Calendar of Events

We are lucky to have incredible Animal Educators to help us spread the word on the important roles they play in the Park. Join one of our Park naturalists for an informal program where your family will love meeting some of our wilder teammates! Kids of all ages are sure to take home some fun facts and special memories. Then, grab a Track Trail brochure at the Animal Discovery Den and round out the day with a hike along our Great Woodland Adventure trail with 12 education stations. Don’t forget your camera!

Art in Bloom – Plein Air Paintings

It’s hard not to crack a smile while enjoying amazing views of Lake Lure and the Hickory Nut Gorge from on top of the Chimney. Capture photos of your family and friends enjoying the Park and enter them into our Smiles of Spring Photo Contest for a chance to win fabulous prizes.  We’ll use the winning entries on our website and Facebook album, and you’ll win some fun prizes. Photos must be taken within the Chimney Rock section of the Park.
GREAT PRIZES FOR THE WINNERS:
First Place – An overnight getaway to Hickory Nut Gorge with a stay at the historic 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, two passes to Chimney Rock, brunch for two at the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, and two tickets for a tour with Lake Lure Boat Tours
Second Place – A Chimney Rock prize package including two passes to Chimney Rock, lunch for two at the Old Rock Café and two tickets for a tour with Lake Lure Boat Tours.
People’s Choice – Selected by our Facebook fans, the winning photo will be featured as the cover photo of our Facebook page for two weeks and the cover of our Pinterest board of winning photos. Prize includes two Park admission tickets, lunch for two at the Old Rock Café and a $20 gift certificate for Old Time Photo in Chimney Rock Village.
CONTEST RULES:

There is no fee to enter the contest. All photographs must be taken inside Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park only in areas accessible to guests between June 21, 2018- Sept. 21, 2018. The contest is open to amateur and professional photographers.
Up to three photos per person can be submitted via any of the following ways to be eligible to win:

Facebook: First, like the Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park page and share our photo contest post on your wall. Then post your photo to our wall with the photographer’s name and a brief caption (25-75 words) through your personal Facebook account. Next, send us a private message including your contact information specified in rule #3.
Pinterest: First, re-pin our photo contest pin to one of your boards and follow our 2017 The Different Seasons of Chimney Rock Spring Photo Contest Board so we can easily contact you. Then pin your photo with the hashtags #chimneyrock AND #photocontest with your personal account, and include the photographer’s name and a brief caption (25-75 words).
Twitter: First, follow Chimney Rock Park and retweet our tweet about the photo contest. Then tweet your photo to @ChimneyRockPark with the photographer’s name and the hashtag #photocontest. Next, send us private messages with your brief photo caption.
E-mail: If you don’t have access to any social media sites listed above, you may email your digital photo with your contact information specified in rule #3 to [email protected].
Snail Mail: Send your print photo with the clearly marked photographer’s name, city & state, a brief typed photo caption and a phone number to: Photo Contest, Chimney Rock Management LLC, PO Box 39, Chimney Rock, NC 28720.

Every entry should be clearly labeled with the photographer’s name, city & state, a brief photo caption your photo of the Seasons of Chimney Rock, an email address and the best phone number to reach you.
Photos should be available at a minimum resolution of 1200 x 1600 pixels (1 MB minimum) to be eligible to win. Photos taken via smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices are welcome if they meet minimum requirements.
For entries showing human faces, you must list their name(s) and have written permission from any photographed person(s) to use their image.
Entries should reflect the photographer’s interpretation of a face of Chimney Rock. Emphasis will be placed on quality, composition and creativity. All entries may be used in promotions of Chimney Rock and park-related activities.
Digital images can be optimized but not dramatically altered with photo editing software. Black and white photographs are welcome.
Decisions of the judges are final.

Winners will be notified and announced  at chimneyrockpark.com and on Chimney Rock’s social media channels.
For more information, call 1-800-277-9611 or email us at [email protected].

