The Montford Park Players is pleased to announce auditions for its 52nd  Season: 

Muse of Fire: Shakespeare’s Wars of the Roses

Jason Williams, Artistic Director

5/10/2024 5/24/2024   Edward III, directed by Mandy Bean
5/31/2024 6/23/2024   Richard II, directed by Jason Williams
6/28/2024 7/21/2024   Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, directed by Dr. George Brown, Callista Brown and Elizabeth DeVault
7/26/2024 8/25/2024   Henry V, directed by David Doersch
8/30/2024 9/22/2024  Henry VI Parts 1, 2 & 3, directed by Glenna Grant, Ariel Robinson and Adam Kampouris
9/27/2024 10/27/2024 Richard III, directed by Kristi DeVille

Conveniently located in the heart of the Historic Montford District of Asheville, North Carolina, the Outdoor Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre is easy to get to and accessible from I-240 and I-26. And, it’s just a short drive down Montford Avenue from downtown.

In 2024, Jay Beckenstein and band observe the 50th anniversary of what started as a diversion, something that was just for fun (and twenty-five cents at the door). It began inauspiciously when Beckenstein and a few musician friends in Buffalo NY organized a get together on their shared night off from working in bands that actually made money. It was a simple, humble idea with a name that was likewise simple and humble, “Tuesday Night – Jazz Jam”. Fast forward 50 years and this jazz super group has released over 30 albums, garnering gold and platinum along the way. They’ve played over 10,000 concerts on six continents. Spyro Gyra has maintained its standards of excellence and that has sustained them on the “A list” of live attractions in jazz for 50 years.

Hailed as “The Bad Boys of R&B,” Jodeci is one of the most influential R&B throughout the culture K-Ci, DeVante Swing, JoJo, and Mr. Dalvin have sold over 20 million records worldwide, and achieved three #1 albums on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. In 2023, Jodeci headlined their own highly anticipated Summer Block Party Tour selling out shows from coast to coast, joined by SWV and Dru Hill.

Their debut album Forever My Lady (1991) was a huge success reaching #1 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart in its first week of release, and featured hit single, “Forever My Lady,” which climbed to #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks chart. The album’s classic hits “Come & Talk To Me,” and “Stay,” also topped the charts reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Their second album, Diary Of A Mad Band (1993) went #1 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart, penning their hit single, “Cry For You” which landed at #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks chart. Jodeci’s third album, The Show, The After Party, The Hotel (1995) gave the group their third #1 album on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart, producing hit songs “Freek’n You,” and “Love U 4 Life.”

In 2021, Jodeci reunited and signed with P Music Group for management by Founder and CEO Michael Paran. To kick off their reunion, Jodeci joined Charlie Wilson and New Edition for a 30-city tour in 2022, on the critically acclaimed “The Culture Tour.” Jodeci’s legendary sound and style have shaped the world of R&B and continue to influence a new generation of artists.

Every Saturday from 8am-12pm, This is the 44th year for this
weekly tailgate market, where vendors sell fresh-picked seasonal vegetables and fruit, local honey, cut flowers, plant starts and
more, The market will be open through October. L

Hendersonville Farmers Market in front of the Historic Train Depot, 8am-1pm, Hendersonville Farmers Market aims to be a world-class market that contributes to the success of local producers and growers, expands access to farm fresh foods, and creates a
vibrant community gathering space. With fresh produce, meats, baked goods, crafts, live entertainment, food trucks, and more,
it’s a weekly outing with something for everybody! Visitors can expect a lively atmosphere celebrating food, farm and family with
live music every Saturday! At least 30 vendors from within a 60-mile radius participate in each market, offering produce, meat,
eggs, dairy, honey, baked goods, crafts, beverages, and more. Special events such as Tomato Day, Wellness Day and
Juneteenth Celebration will occur at the market regularly throughout the season. Food trucks will also be a staple, allowing
visitors to enjoy breakfast or lunch on their farmers market adventure

Welcome to Western NC’s most premier farmers market!

Since 1980, we have been providing Asheville and the surrounding area with a full range of local, sustainably produced produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, breads, plants, prepared foods and crafts. Day vendors complement the members’ offerings with additional products and services.

The North Asheville Tailgate Market is a weekly, Saturday morning gathering of the best farmers, craftsmen, and bakers. With over 40 vendors and more than 40,000 annual customers, the market’s energetic and warm environment welcomes all.

