Downtown Asheboro is Buzzing with Events, Art, Entertainment and Retail
asheboro, culture, farmer’s market, kathy homiller, outdoor concerts, public art exhibits, streetscape,
There’s a new surge of creative energy in downtown Asheboro.
Outdoor concerts‚ public art exhibits‚ a new farmer’s market and a host of community events have infused the city center with renewed vitality.
“The goal is to bring life back to downtown‚” says Kathy Homiller‚ co-chairwoman of the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce Downtown Revitalization Committee. “Back in the late ’60s and early ’70s‚ it was a vital downtown‚ with department stores‚ et cetera. But when malls became popular‚ many businesses moved. The goal now is to get people excited about coming back downtown.”
One of the ways the city is working toward that goal is by moving the farmer’s market downtown.
“The city has erected a tin roof infrastructure for the Farmer’s Market‚ which will probably open in spring 2006‚” Homiller says. “It sits on the corner of Church and Hill Streets‚ so it’s very convenient to downtown.”
Asheboro City Councilman David Smith says the new structure will be capable of housing a variety of events. “The building will have ceiling fans and lights‚ so we’ll be able to use it for evening shows and receptions‚” Smith says.
The new farmer’s market building will also include restrooms – something the old site lacked.
“Our intent was to provide a permanent downtown location with all the amenities in order to make the market the best it can be‚” Smith says.
Outdoor entertainment of another sort is taking place at Bicentennial Park. The downtown performance venue was recently given a roof.
“The new roof will allow a lot more to happen at the stage‚” Homiller says. “It was erected with funds from the local Rotary Clubs. We had a wonderful variety of concerts there this past summer‚ and there’s a schedule of concerts planned for next summer.”
Another project has involved the chamber‚ Asheboro’s city government and the Citizens for Arts Advocacy organization. The trio has teamed up to sponsor a yearlong public art display centered on 10 sculptural works in the downtown area.
“The sculptures range from realistic to abstract‚ and there are all types – steel‚ bronze‚ aluminum‚ wood‚ concrete‚” says Roger Halligan‚ a member of Citizens for Arts Advocacy. “They were all done by sculptors from North Carolina.”
The art is being exhibited through September 2006.
“This is sort of the first exhibit of its kind‚ because all the artists have some connection to Randolph County‚” Homiller says.
Included in the exhibit is a John Paul Harris work of a life-sized white rhino.
Another is a large marble sculpture titled “The Letter A Bench Sculpture‚” which was created by Horace Farlow and is on display at City Hall.
“It forms an ‘A‚’ which is appropriate for Asheboro‚ and it also forms a bench‚” Halligan says. “Horace grew up in Robbins‚ so Asheboro was the big city to him.”
Festivals are another activity lending creative energy to downtown Asheboro.
Among several big events was the Antique Auto Show that took place in August 2005‚ sponsored by the Old Salem Chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America.
“It truly was a major event‚ and facilitators are considering having it in Asheboro again next year‚” Homiller says.
A December street festival featured live music‚ carriage rides and open houses at several downtown businesses.
Story by Jessica Mozo
Photo by Antony Boshier
