March is Red Cross Month, and for more than 130 years, heroic American Red Cross volunteers have provided hope and urgent relief to families in communities across the country.
This March the community is invited to join in the lifesaving mission of the Red Cross and be
someone’s hero by rolling up a sleeve to give blood.
According to the Red Cross, someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds to respond to
patient emergencies. Accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients,
and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease may all require blood.
All blood types are needed.
Be a hero in your community by rolling up a sleeve….

To make an appointment or to learn more, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor
App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood
Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. Completion of a RapidPass® online health history
questionnaire is encouraged to help speed up the donation process. To get started, follow the
instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App. A blood donor card
or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who
are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh
at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High
school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height
and weight requirements.

With the convenience of being open year-round, 7 days a week, the WNC Farmers Market offers a selection of farm-fresh produce at the lowest prices in Western N.C. Our popular retail buildings, providing a selection of non-perishables, fruits, vegetables, crafts and more, are open daily.

The Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville is proud to announce “An Evening with The Avett Brothers” on November 19, 2021, in the ExploreAsheville.com Arena. Tickets for the event will go on publicly on Friday, March 5 at 10:00am via Ticketmaster.com. A select number of tickets will be available via The Avett Guild for members. For more information about this event, please click here.

EVENT: An Evening with The Avett Brothers
WHEN: November 19, 2021 at 8:00pm (Doors at 7:00pm)
WHERE: ExploreAsheville.com Arena at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville | 87 Haywood Street
TICKETS: Public tickets go on sale begins on Friday, March 5 at 10am

The Avett Brothers made mainstream waves with their 2009 major label debut, I And Love And You, landing at #16 on the Billboard Top 200 & garnering critical acclaim. In 2012, The Carpenter hit #4 on the Billboard Top 200 & was followed by Magpie And The Dandelion (2013) which debuted at #5 on Billboard’s Top 200. True Sadness (2016) achieved The Avett Brothers’ highest career debut to date hitting #1 on Billboard’s Top Albums Chart, #1 Top Rock Albums Chart, #1 Digital Albums Chart, #3 on Billboard Top 200 & scoring 2 Grammy noms. That same year, the band was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. In 2017, documentary May It Last: A Portrait of The Avett Brothers (co-directed by Judd Apatow & Michael Bonfiglio) was released. The film followed the band as they wrote their Grammy-nominated album True Sadness. The film was released theatrically & on HBO to rave reviews & is now available on DVD/Blu-Ray/VOD. In November 2018, the band headlined a concert for Hurricane Florence Relief, raising $325,000 to help those affected by Hurricane Florence. In 2019, the band released their 10th studio album Closer Than Together feat. single High Steppin’ which reached #1 on the Americana Radio Chart. New album The Third Gleam (August 2020) debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Americana/Folk Albums Chart, with the vinyl debuting at #1 on the Vinyl Albums Chart. Single “Victory” hit #1 on the Americana Radio Singles Chart. The Avett Brothers played two drive-in shows at The Charlotte Motor Speedway in the span of three months and ended 2020 on a high note with a livestream of their 17th annual New Year’s Eve concert. An estimated 150,000 fans watched the show, which featured a full-band performance and an impressive lineup of special guests. Coming in 2022: Swept Away – a musical inspired by & featuring the music of The Avett Brothers.

The market is located in A-B Tech parking lot A-13, adjacent to the A-B Tech/Mission Health Conference Center (16 Fernihurst Dr.). Enter the market via Fernihurst Dr. off Victoria Rd., following campus signs to the conference center.

Market staff will control the number of shoppers in the market area at one time by limiting the number of cars in the parking lot.  When you arrive at  the market, please follow signs and staff directions to queue inside your vehicle until instructed to park your car in the parking lot.  There may be a 15 – 30 minute wait to park during peak shopping times.

Dates and Hours

Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon until December 19th…

The ASAP Winter Market will run Saturdays, 10am – 1pm, January 9th until March 27th in the same location.

Market Rules

• No customers or vendors exhibiting symptoms may enter the market.
• Maintain 6 feet of social distance at all times.
• One customer at a time for each vendor table.
• Only handle product you are purchasing. Vendors will pre-package or bunch products.
• All vendors and shoppers are required to wear masks. Customers who are not able to wear a mask may arrange to pre-order from vendors. Market staff will direct you to a separate parking area and deliver prepaid items to the car.
• Children, if they must attend with adult shoppers, must be closely supervised.
• Please leave your pets at home.

Staff will direct anyone failing to comply with these conditions to leave the market.

