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| Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings | The soul queen brought her voice — and a big stage show — to the Orange Peel on Sunday, March 13. Photos by Rich Orris. | 35 photos |
| Ice Cube | Ice Cube played the Orange Peel on Sunday, March 6. The Ville Boyz opened. Photos by Rich "I could do this in my sleep" Orris. | 17 photos |
| Josh Ritter | Literary singer/songwriter Josh Ritter performed at the Orange Peel on Tuesday, Feb. 15. | 20 photos |
| Dr Dog! The Head and the Heart! | 0 photos | |
| Robert Plant and Band of Joy | Robert Plant and his new band took over Thomas Wolfe Auditorium on January 18, 2011. Photos by Rich Orris. | 10 photos |
| The Walkmen at the Grey Eagle | Indie-rock outfit The Walkmen played the Grey Eagle on Friday, Jan. 21. It totally ruled, and @rorris got some photos, too. | 11 photos |
| 2010 Mountain Xpress Holiday Art Contest | All of the entries in the 2010 Mountain Xpress Holiday Art Contest. | 82 photos |
| Lauryn Hill at the Orange Peel | Ms. Lauryn Hill graced us on Sunday, Jan. 9. Photos by Rich Orris. | 23 photos |
| Avett Brothers Show 2010 | Photos from Thursday, Dec. 30th show by the Avett Brothers at the Asheville Civic Center. Images by Rich Orris. | 13 photos |
| Justin Townes Earle | JTE played the Grey Eagle on Tuesday, Dec. 14. Photos by Rich Orris / http://richorris.com. | 14 photos |
| Carolina Chocolate Drops 2010 | The band played the Orange Peel on Thursday, Dec. 9. Photos by Rich Orris / http://richorris.com. | 28 photos |
| Delta Spirit at the Grey Eagle | Delta Spirit played the Grey Eagle on Thursday, Dec. 2. Darker My Love and the Fling opened. Photos by Rich Orris. | 15 photos |
| Christmas Jam 2010 | Photos from the 2010 Warren Haynes Christmas Jam. | 29 photos |
| Minus the Bear | Minus the Bear with Tim Kasher at the Orange Peel on Monday, Nov. 29. Photos by Rich Orris. | 22 photos |
| Cyndi Lauper | The pop songstress played the Orange Peel on Sunday, Nov. 28. The Ferocious Few opened. | 22 photos |
| 2010 Superhero 5K | The heroes raced from the Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company on Saturday, Nov. 13. Whose powers prevailed? Photos by Rich Orris. | 53 photos |
| Iron and Wine | The original whisper-rock band Iron and Wine played Monday, Nov. 15, at the Orange Peel. Photos by Rich Orris. | 5 photos |
| PROM!! | Photos from PROM!! 2010 at The Grey Eagle. | 16 photos |
| The Trashion show | Recycled and upcycled clothing show held at Trash Inc. Asheville on Friday, Nov. 12. | 44 photos |
| SEBC 2010 | Photos from the Southeast B-boy Championship. The breakdance competition took place on Saturday, November 6, at the YMI Cultural Center in downtown Asheville. | 52 photos |
| Sufjan Stevens at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium | The masterful musician, backed by an 11-piece band, performed an epic show centered on themes of love, heartbreak, apocalypse and outer space. Photos by Rich Orris. | 15 photos |
| Moogfest 2010 Sunday | Photos of Sunday night Moogfest goers. | 30 photos |
| Moogfest 2010 day one | Scenes from the 2010 Moogfest | 44 photos |
| Mayer Hawthorne at the Orange Peel | Rich Orris caught the action on Monday, Oct. 25. | 16 photos |
| Ghostland Observatory | Electro-funk duo Ghostland Observatory played the Orange Peel on Thursday, Sept. 23. Rich Orris was there. | 12 photos |
| Jamie Lidell | The soulful Brit played The Orange Peel on Tuesday, Sept. 21. | 19 photos |
| The Black Keys and The Whigs | The minimalist-rock outfit played The Orange Peel on Thursday, Sept. 16. The Whigs opened. | 10 photos |
| Mountain State Fair | Photos by Zen Sutherland | 24 photos |
| Pixies | The influential alt-rock-punk-pop outfit played Thomas Wolfe Auditorium on Sunday, Sept. 12. Photos by Rich Orris / http://richorris.com | 16 photos |
| City of 1,000 Easels | On Sunday, Sept. 12, dozens of artists set up shop in downtown Asheville. The event was organized by the Asheville Area Arts Council. Photos by Zen Sutherland. | 53 photos |
| Tortoise at the Orange Peel | Post-rock outfit Tortoise played at the Orange Peel on Friday, Sept. 10. Photos by Rich Orris / http://richorris.com. | 20 photos |
| Broken Social Scene at the Orange Peel | The Canadian indie-rock outfit played at the Orange Peel on Thursday, Sept. 9. Photos by Rich Orris / http://richorris.com | 28 photos |
| Mountain Xpress LAAFF photo booth | Photos from the Xpress photo booth at the 2010 Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival. | 15 photos |
| Goombay Festival | Goombay Festival, held by the YMI Cultural Center, is happening August 27th - 29th in downtown Asheville. | 15 photos |
| of Montreal | Of Montreal rocked The Orange Peel for the second time this year on August 2nd. Deep Cotton opened for them, both bands had a great performance! | 31 photos |
| Mates of State | The pop outfit Mates of State played the Orange Peel on July 13. Tour manager and Harvest Records' coowner Mark Capon jumped in on the action. Photos by Rich Orris. | 24 photos |
| Bele Chere 2010 Breakdown | Sunday night breakdown of Bele Chere 2010 in downtown Asheville. | 22 photos |
| Toubab Krewe | Toubabe Krewe jams at the Battery Park stage at Bele Chere | 13 photos |
| Dashvara at the Vanuatu Kava Bar | Dashvara plays at the Vanuatu Kava Bar Downtown Asheville on Friday, July 23. | 5 photos |
| Bele Chere 2010 Saturday | Photos from day two of Bele Chere 2010 in Downtown Asheville. | 35 photos |
| Bele Chere 2010 Friday | Photos from the first day of the 2010 Bele Chere Festival in Downtown Asheville. | 30 photos |
| Bele Chere Setup 2010 | Thursday night set-up | 21 photos |
| Summer Blooms | Photos of summer garden flowers by Patty Levesque. | 17 photos |
| Downtown After 5 | Music, dancing, food, and drinks, at Downtown After 5 on Lexington, Friday, July 16th. | 8 photos |
| The Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands | Artists from all over show their work July 15th - 18th at the Civic Center in downtown Asheville. | 39 photos |
| Dar Williams | Singer/songwriter Dar Williams and Sara Watkins (formerly of Nickel Creek) at the Orange Peel on June 26. Photos by Rich Orris / http://richorris.com | 23 photos |
| Will Hoge at the Orange Peel | Nashville rocker Will Hoge at The Orange Peel on June 25. Photos by Rich Orris / http://richorris.com. | 0 photos |
| Big Crafty 2010 | Big Crafty held July 11th, 2010 at Pack Place. Many great artists came to the middle of downtown to share their work. | 30 photos |
| WNCW 21st Birthday | Local radio station WNCW ends their three night celebration at The Orange Peel. Bands and fans unite to wish WNCW a happy 21st! | 21 photos |
| Mason Jennings | Jennings played the Orange Peel on June 17. Photographer Rich Orris caught the show for Xpress. | 10 photos |
| Cherokee July 4 Powwow 2010 | Photos from the 2010 Cherokee NC July 4th Powwow. | 19 photos |
| Mountaineer Antique Car Show and Flea Market | Photos from the 43rd annual Mountaineer Antique Car Show and Flea Market at the WNC Agricultural Center. | 9 photos |
| Wiz Khalifa | Hip-hop artist Wiz Khalifa played the Orange Peel on June 16. Photographs by Rich Orris. | 36 photos |
| Josh Rouse at the Orange Peel | Folk/roots artist Josh Rouse played the Orange Peel on May 22, following the release of El Turista. Photos by Rich Orris / http://richorris.com | 16 photos |
| The Swell Season | The Swell Season play the Orange Peel on May 20. The Swell Season are Glen Hansard (from the Irish band, The Frames) and Marketa Irglova (classically trained Czech pianist and vocalist), and was featured in the movie "Once." Photos by Rich Orris / http://richorris.com | 16 photos |
| Studio Stroll | Asheville's River Arts District opened their studios June 12th - 13th for the annual Studio Stroll. | 15 photos |
| Carolina Chocolate Drops | Carolina Chocolate Drops at the Orange Peel, May 14, 2010. Photos by Rich Orris / http://richorris.com The set list: http://bit.ly/9x1qmf | 13 photos |
| Blue Ridge Roller Girls | The Blue Ridge Roller Girls took on the visiting team from Raleigh, The Carolina Roller Girls on Saturday, June 5th. | 6 photos |
| Camera Obscura | Both Camera Obscura and their opening band, The Language of Love, lit up The Orange Peel on Thursday, June 3rd. | 9 photos |
| Mountain Sports Festival | Photographs from the 10th Annual Mountain Sports Festival. | 13 photos |
