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| Main Street in Weaverville |
Although I’ve been to the Asheville area several
times, I haven’t ventured far from that city. However, this year Linnea and I
heard about an art festival in Weaverville.
This is a town with a population of about 3000 people just to the north of
Asheville. It’s going to be worth another visit whether there is an art festival
or not!
Named after Michael Montraville Weaver and chartered
in 1875, Weaverville is located on the Dry Ridge of Buncombe County in North
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| Presbyterian Church |
Carolina. Although populated by Native Americans, the 1786 Treaty of Holston with
the Cherokee made
it possible for settlers to move into the area, and Weaver’s parents were among
the first residents. They, along with other early residents, began gathering
for religious camp meetings near the Reems Creek Camp Grounds, a large
conference house built in 1830s. About ten years later, the Methodist assembly
became the first school in the area. More families were attracted to the area
because by 1873 Weaverville College had been opened; it was a four-year college
until 1912 when it was re-classified as a two-year college.
Businesses opened and continued to thrive with
post offices coming to
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| An old entrance to a now gone business |
town in the 1860s along with an electric trolley to take
people around the town. By 1912 there was a fire department; it took until 1922
to get a truck and until 1958 to build a fire station. Many of the original
homes and businesses are still standing and the following are on the National
Register of Historic Places: Zebulon H. Baird House, Dr. John G. and Nannie H.
Barrett Farm, Brigman-Chambers House, Joseph P. Eller House, and Weaverville
United Methodist Church. Perhaps the next time we visit, Linnea and I will
specifically look for these historic buildings. On this trip we were really
focused on art.
Art in Autumn is a
juried arts and crafts festival that has, for one Saturday in September, filled
Main Street for 11 years. There are about 115 artists
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| Ceramic pig bird bath |
and craftspeople, as well
as food, and live music. And while all of this is going on, there were shops
along the street for us to explore. The weather was perfect on the day we wandered
up and down, talked to the artists, poked through cute shops, and sampled local
foods. With the festival in town, parking was at a premium so we were glad we
arrived early enough to have breakfast. We parked in the lot behind the First
Presbyterian Church. This lovely rock church appears to have been built in the 1930s
with additions added in the 1940s and 1950s. The town is a lovely as the
church. Linnea and I can’t wait to go back!
Where we stayed:
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| Two and one-half carrots |
Acorn Motel
(600 W State St, Black Mountain, NC 28711, 828-669-7232)
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Top: Bedroom
Bottom: Bath area |
did not quite live up
to its reviews. It was clean and the beds were comfortable; the bathroom needs
to be updated and the free internet is non-existent. The room we had was large,
and the air conditioner worked well. There was a microwave and a refrigerator
for our use. This was not a good bargain for the price we paid.
What we ate:
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| Four carrots |
My Father’s Pizza & Pasta (110 Cherry St, Black Mountain, NC 28711, 828-669-4944)
is one of our favorite places to eat; this visit Linnea and I
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| Garlic pizza |
had garlic pizza
three times! This family-run pizzeria has gourmet pizzas (including those that
are gluten-free), a variety of pasta dishes, yummy salads, and a bar. Each time
our pizza was nearly completely cheese with extra garlic on top that had been
slightly toasted. The taste was excellent! Service is generally good and the
prices are good for what you get.
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Top L to R: Restaurant, Fried green
tomatoes, Fresh bread
Bottom L to R: Fish tacos, Prosecco, Fish
and chips |
The Palate Restaurant (Monte Vista Hotel, 308 W State St, Black Mountain, NC 28711, 828-669-8870) is our new discovery for this year. We saw a sign that said that the evening special was fish and chips – of course we tried it! The setting is lovely. There is indoor seating in what appears to be a historic house, and outdoor seating in a pretty garden. If it’s cool outside
you can ask for one of the tables by the fire place. Linnea and I shared the
fried green tomatoes; they were yummy! She really enjoyed her fish and chips; I
loved my fish tacos. The fish was deep fried in what appeared to
be a tempura batter. The bread was fresh and warm. Service was good even though
the restaurant was relatively busy.
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| Three and one-half carrots |
Black Mountain Bistro (203 E State St, Black Mountain, NC 28711, 828-
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Left T to B: Salad, Crab cakes
Right T to B: Logo, Fried green tomatoes,
Lemon sole |
669-5041)
is a rather charming restaurant in an old house. They have a variety of entrees
as well as sandwiches, burgers, salads, and a bar. We didn’t realize how large
the entrees were going to be; I expected one piece of fish and got two well
cooked, large pieces of Lemon Trout.
