SC Arms Collectors Association Gun & Knife Show – Hall 1 – Parking off Exposition Drive

Join the Dark City Poets Society for a free publishing workshop from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 at the Black Mountain Library,105 N. Dougherty Street, Black Mountain, NC 28711. This workshop will be led by John Himmelheber, editor of Smoky Blue Literary and Arts Magazine, along with Ivy Rosen, editor of Black Mountain Press. Learn tips and tricks on how to get published and what the best practices are for submitting your work for consideration. This workshop is open to all ages, and no registration is required.

Building Bridges of Asheville invites you to a screening and talkback session of the film, “13th”.

In this thought-provoking documentary scholars, activists and politicians analyze the criminalization of African Americans and the U.S. prison boom.

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the fact that the nation’s prisons are disproportionately filled with African Americans.

The film will be followed by a guided conversation facilitated by Building Bridges board members and Niconda Garcia & Nex Millen.

Building Bridges fosters antiracism by educating people on how to intentionally engage in dialogues on racism. BBAVL.org

You have a part to play in this work, and this event is a great point of entry.

A healthy workplace culture can be the difference between hitting your goals and missing the mark. It can be a determining benefit that supports strong retention rates and serves as a competitive advantage.

But what is culture and how do you build it? We’ll cover this and much more!

Join us on April 26, 2024, for an interactive workshop at Continuum in downtown Hendersonville, NC from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.

Sign up now to reserve your seat and receive the full event details.

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

Start off Poetry Month at the Library with a celebration of Dolly Parton’s lyrics at the Fairview Library.

What could the songs of legendary singer-songwriter Dolly Parton teach us about writing, craft, and perspectives in poetry? In this in-person workshop, poet Dustin Brookshire guides participants through exploring the discography and cultural impact of Dolly Parton. We’ll use this as inspiration for writing new poems via thematic prompts.

This free workshop will be Tuesday, April 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the Fairview Library.

Our facilitator, Dustin Brookshire is the recipient of the 2024 Jon Tribble Editors Fellowship awarded by Poetry at the Sea and is the co-editor of Let Me Say This: A Dolly Parton Poetry Anthology (Madville Publishing, 2023), which was named to the 2024 Books All Georgians Should Read list by the Georgia Center for the Book.

Want to learn more about mosses and ferns? What are the most common spring ephemeral plants?, their pollinators and some of the interesting history of these special plants. Henderson County Extension Agent and host of the Gardening in the Mountains Radio Show Steve Pettis will discuss the many flowers that grow in the Spring time in the forests of Western North Carolina.

Printmaker Janette Hopper will be giving a digital presentation on her art of linocut printmaking this Thursday, May 2, 6:30-7pm. She will also demonstrate some of the tools and materials she uses in her process, and be available for Q&A. Afterwards, stay for the gallery’s True Home Open Mic, where performers of all skills and genres (poetry, storytelling, music, song, comedy, etc.) share their art. Janette herself will be getting up on stage again to share some of her poetry! Or stay to browse more of her print artwork: her current exhibit at Flood Gallery, “Agony and Ecstasy: Images of Conscience” which is comprised of more than 60 pieces, all for sale, and will show through June 2.

 

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.

Bring a bottle of water and a snack
Are there holes in the elbows of your favorite sweater and tears in your most comfortable pair of jeans? Visible mending, a form of repair that seeks to be seen, celebrates the history of the fibers we wear while simultaneously breathing new life into well-loved clothes. Whether adding new layers to frayed edges or creatively embellishing marks and stains, visible mending is a stylish way to keep clothes out of the landfill.

Andrea Connolly will lead this hands-on workshop, introducing simple mending techniques and providing a forum for participants of all skill levels to share and learn from one another. Bring an item of clothing to repair, along with any mends you feel comfortable sharing with the group.
All supplies provided. (Feel free to bring your own favorites to use as well.)

Andrea Connolly is a member of Local Cloth’s Mending Matters group. She has dabbled in sewing, embroidery, crochet, and knitting since early childhood and loves mending for its freedom from patterns and charts.
FREE but limited to 20 participants. Registration is required at https://www.buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/library/branch-locations/black-mountain.aspx

Greg Lobas will lead a virtual writer’s workshop titled: “Writing Your Life into Poetry.”

“Write what you know” is one of the first and best maxims for the aspiring writer. But what if “what you know” is ordinary, even mundane? This workshop will look at ways to mine the gold that is in everyone’s life and turn it into poetry. It may take some digging. It may take a little change in perspective. But it is there, and it is material only you can use. We will focus on the narrative poem as a means of story-telling but will consider the lyric poem as well.

