Calendar of Events
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.
Are you interested in helping Buncombe County expand reliable, high-speed internet? If so, we need your help. Please consider joining the Buncombe Broadband Working Group. Applications are due by Friday, July 17.
Objective:
This posting is for 3-5 community members to the Buncombe Broadband Working Group which will support the evaluation of proposals submitted to Buncombe County for high-speed internet solutions.
Term:
Members shall serve for approximately 6 months, but the term may be extended or reduced based on responses from high-speed internet providers. Members may be replaced at any time at the sole discretion of the respective institution or organization. Time commitment is an estimated 4-5 hours each month.
Responsibilities:
The workgroup will:
- Develop a Request for Proposal document for high-speed internet services in Buncombe County,
- Objectively evaluate the proposals received,
- Weigh proposals based on cost, and ability to deliver excellent, sustainable service using the scoring matrix provided to bidders through the RFP, and
- Provide a recommendation to County leadership.
Qualifications:
Applicants must be Buncombe County residents. Ideal candidates have an understanding of the technical requirements of high-speed internet operations, experience leading or supporting community high-speed internet initiatives, or experience/relationships working with high-speed internet providers. Candidates must report any potential conflicts of interest.
To Apply:
Please complete the Boards and Commissions application found here and return to Lamar Joyner at [email protected] by Friday, July 17.
Miss browsing the library’s shelves? Let us help with Bookfix. Call or email your local library to have a librarian put together a bundle of books tailored to your specific interests. You can pick up your personal Bookfix bundle at our curbside hold pickup service. Our Ask a Librarian line is available Monday-Saturday at (828) 250-4700 or you can email [email protected].
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The North Carolina Forest Service is accepting tree seedling orders as part of its annual sale.
Each year, the NCFS Nursery Program produces millions of quality seedlings for nearly 50 species of conifers, hardwoods and native understory plants, including eastern and Carolina hemlock seedlings, as well as an expanded selection of genetically improved third cycle loblolly pine seedlings.
How can you order tree seedlings from the NCFS Nursery Program?
- Tree seedlings can be ordered from the online seedling store at www.buynctrees.com.
- Tree seedlings can also be ordered by phone at 1-888-NCTREES (1-888-628-7337).
- Tree seedlings can be ordered using the order form found in our current catalog. Complete the form and mail to Seedling Coordinator, 762 Claridge Nursery Road, Goldsboro, NC 27530.
- A user-friendly catalog is available at the “Tree Seedlings & Nursery Program” link located at www.ncforestservice.gov. Catalogs are also available at local NCFS offices located in all 100 North Carolina counties. Inside the catalog, landowners can find information about the types of tree species, quantities and costs to order. Each tree description includes information about ideal planting locations and whether a species is typically used to benefit wildlife, restore habitats or as marketable timber.
Distribution of tree seedlings will occur December through mid-April, depending on weather conditions. Seedling orders can be shipped to one of 12 distribution centers statewide for a small fee or via UPS for a charge. Seedling orders are also available for pickup from the NCFS Claridge Nursery in Goldsboro or the Linville River Nursery, near Crossnore. For information on planting trees, people are encouraged to contact an NCFS county ranger. Contact information for your local NCFS county office and nursery locations is available at www.ncforestservice.gov/contacts.
The State Board of Elections and N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles now offer certain online voter registration services for existing DMV customers
If you are a DMV customer with a N.C. driver’s license or DMV-issued ID, you may now register to vote or change certain parts of your registration online.
Using this service existing DMV customers may register to vote, update their voter registration address, or update their party affiliation. They may not change their name.
This is a standalone service that does not require the user to complete a DMV transaction (such as duplicate or license renewal) at the same time.
There is no fee for voter registration services.
Voter registration applications submitted fewer than 25 days before an election will not be processed until after the election. You may still register to vote in person using same-day registration in your county during the early voting period.
For the month of July, genealogists and historians can access the popular Ancestry.com database from home for free. All you need is a library card.
