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.

June 2024 Jun 2024
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Sunday, June 16, 2024
Eblen Charities: Fan Donations
Jun 16 @ 7:00 am
Eblen Charities
Help us keep more families comfortable in the heat of the summer. It’s Fan-tastic!

Read more
Categories: Community Donations Health & Wellness
Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
Jun 16 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Family Fun Garden Garden Events Outdoors
Adult Water Aerobics
Jun 16 @ 10:00 am – 10:50 am
Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center’s Outdoor Pool

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.

Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness Parks & Recreation
Monday, June 17, 2024
ASAP: How Does Western North Carolina Shop for Food SURVEY
Jun 17 all-day
online

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.

Read more
Categories: Community Food & Drink Health & Wellness
The AgSouth Growing Our Communities Grant
Jun 17 all-day
online

Apply Now through June 30, 2024!

APPLY NOW

Keeping the future of agriculture bright 

Each year, AgSouth Farm Credit supports non-profit organizations and farmers markets with grants of up to $5,000 to help in their endeavors and to further the future of agriculture in our region of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Grant Mission & Objectives

The AgSouth Growing Our Communities Grant’s mission is to build strong partnerships and alliances, leveraging the resources within our grant program to preserve and promote the farmer, the family, and our communities. The grant has three main objectives:

  • Invest in the future of agriculture.
  • Enhance and impact the quality of life in the AgSouth territory.
  • Be recognized as a leading corporate citizen in the AgSouth territory.

Applications

The AgSouth Growing Our Communities Grant operates on an application-based grant system. Grants will be awarded for up to $5,000 per organization per year. To be considered for funding, organizations’ values and purpose must align with the grant program’s mission. Applications must be submitted online. You will be asked to attach a copy of your organization’s W9 to the application prior to submission. Incomplete applications cannot be accepted. Please make sure you complete all fields prior to submission.

Project Guidance
As part of the application, organizations must submit a project the grant will help fund. Examples of previously funded projects include but are not limited to:

•    Providing farmers market programming for children
•    Purchasing fans for a livestock arena to help cool the animals
•    Developing a comprehensive chick hatching program to give tools and resources to those wanting to raise backyard flocks
•    Opening a demonstration farm in conjunction with a local school district
•    Purchasing grain bin rescue equipment for fire and rescue teams
•    Funding a bee-keeping education program for vulnerable youths
•    Purchasing an irrigation system at a local Farmers Market
•    Expanding a local church garden space and adding fencing
•    Hosting an annual agricultural event
•    Purchasing a cargo trailer to transport livestock equipment
•    Building a school greenhouse

Eligibility Considerations

Grants will be considered for programs only in the 147 counties and geographic areas where AgSouth Farm Credit conducts business. Grants will only be awarded to non-profit organizations and farmers markets and will not be awarded to individuals or private farms.

Funding Cycle

Grant applications will be accepted from April 1 to June 30th, 2024. Proposals will be reviewed and grants will be awarded in Nov-Dec of 2024. Funds awarded maybe utilized by recipients during the 2025 calendar year.

Application Deadline

The 2025 Grant Application period is now open. Applications can be received from April 1 to June 30th, 2024.

Read more
Categories: Grants
The Arts for Schools Grant
Jun 17 all-day
online

The Arts for Schools Grant supports nonprofit arts organizations and qualified teaching artists in Buncombe County, enabling them to provide arts-focused performances, residencies, workshops, and field trips for students in K-12 public schools. Through 2027, grants will also support arts-focused afterschool programs and camps thanks to an investment from Dogwood Health Trust, which awarded $15 million in multi-year funding grants to support organizations across the region providing high-quality, evidence-based out-of-school-time (OST) programs that have a high impact on young people. Grants for in-school programs range from $500-$2,000, and grants for out-of-school programs (including afterschool and camps) range from $500-$5,000. The application cycle opens May 13 and closes June 17.

Read more
Categories: Art & Craft Education Grants
Eblen Charities: Fan Donations
Jun 17 @ 7:00 am
Eblen Charities
Help us keep more families comfortable in the heat of the summer. It’s Fan-tastic!

Read more
Categories: Community Donations Health & Wellness
Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
Jun 17 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Family Fun Garden Garden Events Outdoors
Mobility Basics
Jun 17 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Black Mountain YMCA

Join us at the Black Mountain YMCA to learn ways to improve joint mobility for more effective workouts and how to stretch for post workout recovery!

