Yes, yet again Asheville is absolutely packed with fun stuff to do and see this weekend. Starting at the Grove Arcade, Downtown and less than a mile from our Asheville bed and breakfast, the Asheville Food and Wine Festival gets underway. Designed to showcase our area’s chefs, farmers and food producers, the great samplings are paired with the increasing number of great regional wines.

August 12th (Friday) from 7:30-9:30pm, just the day before the Saturday “Grand Tasting”, you can drop by to sample the “sweet” side of things: that includes champagne, dessert wines, specialty cocktails and locally sourced desserts. A few tickets remain, so you still have an opportunity to enjoy this event. Go to: www.wncmagazine.com/wineandfood/sweet.

And for Saturday, this is one of the “second Saturday of the month” dates when the River Arts District artists and art organizations host studio and gallery openings, classes and workshops. Always a fascinating area to explore. Check out more at www. riverartsdistrict.com