Among the billions of records available, Ancestry.com includes census records and indexes, vital, church, military, public member trees; birth, marriage and death records; tax, criminal, land and wills stories, memories and histories, pictures, city directories, immigration and travel schools, maps and more. There are records from the United States as well as international records, so no matter where your family might be from, you will probably be able locate them in the Ancestry database.
Find a new branch of your family tree with Ancestry. Visit the library website at buncombecounty.org/library and use the Virtual Library tab to access Ancestry. If you don’t have a library card, email us at [email protected] and we can give you a card by email. Call 828-250-4700 with any questions.
Buncombe County Recreation Services has partnered with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s Kids in Parks program to install a new TRACK Trail at Charles D. Owen Park in Swannanoa. Children and families are invited to hike the new TRACK Trail, which was installed in celebration with National Great Outdoors Month and with support from the Buncombe County Community Recreation Grant award.
The TRACK Trail follows the walking path around the ponds at Charles D. Owen Park and meanders along the Swannanoa River. The new trailhead sign, located between the ponds, provides four brochure-led activity guides that allow young hikers to learn about and connect with the natural features found along the trail. Activity guides are available in English y en español.
TRACK Trails are designed to turn an ordinary hike into a fun-filled, discovery-packed adventure – and the fun doesn’t stop when the trail ends. After their outing, kids can register their TRACK Trail adventures at KidsinParks.com to earn a series of prizes designed to make their next outdoor adventure more meaningful and encourage continued participation in the program. Since the program’s inception in 2009, more than 1.5 million TRACK Trail adventures have been completed.
Please note: Nature Connects®: Art with LEGO® Bricks has been postponed until July; however, the exhibit will have an extended schedule and will be open until November 1. We look forward to seeing you!
The Arboretum is excited to welcome back the widely popular traveling exhibit, Nature Connects®: Art with LEGO® Bricks by Sean Kenney. Featuring 14 larger-than-life-size sculptures place created with nearly 500,000 LEGO Bricks, this family-friendly exhibit draws inspiration from the living world and combines art, play and science to create an inspiring intersection of education, entertainment and the environment. New sculptures include a 5-foot tall colorful peacock, giant dragonfly, bonsai tree and more!
This exhibit will reopen on Wednesday, July 1, and will be on display daily through Sunday, August 2. On display daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. inside the Baker Exhibit Center, Environmental Impact II features more than 50 artworks, including paintings, photography, sculptures and film, focused on generating public attention surrounding environmental issues and unintended consequences…
To help protect the safety of our guests and staff, a one-way route will be enforced inside the exhibit hall. All guests ages 11 years and older will be required to wear a face covering while inside the Baker Exhibit Center. Thank you for your cooperation!
The Fairy trail is open Monday thru Saturday, 9am-4pm. We encourage all visitors to be patient as there will be limits to the number of people allowed on the trail at the same time. While the trail is outdoors, there are some small spaces and we want to ensure our guests and fairies are safe. Please practice appropriate social distancing and bring a mask in case. Masks are not required, but are considerate in a close area. Our restrooms are not open to the public at this time. Please make arrangements prior to visiting.
Rules of the trail:
Do not move or rearrange fairy displays. The fairies are very fond of their own decorating.
Do not leave trash on the trail. Fairies do not like litter in their town.
Please ensure children and pets are supervised at all times. Dogs and loud noises can scare the fairies into hiding.
Do not disturb wildlife or vegetation. The fairies depend on the vegetation to build their homes.
The trail is one way only. Please stay on the trail at all times.
The Fairies can’t wait to see you all here!
P.S. the Fairies would like us to remind you that we are a non-profit and donations are greatly appreciated. Help us keep the fairies living in the style with which they’ve become accustomed.
Well Walkers is back! Masks are required and social distancing will be practiced.
Walk your way to wellness on the 1/4 mile concourse at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Parking and admission are free to the public. Whether you’re on your lunch break, a senior, or exercising with a toddler in tow, stop in at your convenience to walk your way to wellness!
Times are 9:00 am – 1:00 pm except when noted otherwise. Dates are subject to change.