This workshop is open to writers of all skill levels and is a fun way to find inspiration from a new prompt or revise current work. It is hosted by the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara and will Zoom for the virtual connection. Sign up to attend the workshop at workshop here:

Greg Lobas has been published extensively as both an outdoor writer and a poet. His debut book, Left of Center, won the 2022 Dogfish Head Poetry Prize, and placed second in the Delaware State Press Association awards. The book deals with his real life experiences as a fire captain and paramedic. His poems have been published in many journals. He is an experienced poetry workshop facilitator at Isothermal Community College.
Greg lives with his wife Meg and his dog Sophie in Polk County North Carolina.

Led by a certified Inward & Artward Creative Facilitator, Tikva Kingrea, this 6-week series workshop gives space for young folks’ imaginations to run wild, turning anything and everything into an opportunity for storytelling! Students ages 11-14 will dive into their own worlds, build their own imaginations, and creating their own stories through a smorgasbord of storytelling forms. In this class, we’re putting creative power back in the hands of the budding creative both individually and as a group. What kind of wildernesses can we construct and discover?

At the end of the day, we’re exploring various forms of writing, infusing imagination into our stories, and we’re building trust and confidence in young creatives. No homework necessary!

The Blue Ridge Agility Club of Western North Carolina will host an American Kennel Club (AKC) agility trial during the Memorial Day weekend, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, May 24 – 27, 2023.  The event will be held at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center McGough Arena in Fletcher from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm Friday-Sunday and 8:00 am-1:00 pm on Monday. Spectators are welcome to attend and admission is free. Please leave your dog comfortably at home.

Over 300 purebred dogs, from throughout the southeast, will compete at various levels of difficulty, against each other and the clock. There will be approximately 70 AKC-registered breeds competing.

Agility is a competitive team sport that involves a handler and his or her dog.  The object of agility is for the handler to navigate the dog through a timed obstacle course without the dog making a mistake. The agility course is comprised of jumps; weave poles, tunnels and climbing apparatuses. Agility rules focus on safety for the dog. The sport of agility combines control, training and drive into a challenging game for both the handler and the dog. Agility training heightens the bond between dog and handler and provides fun exercise for both. Agility is one of the fastest-growing dog sports in the USA.

The FAST (Fifteen and Send Time) class will be offered Friday through Sunday. The FAST class is an additional test of strategy, accuracy, speed, timing and distance handling, to demonstrate a dog’s athletic ability. The distance challenge must be completed correctly for a qualifying run; it can be attempted anytime during the run.

Time 2 Beat (T2B) will be offered each day. Each dog has the chance to set the “Time to Beat” for each jump height. This class is the most interactive class with the most accurate and fastest dog setting the pace.  Dogs from the novice, open and excellent classes compete against each other on the same course.

AKC’s exciting Premier classes will be offered all four days. Premier courses are designed to challenge dogs and their handlers at an increased skill and speed level. The courses are set above the Master class with varied approach angles, spacing and discrimination obstacles.

The American Kennel Club was founded in 1884 and is the nation’s leading not-for-profit organization devoted to the study, breeding, exhibiting and advancement of purebred dogs.

 For more information about the trial or the Blue Ridge Agility Club, visit www.blueridgeagilityclub.com

The Blue Ridge Agility Club of Western North Carolina will host an American Kennel Club (AKC) agility trial during the Memorial Day weekend, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, May 24 – 27, 2023.  The event will be held at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center McGough Arena in Fletcher from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm Friday-Sunday and 8:00 am-1:00 pm on Monday. Spectators are welcome to attend and admission is free. Please leave your dog comfortably at home.

Over 300 purebred dogs, from throughout the southeast, will compete at various levels of difficulty, against each other and the clock. There will be approximately 70 AKC-registered breeds competing.

Agility is a competitive team sport that involves a handler and his or her dog.  The object of agility is for the handler to navigate the dog through a timed obstacle course without the dog making a mistake. The agility course is comprised of jumps; weave poles, tunnels and climbing apparatuses. Agility rules focus on safety for the dog. The sport of agility combines control, training and drive into a challenging game for both the handler and the dog. Agility training heightens the bond between dog and handler and provides fun exercise for both. Agility is one of the fastest-growing dog sports in the USA.

The FAST (Fifteen and Send Time) class will be offered Friday through Sunday. The FAST class is an additional test of strategy, accuracy, speed, timing and distance handling, to demonstrate a dog’s athletic ability. The distance challenge must be completed correctly for a qualifying run; it can be attempted anytime during the run.

