As the great Achilles sulked in his tent, his best friend Patrocolus was slaughtered by mighty Hector. Fortunately Ajax was there for the clean-up, but it was still not pleasant for the Greeks. Because of his great pride, Achilles lost a pal and we gained the concept of hubris. Such a sin will not be counted against yours truly in regards to my evaluation of Bele Chere. Loyal readers will no doubt recall that I was rather disparaging of recent festivals. I still find areas worthy of disparagement, but I was also surprised this afternoon as I perambulated the streets of Altamont.
First of all, there was a lot of local fare. The taste of Asheville section had plenty of local vendors from whom I would have been happy to buy lunch. (I had already eaten an heirloom tomato sandwich on home made bread with a side of sweet potato and black bean salad. Yes, I am willing to be known as “that guy.”) There were also numerous local artists, artisans, and retailers out on the street. The retailers that were not on the street were still accessible because there are a bit fewer booths.
The best part of the experience was how it felt closer to a weekend in Asheville, but with the streets closed. It could be that it was Friday afternoon and things had not really gotten cranking. It could be that it was Friday afternoon and nobody was seriously drunk. In any event, check out accordian playing busker girl here. She is just what I am talking about.
I love the big yellow crayon and the cops on the segways.
I especially like the cop on the cell phone on the segway.