The Blue Ridge Humane Society Thrift Store will begin accepting merchandise donations for resell from the public on Tuesday, June 30th. Donations will only be accepted on Tuesdays and Fridays between the hours of 10:30am-4:00pm. The Thrift Store remains open for shopping with the reduced hours of 10:30am-4:30pm, Tuesday-Saturday, and with a limited shopper capacity.
Donations will need to be able to unloaded without staff assistance and placed into the appropriately labeled bin to ensure a contact-free drop-off. This will also assist with ensuring that all items can be properly transported and quarantined before processing and placement for resell in the store. During drop-offs all donors are asked to practice physical distancing and wear a mask following state mandates. Donated items will be quarantined before processing by staff and volunteers to ensure that all items are safe for resell.
Staff and volunteers continue to adhere to additional cleaning, sanitizing, scheduling, and social distancing practices as recommended by the CDC and current safety regulations. The number of customers allowed in the store remains limited to reduce the risk of exposure. Markers are placed to designate 6ft spaced waiting areas for shoppers to enter the store or for waiting in line for check-out. Customers, as well as staff and volunteers, are required to wear a mask while on Thrift Store premises and shopping and follow CDC recommendations.
All customers will be required to follow the procedures listed below:
- All staff, volunteers, and customers are required to wear a mask while on the Thrift Store premises and during shopping.
- Store hours are adjusted; keep an eye on the website and Facebook page for current hours.
- The number of customers allowed in the store is limited. Please expect a wait and be patient with other shoppers while waiting, and our staff and volunteers managing the entrance and exit.
- Practice social distancing while shopping or waiting in line. Markers will be placed for checkout and entry lines.
- Shields are installed at checkout locations for the safety of our customers, volunteers, and staff.
- Hand sanitizer stations are available for customers, volunteers, and staff at stations located at each door.
- Anyone exhibiting signs of illness is asked to stay home, including staff and volunteers.
- Follow CDC recommendations at all times:
- Three W’s: Wear a cloth mask, Wait 6’ apart and Wash your hands!
- Donations will be accepted on Tuesdays and Fridays only, between 10:30am-4pm. Items must be able to unloaded without staff assistance and placed into bins for quarantine. Donors are asked to practice physical distancing and wear a mask while on Thrift Store property.
If you believe in our cause, consider making a donation or learning how to volunteer by visiting the Blue Ridge Humane Society’s website at www.blueridgehumane.org or call (828) 692-2639.
Buncombe County Recreation Services will open its five outdoor swimming pools. Safety and sanitation measures have been taken to comply with Buncombe County’s Stay Safe, Stay Smart order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pool visitors will be required to practice the Three Ws: wear a cloth face covering when entering/exiting the pool and when not in the pool, wait at least six feet apart from and avoid close contact with anyone who does not live in your household, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often.
Pool will open for two sessions Monday-Saturday, closing between sessions for a sanitation period that includes wiping down all common touch points. Sunday hours include one session. Admission for each session is $3 per guest. Due to limited capacity, guests are highly encouraged to purchase tickets online. If a pool is unable to open for any reason or is forced to close within the first hour of operation, all guests will receive a raincheck via the email address provided when purchasing the original ticket. Booking are currently available through July 10.
Monday-Friday
10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
2:15-5:15 p.m.
Saturday
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
3-6 p.m.
Sunday
1-6 p.m.
“While this summer is different in nearly every way for local families, we’re happy to safely and responsibly open our pools to the community,” said Josh O’Conner, Director of Buncombe County Recreation Services. “While we are not allowing toys, balls, noodles, dive sticks, and other communal items inside pools, the guest experience should be enhanced as visitors will be able to enjoy pools with a capacity limit of roughly 30% normal occupancy.”
Cane Creek Pool
590 Lower Brush Creek Road
Fletcher, NC 28732
Erwin Pool
58 Lees Creek Road
Asheville, NC 28806
Hominy Valley Pool
25 Twin Lakes Road
Candler, NC 28715
North Buncombe Pool
892 Clarks Chapel Road
Weaverville, NC 28787
Owen Pool
117 Stone Drive
The Gallery at Flat Rock is excited to announce a dog-friendly event and exhibition celebrating adoptable canines weighing 50 pounds or more. “A Cause for Big Paws” is the result of a partnership between the Blue Ridge Humane Society, Barkers Anonymous and The Gallery at Flat Rock artist Marsha Hammel; they have joined forces to highlight the loving big dogs at BRHS that are currently seeking forever homes. The exhibition of Hammel’s work in her Hendersonville studio will feature a reserved ticketed opening party with all proceeds going to BRHS.