Read more
Categories: Health & Wellness
INDEPENDENT MONITOR: Highlands/Cashiers Community meeting HCA Healthcare’s compliance
Jun 17 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Highlands/Cashiers TBA

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.

Register for Meeting

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.

Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
INDEPENDENT MONITOR: Transylvania County Community meeting HCA Healthcare’s compliance
Jun 17 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Transylvania County Library

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.

Register for Meeting

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.

Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Farm Beginnings® Program: Farmer program applications open
Jun 18 all-day
Organic Growers School

Farm Beginnings® is training the next generation of farmers in the many skills required to start and expand a successful farm business: passion, clear goals, production experience, financial and marketing know-how, and more.

Farm Beginnings® will help you build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking. We support individuals in clarifying their goals and strengths, developing agricultural skills, and growing profitable, equitable, and ecologically sound farm businesses.

The OGS Approach

Guided by our commitment to social justice, our programming is led by farmers and mentors active in food, farming, or social justice. By empowering people with skills, knowledge, and access to resources, together we can build a more diverse, equitable food system that enriches the environment and creates a thriving food and farming community.

We use a holistic management frame, farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, mentoring, and an extensive farmer network. The topics of equity and justice in the food systems are woven into the curriculum, including examples of realistic approaches within the scope of your business models.

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

View a sample of the full course schedule here.

Read more
Categories: Education Garden Garden Events
The AgSouth Growing Our Communities Grant
Jun 18 all-day
online

Apply Now through June 30, 2024!

APPLY NOW

Keeping the future of agriculture bright 

Each year, AgSouth Farm Credit supports non-profit organizations and farmers markets with grants of up to $5,000 to help in their endeavors and to further the future of agriculture in our region of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Grant Mission & Objectives

The AgSouth Growing Our Communities Grant’s mission is to build strong partnerships and alliances, leveraging the resources within our grant program to preserve and promote the farmer, the family, and our communities. The grant has three main objectives:

  • Invest in the future of agriculture.
  • Enhance and impact the quality of life in the AgSouth territory.
  • Be recognized as a leading corporate citizen in the AgSouth territory.

Applications

The AgSouth Growing Our Communities Grant operates on an application-based grant system. Grants will be awarded for up to $5,000 per organization per year. To be considered for funding, organizations’ values and purpose must align with the grant program’s mission. Applications must be submitted online. You will be asked to attach a copy of your organization’s W9 to the application prior to submission. Incomplete applications cannot be accepted. Please make sure you complete all fields prior to submission.

Project Guidance
As part of the application, organizations must submit a project the grant will help fund. Examples of previously funded projects include but are not limited to:

•    Providing farmers market programming for children
•    Purchasing fans for a livestock arena to help cool the animals
•    Developing a comprehensive chick hatching program to give tools and resources to those wanting to raise backyard flocks
•    Opening a demonstration farm in conjunction with a local school district
•    Purchasing grain bin rescue equipment for fire and rescue teams
•    Funding a bee-keeping education program for vulnerable youths
•    Purchasing an irrigation system at a local Farmers Market
•    Expanding a local church garden space and adding fencing
•    Hosting an annual agricultural event
•    Purchasing a cargo trailer to transport livestock equipment
•    Building a school greenhouse

Eligibility Considerations

Grants will be considered for programs only in the 147 counties and geographic areas where AgSouth Farm Credit conducts business. Grants will only be awarded to non-profit organizations and farmers markets and will not be awarded to individuals or private farms.

Funding Cycle

Grant applications will be accepted from April 1 to June 30th, 2024. Proposals will be reviewed and grants will be awarded in Nov-Dec of 2024. Funds awarded maybe utilized by recipients during the 2025 calendar year.

Application Deadline

The 2025 Grant Application period is now open. Applications can be received from April 1 to June 30th, 2024.

Read more
Categories: Grants
Eblen Charities: Fan Donations
Jun 18 @ 7:00 am
Eblen Charities
Help us keep more families comfortable in the heat of the summer. It’s Fan-tastic!

Read more
Categories: Community Donations Health & Wellness
Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
Jun 18 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Family Fun Garden Garden Events Outdoors
Sand Hill Nursery Workday
Jun 18 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Sand Hill Nursery at the Buncombe County Sports Park

Join us for weekly workdays in the Sand Hill native tree nursery. Tasks vary and often include repotting, weeding, mulching, and other special projects to improve infrastructure and function.

