The holidays are a precious time of connection: a time to share joy among friends, family, and community. Where the coronavirus pandemic imposes barriers to physical reunion, music allows us to gather in spirit wherever we are. In October 2020, a small subset of musicians from the Blue Ridge Orchestra spaced out their stands, put on their masks, and gathered at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts to record holiday favorites for a concert that can unite loved ones near and far.

Programmed by John Gordon Ross, this unique concert will feature secular and sacred favorites performed by a variety of musical ensembles: a woodwind quintet, a brass octet, a 13-piece string orchestra, a solo soprano with piano, and a string quartet.

The final recording will be available here from December 11-31!

The online Holiday Craft Sale features nature-themed, handcrafted items, including ornaments, jewelry, textiles, quilts and holiday decor. Wreaths and swags enhanced with botanicals gathered on the Bullington Garden grounds and created by volunteers are ready for your home. Our delightful holiday garden gnome, standing 30 inches tall, adds a whimsical touch to your front porch. Locally-grown premium amaryllis, poinsettias, cyclamens and Christmas cactus plants are also available.

Bullington’s “Buzzington” bee products are offered including BeeKind ornaments, bee-themed gift items and beeswax candles.

The Holiday Greenery Sale features premium, freshly-cut Fraser fir trees ranging in height from five to eight feet. These native trees come from the Western North Carolina mountains and are wrapped for protection during transport. Also available are premium garlands in a 25-foot length, plus unadorned 12-inch wreaths. Holiday greenery must be ordered by Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Bullington Gardens is a proud supporter of our veterans, and believes all service members should be honored for their sacrifice. In partnership with local veterans and volunteers, Bullington Gardens offers Veteran’s Wreaths. Your $17 donation to honor a fallen veteran provides a 12-inch wreath, decorated with a hand tied red bow, and placed on a gravesite at the State Veteran’s Cemetery in Black Mountain, NC.

Shop our Bullington Gardens store online at www.bullingtongardens.org and fill your virtual cart with unique gift items and greenery. You can also place your order by phone at 828-698-6104 or in person at Bullington Gardens. Shipping or delivery is not available.

Bullington Gardens is located at 95 Upper Red Oak Trail in Hendersonville. For more information, call Bullington Gardens at 828-698-6104 or visit www.bullingtongardens.org.

Buy a brick or granite paver to honor a friend or family member, and make their name a part of the Swannanoa Valley’s geography and history! The pavers will form a mosaic which will show the north and south ridgelines of the Swannanoa Valley and the locations within the Valley which trace the settlement and the evolution of the Valley to the vibrant community it is today.

The Valley in the Alley exhibit is located, fittingly, in the alley owned by the Museum between the Museum and the Dripolator Coffee House, just off West State Street in Black Mountain.

The exhibit is based on the sale of engraved brick pavers, but with an approach distinct from the usual random placement of pavers. Purchasers of all engraved bricks within the alley will have the same opportunity to honor or memorialize friends and recognize special achievements as in other paver programs. However, through the purchase of a variety of special granite pavers, individuals, families and businesses will be owning “a piece of history” by forming the geographic outline of the Valley and locating major points of special interest in the Valley, such as communities, dwellings, or landscape features.

The result will be a mosaic which will show the north and south ridgelines of the Swannanoa Valley, the major geographic features on, and within, the ridgelines and the locations within the Valley which trace the settlement and the evolution of the Valley to the vibrant community it is today.

When the Valley in the Alley is complete, it will be a primer for children, acquainting them with the geography and history of the Swannanoa Valley; it will quickly orient visitors to what they are seeing around them; it will allow generations of families to recall and tell of their place in the Valley’s history; and it will be an aesthetically pleasing walkway, complimenting both the Museum building and Black Mountain’s Historic Downtown. The Museum will also provide permanent seating in the alleyway for use by the community.

Pricing

Regular 4″x8″ brick pavers holding three lines of text are $100. Engraved granite pavers will form the special features of the mosaic. They start at $200 for one 4″x8″ paver with three lines of text and increase in cost and available text depending on the size of paver chosen. Approximately 4,000 pavers make up the Alley, of which nearly 600 will form the outline of the Valley. Along the outline and within the Valley, over 100 sites are available for special recognitions or dedications.

Once the initial cost for acquiring and placing pavers is recovered, all proceeds from the Valley in the Alley purchases will be devoted to completion of the renovation and the operations of the Swannanoa Valley Museum including exhibits, on-and off-site programming, outreach to schools, preservation, and research.

Participants in the Valley in the Alley program will be contributing their own piece of history to our community.
For more information:

Brick Locations

Brevard Music Center Staff Picks From Around the Web

Ella Fitzgerald:
Frosty the Snowman
Enjoy this animated retelling of Frosty the Snowman, sung by the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald.

Spread some mountain magic and holiday cheer with these unique gifts from Asheville’s artisans and makers. Shop from over 50 local vendors or share your love of Asheville by giving the gift of travel this holiday season.

Consider what it means to shop Amazon Did you know that Amazon’s net sales for Q4 are expected to be $121 Billion and to grow 38% compared with fourth quarter 2019 numbers? Clearly in this pandemic, they are the big winner. Y’all… there has NEVER been a more critical year to SHOP LOCAL! Please show your love and support of our amazing local business community which truly has all you could ever need- a vintage dress, wall tapestry, piece of pottery, growler of beer or endless gift cards to your favorite Asheville restaurants. Get some ideas here:  shops , restaurants , breweries , and more.