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.

Thursday, March 9, 2023
Not Rocket Science Trivia at Highland Brewing Downtown
Mar 9 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Highland Brewing Downtown

Trivia, Singo, tailgate games, and more! Our games are sure to challenge you, but c’mon… it’s not rocket science!

Open Studio at Different Wrld
Mar 9 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Different Wrld

Come have a drink and experiment with art materials while connecting with your community! Asheville Art Museum will host Open Studio at Different Wrld on the the first Thursday evening of each month throughout the year.

This free drop-in program, which is facilitated by the Asheville Art Museum and hosted at Different Wrld, aims to expose and engage participants with the Museum’s Collection and changing exhibitions. Attendees must be 21 or older to participate. The Asheville Art Museum will provide all instruction, supplies, and materials.

Taste of Asheville 2023
Mar 9 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Mission Health / A-B Tech Conference Center

Taste of Asheville 2023 
Presented by Cheney Brothers, Inc.

AIR’s signature culinary event is back and better than ever, celebrating 20 years of supporting Asheville’s independent restaurants!
On Thursday, March 9, 2023, AIR will mark its 20th year of advocating for and supporting Asheville’s independently owned restaurants with the return of its beloved signature culinary event, Taste of Asheville, presented by Cheney Brothers, Inc.

In its first appearance since 2019 after a pandemic hiatus, Taste of Asheville 2023 will take place 6-9 p.m. Thursday, March 9, in a brand-new location — the beautiful and spacious Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center on the A-B Tech campus.

Don’t miss out on:

  • Delicious bites and sips from about 60 AIR member restaurants and beverage vendors
  • Musical entertainment from Asheville’s sensational Firecracker Jazz Band
  • Silent auction
  • Featured live auction item: Dinner for eight with wine pairings prepared in the winner’s home by renowned Asheville chefs and AIR co-founders Michel Baudouin and Eric Scheffer.

Space is limited and tickets are likely to sell out, so click below or scan the QR code to get yours now before they’re gone!

For a list of participating restaurants, visit airasheville.org/taste-of-asheville/.

Art in Spirituality
Mar 9 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
St Mary's Episcopal Church

Throughout every culture and time period, art and spirituality have been intertwined. Art influences how we conceptualize the divine, beauty, and ourselves (and vice versa!).

In this event, I will bring a series of images from across multiple faiths, cultures, and subject matter for discussion.

$5 donation recommended but not required. All proceeds go to St. Mary’s as a thank you for hosting us!

COCKTAIL CLASS: “Call Me Old Fashioned”
Mar 9 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Oak & Grist Distilling Company

LED BY ELLE BLACKBURN, O&G BAR MANAGER

With the popularity of January’s Cocktail Class: “Call Me Old Fashioned”, we’re bringing it back for March! With three new featured Old Fashioned recipes to learn, this class is perfect for beginners to the experts. On March 9th, we’re tackling the granddaddy of all Oak and Grist cocktails, the Old Fashioned! This class will focus on the science behind creating your favorite stirred cocktails & empower you to concoct your own unique libations at home.

We’ll start with the original Oak and Grist Old Fashioned recipe, diving into dilution, stirring, proper pouring technique, and an in-depth garnish presentation to keep your cocktails looking sharp. Students will then have the opportunity to taste four distinct Old Fashioned variations utilizing unique sugar, spirit, & bitter combinations. The class culminates with you creating & enjoying your new signature Old Fashioned. Cheers!

Please direct any and all questions to [email protected] and we’ll be sure to get back to you as soon as possible!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO KNOW

All O&G Cocktail Classes are 21+. Photo IDs are required to participate in our Cocktail Classes so make sure you bring yours to each class. Don’t forget to arrive early to get settled in & sip on a cocktail before the class starts.

Please reach out to [email protected] about any allergies or accessibility accommodations when booking the event and we will do our best to accommodate.

Doors open at 6:00 pm before the start of the event and will start promptly at 6:30 pm. Classes are taught in pairs and make for the perfect night out for couples, besties, or families. Paired tickets are offered at a discounted price!

There are options for both paired and solo tickets, so if you’re coming with a friend, please make sure you purchase the correct ticket. One ticket per participant is required. Classes are capped at a maximum of 12 people per class.

Oak and Grist Distilling Co. reserves the right to refuse service to any guest who appears or acknowledges to be intoxicated.

All cocktail class students will receive a complimentary barware goodie, take-home recipes, a hand-crafted cocktail, & a 15% discount in our Bottle Shop so you can keep your home bar stocked!

