Parents, students, teachers, and staff have been making tough decisions about returning to school this fall. Nothing Bundt Cakes hopes to make the transition a little sweeter with a day of giving back.

Treat a teacher, a kiddo, a friend, or yourself to a bundt cake (or cupcake!) ranging from bite-sized to tiered. Visit https://www.nothingbundtcakes.com/bakery/nc/asheville to check out the menu or pre-order online.

20% of the day’s sales will be donated to Buncombe Partnership for Children. Whether you call in curbside, pick up a pre-order, or step inside the bakery at a safe social distance, you will be helping early childhood educators, young children, and their parents & caretakers navigate this challenging time.

For more information about the programs that BPFC offers our community, including resources for parents and caregivers grappling with the effects of COVID-19, visit www.buncombepfc.org.

– Health & Safety Note –

Nothing Bundt Cakes respects and maintains all social distancing and health standards. Employees and guests are required to wear face coverings and only two guests are allowed inside the lobby at one time. Floor stickers help ensure that guests stay 6 feet apart and hand sanitizer is available in the lobby. Surfaces, handles, and point-of-sale features are sanitized between guests. Thank you for helping to keep our community healthy!

Asheville Area residents gather to reflect on the political, spiritual, cultural and historical meaning of the shrouding of the Vance Monument.

Asheville – Residents of the Asheville area will gather behind the Vance Monument, masked and with social distance, on Saturday, August 15 at 10am to listen to speakers and music which will reflect the political, spiritual, cultural and historical meaning of the shrouding of Vance Monument. Martin Luther King imagined a Beloved Community to be a society based on justice, equal opportunity and love of fellow human beings. With that in mind we invite everyone to gather with us at the Vance Monument.

The gathering to Move Toward a Beloved Community on August 15th will explore how to turn the decisions about the Vance Monument into an opportunity for healing the wounds created by white supremacy and racism in our community. Since both Black, Brown and White people have been hurt, our whole community has an opportunity in this process to be healed.

This gathering is being organized by a group of Elders who have stood at the Vance Monument every morning for 10 weeks in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. It began when Steve Norris decided to stand at the monument holding a Black Lives Matter sign on his birthday June 2. Steve is a retired professor at Warren Wilson College and he has been an activist since the civil rights movement in the 1960s. More recently he focused his activism on climate and energy issues. He is on the board of directors of Community Roots, where he is a beloved elder and his passion, knowledge and listening skills are deeply valued.

The program will include: Rev. LC Ray with opening words. Rev. Ray is a local minister of 49 years, an Asheville resident of 81 years and CEO of One Youth At A Time, a non-profit for disenfranchised youth.
The Master of Ceremonies is Robert Zachary and we will hear his powerful singing voice as well. Zack is a chaplain, poet, storyteller, vocalist, visionary and activist, he entered the Civil Rights Movement at age 11 and had the honor of meeting Martin Luther King Jr. at age fifteen.
Daniel Suber will speak about the cultural meaning of the Vance shrouding. He currently works with Word on the Street as a youth coordinator, Circle Forward as a facilitator and with Asheville Greenworks as an environmental youth advocate. Daniel enjoys working with and showing up for efforts that support youth and communities.

The gathering will also include a healing ritual featuring the ringing of bells and moments of silence, additional music and the reading of Martin Luther King’s speech about Beloved Community, “the aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community, while the aftermath of violence is tragic bitterness.”

Virtual attendance via Zoom video and audio internet connection 

Presenter: Alan Wagner, Extension Master Gardener^SM Volunteer

Program Description:  Vegetable gardening does not have to end in September. You can plant a fall garden and extend your growing season with a second harvest into the fall/winter.

Join Alan Wagner, Chair of The Learning Garden’s vegetable plot located at the Buncombe County Extension office. Alan will discuss what cool weather vegetables to plant and when to plant them.  He will present tips for extending the growing season using cold frames, hoops, and row covers.

Registration:  The talk is free, but participation 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.

“Shine and Dine” on the railway! We cordially invite you to hop on board The Carolina Shine, GSMR’s All-Adult First Class Moonshine Car! We will be proudly serving hand crafted, triple-distilled, craft moonshine. Some of the smoothest tasting moonshine in the Carolinas!

Offered on the Nantahala Gorge excursion, this shine and dine experience begins in a renovated First Class train fleet car, The Carolina Shine. The interior features copper lined walls filled with the history of moonshining in North Carolina. Learn about the proud tradition that the Appalachians established when bootlegging was an acceptable way of life and local home brews were the best in town. Read about Swain County’s very own Major Redmond, the most famous mountain moonshine outlaw of the 19th century.

Once your appetite for knowledge is satisfied, enjoy sample tastings of flavors like Apple Pie, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, and Strawberry moonshine. If the samples are not enough, there will be plenty of Moonshine infused cocktails like Copper Cola or Moonshiner’s Mimosa available for purchase.

GSMR is excited to feature multiple craft NC based distilleries to serve our guests only the best! Each jar is handcrafted and authentically infused with real fruit, the way moonshine was meant to be made.

