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.

Saturday, December 16, 2023
United Way’s Holiday Book Drive
Dec 16 all-day
online

We need your help and the help of your network to make this holiday drive as successful as possible in putting new books into the hands of Buncombe County elementary and middle school students during the holiday break.

What better way to spread holiday cheer than by donating books? Imagine the joy on a child’s face when they receive a brand-new book. It’s like sprinkling a little bit of magic into their lives!

We’ve partnered with over a dozen local organizations serving K-12 students throughout the county. They’re eagerly waiting for book drop-offs like kids waiting for the first snowfall! ❄️

You can make a positive impact right now by donating directly using the button below, or why not turn giving back into an outing?

Holiday Book Drive 2023 (givebutter.com)

Visit the Barnes & Noble on Tunnel Road at the Asheville Mall to shop in-store and donate them on the spot.

Puppy Kindergarten
Dec 16 @ 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Asheville Humane Society Training Center

This six week course focuses on proper socialization, bite inhibition, house training, manners and much more!

Your goal as a puppy parent is to give your pup the best possible start in life. Puppies learn more between 5 and 12 weeks of age than they will in their entire lifetime! Laying a positive foundation during this time is critical for puppies to grow into behaviorally healthy dogs.

This six week course focuses on proper socialization, bite inhibition, house training, manners and much more! The class is limited to 12 puppies who are 8 to 18 weeks old when the course begins (if your dog is over 18 weeks of age, please sign up for the Canine Manners class).

* All puppies must have started their puppy vaccine series (distemper, parvo and bordetella) at least one week prior to the first class. Owners are expected to commit to continuing this vaccine series during the six week course.

The cost of this course includes six classes, held one hour per week for six weeks from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM on the following dates: December 16, January 6, 13, 20, 27, & February 3. Scheduled cancellations: December 23 and 30 or unless otherwise stated by trainer.

This class will take place at the Asheville Humane Training Center (800 Fairview Road, Suite C1). Please go to the BACK of the building to enter through the back training center door.

About the trainer:

Pia Silvani is an internationally-recognized dog trainer and lecturer with over 35 years’ experience. As VP of Training and Behavior at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison, NJ, she developed numerous courses focused on positive, reward-based techniques. In 2013, Pia began working for the ASPCA, eventually becoming the Director, Behavioral Rehabilitation where she led programs to educate shelter professionals in effective behavior rehabilitation techniques, as well as specialized socialization, enrichment, and shelter protocols. This cutting-edge program is featured in the award-winning Netflix documentary, “Second Chance Dogs”.

After 6 years at the ASPCA, Pia has decided to re-establish her consulting business here in the Asheville area specializing in rehabilitating fearful and aggressive behaviors in dogs. She is Director of Behavior and Training at Asheville Humane, offers private behavioral consultations in client’s homes as well as teaching classes for Asheville Humane Society.

Pia has been chosen as one of Bark’s 100 picks of the best and brightest people that changed the world of dogs. Her goal has always been to combine her love of dogs with her respect and affection for people. She enriches the lives of both through humane relationship work and training.

For more information on Pia, visit her website: www.piasilvani.com and email her for more information.

Sunday, December 17, 2023
Spring Conference Registration Open
Dec 17 all-day
online

Save the date for our 31st Annual Spring Conference, March 8-10, 2024, at Mars Hill University. Registration opens Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

 

Friday pre-conferences in 2024 will include full-day workshops from JM Fortier (founder of Jardins de la Grelinette and the Market Gardener Institute), Jeannie Dunne (director of Red Moon Herbs), and Ember Phoenix (Soul Thrive Apothecary).

 

Our main conference program will feature over 60 classes on 13 learning tracks, including Cooking, Earth Stewardship, Farming Business, Farming Production, Forest Farming, Food Justice, Gardening, Herbs, Living on the Land, Mushrooms, Permaculture, Pollinators & Pests, and Soils. For a deeper dive into these fields, the conference will also include nine half-day classes including speakers like Jesse Frost of the No-Till Market Garden Podcast and workshops exploring fermentation on the farm and in the kitchen, lean farming, seed saving, building your farm brand, fruit tree propagation, and more.

