FALL COLOR UPDATE - September 26, 2018

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Valle Crucis/Boone • Asheville • Waynesville • Hendersonville • Greenville • Knoxville
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Valle Crucis/Boone - I can’t believe it’s time to start talking about fall, but here we are. I hadn’t thought too much about the color change until I looked at the calendar and then looked around. There’s a little more color showing itself than I thought. Most of it is the lighter green that signals the beginning of the loss of chlorophyll, but there are a few yellows and oranges peeking out.

Thank goodness Florence didn’t pay a visit a couple of weeks in the future, when we are well into the color change. Our weather looks to be varied for the next several days. Showers are possible leading into the weekend, when the weather improves a bit. Temperatures are going to be very pleasant with highs in the low to mid 70s (a little cooler if you head up to Beech or Grandfather Mountains) and lows in the 50s. The forecast can change quickly this time of year, so be sure to check Boone Weather before heading out. 

For events this week, I would suggest any or all of the Homecoming activities at Appalachian State University. The parade is slated for 6 p.m. on Friday night, so come up the mountain early. Kick off for the football game against Sun Belt Conference foe South Alabama is 3:30 on Saturday. You can find more information and tickets with a click HERE. 

For a fun music experience for the whole family, head out to Bethel, one of the most beautiful communities you’ll ever encounter, for the Carolina Ramble. In addition to games for the kids, you can enjoy great music performed by local and regional bands – Americana, soul, alternative, the line-up covers most every genre. Follow this LINK to find out more. 

It’s also the first weekend for Tweetsie’s Ghost Train. This is a fun event for all ages – be sure to take time to enjoy the black light show at the Palace. We highly recommend purchasing your tickets in advance. 

Enjoy the week! See you again soon.
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Asheville - I know it may not feel like it, with the humidity of this September still hanging on, but we’ve reached the autumn season at last. We are finally in for a cooler week with temperatures hovering around the mid to upper seventies during the day, and in the sixties at night. We’ve got a cold front coming in sometime Wednesday, and with it we are expected to get quite a bit of rainfall, with chances for showers and thunderstorms extending through Friday. This should hopefully give us a cool and comfortable weekend to start enjoying the fall season. For more detailed weather forecasts check the local Ray’s Weather Center or the National Weather Service website. 

We are still mostly green here, but if you look closely at the mountains you can see small hints of color appearing on many of the trees. Here in the city, we will likely not see color for a while, but if you travel to higher elevations, you might be able to catch some early color changes. If you travel along the Blue Ridge Parkway just a short distance, you will reach places like Craggy Gardens and Mount Mitchell State Park, which are starting to show some color. These high elevation areas tend to change weeks earlier than the areas around Asheville proper, so check back occasionally in the next few weeks and you will probably catch some peak color. If you’d like a more detailed prediction for color peaks along the Blue Ridge Parkway, check Romantic Asheville’s Fall Color Forecast for 2018. 

We’ve had a busy few weeks here in Asheville, with an influx of people from around the globe traveling here for the World Equestrian Games, and the excitement is just going to continue from this point on. We have a number of unique events happening this weekend. At the Greek Orthodox Church of Asheville, we have our annual Greek Festival. At this festival, you can sample Greek foods, watch some traditional Greek Folk Dancing, or learn how to make Greek-style jewelry and crafts. Come to this festival and immerse yourself in Greek Culture, or simply come and enjoy some Greek coffee and wine. The festival runs from September 28-30th. 

For you art lovers out there, we also have the 36th annual Asheville Quilt show held at the WNC Agricultural Center. This show will have special exhibits and demonstrations, as well as quilting activities for kids and adults alike. Check their website for more information. 

Even though it is still early for our fall foliage, there is still a lot to do here in Asheville. If you’re feeling adventurous enough, you can try one of these many activities we have to offer.

See you next week!
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Hendersonville - Dear Devotees of Autumn…Here we are on the cusp of the most wonderful season of all, Fall! That means it is time for the 2018 Mast General Store Fall Reports. I don't know about you, but I am ready to celebrate autumn and the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.

