Asheville Beer Festival May 2015 - Experience Handcrafted Deliciousness

AMERICA'S BEST COLLEGE TOWNS

Asheville, one of the Southeast's great retirement spots has a new title, it has been named one of America's Best Beer Cities by Conde Nast Traveler. In keeping with its new moniker, Beer Week starts May 22 and runs through May 30, when the Beer City Festival turns downtown's Roger McGuire Green into an oasis for the consumption of the malted beverage. 

The Asheville Beer Week is an afternoon event hosted by the Asheville Brewers Alliance that features live music and of course, beer. Dozens of local breweries will be represented. Beer festivals like this are popular in America's best college towns.

Craft beer has become a mini industry in Asheville and turned the city into a beer connoisseurs dream destination. Beer related events occur year round and bring many brew lovers to the local breweries and restaurants. There are many Interesting events to attend during Beer Week, including:

• Beer Gear Swap Meet at Catawba Brewing Co. May 22 @ 4:00 p.m.
• Bluegrass on the Outdoor Stage at Pisgah Brewing Company,  May 23, 3 p.m - 8:00 p.m.
• Beer Dinner at the Fig Bistro with Catawba Brewing, May 24 @ 6:00 p.m.
• South Slope Walking Brewery Tour, starting at Twin Leaf Brewery. May 25 @ 5:30 p.m.
• Mutt Mingle Doggie Dash, Twin Leaf Brewery, May 28 @ 5 p.m.

The first brewery to open in Asheville was Highland Brewing in 1994. In the span of a little more than twenty years, the city has become a Craft beer destination. Twenty six breweries currently grace the streets of Asheville. That's probably enough beer to keep any fan entertained for quite awhile. Locavore restaurants and farm to table cafes have followed the craft beer phenomenon. The food as well as the beer has been recognized by many major magazines, such as Food & Wine. In March 2015, THRILLIST, a men's lifestyle digital media outlet, recognized Asheville's beer culture by naming the city one of the 11 Best Drinking Cities in America and the website Matador Network selected the city as Number One in its round up of 'Coolest Cities' in America.

As one of the region's best college towns, the local university South College recently launched two new degree programs in Brewing Science. So, you can have your beer and learn to make it as well. The University of North Carolina Asheville's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is located in the downtown area and offers dozens of six to eight week programs to keep subjects other than beer on tap.

Baby Boomers drawn to Western North Carolina often begin searching near downtown for the best places to live in Asheville NC areas with easy access to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We find these neighborhoods to be the best fit:

SOUTHCLIFF - a gated community near several parks with miles of developed hiking trails is the closest to downtown Asheville. Appealing to nature lovers, half of this development has been dedicated to greenspace. Single family and townhomes are available for many different budgets and family sizes.

BILTMORE LAKE - another family oriented lake community features lakeside living and provides long mountain views from many of the residences. A clubhouse sited on the lake offers kayaking, tennis and an active social calendar. Many events are available here with progressive dinners and other fun planned.

THE RAMBLE AT BILTMORE FOREST - this gated community is nestled inside the Biltmore Forest and features a 24 hr manned gateway, Fitness Center with saline pool, miles of hiking and biking trails and an active Homeowners Association. Some of the most exclusive estates in the area are located in this community considered one of the best places to live in Asheville NC.

REYNOLDS MOUNTAIN - located atop Reynolds Mountain, homes in the community have city views second to none. This is one of the first and largest mixed used communities in the area. An urban style shopping village and YMCA are located at the base of the mountain.

THE THOMS ESTATE - located near the University of North Carolina Asheville provides easy access to lifelong learning. There are several different types of housing options in the gated community, from estates to worry free living homes where custom layouts are available and all the exterior maintenance is included in the village. Just lock the door and go on your merry way.

Summertime is one of the best times to visit Asheville.  Due to its location high in the Blue Ridge Mountains; the weather stays cool and the Spring seems to last until the leaves start to change for Fall. Summer just whispers in your ear as you have a cold beer, relax and admire the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the French Broad River. Dinner plans may be your biggest dilemma.

If you're like others searching for great retirement spots, Asheville is among the best. Ask for our free Asheville relocation information to help you learn about the area.