Located within the wildly-popular and botanically beautiful Southern Appalachian Mountains, The North Carolina Arboretum offers more than 10 miles of hiking trails that connect to many other area attractions such as Lake Powhatan, the Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visitors of all ages and abilities can enjoy their hiking experience at the Arboretum as trail options include easy, moderate, and difficult challenge levels. All trails are dog-friendly and visitors are asked to adhere to the proper waste disposing procedures for pets.

Part of a running group that would like to use the Arboretum as a starting point or parking location? Please review our Running Group Guidance and email [email protected] with any questions.

Baker Exhibit Center

Where can you see a butterfly with a five foot wingspan, or a longhorn beetle with antennae more than twelve feet across? The answers can be found amongst the enormous sculptures on display in BUGS: Outside the Box!

Scientifically exact, with a keen attention to detail, the exhibit features a virtual army of giant bugs with one aim in mind – educating the public and shining a light on museum collections, taxonomy, and the power of magnification.

Among the highlights of the exhibit is a rarely seen long-arm beetle more than ten feet in height, a collection of heavily armored stag beetles with impressive jaws and horns as long as your arm, and an insight into the amazing intricacy of the physiology of each insect on display. Alongside these impressive works of art is the insect in question represented at life size,  and detailed information on the life habits, location, and other facts unique to each insect and its family.

• Parking Fees
  • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
  • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
  • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
  • Members: Free

  Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Splasheville

Splasheville is located in Pack Square Park on 80 Court Plaza. The free splash pad’s regular daily hours are 9.m-8:30pm, but may close for special events or during inclement weather. Check the calendar for scheduled closures.

Artists are invited to create artworks with the theme of “Red, White and Blue.“  Apply these patriotic colors at the center of your subjects, however there are no limits to your creativity, your artworks don’t need to be primarily patriotic theme, but viewers should be able to spot the use of recognizable amount of red, white and blue colors.

Save the Date: Buncombe County Presents Leading with Race Summit and Plaque Dedication

Mark your calendars for Buncombe County’s Racial Equity Action Plan Leading with Race Summit on July 20. Almost four years after the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners declared racism a public health and safety crisis, named equity a foundational value, and adopted a Racial Equity Action Plan, we’re sharing our progress on the goals we’ve accomplished and the County’s next steps.
You’re invited to join us from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 35 Woodfin St., for a plaque dedication ceremony and community engagement event. A new historic plaque marker will be unveiled, songs from local Black musicians and a culturally informed talk and dance lesson by representatives from Atsila Anotasgi, Museum of the Cherokee People.
The plaque will pay homage to the Indigenous people of this land and highlight the harm done to them, enslaved Africans, and Black residents to represent our efforts to bring recognition and change. Buncombe County will also share information about the Racial Equity Action Plan, goals accomplished, and our next steps. This event is free, open to the public, and for all ages. There will be activities for young people, with food trucks and vendors on site. Registration is encouraged but not required. Please RSVP at the link below.
What: Buncombe County Presents Leading with Race Summit & Plaque Dedication
When: Saturday, July 20, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Where: 35 Woodfin St. | Asheville
###

Located on the second floor until September 18th, the show continues the historical relationship between the Southern Highland Craft Guild and Haywood, an educational center of the Guild. This new generation of craft is led by instructors Amy Putansu in fiber, Brian Wurst in wood, Emily Reason in clay, and Robert Blanton in metals & jewelry. Students of the Haywood program come from all over, with or without prior experience of craft, and sometimes pursuing it as a second or third career. The course of study is challenging, combining craft concentrations with supplemental classes in design, drawing, craft history, business, marketing and photography.

Haywood Community College and the Southern Highland Craft Guild share a history that documents the role of craft education in preserving traditional culture, creating economic opportunity and fostering professional practice. All of the artists represent the vitality and creativity of craft practice today, which is the ultimate purpose of both institutions. Many Haywood graduates have become individual members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and have served the Guild in various capacities.

Instructor Brian Wurst of the Professional Crafts Wood program says, “Our programs have thrived for nearly five decades, and our relationship with the Craft Guild has been a key part of that. We’re always thrilled to have work showcased at the Folk Art Center, and in turn scores of our alumni have gone on to become active Guild members. The Graduate Show is the capstone of two hard years by these students, and it’s a delight to share it in this beautiful space.”

Haywood Community College is located in Clyde, North Carolina, just west of Asheville. The college’s Professional Crafts Program began in recognition of the region’s strong craft heritage. It was envisioned that students would learn the basics of craft media and how to transform that craft into a business. The clay studio was the first to open in 1974. With the addition of jewelry, wood and fiber studios, a comprehensive curriculum was in place by 1977.

