Calendar of Events
Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.
Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.
The Third Annual Asheville Ideas Fest is June 17-20, 2024.
When the inaugural Asheville Ideas Fest launched in June 2022, it was a watershed moment when 450 friends from around the country came together with world-class thinkers and doers to engage in meaningful discussions. The program evolved in 2023, and now 2024 promises to be an even more impactful gathering.
Asheville Ideas Fest is for curious citizens who want to engage with other deep thinkers on topics that matter. You may find your deeply held beliefs challenged on these important topics, and we invite you to lean into those moments, approaching them with an open mind and genuine curiosity.
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This year will include three core themes:
The Thriving American City: Revitalizing Communities through Connection and Growth
In an era of rapid urbanization and evolving societal needs, we will examine strategies that encourage human connection and promote sustainable growth, creating a blueprint for thriving cities. Join us for an engaging day of panel discussions and intensive workshops that evaluate the essential elements of revitalizing American cities and communities.
The Edges of the Unknown: Seeking Enlightenment through Exploration
Ideas Fest panelists and speakers will contemplate the mysteries of space, depths of the ocean, and what lies beyond our current scope of understanding. Using a lens of exploration and curiosity, we will navigate uncharted physical and spiritual territories as we seek to unlock secrets that lie at the edges of the unknown. Prepare to be inspired, enlightened, and challenged in this unique journey of discovery.
House of Cards or Hallowed Halls: Our Polarized Union and the Future of Democracy
Dive into the heart of contemporary political discourse with Ideas Fest. We will examine the polarized landscape of our union and explore the critical challenges facing democracy today. Engage in thought-provoking discussions about the structural, cultural, and societal factors shaping the future of our democratic institutions.
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In addition to dynamic panel discussions with audience Q&A, afternoon workshops with panel speakers provide further opportunities to explore the themes and develop your ideas. Our program consists of a phenomenal lineup of speakers and a laser focus on generating civil discourse on topics that ignite conversations.
In the Beginner Tai Chi class, the focus is on the Yang 10 and 24 forms as well as Qigong exercises for health. The Yang 24 form was created in 1956 as a way to create a simplified form of Taiji as exercise for the masses, this is the form many people perform in parks across the world. The reason for its creation was to give the beginner an introduction to the essential elements of Taijiquan, yet retain the traditional flavor of traditional longer hand forms.
Class includes Qigong warm up techniques such as shaking, tapping and vocalizing. We will then practice a Qigong form such as the Five Treasures. Following that we will play with Tai Chi basic techniques such as weight shifting, stepping, opening and closing, continuous movement. To finish the class we will practice Yang Style Tai Chi, beginning with Yang 10 and progressing to longer forms.
In our June installment of the PROpel AVL GROW series for young professionals, Erin Vandermore presents “Closing the Gap: Mastering Intergenerational Communication in the Workplace”
In today’s multigenerational workforce, effective communication is crucial to success. With each generation bringing its unique set of values, beliefs, and technological preferences, it can be challenging to navigate communication styles in the workplace. In this presentation, we will explore the different generations currently in the workforce and their communication styles. We will also discuss tips on how to effectively communicate with each generation and bridge the generational gap.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the different generations currently in the workforce and their communication preferences
- Identify potential challenges in communicating across generations
- Learn strategies for bridging the generational gap and promoting effective communication in the workplace
About the presenter:
Erin Vandermore, MA, LCPC, LCMHC, is a transformative thought leader, licensed therapist, and pioneering wellness coach with over 14 years of experience in the fields of mental health and life coaching. As the founder of Age of Uncertainty Coaching, Erin has dedicated her life to helping individuals discover their unique skills and talents—those often overshadowed by self-sabotage. Her empathetic lens, cultivated through her personal journey as a mom, a survivor of pre-eclampsia, and an individual living with Dyslexia, ADHD, and Anxiety, allows her to connect with clients on a deeply human level.
12:00-1:00pm – GROW Session
Sandwiches, salad and chips will be catered by Del Vecchios!
Please register for this event in order to help us plan accordingly.
About PROpel AVL:
Designed for young professionals between the ages of 21 and 40 in the Asheville/Buncombe area, PROpel AVL provides outstanding professional leadership development opportunities through educational seminars, service opportunities and networking.
Stay connected with text alerts! Text #propelavl to 828-827-5332 for updates and reminders about PROpel AVL programs.