Paying for Purchases

Vendors accept touch-free credit or debit payments as well as SNAP. Some take exact cash (no change given) or check. Thanks to generous support from the community, we are offering Double SNAP.

 Blue Ridge Humane Society has been awarded a grant by the Community Foundation of Henderson County to provide assistance for pet owners seeking housing. Blue Ridge Humane Society is committed to keeping pets in loving homes through a range of programs and assistance for community pets. The new program adds a needed service to assist in the current pet-friendly housing challenges facing Henderson County residents.

The new program will assist pet owners through two avenues—either through assisting with temporary boarding cost while the owner is unable to keep an animal due to relocation or other emergency circumstances; or through assisting with one-time pet deposit for a rental unit.

Those needing assistance or interested in learning more about the program can call (828) 393-5832 (you may experience a delay on holidays and weekends).

Community Foundation of Henderson County, founded in 1982, supports charitable programs in the greater Henderson County area.

Blue Ridge Humane Society, Inc., is a 501(c)3 animal welfare organization started in 1950 dedicated to ensuring the highest quality of life for animals in Henderson County and our neighboring communities. BRHS cares for pets awaiting adoption and in foster homes; offers low-cost vaccine clinics, animal education programs, pet training classes, and youth education and projects; coordinates community pet food assistance, emergency vet assistance, and the Spay Neuter Incentive Program (SNIP), which is a collaboration with Henderson County, the City of Hendersonville, and the Henderson County Animal Services Center.

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.

Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 19, Pack Memorial Library will reopen to the public with limited hours and services. See below for schedule information for most other Buncombe County Public Libraries.

The Pack library schedule will be:

• Tuesday-Thursday, 1-6 p.m.
• Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Sunday & Monday, Closed

Looking to get involved, stay active, and meet some new friends? Sand Hill Community Garden workdays take place on Wednesdays (6-8 p.m.) and Saturdays (10 a.m.-noon) from Feb. 27-Oct. 30, 2021, at Buncombe County Sports Park. The garden is located on 16 Apac Dr. in West Asheville/Enka-Candler.

Join friends and neighbors as they come together on common ground to raise fresh, organic vegetables and fruits for the Enka community.

Expect to wear a mask and maintain social distance throughout. Tools and hand sanitizer are available, but any gloves, loppers, pruners, or gardening tools you can bring will decrease the amount of contact between volunteers. Please wear work clothes to get dirty and closed-toe shoes. Sunscreen, water, and a hat are also handy items to have on hand.

Sand Hill Community Garden has been growing fresh produce since 2011 and raised over 1,200 lbs. of organic produce last year.

NOTE: Community workdays are weather dependent. Please join the community garden email list (send your info to [email protected]) to stay up on workday tasks and other garden news.

To receive the I Heart Parks monthly newsletter, sign up online. Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.

We are OPEN Fridays and Saturdays
for private, pre-booked tours at:
10:30 AM
12:00 PM
1:30 PM
3:00 PM

Welcome to your new home, Samson and Bonita!  The two red foxes will be joining the other residents of the WNC Nature Center and are coming to us from Izzie’s Pond Sanctuary in Liberty, S.C.

Samson and Bonita have something more in common than their new home.  They are both less than a year old and were both injured as a result of being caught in leg-hold traps and each has three legs, which means they would not be able to survive in the wild but can live safely in a zoo environment.

“The Nature Center has long provided excellent care for animals that, for one reason or another, could not live in the wild,” said WNC Nature Center Director Chris Gentile. “We are so excited to be able to welcome red foxes back to our Center.”

Come say “Hi!” to Samson and Bonita at the WNC Nature center beginning Feb. 11, when they’ll enter their new habitat for the first time.

• 

  Because of the Covid-19 restrictions, our Library Tax-Aide program is changing the way you can get help with your taxes in 2021. Tax assistance is available now through April 8.

