It’s time once again for the country’s best ciders and meads to make their way to Western North Carolina for the fifth annual CiderFest NC. The popular event takes place Saturday, Oct. 7, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Salvage Station on Riverside Drive in Asheville.

CiderFest, the largest annual fundraiser for the nonprofit WNC Green Building Council, has something for everyone: Sample sips from the nation's best craft cider and mead makers, enjoy small bites from popular local food producers, and enjoy kid-friendly fall activities along the French Broad River.

Tastings and Tunes

CiderFest will feature local bands and buskers throughout the riverside venue as well as an eclectic mix of local arts-and-crafts vendors. There will be an interactive kids zone with hands-on educational activities and eco-friendly crafts. The festival will also offer the opportunity to learn all about hard ciders: Tasting and Festival Guides will be available to highlight differences in cider, ingredients and origins.

New to CiderFest this year will be a limited number of VIT (Very Important Taster) tickets, which offer early entry to the event beginning at noon to enjoy exclusive access to cider, mead and artisanal food tastings before the crowds arrive. VITs will also receive free parking on-site at the Salvage Station, as well as a complimentary commemorative CiderFest NC snifter.

Growing Over the Years

CiderFest NC, which has more than tripled in size since it began four years ago, is a carbon-neutral event and will be offsetting the event's footprint for each ticket holder through contributions to the Appalachian Offsets program, which is currently fundraising to install a solar system on the roof of Isaac Dickson Elementary School.

Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty, a sponsor of CiderFest, has been a longtime supporter of the nonprofit WNC Green Building Council and an ardent advocate for green building in Asheville. Started in 2013 as a fall fundraiser for the WNC Green Building Council, CiderFest expected to serve about 60 people locally produced apples, cheeses and hard cider. Instead, the festival sold out with 400 attendees and has since come to be regarded as the premier cider festival in the state.

For attendees 21 and older, admission is $33 in advance and $45 the day of (space permitting), and includes a CiderFest NC tasting glass. Designated driver tickets are $15, and guests 20 and younger are free. Limited-quantity VIT tickets are available for $50. On-site parking fees are based on the number of people in the car: $10 for one, $5 for two, and free for three or more. Salvage Station is located at 466 Riverside Dr. in Asheville, N.C., next to the French Broad River just off I-26.

For more information about the Asheville area or living in Asheville, please contact Mike Figura at Mike@MyMosaicRealty.com or call him anytime at (828) 337-8190.