“We wanted to draw attention to big dogs, in that big dogs are slower to be adopted than small dogs,” said Marsha Hammel. “We’re celebrating the joys of living with big dogs.”
“A Cause for Big Paws” will showcase new paintings inspired by big dogs at M.Hammel Studio. A dog-friendly opening on July 2 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the studio will include treats for humans and dogs, as well as a chance for attendees to receive an original sketch drawn by Hammel, created on-site at the event.
To maintain proper social distancing, this ticketed event is open only by reservation to individuals and small groups. Barkers Anonymous will provide the goodies and treats for pets. Tickets to this event are $20 each with part of the proceeds to fund the mission of Blue Ridge Humane Society.
The Gallery at Flat Rock represents finely curated art and craft, and is located in Flat Rock Square at 2702-A Greenville Highway in Flat Rock, North Carolina. Gallery hours are currently Thursdays – Sundays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; or by appointment. To learn more, please visit the gallery website at galleryflatrock.com or call the gallery at 828-698-7000.
Asheville Outlets has announced that the majority of retailers and eateries at the center are now open, including American Eagle Outfitters, Lucky Brand, RH Outlet, West Elm Outlet, Pandora, Skechers, Sportsman’s Warehouse, Tommy Hilfiger, Vera Bradley Factory Outlet Store, Johnston & Murphy Factory Store, Talbot’s Outlet, and Le Creuset, among many more.
Asheville Outlets is an open-air shopping center; hours are Monday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, 12 noon to 6:00 p.m.
Asheville Outlets will host the Warehouse Sale, a traveling pop-up shoe store concept, from Friday, July 3 through Sunday, July 12, 2020. The Warehouse Sale Pop-Up Shoe store will feature men’s, women’s, and children’s brand name shoes at up to 80% off traditional retail prices. Brands include Michael Kors, Timberland, BCBG, Adidas, and hundreds of others.
Buncombe County Public Libraries will be opening three additional locations for curbside pickup service, the Fairview, Leicester, and Oakley/South Asheville branches. These locations will operate from 1-5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, in addition to our current curbside pickup service locations at the Black Mountain, North Asheville, South Buncombe, and West Asheville locations. For more information about library curbside pickup service or to place an item on hold for pickup, please call your local library or the Ask-A-Librarian line (828-250-4700) or visit buncombecounty.org/library. We hope to see you soon!
Buncombe County Recreation Services will open its five outdoor swimming pools. Safety and sanitation measures have been taken to comply with Buncombe County’s Stay Safe, Stay Smart order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pool visitors will be required to practice the Three Ws: wear a cloth face covering when entering/exiting the pool and when not in the pool, wait at least six feet apart from and avoid close contact with anyone who does not live in your household, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often.
Pool will open for two sessions Monday-Saturday, closing between sessions for a sanitation period that includes wiping down all common touch points. Sunday hours include one session. Admission for each session is $3 per guest. Due to limited capacity, guests are highly encouraged to purchase tickets online. If a pool is unable to open for any reason or is forced to close within the first hour of operation, all guests will receive a raincheck via the email address provided when purchasing the original ticket. Booking are currently available through July 10.
Monday-Friday
10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
2:15-5:15 p.m.
Saturday
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
3-6 p.m.
Sunday
1-6 p.m.
“While this summer is different in nearly every way for local families, we’re happy to safely and responsibly open our pools to the community,” said Josh O’Conner, Director of Buncombe County Recreation Services. “While we are not allowing toys, balls, noodles, dive sticks, and other communal items inside pools, the guest experience should be enhanced as visitors will be able to enjoy pools with a capacity limit of roughly 30% normal occupancy.”