Need to know

Please come dressed in work clothes with close toed shoes. Bring water and sun protection. All other gear and supplies are provided.

Read more
Categories: Garden Volunteers
Introduction to Medicinal Herbs
Jun 18 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Bullington Gardens

Have you ever heard about medicinal plant tinctures and teas, but aren’t sure what exactly they’re used for? If so, then this class is for you! Join Rachel Meriwether as we learn about a variety of plants, both native and non-native, that can be used to relieve a number of everyday health concerns or add an extra boost to your day. You only need to bring yourself, your curiosity, and something to write on! The information presented in this class is intended for educational purposes and should not be considered an endorsement of or recommendation for any medical treatment. Please consult your health care provider before pursuing any herbal or homemade treatments.

Read more
Categories: Garden Garden Events
Wednesday, June 19, 2024
ASAP: How Does Western North Carolina Shop for Food SURVEY
Jun 19 all-day
online

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.

Read more
Categories: Community Food & Drink Health & Wellness
Farm Beginnings® Program: Farmer program applications open
Jun 19 all-day
Organic Growers School

Farm Beginnings® is training the next generation of farmers in the many skills required to start and expand a successful farm business: passion, clear goals, production experience, financial and marketing know-how, and more.

Farm Beginnings® will help you build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking. We support individuals in clarifying their goals and strengths, developing agricultural skills, and growing profitable, equitable, and ecologically sound farm businesses.

The OGS Approach

Guided by our commitment to social justice, our programming is led by farmers and mentors active in food, farming, or social justice. By empowering people with skills, knowledge, and access to resources, together we can build a more diverse, equitable food system that enriches the environment and creates a thriving food and farming community.

We use a holistic management frame, farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, mentoring, and an extensive farmer network. The topics of equity and justice in the food systems are woven into the curriculum, including examples of realistic approaches within the scope of your business models.

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

View a sample of the full course schedule here.

Read more
Categories: Education Garden Garden Events
The AgSouth Growing Our Communities Grant
Jun 19 all-day
online

Apply Now through June 30, 2024!

APPLY NOW

Keeping the future of agriculture bright 

Each year, AgSouth Farm Credit supports non-profit organizations and farmers markets with grants of up to $5,000 to help in their endeavors and to further the future of agriculture in our region of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Grant Mission & Objectives

The AgSouth Growing Our Communities Grant’s mission is to build strong partnerships and alliances, leveraging the resources within our grant program to preserve and promote the farmer, the family, and our communities. The grant has three main objectives:

  • Invest in the future of agriculture.
  • Enhance and impact the quality of life in the AgSouth territory.
  • Be recognized as a leading corporate citizen in the AgSouth territory.

Applications

The AgSouth Growing Our Communities Grant operates on an application-based grant system. Grants will be awarded for up to $5,000 per organization per year. To be considered for funding, organizations’ values and purpose must align with the grant program’s mission. Applications must be submitted online. You will be asked to attach a copy of your organization’s W9 to the application prior to submission. Incomplete applications cannot be accepted. Please make sure you complete all fields prior to submission.

Project Guidance
As part of the application, organizations must submit a project the grant will help fund. Examples of previously funded projects include but are not limited to:

•    Providing farmers market programming for children
•    Purchasing fans for a livestock arena to help cool the animals
•    Developing a comprehensive chick hatching program to give tools and resources to those wanting to raise backyard flocks
•    Opening a demonstration farm in conjunction with a local school district
•    Purchasing grain bin rescue equipment for fire and rescue teams
•    Funding a bee-keeping education program for vulnerable youths
•    Purchasing an irrigation system at a local Farmers Market
•    Expanding a local church garden space and adding fencing
•    Hosting an annual agricultural event
•    Purchasing a cargo trailer to transport livestock equipment
•    Building a school greenhouse

Eligibility Considerations

Grants will be considered for programs only in the 147 counties and geographic areas where AgSouth Farm Credit conducts business. Grants will only be awarded to non-profit organizations and farmers markets and will not be awarded to individuals or private farms.

Funding Cycle

Grant applications will be accepted from April 1 to June 30th, 2024. Proposals will be reviewed and grants will be awarded in Nov-Dec of 2024. Funds awarded maybe utilized by recipients during the 2025 calendar year.

Application Deadline

The 2025 Grant Application period is now open. Applications can be received from April 1 to June 30th, 2024.