Property: Omni Grove Park Inn
Event Type: Hotel Event
Event Category: Art & Culture,Entertainment,Family
Contact: Concierge Desk
Contact Phone: (828) 252-2711
Link: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/things-to-do/tours

Our guided history tour covers the history of E.W. Grove, the construction and early years of the Inn, our Arts and Crafts style furniture, and some of our most notable guests. 

Sign-up at the Concierge Desk.

Organization: WNC ACBL
Organizer: [email protected]
Expected Headcount: 400
Categories: HOT EVENT, COMMUNITY EVENT, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, BANQUETS
Event State: Confirmed
Event Name: WNC ACBL UNIT 171
Contract Required?: TRUE

Blue Ridge Sectional Bridge Tournament

Garden Helpline Open for Calls

Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County are ready to answer your
gardening questions.

Beginning March 1, the Garden Helpline is open Monday through
Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., during the gardening season—March through September. Our
Master Gardener volunteers are available for phone calls, walk-ins, and emails.

Call 828-255-5522 or visit the Extension office at the location shown below. If you bring a plant
sample to the office, please be sure it is large enough for plant identification. You can also email
your questions and plant photos to [email protected].

Each year, Extension Master Gardener volunteers answer hundreds of gardening questions.
From October through February when the Helpline is not open, your questions will be
answered by Alison Arnold, Extension Agent, Consumer Horticulture. The Extension office and
our Helpline are closed on N.C. state holidays.

To mark the 10th Anniversary of the Windgate Fellowship, the Center for Craft awarded a total of ten, $10,000 Project Grants. This exhibition showcases how the next generation of craft artists used their funds to explore scale, installation, and community practice.

Artists: Andrea Donnelly (Richmond, VA), Josh Copus (Marshall, NC), Dustin Farnsworth (Montreal, QC), Brian Fleetwood (La Mesilla, NM), Ani Geragosian (Salem, MA), Adam Ledford (Philadelphia, PA), Rebecca Manson (Bedford Hills, NY), Rachel Mauser (Louisville, KY), Aaron McIntosh (Richmond, VA), and Mark Reigelman II (Brooklyn, NY).

Chihuly at Biltmore represents the first art exhibition in Biltmore’s historic gardens, and the first garden exhibition of Dale Chihuly’s works in North Carolina. The world-renowned American artist’s work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide, and now, for a limited time only, they can be seen at Biltmore.

We invite you to immerse yourself in this unique visual experience, an absolute must-see presentation of unparalleled artistic expression.

Dazzling in daylight, the exhibition takes on an entirely new dimension when viewed after nightfall; experience the brilliance and beauty of these awe-inspiring marvels of color, form, and light.

Property: Omni Grove Park Inn
Event Type: Hotel Event
Event Category: Family,Recreation,Wellness & Fitness
Contact: Golf Pro Shop ext. 1034
Contact Phone: (800) 438-5800
Link: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/golf

Let our golf professionals open the world of golf to you. This introduction to the game of golf is a clinic that covers the basic rules, etiquette, and the PGA’s of golf (posture, grip, and alignment). Clubs will be provided. Proper golf attire is required. Please sign-up at least one (1) day in advance by calling (800) 438-5800 ext. 1034.

Link: http://www.ncsbe.gov/Elections/Candidate-Filing

Candidate Filing begins for Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor no earlier than 12:00 noon on the second Monday in June and no later than 12:00 noon on the first Friday in July preceding the elections GS § 139-6.  For a list of available offices and fees go to https://www.buncombecounty.org/common/election/filing-fees.pdf

Go behind the scenes of the due diligence process and decision-making mindset used by angel investors when considering whether to fund your startup. Learn the 10 criteria angel investors evaluate, which ones matter most, and how to position your startup for funding success.
Presented by Josh Dorfman, CEO of The Collider & former Co-Founder and Managing Director of Asheville Angels

Visitors to Grovewood Village will have the opportunity to learn the story of Biltmore Industries on a guided history tour, offered Wednesday – Saturday at 1pm during April – November. The tour includes a visit to Biltmore Industries’ production facility (aka Dye House), where guests can peek into the past and view the original looms, carding machines, spinning mule and dye vats used to make the famed Biltmore Handwoven Homespun.

