The Southern Highland Reader

Diners crowd Guadalupé Café during A Taste of Downtown Sylva 2009

SYLVA–The Downtown Sylva Association has announced the lineup for its annual Taste of Downtown Sylva culinary walking tour.

The tour, set for June 26, features the following restaurants: Papou’s Wine Shop and Bar, Lulu’s on Main, Signature Brew Coffee Company, Eric’s Fresh Fish Market, Bill’s Back Street Take-Out, Spring St. Café, Restaurant 553, My Place, Ironstone Grill, Heinzelmannchen Brewery, Annie’s Naturally Bakery, and Mill and Main.

Ticket availability is limited.

Tickets can be pre-purchased for $15 (adults) and $7 (youth ages 12 and under) and will be available at participating merchants starting June 4th. Tickets may also be purchased at these downtown events: Sylva After Dark on Main Street on June 4th and Concerts on the Creek at the Bridge Park on June 11th (cash or check only).

Remaining tickets, if available, will be sold the day of the event beginning at 1pm next to Signature Brew Coffee Company and at Papou’s Wine Shop and Bar.

All proceeds benefit the Downtown Sylva Association.

Taste of Downtown Sylva ticket holders may enter drawings during the tour to win gift certificates from participating merchants.

SYLVA--Asheville string band Dehlia Low plays Bridge Park in Sylva Saturday evening to culminate the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural late summer music festival.

Dehlia Low comes as highly anticipated as any of the acts in the series. They are a “young band focused on early country, bluegrass, and original music. Their songs feature honest, hard-hitting vocals with tight harmonies backed up beautifully by masterful dobro and mandolin playing, lively fiddling, solid guitar, and a booming upright bass”.

Dehlia Low

Some press snippets:

“Meet Asheville’s newest successful offspring — Dehlia Low. The band…is poised to become the next buzz band in the inually expanding scene of new school old-time. Mixing vintage country sounds, tight picking and high lonesome harmonies, the group has quickly developed a traditionally minded original brand of mountain music.”
~Asheville Citizen-Times

“We’ve fallen in love with this cd over here, every one of us…we’ve had more requests for it than any other disk in the past year and a half. It’s a hit record….fresh….solid songwriting and the vocal duet is what gets them. ”
~Dennis Jones WNCW 88.7

Voted #16 of the top 100 releases of 2008 by WNCW 88.7FM!

SYLVA–Landscaping crews are wrapping up the placement of sod at Sylva’s Bridge Park this week, just in the nick of time for the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural “Concerts on the Creek” series, to take place each Saturday in August.

Dehlia Low

The 2009 series will feature five top-notch regional bands.

“All the bands have regional recognition and we hope people will visit Sylva for a nice evening and maybe dine out or shop around,” says Chamber representative Mary Kelley. “We’ll have information available for local restaurants, as well as arts and crafts exhibits.”

Music fans are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for the free shows, which run from 6-9 p.m. each Saturday in August.

Aug. 1–Chris Cates and the Master Plan
Asheville band with an eclectic sound that blends rock and roll, funk and R&B, with a dash of beach music.

“Well take everyone on a journey through the history of rock, R&B and beach music, playing a lot of favorites, as well as a few from our latest CD,” said Cates.

Aug. 8–Angi West

A Jackson County native returns home with her Asheville-based band having just released her second CD, “Love is a Special Way of Feeling.” Her avant-garde folk rock music has been described as “Appalachian anti-pop.” In addition to possessing an unforgettable voice, West is also an accomplished pianist.

Aug. 15–The Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet

This unique group serves as quintet in residence at Western Carolina University and has performed nationally in such venues as Carnegie Hall. Their unique music ranges from early renaissance to rock.

Aug. 22–High Windy Band
The future of bluegrass music is showcased by this band from Asheville. This award-winning group brings a modern spin to bluegrass with a high-energy mix that prompted WNC Magazine to name the band one of the top regional acts for 2009.

Aug. 29–Dehlia Low

A critically-acclaimed band from Asheville, this bluegrass group focuses on songwriting that draws from the sounds of early roots country, with instrumentation influenced by early and modern bluegrass. The five band members hail from all points of the bluegrass nation: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Mississippi. Their self-titled EP was named No. 16 in the top 100 releases in 2008 by WNCW.

Early spring greens are already coming in to tailgate markets and produce stands.

Here’s an early rundown of area tailgate markets:

Cherokee Farmers Tailgate Market
Local farmers and gardeners provide fresh local produce on a weekly basis. Look for organic and heirloom produce.
Where: Located on Acquoni Road in downtown Cherokee. From NC 19 turn onto Acquoni Road Drive. Travel about 1 mile and look for farmers market sign.
When: Fri., 10:00am-2:00pm
Contact: Tammara Cole, 828-554-6931
Open: June 1-November 11

Graham County Farmers Market
The Graham County Farmers Market sells goods that are homegrown or homemade. A wide array of local fruits, vegetables, and plants are available May-Oct.
Where: United Community Bank parking lot next to Ingles in Robbinsville.
When: Sat., 8:30am-1:00pm
Contact: Beverly Whitehead, 828-479-8788
www.smnpa.org

Cashiers Tailgate Market
First year local farmers market in Cashiers. Organic, local, fresh vegetables, fruits, baked goods, jellies, fruit pies, honey.
Where: Cashiers Community Center on Hwy 107 between Cashiers and Highlands.
When: Wed., 1:00pm-6:00 pm, Sat., 7:00am-1:00pm
Contact: Donna Few, 828-230-4785, bearfootgrandonna@yahoo.com
Open: May-October

