Calendar of Events

There are several days each year that are fee free across the National Park Service. The days in 2021 are listed below. Please check operating status at this park and others before traveling as there may be changes due to Covid-19.

• Wednesday, August 4 – One year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
• Wednesday, August 25 – National Park Service Birthday
• Saturday, September 25 – National Public Lands Day
• Thursday, November 11 – Veterans Day

Included with admission

Our fun-for-all-ages botanical model train displays invite you to experience our grounds in an engaging new way. Located in the Conservatory in the Walled Garden, the displays feature replicas of structures connected with Biltmore and its founder George Vanderbilt. Each beautifully executed piece was handcrafted from such natural elements as leaves, bark, and twigs.

In compliance with state and local mandates related to COVID-19, all guests must enter the Conservatory via the ADA entrance in the back and follow a one-way route.

Summer at Biltmore offers an abundance of opportunities to explore our 8,000-acre Blue Ridge Mountain backyard and create the kind of memories that last a lifetime. Wander through historic gardens, along winding trails, and within the spacious halls of America’s Largest Home^®. Enjoy extraordinary experiences and peace of mind in one spectacular setting: only at Biltmore.

Hendersonville yoga studio, YAM, is offering free outdoor yoga at The Park at Flat Rock on Thursdays and Saturdays. Get outside and get moving with these fun and refreshing classes. Click to learn more about YAM’s community yoga.

Enjoy one of the top 20 events in the Southeast with live entertainment, 130+ food and craft vendors, tons of family-friendly activities, interactive kids area, along with performances and demonstrations celebrating the Southern Appalachian mountain culture. Mountain Heritage Day is diligently working to create a safe environment for everyone, whereby booths and seating are spaced for physical distancing.

Join us as we tour the Big Ivy Historical Park and then hike to the nearby Little Snowball Mountain.

Buncombe County’s Big Ivy region is a special place. Hemmed in by mountains and, more recently, national forest land, this valley which encompasses the communities of Barnardsville and Dillingham provides a chance to look at bigger trends in western North Carolina history, including perceptions of isolation versus connectivity, changing economies, and even the later influence of the CCC and federal land agencies.

Distance: 7.2-mile round trip hike on Snowball Trail, 2,000 ft elevation gain. Note: The Big Ivy Historical Park stop is easily accessible.

Difficulty Level: Strenuous

What to Bring: Backpack, plenty of water (64oz recommended), bagged lunch, trail snacks, sturdy hiking boots and comfortable clothing, hiking poles, sunscreen, bug repellent, any needed medications.

SCOUTS BSA & CUB SCOUTS OF AMERICA TROOP/PACK 17
SPONSOR ANNUAL BARBEQUE FUND-RAISER

Get your BBQ fix at the sixth annual Cub Scout Pack 17 and Scouts BSA Troop 17 barbeque dinner benefit will take place on Saturday, September 25, 2021. This year’s BBQ event is to-go only due to Covid-19. BBQ will be served behind the Riceville Fire Department and Community Center, 2251 Riceville Road, Asheville, NC from noon to 6:00pm.

The charge for to-go BBQ dinners will be $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for children 12 and under. Reservations are not required.

After many years of offering dine in or take out BBQ dinners the decision was made to offer to-go only BBQ and follow responsible Covid-19 guidelines for the preparation and serving of BBQ.

Scoutmasters serve as BBQ pit masters as they work through the night to smoke premium pork shoulders for 12 hours. To-go dinners are $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for children under 12 and include a generous portion of BBQ pork, homemade BBQ sauce, baked beans, BBQ slaw, rolls, dessert and bottled water.

The Scouts are also offering a large whole BBQ pork shoulder (average weight 12 pounds) with a pint of BBQ sauce for only $50.00. Supplies are limited so place your order for the pork shoulder on or before September 16, 2021 by calling (828) 298-1452 or email [email protected].

“Local Packs and Troops raise funds to provide support for Scouts in their service area,” said Committee Chairman Dan Little. “Funds are used to provide assistance for Scouts from economically challenged communities by sending scouts to summer camp, provide scouting handbooks, uniforms and pay for the national Boy Scouts Of America annual recharter fee. Raised funds are also used to purchase flags for our veterans’ graves.”

On Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day Cub Scout and Scouts BSA Troop 17 honor our deceased veterans at Bethel United Methodist Cemetery by placing flags on their graves.

Scouts Serving Others: Since 1910, over 4,000 young men in Western North Carolina have earned the coveted rank of Eagle Scout. Through their Eagle Scout service projects, thousands of community service hours have been conducted to benefit our communities. Scouts in Western North Carolina will perform over 40,000 hours of community service in 2021.
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Media Contact: Dan Little, Committee Chairman (828) 298-1452

Hit the trails and learn more about the Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with the return of guided trail walks in 2021! In response to COVID-19, new safety measures have been put in place to protect our guests, members, volunteers and staff: Walks will be limited to 10 people, including the guide, and all participants will be required to wear face coverings for the duration of the walk.

This free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and through a variety of forest types. Depending on the season, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more.

Guided trail walks depart from the Baker Exhibit Center Lobby every Tuesday and Saturday at 1 p.m. through the month of October. Walks last 1.5- 2.5 hours and are approximately one to two miles in length, and as such are recommended for guests 14 years or older. Walks are held rain or shine, so all participants should dress appropriately for the weather.

