Bele Chere (pronounced Bell Cher), the largest free outdoor street festival in the Southeast, will be held on
July 23-25, 2010 in downtown Asheville.
At a Glance (From 2009... 2010 details will go up in late Spring 2010)
Bele Chere is slimming down a bit in 2009, but it promises to be just as fun. The Asheville Parks & Recreation Department is bringing the festival back to a more manageable size and making it “100 percent free." Gone are the big-name ticketed concerts held last year at Memorial Stadium. The festival features four stages of free live music and an impressive array of arts and crafts; as well as entertainment and activities for children. With construction on the eastern end of College Street, the children's area is moving to the Asheville Civic Center. The festival ends one hour earlier than previous years (at 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday), but many clubs, bars and restaurants in downtown Asheville will remain open.
Bele Chere means "beautiful living" and comes from an ancient Scottish dialect. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the mountains of Western North Carolina, this is one of the Southeast's largest free outdoor street festivals. Bele Chere offers the unique opportunity to see, taste and hear some of the region’s finest art, cuisine and music. See photos from Bele Chere.
Stay in a B&B near downtown Asheville & walk! Small Bed & Breakfasts | Large Bed & Breakfasts
Music
The festival is committed to a diverse musical line up and features local, regional and national performers in genres including everything from Americana, Bluegrass, World and Reggae to Rock, Blues, Singer/Songwriter and more. A total of 43 acts will be providing plenty of entertainment. Local groups include The Afromotive, Balsam Range, Sons of Ralph and David Holt and the Lightning Bolts. National headlines include Cracker, Dar Williams, the Old 97s, Orleans and Webb Wilder and the Beatnecks. Download the 2009 Bele Chere Entertainment Schedule.
Art
Arts and crafts vendors will travel from all over the country to set up shop in the streets of Asheville to take part in the Bele Chere festival fun. This will present an opportunity to hopefully call one of these masterpieces your own. Metalwork, fabric, paint, ceramics, woodwork and a variety of other mediums will be featured throughout the festival. Stroll through the standard Festival Arts and Crafts, take some time to visit Arts Park to visit with the selected artists, and most importantly- enjoy the day.
Arts Park features the best artists of Bele Chere. These 60 artists are selected by area art professionals. Arts Park Artists display the highest quality work including jewelry, photography, pottery, wood-working, painting and metalwork. New to Arts Park is Artist Demonstrations! A variety of local artists will be demonstrating their work in a special area located near the back of Arts Park. Hours for Arts Park: Friday, noon-9pm, Saturday, 10am-9pm- Sunday noon-6pm. Arts Park is located in the Drhumor parking lot and Asheville Savings Bank lots on Patton Avenue between Church Street and Lexington.
Food
Bele Chere will offer two food courts for 2009. They include the Taste of Asheville and the Pritchard Park food court. Taste of Asheville features many local restaurants.
Drink
Beverage Stations, Satellites and Trailers are the festival goers' one stop shop for something cold to drink all weekend long. The festival partners with local nonprofit agencies to facilitate all of the beverage locations and each nonprofit receives a portion of the net proceeds following the festival. The products available at each location vary. Alcohol is only available on Friday and Saturday at beverage stations and satellite locations throughout the festival. Alcoholic beverages will NOT be sold on Sunday nor can they be carried on the streets on Sunday. (Alcohol will be available on Sunday in downtown restaurants and bars.) Only one alcoholic beverage per person per visit will be sold. You MUST have a $2 wristband to purchase and carry alcohol on the streets during Bele Chere. Wristband booths are located next to the beverage stations. Be prepared to show a valid picture ID before each purchase. Regardless of age, everyone MUST show an ID every time you purchase an alcoholic beverage because a wristband itself is not proof of age. A wristband is not required to drink inside a downtown restaurant or bar.
Schedule for Bele Chere 2010
Friday, July 23: Noon-10 pm
Saturday, July 24: 10 am-10 pm
Sunday, July 25: Noon-6 pm
FAQs
Where exactly is Bele Chere?
In the central downtown Asheville business area, with Pack Square roughly at the center.
How do I get there?
You have a couple of options. You can drive to the festival or you can ride the Bele Chere Shuttle. If you drive, be aware parking is at a premium during peak times, but all the parking decks in the downtown area are open for business. The two shuttle routes - one from the east and one from the west - run approximately every 20 minutes and the cost is $3 roundtrip.
Where can I park?
City Parking Decks: Civic Center, Rankin Avenue, Wall Street, and BB&T. Several surface lots will also be open; a special events parking fee will apply in most cases. Free handicapped parking will be available at any metered parking space outside the festival boundaries.
Where can I catch the shuttle?
To avoid traffic and parking problems, festival-goers are encouraged to take the festival shuttles.
Each day, service begins one hour before the festival starts and runs until one hour past regular festival hours. Shuttles run approximately every 20 minutes. Cost: $3.00. Roundtrip The east shuttle will run from the back parking lot of the Asheville Mall. The Asheville Mall is located on Tunnel Road east of downtown. The west shuttle will run from the K-mart Plaza shopping center on Patton Ave.
What if I need help?
The Information Booths will be located in Pack Square, at Pritchard Park, and at the intersection of College and Spruce. Also, look for our roving info-tendants presented by Wachovia. They’ll be on street corners and in other high traffic areas, wearing official Bele Chere shirts. The First Aid tents will be available at Pritchard Park and in the children’s area located in City-County Plaza.
Where can I get some extra cash?
ATMs are located at the following downtown locations:
Asheville Savings Bank - Patton Avenue at Arts Park
Bank of America - 162 College Street & 68 Patton Avenue
BB&T - 1 West Pack Square
First Citizens Bank - 108 Patton Avenue
Premier Credit Union - Haywood Street at the Civic Center
Wachovia - 1 Haywood Street
Can I buy beer at Bele Chere?
Yes, but you must have a wristband to carry alcohol on the streets during Bele Chere. Selected area merchants will also sell wristbands. Be prepared to show your picture ID when buying alcohol as the wristband itself is not proof of age. Wristband colors will change every day. SUNDAY is ALCOHOL-FREE.
How do I get the wristband?
With a valid picture ID, wristbands can be purchased for $2 at booths located adjacent to beverage stations or from participating merchants. A wristband is not required to drink in Asheville’s downtown pubs - only while drinking on the streets.
Can I bring my own cooler of beer?
No, coolers are not allowed inside the festival area.
Can I bring my pet to the festival?
Sorry, pets are not allowed within the festival boundaries. It’s safer for all the festivalgoers AND the pet.
How long has Bele Chere been around?
Bele Chere (sounds like Bell Cher) started in 1979 and was located on a whopping three blocks. It was the brainstorm of a handful of downtown Asheville merchants and business people with the vision of revitalizing our downtown business district, which was largely abandoned as retail businesses & residents moved to the suburbs. Now, downtown Asheville is home to restaurants, galleries, retail businesses, theatres, art exhibits, and a growing number of residents who call downtown “home.”
How many people attend Bele Chere?
Our most recent estimates are about 300,000 people over the three days of the festival.
Looking to perform at Bele Chere or sell art?
Get applications and more info on the Bele Chere Web site.
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