Calendar of Events

Distance: 2-3 miles

Difficulty: (3/10 difficulty) Easy

Cost: FREE

Registration: Pre-registration is REQUIRED

Birdwatching, also known as birding, is a popular hobby enjoyed by millions of people worldwide. With approximately 250 species of birds inhabiting the Southern Appalachian Mountains, there is no shortage of opportunities for birders to observe and appreciate these fascinating creatures. Whether you’re a seasoned enthusiast or just beginning to explore the world of birdwatching, joining a bird walk can be an excellent way to learn tips and techniques for spotting and identifying native bird species.

The Elizabethton Bird Club, in collaboration with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, invites individuals to participate in a leisurely spring bird walk at Hampton Creek Cove. This 693-acre preserve offers an ideal habitat for a diverse range of bird species, including the elusive Golden-winged Warbler. Thanks to the conservation efforts of multiple agencies, the habitat of the Golden-winged Warbler has been protected, providing birdwatchers with a unique opportunity to observe these beautiful birds in their natural environment.

During the bird walk, participants will have the chance to learn from experienced birders and representatives of the Elizabethton Bird Club, including Chris Soto. These knowledgeable individuals will share their expertise on bird identification and behavior, helping attendees develop their skills as birdwatchers.

While participants are encouraged to bring their own binoculars, a limited number of pairs will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Binoculars are essential tools for birdwatching, allowing observers to get a closer look at birds while maintaining a respectful distance.

Whether you’re interested in learning more about birds or simply enjoy spending time outdoors, the spring bird walk at Hampton Creek Cove promises to be an enriching experience for all participants. So grab your binoculars and join us for a memorable journey into the world of birdwatching!

If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected].

The Chamber Challenge is designed to promote community wellness through friendly competition between businesses in the Asheville area. Encourage your co-workers, family and friends to participate. Whether you walk every step or sprint to the finish, we know you’re up to the challenge!

Join us to learn beginning basket-making techniques with instructor Ronda Cassada. During this workshop, you will craft a traditional Appalachian rib basket with a God’s Eye center on the handle. The workshop includes a tour of the exhibition Counter/Balance to discuss creative concepts and be inspired by artworks on view.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Ronda Cassada is a self-taught basket maker with 30 years of experience and is a local resident of Buncombe County. Ronda holds an Associate of Arts degree and has been teaching absolute beginners to advanced basket-weaving classes in Asheville for the past five years.

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The Asheville Art Museum will award two BIPOC scholarships for the Adult Studio. To apply, click here.

Visit LEAF Global Arts every Saturday for an in-house cultural exchange with Adama Dembele. Experience the Ivory Coast with our Culture Keeper from the House of Djembe.

Sigal Music Museum’s current special exhibition, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred, highlights items from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, which hails from all over the world. Showing November 2023 – May 2024, Worlds Apart uses a diverse range of historical instruments, objects, and visuals to bring together musical narratives from seemingly disparate parts of the globe.

Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred aims to increase public access to historical instruments from around the world and improve visitors’ understanding of musical traditions at the global level. Expanding beyond the typical parameters of the Western musical canon, Worlds Apart seeks to expose audiences to musical instruments and customs that are often overlooked or exotified. The instruments and other exhibit materials will offer visitors new perspectives on global music and a chance to consider how music is used for prayer and leisure in cultures around the world. By celebrating these stories, the museum intends to further its mission to collect and preserve historical musical instruments, objects, and information, which engage and enrich people of all ages through exhibits, performances, and experiential programs.

Displaying various objects from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred focuses on international musical instruments and cultures, celebrating rites and traditions with ancient histories and contemporary legacies. Frank Edwinn, a successful basso in the mid-20th century, studied and toured internationally, eventually settling in North Carolina, where he taught music at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Throughout his life, he purchased various objects from around the world, aiming to expose students, and himself, to the wide and wonderful world of musical instruments. This impressive collection occupies a unique position for educating audiences unfamiliar with the vast scope of global music.