| The Spring Asheville Idiotarod | Scenes from The Spring Asheville Idiotarod. | 21 photos |
| Spring flower garden | Photographs of spring garden flowers by Patty Levesque. | 12 photos |
| Fanaticon | Asheville's first Fanaticon held in the Asheville Art Museum, on Saturday, May 15th. | 16 photos |
| Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings | The raucous soul ensemble livened up the Orange Peel on Wednesday, May 12. Photos by Rich Orris / http://richorris.com. | 30 photos |
| Drive-By Truckers at Harvest Records | To celebrate Record Store Day on Saturday, April 17, Southern Americana act Drive-By Truckers played out back of Harvest Records. The Truckers were in town for a two-night Orange Peel run. | 14 photos |
| "We are not Bashful" march | Photos of the "We are not Bashful" march. The protest march took place on May 12, in response to alleged attacks on LGBT individuals in Asheville. | 19 photos |
| Lake Eden Arts Festival Spring 2010 | Photographs from the Spring 2010 Lake Eden Arts Festival. | 34 photos |
| YWCA Stand Against Racism | Photos from the YWCA Stand Against Racism at Aston Park on April, 30th. | 12 photos |
| PB & J 5K Race | The Junior Women's Club of Hendersonville held the PB & J 5K Race on Saturday May 1st at Rugbee Middle School. There were over 250 runners there along with their families. This event was very successful and raised over 8,000 dollars for the Children's Clothing Closet. | 22 photos |
| Brother Ali and Fashawn | Brother Ali and Fashawn played the Orange Peel on Friday, April 21. | 16 photos |
| Downtown Vandalism May 1, 2010 | Photos showing the destruction that occurred in Downtown Asheville on May 1, 2010, by a mob of vandals. | 10 photos |
| French Broad River Festival 2010 | Scenes from the 2010 French Broad River Festival in Hot Springs, NC. | 38 photos |
| Actionfest closing ceremony: Reigning Sound | The legendary garage-rock outfit performed at the Actionfest closing event, held at the Orange Peel on Sunday, April 18. | 25 photos |
| Actionfest closing ceremony | Photos from Actionfest closing night, Sunday, April 18. By Rich Orris / http://richorris.com | 36 photos |
| Earth Day Festival 2010 | Photos from 2010 Earth Day Festival at Martin Luther King Jr Park. | 15 photos |
| Vampire Weekend | Vampire Weekend came through The Orange Peel on April 7th. Check out Alli Marshall's review of the band and their performance! | 12 photos |
| The Runaway Circus and The Loose Cabooses | The Runaway Circus and the Loose Cabooses recently performed Sloppy Joe's Circus at the Reid Center in Asheville. | 28 photos |
| Coffey's Greenhouse | Photographs of Ralph Coffey's greenhouse, which houses over 1,000 plants and over 300 orchid species. | 24 photos |
| Rodrigo y Gabriela Concert | Pictures from the recent Rodrigo y Gabriela concert held at The Orange Peel on March 15th. | 16 photos |
| Historic Cemetery Tour | Photos from a tour through two of the oldest cemeteries in Black Mountain, NC. The tour is sponsored by The Swannanoa Valley Museum. | 25 photos |
| Wine bar at 5 Walnut | 5 Walnut is the newest addition on the Asheville bar scene. Owner Matthew Logan says he's creating a relaxed atmosphere that will feature wines in the $5-to-$10-a-glass range. | 9 photos |
| 48 Hour Dance Festival 2010 | Scenes from the 2010 48 Hour Dance Festival. The festival took place February 26-28 at The BeBe Theater. | 28 photos |
| Deployment ceremony for 105th Military Police Battalion | A deployment ceremony for the Asheville-based N.C. Army National Guard's105th Military Police Battalion was held on Feb. 24, 2010, at Trinity Baptist Church. The unit, which is headed to war in Iraq, will work security at an internment camp in Baghdad for its 12-month deployment. | 18 photos |
| 2010 'We're for Business' awards banquet | The Asheville Chamber of Commerce held its annual “We’re for Business” luncheon on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010 and honored local employers in several categories. | 14 photos |
| OpenDoors art auction | The nonprofit organization OpenDoors, which works to break the cycle of poverty by connecting local children to an individualized support network and providing them with opportunities for higher education, held an art auction on Saturday, Feb. 20, at the YMI Cultural Center in Asheville. Proceeds from the event will help the organization pay for tutors, extracurricular activities and tuition for at-risk kids. | 22 photos |
| Valentine's Celebration at the Grove Arcade | Grove Arcade merchants hosted a Valentine's celebration on February 13th, 2010. | 16 photos |
| Freaks of Asheville pageant | A pageant for people interested in being included in the 2011 Freaks of Asheville calendar was held Feb. 13 in the Crystal Room on Grove Street. The talent, costume, and interview competition aimed to draw out the local characters competing to be officially labeled a freak. | 14 photos |
| Asheville Mardis Gras parade 2010 | You gotta love a Mardi Gras parade infused with all the love of Valentine's Day, and powered by the spirit of many a New Orleans ex-pat still juiced over their team's Super Bowl win. Costumed revelers paraded through the streets of downtown Asheville on Feb. 14. The parade was organized by the Mystic Mountain Krewe, an all-volunteer group. The theme for this year's parade was "Wild at Heart." | 23 photos |
| "Art on Transit" bus art program | The city of Asheville's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department recently announced the three winners for its first "Art on Transit" program to put art on city busses. The city received more than 60 submissions from about 30 artists. Here's a look. | 63 photos |
| Of Montreal Concert at The Orange Peel | Photos from the Of Montreal concert at The Orange Peel held on Friday, February 5th. | 18 photos |
| Contra Dancing at Warren Wilson College | Recent Contra Dance at Warren Wilson College. | 17 photos |
| Artist David Wilson's "Island" Installation | Photos of artist, David Wilson, lecturing about and setting up his "Island" drawing installation at Warren Wilson College. Open from February 5 - March 5, 2010 in the Holden Art Center. Gallery hours: Mon - Fri 9:30 - 4:00 and Sun 1:00 - 4:00. | 22 photos |
| Justin Townes Earle and Dawn Landes | Photos of Justin Townes Earle's show at the Grey Eagle on Friday, Jan. 29. The show went on despite the snow. Photos by Rich Orris / http://richorris.com | 32 photos |
| End of January Snow 2010 | Photographs of snowy scenes, during the January 29th & 30th, 2010 snow storm. | 17 photos |
| Pisgah House at UNC Asheville | UNC Asheville's Pisgah House opened on Jan. 28, 2010. The $2.9 million house is part private residence for Chancellor Anne Ponder and part public space for university fundraising events. The house features visual art by local artists, furniture crafted by local woodworkers and sustainability features such as geo-thermal wells for heating and cooling the 6,333-square-foot building. | 15 photos |
| 2010 Hot Chocolate 10K | The Hot Chocolate 10 K race was held Jan. 23, 2010. The race, which is a benefit for Dickson Elementary School, started at the school and wound down Riverside Drive and back. | 36 photos |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Peace March | The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Peace March in Asheville was held Jan. 18 to honor King's birthday and legacy. | 21 photos |
| Winter Warmer Beer Festival 2010 | The annual Winter Warmer Beer Festival was held Jan. 23, 2010, in a ballroom of the Haywood Park Hotel. The event featured local and out-of-town brewers, as well as food and music. | 39 photos |
| Asheville Fringe Festival 2010 | Scenes from the 2010 Asheville Fringe Festival. | 24 photos |
| Skinny Legs & All performance Jan. 16 in Asheville | The band Skinny Legs & All performed Jan. 16 at Tall Gary's College Street Pub in downtown Asheville to raise money for its upcoming trip to Memphis to compete in the International Blue Challenge Youth Showcase. The band features Jesse Barry, who is competing to be on season 9 of American Idol. | 44 photos |
| Asheville Vaudeville | Scenes from a recent performance of Asheville Vaudeville. | 15 photos |
