Festival hours
• Friday, July 27: noon to 11 p.m.
• Saturday, July 28: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Sunday, July 29: noon to 6 p.m.
Parking
Parking can be hard to find during the festival, so your best bet is the Bele Chere shuttle service (see “Shuttle Transportation” below). If you choose to park downtown, remember that many streets will be blocked off, and there’s limited space available in downtown parking decks (specifically, the Civic Center, Rankin Avenue, Wall Street, Pack Place and BB&T decks) or in surface lots. A special-event parking fee will apply in most cases. Be forewarned: Privately owned parking lots operate independently of Bele Chere; some will be renting spaces on a daily basis. However, others won’t—and illegally parked vehicles are subject to towing. Handicapped parking is available on the first level of the Rankin Street garage.
Shuttle transportation
Bele Chere offers shuttle transports to downtown from two locations in the area. Shuttles run every 20 minutes and cost $3 per person, which includes a round-trip ticket to downtown and parking at the shuttle location. Buses will begin running one hour before the festival opens each day and continue through one hour past festival closing each night. The cost of $3 per person is considerably less than fees for parking in private lots downtown. The shuttle locations are:
• K-Mart on Patton Avenue
• The Asheville Mall on Tunnel Road
No pets allowed
A combination of heat, crowds and a shortage of shade and water unite to provide an inhospitable atmosphere for four-legged friends, especially dogs. In addition, inviting pets to Bele Chere can be hazardous to humans, since some folks are allergic to animal hair or are afraid of dogs. And both food vendors and customers might find it objectionable to have dog hair and other, uh, byproducts near their food. Despite the ban however, some folks will bring their pets anyway. And since the staff and organizers would rather see pets in a safe area than wandering about through the festival, Bele Chere will once again have a “Detain Your Pet” area.
Festivalgoers who bring pets to Bele Chere will be directed to the area, where they must leave their pets. (Locals, who presumably should know better, will be fined $5.) Although cool water, shade and medical attention will be provided, festival organizers urge pet owners to remember that this is not the best option for your animal friends. The best solution, they stress, is to leave your pet at home.
Alcohol sales
Alcohol is only available on Friday and Saturday at beverage stations throughout the festival. Alcoholic beverages will not be sold on Sunday, nor can they be carried on the streets on Sunday. (Alcohol will be available on Sunday at downtown restaurants and bars.) Those wishing to purchase alcohol at the festival must show a valid picture ID before each purchase and must have a wristband. Regardless of age, everyone must show an ID every time you purchase. Only one alcoholic beverage per person, per visit will be sold. Wristbands may be purchased for $2 in booths adjacent to the beverage stations; participating downtown merchants will also have wristbands for sale. A valid picture ID must accompany all wristband purchases. Wristbands may be purchased for the wearer only. Wristbands are not required to drink inside a restaurant or bar.
Alcohol-free areas
The Children’s Area in the Renaissance Asheville Hotel Parking Lot has been designated as an alcohol-free zone throughout the weekend. Reminder signs will be posted in this area.
Festival maps and information
The Mountain Xpress Festival Guide will be available at newsstands and at the festival beginning Friday, July 27. A smaller pocket guide will also be available at numerous sites throughout the festival area. Both of these publications feature maps and detailed schedules of entertainment and other festival events. To assist with more detailed questions, three information booths—each staffed with volunteers—will be set up at the following locations:
• The Corner of Haywood and College Streets, at Pritchard Park
• Spruce Street at College Street
• Corner of Biltmore and Patton Avenues, at Pack Square
• Four roving information teams will also be on site. Bele Chere T-shirts will identify volunteers and staff.
ATMs:
Automatic teller machines are located in the following downtown sites:
• Wachovia Bank at 1 Haywood St. (Pritchard Park)
• Bank of America at 162 College St.
• Bank of America at 68 Patton Ave. (Pritchard Park)
• First Citizens Bank at 108 Patton Ave.
• BB&T at 1 West Pack Square
• Premier Credit Union at the Civic Center, 87 Haywood St.
First Aid
The First Aid tents will be set up on Patton Avenue at Church Street, Lexington Avenue at College Street and on College Street near City/County Plaza.
Official Festival Souvenirs
Three souvenir booths will sell a wide variety of official Bele Chere apparel, posters, hats, commemorative glasses and lapel pins. They are located at College Street at Spruce Street, Pack Square and Pritchard Park.
Lodging
Make reservations as early as possible. For help with local accommodations, contact the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce at (828) 258-6109 or visit the online Visitor Center at http://www.exploreasheville.com.
Bele Chere no-no’s:
To ensure the safety of all festivalgoers, the following items are not allowed at Bele Chere: pets, bottles, coolers, bicycles, roller blades, roller skates or skateboards. And of course, no alcohol on the streets on Sunday!
Other Bele Chere tips
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes, since the festival encompasses many downtown blocks. Sunscreen, lip balm, hand wipes and sunglasses are highly recommended.
Recycling
Green and yellow recycling-only containers and yellow trash/recycling containers will be placed throughout the festival grounds. Festivalgoers can use these to recycle empty aluminum cans, glass bottles and No. 1 and 2 plastic bottles. Please don’t put trash in the recycling containers.
Nondiscrimination statement
The City of Asheville Parks and Recreation Department does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, age, national origin, religion, or disability in its programs, services or activities. Every effort has been made to assure that all people can attend and enjoy the festival. Auxiliary aids and services are available with advance notification. Please direct any questions or comments to the Asheville Parks and Recreation Department at (828) 259-5800 before the festival and Bele Chere headquarters during the festival at (828) 232-4547.
For more information
To learn more about Bele Chere 2007, call Asheville Parks and Recreation at (828) 259-5800, or visit the festival’s Web site at http://www.belecherefestival.com
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I LIVE DOWNTOWN AND THIS WILL BE MY FIRST BELE CHERE EXPERIENCE. I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET INTO OR OUT OF MY PARKING GARAGE, SO I PLAN TO CALL A FRIEND IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. MY MAIN CONCERN IS THAT I HAVE TWO DOGS WHO ALSO “LIVE” WITH ME DOWNTOWN. WHERE WILL THEY BE ABLE TO GO FOR THEIR “WALKS”? I CAN UNDERSTAND NOT INVITING MORE DOGS DOWN HERE - IT SEEMS AS THOUGH ONLY THE LOCALS PICK UP AFTER THEIR ANIMALS ANYWAY. OUR GREEN SPACE IS QUITE LIMITED AND MY ADVICE IS TO KEEP YOUR ANIMALS AT HOME WHERE THEY CAN BE SAFE, COOL AND HAPPY. ENJOY THE WEEKEND. |
kl hutchinson Jul 26, 2007 |