United Way’s Holiday Book Drive
Dec 17 all-day
online

We need your help and the help of your network to make this holiday drive as successful as possible in putting new books into the hands of Buncombe County elementary and middle school students during the holiday break.

What better way to spread holiday cheer than by donating books? Imagine the joy on a child’s face when they receive a brand-new book. It’s like sprinkling a little bit of magic into their lives!

We’ve partnered with over a dozen local organizations serving K-12 students throughout the county. They’re eagerly waiting for book drop-offs like kids waiting for the first snowfall! ❄️

You can make a positive impact right now by donating directly using the button below, or why not turn giving back into an outing?

Holiday Book Drive 2023 (givebutter.com)

Visit the Barnes & Noble on Tunnel Road at the Asheville Mall to shop in-store and donate them on the spot.

Monday, December 18, 2023
Spring Conference Registration Open
Dec 18 all-day
online

Save the date for our 31st Annual Spring Conference, March 8-10, 2024, at Mars Hill University. Registration opens Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

 

Friday pre-conferences in 2024 will include full-day workshops from JM Fortier (founder of Jardins de la Grelinette and the Market Gardener Institute), Jeannie Dunne (director of Red Moon Herbs), and Ember Phoenix (Soul Thrive Apothecary).

 

Our main conference program will feature over 60 classes on 13 learning tracks, including Cooking, Earth Stewardship, Farming Business, Farming Production, Forest Farming, Food Justice, Gardening, Herbs, Living on the Land, Mushrooms, Permaculture, Pollinators & Pests, and Soils. For a deeper dive into these fields, the conference will also include nine half-day classes including speakers like Jesse Frost of the No-Till Market Garden Podcast and workshops exploring fermentation on the farm and in the kitchen, lean farming, seed saving, building your farm brand, fruit tree propagation, and more.

United Way’s Holiday Book Drive
Dec 18 all-day
online

We need your help and the help of your network to make this holiday drive as successful as possible in putting new books into the hands of Buncombe County elementary and middle school students during the holiday break.

What better way to spread holiday cheer than by donating books? Imagine the joy on a child’s face when they receive a brand-new book. It’s like sprinkling a little bit of magic into their lives!

We’ve partnered with over a dozen local organizations serving K-12 students throughout the county. They’re eagerly waiting for book drop-offs like kids waiting for the first snowfall! ❄️

You can make a positive impact right now by donating directly using the button below, or why not turn giving back into an outing?

Holiday Book Drive 2023 (givebutter.com)

Visit the Barnes & Noble on Tunnel Road at the Asheville Mall to shop in-store and donate them on the spot.

Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Spring Conference Registration Open
Dec 19 all-day
online

Save the date for our 31st Annual Spring Conference, March 8-10, 2024, at Mars Hill University. Registration opens Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

 

Friday pre-conferences in 2024 will include full-day workshops from JM Fortier (founder of Jardins de la Grelinette and the Market Gardener Institute), Jeannie Dunne (director of Red Moon Herbs), and Ember Phoenix (Soul Thrive Apothecary).

 

Our main conference program will feature over 60 classes on 13 learning tracks, including Cooking, Earth Stewardship, Farming Business, Farming Production, Forest Farming, Food Justice, Gardening, Herbs, Living on the Land, Mushrooms, Permaculture, Pollinators & Pests, and Soils. For a deeper dive into these fields, the conference will also include nine half-day classes including speakers like Jesse Frost of the No-Till Market Garden Podcast and workshops exploring fermentation on the farm and in the kitchen, lean farming, seed saving, building your farm brand, fruit tree propagation, and more.