Cane Creek Pool
590 Lower Brush Creek Road
Fletcher, NC 28732
Erwin Pool
58 Lees Creek Road
Asheville, NC 28806
Hominy Valley Pool
25 Twin Lakes Road
Candler, NC 28715
North Buncombe Pool
892 Clarks Chapel Road
Weaverville, NC 28787
Owen Pool
117 Stone Drive
Swannanoa, NC 28778
We have been working hard to establish Emergency Safety Guidelines in order to safely operate during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s important for all to remember that we are able to be open because we are an open-air grocery store, not a social gathering.
NEW OPTION: PRE-ORDER YOUR PRODUCTS
In order to best serve all of our vendors during this time, we have established a pre-sale and pick-up option so you’re still able to purchase items from vendors you love while having as little contact as possible at the market. Click below to read about how this option works and why it was created.
With COVID restrictions relaxing a bit, we are going to be starting a new round of group classes!
Our group classes will focus on basic obedience and will provide important information about your dog’s behavior so you can implement new practices at home. We cover topics such as leash manners, forms of stay, coming when called and more. Dogs four months and older are welcome!
Each class is followed by a brief, structured socialization period. Any dog enrolled is invited to stay after class for supervised social play opportunities.
Classes must have at least 3 dogs signed up for the class to be held. If more than 6 dogs are signed up, we will split in to separate time slots so that each individual will receive adequate attention from the trainer and maintain social distancing.
The class will meet every Tuesday at 6pm for 6 weeks and the cost is $180 or you can pay by the class for $35. Please arrive 15 minutes early for the first class to fill out paperwork as needed.
Please contact Ruff Life via messenger, email ([email protected]) , or phone (828-365-8244) with more questions or to reserve your spot.
Enviva, the world’s largest wood pellet manufacturer, is attempting a major expansion of their polluting, forest-destroying facilities across the South. They are specifically targeting South Carolina with a proposed expansion of their Greenwood facility.
The film is approximately 30 minutes long and will be followed by a Q&A with powerful activists who are standing up to the biomass industry in their communities.
Burned: Are Trees the New Coal? tells the story of the accelerating destruction of our forests for fuel. The film takes a hard look at the policies, finances, and false promises of the biomass power industry. A dedicated group of forest activists, ecologists, carbon scientists, and concerned citizens fight to establish the enormous value of our forests, protect their communities, debunk this false solution to climate change, and alter energy policy in the US and abroad.
Join us on Zoom for this virtual screening and Q&A to learn about the threats to Southern forests and communities and the solutions to protect them.
In order to receive the Zoom link, you must register through Eventbrite, linked above in the tickets. Closer to the event, we will email the Zoom link to those who have registered.
Stay tuned for the activists joining the Q&A.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/burned-virtual-film-screening-for-south-carolina-tickets-108890305836?fbclid=IwAR24eGFcscyvdzZlcsStk37zGsgumNSwCXUEC5XL9UJ91EST63663L4ROP4
– Instructor Siobhan O’Loughlin
Tuesdays at 8pm EDT; July 7th-August 4th
Week One:
Carving creativity out of depression and total lack of inspiration.
Week Two:
Deadlines and a confrontation with fear.
Week Three:
Marketing and ROIs that only crush your soul a little.
Week Four:
Self exploration and artistic team-building.
Week Five:
Maintaining your audience like long distance lovers.
Bio for Instructor Siobhan O’Loughlin: Siobhan O’Loughlin is a Brooklyn-based performance artist, activist, and filmmaker. She is the recipient of The New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Solo Performance, a grant recipient of the Network of Ensemble Theatres, a Moth Story Slam Champion, and a fellow at Guild Hall of East Hampton. Siobhan has taught artist, activist, and devising workshops from coast to coast, as well as abroad in Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom, and in Syrian Refugee camps all over Greece. Her site specific, immersive piece, Broken Bone Bathtub, has made splashes in five different countries, having toured for five consecutive years with over 600 performances in 40 different cities, and lauded top ten lists for theatre experiences from the Baltimore Sun, The San Francisco Examiner, and The Houston Chronicle. In 2020, Broken Bone Bone Bathtub won the Immersive Nation Peoples’ Choice Award for Most Transformative Experience. During shelter-in-place, Siobhan is currently in post production for her feature length documentary about Broken Bone Bathtub. She has simultaneously launched her twice-a-week performance series, Please Don’t Touch the Artist, a collaboration with artists Dennnisa Young and Brendan Leahy, bringing warmth and community to isolated individual landscapes.
