Crabtree Falls is accessed via a three-mile hike from the Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 339.4. While the Crabtree Falls campground, picnic area and visitor center are closed this year, the hiking trail is open! See more at www.romanticasheville.com/crabtree_falls.htm.

Setrock Creek Falls is just a few miles off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Pisgah National Forest, at the base of Mt. Mitchell. It’s a one-mile easy roundtrip hike from the parking area at the Black Mountain Campground. See our new guide at www.romanticasheville.com/setrock_creek_falls.htm.

Roaring Fork Falls is a 100-foot long cascade near Setrock Creek Falls. Take the easy one-mile hiking trail to enjoy. It’s especially impressive after a big rain. See our new guide at www.romanticasheville.com/roaring_fork_falls.htm.

These three waterfalls are near Linville Falls, perhaps the most photographed waterfall in North Carolina. For more, see our Top 25 Waterfalls near Asheville and our comprehensive Blue Ridge Parkway Guide. Enjoy your visit in the Land of the Waterfalls in the mountains of western North Carolina.

Memorial Day Weekend Festival & Events in Asheville & NC Mountains

Mountain Sports Festival

On Memorial Day Weekend, kick off the summer season in Asheville and the scenic North Carolina mountains  with some great festivals and events (in addition to all of the outdoor activities):

May 25-26: White Squirrel Festival (TOP PICK!)
Go nuts at the White Squirrel Festival in downtown Brevard that features a parade, plenty of live music, food, arts and much. It’s one of the mountains best free North Carolina music festivals of the year, giving prominence to national who are connected locally Transylvania County. Events include the  Squirrel Box Derby, guided white squirrel tours, “Memorial Day” Parade (Saturday at 9 AM), food and plenty of arts and crafts. Street Festival is Saturday 10 AM-6 PM and Sunday 12 Nooon-6 PM. Free admission. Read more about the White Squirrel Festival.

May 24-26: Mountain Sports Festival
Whether you’re a hardcore athlete or a newbie trying an event for the first time, the Mountain Sports Festival in West Asheville offers something for you while celebrating community, athletics and local business. The festival showcases the terrain, environment and unique culture of Asheville and the surrounding mountains. It’s organized by a volunteer group of community oriented citizens dedicated to the presenting of a well-balanced series of events that encourages participation on all levels. Live music and vendors in the Festival Village with free admission. Read more about the Mountain Sports Festival.

May 25-26: NC Arboretum Rose Show
The fragrant and vivid world of roses will be on display at the NC Arboretum. The annual Asheville-Blue Ridge Rose Society Exhibition features award-winning roses of every color and size. Experts answer questions and provide information about the selection, care, and history of roses. Educational programs will be offered throughout the weekend, including a special lecture presented by Paul Zimmerman, rose expert and author of the best-selling book, “Everyday Roses”, and a presentation by Biltmore Rosarian and Arboretum Board member, Lucas Jack, on the roses of Biltmore Estate. Free admission with typical parking fee. Read more about the Rose Show.

May 25-26,: Kenilworth Artists Open Studio Tour
Explore this neighborhood just five minutes from downtown Asheville, home to 20+ jewelers, painters, glass-workers, fabric artists, potters, woodworkers, photographers, and more that open their studio doors for sales and demonstrations. 10 AM-5 PM. Read more about the Kenilworth Art Studio Tour Guide.

May 25-26: Garden Jubilee Festival
This downtown Hendersonville festival is the ideal event for passionate gardeners searching for the perfect plants and unique lawn & garden accessories and arts & crafts, 10 AM-6 PM. It features more than 200 vendors, garden talks and food. Free admission. Read more about Downtown Hendersonville & Garden Jubilee.

May 25-June 1: Asheville Beer Week
Memorial Day Weekend kicks off Asheville Beer Week, with keynote speakers, education, tastings, dinners, and other beer-centric events. See our Asheville Beer Week Guide.

For more ideas for outdoor fun, go to our Top 100 Outdoors Guide.

For more upcoming festivals, see our Top 50 Asheville Summer Festivals & Events.

Ramps Ready at Asheville Restaurants

Ramps fans rejoice: Harvest time is ramping up for the North Carolina mountain’s beloved early-spring vegetables, which are found growing wild in forests and cultivated on forest land. According to ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project), their harvest is short—only two to three weeks. But, that won’t stop area Appalachian Grown™ partner restaurants in the Asheville area from reveling in ramps this month. Ramps’ flavor can be described as a mix of onion and garlic. How better to enjoy local food of the mountains?

“We’ll feature ramps as much as possible in the coming weeks,” says Jen Pearson of Guadalupe Cafe in Sylva. “They’ll be on our brunch menu, in nighttime specials, and—if they last until strawberries arrive—in a grilled ramps, fresh strawberry, and gorgonzola dish we like to do.”

Nate Allen, chef/co-owner of Knife & Fork, takes the same approach. “We do everything we possibly can with ramps: We make a pesto, we tempura batter and deep fry them, create flatbreads, sauté them with morels and serve over cheesy grits, you name it.”

Kaighn Raymond, executive chef/owner of Frogs Leap Public House in Waynesville, has been busy creating at least four new ramps dishes for the season, including skillet blackened Sunburst Trout with a spring succotash and grilled ramp broth, spring potato and ramp vichyssoise with local baby arugula, potato-ramp pancakes with a ramp crème fraîche, and a local morel and ramp pesto flatbread.