United Way’s Holiday Book Drive
Dec 19 all-day
online

We need your help and the help of your network to make this holiday drive as successful as possible in putting new books into the hands of Buncombe County elementary and middle school students during the holiday break.

What better way to spread holiday cheer than by donating books? Imagine the joy on a child’s face when they receive a brand-new book. It’s like sprinkling a little bit of magic into their lives!

We’ve partnered with over a dozen local organizations serving K-12 students throughout the county. They’re eagerly waiting for book drop-offs like kids waiting for the first snowfall! ❄️

You can make a positive impact right now by donating directly using the button below, or why not turn giving back into an outing?

Holiday Book Drive 2023 (givebutter.com)

Visit the Barnes & Noble on Tunnel Road at the Asheville Mall to shop in-store and donate them on the spot.

North Asheville Book Club: Last Call at the Hotel Imperial by Deborah Cohen
Dec 19 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
North Asheville Library

Join us to discuss this month’s book: Last Call at the Hotel Imperial by Deborah Cohen

The North Asheville Book Club meets in-person on the 3rd Tuesday of every month.

Consent Book Club
Dec 19 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
TBA

Register so we can reach out and contact you as we prepare for our first meeting! Books will be distributed at the first meeting. This book club is for adults 18+.

Meetings will be on Tuesday evenings from 5:30-7pm (meeting location will be emailed once attendance is finalized)

Below are all the meeting dates:
December 5th
December 12th
December 19th
Skipping December 26th
January 2nd
January 9th
January 16th
Skipping January 22nd
January 30th

December – January Consent Book Club
Dec 19 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
tba

Our VOICE will be hosting a book club beginning this winter! Fill out the form to sign up as we have a limited amount of space!. Our first book selection will be Creating Consent Culture by Erica Scott and Marcia Baczynski. Books will be distributed at the first meeting and bus passes will be provided. This club will be offered in English, but we are looking to provide more opportunities in the future!

Books will be distributed at the first meeting. This book club is for adults 18+.

Meetings will be on Tuesday evenings from 5:30-7pm (meeting location will be emailed once attendance is finalized)

Below are all the meeting dates:
December 5th
December 12th
December 19th
Skipping December 26th
January 2nd
January 9th
January 16th
Skipping January 22nd
January 30th

Bookmarked: Online Library Book Club discusses Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Dec 19 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Online w/ Fairview Library

Remarkably Bright Creatures, an exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, traces a widow’s unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus. (from Harper Collins)

The library’s moderated online book discussion group meets on the third Tuesday of each month, September through May. You can join by emailing [email protected] at least one hour prior to the meeting.

Bookmarked: Online Library Book Club discusses Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Dec 19 @ 7:00 pm
online

Remarkably Bright Creatures, an exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, traces a widow’s unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus. (from Harper Collins)

The library’s moderated online book discussion group meets on the third Tuesday of each month, September through May. You can join by emailing [email protected] at least one hour prior to the meeting.

 

Wednesday, December 20, 2023
Spring Conference Registration Open
Dec 20 all-day
online

Save the date for our 31st Annual Spring Conference, March 8-10, 2024, at Mars Hill University. Registration opens Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

 

Friday pre-conferences in 2024 will include full-day workshops from JM Fortier (founder of Jardins de la Grelinette and the Market Gardener Institute), Jeannie Dunne (director of Red Moon Herbs), and Ember Phoenix (Soul Thrive Apothecary).

 

Our main conference program will feature over 60 classes on 13 learning tracks, including Cooking, Earth Stewardship, Farming Business, Farming Production, Forest Farming, Food Justice, Gardening, Herbs, Living on the Land, Mushrooms, Permaculture, Pollinators & Pests, and Soils. For a deeper dive into these fields, the conference will also include nine half-day classes including speakers like Jesse Frost of the No-Till Market Garden Podcast and workshops exploring fermentation on the farm and in the kitchen, lean farming, seed saving, building your farm brand, fruit tree propagation, and more.