| American Idol contestant Jesse Barry of Asheville | Jesse Barry is competing to appear on American Idol. Here are photos of Barry performing with her band, Skinny Legs and All, during the Mountain Xpress Best of WNC party at the Orange Peel in 2009. | 9 photos |
| 2009 year in photos | Here's a look at the year 2009 in photos | 18 photos |
| Gingerbread houses at The Grove Park Inn | Photographs from the 2009 National Gingerbread house competition at The Grove Park Inn | 22 photos |
| Warren Haynes Christmas Jam 2009 | Here are scenes from the 2009 edition of the Warren Haynes Christmas Jam. Photos are from the pre-Jam show at the Orange Peel on Dec. 11 and the Chistmas Jam at the Asheville Civic Center on Dec. 12. | 37 photos |
| Blizzard 12/19/2009 | Photos of the December 19, 2009 snow storm. The storm covered Western North Carolina with over a foot of snow. | 54 photos |
| Buncombe County wayfinding program | Buncombe County officials unveiled a new sign on Dec. 14, 2009, that is part of a $1.8 million project to provide signs and maps across the county aimed at helping tourists find their way around. The project includes 240 vehicular signs, 26 pedestrian signs, 13 kiosks and more. | 9 photos |
| 2009 Girls on the Run 5K | Here are scenes from the 2009 Girls on the Run 5K race, held on the campus of UNC Asheville on Dec. 12, 2009. More than 800 girls and their running buddies participated in the event after 12 weeks of training in the Girls on the Run program. | 66 photos |
| L.I.N.T Exhibit at Grovewood Gallery | Ladies in New Textiles. Art exhibit at the Grovewood gallery located near the Grove Park Inn. | 32 photos |
| Big Crafty Dec 09 | Images from The Big Crafty arts and crafts market, held at Pack Place on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. | 20 photos |
| Asheville SantaCon 2009 | Photographs from the 2009 Asheville SantaCon. | 34 photos |
| Doors of Asheville | Doors of Asheville held at the Orange Peel. Featuring a live and silent auction of over 30 works of art with doors and housing as the central theme. All proceeds benefit Mountain Housing Opportunities. | 31 photos |
| 2009 Mountain Xpress Holiday Art Contest | All of the entries in the 2009 Mountain Xpress Holiday Art Contest. | 94 photos |
| Asheville Idiotarod 2009 | Photographs of the The Asheville Idiotarod. The 5k shopping cart race took place on Sunday, November 22, 2009 along Riverside Dr. | 42 photos |
| Holiday Parade 2009 | Photographs of the 2009 Asheville Holiday Parade. | 58 photos |
| Autumn Scenics 2009 | Photographs of scenic autumn settings around Western North Carolina. | 18 photos |
| The Grey Eagle Prom | Formal photos taken at the The Grey Eagle Prom by Castell Photography. | 33 photos |
| 2009 Superhero 5K | Here are scenes from the 2009 edition of the Superhero 5K road run, held by Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. | 21 photos |
| Belly Dancing at Mela Indian Resaurant | Belly Dancer Crystal Lewis dances at Mela Indian Restaurant. | 16 photos |
| Contra Dance at the Grey Eagle | Contra dancing held at the Grey Eagle every monday at 8pm. | 18 photos |
| Blind Pilot show | Blind Pilot performing a free show at UNCA. | 23 photos |
| Hillcrest Apartments fire Nov. 9, 2009 | Hillcrest Apartments building 21 went up in flames shortly after 11 a.m. on Nov. 9, 2009, after an explosion inside one of the building's six apartments. Nobody was injured in the fire. Police are investigating reports that the fire was intentionally set. | 39 photos |
| Baseball and Beers 2009 | The Asheville Tourists hosted the first-annual "Baseball and Beers" festival on Aug. 22 at McCormick Field. The event was being sponsored by the Asheville Brews Cruise and Wild Wing Café, with more than 30 vendors featuring hand-crafted beers from throughout the Southeast providing their products at the ballpark | 30 photos |
| Asheville 350 | More than 200 people stood together to form the number 350 on Oct. 24 at Pack Square Park in downtown Asheville to take part in the International Day of Climate Change. Thousands of people around the world participated by doing the same thing — talking up the importance of action to reduce carbon emissions and getting a picture of themselves forming the critical number. Currently, carbon dioxide emissions are approaching 390 parts per million, but some scientists say that 350 ppm is the most CO2 that the atmosphere can handle before triggering major human and environmental disasters. The worldwide event was led by author Bill McKibben and the environmental organization he started, 350.org. The Western North Carolina Alliance, an environmental organization, sponsored the Asheville event. | 11 photos |
| Election Day 2009 | Scenes from Election Day, Nov. 3, 2009. In the off-year elections, voters elected people to a variety of municipal posts, including Asheville City Council. | 37 photos |
| Unofficial Asheville Zombie Walk 2009 | Asheville held an unofficial zombie walk in October 2009 after city officials told organizers that the walk required a permit. The unofficial walk started at the Westville Pub in West Asheville. | 20 photos |
| More Asheville Halloween 2009 | These photos were shot on Halloween in Asheville at a masquerade bash at the Haywood Park Hotel, and at a party at Malaprop's Bookstore. | 25 photos |
| Barbara Kingsolver reading | Author and New York Times best-seller Barbara Kingsolver launched the national book tour for her newest novel, "The Lacuna," in Asheville on Nov. 2 with a reading in the auditorium at Asheville High School. | 12 photos |
| WNC Blogapalooza 2009 | Photos from Asheville 2009 Blogapalooza party, which took place October 30, at The Phil Mechanic building. | 30 photos |
| Asheville Halloween 2009 | Halloween, originally known as All Hallows' Eve, was a celebration of the spiritual, people would wear their costumes to ward off harmful spirits. Now, as a modern celebration people wear their costumes to embrace a more wild and fun side of themselves as revealed in these photos of some of Asheville's Halloween parties. | 37 photos |
| LaZoom Halloween Tour | Photographs documenting the LaZoom Halloween Tour | 33 photos |
| The World's Most Wonderful Circus | Performers of the supremely talented Runaway Circus will be putting on a dinner theatre at Posana Cafe on Nov. 5. | 23 photos |
| Best of WNC Bash 2009 | Here are scenes from the Mountain Xpress' Best of WNC 2009 party at the Orange Peel. The event spotlighted the winners in the newspaper's annual reader poll. | 53 photos |
| The Market Place restaurant | These photos, courtesy of The Market Place Restaurant, were shot over a number of years. The restaurant's owner, who has a 30-year history with The Market Place in Asheville, recently sold it to a new owner. | 26 photos |
| Doubles Tennis Tournament & Benefit | Hendersonville Racquet Club Tennis Tournament proceeds benefit Hands On!, Hendersonville children's museum. | 23 photos |
| Lake Eden Arts Festival Fall 2009 | Photographs of the Fall 2009 Lake Eden Arts Festival. | 36 photos |
| HardLox Festival | Photographs of the Hardlox Jewish Festival. | 24 photos |
| The Art of Darkness | Photographs documenting The Art of Darkness opening reception at Push Skate Shop. | 18 photos |
| The Black Crowes | The Crowes at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Oct. 2, 2009. Photos by Lydia See, www.LydiaSee.com. | 44 photos |
| Truth & Salvage Co., Oct. 2, 2009 | Truth & Salvage Co. at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, opening for The Black Crowes | 40 photos |
| Asheville City Council primary election 2009 | Here are scenes from Asheville City Council candidate parties on primary election night, Oct. 6, 2009. | 17 photos |
| Blue Ridge Parkway Summer 2009 | Photographs of scenic settings along the Blue Ridge Parkway. | 21 photos |
| Trinumeral Music and Arts Festival 2009 | Photographs from the 2009 Trinumeral Music and Arts Festival. The event took place at Deerfields Retreat and Music Park, September 10 -13, 2009. | 17 photos |
| Blue Rags Revival | The Blue Rags at the Grey Eagle, Sept. 5, 2009. | 13 photos |
| Faces of 2009 Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival III | More faces of the Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival 2009. The event was held on Lexington Avenue in downtown Asheville on Sept.6, 2009. | 36 photos |
