2011 North Carolina Apple Festival

Yep, folks.  It’s that time of year again.  The 2011 North Carolina Apple Festival is almost here!  Held every Labor Day weekend in Hendersonville, the North Carolina Apple Festival has been entertaining families for more than 60 years now.  This year, it will be held from Friday, September 2nd to Monday, September 5, 2011.

Henderson County apple growers are responsible for growing approximately 65% of the apples grown in the entire state.  That’s no small feat when you consider that North Carolina is the 7th largest apple producer in the country.  So, it makes sense that we celebrate all things apple-related.  But, the North Carolina Apple Festival isn’t just a place to purchase apples (which you can, by the way, in small batches or by the bushel).  There are children’s activities, a street fair, plenty of live entertainment and, of course, the big King Apple Parade on the final day of the festival. 

Here are just a few of the fun events scheduled for the 2011 North Carolina Apple Festival:

Friday, September 2, 2011

• Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast – 7am to 10am (First Baptist Church, 312 5th Ave W, Hendersonville).  For just $6 per person, enjoy pancakes, bacon, grits, coffee, milk, apple juice and nice, warm, cooked apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon and brown sugar.  What a fantastic way to start the festivities.
• Opening Ceremony – 10am (Historic Hendersonville Courthouse, Main St & 1st Ave).
• Apple Orchard Tour – 9am to 12:30pm.  This will be the only tour of the apple orchard open during the entire weekend.  You need to make reservations ahead of time to secure a spot.  Please call 828-697-4891 if you’re interested.
• Big K Big Band – 7pm to 10pm (Main Stage at the Historic Courthouse).  Bring a chair and enjoy the big band sounds of the Big K Big Band.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

• Lions Club Country Breakfast – 7am to 10am (First Baptist Church, 312 5th Ave W).  Get a full country breakfast of eggs, sausage, bacon, grits, biscuits and gravy, coffee and apple juice for just $6 per person.
• Pardee Apple Festival and Chic-Fil-A Moo Mile – Begins at 8am and ends at 11am, with registration beginning at 6:30am.  This event starts at the Pardee Hospital (800 Justice St) and continues along an 8K mile scenic course throughout Hendersonville and Laurel Park.  All proceeds from this event will benefit the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce.  It only costs $10 to participate.
• Mountain Music Jamboree – 3pm to 5pm (Henderson High School, 311 8th Ave).  Listen to bluegrass music and watch some talented cloggers for just $10 per person.  Tickets can be purchased at the Visitors Center, the Opportunity House and right at the door.
• The Caribbean Cowboys – 5:30pm to 7pm (Main Stage at the Historic Courthouse).  Live music.
• The Mighty Kicks – 7:30pm to 10pm (Main Stage at the Historic Courthouse).  The Mighty Kicks perform Top 40 hits, Motown favorites and classic rock and roll music.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

• Breakfast With the Elks – 7am to 12pm (Elks Lodge, 546 N Justice St).  For $7 per person, the Elks will be offerring pancakes, sausage, bacon, biscuits and gravy, grits, milk, coffee, juice and, of course, apples!  Kids ages 6 and under are free.
• Farmer’s Market – 11am to 4pm (7th Ave and Maple St).  Stock up on jams, jellies, fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy products flowers and much more from local farmers. 
• Still Cruzin’ – 5:30pm to 7pm (Main Stage at the Historic Courthouse).  Live music.
• The Legacy – 8pm to 10pm (Main Stage at the Historic Courthouse).  Come listen to The Legacy perform some of Motown’s greatest hits.

Monday, September 5, 2011

• King Apple Parade – 2:30pm (N Main St and Five Points to Caswell St).  Antique aircraft will perform a flyover to kick off the North Carolina Apple Festival’s King Apple Parade.

In addition to all of this amazing fun, there will be an apple recipe contest, an arts and crafts fair, the regular street fair, a window display contest, a car show and open houses held at the WNC Air Museum and Mineral Museum throughout the entire weekend.  The toughest decision you’ll have to make is where to go to first!  The North Carolina Apple Festival officials request that you leave your pets at home since city ordinance won’t allow them in the area during the festival. 

Don’t miss out on all the fun to be had at the 2011 North Carolina Apple Festival in Hendersonville this Labor Day weekend.  It really is fun for the entire family.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

Top Five Water Conservation Tips for Hendersonville Residents

Officials in the City of Hendersonville, much like other cities across the nation, have encouraged water conservation to help combat dry weather conditions.  Even little changes can help.  The following are the top five water conservation tips for Hendersonville residents to do their part in using less water:

Tip #1: Check the Plumbing.  Leaky plumbing makes up for approximately 15% of a Hendersonville household’s water use.  Replace O-rings on leaky faucets and tubs.  A couple of drops of food coloring in your toilet tank is a simple way to determine if you toilet is leaking.  If the color shows up in the bowl before you flush, you need to replace the flap.  If the water meter still moves after you have completely shut off all water coming into the home, you have a leak.  Check the connections to your outside hoses and faucets as well.  Replace or repair faulty plumbing as soon as possible.  Missing even one leak can waste as much as 500 gallons of water every month.

