Calendar of Events

Explore the fascinating world of redstone engineering in our Minecraft summer camp, where you’ll unravel the mysteries of redstone mechanics and discover their real-life applications in electrical engineering. Dive into hands-on projects, from crafting intricate contraptions to mastering circuitry, and unleash your creativity in an immersive journey through the realm of Redstone engineering! Monday-Friday, Half-day and Full-day options. *Bring your own lunch

Happens on the following Dates:
Aug 4, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 5, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 6, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 7, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 8, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT

Explore the fascinating world of redstone engineering in our Minecraft summer camp, where you’ll unravel the mysteries of redstone mechanics and discover their real-life applications in electrical engineering. Dive into hands-on projects, from crafting intricate contraptions to mastering circuitry, and unleash your creativity in an immersive journey through the realm of Redstone engineering! Monday-Friday, Half-day and Full-day options. *Bring your own lunch

Happens on the following Dates:
Aug 4, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 5, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 6, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 7, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 8, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT

Join our exciting coding and game design summer camp where aspiring young developers will master the art of game creation through hands-on lessons. From crafting intricate puzzle games with conditional statements to designing thrilling tower escape challenges using functions, participants will unleash their creativity while learning fundamental programming concepts. Monday-Friday, Half-day and Full-day options. *Bring your own lunch

Happens on the following Dates:
Aug 11, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 12, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 13, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 14, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 15, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT

Join our exciting coding and game design summer camp where aspiring young developers will master the art of game creation through hands-on lessons. From crafting intricate puzzle games with conditional statements to designing thrilling tower escape challenges using functions, participants will unleash their creativity while learning fundamental programming concepts. Monday-Friday, Half-day and Full-day options. *Bring your own lunch

Happens on the following Dates:
Aug 11, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 12, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 13, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 14, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 15, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT

Join our exciting coding and game design summer camp where aspiring young developers will master the art of game creation through hands-on lessons. From crafting intricate puzzle games with conditional statements to designing thrilling tower escape challenges using functions, participants will unleash their creativity while learning fundamental programming concepts. Monday-Friday, Half-day and Full-day options. *Bring your own lunch

Happens on the following Dates:
Aug 11, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 12, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 13, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 14, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 15, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT

Join our exciting coding and game design summer camp where aspiring young developers will master the art of game creation through hands-on lessons. From crafting intricate puzzle games with conditional statements to designing thrilling tower escape challenges using functions, participants will unleash their creativity while learning fundamental programming concepts. Monday-Friday, Half-day and Full-day options. *Bring your own lunch

Happens on the following Dates:
Aug 11, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 12, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 13, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 14, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 15, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT

Join our exciting coding and game design summer camp where aspiring young developers will master the art of game creation through hands-on lessons. From crafting intricate puzzle games with conditional statements to designing thrilling tower escape challenges using functions, participants will unleash their creativity while learning fundamental programming concepts. Monday-Friday, Half-day and Full-day options. *Bring your own lunch

Happens on the following Dates:
Aug 11, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 12, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 13, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 14, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT
Aug 15, 2025, 8:00am to 4:00pm Timezone: EDT

John McClung Roofing takes pride in giving back to our community and one of the ways we do that is through our annual Backpack Giveaway! This year, our goal is to provide hundreds of backpacks filled with supplies for kids in WNC for the upcoming school year! To get involved, visit our website at www.johnmcclungroofing.com/community

Special shout-out to our partners and sponsors: Best Buy Metals, ABC Supply, Shared Vision International, Walmart & Sam’s Club, New York Life Agent Joshua Brown, Self-Help Credit Union, Board & Brush Asheville, Hope City Fellowship, Born to Bend Mental Health and Wellness, and Family Support Network of WNC!

Bounce Houses! Crafts! Resources! And MORE!!

Monthly Visitor is a new class series by Period Nirvana. Every month, we will host a speaker to teach a class or lead a workshop in their area of expertise. The class will be about an hour long with the opportunity for questions and to shop for menstrual care and wellness products afterwards. Enjoy 15% off your purchase as a thank you for purchasing a ticket and attending!

This month, we invite Dr. Taylor Yankey to lead a workshop on contraception! This class will include a brief history, an overview of the hormones involved with menstruation to understand the variety of contraceptives, and a breakdown of all of the options for contraception. She will also cover how contraceptives can be used for more than preventing pregnancy.

This event is for anyone curious about contraception! Period Nirvana is an inclusive space and we welcome anyone who wishes to attend. This class is geared toward high-school and college aged folks, but is also appropriate for middle-schoolers who might be interested.

Get to know our August Monthly Visitor!

