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Belle Chere Street Fair or How I Spent My Friday Night
Sis Thompson's oldest:
Yep, once again it’s time for the ever popular (or unpopular, depending on with whom you speak ...)
Belle Chere Street Festival 2012
Asheville, NC
Yours truly wanders the streets of downtown Asheville after work on Friday watching and marveling at all the people, vendors, and street performers, local and not so local bands. My ever ready husband Robert picks me up at 5:00 and we brave a sea of humanity armed with only our wits and umbrellas.
It did rain..…… buckets.
First stop a $2.00 wrist band to get us in and alert the local police (Asheville’s finest and friendliest) we were in fact of drinking age, then on to the local brewery’s tents, at least 5 and there could be more! All are pledging part of their proceeds to worthy causes. Habitat for Humanity and the Animal Compassion Network were just two I saw mentioned. All the tents are doing a brisk business since it is hovering around 90 degrees, even in the late afternoon.
Now we sample the food. My favorite? The Greek Orthodox Church tent, where the ladies of the church produce spanakopita and baklava that is out of this world, melt in your mouth good and gyros so packed with meat, vegetables and sauce that I end up eating some, wearing some and about 20 minutes later find an errant tomato chunk in the breast pocket of my shirt. I tell Robert it is a snack for later.
I’m snapping photos as we stroll through the crowd. There by the Henna Tattoo tent is a man holding forth to a bevy of his friends wearing red socks with lightning bolts down the side. Snap!
Then a young man with the Scotland T-shirt who blushes furiously as his friends (mostly girls) teases him into posing. He secretly loves the attention.
Next up the bike rider wearing a leather kilt, true! Though his pose does not display the kilt to its best advantage, what are you going to do? Some models just have their own ideas of what looks flattering………..
Further along, suitably fortified with another sparkling beverage, I see the downtown wine store sign and the owner hawking his wares. “Wine a bit, you’ll feel better” He is offering samples, but I’m not one to mix and match, so we move on.
Soon I see a line of people and hear the sound of, “Tacos! Get your $2 tacos here! All these people can’t be wrong!” They aren’t wrong……. I have the best pulled pork taco ever! Homemade hot sauce, black beans, cilantro and lime juice all on a corn tortilla. Yum!
The next sight was a wonder to behold. A young man …..Hmmm when you’re approaching 60 everyone seems young.
But I digress.
A young man on a dare from his girlfriend stands on a short board balanced on a cylinder (think bongo board) juggling knives (long ones, looking very sharp), while wearing a shirt of body paint and …… wait for it…….RED Stiletto high heels. And doing a damn fine job of it too! What a good sport, his girlfriend is in the background with a smile. (The shoes are hers, I asked.)
The sound of fiddle and mandolin music draws me to the next stop. The Zinc Kings, they specialize in old time music of the North Carolina Piedmont. They are fabulous! I take their picture saying it’s for their next album cover. (Later I send it to their email address.) Keep your ear out for this group they should do very well.
By now I am just about walked out as is Robert. He dropped me off at work in the morning and spent a good 4 hours downtown walking around people watching before he picked me up at 5:00. We both agree it’s time to go and start back to the parking lot.
One last photo opportunity presents itself. The Asheville Firefighters Pipes and Drums are out in front of……..the firehouse, of course! The pipes are gone but the drummer plays a bit for me and I take his picture. I am dismayed to miss the pipers but Robert buys Belgian chocolate ice cream cones and I am somewhat mollified. So, off to the car we go, roll down the windows and drive home with the wind in our hair.
Ahhhhhh a perfect end to a work week.
Sis Thompson's oldest:
Put a camera in my hand yer gonna get pictures.....but you knew that. ;D
First up:
Asheville's Finest
Working the Lightning Sox
Young Scot & Guns
Kilt Biking
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Sis Thompson's oldest:
Stay with me......there's more...
Now we have:
Wine a Little, You'll Feel Better
All in High Heels
Zinc Kings!
AVL Fire Fighters Pipes and Drums .....sans Pipes :(
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Sis Thompson's oldest:
Look me up when you're in Asheville. We'll find something to do. ;)
Yer Coz,
Sherry
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John ThomsonHollingsworth:
Mary and I have been to Belle Chere in the past, our daughter Kate went this year.
Since they left the wilds of Marshall its easier to participate .
since now that they have close friendly neighbors they have Friday night cul-de-sac parties by their house.
If they run low on anything they are close to stores.
Mary was there in May
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