This is a popular place, so go early or get a reservation. Also, the
floors are wooden so it’s rather loud in this restaurant. Again, we had the Fried
Green Tomatoes to start. Linnea had the crab cakes; she thought they were
really good. Service was okay, but a bit slow; prices were a bit high.
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Left: Coconut cake
Right T to B: Logo, Strawberry shortcake |
Glass Onion
(18 N Main St, Weaverville, NC 28787, 828-645-8866) is a rather nice restaurant
and bar that serves locally sourced Italian food. Although we weren’t horribly
hungry, we dropped in there for a snack and a place to rest after wandering the
art festival. Since there were no food police in sight, we had dessert for
lunch. Linnea had strawberry shortcake and I had coconut cake. Both were
lovely, although relatively expensive.
Thai Basil (227
W State St, Black Mountain, NC 28711, 828-664-4322) is a cute little restaurant
just off of the main area of Black Mountain. It’s
been around for quite a while
but Linnea and I, although we’d had seen it
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Top L to R: Soup, Pad Thai, Logo
Bottom: Egg roll |
every time we’ve visited, had never
gone in; that will no longer be the case. The cuisine is traditional Thai with
noodle, rice, and curry dishes. The cook doesn’t stint on the spices so some of
the food is very hot. However, you can ask for a milder version of the dish.
Linnea had the Pad Thai; she said it was good. I had a wonderful bowl of
coconut milk soup that was so full of vegetables as to be a meal in itself; it
was also very spicy. The prices are good as is the service. There are places to
sit outside as well as in, and the décor is charming.
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Top L to R: Logo, Breakfast taco
Bottom L to R: Lattes, Bacon and egg
croissant |
Well-Bred Bakery and Cafe (26 N Main St, Weaverville, NC 28787, 828-645-9300)
was a bit of a departure from what we usually do for breakfast. While they did
have a menu and lots of little tables, there was no table service. There was a
huge case full of pastries, sandwiches, and other goodies; these looked
wonderful. While Linnea saved our table, I went to the counter to order.
Because I knew what we wanted, ordering was quick and efficient. Our food came
out quickly, but our beverages took a while. The wait staff were friendly and
helpful; they were also quite patient with the people who had no idea what they
wanted and couldn’t make a decision. Prices were good, as was the food.
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| Three carrots |
Happy Jacks (84
Mineral Springs Rd, Asheville, NC 28805, 828-774-
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Top L to R: Biscuit and gravy with bacon
and egg, Menu
Bottom: Biscuit and gravy with eggs and
sausage |
5382) has some of the best
biscuits and gravy anywhere in the Asheville. Service is friendly and
efficient; prices are good. This is a renovated pizza place with lots of long
tables and a few four-tops around the edges of the one big dining room. It is
quite noisy – to the point that it is a relief to get back outside. We’ll
probably go back to get the biscuits and gravy, but maybe we’ll wear earplugs.
Where we shopped:
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| Four and one-half carrots |
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Left: Sweater
Right: Hat |
Black Mountain Yarn Shop (203 W State St # A, Black Mountain, NC 28711,
828-669-7570) is our go-to place for fabulous yarn. It just keeps getting
better and better with more yarns, getting to meet the people who make the
patterns and/or dye the yarn, great service, nice people, and a wonderful,
welcoming atmosphere. We absolutely love this place.
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| Four carrots |
Europa (125
Cherry St, Black Mountain, NC 28711, 828-419-0304) has
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| Ceramic pumpkins |
evidently been in
business quite a few years, but we didn’t go in because there is one “honkin’”
big knife in one window. The store has lots of tchotchke from all around Europe
as well as some lovely pottery. The people owning the store are friendly and
helpful. I purchased a very pretty wooden Christmas ornament that has rabbits carved in it.
This is an entertaining little store.
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| Left to Right: Store, Logo |
Sassy Jacks Stitchery (30 N Main St, Weaverville, NC 28787,
828-785-4405) connects to 5 Little Monkeys Quilt and Sew, which means that we could wander and touch in two shops with no effort. Sassy Jacks has antique samplers all around the walls and specializes in everything you need for all sorts of stitchery. One of the nice things about this shop is that they give lessons for folks who need some help with their handiwork. There were a mind-boggling number of patterns in a multitude of styles and colors.
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| Fall foliage in the rain |
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