The tours last approximately 45 minutes and operate on a first-come, first-served basis, open to 25 people. There is no charge to take the tour, but donations are appreciated. Tours begin at the Homespun Museum in Grovewood Village, where a docent will give a detailed overview of Biltmore Industries’ historic importance before leading guests into the 100-year-old Dye House (usually closed to the public).

Private group tours are also offered for a fee and should be scheduled at least one week in advance.

Event Type: Local Event
Event Category: Family
Contact: Grovewood Village
Contact Phone: 828.253.7651
Link: https://www.grovewood.com/

Grovewood Village is housed in the historic weaving and woodworking complex of Biltmore Industries, a noteworthy enterprise in the history of American Craft and textiles, founded by Edith Vanderbilt and two inspired teachers, Eleanor Vance and Charlotte Yale. At the height of its success in the late 1920s, Biltmore Industries had a total of 40 looms in steady operation, producing bolts of some of the finest handwoven wool fabric in the country. Orders were shipped as far as China and Uruguay, and customers included the likes of Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Helen Keller, and several U.S. presidents and first ladies.

Learn the story of Biltmore Industries on a guided history tour, offered Wednesday – Saturday at 1pm during April – November.  The tour includes a visit to our historic Dye House (usually closed to the public), where you’ll peek into the past and view the original looms, carding machines, spinning mule and dye vats used to make the famed Biltmore Handwoven Homespun. Tours last approximately 45 minutes and operate on a first-come, first-served basis, open to 25 people. Meet your guide at the Biltmore Industries Homespun Museum next door to Grovewood Gallery.

TOURS ARE FREE, but donations are greatly appreciated.

Private Group Tours
We gladly offer private group tours for a fee. These tours offer the exact same experience as the public tours, only in a private setting. Contact us for rates, and please schedule your group tour at least one week in advance.

Please Note: Our historic Dye House (Biltmore Industries’ production facility) is not handicap accessible or heated. Warm attire on cold days and comfortable walking shoes are strongly recommended.

Mama Maisha and King Daddy’s Chicken and Waffles are teaming up to raise funds to promote healthy, safe pregnancies on June 21.  From 3PM until 10PM, 20% of all proceeds from food and beverage purchases will be donated to Mama Maisha.

Asheville physicians Dr. Reta Graham and Dr. Jeff Graham, in affiliation with local and regional non-governmental services, founded Mama Maisha, the first Safe Motherhood Intervention Project in the Mara region of Tanzania.  Mama Maisha works at the village level, providing essential prenatal care and delivery services, as well as education and resources to empower women to make wise decision regarding family planning, healthy pregnancies, and safe delivery for every child.

Learn more about Mama Maisha at http://mamamaisha.org.

Property: Omni Grove Park Inn
Event Type: Hotel Event
Event Category: Art & Culture,Culinary,Family,Recreation,Wellness & Fitness
Contact: http://notastelikehome.org/
Contact Phone: (828) 209-8599
Link: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/things-to-do/resort-activities/wild-food-adventures

Learn how to safely gather, prepare, and serve wild mushrooms, plants, and other extreme cuisine with No Taste Like Home. Discover the bounty nature provides on the beautiful Sunset Mountain Trail, located adjacent to the Historic Main Inn. Deliver your found ingredients to our Guest Services desk upon returning to The Inn and our chef will create a personalized, complimentary appetizer just for you.

Join BGA staffer Heather Rayburn as she hosts a special book club in celebration of Pollinator Month. Participants should read Dr. Erica McAlister’s “The Secret Life of Flies” before the event. Refreshments will be served as we discuss the book, review its highlights, and look at some slides about these fascinating insects.