Register In Advance

Space is limited and advance registration is encouraged. Pre-registered participants must check in at the Baker Information Desk no later than 10 minutes before the scheduled program to keep their spot. Unclaimed spots will be offered to other guests.

Guests may sign up for trail walks in the following ways:

• Pre-register online
• Sign up in-person at the Baker Information Desk.

The North Carolina Arboretum is going wild for art and nature in 2021 with Wild Art! On view April 1 through September 26, this outdoor sculpture exhibition features works by 17 local and national artists drawing inspiration from the natural environment. Situated throughout the Arboretum’s spacious, open-air gardens, the show offers guests a doorway into the wild world from the comfort and safety of cultivated landscapes transformed by art.

The 18 sculptures on display represent a variety of approaches to the theme of “wild art,” from the literal to the abstract, and are crafted from a diverse array of materials that will delight and inspire. Let your imagination take you on a wild journey into the world of plants and animals near and far with Wild Art at The North Carolina Arboretum.

The exhibit is available to all guests during normal Arboretum hours, and there is no admission cost to view the sculptures beyond our usual parking fee of $16 per personal vehicle.

Included with admission

Our fun-for-all-ages botanical model train displays invite you to experience our grounds in an engaging new way. Located in the Conservatory in the Walled Garden, the displays feature replicas of structures connected with Biltmore and its founder George Vanderbilt. Each beautifully executed piece was handcrafted from such natural elements as leaves, bark, and twigs.

In compliance with state and local mandates related to COVID-19, all guests must enter the Conservatory via the ADA entrance in the back and follow a one-way route.

Summer at Biltmore offers an abundance of opportunities to explore our 8,000-acre Blue Ridge Mountain backyard and create the kind of memories that last a lifetime. Wander through historic gardens, along winding trails, and within the spacious halls of America’s Largest Home^®. Enjoy extraordinary experiences and peace of mind in one spectacular setting: only at Biltmore.

COVID AGREEMENTS
We are practicing Covid-conscious protocols which follow North Carolina law.
Per NC guidelines.

Please respect each other’s choices.

Physical distancing is encouraged.

Please no alcohol, weapons, tobacco, or shaming!

Individuals, or pods of 2-10 people, will be asked to mark out their space with string, rope, blankets etc. Bring these items if you want !

Honor your needs and take care of yourself. Respect individual and energetic boundaries of whatever distance other folks need – check in and seek consent!

If you have symptoms in the 5 days before the event, please stay home and take care of yourself, and come to the next one! Let us know.

Join Asheville GreenWorks, the West Asheville Business Association, Crooked Creek Holler, and Archetype Brewing for a cleanup of the Haywood Road corridor in West Asheville, followed by an after party Summer Session at Crooked Creek Holler. Southern Culture on the Fly magazine will be providing a chili buffet with all the fixings. Smoked meats on a grill provided by Traeger and beer from Archetype will also be available.

Food and drinks are free and there will be a raffle to win gear and merch – 100% of the raffle proceeds will benefit the Asheville GreenWorks Trash Trout Program.

Enjoy demonstrations from local craftsman and businesses. Lil Speck’s Adventure Company, an overland camping rental company in Brevard, will be there with a few of their Toyota overland builds to display / demo.

The cleanup portion of the event will be 11am-1pm and the BBQ fundraiser will follow.

Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

In conjunction with Sunday Sessions Live (and virtual) music: Food Truck Sundays will bring a new or rotating “staff favorite” cuisine each week to the Beechams Curve offerings.
Gan Shan West, our main culinary provider 6 days a week, is closed on Sundays. Enjoy the convenience, delicious variety and the music – all in one Sunday Funday stop!

This event will be held outdoors, and in a spacious indoor venue with large openings to the outside.

Event Style: Multi-course Dinner with Paired Beverage

This event will feature a cocktail hour, followed by a seated four course meal, with paired beverages (wine, beer, and spirits) for your enjoyment.

Food is universal and central to all our lives. Chow Chow brings together diverse community leaders who will be paired with chefs to tell their stories through food. Each lived experience will inspire a multi-course, paired beverage tasting dinner, interpreting the personal stories through food. The Chefs & Narrators will share with us their stories, and the process for transforming a life story into a meal. Narrators to include: Susi Gott Séguret – Seasonal School of Culinary Arts/Appalachian Culinary Experience/Asheville Truffle Experience, Cleaster Cotton – Artist/Educator/Inventor/Author, Tracey Greene-Washington – Indigo Innovation Group and CoThinkk, Honey Simone – Different Wrld, and Tyson Sampson – Bigwitch Indian Wisdom Initiative.

Featured Chefs/Restaurants: Michelle Bailey – Smoky Park Supper Club, Suzy Phillips – Gypsy Queen Cuisine & Simple Cafe and Juice Bar, Silver Cousler – Neng Jr’s, Eric Morris – Cultura, Michele Gentille – Harriett’s Tomato

Event Sponsor: PARSEC FINANCIAL

Venue Sponsors: CHEMIST SPIRITS & ANTIDOTE and FUNKATORIUM – WICKED WEED BREWING