  You will need an appointment this year to speak with a tax help aide at the library. 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 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.
• 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.
  • Bring the following documents and tax forms to your tax help appointment (photocopies are recommended):
    • Photo ID / Driver License for Taxpayer and Spouse
    • Social Security Cards for Taxpayer, Spouse and ALL dependents
    • Prior year (2019) Federal and State tax returns
    • W-2 Wages, W-2G (Gambling winnings)
    • SSA-1099 Social Security Benefit Statement
    • 1099-R Retirement, 1099-RRB (Railroad Retirement Benefits)
    • 1099-Interest, 1099-Dividend, 1099-OID
    • 1099-B Brokerage Statement, Sale of Stocks and Bonds, 1099-Ks
    • 1099-G Unemployment and State refunds
    • 1099-NEC Self-Employment, 1099-MISC
    • 1099-C Sale of Home, Forgiveness of Credit Card Debt
    • 1098- Home Mortgage Interest and Real Estate Taxes
    • 1099-T Education Credits PLUS Student Account Statement
    • 1098-E Student Loan Interest
    • 1099-SA and/or 5498-SA (HSA = Health Savings Account)
    • 1095-A Health Insurance – Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance Marketplace
    • Schedule K-1 (Forms 1065, 1120S or 1041)
    • Any other documents or information relevant to preparation of the tax return
    • Voided check for direct deposit of any refund to your checking / savings account

Enjoy the sights and sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains while traveling along the Tennessee and Nantahala (nan-tuh-HAY-luh) River.The historic trellis bridge Fontana Trestle takes you across Fontana Lake and into the beautiful Nantahala Gorge. Onboard dining is available by selecting our First Class Seating option or pre-purchasing one of our boxed lunches, an amazing unique moving dining experience. Arrive at our layover destination in the heart of the Nantahala Gorge for a one-hour layover where you can relax by the river or enjoy sightseeing!

We are operating under all current COVID-19 safety guidelines and ask that you follow all protocols. Find the information HERE! *Please be aware dining options are currently not available at your layover destination. You are advised to enjoy onboard dining by pre-purchasing a box lunch meal option along with your train tickets.*

Plan on being here by 1 hour before your departure.

For complete schedule: 2021 Ingles SoCon Basketball Championships presented by General Shale – Southern Conference (soconsports.com)

March is Red Cross Month, and for more than 130 years, heroic American Red Cross volunteers have provided hope and urgent relief to families in communities across the country.
This March the community is invited to join in the lifesaving mission of the Red Cross and be
someone’s hero by rolling up a sleeve to give blood.
According to the Red Cross, someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds to respond to
patient emergencies. Accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients,
and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease may all require blood.
All blood types are needed.
Be a hero in your community by rolling up a sleeve….

To make an appointment or to learn more, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor
App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood
Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. Completion of a RapidPass® online health history
questionnaire is encouraged to help speed up the donation process. To get started, follow the
instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App. A blood donor card
or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who
are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh
at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High
school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height
and weight requirements.

The Asheville Art Museum announces Meeting the Moon, an exhibition featuring prints, photographs, ceramics, sculptures, and more from the Museum’s Collection. This exhibition will be on view in the Asheville Art Museum’s McClinton Gallery February 3 through July 26, 2021.

2021 marks the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Apollo space program at NASA, but its inception was hardly the beginning of humankind’s fascination with Earth’s only moon. Before space travel existed, the moon—its shape, its mystery, and the face we see in it—inspired countless artists. Once astronauts landed on the moon and we saw our world from a new perspective, a surge of creativity flooded the American art scene, in paintings, prints, sculpture, music, crafts, film, and poetry.

This exhibition, whose title is taken from a 1913 Robert Frost poem, examines artwork in the Asheville Art Museum’s Collection of artists who were inspired by the unknown, then increasingly familiar moon. Meeting the Moon includes works by nationally renowned artists Newcomb Pottery, James Rosenquist, Maltby Sykes, Paul Soldner, John Lewis, Richard Ritter (Bakersville, NC), and Mark Peiser (Penland, NC). Western North Carolina artists include Jane Peiser (Penland, NC), Jak Brewer (Zionville, NC), Dirck Cruser (Asheville, NC), George Peterson (Lake Toxaway, NC), John B. Neff (NC), and Maud Gatewood (Yanceyville, NC).

“Meeting the Moon offers the opportunity to combine science and popular culture with works of art in the Museum’s Collection,” says Whitney Richardson, associate curator. “I think all visitors will find something that draws them into this exhibition, whether it’s the artwork, poetry, music, or science of space travel. It’s such an affirmation of humanity to find these mysteries, like the moon, which enchant us all.”

This exhibition is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and curated by Whitney Richardson, associate curator. Visit ashevilleart.org for more information about this and other exhibitions.

Help those in need by donating blood. In response to continued demand, Asheville Outlets will host three blood drives in the month of March with the American Red Cross on Saturday, March 6, and Fridays March 12 and 19, 2021, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Each American Red Cross donation drive will be held at Asheville Outlets in Suite 850 located next to Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Home Furnishings. Donors are asked to register in advance by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/give and entering the sponsor code AshevilleOutlets. All Blood Donations are tested for COVID-19 Antibody.

