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 10, 2022
Nantahala Outdoor Center 2023 Adventure travel trips
Dec 10 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

Adventure is what we do.

Nantahala Outdoor Center has a long history of venturing where many haven’t, pioneering new adventures, and bringing opportunities to experience the outdoors to millions of guests over five decades. Our International Adventure Tours offer unique destinations, exciting adventures and activities, experienced guides, and world-class hospitality. These all-inclusive, small group excursions will redefine how you travel. Experience some of the most breathtaking places in the world without feeling like a tourist.

If your idea of fun is a rafting trip on the Chilko, a quiet lake paddle in Argentina, surf lessons in Ecuador, or trekking in Iceland, our trips have something for every adventure and skill level. Enjoy kayaking, hiking, fishing, horseback riding, yoga, surfing, ziplining, wine tastings, or cultural experiences, along with the flexibility to customize your own adventure. Settle in after your travels in some of the most unique accommodations in the world; from cozy lodges and five star resorts, with local cuisine and tastings, every detail is meticulously planned so you can soak up every moment.

We hope these guided, off-the-beaten-path expeditions will foster the same spirit of adventure we encourage in our Southeastern locations, while giving you the opportunity to explore beyond your own backyard.

 

We have officially announced our new 2023 Adventure travel trips for you to explore new destinations, try new adventures, and experience new cultures! Our trips are small groups, offer world-class hospitality, unique lodging and the most diverse activity options for you to try! We’re giving “revenge travel” new meaning.

The Best of the Beach and the Rainforest
Dec 10 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

With the beautiful ocean view from your cabana, it’s hard not to stay in, relaxing in the luxurious accommodations in Belize. But there is adventure to be had! This trip offers the best of both world’s combining tropical ocean activities with jungle adventure, while you and your companions enjoy flexibility in your choice of daily guided activities and adventure levels.

Beach Activities

  • Swimming
  • Sea Kayaking
  • Snorkeling
  • Sunrise Yoga
  • Fly Fishing

Rainforest Activities

  • Mayan Ruin Tours
  • Nocturnal Jungle Walks
  • Hiking Antelope Falls
  • Ziplining
  • Rappelling
  • River Tubing

Bucket List Traveler

Voted in the top 5 best winter vacation locations by U.S. News Travel, the Galapagos offer so much adventure in the archipelago!

 

An eco-enthusiasts bucket list trip!  Set sail to lesser-explored islands and spot giant tortoises, sea lions, Galápagos penguins, and marine iguanas! Snorkel, surf, hike, and experience the islands and their unique ecosystem.

Remote Tropical

Uncrowded point breaks, warm water, predictable waves, friendly locals, great food and drink…this is a real surfer’s paradise! Join us on a surf safari in the Ecuadorian town of Mompiche.

Great waves and a multitude of other activities from surf lessons, SUP, horseback riding, massages and more, enjoy it all from your ocean front home away from home!

Sandy Sunsets

In Baja, some can simply sip drinks, eat local fish tacos and watch the sun disappear into the Pacific, while adventure seekers can choose the rush of surfing a perfect wave, hiking the coastline or sea kayaking with turtles, sea lions and breaching whales. Walk through sherbet colored canyons or soak up the night’s canopy of scattered stars. On  our multisport adventure to Baja, you can do it all!

The Wish Tree- Older Adults + Adults w/ Disabilities and Foster Care Wish Tree
Dec 10 all-day
online

Make A Wish Come True This Holiday Season

Wishes

Ready the hot cocoa and pull out your decorations; it’s time for another holiday season.  As you begin your holiday preparation traditions, remember to visit the Buncombe County Wish Trees! This year we are offering two opportunities to spread cheer throughout the community:

Foster Care Wish Tree

Each year children in foster care and young adults participating in Extended Foster Care in Buncombe County submit a list of wishes they would like for the holidays. Signing up to sponsor a child or young adult is easy! Just follow the link below and select the child or young adult you would like to sponsor. After signing up, you will receive email confirmation that provides a copy of the wish list and all the instructions for drop off. We are taking extra precautions due to COVID-19 so be sure to read the follow up email in its entirety.