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A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls Many older adults experience concerns about falling and restrict their activities. A Matter of Balance is an award-winning program designed to manage falls and increase activity levels.This program emphasizes practical strategies to manage falls. You Will Learn To: Who Should Attend? Classes are held once a week for 8 weeks for 2 hours each. Participants are expected to attend the entire series. Registration is required and will be limited. This class will be facilitated by Heather Bauer, master trainer. The series is sponsored by the Land of Sky Area Agency on Aging. |
Come join us for Business After Hours at Emergency Tech Repair!
Feel free to bring a gift to be raffled off as door prizes towards the end of the evening. Bring your business cards for networking and a chance to win prizes!
Please take a look below at our members who have renewed for another year!
FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers
This event is offered as a benefit for Chamber membership. We welcome you to come and check us out! Please contact Jessica Kanupp, our Member Development Specialist, at [email protected] if you’re considering a Chamber membership.
Dogwood Health Trust and Affiliated Monitors, Inc. (Affiliated Monitors) announce the schedule for six independent monitor community meetings to be held in June. The
newly selected Independent Monitor (IM) is responsible for overseeing HCA Healthcare’s compliance with its commitments set forth in the purchase agreement for Mission Health
System.
The upcoming community meetings are part of the expanded scope of work for the IM, with increased community engagement and education. The updated Independent Monitor
website and registration information will be available on June 3.
During the community meetings, Affiliated Monitors will introduce their team to the community,
review HCA’s remaining commitments under the APA, provide an overview of how independent
monitoring works within the constraints of the established APA, and update the communities
about the steps Affiliated Monitors has taken to date. In addition, the public meetings will
provide attendees an opportunity to share information with the new IM and ask questions about
the process. Concerns which fall outside of the role of the IM will be referred by Affiliated
Monitors to an appropriate party.
About Community Meetings
This June, the Independent Monitor will host Community Meetings where individuals can hear about the Independent Monitor’s work and ask questions of the Independent Monitor. The Independent Monitor urges interested individuals to register to attend one of the scheduled Community Meetings and to submit any questions or comments in advance when you register here.
To learn more about this year’s Community Meetings, view this Press Release.
To see a schedule of this year’s Community Meetings, view the schedule below.
To register to attend a Community Meeting and/or to submit a question or comment for the Community Meetings, click here.
In addition, individuals can attend any of the Community Meetings virtually. To attend a Community Meeting virtually, you must register using the link associated with the specific meeting below that you would like to attend virtually.
The format for each meeting is designed to both educate community members on the monitoring
process and to gather input pertaining to each HCA facility within their community. As room
capacities will be limited; Affiliated Monitors has requested that attendees pre-register for their
selected location beginning June 3, using the updated Independent Monitor website. Details
about virtual viewing options will also be made available at that time to those who are unable to
attend.
Attendees, and those who are unable to attend, will be able to submit questions in advance via
the website, beginning June 3. Answers will be grouped by topic and prioritized based on
All meetings begin at 5:30p.m. and doors will open 30 minutes before the scheduled meeting.
Locations, dates, and times of the public meetings are listed below:
McDowell County Meeting (Mission Hospital McDowell)
Monday, June 10 (5:30 – 7:00 p.m.)
Marion Community Building, 191 N Main St, Marion, NC
Mitchell/Yancey Counties Meeting (Blue Ridge Regional Hospital)
Tuesday, June 11 (5:30 – 7:00 p.m.)Cross Street Commerce Center, 31 Cross St #215, Spruce Pine, NC
Buncombe County Meeting (Mission Hospital)
Wednesday, June 12 (5:30 – 7:00 p.m.)
Ferguson Auditorium at A-B Tech, Fernihurst Dr, Asheville, NC
Transylvania County Meeting (Transylvania Regional Hospital)
Monday, June 17 (5:30 – 7:00 p.m.)
Transylvania County Library, 212 Gaston St. Brevard, NC
Highlands/Cashiers Meeting (Highlands-Cashiers Hospital)
Tuesday, June 18 (5:30 – 7:00 p.m.)
Final location coming soon.
Macon County Meeting (Angel Medical Center)
Thursday, June 20 (5:30 – 7:00 p.m.)
Robert C. Carpenter Room, Macon County Community Facilities Building
1288 Georgia Rd, Franklin, NC
Affiliated Monitors, Inc. is a Boston-based company with 20 years of independent monitoring
experience in healthcare, with an emphasis in health care regulation, consumer protection, antitrust, and fraud and abuse.
The independent monitor was selected in April 2024 by Dogwood Health Trust to monitor HCA Healthcare, Inc.’s remaining obligations under the Asset Purchase
Agreement.