Although we are still experiencing summer weather with heat and humidity galore, there’s a change is forecast for the next week. After some rain, the beginning of this week, we will see temperatures drop into the mid-70s during the day and the nights will be cool, in the 50s and 60s. Afternoon thunderstorms are still possible, but they are normally short-lived. Sounds like heaven to me! You can always check the forecast HERE because it can (and will) change often. 

The leaf color has not really started here; it has been too warm. Continued warmth might mean a delay in the start of leaves turning color or at least a delay in peak colors. One of the benefits of looking at leaf color in WNC is that we have such a tremendous elevational difference. It’s the longest fall color period in the United States. If you miss it at one elevation, then just go down to a lower elevation and you’ll see it the following week!

Meanwhile, we have lots of fun activities to occupy our time as we wait for the cool weather to set in and turn the leaves for us.

Come enjoy a fall afternoon at the Historic Johnson Farm on the 29th of September from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. Games, crafts, wagon rides, and the farmhouse will be open for self-guided tours. Popcorn and drinks will be provided. Admission is $10 per family. The farm is on the National Register of Historic Places and represents the disappearing family farm, one of the agricultural roots of our community. Check it out HERE. 

The 59th annual Art on Main will take place on our historic downtown Main Street in Hendersonville. It will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on September 29 and 30. Come see more than 100 local and regional artists as they display their fine art and crafts along the street. Many artists will be giving demonstrations too. For more information, follow this LINK.

One of the best views we have is only minutes from downtown! Getting there is easy, just drive up Laurel Park Highway until you reach the summit. Atop Echo Mountain is the scenic overlook, Jump Off Rock, which provides a panoramic view of rolling pastures and the Blue Ridge and Pisgah mountain ranges. Well worth the small effort it takes!

Talk to you next week!
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Greenville - It looks as though the first fall foliage week may be a bit soggy. We have a lot of green here with few fall colors showing. However, there are subtle signs with the abundance of asters, goldenrod, and muscadine grapes. Yellow and black garden spiders are big and beautiful, building large, dynamic webs. High in the 80s and lows into the 70s are predicted with a chance of rain most days. Fall is certainly heading our way. You can check a local forecast with a click HERE. 

Greenville always has many music events to enjoy. This week celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month on Thursday, September 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Peace Center- TD Stage. This is a free event and the Marcel Portilla Band is playing a fusion of new Latin, tropical, and reggae. Greenville is also hosting the last Main Street Friday for the year on September 28 at NOMA Square. True Blues will provide the musical talent. There are inflatables at the Kids Area for the whole family to enjoy. The event is free, opening at 5:30 p.m. and closing at 9:30 p.m.

September 29 is the Saturday Market in Downtown Greenville, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on South Main Street from Washington Street to McBee Street. At the market, you will find a wide variety of fresh produce, plants, and homemade goods to buy and enjoy. Plenty of free parking is available at the Richardson Garage.

Be sure to hop on our free trolley to tour Greenville’s downtown. The red and blue open-air trolleys are wheelchair accessible and equipped with bicycle racks. They run Thursday-Sundays. A link to the trolley’s routes and schedule is HERE. 

The Chef’s Table Culinary Tour is September 29 as well. Greenville History Tours and Table 301 have partnered to offer you dining experiences at five destinations and opportunities to meet the chefs. Go beyond normal dining! Information and tickets can be found at this LINK. 

Encompassing over 400 acres on the Reedy River, Lake Conastee Nature Park in Greenville is a great place for a fall adventure. The park contains hardwood and evergreen forests, three miles of the Reedy River, extensive wetlands, a rich diversity of wildlife habitat, and is frequented by 200 species of birds. Here you can enjoy six miles of natural surface trails, six miles of paved walks, and many boardwalks and bog-walks. Follow this LINK to plan your outing. 

We have so many hiking and biking adventures in the state parks within a short drive from Greenville. A good example is Pleasant Ridge Park in Marietta, SC, 26 miles north of Greenville. This park offers more than seven miles of hiking/biking trails and great areas for picnics and no admission fee. For more information about Pleasant Ridge Park click HERE. 

On the way back to Greenville stop in Travelers Rest for a snack at one of their many great restaurants.
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