CLICK HERE TO SPONSOR A CHILD

Direct Questions to Amber Cook

 [email protected]
(828) 250-5824

The Wish Tree- Fulfilling Wishes of Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities

There are a lot of Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities in Buncombe County in need of connection this holiday season. Show a  Older Adult and or Adult with Disabilities how much you care by sponsoring them this holiday season. Signing up to sponsor a Older Adult and or Adult with Disabilities  is easy. Just follow the link below, select the  Older Adult and or Adult with Disabilities you would like to sponsor, and check your email for confirmation, a reminder of what your Older Adult and or Adult with Disabilities would like this holiday season, and drop off instructions. We are taking extra precautions due to COVID-19 so be sure to read the follow up email in its entirety.

CLICK HERE TO SPONSOR AN OLDER ADULT OR AN ADULT WITH DISABILITIES

A note from HHS

The holidays can be hard for a lot of people, children in foster care, older adults, and adults with disabilities in particular. Holidays are a time when family and friends gather together, show support for one another, and shower each other with love, kindness, and generosity. Each year, we have an opportunity to deliver the holiday spirit to children in foster care, older adults, and adults with disabilities through our wish tree gift drives. The expressions of joy and excitement on our clients faces as we deliver their gifts reminds us of the true meaning of the holiday season, connection. Yes, the gifts are nice. But the real gift is knowing that someone loves and cares. That is what we deliver to our clients. Thank you in advance for your generous sponsorship.

Virtual Angel Giving Tree
Dec 10 all-day
online

Our Virtual Angel tree is up for this holiday season. This gift tree provides our broader YWCA community a path to join us as we aim to support our program participants and their families with a holiday season full of love and support.

If you would like to adopt a family this holiday season please click here or email Taleese Morrill in our Programs team to get the details of how you can fulfill a family’s holiday wish.

If you prefer please select a gift from our Amazon wish list by December 1st, 2022. Gifts from the list will be mailed directly to our building and will be sorted and distributed by our YWCA elves. All items on the list have been selected by the families and are items they are wishing for or are in need of this holiday season.

All gifts must be ordered by December 1.

Programs Served by the Angel Tree

MotherLove
YWCA’s MotherLove program supports pregnant and parenting teens throughout Buncombe County. Our goals are to help young parents to stay in school and graduate, access higher education and vocational training, develop the skills and knowledge needed to become strong parents, and delay another teen pregnancy.

Getting Ahead In a Just Getting By World
YWCA’s Getting Ahead program aims to provide financial empowerment for low-income women of all ages and backgrounds to make choices that positively impact themselves, their families, and their community.

Early Learning Program
YWCA’s Early Learning Program provides 5-star childcare for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Our experienced and compassionate teachers not only provide exceptional care for little ones, but also prepare young children to succeed cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally. We prioritize families using childcare vouchers or caring for children in the foster care system.

Empowerment Childcare
The YWCA provides up to 12 hours of free childcare per week for parents who are in transition, continuing their education, accessing social services, or looking for employment. ECC works closely with the Family Justice Center, Buncombe County Health and Human Services, A-B Tech, Green Opportunities, and Mary Benson House.

Jackson Park Bird Outing
Dec 10 @ 8:00 am – 10:00 am
Jackson Park

Join the Blue Ridge Audubon, a chapter of the National Audubon Society for their monthly bird walk at Jackson Park, a renowned birding location. On the 2nd Saturday of each month, meet at the Administration Building parking lot, located on Glover Street, and join the group to see the many wonderful birds found at Jackson Park, Hendersonville’s largest park.

Winter Clothing Drive
Dec 10 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Western Carolina Rescue Ministries

Is it time to give your winter wardrobe an upgrade? Do you have any winter clothing that you don’t want or need? Are some of your winter clothes too small or too big?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, consider donating your extra or unwanted winter clothing items to the Winter Clothing Drive hosted by Beaverdam Valley Neighborhood Association.

Donations can be made up until December 18th and will go to the Western Carolina Rescue Ministries.  Please drop off all items on the front porch at 42 Pinecroft Road, Asheville NC 28804.

Asheville Wilderness Therapy to Build Resilience
Dec 10 @ 10:00 am
High Five Coffee

Asheville Wilderness Therapy to Build Resilience

We will meet at High Five Coffee on Riverside Drive. If you’d like coffee, we’ll be there 30 minutes earlier for a meet & greet!