From pesto to pickles: Chestnut in downtown Asheville plans to pickle the piquant delicacy for use in their bar items, then grill local ramps for use throughout their kitchen dishes.

Elizabeth Button of Asheville’s Cúrate shares that ramps are very similar to calçots, an early-spring Spanish scallion. Cúrate plans to serve up the Southern staple Spanish-style with a Romesco sauce.

Highland Lake Inn in Flat Rock is also going the route of a special sauce; they’re blending local ramps into a béarnaise to serve with grilled asparagus as a side dish. They’re also making ramp butter to garnish their Sunburst Trout dinner dishes. How? “We clean the ramps well; toss them with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper; grill them lightly, purée with a little cream, and finish with softened butter in a mixer with a paddle attachment,” shares Sous Chef Matt Lineback.

Enjoy! See our list of Favorite Asheville restaurants.

Thanks to ASAP for the delicious looking photo!

Learning / Educational Summer Vacation with Asheville Artists

The Village Potters

Come for a week of arts fun as Asheville artists offer hands-on classes and workshops on June 24-29, 2013 at the Riverview Station and Village Potters in the River Arts District. The building is home to 24+ working artists. An educational or learning vacation gives you a fantastic souvenir to take home: a new skill and hobby. Learn about pottery, jewelry-making, basketry, painting, and/or woodturning.

At The Village Potters, Sarah Wells Rolland and Karen Dubois will lead a three-day wheel class entitled “Bowl Beautiful.” Judi Harwood will guide students in a hands-on raku experience, and in a second class she will demonstrate the making of her sonorous ceramic drums, with each student making their own before the drum class ends in a rousing jam session. As an added bonus, Cat Jarosz will teach a special Saturday Session on creating her singular ‘rat fink’ plush toy that is often seen peeking around pots in their gallery.

Other offerings at Riverview Station include workshops in Oils and Encaustics at River’s Edge Studio, woodturning at MH Libman Woodturning Studio, creating unique sterling silver and copper jewelry at Copper Fish Metal Arts, and basketry at River Oaks Studio.

The Village Potters is a fully equipped pottery housing the working studios of seven professional resident potters, and includes an exquisite gallery exhibiting and selling their fine, contemporary ceramic art, open Monday-Saturday. The Village Potters Teaching Center offers ongoing classes for adults, and children’s art camps and classes.

These mini-sessions and workshops are perfect for a memorable vacation to Asheville as you try their hands at a craft under the guidance of a professional instructor. With all studios at the same location, participants can enjoy multiple sessions, and families can find something to suit every taste over the course of the week. Class sizes are limited, and registration is required. More information is available at www.thevillagepotters.com or by calling 828-253-2424.

Asheville Tailgate Farmers Markets to Open for 2013

Asheville Farmer’s Market

Asheville NC Mountain Farmers Markets

It’s spring! Tailgate tents are going up, and Asheville area farmers markets are opening outdoors for the harvest season. At spring tailgates, expect fresh greens, spring onions and asparagus; meats, cheeses, baked goods, value-added farm items like preserves, and a wide selection of plant starts. Produce offerings will differ from market to market based on the location of vendor farms—microclimates vary greatly in the region.

Below is a list of spring tailgate opening days. Markets listed are all members of the Mountain Tailgate Market Association (MTMA), a collaborative group of farmer- and vendor-only area markets. For a complete list of the 90+ tailgates in the region, including their season start dates (a new feature for 2013!), visit ASAP’s online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org. The 2013 print guide hits stands in late April.

Asheville City Market: April 6, Saturdays 8 am-1 pm

Asheville City Market South: April 3, Wednesdays 1-5 pm

Bakersville Farmers Market: May 25, Saturdays 8 am-12 pm

Black Mountain Tailgate Market: May 4, Saturdays 9 am-12 pm

East Asheville Tailgate Market: May 17, Fridays 3-6 pm

Flat Rock Tailgate Market: May 2, Thursdays 3-6 pm

French Broad Food Co-op Wednesday Tailgate Market: April 3, Wednesdays 2-6 pm

Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market: April 20, Wednesdays/Saturdays 8 am-12 pm

Henderson County Tailgate Market: early spring TBA, Saturdays 7 am-12 pm

Historic Marion Tailgate Market: May 14, Tuesdays 3-6 pm, Saturdays 9 am-12 pm

Leicester Farmers Market: March 30, Saturdays 9 am-2 pm

Madison County Farmers & Artisans Market: April 6, Saturdays 9 am-1 pm

Mills River Farmers Market: May 4, Saturdays 8 am-12 pm

Montford Farmers Market: May 1, Wednesdays 2-6 pm

North Asheville Tailgate Market: April 13, Saturdays 8 am-12 pm

Oakley Farmers Market: May 9, Thursdays 3:30-6:30 pm

Spruce Pine Farmers Market: May 1, Wednesdays 2-5 pm

Transylvania Tailgate Market: April 20, Saturdays 8 am-12:30 pm

Waynesville Tailgate Market: May 15, Wednesdays/Saturdays 8 am-12 pm

Weaverville Tailgate Market: April 10, Wednesdays 2:30-6:30 pm

West Asheville Tailgate Market: April 9, Tuesdays 3:30-6:30 pm

Yancey County Farmers Market: April 20, Saturdays 8:30 am-12:30 pm

The big Western North Carolina Farmers Market is open every day in Asheville, year round.

See our Local Food Guide for Asheville and western North Carolina.