Hello Friday.
April 19 2024
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Fontana Lake (located ~1.5 hours away in Bryson City) is one of WNC’s most popular outdoor destinations. While it’s well known as the region’s largest lake with the tallest dam east of the Rocky Mountains, the abandoned town of Judson that lies beneath the lake’s waters is less well known. Today, let’s take a dive (see what we did there?) into its underwater past.
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A 1940s-era look at what would become Fontana Lake. I Photo via Buncombe County Special Collections
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The former small town located in Swain County had ~600 residents and a small variety of shops including a sawmill and a post office. Life in the small town was typical until the 1930s and 1940s, when Swain County sold an abundance of private land to the federal government to create Fontana Lake. The lake was created to supply hydroelectric power to companies producing aircraft, munitions, and ships during World War II.
Once Fontana Dam was completed in 1944 (creating the Fontana Lake reservoir upriver) Judson became submerged, and all residents were immediately displaced due to the flooding of thousands of acres. It’s a tragic loss for residents of the area whose homes and ancestral lands now exist underwater.
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A 1940s-era postcard showcasing Fontana Dam. I Photo via Buncombe County Special Collections
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To appease the 600 residents whose town + primary roadway were now submerged, the government offered to build a replacement road. The aptly named “Road to Nowhere,” whose sign can still be seen in the Smoky Mountains of Bryson City, was intended to be about 30 miles long, but only six miles and a tunnel ever came to fruition due to environmental concerns. In lieu of finishing the road, the US Department of Interior settled upon a $52 million payment to Swain County in 2018.
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Fontana Lake today. I Photo by @adamgravett
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While Fontana Lake today offers recreational opportunities like smallmouth bass fishing and houseboat rentals, it also offers views of the submerged ghost town when the lake is extremely low. With permission during drawdowns, visitors can sometimes still catch glimpses of it.
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Today
- Beauty Parlor Comedy: Alex Price | Wed., June 22 | 7-9 p.m. | Asheville Beauty Academy, 28 Broadway St. | $12 | Catch this Indianapolis-based comic who’s opened for comedy greats like Hannibal Buress and Dave Attell.
- Trivia Night | Wed., June 22 | 7-8:30 p.m. | Hi-Wire Brewing, 2A Huntsman Pl. | Free | Flex your random knowledge skills for the chance to win Hi-Wire gift cards.
- The Zen of Zin Fundraising and Adoption Event | Wed., June 22 | 4-7 p.m. | Metro Wines, 169 Charlotte St. | Meet adoptable pups + sample wines from five-time “Winemaker of the Year” Carol Shelton.
Thursday
- Smoking Meat | Thurs., June 23 | 6-8 p.m. | The Chop Shop Butchery, 100 Charlotte St. | $80+ | Smokemasters Ben Tzinberg + guest Shelton Steele demonstrate how to smoke chicken, sausages, pork, and beef using a variety of different devices. 🍖
- Libations Station Film Project: "Wild Waters" | Thurs., June 23 | 8-10 p.m. | Riveter, 701 Old Fanning Bridge Rd. | Free | From Olympic pools to wild rivers to world championship podiums, discover the incredible life of Nouria Newman, one of the world’s most gifted kayakers.*
- Magnetic Magic & Mayhem | Thurs., June 23 | 6:30-9:30 p.m. | 375 Depot St. | $40 | Join Magnetic Theatre for a carnival-themed fundraiser ft. live music, circus performers, games, prizes, and more. 🎪*
Friday
- Girls Glam Dinner with Mehfil | Fri., June 24 | 7-10 p.m. | Mehfil, 5 Biltmore Ave. l | $65 | Dress up for Indian fare with live entertainment.
- Flatland Cavalry | Fri., June 24 | 7 p.m. | The Orange Peel | $22 | Original country + Americana sounds from Lubbock, Texas.
Saturday
- Appalachian Homemade Wines Seminar | Sat., June 25 | 9-11 a.m. | Botanist & Barrel, 32 Broadway St. | $25 | Lyndon Smith and Amie Fields with Botanist & Barrel lead a seminar on crafting homemade wines using ingredients from our mountain landscape.
- Food As Medicine | Sat., June 25 | 6-9 p.m. | Devil’s Foot Beverage Company, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd. | An exploration of traditional and contemporary eating practices to improve physical, emotional, and mental health.
