Sharon Fahrer
This festival promises to be the best one yet. We’re expanding the site this year (click here to see “Street Closings”) to make more room for a full day of family fun. Montford is Asheville’s most historic neighborhood, and our seventh annual festival is an official part of Historic Preservation Month.
Here’s a quick look at what you’ll find on the avenue on May 22.
Music
You’ll hear great music from The Screaming J’s, The Cheeksters, Hurt Mountain Boys, Vollie McKenzie and Roger Bellow, and Embe Marima Band, joined by several acts who’ll be back by popular demand: WestSound, Pure Fiyah Reggae Band, and Ira Bernstein and John Herrmann. As Ben Scales’ performance schedule shows (click here), the music will start at 11:00 a.m. and keep going until around 7:00 p.m.
Dance and Drama
Listening to great music is only one reason to turn out. Come to dance, too. You’ll be in good company with Ira flatfootin’ it onstage and the Mountain Dragon Lion Dancers, Asheville Morris Men, and Ashland Garland performing up and down the avenue. The Asheville Shakespearience will mix and mingle with the crowd and perform several sure-to-please scenes.
Arts, Food, and Goodies
The arts will be well represented with jewelry, fiber, pottery, and painting. Some artists will compete in our well-respected Juried Show.
Bring your appetite. The festival will have a wide variety of food vendors, from Buchi Kombucha to Twin Cousins Cajun and MacDaddy’s Hot Dogs.
Other profit and non-profit vendors—from The Gathering of Peacemakers to Jack’s Plants and Cloud 9 Chiropractic—will be there to offer merchandise, services, and information.
For the complete list of musicians, vendors, and artists, check out our website www.montfordfestival.com.
Help Still Wanted
We still need volunteers for the day of the festival to staff the neighborhood table and set up, take down, and clean up the festival. Call me at 777-1014 if you’re willing to help. We need you.
You can work alongside the members of the festival committee: Ben Scales, Mitch Russell, Ross Terry, David Patterson, Jerry Connor, David Baker, Wanda Hawthorne, Amy Cunningham, Joe Newman, Laura Lowe, and Ron Phillips. As festival coordinator, I want to thank these folks!
Bring Friends and Family, Not Pets
The Health Department asks that you please leave pets, especially dogs, at home. Get together with your friends and family and turn out for a day of neighborhood fun.
