LIFE'S BETTER IN THE MOUNTAINS

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Small Town


Our little town is well known for summer festivals.  When one thinks of Brevard, NC, music and summer camps often come to mind.  Music students and professors come from all over to attend Brevard's summer music camps.  We are treated to frequent (and amazingly good) performances by the students.  Music definitely fills the mountain air during the summer.  Our Mountain Song Festivals bring big names into town to entertain us. The Brevard Music Center has hosted such performers as Yo Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Ricky Skaggs, Doc Watson, and our local Steep Canyon Rangers, often accompanied by Steve Martin.

We're becoming known for craft breweries.  Nationally known Oskar Blues has a brewery here in Brevard and Sierra Nevada brews in nearby Mills River.  Our pure mountain water seems perfect for brewing really good beer.

Our town is also "famous" for its abundant white squirrels.  The white squirrels are not albino but a variant of the gray squirrel.  Many stores and literature promote the white squirrel as a tourist draw.  (In my opinion, our majestic mountains and waterfalls are sufficient reasons to visit the area, never mind looking for white squirrels.)  And every year on Memorial Day weekend the white squirrel shares the podium with our veterans for the White Squirrel Festival.  Local craftsmen and vendors set up tents all along the two main streets in town, intersecting at the Courthouse.

The streets are filled early in the morning.


 Another street lined with vendors


 One street has no activity so early in the day.  This is the top of "Jailhouse Hill" which will be filled later with folks young and old to participate in the White Squirrel Derby.  An old soapbox derby with well-designed racers.

 The street is closed to the bottom of the hill.
Hay bales are set up to stop any car if the breaks don't do the job.


 We do have a Memorial Day Parade
And presentation of wreaths at the War Memorial


 The two following photographs were not taken by me but were snatched from the Internet where they were not credited to a photographer.  That white squirrel freaks me out wanders all over the festival.  I have been known to walk across the street to avoid him.

 Pisgah Pete, the white squirrel has his own white squirrel



Too young to be afraid, this little guy accepts a lemon from the squirrel
Seriously?  A lemon?  Is that the best you could do?
How about giving him your little squirrel from your left paw?


The next photograph was taken by me in 2011.  Even more freaky than a giant white squirrel strolling down the street.  A giant white squirrel head just lying on the table.

Jeez!  Couldn't you at least have covered it up?


We do love this little town.  Even when it is flooded with tourists during the summer it is charming.

And just like Lake Wobegone
"All the women are strong
All the men are good looking
And all the children are above average.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looks like a lovely small town. Interesting that there is Sierra Nevada brewery there. That's a "local" native northern California brew.

Brenda Kay Ledford said...

My nephew and niece attended Brevard College. Brevard is a beautiful town. I was amazed by the white squirrels. I also loved the waterfalls at Brevard. What a lovely mountain town.

Barbara Rogers said...

Sorry I keep missing your festivals...and I do love visiting Brevard...and the waterfalls are extraordinary! We're having an Art Festival here in Black Mountain this weekend. Whee! Traffic will be a bear.

Lowcarb team member said...

It does look a very nice town ... what a lovely selection of photographs here.
I think the wreaths at the Memorial look excellent.

Wishing you a good month of June

All the best Jan

Ms. A said...

Wish I could have been there! I bet my cousins go!

Arkansas Patti said...

That is some variety in musicians you all get. I love small towns and love that Garrison Keillor quote. Our tiny town comes alive in the summer also. We brag about being the folk music capital of the world. A bit presumptuous of a claim but then we don't have cool white squirrels for fame. There is music in the park most nights and every week end in the summer. Lots of picking and grinning. Enjoy your delightful town.

Vicki Lane said...

The white squirrel handing out lemons kinda freaks me out too. But Brevard is, indeed, a charming small town.

The Bug said...

I love squirrels (as you know), but that giant one IS freaky!!!

NCmountainwoman said...

Thanks for your comments, everyone.

Robin - Yes, the same Sierra Nevada. Such an exciting industry and a great tour with tasting at the end.

Brenda Kay - Yes, it is a lovely little town.

Barbara - I love Black Mountain but your traffic patterns are terrible. Last time we were there on a Tuesday and traffic and parking were awful. And that's with schools in session and the tourists not there yet. I cannot imagine the traffic for a festival. Good luck.

Jan - thanks. There were many wreaths placed by many different groups

Ms. A - I'll bet so. It's a big one around here.

Patti - You cannot be the folk music center. We are. :)

Vicki - yes, I thought the lemon was strange.

Bug - I do know that you like squirrels. So I yell "Bug out" when I'm chasing them off the deck. In honor of you. I must admit I am freaked out by all those giant animals in costume, not just the squirrel.

Tara said...

that disembodied squirrel head reminds me of the meat market in Havana where they display the heads of goats to let you know their meat is freshly killed. Ugh.

you do indeed live in a wonderful area. Thanks for bringing a bit of it to us through your blog.