Anyone interested in taking courses at Haywood Community College can contact the success coach, Farrah Rodriguez [email protected] 828.627.4505.

The Haywood Community College Professional Crafts Program, Graduate Show, Class of 2024 is a free exhibit at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in East Asheville. For more information, visit www.craftguild.org or call 828-523-4110. For more information about the Professional Crafts Program, call 828-627-4674 or visit creativearts.haywood.edu.

Focus Gallery Exhibition featuring five members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, located upstairs at the Folk Art Center. May 24-August 19, 2024.

Featured Artists:

1. Billy Bernstein  – glass
2. Christine Smith – wood
3. Tamela Wells – jewelry
4. Robert Milnes – clay
5. Pam Grainger Gale – fiber

The Focus Gallery is located on the second level of the Folk Art Center. The Folk Art Center is located at Milepost 382 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, just north of the Highway 70 entrance in east Asheville, NC. Admission is free. Open Daily 10am-5pm. 

This exhibition is hosted by the Southern Highland Craft Guild. The Guild is a non-profit, educational organization established in 1930 to cultivate the crafts and makers of the Southern Highlands for shared resources, education, marketing, and conservation. The Southern Highland Craft Guild is an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. 

Hit the trails and learn more about The North Carolina Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with a guided trail walk! April through October, 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 and each guide’s area of expertise, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more.

Guided trail walks are limited to 15 people, including the guide, and are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age. Groups depart from the Baker Visitor Center Lobby on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m..

Walks last 1.5 – 2.5 hours, are approximately one to two miles in length. As this program is held rain or shine, all participants should dress appropriately for the weather.

There is no pre-registration; walks are first-come first served and sign up sheets are located in the Baker Visitors Center.

Walks are FREE; however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are appreciated. Regular parking fees apply. Arboretum Society Members always park free.

Know Before You Go

• Guided Trail Walks are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age.
• Guided Trail Walks are rain or shine and all participants should be dressed comfortably and for the weather.
• Hikes cover 1-2 miles and last 1.5-2 hours.
• Well-behaved leashed pets are welcome to accompany their owners. In the rare case that a pet is disruptive or negatively impacts the experience, the pet and its owner may be asked to excuse themselves from the guided walk.

Explore Asheville with the whole family!

Age Restrictions

All Ages Welcome!
(Content is geared towards ages 5-12 years old)
Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Children 3 and under do not need a ticket if they are sitting in an adults lap.

Duration

60 Minutes

What’s Included

Crazy funny guide
Off-bus characters
Fun facts about Asheville
Age-appropriate jokes

About

Now’s your chance to bring the whole family on the big purple bus! Educational and entertaining, LaZoom’s Kids’ Comedy tour features a perfect blend of Asheville information and kid-centric comedy. Geared specifically towards the 5-12 year old crowd, you’ll learn about our city’s history and see the sights in true LaZoom style – complete with our famously outlandish tour guides, hilarious comedy skits, and all sorts of special appearances! Perfect for birthday parties or school field trips, it’s the best thing to do with your kids in Asheville. It’s a show on wheels!

The tour is 60 minutes long and includes no stops. The tour is hosted by a zany tour guide, and along the way other characters will hop on the bus and perform kid-centric sketches (Candy Pirate, Ninja, and a Levitator) The tour is not only fun – it’s educational! Kids and adults will learn new and interesting facts about Asheville along the way. There must be 1 adult for every 4 children. We do not allow any unaccompanied children. Children 3 and under do not need a ticket if they are sitting in an adults lap.

Waitlist

If your desired time and availability is full, then please give us a call to be added to the waitlist.

At each Plant Clinic, Master Gardener volunteers will be available to answer all of your gardening questions and address your related concerns. Feel free to bring plant or insect samples for identification and/or problem resolution.

You can pick-up soil test kits and receive information about in-person programs and activities at The Learning Garden and the Gardening in the Mountains seminars.

Please stop by to learn more!

The canning class will take place in the WNC Foodworks’ teaching kitchen. We will meet at 9am at their building at the WNC Farmers Market. Come into the market from Brevard Road and come down past the retail buildings and stay to the right. Then make a left to come down to the WNC Foodworks building in the bottom far right corner of the property. Look for our signs for the class. We will then take a tour of the market and learn about purchasing produce in bulk from the wholesale vendors. After the tour we will hear about some of the heirloom varieties of beans from a local farmer. Then we will pressure can together in a hands-on class and learn the ins and outs of pressure canning.

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM