Plus, ELDR to open in spring

Hello Thursday.

April 25 2024

What’s the 828 without a little oddity? Thankfully for all us weirdos, the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival continues to delight + challenge locals to “stay weird” with experimental, out-of-the-box performances.

In honor of its 20th year — which runs in a virtual format Thurs., Jan. 27- Sun., Jan. 30 — we’re revisiting Asheville Fringe’s rich history of what organizer Jennifer Murphy describes as “an emotional rollercoaster of provocative performance, from the loony to the dark and vulnerable, from the playfully foolish to the soul-touching and scary.”

Circus artist Felicity Hesid performs at the now-defunct Mothlight in 2020. | Photo by Jennifer Bennett

So how’d all this madness start?

For the uninitiated, “fringe arts” have long been a tradition in the performing arts community and it’s believed to have originated in 1947 in Edinburgh, Scotland when a handful of groups were excluded from a mainstream annual arts festival + decided to perform anyway on the “fringes of the city.” The concept spread quickly, soon appearing in spots like San Francisco + Toronto — which is where Giles and Susan Collard of Asheville Contemporary Dance Theater caught wind of it back in the early 2000s.

Jim Julien performing his "slow-motion" act in 2003. | Photo via Fringe Fest

The duo launched the first-ever Asheville Fringe as three evenings at the BeBe Theater, with lots of dance-based performances, plus a very memorable showing from Jim Julien as the "slo-mo painted guy." Over the years, the festival has grown into a genre-defying, exhilarating staple of the Asheville arts scene, beckoning legends like the Butoh Parade and the Wicked Geisha Theater’s giant paper mache volcano (known to spew buckets of glitter on crowd goers).

Musical duo Charming Disaster will do a virtual tarot card reading this year. | Photo by Adrian Buckmaster

What’s happening this year?

Due to the pandemic, the festival has pivoted to a virtual lineup that’s “small but mighty.” There will be eight shows (most of which will repeat twice) which include four film nights + four live online shows of comedy, puppetry, opera, music, and storytelling. A “fringe binge pass” gives you full access to the shows — or you can purchase tickets a la carte.

Ready to get weird? Use the buttons below to share this story with a fellow fringe frequenter.

EVENTS

Today

Morgan Bost | Thurs., Jan. 20 | 7:30 p.m. | The Orange Peel | $10 | Laugh along with one of Asheville’s favorite comedians.
Money Visioning & Goal Setting | Thurs., Jan. 20 | 12-1:30 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Learn how to set financial goals + more in this online class by financial education and counseling business, OnTrack WNC.

Friday

The Pink Stones + Teddy and The Rough Riders | Fri., Jan. 21 | 8 p.m. | The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave. | $15 | A night of Southern-fried country rock. 🎸
Parker Mccollum | Fri., Jan. 21 | 8 p.m. | The Orange Peel | $35+ | Americana and country singer-songwriter based in Austin, Texas.

Saturday

Mustache The Band | Sat., Jan 22 | 8 p.m. | The Orange Peel | $12+ | Enjoy country hits from the 90s. 🎵
Roundtable Session for Women Entrepreneurs | Sat., Jan 22 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Focal Point Cowork, 125 S. Lexington Ave. | $26 | Take your business to the next level with this collaborative + supportive discussion.

Sunday

Art Break: A Living Language | Sun., Jan. 23 | 2-3 p.m. | Asheville Art Museum, 2 South Pack Sq. | With admission ticket | Take part in an informal gallery talk about A Living Language: Cherokee Syllabary and Contemporary Art, led by assistant curator Hilary Schroeder. 🖼
Girl Scout Cookies & Wine Pairing | Sun., Jan. 23 | 3 p.m. | North Carolina Wine Academy, 58 Wall St. | $25 | Sample six classic Girl Scout cookies paired with six different wines. 🍷

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

MORE EVENTS THIS WAY

You could take a beginner-friendly class with instructor Brian Cunfer on how to build a Windsor chair from scratch | Photo provided

Pop quiz: What’s located on 270 acres, is offering 400+ courses in 2022, and has taught Appalachian craft for 95+ years?

A: The John C. Campbell Folk School.

