Punch Club

25 Page Avenue,Asheville NC 28801

31 May, 2023

Description

On the last Wednesday of the month starting at 6:00 pm at the aventine wine bar located at 25 Page Avenue, Suite 102, the North Carolina Craft Beverage Museum and pleb urban winery are packing quite a “punch.” From 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm guests get to drink a unique punch based on historic recipes crafted by pleb, learn about North Carolina history, and connect that information to current events impacting your daily life. Historically the punch bowl has served as the great uniter, a place where individuals of all backgrounds, economic status, and jobs could come together and discuss the trials and tribulations of the day or celebrate. On Wednesday, May 31st we are excited to welcome guest speaker and historian, Katherine Cutshall, Collections Manager with the Buncombe County Special Collections to discuss the history of tourism in western North Carolina. Since before the Civil War, tourism of all kinds has been a primary driver of the economy of western North Carolina, especially in Asheville, the seat of Buncombe County, and the region’s urban center. By the end of WWII, heritage tourism as we know it today, fueled by programs like the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival and Southern Highlands Craft Guild, centered authentic mountain life and culture for throngs of seasonal tourists while simultaneously benefiting local performers and craftspeople. Now named Beer City for multiple years in a row, tourism is still a driver in western NC.