Passengers will also enjoy a full service All-Adult First Class ride with an attendant serving GSMR’s freshly cooked pulled pork barbeque rubbed with Cajun spices then slow-roasted to perfection served with southern sweet cornbread muffin with honey butter, coleslaw, and cinnamon apples then finish with a delicious piece of Sea Salt Caramel Cheesecake. Riders will also receive their very own Carolina Shine mason drinking jar, refillable with soda beverages and tea throughout the day, and a souvenir GSMR tote bag (1 per couple/party).

Jeter Mountain Farm is excited to invite the community to their Grand Opening weekend
August 15 & 16. Marking the official start to their U-pick apple season, guests will
quickly find there is more to enjoy during a visit than what one might expect.
Breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains are the backdrop to a variety of
activities that every age can enjoy. In addition to over 23 varieties of apples throughout
the harvest season, a visit to Jeter Mountain Farm offers fresh apple cider donuts, a
children’s play area, fresh slushies and apple cider pressed on-site, a farm market,
wagon rides, and now a brand new hard cider taproom.
The farm is pleased to be partnering with Flat Rock Cider Co. to bring a new hard cider
taproom to Western North Carolina. The taproom will feature six ciders on tap – all
made from local apples – and includes a special Jeter Mountain Farm original blend
made only from Jeter Mountain Farm apples, and available only at the taproom. Guests
will receive a free souvenir pint glass if they participate in a tasting, or they can take a
4-pack home for later.

Learn the Beautiful art of Qigong with Mandi Palmer, Certified Flowing Zen Qigong Instructor.

In this class, you’ll learn the FOUNDATION of Qigong: The 5 Phase Routine. This one class will teach you everything you need to know to begin practicing on your own. This class is the prerequisite to the Intermediate classes where additional forms are taught.

Qigong, in a nutshell, is moving meditation. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digest) as well as the immune system. It’s wonderfully relaxing and grounding.

There is no better place to practice out in nature. We’ll be overlooking the French Broad River!

—

Cost to attend is $15 in advance.

To RSVP and pay:

Copy and paste this link into your browser. It will take you to the class scheduling page and prompt payment when reserving spot:

https://MandiPalmer.as.me/?appointmentType=16011998

An RSVP on meetup does not guarantee your spot. Please RSVP with the link above.

The Bob Moog Foundation is also excited to welcome shoppers back into the Moogseum Store in downtown Asheville, NC. While the exhibit space will remain closed until North Carolina enters phase 3, the store offers a wide variety of synth-inspired merchandise from magnets, t-shirts and pint glasses, to books, hats and vinyl records. The Moogseum Store will be open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm.

To ensure the safety of guests, extensive cleaning measures and CDC guidelines will be followed by staff, and both staff and visitors will be required to wear cloth or disposable face coverings.

Join Alexis from Cisco Pilates Asheville for free online Pilates mat classes! The class is beginner friendly.

Pilates is for every BODY…no matter your age, gender, or physical ability, give it a try in the comfort of your own home.

These classes are offered to the public free of charge thanks to the support of the Friends of the Library.

On exhibit Saturdays and Sundays from 12 – 4 p.m. (weather permitting), Rocky Cove Railroad is a G-Scale (garden scale) model train that demonstrates the coming of trains to western North Carolina at the turn of the 20th century. The exhibit is located below the Grand Garden Promenade.

We are open with new rules and safety measures!

Let’s have fun and stay safe!

Buncombe County Public Libraries will be opening three additional locations for curbside pickup service, the Fairview, Leicester, and Oakley/South Asheville branches. These locations will operate from 1-5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, in addition to our current curbside pickup service locations at the Black Mountain, North Asheville, South Buncombe, and West Asheville locations. For more information about library curbside pickup service or to place an item on hold for pickup, please call your local library or the Ask-A-Librarian line (828-250-4700) or visit buncombecounty.org/library. We hope to see you soon!

In this series of Virtual Goddess Channeling and Alignment Circles, we will work with shamanic technologies to connect with multidimensional Beings of Light to receive support throughout our current global paradigm shift. We will tap into energy streams of Quantum Light frequencies to raise our vibrations and receive messages from Kuan Yin, Mother Mary, Pele, Kali and other Transformative Goddesses who are lovingly here to assist us as we move through any energetic obstructions to fulfill our greatest potential. Learn how to access and divinely nourish yourself with the Quantum Light during this special Virtual Goddess event.

This week we will journey to the sacred Peru, receiving Pachamama’s blessings and a Light Language transmission from Machu Picchu.

For more information or to schedule a private session visit:
http://www.quantumlightpractice.com

Taste 3 for Free when you join us in the shop for weekly Saturday Afternoon Tastings.

The Bob Moog Foundation is excited to announce its first one-hour virtual tour of the Moogseum. The tour, led by executive director Michelle Moog-Koussa  and is open to the international community. Moog-Koussa will be guiding attendees as she lends unique insights while delving into various exhibits exploring Bob’s life, work, and those that inspired him. This will be followed by a 15 minute Q & A session.

Tickets will be available on a “pay what you can” basis. The funding generated from the tour will help support the Moogseum, which has been closed since March 15, 2020, due to the pandemic.