Why this book? Everyone knows about the sexy bee pollinators, but the plant world also benefits from the pollination of other insects, bats, birds, rodents and even lizards. McAlister, a British entomologist, “gets under the wings of these crucial creatures as she ventures into the land of the fly. From hungry herbivores and precocious pollinators to robber flies, danceflies and the much maligned mosquito, she describes the different types of fly, their unique and often unusual characteristics, and the unpredictable nature of their daily life.”

Heather is the creator of www.MonarchLover.org, a website dedicated to promoting the planting of native milkweed to help the endangered Monarch butterfly. She’s worked at the Botanical Gardens for 10 years.

[This book will be available for purchase in the Visitor Center by April 2018. Members get 10% off the retail price.]

Call 828-252-5190 to register and pre-pay

Chamber Member networking event at Red House Studios & Gallery, 310 West State St. Black Mtn.
5-7pm Drop In

Shifts start at 5 PM and last 3-5 hours. To learn more about perks and shift details, contact volunteer coordinator Autumn Trama at [email protected].

Join Highland Brewing for an evening of gastronomy bringing together hand-crafted, local charcuterie and expertly paired beers. The American Pig founder Charles Lee and Highland Brewing sensory scientist Megan Rayfield will guide you through a selection of five pairings of The American Pig charcuterie and Highland beer. Full pairing menu to be announced soon!
This ticketed event is limited to 40 individuals.
About The American Pig: Born and raised in South Carolina, Charles Lee’s formative years taught him to appreciate the finer aspects of living. One of those key points is that all good things take time. His Uncle Jay would reinforce that lesson every year when the family gathered for the annual pig-picking. Uncle Jay would show up several days before the big event, smoker in tow, and go purchase a pig from a local farmer. That pig would end up on ice in the bathtub of Charles’s grandmother’s house in Brevard, NC. At some point in the late afternoon of an early November day, after the wood fire had turned to simmering coals, the pig would find its new home on the smoker.
After college Charles found himself in Denver working for a brewery. When not behind the bar pouring beers, he would stumble into the kitchen and concoct crazy burgers and hot sauces. Then one day the industry folk started talking about a new butcher shop opening in town. The shop was going to be using whole animals that were raised in Colorado. Not soon afterward, Charles walked into that butcher shop and signed up for a class. That class would be the spark that started the adventure that is The American Pig.

Join White Labs for a first day of summer celebration! White Labs Asheville’s Education & Engagement Curator, Jo Doyle, is teaming up with Meg Chamberlain “Fermentrix” of Fermenti for an hour and a half pairing session.
The event will feature small batch ferments from FERMENTI (including a special ferment created exclusively for this event) and delicious small bites from White Labs Kitchen & Tap paired with five White Labs beers. Tickets are $25.
Pairing #1: Savory black pepper puff and fermented strawberries + Hansen Wheat Ale with WLP300 Hefeweizen Ale Yeast
Pairing #2: Pappardelle with fermented corn, yellow squash and thyme + Czech Pilsner with WLP815 Belgian Lager Yeast and Czech Pilsner with WLP802 Czech Budejovice Lager Yeast
Pairing #3: “Holy Mole” (fermented chocolate, cayenne pepper and cabbage) on wood-fired brisket torta + Taberer IPA with WLP066 London Fog Ale Yeast
Pairing #4: Fermented lemon and blueberry tart + Belgian Quad with WLP530 Abbey Ale Yeast
For more information on White Labs, visit whitelabs.com/education.
For more information on FERMENTI foods, visit https://fermenti.biz/.

Join Asheville Girls Pint Out at TreeRock Social Cider House on Thursday, June 21st. Grab a cider or a beer, some delicious food from Appalachian Chic food truck, and enjoy conversation with some awesome beer lovin’ ladies!
 
 

In this richly illustrated lecture, Tom Butler will describe the evolving arguments for wilderness protection in American conservation history and offer a vision for rewilding the landscape and human communities in the coming century and beyond. A Vermont-based activist and writer, Butler is the board president of the Northeast Wilderness Trust and the former longtime editor of Wild Earth journal. His books include “Wildlands Philanthropy,” “Plundering Appalachia” and “ENERGY: Overdevelopment and the Delusion of Endless Growth.”