Dogwood Health Trust is a private foundation based in Asheville, North Carolina with the sole
purpose of dramatically improving the health and wellbeing of all people and communities of 18
counties and the Qualla Boundary in Western North Carolina. Dogwood Health Trust focuses on
innovative and equitable ways to address the many factors that contribute to overall health and
wellbeing, with a focus on housing, education, economic opportunity, and health and wellness.
Dogwood Health Trust works to create a Western North Carolina where every generation can
live, learn, earn and thrive, with dignity and opportunity for all, no exceptions. To learn more,
please visit www.dht.org.
Celebrate the light of Summer with a one hour Summer Solstice Sound Bath! A sound bath can cleanse your soul, restore your balance, surround you with peace and tranquility and stimulate healing.
For the meditation, we will feel the warmth of the sun on your skin as you bask in the suns gentle rays imagining the light penetrating your body with healing energy.
Note: Please bring a mat/blankets/pillow since you will be lying on the floor.
Wear comfortable and flexible clothing.
Choose your space starting at 6:15 pm, doors close promptly at 6:30 pm.
NOTE: Accessible parking is available in the Center for Spiritual Living Asheville upper parking lot. The entrance to the upper parking lot is off of S. Bear Creek Rd between Science of Mind Way and Sand Hill Rd. (see map in comments).
There is a boardwalk walk way from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.
ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) has released a survey to learn more about how people in Western North Carolina shop for food and why they choose the food they do. The survey, part of a three-year project by ASAP’s Local Food Research Center, is for any resident of Western North Carolina over the age of 18, no matter where or how they shop for food. It can be completed online at surveymonkey.com/r/WNCFoodASAP or over the phone by calling ASAP at 828-236-1282. It should take approximately 8 to 12 minutes to complete and will be open through Oct. 31, 2024. Respondents are encouraged to share the survey widely with families, friends, and co-workers.
“By completing this survey, you are helping local farmers understand and connect with consumers,” said Amy Marion, ASAP Associate Director and lead researcher. “The challenges of our food system are constantly evolving. Improving it requires active participation from all community members. With this research we can better understand consumer values and the barriers they face, and help farmers and food producers improve communications with their customers and their communities.”
The survey is part of a three-year research project, “Connections in Direct Markets: Assessing the feedback loop between consumer values and farmers’ marketing strategies,” which will examine and improve communication and alignment between farmers and consumers in Western North Carolina. The research phase will also employ consumer focus groups, farmer interviews and case studies, and more targeted surveying. The broad consumer survey provides an update to the last consumer survey conducted by the Local Food Research Center in 2014. Results from the current research project will be shared in 2025.
ASAP founded the Local Food Research Center in 2011 to study the economic, environmental, and social impacts of localizing food systems. From its inception, ASAP’s programs and services have been grounded in research and evaluation, adjusting based on a strong feedback loop and observation of current conditions in the food system.
This project is supported in part by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2022-38640-37488 through the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number LS23-382. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.
Embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and inner healing through our groundbreaking Breathwork Meditation Workshop including 2 Sound Baths! During this immersive experience you will be guided through a powerful Breathwork practice to help you massively release stress, heal past wounds and traumas, access deeper levels of awareness, and connect more profoundly to Source.
Led by two professional highly experienced facilitators with over 50 years experience between them, this workshop will
deepen your connection with your breath and unlock its incredible potential for physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Join a group of like-minded individuals on the path to self-discovery in a supportive nurturing environment on the beautiful island in Marshall on one of the world’s oldest rivers.
You may come to the full day (10am-4.30pm, $120 ) which includes two Breathwork Meditation Sessions with sound baths and a session of Self-discovery. You may also come to the first Breathwork Meditation Session with sound bath only (10am-1pm, $60) or the second Breathwork Session with sound bath only (1.30pm-4.30pm, $60).
Register at www.breakthroughbreathwork.com/events
ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) has released a survey to learn more about how people in Western North Carolina shop for food and why they choose the food they do. The survey, part of a three-year project by ASAP’s Local Food Research Center, is for any resident of Western North Carolina over the age of 18, no matter where or how they shop for food. It can be completed online at surveymonkey.com/r/WNCFoodASAP or over the phone by calling ASAP at 828-236-1282. It should take approximately 8 to 12 minutes to complete and will be open through Oct. 31, 2024. Respondents are encouraged to share the survey widely with families, friends, and co-workers.
“By completing this survey, you are helping local farmers understand and connect with consumers,” said Amy Marion, ASAP Associate Director and lead researcher. “The challenges of our food system are constantly evolving. Improving it requires active participation from all community members. With this research we can better understand consumer values and the barriers they face, and help farmers and food producers improve communications with their customers and their communities.”