Read more
Categories: Grants
Eblen Charities: Fan Donations
Jun 19 @ 7:00 am
Eblen Charities
Help us keep more families comfortable in the heat of the summer. It’s Fan-tastic!

Read more
Categories: Community Donations Health & Wellness
Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
Jun 19 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Family Fun Garden Garden Events Outdoors
Pisgah Valley Health Fair
Jun 19 @ 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Pisgah Valley Retirement Community

A Journey to Self-Care at the Pisgah Valley Health Fair
Embark on a transformative journey and unlock the doors to holistic well-being at the Pisgah Valley Health Fair on June 19th, from 1-3:30pm. This event guarantees to be a haven for those seeking to nurture their mind, body, and spirit. This self-care extravaganza boasts an array of experiences and resources designed to empower individuals on their path to optimal wellness. Including fitness class demonstrations and information from local wellness leaders in acupuncture, aromatherapy, nutrition, travel, physical therapy, natural herbs, and home health. Representatives from Manna Food Bank, The Council on Aging of Buncombe County, AARP Mountain Region, and The Alzheimer’s Association will also be providing important educational resources during this event.

Read more
Categories: Health & Wellness
Thursday, June 20, 2024
Farm Beginnings® Program: Farmer program applications open
Jun 20 all-day
Organic Growers School

Farm Beginnings® is training the next generation of farmers in the many skills required to start and expand a successful farm business: passion, clear goals, production experience, financial and marketing know-how, and more.

Farm Beginnings® will help you build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking. We support individuals in clarifying their goals and strengths, developing agricultural skills, and growing profitable, equitable, and ecologically sound farm businesses.

The OGS Approach

Guided by our commitment to social justice, our programming is led by farmers and mentors active in food, farming, or social justice. By empowering people with skills, knowledge, and access to resources, together we can build a more diverse, equitable food system that enriches the environment and creates a thriving food and farming community.

We use a holistic management frame, farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, mentoring, and an extensive farmer network. The topics of equity and justice in the food systems are woven into the curriculum, including examples of realistic approaches within the scope of your business models.

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

View a sample of the full course schedule here.

Read more
Categories: Education Garden Garden Events
The AgSouth Growing Our Communities Grant
Jun 20 all-day
online

Apply Now through June 30, 2024!

APPLY NOW

Keeping the future of agriculture bright 

Each year, AgSouth Farm Credit supports non-profit organizations and farmers markets with grants of up to $5,000 to help in their endeavors and to further the future of agriculture in our region of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Grant Mission & Objectives

The AgSouth Growing Our Communities Grant’s mission is to build strong partnerships and alliances, leveraging the resources within our grant program to preserve and promote the farmer, the family, and our communities. The grant has three main objectives:

  • Invest in the future of agriculture.
  • Enhance and impact the quality of life in the AgSouth territory.
  • Be recognized as a leading corporate citizen in the AgSouth territory.

Applications

The AgSouth Growing Our Communities Grant operates on an application-based grant system. Grants will be awarded for up to $5,000 per organization per year. To be considered for funding, organizations’ values and purpose must align with the grant program’s mission. Applications must be submitted online. You will be asked to attach a copy of your organization’s W9 to the application prior to submission. Incomplete applications cannot be accepted. Please make sure you complete all fields prior to submission.

Project Guidance
As part of the application, organizations must submit a project the grant will help fund. Examples of previously funded projects include but are not limited to:

•    Providing farmers market programming for children
•    Purchasing fans for a livestock arena to help cool the animals
•    Developing a comprehensive chick hatching program to give tools and resources to those wanting to raise backyard flocks
•    Opening a demonstration farm in conjunction with a local school district
•    Purchasing grain bin rescue equipment for fire and rescue teams
•    Funding a bee-keeping education program for vulnerable youths
•    Purchasing an irrigation system at a local Farmers Market
•    Expanding a local church garden space and adding fencing
•    Hosting an annual agricultural event
•    Purchasing a cargo trailer to transport livestock equipment
•    Building a school greenhouse

Eligibility Considerations

Grants will be considered for programs only in the 147 counties and geographic areas where AgSouth Farm Credit conducts business. Grants will only be awarded to non-profit organizations and farmers markets and will not be awarded to individuals or private farms.