Time 2 Beat (T2B) will be offered each day. Each dog has the chance to set the “Time to Beat” for each jump height. This class is the most interactive class with the most accurate and fastest dog setting the pace.  Dogs from the novice, open and excellent classes compete against each other on the same course.

AKC’s exciting Premier classes will be offered all four days. Premier courses are designed to challenge dogs and their handlers at an increased skill and speed level. The courses are set above the Master class with varied approach angles, spacing and discrimination obstacles.

The American Kennel Club was founded in 1884 and is the nation’s leading not-for-profit organization devoted to the study, breeding, exhibiting and advancement of purebred dogs.

 For more information about the trial or the Blue Ridge Agility Club, visit www.blueridgeagilityclub.com

Now in our 15th year, we are proud to offer affordable, all-levels workshops!
Class topics include Intro to Whip Tricks, Badass Shimmies, and Song-writing. We are also offering a FREE LECTURE on the history of Sideshow with America’s top historian, the legendary James Taylor. Study with the best!

The Blue Ridge Agility Club of Western North Carolina will host an American Kennel Club (AKC) agility trial during the Memorial Day weekend, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, May 24 – 27, 2023.  The event will be held at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center McGough Arena in Fletcher from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm Friday-Sunday and 8:00 am-1:00 pm on Monday. Spectators are welcome to attend and admission is free. Please leave your dog comfortably at home.

Over 300 purebred dogs, from throughout the southeast, will compete at various levels of difficulty, against each other and the clock. There will be approximately 70 AKC-registered breeds competing.

Agility is a competitive team sport that involves a handler and his or her dog.  The object of agility is for the handler to navigate the dog through a timed obstacle course without the dog making a mistake. The agility course is comprised of jumps; weave poles, tunnels and climbing apparatuses. Agility rules focus on safety for the dog. The sport of agility combines control, training and drive into a challenging game for both the handler and the dog. Agility training heightens the bond between dog and handler and provides fun exercise for both. Agility is one of the fastest-growing dog sports in the USA.

The FAST (Fifteen and Send Time) class will be offered Friday through Sunday. The FAST class is an additional test of strategy, accuracy, speed, timing and distance handling, to demonstrate a dog’s athletic ability. The distance challenge must be completed correctly for a qualifying run; it can be attempted anytime during the run.

Time 2 Beat (T2B) will be offered each day. Each dog has the chance to set the “Time to Beat” for each jump height. This class is the most interactive class with the most accurate and fastest dog setting the pace.  Dogs from the novice, open and excellent classes compete against each other on the same course.

AKC’s exciting Premier classes will be offered all four days. Premier courses are designed to challenge dogs and their handlers at an increased skill and speed level. The courses are set above the Master class with varied approach angles, spacing and discrimination obstacles.

The American Kennel Club was founded in 1884 and is the nation’s leading not-for-profit organization devoted to the study, breeding, exhibiting and advancement of purebred dogs.

 For more information about the trial or the Blue Ridge Agility Club, visit www.blueridgeagilityclub.com

The Blue Ridge Agility Club of Western North Carolina will host an American Kennel Club (AKC) agility trial during the Memorial Day weekend, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, May 24 – 27, 2023.  The event will be held at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center McGough Arena in Fletcher from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm Friday-Sunday and 8:00 am-1:00 pm on Monday. Spectators are welcome to attend and admission is free. Please leave your dog comfortably at home.

Over 300 purebred dogs, from throughout the southeast, will compete at various levels of difficulty, against each other and the clock. There will be approximately 70 AKC-registered breeds competing.

Agility is a competitive team sport that involves a handler and his or her dog.  The object of agility is for the handler to navigate the dog through a timed obstacle course without the dog making a mistake. The agility course is comprised of jumps; weave poles, tunnels and climbing apparatuses. Agility rules focus on safety for the dog. The sport of agility combines control, training and drive into a challenging game for both the handler and the dog. Agility training heightens the bond between dog and handler and provides fun exercise for both. Agility is one of the fastest-growing dog sports in the USA.

The FAST (Fifteen and Send Time) class will be offered Friday through Sunday. The FAST class is an additional test of strategy, accuracy, speed, timing and distance handling, to demonstrate a dog’s athletic ability. The distance challenge must be completed correctly for a qualifying run; it can be attempted anytime during the run.

Time 2 Beat (T2B) will be offered each day. Each dog has the chance to set the “Time to Beat” for each jump height. This class is the most interactive class with the most accurate and fastest dog setting the pace.  Dogs from the novice, open and excellent classes compete against each other on the same course.

AKC’s exciting Premier classes will be offered all four days. Premier courses are designed to challenge dogs and their handlers at an increased skill and speed level. The courses are set above the Master class with varied approach angles, spacing and discrimination obstacles.