Puppet Playtime
Dec 20 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
East Asheville Library
Every Wednesday morning, we open up the children’s activity room to give kids time for free play with puppets. Children must be under the supervision or a parent or guardian.
Enka History Book Club
Dec 20 @ 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Enka-Candler Library

The Enka History Book Club reads historical fiction and non-fiction.
We’ll be discussing, Come Fly The World by Come Fly The World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am by Julia Cooke.
Books are available for pick up at the library in large print and regular print.

The group meets in the community room and newcomers are always welcome.
In the case of inclement weather and winter storms, we will post canceled on this page, on our Facebook page, and on our Instagram page. Follow: @enkacandlerlibrary

Thursday, December 21, 2023
Spring Conference Registration Open
Dec 21 all-day
online

Save the date for our 31st Annual Spring Conference, March 8-10, 2024, at Mars Hill University. Registration opens Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

 

Friday pre-conferences in 2024 will include full-day workshops from JM Fortier (founder of Jardins de la Grelinette and the Market Gardener Institute), Jeannie Dunne (director of Red Moon Herbs), and Ember Phoenix (Soul Thrive Apothecary).

 

Our main conference program will feature over 60 classes on 13 learning tracks, including Cooking, Earth Stewardship, Farming Business, Farming Production, Forest Farming, Food Justice, Gardening, Herbs, Living on the Land, Mushrooms, Permaculture, Pollinators & Pests, and Soils. For a deeper dive into these fields, the conference will also include nine half-day classes including speakers like Jesse Frost of the No-Till Market Garden Podcast and workshops exploring fermentation on the farm and in the kitchen, lean farming, seed saving, building your farm brand, fruit tree propagation, and more.

Flat Rock Book Club
Dec 21 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
The 2nd Act

Please join us at The 2nd Act in Hendersonville, NC for our first monthly book club meeting that strives to read books that create a closer knit and more inclusive community! We will meet virtually and in person monthly to discuss a book, so read the book and then join in the discussion in person or online every third Thursday. All are welcome! At the end of each meeting we will vote on the next book! The virtual club meeting will be in Zoom format and will meet 2.5 hours after the in-person meeting (8:00pm EST). After the meeting there is live acoustic music so stay and enjoy the vibe with your new friends! Put us down on your calendar for every third Third Thursday!

The first book is going to be called Disability Visibility.

Synopsis from the back cover: One in five people in the United States lives with a disability. Some disabilities are visible, others less apparent—but all are underrepresented in media and popular culture. Now, just in time for the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, activist Alice Wong brings together this urgent, galvanizing collection of contemporary essays by disabled people.

From Harriet McBryde Johnson’s account of her debate with Peter Singer over her own personhood to original pieces by authors like Keah Brown and Haben Girma; from blog posts, manifestos, and eulogies to Congressional testimonies, and beyond: this anthology gives a glimpse into the rich complexity of the disabled experience, highlighting the passions, talents, and everyday lives of this community. It invites readers to question their own understandings. It celebrates and documents disability culture in the now. It looks to the future and the past with hope and love. Preview:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51456746-disability-visibility
Message me for the Zoom link to the online meetup. Thanks!

Friday, December 22, 2023
Spring Conference Registration Open
Dec 22 all-day
online

Save the date for our 31st Annual Spring Conference, March 8-10, 2024, at Mars Hill University. Registration opens Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

 

Friday pre-conferences in 2024 will include full-day workshops from JM Fortier (founder of Jardins de la Grelinette and the Market Gardener Institute), Jeannie Dunne (director of Red Moon Herbs), and Ember Phoenix (Soul Thrive Apothecary).

 

Our main conference program will feature over 60 classes on 13 learning tracks, including Cooking, Earth Stewardship, Farming Business, Farming Production, Forest Farming, Food Justice, Gardening, Herbs, Living on the Land, Mushrooms, Permaculture, Pollinators & Pests, and Soils. For a deeper dive into these fields, the conference will also include nine half-day classes including speakers like Jesse Frost of the No-Till Market Garden Podcast and workshops exploring fermentation on the farm and in the kitchen, lean farming, seed saving, building your farm brand, fruit tree propagation, and more.

