Ashe County Farmers Market

Starting April 11, 2009 every Wednesday and Saturday from April through October vendors will convene under our beautiful Market shelter to sell "Homegrown and Handmade" products which are produced right here in Ashe County. You will find an abundance of wholesome fruit and vegetables, farm-fresh meat and eggs, fresh herbs and flowers of all kinds and an outstanding assortment of breads, cakes, cookies and candies sure to please you and all the members of your family. In addition to the wonderful selection of fresh foods, the market offers some of the most amazing arts and crafts you will ever see.

The Farmers Market is located on the Back Street in downtown West Jefferson in Ashe County, North Carolina. Click this link for more information: http://www.ashefarmersmarket.com/.

Blue Ridge Wine Festival

The art of wine is celebrated in mountain style during the 2009 Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival, April 16-19 in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Featuring wineries from throughout NC, and fine cuisine created by Blowing Rock chefs, the Festival promises to please even the most discriminating palates. Be sure to make reservations for the Winemaker's Dinners, and book your cabin with High Mountain Cabin Rentals to complete your experience. Tickets are available online or at the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce. Click here for more information: http://www.blueridgewinefestival.com/.

MerleFest 2009

It's that time of year agian for the 2009 MerleFest! The following is a tenative list of artists performing: ScythianBearfoot; The Lovell Sisters; The Peter Rowan; Bluegrass Band; Dailey and Vincent; Travis Tritt and Jerry Douglas; Welcome Home Super Jam hosted by The Duhks; The Dixie Beeliners; Ollabelle; The Grascals; Mountain Heart with Tony Rice; Del McCoury Band; The Waybacks; New Generation Super Jam hosted by The Steeldrivers with The Dixie Beeliners, The Farewell Drifters and Cadillac Sky; The Greencards; The Greencards; Emmylou Harris; The Greencards; Blue Highway; Docabilly; Sam Bush; Linda Ronstadt featuring Los Camperos de Nati Cano and several other performers.

The dates are set for April 23-26, 2009. For more information, ticket prices, venues, and location, please visit their website: http://www.merlefest.org/MerleFestCMS/default.aspx.

When first-time visitors come to Ashe County, they
usually have at least one destination in mind: visiting
the Churches of the Frescoes.

The two churches are part of the Episcopal parish here
in Ashe County (Parish of the Holy Communion) and are
the Church of the Holy Trinity in Glendale Springs and
St. Mary’s in West Jefferson.

Episcopal missionaries from Valle Crucis (in nearby
Watauga County) held services at various locations in
Ashe County as early as 1852, but no continuing presence
of the Episcopal Church existed until 1895 when 19
candidates were presented for confirmation.

Bishop Cheshire (first name unknown) then hired two
schoolteachers and began a school – and in September,
1895, the church of St. Simon the Zealot was organized.
The church’s name was changed to St. Mary’s in 1903.
In 1900 another Bishop visited Glendale Springs and began
building Holy Trinity church.

Miss Jenny Fields, a trained nurse and midwife, moved into
the Holy Trinity Mission House in 1913 and began to tend
the sick and deliver babies in the community. She was
followed by other women and the community of Glendale
Springs began to grow.

The beautiful paintings at the two churches began when
Ben Long, an Italian-trained artist, painted three frescoes
at St. Mary’s: “Mary Great With Child,” in 1974, “John the
Baptist,” in 1975, and the superb “Mystery of Life,” in 1977.
In the summer of 1980, he painted the fresco of “The Last
Supper,” at Holy Trinity as that church building was being
restored.

Since the frescoes were completed, hundreds of thousands
of people have visited the churches. It is estimated that
60,000 pilgrims come to St. Mary’s and Holy Trinity
each year.

Please visit their website for much more information: http://www.churchofthefrescoes.com/index.html