From basketry to calligraphy to woodworking, the Folk School offers classes for novices + experts alike to explore your creative side in a non-competitive, communal, and hands-on learning environment. Here’s some courses we have our eye on for the spring:

Organic Gardening in Appalachia | Feb. 27–Mar 4

Build Your Own Fiddle | Mar. 13-19

Home Cheesemaking | Apr. 10-16*

BROWSE THE CATALOG + REGISTER

NEWS NOTES

Weather

41º | Scattered showers | 40% chance of rain

Coming Soon

Do you still get misty remembering Over Easy Cafe? Us too, but now our tears are joyful, because ELDR (111 Grovewood Village Rd.) — a new restaurant from the same folks — is slated to open this spring. ELDR will offer all-day dining, plus cocktails, coffee + natural wines.

Civic

The City wants feedback on sidewalk improvements along West Asheville’s Vermont Ave. The project in question will address the 1,200 ft of damaged sidewalk that are not ADA compliant, as well as curb rehabilitation, ADA ramps, and crosswalks. Review the three options and submit feedback through Mon., Jan. 31.
Y’all know the drill. Due to surging COVID-19 cases, meetings for the Buncombe County 2043 Comprehensive Plan (and other official business) will pivot to virtual. The next meetings will take place today, Jan. 20 at 6 p.m. and Tues., Jan. 25 at 12 p.m. Participate through this portal. 💻

Job

The City of Asheville is hiring a Project Manager to execute the community’s vision for Pack Square Plaza (the former site of the Vance Monument). The position will be responsible for creating a “vision document” with detailed guidance on how the space can become equitable + inclusive for residents and visitors. Apply by Feb. 11.

Health

As of Jan. 18, COVID-19 infection rates have reached a new record high in Buncombe County. The local case rate is 1,152 new cases per 100,000 per week — an increase from last week’s 913 new cases per 100,000. The percent positivity is at 22.9%, with the 43.5% of new cases impacting ages 25-49.
Did you know Range Urgent Care offers memberships? Think: access to care for less than $1/day, with no copays. Learn about membership options.*

Biz

The latest cohort of the Small Business & Technology Development Center’s business fundamental course launches Feb. 1. The free “Taking the Leap” program lasts four weeks and is designed for entrepreneurs seeking support in bringing their business idea into reality. Apply here.

Number

45,000. That’s how many pounds of trash were collected at Tucker Creek Falls, thanks to a three-day cleanup effort led by the Pisgah Conservancy. More than 30 volunteers from all over WNC participated in the cleanup, including Waterfall Keepers of NC and Headwaters Outfitters.

Try This

The Track at Asheville will celebrate its one-year anniversary on Sat., Feb. 5 with “The Fauxlex 6 Hours,” a six-hour endurance race that’s modeled after the iconic Rolex 24 hour race. There will be lots of simulation racing, door prizes, motorsports trivia, drinks, and more. 🏁

Arts

The spring schedule for the NC Stage Company is now live. The lineup features two popular comedies: “Jeeves Intervenes” by Margaret Raether and “The Lifespan of a Fact” by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell, and Gordon Farrell. Check out showtimes.

Film

Asheville On Bikes is bringing back the third annual Bicycle Film Festival in a virtual format from Feb. 11-22. This collection of adventurous short films will feature an array of diverse stories from cyclists across the world. Tickets are available on a sliding scale. 📽️

Trending

Could plastic bag bans be in Asheville’s future? Mayor Esther Manheimer and a coalition of WNC nonprofits are looking into a plan that would outlaw plastic bags while charging customers 10 cents per each paper bag, but it’s unclear if it will gain approval from the General Assembly. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

Eat

Curious about the social etiquette of dining during a pandemic? The Asheville Citizen-Times has assembled a guidebook that includes advice on how to navigate potentially awkward and concerning scenarios. Check it out. 🍽️

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📸 @avl_littlethings

It’s a quintessential Asheville experience — while out on a stroll, you look down at the sidewalk or in a stranger’s front yard and you notice a tiny, extraordinary scene. Take these flamingos hanging out in a snow sled, for instance.

We love that there’s an Instagram page @avl_littlethings that’s dedicated to the “easily overlooked” doses of joy that are scattered about town. We hope these shots inspire you to savor the small details of our city just a little bit more.

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THE WRAP

Editor's pick: Speaking of little wonders, have y'all ever seen little "fairy houses" around town? I'm working on a photo series of these pint-sized buildings, so if you see one, please send a picture my way.

Missed yesterday's newsletter? Find out what's happening with the 2020 Protest Murals.

Today's edition by:

Laura

AVLtoday Team

Editorial: Brook, Laura, Sarah, Erin, Camille

Sales: Helen

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