Saturday, December 23, 2023
Spring Conference Registration Open
Dec 23 all-day
online

Save the date for our 31st Annual Spring Conference, March 8-10, 2024, at Mars Hill University. Registration opens Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

 

Friday pre-conferences in 2024 will include full-day workshops from JM Fortier (founder of Jardins de la Grelinette and the Market Gardener Institute), Jeannie Dunne (director of Red Moon Herbs), and Ember Phoenix (Soul Thrive Apothecary).

 

Our main conference program will feature over 60 classes on 13 learning tracks, including Cooking, Earth Stewardship, Farming Business, Farming Production, Forest Farming, Food Justice, Gardening, Herbs, Living on the Land, Mushrooms, Permaculture, Pollinators & Pests, and Soils. For a deeper dive into these fields, the conference will also include nine half-day classes including speakers like Jesse Frost of the No-Till Market Garden Podcast and workshops exploring fermentation on the farm and in the kitchen, lean farming, seed saving, building your farm brand, fruit tree propagation, and more.

Sunday, December 24, 2023
Spring Conference Registration Open
Dec 24 all-day
online

Save the date for our 31st Annual Spring Conference, March 8-10, 2024, at Mars Hill University. Registration opens Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

 

Friday pre-conferences in 2024 will include full-day workshops from JM Fortier (founder of Jardins de la Grelinette and the Market Gardener Institute), Jeannie Dunne (director of Red Moon Herbs), and Ember Phoenix (Soul Thrive Apothecary).

 

Our main conference program will feature over 60 classes on 13 learning tracks, including Cooking, Earth Stewardship, Farming Business, Farming Production, Forest Farming, Food Justice, Gardening, Herbs, Living on the Land, Mushrooms, Permaculture, Pollinators & Pests, and Soils. For a deeper dive into these fields, the conference will also include nine half-day classes including speakers like Jesse Frost of the No-Till Market Garden Podcast and workshops exploring fermentation on the farm and in the kitchen, lean farming, seed saving, building your farm brand, fruit tree propagation, and more.

Monday, December 25, 2023
Spring Conference Registration Open
Dec 25 all-day
online

Save the date for our 31st Annual Spring Conference, March 8-10, 2024, at Mars Hill University. Registration opens Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

 

Friday pre-conferences in 2024 will include full-day workshops from JM Fortier (founder of Jardins de la Grelinette and the Market Gardener Institute), Jeannie Dunne (director of Red Moon Herbs), and Ember Phoenix (Soul Thrive Apothecary).

 

Our main conference program will feature over 60 classes on 13 learning tracks, including Cooking, Earth Stewardship, Farming Business, Farming Production, Forest Farming, Food Justice, Gardening, Herbs, Living on the Land, Mushrooms, Permaculture, Pollinators & Pests, and Soils. For a deeper dive into these fields, the conference will also include nine half-day classes including speakers like Jesse Frost of the No-Till Market Garden Podcast and workshops exploring fermentation on the farm and in the kitchen, lean farming, seed saving, building your farm brand, fruit tree propagation, and more.

Tuesday, December 26, 2023
Spring Conference Registration Open
Dec 26 all-day
online

Save the date for our 31st Annual Spring Conference, March 8-10, 2024, at Mars Hill University. Registration opens Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

 

Friday pre-conferences in 2024 will include full-day workshops from JM Fortier (founder of Jardins de la Grelinette and the Market Gardener Institute), Jeannie Dunne (director of Red Moon Herbs), and Ember Phoenix (Soul Thrive Apothecary).

