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Events
25 Years of Rhythm and Roots at the Birthplace of Country Music
Twenty-five years ago, a small festival dedicated to the music forged from the hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains took
September 14, 2026
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Sometime this month in the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of these highlands’ signature spring plants will ease from the soil … the May apple (Podophyllum peltatum).
A member of the buttercup family and found in the open woodlands, rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) has long, thin stems that tremble in the slightest of winds—prompting its other common name, windflower.
Pokeweed is one of the wild plants that is most associated with the Blue Ridge Region.
Originating in the 1870s in, obviously, The Natural State, this variety is reputed to be a part of the Winesap family, which includes such esteemed members as the Black Twig, Stayman, and, of course, the Old Fashioned Winesap.
The purple-spored typically grows in this region’s fields, often appearing from October through December and into early January.
Sometime this month in the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of these highlands’ signature spring plants will ease from the soil … the May apple (Podophyllum peltatum).
A member of the buttercup family and found in the open woodlands, rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) has long, thin stems that tremble in the slightest of winds—prompting its other common name, windflower.
Pokeweed is one of the wild plants that is most associated with the Blue Ridge Region.
Originating in the 1870s in, obviously, The Natural State, this variety is reputed to be a part of the Winesap family, which includes such esteemed members as the Black Twig, Stayman, and, of course, the Old Fashioned Winesap.
The purple-spored typically grows in this region’s fields, often appearing from October through December and into early January.
Departments
Singing in the Garden
Singing in the Garden: The Practically Perfect Pear
“There are only 10 minutes in the life of [the average] pear when it is perfect to eat.” —Abraham Lincoln,
September 1, 2026
The Mountain Q&A
Vic Isley: President & CEO of Explore Asheville
“At my core, I’m a proud Carolina girl, foodie, travel and music lover, and farmer’s daughter.”
September 1, 2026