The date of the tour, August 15th, marks the one-year anniversary of the ribbon cutting of the Moogseum, which is located in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. It also marks the birthday of famed inventor Leon Theremin, who was Bob Moog’s greatest creative inspiration. Given the occasion of Theremin’s birthday, there will be an added focus on him, and on Bob’s connection to him. Moog-Koussa will be examining the history and circuitry of two of the earliest R.A. Moog theremins from 1954 and 1961.

Learn how to make two of the most popular Vietnamese dishes. I guarantee you that once you make these dishes, you will repeat over and over again. Its not as complicated as you may think. It is ultimately-delicious.

Each class has a theme that corresponds w a holiday, a season or a favorite cook book. In each class we learn 3-6 dishes, depending on their complexity and the number of participants. We nibble and taste throughout the class in a very casual atmosphere. At the end of the class we have a meal together. My cooking style is simple, I do not over complicate recipes.

Tickets to the Pre-Event Virtual Reception are $25/person and will include a poetry reading by Clint Smith and a musical performance by local musician Kat Williams.

The Forum is free.

Advance registration is required.

Registration and ticket sales begin August 10^th 

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Contact Ally Wilson: 210-3444.

WHERE: For the first time, the event will be held online via Zoom. Details will be shared with registered guests closer to the event.

WHO:  Clint Smith, Ph.D. is this year’s keynote speaker. Smith uses his experience as an award-winning poet and teacher to share personal stories of justice, community, and education. He illuminates how we can all find the courage to create change, overcome challenges, and unite ourselves through the power of the collective voice.

His two TED Talks, The Danger of Silence and How to Raise a Black Son in America have been viewed more than seven million times. He was named to the 2018 Forbes 30 Under 30 list as well as Ebony Magazine’s 2017 Power 100 list.

Smith is a 2014 National Poetry Slam champion, an Individual World Poetry Slam Finalist, a Cave Canem Fellow, a Callaloo Fellow, and has served as a cultural ambassador for the U.S. Department of State.

His first full-length collection of poetry, Counting Descent, won the 2017 Literary Award for Best Poetry Book from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, and was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award. His other writing has been published in The New Yorker, The Guardian, Boston Review, American Poetry Review, Harvard Educational Review, and he has just joined The Atlantic as a staff writer.

Smith earned his Ph.D. in Education at Harvard University, a B.A. in English from Davidson College and is an alumnus of the New Orleans Public School System.

Join locals Ashley Claxton & Cola Williamson as they serenade us along the riverbanks with their “no strings to hold us down” approach to music. “We are soul mates who have the privilege of writing, learning, and living music together. Through musical harmony, we attempt to convey and better our own understanding of existence through experiences.”

Check them out on ReverbNation and Facebook!

Written by Sinclair Lewis
Adapted by Tony Taccone & Bennett S. Cohen
Directed by Mary Landingham Dillon
A cautionary dark satire about the fragility of democracy and the threat of fascism, It Can’t Happen Here follows the ascent of a demagogue who secures the US presidency by promising to return the country to greatness. Witnessing the new president’s tyranny from the sidelines is a liberal, middle-class newspaper editor from Vermont who trusts that the system will fix itself–until he ends up in a prison camp. Sicnlair Lewis’s eerily prescient 1935 novel gets a fresh update in this adaptation that examines what brings a citizenry to the point of sacrificing its own freedom, and how a courageous few can prevail to overcome the fall.

Tickets: https://bit.ly/2D8khkr

Playwright Neil Simon got his first big break in the early 50’s as a staff writer on Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows, and this comedy takes a fictionalized look into writer’s room antics.

Set in the mid-twentieth century English projects, witness a young couple struggle through the issues that seem all too familiar today: employment, finances, class, education, love, loss, and all the complications that come with it. Life leads them through its ups and downs, but will they still be able to find each other in the end?

Watch the world transform from dusk to night while climbing in the trees at our Asheville Treetops Adventure Park. Trails will be illuminated to give climbing the obstacles a new perspective. Over 15,000 colored lights, plus colorful lasers sparkling on thousands of leaves, cables, rope, and platforms throughout the park will create a mystical tree climbing experience like you can’t imagine. The Twilight session start time is 7:30 each Saturday night and runs until 9:30. Ages 4 and over. Reservations are suggested and can be made by calling 877.247.5539 or adventureavl.com.

• EVERY SATURDAY EVENING June 13-Aug 29
• Thanksgiving in the Treetops Nov 28 at 4:30
• Holidays in the Treetops Dec 27 at 4:30

The Arboretum’s popular ArborEvenings summer after hours series will return this season with a special LEGO twist. Held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July through September, from 8 to 11 …

Join us this Saturday at 8PM EDT, for our 21st virtual, all request, sing-a-long dueling piano show as the never-ending “Phase 2” gets extended yet again and we remain left out of “Phase 2.” It will be a three hour show with our three entertainers. So stock up on your favorite beverages because the more you drink, the more entertaining we become!

We look forward to seeing the usual crowd and hopefully new folks on Facebook Live as we continue to chase an ever-elusive “Phase 3” opening!