 

Our main conference program will feature over 60 classes on 13 learning tracks, including Cooking, Earth Stewardship, Farming Business, Farming Production, Forest Farming, Food Justice, Gardening, Herbs, Living on the Land, Mushrooms, Permaculture, Pollinators & Pests, and Soils. For a deeper dive into these fields, the conference will also include nine half-day classes including speakers like Jesse Frost of the No-Till Market Garden Podcast and workshops exploring fermentation on the farm and in the kitchen, lean farming, seed saving, building your farm brand, fruit tree propagation, and more.

Wednesday, December 27, 2023
Spring Conference Registration Open
Dec 27 all-day
online

Save the date for our 31st Annual Spring Conference, March 8-10, 2024, at Mars Hill University. Registration opens Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

 

Friday pre-conferences in 2024 will include full-day workshops from JM Fortier (founder of Jardins de la Grelinette and the Market Gardener Institute), Jeannie Dunne (director of Red Moon Herbs), and Ember Phoenix (Soul Thrive Apothecary).

 

Our main conference program will feature over 60 classes on 13 learning tracks, including Cooking, Earth Stewardship, Farming Business, Farming Production, Forest Farming, Food Justice, Gardening, Herbs, Living on the Land, Mushrooms, Permaculture, Pollinators & Pests, and Soils. For a deeper dive into these fields, the conference will also include nine half-day classes including speakers like Jesse Frost of the No-Till Market Garden Podcast and workshops exploring fermentation on the farm and in the kitchen, lean farming, seed saving, building your farm brand, fruit tree propagation, and more.

Foodie Book Club
Dec 27 @ 7:00 pm
online

Foodie Book Club

A book club for home cooks, foodies, industry folks, and anyone in-between.  We will be focusing on all sorts of food writing. Somethemes will be (but not limited to): food critics, chef memoirs, wine, food history, and food politics.

The Foodie group meets virtually on the last Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. (EST), beginning in June 2022.  Please email [email protected] for the Zoom meeting info.

Thursday, December 28, 2023
Spring Conference Registration Open
Dec 28 all-day
online

Save the date for our 31st Annual Spring Conference, March 8-10, 2024, at Mars Hill University. Registration opens Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

 

Friday pre-conferences in 2024 will include full-day workshops from JM Fortier (founder of Jardins de la Grelinette and the Market Gardener Institute), Jeannie Dunne (director of Red Moon Herbs), and Ember Phoenix (Soul Thrive Apothecary).

 

Our main conference program will feature over 60 classes on 13 learning tracks, including Cooking, Earth Stewardship, Farming Business, Farming Production, Forest Farming, Food Justice, Gardening, Herbs, Living on the Land, Mushrooms, Permaculture, Pollinators & Pests, and Soils. For a deeper dive into these fields, the conference will also include nine half-day classes including speakers like Jesse Frost of the No-Till Market Garden Podcast and workshops exploring fermentation on the farm and in the kitchen, lean farming, seed saving, building your farm brand, fruit tree propagation, and more.

StoryWalk®: Outside In
Dec 28 @ 6:00 am – 10:00 pm
Weaver Park

Enjoy the fresh air reading and walking along the StoryWalk® trail during regular hours at Weaver Park.

OUTSIDE IN, a Caldecott Honor Award Winner written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Cindy Derby, is a mindful contemplation on the world’s connectedness and the many ways nature affects our everyday lives — even when we’re stuck inside, reminding emerging readers of ways nature creates and touches our lives in homes, apartments, and cars.

Outside is waiting, the most patient playmate of all. The most generous friend. The most miraculous inventor. This thought-provoking picture book poetically underscores our powerful and enduring connection with nature, not so easily obscured by lives spent indoors.

Rhythmic, powerful language shows us how our world is made and the many ways Outside comes in to help and heal us, and reminds us that we are all part of a much greater universe. Emotive illustrations evoke the beauty, simplicity, and wonder that await us all . . . outside.

The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.

Book Discussion: Foster and Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Dec 28 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
West Asheville Library

We will be discussing Foster and Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan.  All are welcome!

