Asheville Spring Herb Festival Returns for 24th Year
The 24th annual Spring Herb Festival will take place at the WNC Farmers Market May 3, 4, and 5, 2013. The largest gathering of herb enthusiasts in the Southeast brings more than 30,000 herb lovers to Asheville to sample the wares of sixty professional vendors every spring.
The festival is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 3 and 4, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 5. Admission and parking are free, and a free shuttle will transport visitors and purchases between parking areas and the Festival booths.
Every cook knows that a wide variety of herbs is essential to the well-stocked kitchen, the fresher the better. And gardeners know that herbs are easy to grow. Many familiar herbs have a Mediterranean origin, so they thrive in rocky soils, hot sun, and drought. Because they’re perennials, established plants use less water than annuals, making them a versatile, low-maintenance addition to any landscape design, whether in a spare corner of a yard, a raised bed, or containers on a sunny deck.
Timed to coincide with the beginning of the growing season, the Herb Festival features traditional favorites like basil, tarragon, sage, thyme, and rosemary; new varietals bred for flavor, size, and pest resistance; and many vegetable starts. Also available are herbal extracts, soaps, and lotions; medicinal products; gardening books; herb-friendly containers, and rain-barrels to conserve water. Specialty booths feature prepared foods to eat at the festival, herb-based hot sauces and condiments, heirloom seeds, medicinal irises, and native carnivorous plants. Also, the NC Agricultural Extension Service will have a booth staffed with Master Gardeners to answer questions.
The WNC Farmers Market is located at the intersection of I-40 and U.S. 191, Brevard Road, and less than two miles from I-26. Parking and admission are free. For more information, visit the festival website at www.ashevilleherbfestival.com, or call the Farmers Market at (828) 253-1691 or the Festival Coordinator at (828) 301-8968.
24th Annual Spring Herb Festival
Fri. & Sat., May 3 & 4, 9-5, Sun., May 5, 10-3
WNC Farmers Market, 570 Brevard Road, Asheville, NC
Sponsored by the NC Herb Association, WNC Chapter
60+ growers and vendors
30,000-35,000 visitors
Food available at Booth 43-44, Riverhouse Acres
Free to the public; free parking; free shuttle service
Info – 828-301-8968 or 828-253-1691
Email – [email protected]
www.ashevilleherbfestival.com
Directions – www.ashevilleherbfestival.com/festivalinfo.htm