- Dog Days of Summer Pool Pawty | Sat., June 25 | 1-4 p.m. | Down Dog, 51 Sweeten Creek Rd. | Free | Dog pools, hard root beer floats, a gift basket raffle, and adoptable pups from Mountain Pet Rescue. 🐶
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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.
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The musical act “Liz and Elizabeth” performing at Arbor Evenings. | Photo provided by NC Arboretum
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Looking to add some magic to your summer nights? Enter: ArborEvenings, happening tomorrow (Fri., June 23) through Sept. 30.
Stroll through the Arboretum's gardens in the golden hour glow while listening to live music from a variety of local and regional artists. Bring a picnic or order in advance from the Bent Creek Bistro (by 11 a.m.) and enjoy beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase on-site. 🍷
Bonus: Admission is included with the Arboretum’s standard parking fee, and members get in free.*
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Weather
- 91º | Sunny | 1% chance of rain
Community
- Pisgah Legal has launched the WNC Health and Economic Opportunity Program, a program designed to help working families making less than $58,000 annually to access income-boosting tax payments + enroll in affordable health insurance. Get more info.
Regional
- Henderson County has received almost $10.5 million in grant funding to help with the 19-mile Ecusta Trail. The trail will connect Hendersonville to Brevard and be built along inactive rail lines. Construction, which will likely begin next summer, is expected to last ~18 months. 💰 (WLOS)
Try This
- Attention, foodies. There’s a new local food walking tour in town. Vegan Friendly Tours, the brainchild of Shammah Waller of Black Wall Street AVL, partners with local restaurants like Strada Italiano to showcase meatless eats around the city. Learn more. 🥦 (WLOS)
Eat
- Looking for a new dish to try your hand at? Local chef and recent Top Chef competitor Ashleigh Shanti has shared her recipe for hot-pan fried fish with buttermilk tartar sauce. The dish blends Appalachian + West African flavors — and we doubt anyone will judge you for licking your plate. 🐟
Cause
- The Devils Courthouse Rovers, a new Blue Ridge Parkway volunteer program, aims to restore area peregrine falcons. Devils Courthouse (near milepost 422.4) is an ideal nesting spot for the endangered raptors, yet increased visitation has negatively impacted their habitat. Get more info here. 🦅 (Smoky Mountain News)
- Looking for a way to give back? Consider donating blood at The Blood Connection. Bonus: Donate between Tues., June 28-Tues., July 5 and receive a $20 eGift card + t-shirt.🩸*
Featured
- Jackson County-based author David Joy has been featured in the latest issue of Garden & Gun. The award-winning scribe’s essay details the life lessons you can find when you’re quiet + still, deep in the woods. Explore for yourself. 🌲
Read
- Looking for your next summer read? Blue Ridge Public Radio asked listeners, librarians + literature lovers across WNC to suggest reads they think best represent the Tar Heel State. Get your library (or debit) card ready and check out this list of works. 📚
Plan Ahead
- After a three-year hiatus, the AVL Scarefest will return Fri., Oct. 21 to Sun., Oct. 23. The sixth annual event will be held at the Montreat Convention Center in nearby Black Mountain and will feature a variety of role-playing + board games, including Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get tickets.
Health
- Cancer treatments can leave survivors with long-term challenges. The Center for Integrative Oncology and Survivorship's goal is to help reduce the stress and side effects of cancer treatment, strengthen the immune system + encourage discovery of new ways to cope. Learn more about being restored to full health.*
A pet message from our sponsor
- “Whiskey the Rottweiler was given less than 24 hours to live, and the referring veterinarian was sure he was going to die. But I made one simple change that saved Whiskey’s life, and kept him healthy for years and years.” *
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Forget frozen or takeout. On Thurs., July 28 at 6 p.m., White Labs Brewing Co. Kitchen & Tap (known for its innovative food + drink fermentation) will offer a pizza making class.
This hands-on cooking class will show you how to make pizza dough using Brewer’s yeast. And in addition to receiving two pizza dough balls to take home, attendees will also receive house-made pizza sauce, mozzarella, and fresh basil — plus a complimentary beer and a slice of pizza.
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Editor's pick: I was excited and saddened to learn about Judson. As a WNC native, I was shocked I'd never heard of it until very recently, which is what prompted me to write this piece. Are there any other obscure NC spots or tales you want to know about? Please let me know.
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