Dr. Taylor Yankey, PharmD, MPH is a pharmacist who currently serves as the primary pharmacist for the Sona Access Program at Sona Pharmacy & Clinic, a local independent pharmacy in Asheville, NC. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Public Health degrees at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN. Awarded the USPHS Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award in 2023, Yankey believes that a community pharmacist is the most accessible healthcare provider for rural and underserved communities. She strives to leverage pharmacy practice to enhance the holistic health of our community, working on projects related to medication adherence, medication access, health literacy, and the wellbeing of healthcare staff. When not on the job, you can find her meandering through the River Arts District or enjoying quiet time at home with her husband, Tanner, and feline companion, Lilly

We have another standup comedy contest, coming up on Thursday August 21! Come out for the fun as you pick your favorite comic of the night!! Audiences love these shows and tickets go fast!
___________________________________
The Slice of Life Comedy Asheville Fall/Winter Standup Contest Series: ROUND 1
Thursday August 21, 7:30p-9:30p, doors at 6:30p
The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge
103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $17 (available at door or The Orange Peel website)
These shows sellout!
Hosted by Hilliary Begley from Netflix & Amazon Prime!
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! You may bring your own food in (no drinks)!
How it Works:
Comics on the show will do approximately 3-1/2m of comedy. This show’s 3 top comics will be brought back with other show winners to compete in our pageant finale, date TBD. Audience votes through paper ballots to be picked up and counted at end of show, winner will be announced.
Want to compete?
These spots go fast! There is no cost to performing comics. Comics should have 3-5m of material and be prepared for additional material in the event of a tie-breaker performance. Winners will be compensated for the night and move on to the finale.

Go to SliceofLifeComedy.com for more information. Contact Michele with any questions, or to sign up at [email protected]

Join the Children’s Entrepreneur Market at Olivette’s Riverside Park for the Harvest Fest, a fun filled day of music, activities and nature in celebration of local farmers, community and music. if you have a kid aged 5-17, they can come and run a booth at our kids-only market! Register today! at https://kidsmarkets.com/event/asheville-3/Included: 1 free adult ticket to Harvest Fest per booth. $25 per ticket for each additional adult to attend Harvest Fest, all children receive free entry.

Immerse yourself in the healing power of sound. This restorative Sound Bath is designed to clear energetic blocks, uplift your spirit, and elevate your vibration. Let the soothing frequencies of crystal bowls and sacred tones guide you into deep relaxation, alignment, and renewal. Step into your highest frequency—peace, clarity, and inner radiance await.

Join your host Kristin Hillegas, for a one-hour Serenity Sound Bath and experience a deeply immersive, full-body sound and vibrational experience.

Note: Please bring a yoga mat/pillow/blanket since you will be lying on the floor. Wear warm, comfortable, and flexible clothing.

The Sound Bath will take place upstairs in the Education Building. Choose your space starting at 6:15 PM, doors close promptly at 6:30 PM.

This service is on a sliding scale of $10-20

Accessible parking is available in the Center for Spiritual Living Asheville upper parking lot. The entrance to the upper parking lot is off of S. Bear Creek Rd between Science of Mind Way and Sand Hill Rd.
There is a boardwalk from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.

Written and Performed by Award-Winning Playwright and Actor, Mike Wiley
Co-presented by NC Stage and the YMI Cultural Center
*Please note: All performances of Tired Souls will take place at the YMI Cultural Institute at 39 S. Market St. Downtown Asheville*

Tired Souls opens in Montgomery, Alabama on December 1, 1955 – the day Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white man. Her determination was the catalyst that inspired Montgomery’s black citizens to abandon all travel on city buses until they were no longer forced to sit in the back or stand when a white person boarded. But there were others who came before Mrs. Parks and laid the groundwork for this pivotal moment. Tired Souls introduces audiences to Jo Ann Robinson, Claudette Colvin, and others so instrumental in lighting a fire under the Civil Rights movement and changing the course of U.S. history forever.

Join us for a Q&A with playwright and performer Mike Wiley following each performance.

🎉 Calling All Young Entrepreneurs! 🍅
We’re thrilled to partner with Olivette Farm at their annual Tomato Fest for a one-of-a-kind Children’s Entrepreneur Market!
🌟 Got a kid with a big idea? Whether it’s homemade crafts, baked goods, lemonade stands, or creative services—this is their chance to shine!

🍅 Visit kids markets.com

Sign up your child’s booth 🌽
Explore upcoming children’s markets 🎨
Support young local entrepreneurs 💼
Let’s grow the next generation of creators and changemakers—one market at a time!
#TomatoFest #OlivetteFarm #KidsMarket #YoungEntrepreneurs #SupportLocalYouth

Join us for a fun afternoon for the Children’s Entrepreneur Market at Olivette Farm’s Tomato Fest Market. It will be fun for the whole family!