Blood donation organizers will practice social distancing procedures and advanced safety protocols. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that the coronavirus (COVID-19) does not pose any known risk to blood donors during the donation process or from attending blood drives, and that it is safe to donate blood. For more information visit ShopAshevilleOutlets.com.

This exhibition features archival objects from the Theodore Dreier Sr. Document Collection presented alongside artworks from the Museum’s Black Mountain College Collection to explore the connections between artworks and ephemera. This exhibition is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and curated by lydia see, fall 2020 curatorial fellow, with support from a Digitizing Hidden Collections grant through the Council on Library and Information Resources.

The Asheville Art Museum presents Fantastical Forms: Ceramics as Sculpture on view at the Museum November 4, 2020 through April 5, 2021. The 25 works in this exhibition—curated by associate curator Whitney Richardson—highlight the Museum’s Collection of sculptural ceramics from the last two decades of the 20th century to the present. Each work illustrates the artist’s ability to push beyond the utilitarian and transition ceramics into the world of sculpture.

North and South Carolina artists featured include Elma McBride Johnson, Neil Noland, Norm Schulman, Virginia Scotchie, Cynthia Bringle, Jane Palmer, Michael Sherrill, and Akira Satake. Works by American artists Don Reitz, Robert Chapman Turner, Karen Karnes, Toshiko Takaezu, Bill Griffith, and Xavier Toubes are also featured in the exhibition.

Join us for a relaxing ride through quiet countryside on your way to small town life in western North Carolina on the Tuckasegee River Excursion. Departing from Bryson City, this 4 hour excursion travels 32 miles round-trip to Dillsboro and back to the Bryson City Depot. Pass by the famous movie set of The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford!

The Tuckasegee (tuck-uh-SEE-jee) River Excursion includes an 1½ hour layover in the historic town of Dillsboro, where you’ll find more than 50 shops, restaurants, bed and breakfasts and country inns. There is time to shop, snack, and visit the many unique shops before returning to Bryson City.

BY JAMIE KNOX, TRAVIS LOWE AND JASON PHILLIPS

Come see the story of Alyx and Dru, as it unfolds throughout their lives, performed along the Reed Creek Greenway. Audiences will walk the trail and see scenes of the same couple, played by a different pair of actors in each scene. Love changes us, in so many ways, and we can’t wait to have you with us on the journey. Starring: Andy Thompson, Bailey Loundsberry, Brooks Wallace, Carin Metzger, Christine Eide, Daniel Henry, Daphne Phillips-Sprague, Devin Stevens, Dillon Giles, Hanni Muerdter, Heather Bronson, Katie Jones, Kay Wise-Denty, Kirby Gibson, Lauren Otis, Locksley Blanchard, Marcello de Barba, Paula O’Brien, Reed Horsley, Scott Fisher, and Zak Hamrick. With trail guides: Dakota Mann, George Heard, Jered Shults, and Ryan Dever. Directed by Jason Phillips.

February 27th-March 14th, staggered showings on Saturdays and Sundays

• This is an outdoor show. Audiences will be standing and walking on the Reed Creek Greenway for the entire length of the show, which will be about 60-75 minutes and 1.5 – 2 miles.
• Masks are required to be worn by all audience members at all times during this show. Audiences are limited to 10 people and will be socially distancing.
• There are no restrooms available for this show.

BY JAMIE KNOX, TRAVIS LOWE AND JASON PHILLIPS

Come see the story of Alyx and Dru, as it unfolds throughout their lives, performed along the Reed Creek Greenway. Audiences will walk the trail and see scenes of the same couple, played by a different pair of actors in each scene. Love changes us, in so many ways, and we can’t wait to have you with us on the journey. Starring: Andy Thompson, Bailey Loundsberry, Brooks Wallace, Carin Metzger, Christine Eide, Daniel Henry, Daphne Phillips-Sprague, Devin Stevens, Dillon Giles, Hanni Muerdter, Heather Bronson, Katie Jones, Kay Wise-Denty, Kirby Gibson, Lauren Otis, Locksley Blanchard, Marcello de Barba, Paula O’Brien, Reed Horsley, Scott Fisher, and Zak Hamrick. With trail guides: Dakota Mann, George Heard, Jered Shults, and Ryan Dever. Directed by Jason Phillips.

