It started as little more than a poster in a window — a heart and the words “Love Asheville, Go Local” — a symbol the observant eye has undoubtedly come to know well. You’ll find it in shop windows, on the bumpers of cars, on the backs of T-shirts. That symbol launched the Asheville Grown Business Alliance, now an organization of hundreds of locally owned independent businesses, that encourages residents and visitors to support the local economy and local schools through the Go Local loyalty card.
Asheville Grown Director Franzi Charen, who first created that poster for her shop Hip Replacements, said this year will also be the first year the alliance will receive a portion of the sales from the card. That means new developments are in the works, including making the “Love Asheville” symbol more visible than ever.
“We’ve wanted to create a ‘Love Asheville, Go Local’ mural forever,” said Charen. “It would really beautify downtown, and I believe we can make that happen this year.”
Alsace Walentine, events coordinator at Malaprop’s Bookstore, said her store has participated in the Go
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