ASHEVILLE - If you helped yourself endure the COVID-19 pandemic by taking up gardening, you're not alone. So in demand were garden products that common items like seeds went missing.
If you were one of the many who came up empty-handed, here's another chance to get your garden in tip-top shape in time for the upcoming traditional last frost date on Mother's Day.
The Asheville Spring Herb Festival, held the first weekend in May since 1990, returns for its 31st year after going dark for 2020. This year, the two-day festival will move to the 27,500-square-foot Expo Building at the WNC Agricultural Center.
The Ag Center, home to the Mountain State Fair, can also hold a big crowd. "Herbfest," as many locals call it, usually draws thousands of people who come to snap up culinary herbs, perennials, vegetables and young trees as official planting season begins.
The 30th anniversary event in 2019, for example, attracted more than 35,000 people over three days, according to a release from organizers. Last year's festival closed for COVID, however, sending many local and regional herb farmers scrambling to find other outlets for their seasonal products.
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The return of Herb Festival gives vendors and customers plenty of reasons to rejoice. Among the available inventory, you'll find herb and vegetable starts including heirloom vegetables and products like herbal salves, medicinal extracts and soaps.
You'll also find herbed cheeses, pickles, baked goods and other ready-to-eat foods infused with locally sourced herbs. Or, learn to make your own by taking one of the available classes from propagating herbs to cooking with them.
Cecilia’s Kitchen and HomeGround Coffee will serve food onsite both days. Luscious Liquors Ice Cream will serve nonalcoholic refreshments from the concession stand.
The 2021 Spring Herb Festival is organized by the WNC Herb Marketing Association, established to promote opportunities to develop the region’s agriculture and specialty products.
More:
IF YOU GO
What: Asheville Spring Herb Festival.
When: May 1, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. and May 2, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: WNC Agricultural Center, 761 Boylston Highway, Fletcher.
Pandemic precautions: Masks will be required of visitors and vendors while inside the building. Each vendor is asked to have alcohol-based hand sanitizers available. The building’s seven roll-up delivery doors will be kept open throughout the festival for airflow. Attendees allowed in the building at once will be limited in accordance with the rules of North Carolina and Henderson County governments.
Tickets: Admission and parking are free.
Parking: Enter the Ag Center grounds at gate 5, a half mile south of the Asheville Regional Airport entrance.
More information: www.AshevilleHerbFestival.org, www.facebook.com/AshevilleHerbFestival or 828-301-8968.
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Mackensy Lunsford has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years, and has been a staff writer for the Asheville Citizen Times since 2012. Lunsford is a former professional line cook and one-time restaurant owner.
Reach me: mlunsford@citizentimes.com.
Read more: Subscribe to the Citizen Times here. Subscribe to my newsletter here.
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The Link LonkApril 27, 2021 at 04:03PM
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Asheville Spring Herb Festival returns for the first time since COVID-19 cancellation - Citizen Times
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