Funding Cycle

Grant applications will be accepted from April 1 to June 30th, 2024. Proposals will be reviewed and grants will be awarded in Nov-Dec of 2024. Funds awarded maybe utilized by recipients during the 2025 calendar year.

Application Deadline

The 2025 Grant Application period is now open. Applications can be received from April 1 to June 30th, 2024.

Read more
Categories: Grants
Eblen Charities: Fan Donations
Jun 20 @ 7:00 am
Eblen Charities
Help us keep more families comfortable in the heat of the summer. It’s Fan-tastic!

Read more
Categories: Community Donations Health & Wellness
Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
Jun 20 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Family Fun Garden Garden Events Outdoors
Dye Garden Series: Hands-on Dyeing with Weld, A Brilliant Yellow
Jun 20 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
NC Cooperative Extension , Buncombe County Center

Learn how to set up an organic indigo vat and witness the magical creation of blue when dyeing a cotton bandana.

IN-PERSON DEMONSTRATION

Location: NC Cooperative Extension , Buncombe County Center, 49 Mount Carmel Road , Asheville, NC 28806

Presenters: Pat Strang and Joyce Tromba, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers

In this class at the dye garden we will talk about the best way to prepare your fiber for natural dyeing, how to extract pigment from a plant and how to dye your fiber. We will be dyeing with Weld, one of the heritage colors that has been used for thousands of years. It produces a bright, clear yellow that is lovely on its own and also perfect for overdyeing.

We will be sharing weld seeds from our plants for anyone who wants to grow it; you can plant it as late as August for harvesting next year. Everyone will also take home a cotton bandana that they have dyed.

Requested $10 donation to cover cost. Cash is appreciated.

Wear appropriate attire as some of this presentation will be held outside.

The talk is free, but seating is limited and registration is required. Please click on the link below to register. If you encounter problems registering or if you have questions, call 828-255-5522.

Registration: Seating is limited and registration is required. Please click on the link below to register. If you encounter problems registering or if you have questions, call 828-255-5522

Read more
Categories: Art & Craft Garden Garden Events
Dye Garden Series: Hands-on Dyeing with Weld, A Brilliant Yellow
Jun 20 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
NC Cooperative Extension , Buncombe County Center

Learn how to set up an organic indigo vat and witness the magical creation of blue when dyeing a cotton bandana.

Location: NC Cooperative Extension , Buncombe County Center, 49 Mount Carmel Road , Asheville, NC 28806

Presenters: Pat Strang and Joyce Tromba, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers

In this class at the dye garden we will talk about the best way to prepare your fiber for natural dyeing, how to extract pigment from a plant and how to dye your fiber. We will be dyeing with Weld, one of the heritage colors that has been used for thousands of years. It produces a bright, clear yellow that is lovely on its own and also perfect for overdyeing.

We will be sharing weld seeds from our plants for anyone who wants to grow it; you can plant it as late as August for harvesting next year. Everyone will also take home a cotton bandana that they have dyed.

Requested $10 donation to cover cost. Cash is appreciated.

Wear appropriate attire as some of this presentation will be held outside.

The talk is free, but seating is limited and registration is required. Please click on the link below to register. If you encounter problems registering or if you have questions, call 828-255-5522.

Registration: Seating is limited and registration is required. Please click on the link below to register. If you encounter problems registering or if you have questions, call 828-255-5522

Read more
Categories: Art & Craft Garden Garden Events
Gardening in the Mountains: Fanciful Fairy Gardens
Jun 20 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
online w/ N.C. Cooperative Extension, Buncombe County Center

FREE ONLINE EVENT

Presenters: Mary Martin, Bullington Gardens volunteer and John Bowen, Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer in Buncombe County

Do you know where fairies spend the summer? Did you know it’s down at Bullington Gardens in Hendersonville, where they have a Fairy Trail just full of delightful fairies, gnomes, and llamas? Join us as we visit there to explore the wonderful,whimsical world of fairy gardens. You’ll see how fairy houses and villages are imagined and constructed, learn fascinating facts about fairies, and leave inspired to indulge your inner child (or grandchild) in your own garden creation.

Registration: The talk is free but registration is required. Please click on the link below to register. If you encounter problems registering or if you have questions, call 828-255-5522.

Zoom seminar access: After registration, you will receive an email with instructions and a link to join this online live broadcast via Zoom. The ability to access Zoom through a computer, tablet or smartphone with a reliable internet connection is necessary to attend.

Read more
Categories: Garden Garden Events