| Faces of 2009 Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival II | Here are more shots of folks who stopped by the Mountain Xpress booth during the 2009 version of the Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival on Sunday, Sept. 6. | 26 photos |
| Faces of 2009 Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival | The 8th annual Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival was held in downtown Asheville September 6th, 2009. | 57 photos |
| Transfigurations: Bonnie "Prince" Billy and Espers | Photos by Daniel Coston | 6 photos |
| 2009 SEE Expo | Photographs from the 2009 Southern Energy and Environment Expo. The event took place at the WNC Agricultural Center Friday, Aug. 21 - Sunday Aug. 23, 2009. | 25 photos |
| Transfigurations, Day 3 | Here are scenes from the Transfigurations music festival, an event organized by Harvest Records in West Asheville to celebrate its fifth anniversary. | 27 photos |
| Transfigurations, Day 2 | Here are scenes from the Transfigurations music festival, an event organized by Harvest Records in West Asheville to celebrate its fifth anniversary. | 13 photos |
| Transfigurations, Day 1 | Here are scenes from the Transfigurations music festival, an event organized by Harvest Records in West Asheville to celebrate its fifth anniversary. | 22 photos |
| Bele Chere Festival Sunday, July 26, 2009 | Photographs from day three, Sunday July 26, 2009, of The 31st annual Bele Chere Festival. | 8 photos |
| Bele Chere Festival 2009 Saturday II | More scenes from Bele Chere on Saturday, July 25, 2009. | 35 photos |
| Bele Chere Festival 2009 Saturday | Photos from Saturday at the Bele Chere Festival 2009. | 30 photos |
| Bele Chere Festival 2009 | Photographs from day one, July 24 2009, of The 31st annual Bele Chere Festival. | 46 photos |
| Grandfather Mountain Highland Games | The 54th Grandfather Mountain Highland Games were held July 9-12, 2009, at MacRae Meadows on Grandfather Mountain. | 17 photos |
| 62nd Annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands | The 62nd bi-annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands Guild which took place July 16-19, 2009, at the Asheville Civic Center. | 15 photos |
| Downtown After Five, July 17, 2009 | Scenes from Downtown After Five on Lexington Avenue in downtown Asheville on July 17, 2009. | 0 photos |
| Pack Square Park, July 2009 | Scenes from construction on Pack Square Park during July 2009. With the addition of sod and the crowning piece of a major fountain, the $20 million park is taking shape. | 10 photos |
| ABS Fest 2009 | Scenes from the Americana Burlesque and Sideshow festival held in Asheville the weekend of June 13, 2009. | 23 photos |
| Groovin' on Grovemont, July 2009 | Groovin' on Grovemont was held on July 14 in the Grovemont community of Swannanoa. The event featured the music of the Barrel House Mamas. | 8 photos |
| Firefly Gathering 2009 | The Firefly Gathering was held the weekend of July 22-25 near Asheville. The event is aimed at people interested in connecting with nature, and it included classes on everything from bow-making and blacksmithing to hide tanning and soap-making. | 17 photos |
| Beer City Bash at The Orange Peel | The first Beer City Bash was held June 26 at the Orange Peel in downtown Asheville. The event celebrated Asheville's tie with Portland in an online poll in which people were asked to pick the best beer city in the U.S. Mountain Xpress sponsored the event in conjunction with the Orange Peel, local beer store Bruisin' Ales and the Asheville Brewers Alliance. | 16 photos |
| Sideshow Burlesque | ABS Fest free Sideshow, in the Orange Peel/ Asheville Hardware Parking lot, on June 13, 2009. | 12 photos |
| Pack Place sign dismantled | A crew from Moss Sign Co. dismantled the electronic Pack Place sign on Pack Square on Thursday, June 11, 2009. The 11-year-old sign had fallen into disrepair, and Pack Place officials decided to have it taken down. The nonprofit plans to replace it with another electronic sign. | 22 photos |
| Beastie Boys @ the Orange Peel | Beastie Boys played a show at the Orange Peel on June 10, 2009. The rappers stopped in Asheville on their way to Bonnaroo. | 18 photos |
| Biz Markie @ the Orange Peel | Rapper Biz Markie opened for the Beastie Boys at the Orange Peel on June 10, 2009. With turntables and a microphone (and some computer equipment), Markie mixed and scratched. | 28 photos |
| Phish concert 3 | More scenes from the June 9, 2009, Phish concert at the Asheville Civic Center in downtown Asheville. | 19 photos |
| Phish concert 2 | The jam band Phish played a sold-out show at the Asheville Civic Center on June 9, 2009. Here are scenes from the show. | 28 photos |
| Phish concert I | The jam band Phish played a sold-out show at the Asheville Civic Center on June 9, 2009, but the party wasn't limited to just the arena. Thousands of Phish fans arrived for the show and lent downtown a party atmosphere throughout the day. | 20 photos |
| Mountain BizWorks send-off for Greg Walker-Wilson | Mountain BizWorks held a goodbye luncheon for Executive Director Greg Walker-Wilson on June 4, 2009, at the Steak & Wine restaurant in downtown Asheville. Walker-Wilson and his family are moving to South America to enrich their life experience and continue service work. Mountain BizWorks is an Asheville-based nonprofit that helps entrepreneurs develop businesses and find financial support. | 40 photos |
| Mastodon at the Orange Peel | Scenes from the performance of Mastodon at the Orange Peel on May 14, 2009 | 10 photos |
| Lake Eden Arts Festival Spring 2009 | Photographs of LEAF Spring 2009. The festival took place May 7- 10 at Camp Rockmont in Black Mountain, NC. | 31 photos |
| MerleFest 2009 | The 2009 edition of MerleFest was held on the grounds of Wilkes County Community College from April 23-26. Here are some scenes from the festival, which showcases musicians in a range of styles, but in a blue grass/Americana context. | 24 photos |
| Dickson Elementary School's urban chickens | Dickson Elementary School in Asheville has three chicken coops and several chickens on school grounds. One class recently used the a few chickens for models for an art project. Here's a look. | 18 photos |
| HATCH Asheville | The first HATCH Asheville festival was held in Asheville April 15-19. Here are scenes from a few of the events. | 21 photos |
| Wilco | The ever-evolving band Wilco played a show on April 21, 2009, at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. | 14 photos |
| Asheville Tax Day Tea Party | A crowd of about 500 people gathered at the steps of the Buncombe County Courthouse on April 15, 2009, for the Asheville Tax Day Tea Party, a protest of wasteful government spending and government debt. | 15 photos |
| Local Climbing Destination- Rumbling Bald Mountain | Rumbling Bald Mountain which was recently acquired by the state parks system is a favorite local destination for Asheville climbers. | 10 photos |
| Push Asheville Fashion (runway show) | Photos from the Push Asheville Fashion show which took place March 27, 2009 at The Garage at Biltmore. | 18 photos |
| Richmond Hill Inn fire | Fire destroyed Asheville's historic Richmond Hill Inn in the early morning of Thursday, March 19, 2009. The structure dates back to 1889. | 27 photos |
| Ozomatli & Chalie 2na play at the Orange Peel 3/11/09 | L.A.'s Ozomatli and Chalie 2na of Jurassic 5 played at the Orange Peel to a packed crowd of fans. | 9 photos |
| Burton Street neighborhood tour | About 100 people turned out for a walk through the Burton Street neighborhood and a Q&A about the Interstate 26 Connector's impact on the community on March 9, 2009. The event was sponsored by the WNC Alliance and the Asheville Design Center. | 36 photos |
| Graffiti vandals hit Tunnel Road | Ten businesses along Tunnel Road were hit by spray-painting vandals who tagged walls and fences with graffiti. | 10 photos |
| Monster X Games at WNC Agricultural Center 2/28/09 | The Monster Trucks came to the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher, NC this weekend with performances by Freestyle Motocross, Quad Wars, and Legend Cars. | 29 photos |
| Crash at the Urban Trail's big iron | A car struck the sculpture of a big iron on the Urban Trail in downtown Asheville, at the corner of Wall Street and Battery Park Avenue, on Feb. 28. | 13 photos |
| Franti in concert at the Orange Peel | Here are scenes from the Michael Franti and Spearhead concert at the Orange Peel on Feb. 26, 2009. | 29 photos |
