http://www.atthevintage.com
Here's the big news you have all been waiting for.
The Vintage 2016
May 20-22
Asheville/Hot Springs, NC
Celebrating BMWs 100th anniversary!
Venue for the Saturday portion of the event is at Hot Springs Resort and Spa.
They have a beautiful piece of property surrounded by mountains. This is
going to have the feel of the wineries we used to be at with kind of a party feel to it.
The venue is even cool with BYOB. They even have hot tubs and spa amenities ,
but don't worry, this isn't a snooty place at all. There is also a camp ground right
across the street.
The pressure was on me to find a good spot and I think I have found one that will
make this event memorable.
Host hotel will be Clarion Inn Asheville Airport (check out the satellite view on googlemaps)
Again, I felt the pressure to find a hotel comparable to Hawthorne Inn and after much searching,
I have found it.
Big parking lot with additional grassy area to hang out in at night.
Room prices are great! I took the tour and the rooms are nice and clean. Their restaurant
is kind of a sports bar which is nice, they have lots of local brews on tap.
They even have a free shuttle which you could take to Sierra Nevada brewery down the street
(the brewery is very impressive!!).
YES you can start booking rooms if you would like. $89 (plus tax) for 1 king or 2 queens. Call (828 ) 684- 1213 and mention "BMW car show" when booking.
Lots of driving!
The tentative schedule at this point would be:
Friday fun rally to BMW CCA Foundation open house and maybe the BMW Zentrum if it
is still open. Maybe a few other surprises too.
Saturday scenic drive to Hot Springs, the back county route is amazing, both beautiful and
full of twisty bits as you snake your way through the mountains. Many people this year told me they
missed rallying to the event site saturday morning....so you are going to love this!
Sunday , another fun rally on some of the twisty roads in the area (sorry, it will not be Tail of the Dragon,
too crowded and lots of cops).
Other things I am thinking about:
- I will talk with Biltmore Estate to see if we can get discounted tickets for those that would like to visit this
impressive attraction. It's quite something to behold.
- I will talk with Sierra Nevada Brewery to see if we can have our own area for a get-together some evening .
- Maps to downtown Asheville for everyone. If you get a chance during the weekend, visit downtown Asheville.
It's really neat and full of great restaurants and lots of breweries!
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS YOU ARE READY TO ASK
- Why is the event moving from Old Salem in Winston-Salem?
One reason the event has moved from Winston-Salem is because I have moved from Winston-Salem
to Asheville. And to be honest, it is much easier to plan an event that is close to home. We had been at
Old Salem for several years and they were sad to see us go. They did have a finite amount of room
for us to use which left little room for the event to grow. For those of you that are sad about leaving Old
Salem, remember you were the same people who were sad when we left Westbend Vineyards, and then
Shelton Vineyards. So you see, it's the same über cool event, just in a new and exciting place.
- Why is The Vintage 2016 not on Memorial Day Weekend?
The Asheville area is a huge tourist destination, and unlike Winston-Salem where people were leaving town
for the holiday weekend, Asheville is a place people are coming for that holiday weekend and many
possible venues already have annual festivals, etc. making it impossible to get that weekend. To me it was
more important to get a nice venue and move weekends rather than settle on a crap venue just to keep
Memorial Day Weekend.
- Why not have the event at Biltmore Estate? Well because I have heard from other organizers that they
are not very flexible when it comes to events on their property. They will not let cars be displayed on the
front lawn which would mean we would be shunned to a generic field somewhere on their property that would
be less than memorable. Plus every person (not car) attending would have to pay at the front gate to get in.
That could be $50-$75 per person if I was able to get a discount, $99 per person if I wasn't.
- Why no beer or wine vendors at the event? Hot Springs told me from experience to not even try because
A.L.E. (Alcohol Law Enforcement ) is making it difficult to get permits for selling beer and wine. They said
even if you do secure a permit that A.L.E. officers will be out en masse at the event. So since the venue is
cool with BYOB, as of now I will not bother with beer/wine permits. If things change I will let you know.
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Folks, with Scott's permission I'm adding a note about the availability of camping with the E30 group at the Hot Springs Resort. This campsite is right across the street from the event.
For information and to register, go to:
Thanks!
Chris/agent
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