And, UNCA’s Ramsey Library Special Collections is now processing the Edwinn’s papers and a few recordings that will be accessible next semester!

 

The MADE X MTNS (Made By Mountains) Partnership is working to expand the outdoor industry and economy across North Carolina’s Appalachian region and catalyze rural development by building vibrant outdoor communities, growing outdoor businesses, and amplifying outdoor culture. This work is funded by Appalachian Regional Commission, Dogwood Health Trust, and Mountain BizWorks. Join the Building Outdoor Communities Program Specialist, Bradley Spiegel to learn about the 7-month capacity building program that 19 WNC counties have completed to holistically and proactively plan for outdoor assets that balance conservation and community development. FREE virtual presentation.

With John Simmons This event airs live and will be recorded. Tickets are $5 for members and $10 for general admission. Museums have changed greatly since the emergence from the modern museum around 1800, and have diversified into an amazing variety of institutions adapted to diverse cultures around the world. This presentation will examine how museums have evolved and how this has affected institutional missions, what is collected, how collections are managed, and the audiences that museums serve, while the association of objects and learning has remained at the heart of the museum. Today’s museums face many new and complex challenges, including which objects should be acquired, how collections are interpreted, the need for deaccessioning, the problem of preserving digitized information, and responding to calls for decolonization, repatriation, and restrictions on what should be exhibited.

Get ready to celebrate at our inaugural PROpel AVL Awards Celebration on May 7th! It’s a night to honor excellence and network with fellow professionals. With Carin Metzger (aka Cookie Carter of LaZoom) as our MC and DJ Molly Parti spinning tunes plus unveiling this year’s honorees, it’s sure to be something special.

Join us to celebrate the outstanding individuals nominated for PROpel AVL Awards. From remarkable innovators and mentors to dedicated volunteers and trailblazers, these young professionals are making waves in Asheville’s community, and they’re nothing short of inspiring! Read about the nominees

About the Awards:

The new PROpel AVL Awards honor young professionals who have distinguished themselves in their profession or as leaders along with individuals who serve as mentors to young professionals in our community.

• Community/Public Service: This award honors an individual for their involvement in the community or for public service.
• Trailblazer: This award honors an individual for outstanding leadership in their organization, industry, profession or the young professional community.
• Innovation: This award honors an individual for creativity and innovation in business.
• Mentor: This award honors an individual who serves as a mentor to young professionals in our community.
• PROpel Award: This award honors an individual who embodies the spirit of PROpel AVL – whether that’s making great strides in their profession or propelling our community.

About our MC: Carin Metzger has been performing professionally on stages large, small, and mobile for over a decade. A graduate of Elon University’s BFA Acting Program and the Asheville Improv Collective, she has worked for such companies as the Nebraska Theatre Caravan, National Theatre For Children, Immediate Theatre Project, Magnetic Theatre, Attic Salt and NC Stage. Most recently she was seen hosting Enter the Garden, a pole dance ballet, at Diana Wortham and the Tour de Fat at New Belgium Asheville and directed the Double Dip production Quality Service at the Masonic Temple. She currently performs full time with LaZoom Comedy Tours.

About PROpel AVL: At PROpel AVL, we go beyond the ordinary. Imagine having exclusive access to top-notch workshops, rockstar mentors, local employers seeking talent, and a community of fearless young professionals like yourself. We don’t just offer resources; we serve up opportunities you won’t find anywhere else. Whether you’re fresh out of school or making your mark, PROpel AVL has your back.

You can sign up for text alerts by texting #propel to 828-827-5332. Learn more about upcoming programs at www.ashevillechamber.org/propel

This monthly event is co-sponsored with Blue Ridge Community College’s Small Business Center, the City of Hendersonville Main Street program, and the Hendersonville Merchants & Business Association features several speakers on timely community events and issues affecting our business community.