Belechere, Love it Hate it? (Asheville: tax, storage, law) - The Mountain Region including Asheville - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

Asheville Native · 07-28-2008, 10:27 AM

First I just don't buy the 300,000 head count. The city has no expertise in counting people since there was no 'admission' to tally at best it is a WAG (Wild a....ed guess).

Remember the photos of the "million man march" in Washington? It was a sea of people that covered a huge area, (not crammed into narrow streets filled with vendor booths) and has been estimated to be something less than a million based on aerial photo analysis. There was a lot of people, but nothing like their glowing estimates. Where were their cars? There is very little parking around BC, and only 2 outlaying shuttle lots, not near enough for even 20 - 30 thousand cars. Having the misfortune to have to drive by the lots on the east side (Charlotte St. College St, MLK, South Charlotte St.) to get anywhere, they were never full, the organizations collecting $5 to park tried to flag me in every time I drove by, probably 10 - 12 times over the 3 days.

It has also turned into a venue for street hawkers peddling their wares, both cheap Chinese junk, and/or counterfeit goods. To give you a flavor of the draw it has to these crooks, the counterfeiter arrested had $281,000.00 worth of counterfeit goods to peddle. How and why did Bele Chere/Asheville permit this vendor to setup shop (everything is permitted during BC) without any kind of check to see if it was a legitimate business, or just a bunch of scam artists. How many other scam artists were peddling their junk at BC? I guess the only criteria needed to set up shop is to pay the fee, and beyond that they don't care.

I suspect that if the same counterfeiters want a booth next year, and pay the fee, that BC/Asheville powers will let them.

I also drove by some local businesses that just closed for BC as it kills their business. Out of town hawkers vendors rake in $$$, local businesses don't even bother to open. That doesn't support the businesses that were taxed to create the venue that hurts their business.

flipster · 07-28-2008, 02:11 PM

We happened to be in Asheville during BC and visited Friday from 11-6. It was alright. The weather was great. We went around the entire festival 2x. Didn't buy anything other than lunch at Salsa's and a snack at Kilwin's. The music started around 4 pm and we listened to a few bands then left. Didn't go back for the other 2 days. Locals we met said there were a lot of wasted people around by 10 pm. We won't go back just for BC (unless there is a musical artist we have to see), but then it won't keep us from visiting the area, either. I thought the crowd was rather thin when we were there, but it was a workday.

a2zmom · 07-29-2008, 12:59 PM

This would have been our first BC, but parking in Asheville is difficult on an average day, let alone during a festival...so we politely declined with the in-laws came to town and asked if we were interested. We opted for a visit to the Carl Sandburg House on Saturday, Linville Caverns on Sunday, and Grandfather Mountain on Monday...

lovesroses · 07-30-2008, 09:32 PM

We had lunch at Thai Basil on Thursday then stopped by the nearby visitors center. When asked by the person assisting us if we were planning to attend BC and we said no, she laughed and said that its not something many locals go to.

Asheville Native · 07-31-2008, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lovesroses

We had lunch at Thai Basil on Thursday then stopped by the nearby visitors center. When asked by the person assisting us if we were planning to attend BC and we said no, she laughed and said that its not something many locals go to.

Yet Shindig on the Green is mostly locals in attendance.

cooperwx · 08-01-2008, 10:45 AM

I love Bele Chere. My boys love the kids area and I love listening to the music and people watching. People know Asheville because of it, and family and friends come up here to go to it. I think it's great for the city, and I cannot believe city leaders even considered not holding it last year.

As for businesses downtown closing during Bele Chere, several friends of mine tried to get a table anywhere on Saturday night and had to wait forever. My guess is that Asheville Brewing Co, Jack of the Wood, Barley's, Magnolia's, Wild Wings etc love Bele Chere.

And as for basing attendance estimates, it's not OK to base them on the available parking. Not everyone was there at once. Not everyone drives. There's usually 4-5 per car. I don't have any idea how organizers arrived at 300k, because as mentioned, there is no way to count. The estimates are purely guesses, but I wouldn't assume them to be all that inaccurate.

circusboy90210 · 07-15-2009, 09:52 PM

bele chere is awfull for locals as the rules totally change for bele chere. local street performers are disallowed their rights that they have the rest of the year and denied a slice of the pie that is rightfully ours. this used to be many street performers main income for the year. police enforce brutality on people doing the most harmless things while true crime goes unpunished. totally a show of force so people don't know how much police don't do.

OMGosh Josh · 07-16-2009, 12:46 AM

I'm a native, so, as such, I hate it. I loved it when I was a kid, but since I've gotten older, I really hate it. It makes getting from one place to another a real pain the arse at times.

I'll be glad when they get done with the never-ending construction downtown, though.

The Mule · 07-16-2009, 05:29 AM

For us, it is a reason to go nowhere near downtown that weekend. I hear they've made some changes this year, but for the most part is seems like a hole in the calendar for the city to pour money into.

Asheville Native · 07-16-2009, 08:33 AM

It is time to end this stupid thing. Local stores close, local's avoid it like the plague, traveling trinket vendors are the only one that profit.

The taxpayers have lost every single year, it has and continues to operate in the red. The overtime for fire/rescue and law enforcement stretches their budgets, and detracts from their primary tasks, but waste it tending to injuries from fights, and arresting the throngs that don't know how to behave or control their alcohol consumption.

Then the gangs rule the streets in the late hours, roaming the outskirts like a pack of feral dogs.

Oh yea, the predatory towing companies will also have a good weekend. $125 minimum towing/storage fee, cash only.