Jackson County Farmers Market
The Jackson County Farmers Market is open from May-Oct. Located on Mill St. in downtown Sylva. We feature only locally grown produce and products. Most of our growers use organic practices.
Where: In the municipal parking lot next to Bridge Park, downtown Sylva.
When: Sat., 9:00am-noon
Contact: Susannah Patty, 828-507-1146, sylvafarmersmarket@gmail.com
Open: May 2-October 31

Franklin Tailgate Market
Selling only homegrown fruits, vegetables, herbs, cut flowers, plants, eggs, locally made cheese, trout, and honey.
Where: West Palmer Street, across the street from the old post office, between the barber shop and the antique store, Franklin.
When: Sat., 8:00am-noon
Contact: Alan Durden, 828-349-2046
Open: June 6-October 31

Swain County Tailgate Market
The Swain County Tailgate Market is located in downtown Bryson City near the Smoky Mountain Railroad,every Sat. morning. We have an array of vendors, including organic and sustainable growers of produce, plants, herbs, and honey. The market will be open from the first Sat. in Jun. until the last Sat. in Sep.
Where: On Mitchell St. in Bryson City at the parking lot of the Administration Building.
When: Sat., 8:00am-noon
Contact: 828-488-3848, christine_bredenkamp@ncsu.edu
Open: June-September

The 3rd Annual Bridge Park Arts and Music Festival will take place on Sunday, October 19th, starting at 2:30 PM in Sylva’s Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.

The event began three years ago as a fundraiser for the Bridge Park Project, a community effort to the underused municipal parking lot area into a thriving public space and performance venue. This year’s event will serve as the “grand opening” of the new pavilion and footbridge.

More Reading

Overview: Sylva’s Bridge Park Project
www.bridgepark.org

Since the Bridge Park Project began it’s planning and fundraising in 2006, over $100,000 has been raised and a timberframe pavilion constructed, the Town of Sylva has constructed a pedestrian bridge from the Bridge Park to Poteet Park, and the Town of Sylva has repaved the municipal parking lot.

Fundraising is ongoing for the park, with landscaping yet to be completed. The Sylva Garden Club donated $5,000 to a landscape fund, and there are plans to begin the grounds work in the weeks after the festival.

The festival will feature live music all day under the new pavilion. In addition to music, there will be an array of eclectic art activities, including a magician, hula-hooping demonstrations with audience participation, and various artists and crafters demonstrating their skills. Food will include a taco stand by Guadalupe Cafe, Root beer from Heinzelmannchen Brewery, and a hot dog stand.

There will be a dedication ceremony at 4:00 PM to acknowledge many of the contributions to the park. The Bridge Park Project committee will officially donate the pavilion to the Town of Sylva. Additionally, four memorial plaques that have been purchased for a $5,000 donation to the park will be dedicated to their honoraries. These include the Sylva Garden Club, Sylva Rotary Club, Dr. Perry Kelly, and Roger and Sue Bartlett.

Finally, during the dedication ceremony, the Sylva Garden Club will honor Elizabeth Dux, a longtime member of the club who passed away a couple of years ago. Three sugar maple trees will be planted in the park in her honor. This will serve as the beginning of the landscaping efforts, which will take place in the weeks after the festival.

Across the footbridge at Poteet Park, representatives from the “Walking the World” (WOW) program will be hosting a special kids art. Children in attendance will have the opportunity to help make a one-of-a-kind banner for WOW and take home a priceless keepsake. All Jackson County elementary schools participate in WOW and program information will be available at the festival. This is a great time to learn more about this walking adventure and how parents can join the fun.

SYLVA–The Bridge Park Project, begun in the summer of 2006, is a community effort to bring a park space and public performance venue to downtown Sylva.

The park drew its name from a Town of Sylva plan, discussed for years and funded in spring, 2006, to bridge Scotts Creek with a pedestrian bridge between Poteet Park and the municipal parking lot on Railroad Avenue.

In general terms, the Bridge Park is to combine with the bridge to provide a pedestrian corridor connecting Sylva’s downtown business district and the municipal lot with public parks and facilities on the north side of Scotts Creek, including Poteet Park, the Jackson County public swimming pool and various town and county offices.

In addition, the plan includes the repaving and landscaping of the underused municipal lot, funded by the Town of Sylva and currently under way.

Development of the area along Railroad Avenue was always part of the long-range plan of Sylva Partners in Renewal (now the Downtown Sylva Association), and was planned as “phase two” of a master plan that included the Main Street streetscape, which was completed in the late nineties.

However, the second phase of the DSA plan had been generally dormant for some time. In early 2006 then- DSA board member Sarah Graham volunteered to execute a feasibility study of whether phase two was still a worthwhile consideration. She invited a group of community-minded citizens to the site in July, 2006 to share ideas for the space. Enthusiasm was great, partnerships were forged, and the fundraising and planning efforts for the park began immediately.

Since then, over $100,000 in cash and in-kind donations has been raised for the Bridge Park, the majority of which funded the construction of the timber framed pavilion. A landscaping fund for the park was started by the Sylva Garden Club, and is currently funded to the tune of $5,000. The Bridge Park Project will continue fundraising, beginning with next weekend’s annual Bridge Park Arts and Music Festival, with hopes to complete the grounds next year.