The survey is part of a three-year research project, “Connections in Direct Markets: Assessing the feedback loop between consumer values and farmers’ marketing strategies,” which will examine and improve communication and alignment between farmers and consumers in Western North Carolina. The research phase will also employ consumer focus groups, farmer interviews and case studies, and more targeted surveying. The broad consumer survey provides an update to the last consumer survey conducted by the Local Food Research Center in 2014. Results from the current research project will be shared in 2025.
ASAP founded the Local Food Research Center in 2011 to study the economic, environmental, and social impacts of localizing food systems. From its inception, ASAP’s programs and services have been grounded in research and evaluation, adjusting based on a strong feedback loop and observation of current conditions in the food system.
This project is supported in part by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2022-38640-37488 through the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number LS23-382. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.
The stories we tell to, and about, ourselves determine how we experience life.Our stories impact our relationships with Self, others, and the beyond-human world.
Do you find yourself stuck in the same old movie? Going around and around with the same problems, getting the same results. Old stories impact all areas of life – work, relationships, spirituality, our sense of belonging in the world, and our emotional and physical health.
Our inner stories maybe repeated often but rarely examined and revised with an eye to our soul’s evolution. When we take the time to work with these essential life narratives we can change how we perceive and participate in the world.
Is it time for a new story?
This one-day, outdoor, program is a chance to step out of time, out of the continual narrative of your life, into a securely held circle designed for deep transformation.
Here you can let your guard down, fall apart, melt into the forest, and release back to the earth those loyal-soldier stories that may have protected you well but you no longer need and are only serving to shield you from life’s vibrant beauty.
In this magical space we will work with your story, ancient medicine stories from the Celtic lands, the nature and elemental beings to help you forge your new story. One that wings strong enough to carry you, radiant, into this next chapter of life.
About Your Guide: Kat Houghton PhD
Kat is a native British storyteller who has been guiding transformational experiences for over 25 years.
After a devastating loss, Kat descended into Grief, eventually learning how to apprentice herself to her sorrow with support from some wise Elders. Now, she walks with others as they dance with life’s initiations in all their guises.
Kat is a psychologist and wilderness rites of passage guide. She holds certificates in Eco-Therapy, Transpersonal Hypnotherapy and Transformational Coaching.
Kat thrives in the liminal spaces where the known brushes up against the unknown, always peering deeper into the darkness for guidance on life’s eternal questions. She creates safe spaces for people to explore parts of themselves that are hiding or ignored, bringing wonder to the process of inner growth.
Raised on farms in Northern England and Southern Scotland she now is rooting on a forest farm in the Southern Appalachian mountains growing mushrooms and guiding retreats.
The Logistics
This program is held by the 30-acre forest farm, The Forest Farmacy, Kat and her partner Chris, steward in Madison County, NC. There is plenty of space to roam in the forest. The farm backs up onto hundreds of acres of more forest.
Please bring your own lunch, a water bottle, journal and pen.
The Forest Farmacy holds a no alcohol and no illegal drug policy. They find inspiration through connection with the natural world.
Saturdays from June 15-August 10, Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center’s Outdoor Pool
10-10:50am .:. Free for Ages 60+ and $3 for Ages 18-59
B.A.L.L. (Be Active Live Longer) gentle water aerobics incorporate effective strategies to improve cardio fitness, build strength, boost mood, and ease joint pain.
ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) has released a survey to learn more about how people in Western North Carolina shop for food and why they choose the food they do. The survey, part of a three-year project by ASAP’s Local Food Research Center, is for any resident of Western North Carolina over the age of 18, no matter where or how they shop for food. It can be completed online at surveymonkey.com/r/WNCFoodASAP or over the phone by calling ASAP at 828-236-1282. It should take approximately 8 to 12 minutes to complete and will be open through Oct. 31, 2024. Respondents are encouraged to share the survey widely with families, friends, and co-workers.
“By completing this survey, you are helping local farmers understand and connect with consumers,” said Amy Marion, ASAP Associate Director and lead researcher. “The challenges of our food system are constantly evolving. Improving it requires active participation from all community members. With this research we can better understand consumer values and the barriers they face, and help farmers and food producers improve communications with their customers and their communities.”
The survey is part of a three-year research project, “Connections in Direct Markets: Assessing the feedback loop between consumer values and farmers’ marketing strategies,” which will examine and improve communication and alignment between farmers and consumers in Western North Carolina. The research phase will also employ consumer focus groups, farmer interviews and case studies, and more targeted surveying. The broad consumer survey provides an update to the last consumer survey conducted by the Local Food Research Center in 2014. Results from the current research project will be shared in 2025.