Friday, December 29, 2023
Spring Conference Registration Open
Dec 29 all-day
online

Save the date for our 31st Annual Spring Conference, March 8-10, 2024, at Mars Hill University. Registration opens Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

 

Friday pre-conferences in 2024 will include full-day workshops from JM Fortier (founder of Jardins de la Grelinette and the Market Gardener Institute), Jeannie Dunne (director of Red Moon Herbs), and Ember Phoenix (Soul Thrive Apothecary).

 

Our main conference program will feature over 60 classes on 13 learning tracks, including Cooking, Earth Stewardship, Farming Business, Farming Production, Forest Farming, Food Justice, Gardening, Herbs, Living on the Land, Mushrooms, Permaculture, Pollinators & Pests, and Soils. For a deeper dive into these fields, the conference will also include nine half-day classes including speakers like Jesse Frost of the No-Till Market Garden Podcast and workshops exploring fermentation on the farm and in the kitchen, lean farming, seed saving, building your farm brand, fruit tree propagation, and more.

Free Write to a Free Life
Dec 29 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
online

Free Write to a Free Life
This online group is open to everyone, regardless of whether or not you consider yourself a writer. The writing technique we will be practicing sparks great creativity, and it can help you discover new things about yourself and create exciting possibilities for your writing and your life outside the group. It’s also a fantastic way to connect with other creatives and build community.

Here’s how the group is structured: I will give the group writing prompts, and we will all spend 7 to 10 minutes writing as fast as possible without editing. After that, you can share what you wrote or not; it’s entirely up to you. The group will then have a chance to comment on your work — if anyone so chooses. The only rule is that the comments should all be positive — this is not a writing critique group and negative comments erode the sense of safety we’re all aiming for. After doing this type of writing for close to 30 years, I can say with certainty that what you learn from the group’s feedback can be priceless — you will feel heard and supported in ways you would have never imagined, and often what you thought was terrible writing actually inspires someone.

Trigger warning: I do not believe in censoring people’s self-expression. We are using stream of consciousness where anything can pop up to the surface. Sometimes people write about their experiences with sexuality, substances abuse, etc. Sometimes we write about very mundane things, like the best coffee you ever had. You just never know. If you feel this type of sharing will be too triggering, you might think twice about joining the group.

Why join this group?

· You want to connect with others in a safe way. First, you never have to read your work aloud; you can share parts of your piece, give a general summary, or say nothing. Be aware that while reading your unedited work out loud can feel terrifying to some, I pride myself on creating an environment where it’s safe to share literally anything.

I promise you, in this group, we will not judge you. Neither on your writing nor on anything else. It’s in the sharing that magical and enduring connections are born. As people share their work, you can learn what makes them tick and what inspires and challenges them, so it’s easy to form authentic relationships.

· Your inner demons are getting unruly. This type of writing provides access to your subconscious mind, where you can find fresh insights on issues you’ve found vexing. I’ve been doing free writing for almost 30 years now, mostly because I find it very therapeutic, and at the risk of sounding melodramatic, I believe it has actually saved my life. You don’t always have access to a therapist right when you need one, but you always have access to your inner healer, and I find my way to this underappreciated-but-wise source through free writing. I’m not alone in this either. The NIH says that journaling is good for those suffering from PTSD (and I would say many other sources of angst as well). I have a psychology background and have worked in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. I’ve worked in hospice too, and I am a trained life coach who often uses therapeutic writing with my clients.
**In my current work I have found that it is often writing, not talking, that leads to the most significant breakthroughs.**

· You want to slay your inner critic. Stream-of-consciousness writing allows you to bypass the inner critic, that dastardly bastard that blocks your creativity, stymies your healing-and often stops you from writing or doing much of anything.

Please note that due to the nature of the group, the doors close promptly at 7:10. If you have any questions or concerns, or if you would rather have a private writing and/or coaching session with me than do this work in a group setting, I give a substantial discount to Meetup members, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at: [email protected].