Come support young entrepreneurs (ages 5–17) as they showcase their talents, sell their products, and learn the ropes of business firsthand. You can also enjoy Olivette’s Tomato Fest Market. A selection of local businesses join Olivette Farm in offering local and handmade goods. Olivette Sprouts Club will have great activities for the kids.

📣 Interested in participating?
Young entrepreneurs can register at: https://kidsmarkets.com/
Follow us on Facebook @ChildrenEntrepreneursNorthCarolina for updates, sneak peeks, and more!
✨ Why You’ll Love It:
💡 Educational & Inspiring – Kids learn valuable skills in leadership, creativity, money management, and marketing.
🎨 Hands-On Fun –Family-Friendly Fun
🛍️ One-of-a-Kind Shopping – Support the next generation of business leaders and take home unique, kid-made treasures.
🛡️ Safe & Supervised – A welcoming, secure environment for kids and families.

Dig into Bullington Gardens’ Fall Plant Sale! Grab trees, shrubs, perennials, natives, and seasonal plants to spruce up your yard. Don’t let your garden be the only one on the block still growing last year’s weeds—join us this fall September 12-13, 9am-4pm.

Want to learn to make jewelry? This beginner friendly introductory metalsmithing course teaches the basics skills involved in making your own jewelry. Learn to use a variety of tools and equipment common in a jewelry studio.

This Intensive 16 hour 2 day workshop will teach many techniques including sawing, filing, polishing, soldering, bezel setting, textures, and more! $499 plus a $55 materials fee (paid separate at class)

Class Times: Saturday Sept 13th 9-5 and Sunday Sept 14th 9-5

Students will also have access to 4 Open Studio sessions through the following 4 weeks to practice their skills. A knowledgeable instructor is present during these sessions for questions and safety. Wednesdays 10-4pm (These are only valid the 4 weeks following the class and do not carry over)

Please know this will be a substantial amount of information over the two days and the intensity may not be ideal for everyone. Some jewelry making knowledge may be beneficial, but is not required. The course is designed to teach the skills through a series of jewelry pieces.

The course is designed to teach techniques and skills rather than completing actual aesthetically pleasing pieces, but the goal is that everyone can complete 2-3 pieces of finished jewelry or more. Attending some or all Open Studios will absolutely ensure this and likely many more pieces.

Move Fast and FIX Things: Placemaking Innovation Through Quick and Uncompromising Design

Cities everywhere are experimenting with fast, low-cost ideas that transform public spaces—whether it’s pop-up parks, reimagined streets, or creative interventions that cut through red tape. These projects prove that you don’t always need years of planning or massive budgets to spark meaningful change.

Join us at Fitz and the Wolfe for an engaging evening of placemaking discussions and a featured conversation with Jon Jon Wesolowski. Jon Jon will highlight real-world examples of how communities are leaning into quick, flexible design—both grassroots and institutional—to make streets safer, downtowns more vibrant, and neighborhoods more human-scaled.

This is a chance to connect with others passionate about building a more creative, people-centered Asheville, while gaining inspiration from innovative projects happening across the country.

Steven Bingler, a New Orleans planner involved in Hurricane Katrina recovery, will share lessons to aid in Tropical Storm Helene recovery in Western North Carolina. He will emphasize the importance of inclusive community engagement, noting that recovery efforts require the active participation of everyone affected. Recovery planning must address short-term, medium-term, and long-term needs, integrating cultural, social, educational, and physical considerations. Recovery is a complex, non-linear process that should involve both community collaboration and civic determination. Local efforts, such as those in Western North Carolina, will work on immediate recovery and long-term resilience plans, underscoring the significance of collective involvement in shaping the future. Join us for a reception, in the lobby of the Wortham Performing Arts Center, after the keynote. One drink ticket will be provided per registered attendee.

Planning for the future can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Join us for a FREE WORKSHOP designed to help seniors and their families navigate the often-complex process of downsizing, relocating, and preparing for what’s next.

This event, held at the East Asheville Public Library, will provide guidance from professionals on a variety of topics to help make your next transition smooth and stress-free.

Refreshments will be provided!

Workshop Highlights
Financial Guidance from a Lender: Learn how lenders utilize a combination of your retirement income and assets to qualify you for a mortgage.

Legal Planning with an Estate Attorney: Get expert advice on key legal issues, including how to organize assets, taxes, and your beneficiary structure, as well as ensure the instructions for your death or medical circumstance are followed.

Practical Moving Tips from a Realtor: You are not alone! See how a Realtor can act as your personal “project manager” to make the transition stress-free.

Don’t miss this opportunity to get your questions answered by experts in the field. There will be a time for Q & A at the end! If you have questions that you would like addressed, include them in the appropriate area as your register.

This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Register to secure your spot.

Retreat leader, educator and Jungian psychotherapist Diana McKendree leads a discussion exploring the world of dreamwork and how we might better understand our dreams. Part of Kanuga’s Lunch & Learn series. The Thursday, September 18 event begins with a forest bathing nature walk (weather permitting) at 10 a.m. McKendree’s “What Did You Dream Last Night?” discussion begins at 11 a.m., followed by a buffet lunch in Kanuga’s dining hall. Bring a recent dream, notebook and pen. Registration and more info at kanuga.org/events.

After all the effort it takes to get kids back to school, parents deserve a night out! Send your kids to Dinner Under Dinos on Saturday September 20, 5 – 8 pm, so your kids can have fun while you enjoy a night out!
This event is for children ages 5-12 years old. AMOS will offer three hours of museum play, cheese pizza, and an optional rated G movie! Dinner Under Dinos is even more fun with a friend…who would your kiddo(s) like to invite?
22 tickets at $35, $30 for additional sibling(s)

Sun Day Asheville, part of a global day of action on September 21, 2025, celebrates the rise of clean energy and the movement to leave fossil fuels behind. We’ll come together to have fun and showcase the power of the sun – the energy source that can power our world without pollution or profiteering!

Clean energy is here: it’s more affordable, healthier, and fairer than the fuels of the past.

Join in the free family fun from 1 – 4pm @ Pack Square Pavilion. For more information, visit:https://actionnetwork.org/events/sun-day-asheville

What to Expect at Sun Day Asheville 2025 – September 21st

Families and kids will be making signs and decorating their bikes to participate in a march and bike ride to advocate for solar and clean energy. Sign in at the Marching Booth for the parade near the Stage.
EV bikes from Asheville Custom E-bikes available to rent for free if you sign up in advance: https://www.theacebikes.com/

Celebrations of Clean Energy:

Participants will create art, rally, sing, and call for climate action to ensure a healthier future.
The free, family friendly event will feature solar installations, Sugar Hollow Solar’s Power House with free sun powered snow cones, a fleet of electric vehicles, Earthshine Nature Programs’ solar powered education POD, booths about saving energy and more. Also, concerts, and educational activities to show the benefits of renewable energy for a healthier planet.

Focus on the Future:

The day is about harnessing the power of the sun to create a cleaner future for children and future generations. Kids will enjoy the parade, the music, and of course the solar oven s’mores and sun powered snow cones – all free!
We will make it known – the era of fossil fuels is ending, and a just, renewable future is within reach!

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, we saw the heart of the mountains. Neighbors became lifelines, and communities across the region rose together.

One year later, journalists from across the state are coming together to honor that resilience through the power of story.

Join us for an evening of stories and conversations about how we’ve helped one another, what we’ve lost, and what we’ve learned as our region continues to recover.

NC Local, in partnership with UNC Asheville and newsrooms across the state, is hosting this evening of connection and storytelling as part of UNC Asheville’s Post-Helene Symposium: “Remembering, Rebuilding and Reimagining.”

This free event is open to the public, but we ask you to register.

Back by popular demand, the third Annual Mountain Monarch Festival will be at Gorges State Park in Sapphire on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This free event, hosted by the park and sponsored by the Friends of Gorges State Park and other partners, will celebrate the monarch butterfly during its migration and raise awareness about the species’ declining numbers. The park lies along the monarchs’ migratory route. The butterflies can be seen in early October each year flying over the park, heading south to the high-elevation fir forests in central-southern Mexico’s Volcanic Belt, where they overwinter until early spring.

The festival will offer educational programs and exhibits as well as children’s crafts, face painting by Brevard College cheerleaders, a butterfly hike, and a Monarch Migration Passport to guide visitors through the activities. The featured speakers will be Heyward Douglas, an entomologist who is a former naturalist and has served on the Foothills Trail Conservancy’s board of directors since 1989, who will talk about visiting the wintering area for the monarchs in Mexico, and Brian Bockhahn, interpretation and education specialist for North Carolina State Parks, who will discuss “Monarch Life Cycle and Tagging.”

The event, activities and programs are free and open to the public. The event will be held rain or shine and is first-come, first-served. For event details, visit https://www.friendsofgorges.org

All Hallows’ Eve is a new Asheville children’s book about kids who dress in costume on Halloween and visit Riverside Cemetery to tell ghost stories and visit the graves of Asheville’s most prominent residents, including Thomas Wolfe, Isaac Dickson, George Masa, and O. Henry. Up in the clouds, they see the ghosts of Zelda Fitzgerald and the Pink Lady. Please join Dana and Chris at 3 pm, with special guest and main character: Adelaide the Witch, for a special reading of the story. Also, Constance Lombardo will be presenting her new children’s monster book, itty bitty Betty Blob Makes a Splash!
Kids love stories that are a little spooky. Come with us on an eerie adventure through Riverside Cemetery… if you dare!