Once the coffee has warmed us up, you can expect the schedule to be:

1. Intro Circle sharing your name, where you’re from, fun fact about you, and what brought you to share in the experience.
2. We will walk along the River, sharing what an expedition mindset is and how it can help with everyday stresses and challenges.
3. Back in a circle, we will teach you how to use FABCs (Feel, About, Belief, Choice) to express how you’re feeling.
3. Each person will get an opportunity to practice active listening and feel heard.
4. We will have a clinic showing you how to strike a fire with metal and quartz. No lighters are required!

Items you can bring with you:

– A warm jacket
– An umbrella
– An open mind
– Your sense of adventure
– Some fun facts about yourself

Tryon Resort’s Winterfest Village
Dec 10 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Tryon Equestrian Center

This holiday season, visit Tryon Resort’s Winterfest Village to find festive fun for the entire family. Meet Santa and your favorite Who-ville characters with your Winterfest Village ticket, or come enjoy free live music and character interactions in Legends Plaza. There is something to get every member of the family in the holiday spirit!

Harris Teeter’s Harvest Feast Round-Up Campaign
Dec 10 @ 6:21 pm
Harris Teeter

Help Us Meet the Need This Holiday Season

Round Up Campaigns & Community Events

We are so grateful to all of our partners who are helping us during this critical time by providing various ways for people to get involved and help provide meals for neighbors this holiday season. Read through the list below to find out ways you can get involved.

  • Harris Teeter’s Harvest Feast Round-Up Campaign (11/2 – 12/27): Harris Teeter shoppers will be invited to Round Up their transaction to the nearest whole dollar at checkout to benefit local hunger relief partners. MANNA will be the recipient of funds raised at the Harris Teeter stores on Merrimon Ave. in Asheville and Spartanburg Hwy. in Hendersonville.
Whole Foods’ Round-Up Campaign
Dec 10 @ 6:26 pm
Whole Foods
  • We are so grateful to all of our partners who are helping us during this critical time by providing various ways for people to get involved and help provide meals for neighbors this holiday season. Read through the list below to find out ways you can get involved.
  • Whole Foods’ Round-Up Campaign (11/30 – 12/20): Whole Foods shoppers are invited to round up their purchase to the nearest dollar. Whole Foods will also match a donation to MANNA when a customer buys a locally made product.
Sunday, December 11, 2022
2022 RiverLink Annual Fund
Dec 11 all-day
online w/ River Link

What makes a place idyllic?

Start with an emerald river that flows from ancient mountains. Add an abundance of living creatures that co-evolved over millennia. Bring in humans who honor their place in the interconnected web. And rebuild a vital stream that supports us all.

Your support and engagement helps ensure the health of this watershed for the ages! We can’t do it without you.

Donate to Greenworks Double your impact with a $50,000 match!
Dec 11 all-day
online

We’ve got so many reasons to give thanks! In each of our program areas, we see ordinary people taking heroic action to protect our home from the pressures of a changing climate.

 

This year-end, we’re highlighting stories that inspired us and sharing how we’re planting seeds to create a climate-resilient future for all of us.

 

With our native pollinators, more is more. The more habitat we plant, the more easily our native pollinators can find shelter and food, the more resilient they become to the challenges posed by pesticides and extreme heat—the more stable our entire food ecosystem becomes.

Give Local: SAHAC and Wicked Weed
Dec 11 all-day
online
GiveLocal
                                                    campaign logo
SAHC is thrilled to be selected again this year to participate in the MountainXpress Give!Local Campaign. Our generous partners at Wicked Weed Brewing will MATCH donations up to $10,000! PLUS, anyone donating at a level of $100 or above will receive a $10 gift card from Wicked Weed. 

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy

WHAT THEY DO: We permanently protect and steward our region’s most beloved natural areas. When you support local land and water conservation, you ensure our lands, our water, our wildlife and our farms will be there for future generations. SAHC is committed to creating and supporting equitable, healthy and thriving communities for everyone in our region.

sahc

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy
Give!Local fundraiser! Nature Center and Weiler Woods for Wildlife
Dec 11 all-day
online w/ WNC Nature Center

From November 1 to December 31, you can support the WNC Nature Center through Mountain Xpress’ Give!Local fundraiser!
Your donation gives you great incentives from the Nature Center and Mountain Xpress, and your gift will be matched by Weiler Woods for Wildlife up to $2,500, with the entire donation coming to the Friends of the WNC Nature Center!
This is a powerful way to support local nonprofits and your community during the holiday season!
Here are a few of the awesome perks of supporting the Friends:
  • Donate $25+ and get a day pass to the WNC Nature Center.
  • Donate $50+ and get an animal sticker and a day pass.
  • Donate $100+ and get an animal tracks necklace, animal sticker, and a day pass.
  • Donate $250+ and get a a guided tour of the Nature Center with animal enrichment for two people, plus the necklace, sticker, and day pass. PLUS, you’ll be entered to win a chance to go on habitat with red pandas Leafa and Phoenix in 2023!
MANNA Foodbank Round Up Campaigns: Food Lions Feeds
Dec 11 all-day
Food Lions throughout community
  • Help Us Meet the Need This Holiday Season

    Round Up Campaigns & Community Events

    We are so grateful to all of our partners who are helping us during this critical time by providing various ways for people to get involved and help provide meals for neighbors this holiday season. Read through the list below to find out ways you can get involved.
  • Food Lions Feeds (11/9 – 12/12): Food Lion stores will be hosting Food Lion Feeds, which is an in-store food drive program where customers have the opportunity to purchase and donate a Food Lion Feeds for the Holidays box of food that will be donated to MANNA FoodBank.
MANNA’s 2022 Virtual Turkey Drive A Helping of Hope for the Holidays
Dec 11 all-day
online

The fall season is a time when many of us gather with our friends, families and loved ones for a variety of holidays and seasonal festivities. Often, these celebrations center around food, making it out of reach for so many people struggling to afford groceries, especially this year, with rising food costs making even a holiday turkey a distant luxury. Right now, MANNA and our partner network are still serving 68% more people than before the pandemic – many who are needing a hand for the first time.

Now more than ever, MANNA FoodBank is dedicated to filling as many holiday tables as possible, and you can help us give thousands of households the gift of a holiday, of one less struggle, and a helping of hope.

Please join our Virtual Turkey Drive – where we can stretch your donation further to get turkeys, hams, and holiday foods of all kinds for our neighbors across 16 western North Carolina counties.

Together, we can make the holidays happen for the people who live and work right here at home, in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

Nantahala Outdoor Center 2023 Adventure travel trips
Dec 11 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

Adventure is what we do.

Nantahala Outdoor Center has a long history of venturing where many haven’t, pioneering new adventures, and bringing opportunities to experience the outdoors to millions of guests over five decades. Our International Adventure Tours offer unique destinations, exciting adventures and activities, experienced guides, and world-class hospitality. These all-inclusive, small group excursions will redefine how you travel. Experience some of the most breathtaking places in the world without feeling like a tourist.

If your idea of fun is a rafting trip on the Chilko, a quiet lake paddle in Argentina, surf lessons in Ecuador, or trekking in Iceland, our trips have something for every adventure and skill level. Enjoy kayaking, hiking, fishing, horseback riding, yoga, surfing, ziplining, wine tastings, or cultural experiences, along with the flexibility to customize your own adventure. Settle in after your travels in some of the most unique accommodations in the world; from cozy lodges and five star resorts, with local cuisine and tastings, every detail is meticulously planned so you can soak up every moment.

We hope these guided, off-the-beaten-path expeditions will foster the same spirit of adventure we encourage in our Southeastern locations, while giving you the opportunity to explore beyond your own backyard.

 

We have officially announced our new 2023 Adventure travel trips for you to explore new destinations, try new adventures, and experience new cultures! Our trips are small groups, offer world-class hospitality, unique lodging and the most diverse activity options for you to try! We’re giving “revenge travel” new meaning.

The Best of the Beach and the Rainforest
Dec 11 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

With the beautiful ocean view from your cabana, it’s hard not to stay in, relaxing in the luxurious accommodations in Belize. But there is adventure to be had! This trip offers the best of both world’s combining tropical ocean activities with jungle adventure, while you and your companions enjoy flexibility in your choice of daily guided activities and adventure levels.

Beach Activities

  • Swimming
  • Sea Kayaking
  • Snorkeling
  • Sunrise Yoga
  • Fly Fishing

Rainforest Activities

  • Mayan Ruin Tours
  • Nocturnal Jungle Walks
  • Hiking Antelope Falls
  • Ziplining
  • Rappelling
  • River Tubing

Bucket List Traveler

Voted in the top 5 best winter vacation locations by U.S. News Travel, the Galapagos offer so much adventure in the archipelago!

 

An eco-enthusiasts bucket list trip!  Set sail to lesser-explored islands and spot giant tortoises, sea lions, Galápagos penguins, and marine iguanas! Snorkel, surf, hike, and experience the islands and their unique ecosystem.

Remote Tropical

Uncrowded point breaks, warm water, predictable waves, friendly locals, great food and drink…this is a real surfer’s paradise! Join us on a surf safari in the Ecuadorian town of Mompiche.

Great waves and a multitude of other activities from surf lessons, SUP, horseback riding, massages and more, enjoy it all from your ocean front home away from home!

Sandy Sunsets

In Baja, some can simply sip drinks, eat local fish tacos and watch the sun disappear into the Pacific, while adventure seekers can choose the rush of surfing a perfect wave, hiking the coastline or sea kayaking with turtles, sea lions and breaching whales. Walk through sherbet colored canyons or soak up the night’s canopy of scattered stars. On  our multisport adventure to Baja, you can do it all!

The Wish Tree- Older Adults + Adults w/ Disabilities and Foster Care Wish Tree
Dec 11 all-day
online

Make A Wish Come True This Holiday Season

Wishes

Ready the hot cocoa and pull out your decorations; it’s time for another holiday season.  As you begin your holiday preparation traditions, remember to visit the Buncombe County Wish Trees! This year we are offering two opportunities to spread cheer throughout the community:

Foster Care Wish Tree

Each year children in foster care and young adults participating in Extended Foster Care in Buncombe County submit a list of wishes they would like for the holidays. Signing up to sponsor a child or young adult is easy! Just follow the link below and select the child or young adult you would like to sponsor. After signing up, you will receive email confirmation that provides a copy of the wish list and all the instructions for drop off. We are taking extra precautions due to COVID-19 so be sure to read the follow up email in its entirety.

CLICK HERE TO SPONSOR A CHILD

Direct Questions to Amber Cook

 [email protected]
(828) 250-5824

The Wish Tree- Fulfilling Wishes of Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities

There are a lot of Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities in Buncombe County in need of connection this holiday season. Show a  Older Adult and or Adult with Disabilities how much you care by sponsoring them this holiday season. Signing up to sponsor a Older Adult and or Adult with Disabilities  is easy. Just follow the link below, select the  Older Adult and or Adult with Disabilities you would like to sponsor, and check your email for confirmation, a reminder of what your Older Adult and or Adult with Disabilities would like this holiday season, and drop off instructions. We are taking extra precautions due to COVID-19 so be sure to read the follow up email in its entirety.

CLICK HERE TO SPONSOR AN OLDER ADULT OR AN ADULT WITH DISABILITIES

A note from HHS

The holidays can be hard for a lot of people, children in foster care, older adults, and adults with disabilities in particular. Holidays are a time when family and friends gather together, show support for one another, and shower each other with love, kindness, and generosity. Each year, we have an opportunity to deliver the holiday spirit to children in foster care, older adults, and adults with disabilities through our wish tree gift drives. The expressions of joy and excitement on our clients faces as we deliver their gifts reminds us of the true meaning of the holiday season, connection. Yes, the gifts are nice. But the real gift is knowing that someone loves and cares. That is what we deliver to our clients. Thank you in advance for your generous sponsorship.

Winter Clothing Drive
Dec 11 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Western Carolina Rescue Ministries

Is it time to give your winter wardrobe an upgrade? Do you have any winter clothing that you don’t want or need? Are some of your winter clothes too small or too big?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, consider donating your extra or unwanted winter clothing items to the Winter Clothing Drive hosted by Beaverdam Valley Neighborhood Association.

Donations can be made up until December 18th and will go to the Western Carolina Rescue Ministries.  Please drop off all items on the front porch at 42 Pinecroft Road, Asheville NC 28804.

Jazz Sunday Jam
Dec 11 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
One World Brewing West

Jazz Sunday at One World Brewing West is a modern jazz jam held every Sunday afternoon from 1-4pm. Previously known as Jazz Monday, the jam has been running non stop since July, 2018 at the West Asheville brewery and is hosted weekly by The Fully Vaccinated Jazz Trio, consisting of Ray Ring on guitar, Jason DeCristofaro on drums, piano and vibraphone, and Connor Law on bass. Jazz Sunday typically features a guest artist for a short set and then welcomes jazz musicians of all levels to sit in for the remainder of the afternoon on One World’s spacious outdoor stage.

Tryon Resort’s Winterfest Village
Dec 11 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Tryon Equestrian Center

This holiday season, visit Tryon Resort’s Winterfest Village to find festive fun for the entire family. Meet Santa and your favorite Who-ville characters with your Winterfest Village ticket, or come enjoy free live music and character interactions in Legends Plaza. There is something to get every member of the family in the holiday spirit!

Harris Teeter’s Harvest Feast Round-Up Campaign
Dec 11 @ 6:21 pm
Harris Teeter

Help Us Meet the Need This Holiday Season

Round Up Campaigns & Community Events

We are so grateful to all of our partners who are helping us during this critical time by providing various ways for people to get involved and help provide meals for neighbors this holiday season. Read through the list below to find out ways you can get involved.

  • Harris Teeter’s Harvest Feast Round-Up Campaign (11/2 – 12/27): Harris Teeter shoppers will be invited to Round Up their transaction to the nearest whole dollar at checkout to benefit local hunger relief partners. MANNA will be the recipient of funds raised at the Harris Teeter stores on Merrimon Ave. in Asheville and Spartanburg Hwy. in Hendersonville.
Whole Foods’ Round-Up Campaign
Dec 11 @ 6:26 pm
Whole Foods
  • We are so grateful to all of our partners who are helping us during this critical time by providing various ways for people to get involved and help provide meals for neighbors this holiday season. Read through the list below to find out ways you can get involved.
  • Whole Foods’ Round-Up Campaign (11/30 – 12/20): Whole Foods shoppers are invited to round up their purchase to the nearest dollar. Whole Foods will also match a donation to MANNA when a customer buys a locally made product.
Monday, December 12, 2022
Donate to Greenworks Double your impact with a $50,000 match!
Dec 12 all-day
online

We’ve got so many reasons to give thanks! In each of our program areas, we see ordinary people taking heroic action to protect our home from the pressures of a changing climate.

 

This year-end, we’re highlighting stories that inspired us and sharing how we’re planting seeds to create a climate-resilient future for all of us.

 

With our native pollinators, more is more. The more habitat we plant, the more easily our native pollinators can find shelter and food, the more resilient they become to the challenges posed by pesticides and extreme heat—the more stable our entire food ecosystem becomes.

Give!Local fundraiser! Nature Center and Weiler Woods for Wildlife
Dec 12 all-day
online w/ WNC Nature Center

From November 1 to December 31, you can support the WNC Nature Center through Mountain Xpress’ Give!Local fundraiser!
Your donation gives you great incentives from the Nature Center and Mountain Xpress, and your gift will be matched by Weiler Woods for Wildlife up to $2,500, with the entire donation coming to the Friends of the WNC Nature Center!
This is a powerful way to support local nonprofits and your community during the holiday season!
Here are a few of the awesome perks of supporting the Friends:
  • Donate $25+ and get a day pass to the WNC Nature Center.
  • Donate $50+ and get an animal sticker and a day pass.
  • Donate $100+ and get an animal tracks necklace, animal sticker, and a day pass.
  • Donate $250+ and get a a guided tour of the Nature Center with animal enrichment for two people, plus the necklace, sticker, and day pass. PLUS, you’ll be entered to win a chance to go on habitat with red pandas Leafa and Phoenix in 2023!
MANNA Foodbank Round Up Campaigns: Food Lions Feeds
Dec 12 all-day
Food Lions throughout community
  • Help Us Meet the Need This Holiday Season