Awakening Asheville
| Join us for weekly support, accountability and inspiration for your spiritual life in an online forum every Tuesday evening. Host/Facilitator: PMT Sanctioned Teacher Alexander Kugler Contact: [email protected] | (917) 755-3304 |
EVERY Tuesday at Asheville Music Hall! Tuesday Night Funk Jam has been a huge part of Asheville’s vibrant music scene since 2008 and is #Asheville’s hottest weekly concert. Tuesday Night Funk Jam is programmed and orchestrated by an evolved Legendary House Band with trombonist Derrick Lee Johnson at the helm. At 10PM sharp, the Legendary House Band kicks off the night
How To Enter:
Send in your submissions to [email protected]
Contest Timeline:
- Submissions will be accepted June 15, 2020 through July 31, 2020.
- Top 10 designs will be selected July 31, 2020 – August 31, 2020 on Facebook.
- We will select the winning artist based on portfolio/resume submissions to be announced on Labor Day Weekend.
A Note to the Artists Regarding the Final Mural:
Once the final artist has been selected, the mural artwork will need to include 2 of the following elements: The Toyota brand symbol, Fred Anderson Toyota of Asheville logo, OR 1 Toyota vehicle.
In alignment with the community’s commitment to uplift racial healing and communal reconciliation, Councilwoman Sheneika Smith, along with other community groups and leaders, will be coordinating a public art installation in Asheville’s central business district. The purpose of this installation is to galvanize solidarity and celebrate our collective movement towards addressing systemic issues locally.
Upon final approval from the City of Asheville, the proposal envisions a street mural located at Pack Square Park on N. Pack and S. Pack Square – an area previously planned as part of the city’s public space initiative.
We need financial support to help make this happen! Our goal is to raise $24,000 for supplies, documentation, maintenance, removal, and most importantly to make sure the artists get paid. The Asheville Area Arts Council is the fiscal agent for this project. Please donate what you can and help us spread the word!
One of the main purposes of the Black Lives Matter mural is to elevate the voices of black artists and make sure they are paid for their work. But, it is much more than that. “The artists who will put their hands to this street mural represent many untold stories,” said Councilwoman Smith. “It is my hope that all eyes that connect with this piece will experience and appreciate the bloody truths released from our collective memory onto a hard canvas. Yet, this is more than a painting or bold expression. It’s an altar that observes the most sacred social movement of my lifetime.”
BUDGET
| $ 6,000 | Painting supplies and other event day expenses |
| $ 1,900 | Documentation (live stream video, photographer) |
| $ 2,000 | Maintenance (This temporary installation could be in place for up to a year. Because of wear and tear from vehicular traffic it will require additional maintenance.) |
| $ 6,000 | Removal (As part of the approval process, we must provide a maintenance and removal plan. This expense is based on quotes we have collected from other similar projects.) |
| $ 8,100 | Artist Honorariums ($1,000 for 1 lead artist per word & $300 per letter for supporting artists) |
| $24,000 | TOTAL* |
The coronavirus pandemic halted spay and neuter surgeries as communities were forced to suspend non-emergency veterinary services. This has resulted in a huge backlog of unaltered animals. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that the current backlog is over 260,000 animals nationwide. Brother Wolf currently has a waiting list of over 500 animals that are in need of spay and neuter services.
Even prior to this pandemic, we couldn’t meet the existing need with our original clinic. A second clinic will enable us to double our capacity and serve an average of 180 animals each week! Spaying and neutering is so critical because it saves lives by reducing pet overpopulation. Our Second Spay and Neuter Mobile Clinic will travel around Western NC, providing low-cost services to under-resourced communities.
We need your help to make this program a reality. Please donate today, thank you!