The American Kennel Club was founded in 1884 and is the nation’s leading not-for-profit organization devoted to the study, breeding, exhibiting and advancement of purebred dogs.

 For more information about the trial or the Blue Ridge Agility Club, visit www.blueridgeagilityclub.com

Slice of Life Presents: Canna Comic Cuisine?
Two Infused Dinner & Comedy Shows
Friday May 31, 2024, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
& 8:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Rezonance Lounge via The Green Room 51 College St, Asheville, NC 28801, USA
Featuring a 3-course meal from Infuso including an infused Smashburger, infused salad, infused gourmet banana pudding, and a selection of infused cannabis drinks and surprise samples from local hemp brands.
Comedians curated by Slice of Life Comedy! Vaping (of The Green Room’s products only) is permitted.

Featuring Petey Smith McDowell

Space is limited, go to Smokesome.green to reserve your spots today!

Are YOU READY for NERD PRIDE FEST 2024!!
Saturday, June 1st 2024 : 10am – 4pm

Asheville’s local artist convention every first Saturday in June in honor of Pride month! This is a fun, free way to celebrate pride month by supporting local artists and nonprofits who do incredible things for the queer LGBT+ community in western North Carolina.

Nerd Pride Fest was our first ever event in our current location. So it had to be to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and reopening with food, games, live music, and more.

As a shop owned and operated by queer-identifying folks, The Nerd Dungeon is committed to being a safe and welcoming environment for people of all ages to express themselves any time of year, not just during Pride Month. We will always be a 3rd Place.
It is nice to have an excuse to go all-out and party, though! Pride Cosplay encouraged!

Dark City Poets Society is a completely free poetry group that is open to writers of all ages and experience levels.
Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6:00-7:30 pm on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) feedback group.

FREE. Meets in the garden weather permitting.

Connect Beyond Festival returns to downtown Asheville, N.C. on June 7-9, 2024 for a weekend of performances, panels, film screenings and workshops with award-winning artists and thought leaders, exploring how the intersection of music, art, film and storytelling can inspire positive change. This year’s festival, dubbed by Ashvegas as “Asheville’s version of SXSW,” is themed around Connection To Deepen Resilience and Keep Moving Forward. Connect Beyond will be partnering with Slay The Mic Media to co-curate programs centered around youth empowerment. Tickets for the Connect Beyond Festival are slated to go on sale by May 13th. To optimize community accessibility, options include individual event tickets or a full weekend pass.

Another great comedy show at Asheville Pizza in Theatre 2, get your dinner , drinks & laughs with a comedy open mic! Professional featured performers in a fun environment. Hosted by Cody Hughes! Featuring Zandra Johnson, Johnathan Pruett & Jason Reel

Slice of Life Standup Comedy Contest
When: Wensday June 13, 2024.
7p-9p, doors at 6:30p
Where:
The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge, 103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $15 (available at door or The Orange Peel website

Cocktails available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!!
Free snacks while availability lasts!

How it Works: The show’s Headliner will be selected by the paid audience in an anonymous ballet after all comics perform their sets.
Audience will write down their favorite top comic of the evening who will be paid & brought back to headline the end of the show with a closing 10m set! They will automatically be entered into a Feature headlining show to battle for Asheville title at plēb urban winery on June 21!

All standup comics are invited to be on the show as long as there is still room available. There is no cost to performing comics. Comics should have 3-1/2m of material and be prepared for an additional 10m. They will be invited to be a paid feature on the final battle with grand cash prize.

Hosted by around 2 Winner Ryan Gordon
Contact Michele at [email protected] for more details or to signup

Thursday June 13, 2024.
7p-9p, doors at 6:30p
The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge, 103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $15 (available at door or The Orange Peel website
Cocktails available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!!
Free snacks while availability lasts!
How it Works: The show’s Headliner will be selected by the paid audience in an anonymous ballet after all comics perform their sets.
Audience will write down their favorite top comic of the evening who will be paid & brought back to headline the end of the show with a closing 10m set! They will automatically be entered into a Feature headlining show to battle for Asheville title at plēb urban winery on June 21!
All standup comics are invited to be on the show as long as there is still room available. There is no cost to performing comics. Comics should have 3-1/2m of material and be prepared for an additional 10m. They will be invited to be a paid feature on the final battle with grand cash prize.
Hosted by around 2 Winner Ryan Gordon
Contact Michele at [email protected] for more details or to signup

A night of Live Comedy with in our cozy, vape-friendly Rezonance VIP Lounge, featuring a 3-course cannabis-infused dinner and infused drink, samples from local brands, and a goodie bag of dispensary freebies worth $50+!