LEAF - Black Mountain, NC

May 2020

Even though things are starting to open up slowly in Florida, being "of a certain age" and with underlying health conditions, we are continuing to socially distance and follow the other CDC recommendations regarding Covid-19.  Once again, I'm doing a little armchair reminiscing.  Receiving an email for the May 2020 Virtual LEAF festival (click here), I was inspired to write about our Fall 2017 experience.  Though the virtual festival is no longer available online, visiting the site gives a taste of what LEAF is all about.  The somewhat wacky and endlessly creative efforts of everyone involved in putting together this biannual happening make it an event we will surely attend again.  (Our prior visit in October 2015 and more info on LEAF is recounted here.)  Connecting cultures and enriching lives through the arts is the key behind LEAF. 

Sheep at our Airbnb

October  2017.   As the 2017 LEAF (Lake Eden Art Festival) happening approached, tickets were ordered and reservations were made through Airbnb for a 7-night stay at a “pastoral farm” in the nearby community of Swannanoa.  Driving up over 2 days, we made our first stop in the area at Hickory Gap Farm and the adjacent Flying Cloud farm to load up on food for the week.  Buying tickets for the Saturday and Sunday events, we had 1 full day before the start to visit Asheville and the Art District and revisit the 12 Bones Smokehouse Restaurant for finger-licking good ribs, baked beans, and collard greens. 

Asheville Art District

 Saturday morning we headed out to Lake Eden, transferred by bus up to the festival we unloaded with the hordes of other festival-goers to move through the park.  With a full schedule spread over 6 main venues from 8 AM to 2 AM on Saturday and then 8 AM to 6 PM on Sunday, we had many more entertainment options than we could possibly see.  We had highlighted a number of the groups and artists prior to our arrival so we had a bit of an itinerary to help us maximize our experience.  Having purchased Culinary Passports for our meals, we found our way twice a day to the LEAF Cafe in Eden Hall for delicious, gourmet, international fare.  And, there were a number of Culinary Booths located throughout the park offering non-typical festival foods, often vegan or organic.

Saturday afternoon parade

Fantastic Negrito on stage

With poetry readings, dance workshops, drum circles, yoga, and a Saturday afternoon parade offered in conjunction with the music, there was never a dull moment and we maxed out both days.  The sunny and pleasant daytime weather in the 70’s dropped into the 40’s overnight but we had packed layers and were prepared.  Though we heard countless entertainers, our favorites were the energetic Fantastic Negrito with his blues-rock sound followed by the reggae music of Toots and the Maytals.  It was an incredible weekend in every sense.

Over the following days, we headed out on the Blue Ridge Parkway to take advantage of “Mother Nature’s” fall leaf show. In conjunction with this, we made a return visit to the Folk Art Center that features Appalachian arts and crafts.  Outside of Asheville, we visited the Western North Carolina Farmers Market to load up on some of the new apple crop, as well as a number of other goodies spotted as we moved through the vendors.  The nearby Moose Cafe, offering farm to table Southern cooking, provided a delicious lunch option.

Stopping overnight in Savannah on our return home, we enjoyed a walk along the waterfront, stocked up on a few bottles of our favorite Johnny Harris Barbecue Sauce, and savored local seafood for dinner.

Waving Girl statue in Savannah