| Worldwide WNC: Pannavati Bhikkhuni | Pannavati Bhikkhuni, abbot of Hendersonville's Embracing Simplicity Hermitage has taken her personal story, as one of the few African-American female Buddhist abbots, to Mongolia, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and China. | 5 photos |
| Worldwide WNC: The Elumenati | David McConville is a world traveler and a knowledge explorer. McConville is co-founder of The Elumenati, a design and engineering company that combines powerful software with an inflatable dome to project sound and images to create an "immersive environment." But that's really just the beginning. McConville seeks ideas, collaboration and solutions to real problems. | 9 photos |
| 2009 Asheville Mardi Gras Parade | Scenes from the 2009 Mardi Gras parade in Asheville. The "Riches to Rags" themed parade which took place on Sunday, February 22, was organized by the Mystic Mountain Krewe. | 46 photos |
| Fault Line Artist Collective opening reception | The Fault Line Artist Collective, featuring the work of six emerging artist from Warren Wilson College, celebrated an opening reception for their gallery show at BookWorks on Friday, Feb. 20, 2009. Artistic mediums represented ranged from Raku fired ceramics to woodcut prints, lino cut collage and bronze/marble sculpture. The opening also featured live music performed by Blue Ox Blue. Enjoy a photo gallery of the opening here. | 24 photos |
| Denny's nurse-in | A group of about 25 protesters, including several breast-feeding mothers and chanting supporters, held a nurse-in outside the Denny's restaurant off Patton Avenue in West Asheville on Sunday afternoon. | 11 photos |
| Dark Star Orchestra plays at The Orange Peel 2/12/09 | Dark Star Orchestra plays indistinguishable versions of Grateful Dead Songs at The Orange Peel on February 12 2009. | 18 photos |
| Asheville-area weddings | A look at some beautiful shots from local photographer Scott Lessing: www.scottlessing.com | 19 photos |
| Worldwide WNC: BiblioWorks | The premise behind BiblioWorks is simple: Books build communities. Over the past four years, the nonprofit has opened six libraries across Bolivia, mostly in rural areas, with the help of Peace Corps volunteers and Bolivian churches, authorities and nonprofit agencies. BiblioWorks grew out of Biblio, an online bookseller launched in 2000 by Asheville residents Brendan Sherar and Allen Singleton. | 7 photos |
| Worldwide WNC: Motherland International Relations | There's no shortage of disease and poverty in Africa. But for Christopher Keiser-Liontree -- co-founder of Motherland International Relations -- there's another way to see the continent. "We're focusing on the richness of the culture and life in Africa. And we believe in the power of renewal through a collaborative spirit." It's an educational mission in the broadest sense, nursed by him and his wife, Debra Kiliru-Liontree, out of a tiny home office in Black Mountain. | 13 photos |
| Asheville Tea Party | Hundreds of people gathered at the steps of the Buncombe County Courthouse on Saturday to protest government spending and lament what they called out-of-control government spending and a move away from the values embedded in the U.S. Constitution. The gathering, organized by the Asheville Tea Party group, was held on July 4, 2009. The event was a replay of an April 15 Tea Party. | 19 photos |
| Worldwide WNC: Moldova World Children's Fund | The Moldova World Children's Fund, a Hendersonville-based nonprofit, helps children in Europe's poorest country. | 17 photos |
| Worldwide WNC: WCU's Jamaica Program | Western Carolina University has a remarkable 40-year history of teaching young teachers in Jamaica. | 6 photos |
| Progress Energy's Asheville Plant | Photographs from a tour Xpress went on at Progress Energy's Asheville plant, on Lake Julian. | 13 photos |
| Worldwide WNC: World Camp | World Camp began nine years ago, when a group of 10 college students traveled the African continent researching teaching methods. World Camp conducts classes for primary-school students in Malawi that address such thorny issues as HIV/AIDS. | 10 photos |
| Worldwide WNC: Vision Nicaragua | There's a long-standing relationship between Christian evangelism and providing material aid. Vision Nicaragua does both, attending to the spiritual needs of several Nicaraguan communities while also supplying shelter, medical aid and financial support. | 8 photos |
| Worldwide WNC: Mundo Real | Steven Slack and Marcos Burgos formed the secular aid group Mundo Real to help the people who live in the slums of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. | 13 photos |
| Worldwide WNC: Christian Friends of North Korea | The Christian Friends of North Korea was formed in 1995 on the heels of severe flooding in the East Asian country, the Black Mountain-based group found a support network already in place right down the road at the nearby Montreat Conference Center. | 11 photos |
| New Climbing Shoe Resole Business in Asheville | Rubber Revival climbing shoe resoler recently opened for business in Asheville. Cobbler Barak Shemai is resoling salvageable shoes at his home based workshop. | 13 photos |
| 48 Hour Dance Project | Scenes from the 48 Hour Dance Project at the BeBe Theater. Five local choreographers were randomly matched up with a group of dancers from all different genres. Starting at midnight on January 29, 2009, they had 48 hours to create a dance piece. | 19 photos |
| Phish Fans Wait For Tickets At Civic Center | Scenes outside of the Asheville Civic Center as Phish fans camp outside, waiting for tickets for the Asheville Phish concert to go on sale. | 12 photos |
| The Asheville FringeArts Festival 2009 | Scenes from the Asheville FringeArts Festival. | 16 photos |
| Asheville's Hot Chocolate 10k, Jan. 24, 2009 | Seven hundred runners signed up to run the Hot Chocolate 10K and Kids Hill Climb on Jan. 24, 2009. The race was a benefit for Dickson Elementary School. | 38 photos |
| Thomas Wolfe's home used as classroom for young writers | Asheville writer Janet Hurley offers writing classes at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, with fourth-and fifth-graders grouped together and sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders grouped together. The young writers say their surroundings -- the boyhood home of a famous American author -- inspires them. | 11 photos |
| Asheville Gun Show, January 2009 | From antique bullets dating back to the Revolutionary War to hunting rifles, shotguns, handguns, dog tags, collectable coins and more, the Asheville Civic Center’s bi-annual Gun Show enjoyed a record-breaking turnout. An estimated two thousand buyers marched through the doors of the Civic Center on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009, with many more following on Sunday. | 46 photos |
| Asheville celebrates the Inauguration | On Jan. 20, 2009, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States of America. Here are some scenes from local inaugural celebrations. | 86 photos |
| POPAsheville 2009 | Scenes from POPAsheville 2009. The festival took place Jan. 18-21. Music rocked throughout the night at three local venues: The Rocket Club, Stella Blue and The Grey Eagle. The LaZoom bus gave a wild, live-music-filled shuttle adventure from venue to venue throughout the nights. | 88 photos |
| Rodriguez performs at The Grey Eagle | The little-known folk/soul/psychadelic artist Rodriguez performed at The Grey Eagle on Jan. 10, 2008, backed by local musicians. The opening act was Greg Cartwright. | 24 photos |
| First Sundays at St. Matthias Concerts Jan 2009 | Scenes from Asheville Chamber Players monthly Concert Series. "An Afternoon in Vienna" was performed Sunday, January 4th 2009. This chamber music concert series on the first Sunday of each month raises money for the restoration of the historic St. Matthias Church. | 20 photos |
| 2008 Year in photos | 18 photos | |
| Art Basel Miami Beach | A crew of Asheville-based artists visited the prestigious Art Basel Miami Beach art fair earlier this month. Here's a taste of the wild things they saw. | 20 photos |
| 2008 Mountain Xpress Holiday Art Exhibit | Here are scenes from the reception held Dec. 12, 2008, at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce for children who participated in the Mountain Xpress Holiday Art Contest. The exhibit will be on display through Jan. 2, 2009. | 14 photos |
