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Food
Bele Chere will offer two food courts, the Taste of Asheville at Pack Square and the Pritchard Park food vendors. Taste of Asheville features many local restaurants.
Drink
The festival partners with local nonprofit agencies to facilitate all of the beverage locations and each nonprofit receives a portion of the net proceeds following the festival. The products available at each location vary. Alcohol is only available on Friday and Saturday at beverage stations and satellite locations throughout the festival. Alcoholic beverages will NOT be sold on Sunday or carried on the streets. (Alcohol will be available on Sunday in downtown restaurants and bars.) Only one alcoholic beverage per person per visit will be sold. You MUST have a $2 wristband to purchase and carry alcohol on the streets during Bele Chere. Wristband booths are located next to the beverage stations. Be prepared to show a valid picture ID before each purchase. Regardless of age, everyone MUST show an ID every time you purchase an alcoholic beverage because a wristband itself is not proof of age. A wristband is not required to drink inside a downtown restaurant or bar.
Pets
Pets are not allowed within the festival boundaries. The streets are crowded with people and vendors so it's not a safe environment for pets.
FAQs
How do I get there?
You have a couple of options. You can drive to the festival or you can ride the Bele Chere Shuttle. If you drive, be aware parking is at a premium during peak times, but all the parking decks in the downtown area are open for business. The two shuttle routes - one from the east and one from the west - run approximately every 20 minutes and the cost is $3 roundtrip.
Where can I park?
City Parking Decks: Civic Center, Rankin Avenue, Wall Street, and BB&T. Several surface lots will also be open; a special events parking fee will apply in most cases. Free handicapped parking will be available at any metered parking space outside the festival boundaries.
 Where can I catch the shuttle?
To avoid traffic and parking problems, festival-goers are encouraged to take the festival shuttles.
Each day, service begins one hour before the festival starts and runs until one hour past regular festival hours. Shuttles run approximately every 20 minutes. Cost: $3.00. Roundtrip The east shuttle will run from the back parking lot of the Asheville Mall. The Asheville Mall is located on Tunnel Road east of downtown. The west shuttle will run from the K-mart Plaza shopping center on Patton Ave.
What if I need help?
The Information Booths will be located in Pack Square, at Pritchard Park, and at the intersection of College and Spruce. Also, look for our roving info-tendants presented by Wachovia. They’ll be on street corners and in other high traffic areas, wearing official Bele Chere shirts. The First Aid tents will be available at Pritchard Park and in the children’s area located in City-County Plaza.
Where can I get some extra cash?
ATMs are located at the following downtown locations:
Asheville Savings Bank - Patton Avenue at Arts Park
Bank of America - 162 College Street & 68 Patton Avenue
BB&T - 1 West Pack Square
First Citizens Bank - 108 Patton Avenue
Premier Credit Union - Haywood Street at the Civic Center
Wachovia - 1 Haywood Street
Can I bring my own cooler of beer?
No, coolers are not allowed inside the festival area.
Can I bring my pet to the festival?
Sorry, pets are not allowed within the festival boundaries. It’s safer for all the festivalgoers AND the pet.
How long has Bele Chere been around?
Bele Chere (sounds like Bell Cher) started in 1979 and was located on a whopping three blocks. It was the brainstorm of a handful of downtown Asheville merchants and business people with the vision of revitalizing our downtown business district, which was largely abandoned as retail businesses & residents moved to the suburbs. Now, downtown Asheville is home to restaurants, galleries, retail businesses, theatres, art exhibits, and a growing number of residents who call downtown “home.”
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July 27-29, 2012