Tip #2: Curb Indoor Water Usage.  Flushing the toilets and bathing comprise approximately 70% of the entire Hendersonville household water usage.  If you can’t afford to replace your toilet with a low-flow model, you can achieve the same effect by placing a glass jar, a plastic jug or even a plastic bag filled with water, pebbles or other density items to keep it from floating in the toilet tank.  This will take up space, which means that the toilet will use less water to fill it.  If you want more water, use a smaller container.  Turn off water when brushing your teeth.  Limit your showers to between two and five minutes.  Take large buckets in the shower with you to capture water before it goes down the drain to use for daily watering of plants.  You can take bucketfuls of your bathwater when you’re done to water plants as well.

Tip #3: Use a Little Elbow Grease.  Yes, power washing does an amazing job when it comes to cleaning off your driveway and deck.  However, the particulates (debris, oil, etc) end up in our local Hendersonville waterways.  So, instead of busting out the garden hose, use a broom to sweep up. 

Tip #4: Be Smart When Using Appliances.  Only run a full load of dishes or laundry.  These activities account for approximately 20% of your Hendersonville home water usage.  If your dishwasher or laundry washer are older, purchase newer Energy Star appliances.  Ask your salesperson about rebates from Energy Star as well as local government agencies when you go to purchase.  You can save money when you buy the appliances as well as when you use them.  Good deal!

Tip #5: Use a Commercial Car Wash.  Most commercial car washes recycle their water.  This reduces the amount of water needed to clean your car by as much as 40 gallons per wash.

Following these top five water conservation tips for Hendersonville residents will significantly reduce water usage in our neck of the woods.  In turn, the precious water we do have can be used to keep our mountains green and beautiful for future generations.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

Recycling in Hendersonville

Not to be outdone by the award-winning Asheville recycling program, the City has made recycling in Hendersonville even easier.  As of July 4, 2011, the City has begun picking up recycling bins on the same day as the regular trash collection for Hendersonville residents.  If you are unsure as to what can be placed in your blue recycling bin for pickup, here is a list you can use:

• Aluminum, Steel and Tin Products (clean pie plates, rinsed out soda cans, clean foil, etc)
• Aerosol Cans (completely empty and without the plastic cap)
• Books (paperbacks)
• Cereal Boxes
• Cartons (soda and beer)
• Corrugated Cardboard (flattened, no bigger than 4’x3’x12″ stacks)
• Egg Cartons
• Envelopes (paper, manila and window)
• Frozen Food Boxes (white inside)
• Glass Bottles and Jars (brown, green and clear only)
• Newspapers, Magazines, Catalogs, TV Guides and Phone Books
• Plastic Bottles (no lids, deli containers or plastic tubs allowed)
• Paper (office paper, construction paper, junk mail, post it notes and wrapping paper).  Shredded paper is accepted as long as it is placed in a paper bag and closed on top.
• Toilet Paper and Paper Towel Rolls

There are several items that are no longer allowed to be collected in your regular Hendersonville household trash bins because they have been banned from our landfills.  These items must be recycled:

• Aluminum Cans
• Bottles From ABC Permitted Businesses
• Corrugated Cardboard
• Lead Acid Batteries
• Oil Filters
• Plastic Bottles
• Used Tires
• White Goods or Appliances
• Wooden Pallets
• Yard Trash (lawn clippings, shrub trimmings, etc)

Yard waste from your Hendersonville yard can be placed in an open container and set out for collection with your regular trash.  Do not bag it up and do not mix it in with your regular trash.  It is collected and ground into mulch to distribute to Hendersonville residents at a later time for free.  If you have old appliances that need to be picked up, contact the City of Hendersonville and let them know that you will be leaving them at your curbside for pickup.  Make sure to remove the doors from refrigerators and freezers for safety.

Used tires can be placed at curbside for pickup as long as they aren’t set on a rim.  They can also be brought to the Henderson County Transfer Station (828-697-4505) during normal business hours.  The transfer station will also accept lead acid batteries.  But, it’s best to return the battery to the store you bought it from.  Rechargeable batteries can also be taken to the transfer station.  Regular batteries (AAA, AA, C and D) can be thrown out with your regular household waste.

We live in a beautiful area of the country and we want to do everything we can to keep it that way.  By making it easy to recycle in Hendersonville, we are doing our part to help keep this place beautiful for our children and our children’s children.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist