Calendar of Events

Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?

Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.

The American Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that helps communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. Activities of the American Red Cross Western North Carolina Chapter include: Blood Services, Training Services, Disaster Services, and Home Fire Campaign.

Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood and one blood donation can save up to three lives. Help support lives in North Carolina by signing up to become a Blood Drive Volunteer today.  

Time Commitment:

Blood drives occur M-F and volunteers are expected to attend one blood drive a month to remain an active volunteer. This position is flexible as volunteers can sign up for shifts that work for their schedule and instructions for shift selection will be sent after responding to the opportunity.

Volunteer Roles:

• Warmly greet donors and assist with registration in reception area.
• Assist with initial intake and hand off through blood donation process.
  • Ensure donors have relevant information and all questions are answered appropriately.
  • Maintain proper sanitizing and cleanliness of reception and hospitality areas.
• Attend canteen area in support of donors.
  • Thank donors for their contribution.
  • Alert staff immediately if a donor shows signs of feeling unwell.
• Inform donors of current and upcoming donation promotions.
  • Make reminder/cancellation calls.
  • Reschedule donor appointments.
  • Perform follow-up activities as directed.

Volunteer Requirements:

• Modeling excellent customer service behaviors.
• Knowledge of technology needed for position (training provided)
  • Donor checkin, donor tablet, rapid pass, donor app.
• Comfortable working with people from diverse communities and backgrounds
• Dependable, punctual, and professional
• Adhere to all Red Cross guidelines
• Ability to remain calm in crisis situations
• Adhere to CDC safety guidelines regarding COVID-19 precautions
• Safety First! Our need for volunteers is constant and our guidelines reflect the latest CDC safety recommendations and follow the national and local government laws. COVID-19 vaccination will be required for in-person volunteer roles beginning January 3, 2022.

Turn the Dallas Asheville into a giant game board with this fun scavenger hunt adventure. Combine the excitement of the Amazing Race with a two and a half-hour city tour. Guided from any smart phone, teams make their way among well-known and overlooked gems of the city, solving clues and completing challenges while learning local history. Start when you want and play at your pace. Price is per team, not per person. Find details and Redeem your ticket as a Prepaid Code online at www.UrbanAdventureQuest.com.

It can be ruff out there for our canine companions, but we have pawsitively great news. Buncombe County’s first-ever dog park is now open at our Sports Park in Candler. While this is a soft open, the park features two fenced-in play areas; one for large dogs and one for smaller pups. “We do have plans to add other amenities and water fountains,” exclaims Recreation Services Program Coordinator Mac Stanley. “People are very excited about this new opportunity. Since it was announced, we have gotten letters of support as well as many emails questioning when will the project be completed.”

So join us in a round of apaws as we celebrate the opening of this new venue for hot dogs and cool people. “It’s an amazing place to bring your dog to run free without a leash and interact with other dogs,” says Stanley. “One of my favorite aspects of this new dog park is being able to cultivate a community. Hopefully, this dog park will be instrumental in connecting dogs as well as people within the community.” Paw-yeah, sounds great.

Location: Buncombe County Sports Park, 58 Apac Circle

Hours of operation: Monday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. (same as the Sports Park)

Dog park drools rules
Dogs must be:

• On a leash at all times until safely in the fenced-in dog park area
• Vaccinated, licensed, and in good health
• At least four months old to enter
• Wearing a collar with ID tags
• Under voice control of their human and not aggressive

Humans must:

• Be with dogs at all times
• Remove dogs at first sign of aggression
• Pick up poop and dispose of it in receptacles provided
• Be liable for any and all injuries caused by their dogs

Not Allowed:

• Pronged, spike or choke collars
• Aggressive dogs, aggressive humans, or dogs in heat
• Unsupervised children 12 years of age or younger

Recreation Services’ Lake Julian Park Rangers have assembled a new paddle boat fleet that is ship-shape and ready to hit the water. “We have received and assembled 17 brand new paddle boats to complete our fleet of 20 boats at Lake Julian Park,” notes Park Ranger Matt Dixon. “This is a great addition to the park and will be an enjoyable amenity for our park patrons for years to come.”

Lake Julian Park offers paddle boat rentals for $12/ hour and $8/half hour. The boats are available to rent every day the park is open (weather permitting), up until 2 hours before park closing time. Head over to the park on the next sunny day and make your own splash. Learn more at buncombecounty.org/parks.

Home Decor, all clothing types in very good condition, purses, shoes, etc. Fall and winter men and women’s adult clothing items (XXS-XXXL) are hung and ready, something “New to You.”

Sunday: Attention bargain shoppers!
On the last day of our sale, Sunday, March 20, select items will be marked 50% off the original price. You do not want to miss these amazing deals!

Would you like to collaborate with the inspiring community Spring Conference cultivates? Would you like full, free access to the Spring Conference? If so, sign up to be a volunteer this year! Shifts are going fast! We want everyone and anyone interested in attending the OGS 29th Annual Spring Conference to join, which is why we have Scholarships available! Find out more.

Open FREE to the Public
Friday, March 18th … 9am – 6pm
Saturday, March 19th … 9am – 5pm
Sunday, March 20th … 12pm – 5pm (Most items 1/2 off)

Consignor Drop Off
Sunday, March 13th… 1:30pm – 5:00pm
Monday, March 14th … 10am – 6:30pm

Old Kentucky Home -The Thomas Wolfe Memorial

American Novelist Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938)

Considered by many to be one of the giants of 20th-century American literature, Thomas Wolfe immortalized his childhood home in his epic autobiographical novel, Look Homeward, Angel. Wolfe’s colorful portrayal of his family, his hometown of “Altamont” Asheville, North Carolina, and “Dixieland” the Old Kentucky Home boardinghouse, earned the Victorian period house a place as one of American literature’s most famous landmarks.

House tours are offered daily at half past each hour. Last tour leaves at 4:30 pm.
Group tours by reservation.

Adult – $5.00
Student (ages 7-17) – $2.00
Adult Group (10+) – $2.50 each
Student Group – $2.00 each
6 & under – Free

Hours of Operation

Led by Stewart/Owen Dance Co-Directors, Vanessa Owen and Gavin Stewart, this open level adult contemporary dance class gradually awakens the body and senses through guided improvisation and a follow along warm-up, followed by foundational across-the-floor exercises and center-work combinations. All experience levels welcome!

In person: $10, pay at the door

Online: $7 suggested donation, contact [email protected] for class link and details.

About Stewart/Owen Dance: Gavin Stewart and Vanessa Owen, a husband and wife duo, are the co-directors of Western North Carolina based Stewart/Owen Dance. Their choreography has been presented by festivals and companies across the U.S., and their careers have most notably taken them around the globe on fifteen U.S. State Department tours to teach, perform and choreograph contemporary dance with Washington D.C. based Company E. In 2017 they made North Carolina their home base where they work towards building a sustainable community for professional dance artists to set roots. They have choreographed music videos for artists such as Moses Sumney, Sylvan Esso and Ben Phantom. Gavin and Vanessa won the Audience Choice Award at the NYC Dance Gallery Festival 2018, were commissioned as Dance Gallery 2019 Level UP Artists, are recipients of a McDowell Regional Artist Project Grant, a North Carolina Artist Support Grant and were voted “Artists Who Most Pushed the Boundaries with the Human Body” by 2020 Asheville Fringe Arts Festival. Since the pandemic, they have focused on producing COVID-conscious dance experiences for live audiences, including drive-up performances and a guided walk-along dance exhibit presented in residence with Asheville’s beloved Wortham Center for the Performing Arts.

• Averaging 45 vendors each week with more than two dozen produce farms, half a dozen bakers, several meat and cheese producers, coffee, and a wide variety of artisan and prepared foods.

• Three weekly farmers tailgate markets in Buncombe County will operate through the winter in 2022. Though smaller, these markets will continue to offer the freshest seasonal produce in addition to meats, eggs, cheeses, bread, beverages, and artisan foods. Expect to see storage crops, like sweet potatoes, potatoes, and winter squash, plus cold-weather veggies like turnips, radishes, and dark leafy greens.

  Buncombe County farmers markets with weekly dates January to March are:

  • River Arts District Farmers Market, outdoors and indoors at Plēb Urban Winery, 289 Lyman St., Wednesdays, 3–5:30 p.m. Two dozen weekly vendors, including two produce farms, mushrooms, cheese, bread and baked goods, and more.

  • Weaverville Tailgate Market, indoors at Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lakeshore Dr., Wednesdays, 3–6 p.m. Bread, cheese, and fermented food makers alongside a small lineup of craft and artisan vendors.

Your blood is going to someone who really needs it. To get it there is a process. It takes a team; our phlebotomists collect the blood, our couriers bring it to our headquarters for processing, our lab techs process it, and our couriers then deliver the products to our hospitals. Once they’re there, lives are saved.

Our first exhibition of the year, Of Body & Mind, explores the connection between form and soul. Both functional and sculptural glass work is displayed. Artists are encouraged to expand the concept beyond static objects. The show exhibits work of glass artists living in Western North Carolina or who have a connection to the area. The exhibit is open during our regular gallery hours in D Space. Closed Tuesdays. Masks required. A reception will be announced at a later date. Featured artwork: ‘Be Here Now’ by Ben Greene-Colonnese.

Time: Starting at 10 am

Where: Clyde, NC

Distance: 2.3 miles

Difficulty: Moderate. 530 ft of elevation gain in 1.15 miles.

Cost: $10 for non-members, Free for SAHC Members

Join the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and Highland Brewing Company on Saturday, March 19 for a hike celebrating the release of Highland’s Peachful Ale. Participants will travel across two SAHC owned properties in the Crabtree Community of Haywood County. These properties account for 292 acres of land and over 15,000 linear feet of stream corridor protected forever.

Both properties combine productive agricultural land with valuable wildlife habitats and breathtaking scenic views. Hikers will have a short, but steep, climb to the top where one of the best views on all SAHC owned properties awaits us. Along the way, we will be discussing the importance of our farmland protection program.

If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected]

Do you have questions about the property value appeal process? Do you know Buncombe County offers multiple ways to pay your property taxes? Property Assessment and Tax Collections experts from Buncombe County are coming together to launch a Community Help Desk series on Saturdays at select Buncombe County Public Libraries throughout the month of March.

The public is invited to meet your property assessors and tax collection specialists, get one-on-one help with the appeal process, ask questions, or find out what you need to start a payment plan. Buncombe experts are always available via live chat online or by phone, but these Saturday hours make it easier to access the help you might need on your own time.

Staff will be available from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturdays in March at the following locations:

Please note that social distancing measures will be in place and face coverings strongly recommended.

NORTH – Weaverville Library, 41 N Main Street, Weaverville

NORTHWEST – Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Rd, Leicester

• March 5 – WEAVERVILLE
• March 12 – LEICESTER *Spanish Interpreter available
• March 19 – WEAVERVILLE
• March 26 – LEICESTER *Spanish Interpreter available

SOUTH – Skyland/South Asheville Library, 260 Overlook Road, Asheville

SOUTHEAST – Oakley/South Asheville Library, 749 Fairview Road, Asheville

• March 5 – SKYLAND
• March 12 – OAKLEY
• March 19 – SKYLAND
• March 26 – OAKLEY

EAST – Black Mountain Library, 105 N Dougherty Street, Black Mountain

• March 5
• March 12
• March 19
• March 26

WEST – Enka/Candler Library, 1404 Sand Hill Road, Candler

• March 5
• March 12
• March 19
• March 26

Can’t make one of these sessions? Please reach out for questions and assistance. Property Assessment is available by Live Chat online at buncombecounty.org/myvalue2021, click the live chat button or call 250-4940. The property value appeal process is open now-start an appeal online at taxappeal.buncombecounty.org. Tax collections specialists are available by Live Chat online at buncombecounty.org/taxcollections or call 250-4910.

• March 17 to 20
• April 7 to 10
• April 14 to 17
• May 12 to 15
• June 2 to 5

Update: Jan. 31, 2022

After canceling in-person meetings due to increased COVID-19 infection rates, additional virtual community vision meetings for the Buncombe 2043 Comprehensive Plan have been scheduled. Members of the public are invited to attend.

Community meeting schedule:

• Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, 6-8 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, 6-8 p.m. Youth focus
• Monday, March 14, 2022, 4-6 p.m.
• Saturday, March 19, 2022, 10 a.m.-noon

Click here for the latest information, to watch previous meetings, or to register: https://publicinput.com/Y4853.

The Comprehensive Plan meetings will focus on:

• Learning more about changes and issues that impact residents now and will in the future
• Creating a community vision and priorities for Buncombe County

In the next stages of plan development, the information shared during this initial set of meetings will help identify potential solutions and actions, upon which the community will provide feedback.

The Buncombe 2043 Comprehensive Plan provides the framework for growth in unincorporated Buncombe County and addresses other quality of life matters for the County as a whole. The plan will take a regional approach, being mindful of other plans, such as the City of Asheville and the Town of Black Mountain comprehensive plans.

Have you watched it yet?

Buncombe County hosted “Let’s Talk – Buncombe County’s Next 20 Years” with Nathan Pennington, Planning & Development Director for Buncombe County, Rachel Edens, Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer for Buncombe County, and Jessica Trotman, Planning Director for Black Mountain. Click here to view the session.

For more information about the Buncombe 2043 Comprehensive Plan including a short video overview, visit Comprehensive Plan 2043.

Do you need help preparing your taxes? If so, Buncombe County Pubic Libraries can help. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, in cooperation with the IRS, NC Department of Revenue, Buncombe County Library System, and Council on Aging, Inc. will offer free tax preparations for taxpayers of low and moderate-income, with special attention to those age 60 and older from Feb. 1-April 15.

You will need an appointment to speak with a tax help aide. At your appointment, you can drop off your tax documents and you’ll be given another appointment in about two weeks to pick up your paperwork and completed tax form.

How it works

1. Pick up a tax record envelope and instructions at Black Mountain, West Asheville, Weaverville or Pack Library during library hours.

2. Complete the Intake/Interview Booklet in your envelope by answering all questions. Then sign and date the last 3 pages. Place all your tax forms and any information relating to your tax return in your envelope.

3. Make an appointment to drop off your Tax Record Envelope and meet with a Tax-Aide volunteer.

Pack Memorial Library

Saturdays, appointments available between 10:30am and 2pm
To make an appointment for Saturday tax help at Pack Library, email [email protected] with your name and telephone number. A volunteer will contact you to set up your appointment. At your appointment, a tax volunteer will check all documents and give you a follow-up appointment to pick up your completed tax return and documents in 1 or 2 weeks. This tax help is provided by UNCA.

Every bite counts!

The Girl Scouts will set up on Saturdays to sell Girl Scout Cookies near the entrance of Sportsman’s Warehouse.

Hours of Operation – Please note dates and times are subject to change subject to troop availability and weather conditions.

January 22 – March 19, 2022
Saturdays: 11am-5pm

Speak the Speech is an 8-week deep dive into the technical fundamentals that will allow you to speak Shakespeare with accuracy and clarity. Skills covered include:

• Paraphrasing for accurate understanding
• De-constructing and understanding Shakespeare’s grammar and syntax
• Identifying operative phrases and key words to unlock the audience’s understanding
• Physical and vocal techniques for clarity
• Developing and deepening imagery
• Using scansion to discover hints to pacing, character, and unwritten stage directions
• Memorizing meaning rather than speech patterns, for flexible, spontaneous, and responsive performance

The first four weeks of this course focus on tools for comprehension and speech, with an emphasis on prose. The second four weeks move on to verse, combining skills from the first half of class with scansion and deeper image work.

Students who took an abbreviated version of the class in the fall of 2021 said:

“I gained a significant amount of information from it. The format was incredible and I have come away from it with a better understanding of Shakespeare.“

“Instructor’s knowledge, command of material, keen observational skills, and specific, articulate feedback made the class engaging and useful.”

“It was interesting to see the other people’s work evolve as they used the tools learned in class.”

“The two hours flew by and I often wished we could keep working past stop time.”

Ages 16 and Up

Bio for the Instructor:

Melon Wedick studied theatre (and philosophy!) at Oberlin College. She studied Shakespeare performance with Paul Moser and Hal Ryder, and was a founding member of the Certain Players (Randolph, VT) and founding co-director of the Greenville Shakespeare Festival (Greenville, NH). She has performed with the Certain Players, Greenville Shakespeare Festival (NH), Black River Theatre Company, Shakespeare NYC, and the Montford Park Players, among others, and has directed productions of Hamlet, Measure for Measure, and Coriolanus. Now the artistic director of Nemesis Theatre Company, Melon is passionate about clarity and comprehension in Shakespeare performance.

Speak the Speech is an 8-week deep dive into the technical fundamentals that will allow you to speak Shakespeare with accuracy and clarity. Skills covered include:

Paraphrasing for accurate understanding
De-constructing and understanding Shakespeare’s grammar and syntax
Identifying operative phrases and key words to unlock the audience’s understanding
Physical and vocal techniques for clarity
Developing and deepening imagery
Using scansion to discover hints to pacing, character, and unwritten stage directions
Memorizing meaning rather than speech patterns, for flexible, spontaneous, and responsive performance

The first four weeks of this course focus on tools for comprehension and speech, with an emphasis on prose. The second four weeks move on to verse, combining skills from the first half of class with scansion and deeper image work.

Students who took an abbreviated version of the class in the fall of 2021 said:

“I gained a significant amount of information from it. The format was incredible and I have come away from it with a better understanding of Shakespeare.“

“Instructor’s knowledge, command of material, keen observational skills, and specific, articulate feedback made the class engaging and useful.”

“It was interesting to see the other people’s work evolve as they used the tools learned in class.”

“The two hours flew by and I often wished we could keep working past stop time.”

February 12 – April 2, 2022
Saturdays, 11am-2pm

Ages 16 and Up

Bio for the Instructor:
Melon Wedick studied theatre (and philosophy!) at Oberlin College. She studied Shakespeare performance with Paul Moser and Hal Ryder, and was a founding member of the Certain Players (Randolph, VT) and founding co-director of the Greenville Shakespeare Festival (Greenville, NH). She has performed with the Certain Players, Greenville Shakespeare Festival (NH), Black River Theatre Company, Shakespeare NYC, and the Montford Park Players, among others, and has directed productions of Hamlet, Measure for Measure, and Coriolanus. Now the artistic director of Nemesis Theatre Company, Melon is passionate about clarity and comprehension in Shakespeare performance.