This event is limited to 165 guests. Cost is $20 for general admission and FREE for Bridge Club members.

To register, email [email protected], or call (828) 733-2013.

The Lung Buster Time Trial Series is a five-part competitive time trial racing series of cycling events in Western North Carolina held with the intent of providing all participants a professional racer experience, no matter how fast you are. All levels and abilities of cyclists are invited to participate!

Our unique mix of different racing environments allows riders of different strengths and focuses to level the playing field amongst competitors. Also, having seven separate events means that one poor showing won’t decimate your opportunity to do well in the series as a whole. So as to not leave out any cyclist: whether you’re an elite time trailer or a recreational rider on your road bike wanting to prove your merit in our Merckx/Standard division, we have both categories.

Lung Buster: The very name embodies pushing one’s mind and body to its aerobic limits. And that’s exactly what we expect to see. This series is a great test for participants of all abilities, and a great way to gauge your standing and progress in your cycling endeavors. With awards, medals, cash, bragging rights, and course records all on the line, you better not leave your inner competitor at home! With the kinds of hard efforts and fast times we’ve seen in the Lung Buster Series over the years, we feel that such braggadocio is warranted, and expect 2018 to bring an abundance of the same.

Join us as local composer and writer Alec Sturgis introduces the Asheville Sound Survey, an ongoing, interactive project investigating the sounds in our community. Inspired by Josef Albers’ goal to open eyes, our hope is to open ears and expand our experience of place.

FREE for BMCM+AC members + students w/ID / $5 non-members

Join us as local composer and writer Alec Sturgis introduces the Asheville Sound Survey, an ongoing, interactive project investigating the sounds in our community. Inspired by Josef Albers’ goal to open eyes, our hope is to open ears and expand our experience of place. FREE for BMCM+AC members + students w/ID / $5 non-members

Select Evenings, May 17–October 7, 2018

Biltmore House & Gardens opens to the public on Thursday–Sunday evenings for a special reservations-only viewing of Chihuly’s stunning large-scale glass sculptures. Chihuly Nights at Biltmore is an enchanting opportunity to witness the effects of dramatic nighttime lighting upon the luminous colors and graceful forms of these spectacular pieces. Sunset over the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, live music in the gardens, and a wine bar make the evening experience all the more enticing. Chihuly’s towering works of art illuminated against a night sky surrounded by the timeless beauty and magnificence of Biltmore House & Gardens: a truly moving, memorable experience

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (828) 774-3000
Link: http://www.leicestercommunitycenter.com

Leicester History Gathering, meets every 3rd Thursday of the month at 7pm.  Different local history topic discussed each month.

FREE. 6/21 Gotcha Groove (Variety Dance Band).  Food vendors onsite.  At Lake Tomahawk.

Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 2:30 pm; Additional Thursday performances at 7:30 pm

When a group of unemployed Buffalo steelworkers come up with a way to make some quick cash, everyone wonders if they will really pull it off! Based on the cult hit film of the same name, The Full Monty, a ten-time Tony Award nominee, is filled with honest affection, engaging melodies and the most highly anticipated closing number of any show.

Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2018 with the world premiere of Zelda’s Dance at the Diana Wortham Theatre, Thursday-Saturday, June 21-23, 2018 at 7:30pm. Artistic director Heather Maloy’s latest work tells the story of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald’s tragic relationship from their passionate courtship in Alabama, through their stardom at the height of Scott’s literary career, into their never-ending power struggle and eventual decline caused by alcoholism, selfishness and mental illness. Zelda’s Dance will feature the technical prowess of Terpsicorps’ critically acclaimed dancers alongside live music by local pianist Andrew Fletcher and the Firecracker Jazz Band. Also included on the program are works that highlight some of the finest moments of the past 15 seasons including Salvatore Aiello’s Afternoon of a Faun and Heather Maloy’s soulful homage to New Orleans Second Line and the athletic tour de force Le Suil Go.