ASAP founded the Local Food Research Center in 2011 to study the economic, environmental, and social impacts of localizing food systems. From its inception, ASAP’s programs and services have been grounded in research and evaluation, adjusting based on a strong feedback loop and observation of current conditions in the food system.
This project is supported in part by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2022-38640-37488 through the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number LS23-382. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.
Join us on June 24th-27th at the Greenville Convention Center for the 2024 South Carolina Education and Business Summit. Come on out and checkout new innovations and opportunities for networking for educators and entrepreneurs.
Parking can be located off Exposition Drive and Eisenhower Drive.
To register: Registration (ebsummit.info)
Ribbon Cutting for Drip Sauna
| Drip Sauna | No Registration
Join us to stay updated on business in Mills River. With updates from the Town of Mills River and networking with neighboring businesses, let’s work to GROW your business in Mills River.
ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) has released a survey to learn more about how people in Western North Carolina shop for food and why they choose the food they do. The survey, part of a three-year project by ASAP’s Local Food Research Center, is for any resident of Western North Carolina over the age of 18, no matter where or how they shop for food. It can be completed online at surveymonkey.com/r/WNCFoodASAP or over the phone by calling ASAP at 828-236-1282. It should take approximately 8 to 12 minutes to complete and will be open through Oct. 31, 2024. Respondents are encouraged to share the survey widely with families, friends, and co-workers.
“By completing this survey, you are helping local farmers understand and connect with consumers,” said Amy Marion, ASAP Associate Director and lead researcher. “The challenges of our food system are constantly evolving. Improving it requires active participation from all community members. With this research we can better understand consumer values and the barriers they face, and help farmers and food producers improve communications with their customers and their communities.”
The survey is part of a three-year research project, “Connections in Direct Markets: Assessing the feedback loop between consumer values and farmers’ marketing strategies,” which will examine and improve communication and alignment between farmers and consumers in Western North Carolina. The research phase will also employ consumer focus groups, farmer interviews and case studies, and more targeted surveying. The broad consumer survey provides an update to the last consumer survey conducted by the Local Food Research Center in 2014. Results from the current research project will be shared in 2025.
ASAP founded the Local Food Research Center in 2011 to study the economic, environmental, and social impacts of localizing food systems. From its inception, ASAP’s programs and services have been grounded in research and evaluation, adjusting based on a strong feedback loop and observation of current conditions in the food system.
This project is supported in part by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2022-38640-37488 through the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number LS23-382. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.
What helps make cheese and beer, clean up an oil spill, and cure cancer? Mushrooms!
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Join us as we discuss this incredible kingdom, including research on how mushrooms facilitate tree communication across the “wood wide web,” fungal research, and technology applications.
We’ll bring examples of different mushroom types from our area and explore for more outside.
Give blood, save lives! Come out to the Ferguson Family YMCA on Wed., June 26 and give the gift of life by donating blood. Appointments are required.
To schedule an appointment: https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive. Use code: FergusonFamilyYMCA.
Food Connection is a local nonprofit organization whose mission is to reduce food waste while easing hunger. They keep surplus, fresh, chef–prepared meals out of the landfill and and share them with their neighbors, no questions asked.
They will have coffee and light snacks, and a brief introduction to Food Connection by their founder, followed by a Q &A and a tour of their operations including the Mobile Meals Truck which they bring to communities to offer a free food truck experience.
Directions: They operate out of the kitchen and Parish Hall of St. George’s Episcopal Church. Parking can be accessed via School Rd. and Mimosa Dr. Overflow parking is available across Mimosa Dr. in the Malvern Hills Presbyterian Church parking lot. To enter the Parish Hall, use the green ramp next to the playground and enter through the green door.
Want to learn more about managing depression and nervous energy? Got questions about medications or emotional implications of chronic illness? Join Vaya Health’s Geriatric and Adult Mental Health Specialty team for a series of classes at the Enka-Candler and Leicester Libraries
Classes are free to attend, but registration is required. Please visit the Vaya Health calendar to register. Everyone is welcome.
Did you know misuse of medications is a growing problem in older adults? This course will review how the aging process can lead to unintentional misuse and adverse changes to the brain. Here we will discuss interventions and methods available to support the reduction of this evolving concern
Plus don’t miss the chance to try your luck in our 50/50 raffle!
No cost to attend, just pre-register.