    Round Up Campaigns & Community Events

    We are so grateful to all of our partners who are helping us during this critical time by providing various ways for people to get involved and help provide meals for neighbors this holiday season. Read through the list below to find out ways you can get involved.
  • Food Lions Feeds (11/9 – 12/12): Food Lion stores will be hosting Food Lion Feeds, which is an in-store food drive program where customers have the opportunity to purchase and donate a Food Lion Feeds for the Holidays box of food that will be donated to MANNA FoodBank.
MANNA’s 2022 Virtual Turkey Drive A Helping of Hope for the Holidays
Dec 12 all-day
online

The fall season is a time when many of us gather with our friends, families and loved ones for a variety of holidays and seasonal festivities. Often, these celebrations center around food, making it out of reach for so many people struggling to afford groceries, especially this year, with rising food costs making even a holiday turkey a distant luxury. Right now, MANNA and our partner network are still serving 68% more people than before the pandemic – many who are needing a hand for the first time.

Now more than ever, MANNA FoodBank is dedicated to filling as many holiday tables as possible, and you can help us give thousands of households the gift of a holiday, of one less struggle, and a helping of hope.

Please join our Virtual Turkey Drive – where we can stretch your donation further to get turkeys, hams, and holiday foods of all kinds for our neighbors across 16 western North Carolina counties.

Together, we can make the holidays happen for the people who live and work right here at home, in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

The Wish Tree- Older Adults + Adults w/ Disabilities and Foster Care Wish Tree
Dec 12 all-day
online

Make A Wish Come True This Holiday Season

Wishes

Ready the hot cocoa and pull out your decorations; it’s time for another holiday season.  As you begin your holiday preparation traditions, remember to visit the Buncombe County Wish Trees! This year we are offering two opportunities to spread cheer throughout the community:

Foster Care Wish Tree

Each year children in foster care and young adults participating in Extended Foster Care in Buncombe County submit a list of wishes they would like for the holidays. Signing up to sponsor a child or young adult is easy! Just follow the link below and select the child or young adult you would like to sponsor. After signing up, you will receive email confirmation that provides a copy of the wish list and all the instructions for drop off. We are taking extra precautions due to COVID-19 so be sure to read the follow up email in its entirety.

CLICK HERE TO SPONSOR A CHILD

Direct Questions to Amber Cook

 [email protected]
(828) 250-5824

The Wish Tree- Fulfilling Wishes of Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities

There are a lot of Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities in Buncombe County in need of connection this holiday season. Show a  Older Adult and or Adult with Disabilities how much you care by sponsoring them this holiday season. Signing up to sponsor a Older Adult and or Adult with Disabilities  is easy. Just follow the link below, select the  Older Adult and or Adult with Disabilities you would like to sponsor, and check your email for confirmation, a reminder of what your Older Adult and or Adult with Disabilities would like this holiday season, and drop off instructions. We are taking extra precautions due to COVID-19 so be sure to read the follow up email in its entirety.

CLICK HERE TO SPONSOR AN OLDER ADULT OR AN ADULT WITH DISABILITIES

A note from HHS

The holidays can be hard for a lot of people, children in foster care, older adults, and adults with disabilities in particular. Holidays are a time when family and friends gather together, show support for one another, and shower each other with love, kindness, and generosity. Each year, we have an opportunity to deliver the holiday spirit to children in foster care, older adults, and adults with disabilities through our wish tree gift drives. The expressions of joy and excitement on our clients faces as we deliver their gifts reminds us of the true meaning of the holiday season, connection. Yes, the gifts are nice. But the real gift is knowing that someone loves and cares. That is what we deliver to our clients. Thank you in advance for your generous sponsorship.

Winter Clothing Drive
Dec 12 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Western Carolina Rescue Ministries

Is it time to give your winter wardrobe an upgrade? Do you have any winter clothing that you don’t want or need? Are some of your winter clothes too small or too big?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, consider donating your extra or unwanted winter clothing items to the Winter Clothing Drive hosted by Beaverdam Valley Neighborhood Association.

Donations can be made up until December 18th and will go to the Western Carolina Rescue Ministries.  Please drop off all items on the front porch at 42 Pinecroft Road, Asheville NC 28804.