| Christmas Jam 2008 Day Two | Scenes from the Warren Haynes Christmas Jam 2008, held at the Asheville Civic Center on Dec. 13. | 52 photos |
| Christmas Jam 2008 Day One | Photographs from day one of the Warren Haynes Christmas Jam 2008. | 27 photos |
| Warren Haynes Christmas Jam, Pre-Jam concert | The Warren Haynes Christmas Jam kicked off with the Pre-Jam concert on Dec. 11, 2008, at the Orange Peel. Musical acts included The Del McCoury Band and the Lee Brothers. | 17 photos |
| Mountain Xpress Best Of WNC Showcase 2008 | Scenes from the Mountain Xpress Best of WNC Showcase party, which took place at the Orange Peel on Sunday Dec, 7th. | 19 photos |
| 2008 Mountain Xpress Holiday Art Contest | Here are entries in the 2008 Mountain Xpress Holiday Art Contest. | 53 photos |
| Latin Dance Community Asheville | Photographs from local companies and teachers: Salseros 828, Tango Asheville, Tango Gypsies and Afro-Brazilian Samba. | 34 photos |
| 2008 Asheville Holiday Parade | Photographs from Asheville's annual holiday parade. | 16 photos |
| Blessing of the Animals at Abernethy United Methodist Church | The Rev. Tony Sayer of Abernethy United Methodist Church in West Asheville conducted a pet blessing in October in conjunction with the observance of the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, known as the patron saint of animals. | 16 photos |
| Asheville artist's studio demolished | The art studio of Asheville artist George Handy was demolished on Oct. 27 when the 17-year-old driver of a minivan struck the wooden structure at the corner of Lynn Cove and Webb Cove roads in Beaverdam. Handy is a well-known artist who has worked in the studio for 30 years. | 10 photos |
| 2008 Asheville Film Festival | Scenes from the 2008 Asheville Film Festival. | 6 photos |
| Asheville Mural project update | The Asheville Mural Project, a branch of the Arts2People nonprofit, has been working this summer to transform the concrete columns of the Interstate 240 overpass that spans Lexington Avenue from a dark passageway to a brilliant mural that reflects Asheville. Here's how the mural looked in October 2008. | 14 photos |
| Zombie bank protest | A group of people dressed as zombies and protested outside the Bank of America office on Patton Avenue in downtown Asheville on Oct. 31, 2008. The protesters were critical of the bank's investments in coal-fired power plants. | 15 photos |
| Foothills Highland Games and Festival | Scottish Clans of the South held its eighth annual Foothills Highland Games and Festival at Hendersonville's Jackson Park on Saturday, Nov. 1. The all-day event celebrated Scottish heritage with music (traditional marching band Montreat Scottish Pipes and Drums and Celtic rockers Coyote Run performed), food (haggis, scones, soda bread and fish and chips were served), demonstrations (country dance and border collie trials) and competitions (a wrestling clinic for kids, a "bonnie knees" contest for men in kilts and plenty of opportunities for big men to toss heavy objects). | 14 photos |
| Election night returns II | More photos from the Election Night parties held by the Buncombe County Republican Party and Democratic Party. | 37 photos |
| Election night returns | Photos from the gatherings of the local Republican Party and Democratic Party on Nov. 4, 2008. Republicans gathered at the Grove Park Inn, while Democrats gathered at the Crowne Plaza Resort. | 16 photos |
| Election Day scenes | Here are scenes from Election Day, Nov. 4, 2008, in and around Asheville | 14 photos |
| Sarah Palin rally 3 | More photos from the Sarah Palin rally on Oct. 26 at the Asheville Civic Center in downtown Asheville. Palin, the governor of Alaska, is the Republican candidate for vice president running with Sen. John McCain, the presidential contender | 28 photos |
| Sarah Palin rally 02 | Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the GOP candidate for vice president, held a rally at the Asheville Civic Center on Oct. 26, 2008. Here are scenes from the event. | 19 photos |
| Sarah Palin rally | Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the GOP candidate for vice president, held a rally at the Asheville Civic Center on Oct. 26, 2008. Here are scenes from the event. | 14 photos |
| James Taylor concert for Obama | James Taylor performed a free concert for about 7,000 people at Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Asheville on Sunday, Oct. 19. Taylor planned to hold a series of the concerts across the state in support of presidential candidate Barack Obama | 15 photos |
| Asheville Aerial Arts | Here are scenes from a backyard practice of members of the Asheville Aerial Arts group. The aerialists perform gravity-defying moves while hanging from strands of stretchy material. | 21 photos |
| Obama Rally 3 | Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama held a rally in Asheville High School's football stadium on Sunday, Oct. 5. Thousands came out to see Obama in his first Asheville appearance 30 days before election day. | 14 photos |
| Obama Rally 2 | Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama held a rally in Asheville High School's football stadium on Sunday, Oct. 5. Thousands came out to see Obama in his first Asheville appearance 30 days before election day. | 17 photos |
| Obama Rally 1 | Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama held a rally in Asheville High School's football stadium on Sunday, Oct. 5. Thousands came out to see Obama in his first Asheville appearance 30 days before election day. | 19 photos |
| Obama speaks at Vance-Aycock Dinner | U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee for president, dropped in at the annual Vance-Aycock Dinner at the Grove Park Inn on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008. Obama was in Asheville to prepare for his upcoming debate against U.S. Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee. | 6 photos |
| Black Mountain College | Here's a collection of archival photos from Black Mountain College, an influential educational experiment in the 1940s and '50s. Its campus was on the site of the current Camp Rockmont in Swannanoa. | 11 photos |
| Brewgrass 2008 | The annual Brewgrass beer festival was held Sept. 20 at Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Asheville. | 27 photos |
| Sebelius visit | Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius visited Asheville on Sept. 19, 2008, on a campaign visit to support U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's presidential bid. Sebelius visited Mountain Java in north Asheville. | 10 photos |
| Mountain BizWorks' Showbiz 2008 | The Asheville non-profit Mountain BizWorks held its Showbiz 2008 fund-raising event on Sept. 18, 2008, at the Orange Peel. The event included musical performances, food and a benefit auction. Proceeds of the event will be used to help train local entrepreneurs. | 18 photos |
| Pack Square Park construction | Here's a look at the construction of Pack Square Park in September 2008. ValleyCrest Landscape Development is the contractor working to finish up one of the last phases of construction of the new park in central Asheville. | 16 photos |
| Faces of LAAFF at Mountain Xpress booth | The Mountain Xpress invited passersby at the Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival on Sept. 7, 2008, to stop by and have their picture taken. Here's a look. | 37 photos |
| 2008 North Carolina Mountain State Fair | Scenes from the 2008 North Carolina Mountain State Fair. | 20 photos |
| Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival 2008 | Scenes from the 2008 edition of the annual Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival on Lexington Avenue in downtown Asheville. | 36 photos |
| Tall bike ride attempt at LAAFF | Michael Mooney attempted to set a Guiness World Record on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008, at the Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival with a harrowing ride on a four-story tall bicycle. Mooney fell off during his second attempt, and made it about half way to his goal on his second attempt before falling and appearing to get shaken-up. | 10 photos |
| Flower carpet at Biltmore Estate | The Biltmore Estate unveiled its first ever flower carpet on Aug. 29, 2008. Biltmore's gardening crew recently spent a week creating the carpet. It took six days, eight crew members and 144,000 flowering plants - this following almost a year of planning, engineering and plant growing. | 23 photos |
| REO Speedwagon at the Biltmore Estate | REO Speedwagon, the power balladeers that gave you “Keep on Loving You” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” played an Aug. 9 show at the Biltmore House as part of the Biltmore Estate's Summer Concert Series. | 10 photos |
| Flying Cloud Farm Harvest | The morning harvest at Flying Cloud Organic Farm, one of the many produce farmers that sell at the Asheville farmer's markets. | 18 photos |
| 888 Trinumeral Music and Arts Festival | Scenes from the Trinumeral Music and Arts Festival, which took place Friday August 8th through Sunday August 10th at Deerfields, NC. Photos by Jonathan Welch | 18 photos |
| B.B. King at the Biltmore Estate | Blues legend B.B. King brought his music to the Biltmore Estate's Summer Concert Series on Aug. 8. | 32 photos |
| The StepCrew at the Biltmore Estate | The StepCrew, a group of performers who fiddle, dance and sing, offered up a high-energy style of Celtic music during their show at the Biltmore Estate's Summer Concert Series on Aug. 6 | 18 photos |
| Gladys Knight at the Biltmore Estate | R&B legend Gladys Knight played a concert on Aug. 7 as part of the Biltmore Estate's Summer Concert Series. Here are scenes from Knight's performance. Knight lives part time in Western North Carolina. | 14 photos |
| Bele Chere 2008: Gallery 8 | Scenes from Bele Chere 2008, the 30th anniversary of Asheville's summer street party. | 18 photos |
| KC and the Sunshine Band at Biltmore Estate | KC and the Sunshine Band played an Aug. 2 concert as part of the Biltmore Estate's Summer Concert Series. The Village People had been lined up as the opening act, but bad weather thwarted the band's air travel plans. | 22 photos |
| Steven Curtis Chapman at the Biltmore Estate | Grammy Award-winning Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman performed at the Biltmore Estate's Summer Concert Series on Aug. 1. Chapman's concert was emotional -- he told the sold-out crowd of 3,000 gathered that he was still grieving the loss of his 5-year-old daughter, who died after being run over in the family driveway by one of her old brothers who was pulling out in an SUV. | 17 photos |
| Bele Chere 2008: Sunday at the Mountain Xpress Stage | Scenes from Sunday July 27, at the Mountain Xpress Stage on Lexington Avenue. Photos by Jonathan Welch | 10 photos |
| Bele Chere 2008: Gallery 7 | Scenes from the 30th edition of Bele Chere, Asheville's annual summer street party. | 15 photos |
| Bele Chere 2008: Gallery 6 | Here are more scenes from the 30th edition of Bele Chere 2008 in downtown Asheville. | 16 photos |
| Bele Chere 2008: Gallery 5 | The streets of downtown Asheville were alive July 25, 26 and 27 for the 30th anniversary edition of Bele Chere. | 32 photos |
| North Carolina Arboretum | Scenes from the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville. | 0 photos |
| Bele Chere 2008: Gallery 4 | Scene's from Bele Chere 2008, the 30th anniversary edition of Asheville summer street party. | 14 photos |
| Bele Chere 2008: Gallery 3 | Photographs from Saturday July 26, day two of Bele Chere 2008. Photos by Jonathan Welch. | 16 photos |
| Bele Chere 2008: Gallery 2 | Scenes from Friday July 25, day one of Bele Chere 2008 . Photos by Jonathan Welch | 27 photos |
| Bele Chere 2008: Gallery 1 | Here are photos from Friday afternoon, as the 30th anniversary edition of Bele Chere got started. The summer festival fills the streets of Asheville with food, music and people looking for fun. | 13 photos |
| River Arts District summer activity | A summertime visit to people and places in the River Arts District. | 45 photos |
| Skate Camp | Beginner's week at Asheville Parks and Recreation Department's skate camp. | 22 photos |
| Custard Pie at the Grey Eagle July 18, 2008 | Custard Pie played the Grey Eagle on July 18, 2008. The band members are: vocalist Rhett McGahee (formerly of Menage); drummer Jamie Stirling (formerly of The Merle and DrugMoney); guitarist Aaron “Woody” Wood (frontman for Hollywood Red, and formerly of The Blue Rags); and bassist David Connor Jones. The show was the first since the band took a break from playing in fall 2007. | 7 photos |
| The Real Families picnic | The Real Families Picnic was hosted by the Asheville chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Equality NC and Food Lion on July 19 at Buncombe County Recreation Park. It was the final event in a weeklong series of activities under the theme, “You’re Fine Just the Way You Are.” The picnic was held in response to Exodus International conference being held at Ridgecrest Conference Center in Black Mountain. The ministry says it helps gays and lesbians change their lifestyle. | 16 photos |
| Musique Automatique | Asheville's local music festival | 28 photos |
| Stop Parkside rally | Local residents held a rally beneath the magnolia tree in front of Asheville City Hall on July 15 to rally against a building, known as the Parkside condos, planned for the site. The rally coincided with an Asheville City Council work session, during which Parkside developer Stewart Coleman presented his plan to council. Outside, residents heard music and speakers and signed petitions asking local officials to stop the development. | 19 photos |
| Cherokee July 4, 2008 Pow Wow | Photographs of the annual July Pow Wow in Cherokee, NC. Photos by Jonathan Welch | 21 photos |
| ABSFest II | The Americana, Burlesque & Sideshow Festival came to Asheville June 27, 2008. The Spectacular Cabaret and after-party featured burlesque performances and sideshow freakiness with a vaudeville flair. Performers included Trixie Little & the Evil Hate Monkey, Bendy Lindsey, Syrens of the South, Panty Raid, Big Mama D and Renea Le'Roux. The show was emceed by Mab, Just Mab. The show was held at the Orange Peel in downtown Asheville. | 25 photos |
| WPVM 103.5 : On the air and behind the mic | A look into the WPVM studios, and faces of the radio voices. | 28 photos |
| Asheville City Market Grand Opening | The official ribbon cutting with the mayor at Asheville's new City Market. The market is located at 161 Charlotte St. in the parking lot behind the city building every Saturday from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. | 20 photos |
| Staples sign changes | Workers armed with cordless drills and a boom Tuesday afternoon, July 1, 2008, took down the massive white letters of the Merrimon Avenue Staples store sign, the latest chapter in a years-long battle between city residents and Asheville City Council over the city's enforcement and interpretation of its Unified Development Ordinance. | 15 photos |
| Mountain Farm and Garden Tour 2008 | Appalachain Sustainable Agriculture Project's annual local farm tour took place June 28, 29. | 26 photos |
| ABSFest | The Americana, Burlesque & Sideshow Festival returned to Asheville the weekend of June 27, promising tons of fun. Here are scenes from the festival's red carpet gala at the Fine Arts Theatre in downtown Asheville on Friday, June 27, 2008 | 14 photos |
| Time for Our Power! Conference | The first Time for Our Power! Conference was held in Asheville on June 20-22. It was organized by Maureen McDonnell, who works as a conference coordinator, and Lisa Watters and Patty Levesque, both Mountain Xpress staffers, and included three days of talks and workshops on topics ranging from health care and business to environmental issues and the arts. The group is considering making the conference an annual event. | 13 photos |
| 48 Hour Film Project | Photos from the 2008 48 Hour Film Project: following a team from start to finish. | 29 photos |
| Ashevillage Building Convergence | Photographs of the Ashevillage Building Convergence sustainability projects, which took place on Saturday, June 21, 2008. Photos by Jonathan Welch | 30 photos |
| Asheville Music Jamboree, 2008 | The Asheville Music Jamboree was held the weekend of May 23-25 at the Deerfields property in Henderson County. | 17 photos |
| Bobby Medford trial | A jury found former Buncombe County Sheriff Bobby Medford guilty of corruption on May 15 after about a two-week trial in federal court. These are photos of Medford leaving court after the decision. | 10 photos |
| Lake Eden Arts Festival Spring 2008 | Snapshots from spring 2008 LEAF. All the photographs were made with a Polaroid One600 camera. | 32 photos |
| South Wings flight for Evergreen students | On Tuesday, May 7, the non-profit organization South Wings took three Evergreen Community Charter School students for a flight over Asheville as a reward for the students' winning land-use planning project. Eighth-grade students Skyla Delerme, Syvanah Bennett and David Steinhoff comprised the winning team. Their teacher is Stuart Miles. SouthWings is a non-profit conservation organization that provides flights to further conservation efforts across the Southeast. | 19 photos |
| Primary election night | On Tuesday, May 7, 2008, North Carolina held its primary elections. For the first time in decades, the election had an impact on the presidential primary. The primary election also whittled the field in a number of local races. | 15 photos |
| May Day parade | A band of brightly clad people, many with their faces painted, gathered at Pack Square in downtown Asheville around 1:15 p.m. on May 1 to celebrate May Day. The gathering attracted the attention of the Asheville Police Department. Using a megaphone, APD officers warned the ragtag crowd to stay out of the street. At least six police cars, including a police-transport van, pulled onto Page Avenue and blocked off the street when the group amassed there in front of the Grove Arcade. At that point, one participant was handcuffed and led into the prisoner-transport van. | 14 photos |
| Hanson's walking tour in Asheville | From the Peel to the park and back: a barefoot walk with Hanson promotes an international cause. | 28 photos |
| Merlefest 2008 | Merlefest 2008 was held April 24-27 on the campus of Wilkes Community College. More than 75,000 people attended the four-day festival, dubbed the largest folk music festival in the U.S. | 17 photos |
| Hillary Clinton in Asheville | U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, who is running against U.S. Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for president, spoke in Asheville Thursday, April 24, at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in downtown. | 26 photos |
| Purple Ball Fashion Show | The Purple Ball Fashion Show in April 2008 served as a fund-raiser for The Asheville Area Arts Council. It also comes in advance of the group's June 14 annual ball featuring the color purple. | 57 photos |
| Clay Oven | Students at Isaac Dickson Elementary built a clay oven in April 2008 with artisans from Kleiwerks International, an Asheville-based organization that promotes natural building techniques. | 16 photos |
| The art of taxidermy | In this photo gallery, Xpress takes you into the beating heart of one of the country’s most in-demand taxidermy companies, which happens to be right here in our backyard. | 13 photos |
| The Innersouls | The Innersouls were Asheville’s pre-eminent funk band in the early 1970s. Check out the full article here. | 12 photos |
| Paws with a Purpose | Since 1999, the Asheville-based nonprofit Paws with a Purpose has been asking the question: “Just what can a good dog do?” The volunteer-staffed organization provides animal-assisted activities and therapies to individuals ranging from elementary-school age to Golden Age. Visits are provided free of charge. Visit www.pawswithapurpose.org for more information. | 12 photos |
| 2007: Year in Photos | Xpress takes its annual look back at the year that was, in quotes and photographs. Read the full article here. | 19 photos |
| 2007 Asheville Flim Festival | A few snapshots of the festivities from the Asheville Film Festival's 2007 events. | 12 photos |
| 2007 Holiday Cover Submissions | What’s your favorite part of the holiday season? When it snows? Eating so much you have to take a nap? Sitting near a fire? Drinking hot cider? Spending time with your family and your pets? We asked our readers to create artwork for our Holiday Guides - and here a few of the submissions. | 57 photos |
| 2007 Holiday Parade | The 61st annual Asheville Holiday Parade, which took place on Saturday, Nov. 17, has been hailed as one of the biggest and best such parades in recent memory. Shown here are some of our favorite moments from the parade. | 12 photos |
| The North Carolina Arboretum 2009 | Scenes from the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville. | 8 photos |
| Reflections in Cherokee | Thanksgiving is one of the rare holidays to acknowledge the contribution of the native people in American history. Of course, seen from the Native American perspective, the holiday is considerably more bittersweet. Conflicts with European settlers would soon see the once-strong native nations shunted into reservations, struggling to retain their language and culture. To get a hint of the modern-day Native American perspective on the holiday, Xpress photographer Jonathan Welch spent some time with residents in Cherokee, N.C., home to some 446 full-blooded Cherokees left in the reservation. | 8 photos |
| Hard Lox Cafe Festival | The Hard Lox Cafe is an annual food and heritage festival presented by the Congregation Beth HaTephila in Asheville. This year’s event, which took place in late October, was held outside of the Grove Arcade. | 5 photos |
| Mushroom Foragers | Images from Kent Priestley's "Fruit of the earth" article in the 10/17/2007 Xpress. | 9 photos |
| AMP Sketches | Design art that's being considered for the murals on the Lexington Avenue bridge. | 3 photos |
| Karl Rove at the 11th Congressional District GOP Convention | Photographs of Karl Rove's speech at the 11th Congressional District GOP Convention in Henderson County. Photos by Jonathan Welch | 12 photos |
| The Poetix Lounge: reBIRTH | Saturday April 21, 2007 Catalyst Productions latest effort "The Poetix Lounge: reBIRTH" featured spoken-word poets from across the region (including members of the Asheville Slam Team from the late 1990's, students from Western Carolina University, and Asheville High School). The event was a benifit for the Poetix arts-in-education program, Serving disadvantaged youth, as part of the regional Gang Violence Prevention Program. For more information, contact Graham Hackett via email: playwize@gmail.com Photos by Jonathan Welch | 21 photos |
| WNC Scenics | Photographs made in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. Photos by Jonathan Welch | 30 photos |
| Momentary Musings | Photographs of commonplace scenes found throughout Asheville. Photos by Jonathan Welch | 40 photos |
| Street Poetry | Photographs of random self expressions found in Asheville. Photos by Jonathan Welch | 30 photos |
| Where In Asheville? | How well do you know Asheville? Photographer Zen Sutherland asks viewers to guess where in town he took these photos. | 29 photos |
| Asheville Graffiti | Local photographer Zen Sutherland shows us his collection of Asheville street art. | 50 photos |
| "Stop The Harm" Flashlight Vigil | City Councilman Carl Mumpower and others held an anti-drug use flashlight vigil on Thursday, Feb. 22. Xpress staff photographer Jonathan Welch was on the scene. | 19 photos |
| Asheville Mardi Gras | Photos by Jonathan Welch of this year's Asheville-style Mardi Gras | 19 photos |
| Buncombe GOP Lincoln-Reagan Dinner | Photos from the Feb. 19 event. Photos by Jonathan Welch. | 27 photos |
| New Year's Eve 2006 | Xpress photographer Jonathan Welch wanders from party to party to capture the last night of 2006. | 32 photos |
| Biltmore Underwater | Zen Sutherland's photo documentary of the 2004 flood in Biltmore | 13 photos |
| Asheville Street Scenes Vol. 1 | Xpress photographer Jonathan Welch captures the faces of Asheville. | 21 photos |
| Asheville Street Scenes Vol. 2 | Xpress photographer Jonathan Welch's ongoing series captures the faces of Asheville. | 26 photos |
| Asheville Street Scenes Vol. 3 | The third installment of Xpress photographer Jonathan Welch’s ongoing series on the faces of Asheville. | 25 photos |
| Art Cars of Asheville | Zen Sutherland’s photo essay on the most mobile canvas of all. | 31 photos |
| Some Asheville Faces | Keeping Asheville quirky are the faces of artists, shop owners, hippies, families and homeless. Zen Sutherland photographs people just being themselves, from downtown to West Asheville. | 33 photos |