February 27th-March 14th, staggered showings on Saturdays and Sundays

• This is an outdoor show. Audiences will be standing and walking on the Reed Creek Greenway for the entire length of the show, which will be about 60-75 minutes and 1.5 – 2 miles.
• Masks are required to be worn by all audience members at all times during this show. Audiences are limited to 10 people and will be socially distancing.
• There are no restrooms available for this show.

Black Is Beautiful is a collaborative effort in partnership with our friends at @weatheredsoulsbrewing whose shared mission is to bring awareness to the injustices that many People of Color face daily. Additional proceeds from select retailers will be donated to the Know Your Rights Campaign.

BY JAMIE KNOX, TRAVIS LOWE AND JASON PHILLIPS

Come see the story of Alyx and Dru, as it unfolds throughout their lives, performed along the Reed Creek Greenway. Audiences will walk the trail and see scenes of the same couple, played by a different pair of actors in each scene. Love changes us, in so many ways, and we can’t wait to have you with us on the journey. Starring: Andy Thompson, Bailey Loundsberry, Brooks Wallace, Carin Metzger, Christine Eide, Daniel Henry, Daphne Phillips-Sprague, Devin Stevens, Dillon Giles, Hanni Muerdter, Heather Bronson, Katie Jones, Kay Wise-Denty, Kirby Gibson, Lauren Otis, Locksley Blanchard, Marcello de Barba, Paula O’Brien, Reed Horsley, Scott Fisher, and Zak Hamrick. With trail guides: Dakota Mann, George Heard, Jered Shults, and Ryan Dever. Directed by Jason Phillips.

February 27th-March 14th, staggered showings on Saturdays and Sundays

• This is an outdoor show. Audiences will be standing and walking on the Reed Creek Greenway for the entire length of the show, which will be about 60-75 minutes and 1.5 – 2 miles.
• Masks are required to be worn by all audience members at all times during this show. Audiences are limited to 10 people and will be socially distancing.
• There are no restrooms available for this show.

BY JAMIE KNOX, TRAVIS LOWE AND JASON PHILLIPS

Come see the story of Alyx and Dru, as it unfolds throughout their lives, performed along the Reed Creek Greenway. Audiences will walk the trail and see scenes of the same couple, played by a different pair of actors in each scene. Love changes us, in so many ways, and we can’t wait to have you with us on the journey. Starring: Andy Thompson, Bailey Loundsberry, Brooks Wallace, Carin Metzger, Christine Eide, Daniel Henry, Daphne Phillips-Sprague, Devin Stevens, Dillon Giles, Hanni Muerdter, Heather Bronson, Katie Jones, Kay Wise-Denty, Kirby Gibson, Lauren Otis, Locksley Blanchard, Marcello de Barba, Paula O’Brien, Reed Horsley, Scott Fisher, and Zak Hamrick. With trail guides: Dakota Mann, George Heard, Jered Shults, and Ryan Dever. Directed by Jason Phillips.

February 27th-March 14th, staggered showings on Saturdays and Sundays

• This is an outdoor show. Audiences will be standing and walking on the Reed Creek Greenway for the entire length of the show, which will be about 60-75 minutes and 1.5 – 2 miles.
• Masks are required to be worn by all audience members at all times during this show. Audiences are limited to 10 people and will be socially distancing.
• There are no restrooms available for this show.

BY JAMIE KNOX, TRAVIS LOWE AND JASON PHILLIPS

Come see the story of Alyx and Dru, as it unfolds throughout their lives, performed along the Reed Creek Greenway. Audiences will walk the trail and see scenes of the same couple, played by a different pair of actors in each scene. Love changes us, in so many ways, and we can’t wait to have you with us on the journey. Starring: Andy Thompson, Bailey Loundsberry, Brooks Wallace, Carin Metzger, Christine Eide, Daniel Henry, Daphne Phillips-Sprague, Devin Stevens, Dillon Giles, Hanni Muerdter, Heather Bronson, Katie Jones, Kay Wise-Denty, Kirby Gibson, Lauren Otis, Locksley Blanchard, Marcello de Barba, Paula O’Brien, Reed Horsley, Scott Fisher, and Zak Hamrick. With trail guides: Dakota Mann, George Heard, Jered Shults, and Ryan Dever. Directed by Jason Phillips.

February 27th-March 14th, staggered showings on Saturdays and Sundays

• This is an outdoor show. Audiences will be standing and walking on the Reed Creek Greenway for the entire length of the show, which will be about 60-75 minutes and 1.5 – 2 miles.
• Masks are required to be worn by all audience members at all times during this show. Audiences are limited to 10 people and will be socially distancing.
• There are no restrooms available for this show.