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Mar 9 @ 7:00 pm
PNC Arena

See the source image

RAISING BLACK: Joy, Pain, Sunshine + Rain
Mar 9 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Story Parlor

Story Parlor of West Asheville will host Black Diamond Enterprise in presenting
Black Poetry Theatre for Black History Month. Feb. 9th @7pm join us for the production of RAISING BLACK where via poetry, skits and monologues we explore the Joy, Pain, Sunshine & Rain of life. Come for the encouragement, a good time & singing!
Call Story Parlor for tickets (828) 367-9377.

Short Story Discussion via Zoom “The Newspaper” with Brandon Johnson
Mar 9 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
online

Thomas Wolfe Short Story Discussions are a partnership between the Wilma Dykeman Legacy and the Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site. Our text is The Complete Short Stories of Thomas Wolfe, edited by Francis E. Skipp with a Foreword by James Dickey (New York: Scribner’s, 1987).​

Workshop: MOVEMENT FOR ACTORS AND IMPROVISERS
Mar 9 @ 7:00 pm
The Magnetic Theatre

Workshop: MOVEMENT FOR ACTORS AND IMPROVISERS
Presented by Ripley Improv w/ instructors Mary Chieffo and Madi Goff
Learn the tools for becoming a dynamic performer and creating ensembles that spin improvised adventures from absolutely nothing in Ripley’s Movement for Actors and Improvisers Workshop.

Starting with the basics of Alexander technique, actors and improvisers will learn to energetically connect to the body and voice. Then, using improvisation along with select lines from Shakespeare’s plays, students will explore tools for stage presence and moment-to-moment work, enhancing their connection to fellow performers and the audience. Finally, in improvised scene work, students will put it all together and discover how connection, emotion, and stage picture creates story.

Bios for Instructors Mary Chieffo and Madi Goff:

Mary Chieffo (Ripley Guest Artist) is a Juilliard alum, studied Shakespeare enthusiast, and Star Trek: Discovery actor.

Madi Goff (Ripley Company Member) is Groundlings Sunday alum and current performer in The Groundlings Crazy Uncle Joe Show.

March 9, 2023
Thursday at 7pm

Greenville Swamp Rabbits vs. Jacksonville Icemen
Mar 9 @ 7:05 pm – 8:05 pm
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Greenville Swamp Rabbits  vs.  Jacksonville Icemen

 

The Greenville Swamp Rabbits are much more than a professional hockey franchise playing in Upstate South Carolina; it is truly Greenville’s hockey team. Formerly known as the Road Warriors, the club rebranded to the Swamp Rabbits on August 26, 2015 in an effort to really ingrain itself in the fabric of the community. The name is inherently Greenville – specific to the city and unique in the sports world.

It’s the electrifying energy and unstoppable passion of Swamp Rabbits fans inside The Well combined with the award-winning game presentation that make attending a Swamp Rabbits game the BEST fan experience in the ECHL! From the moment you step inside the arena, you’ll find FREE concourse activities for the whole family, including sign-making, temporary tattoos, interactive games, music and there’s always a good chance you’ll run into the Swamp Rabbits mascot Stomper! Throughout the season, fans can also expect a lineup of special theme nights and exciting giveaways.

NEIL PEARLMAN + KEVIN HENDERSON
Mar 9 @ 7:30 pm
White Horse Black Mountain

Join us as we welcome acclaimed celtic fiddler KEVIN HENDERSON from the Shetland Islands and NEIL PEARLMAN whose music inclues celtic, Cape Breton, jazz and other styles.

Neil Pearlman is a vital and distinctive voice in contemporary traditional music. Described as “a tremendous pianist” on BBC Radio Scotland and “a force to be reckoned with” by WGBH’s Brian O’Donovan, Neil is best known for his groundbreaking approach to the piano in Celtic music. Motivated by a deep musical curiosity and a love of collaboration, his playing is continually evolving and spontaneous without losing its roots in the traditional piano styles of Atlantic Canada, New England and Scotland. He has appeared at major festivals across North America and Europe including the Newport Folk Festival, Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Celtic Colours in Cape Breton, the Orkney Folk Festival, and has recorded, performed or otherwise collaborated with such artists as Natalie MacMaster, Darol Anger, Seamus Egan, Alasdair Fraser and many more.

Growing up in a musical family, Neil was immersed in Scottish and Cape Breton music and dance from the start. He began dancing at the age of 3 and the piano followed soon after. Joining his parents and siblings on stage as the family band Highland Soles, Neil learned the art of performance early at festivals and concert halls across New England. At the age of 11, he appeared several times as a dancer in Natalie MacMaster’s high-powered show alongside his mother Laura Scott and a few years later released his first album with his father, fiddler Ed Pearlman. Already at that age he was exploring a passion for other styles of music, especially a lifelong love of jazz that has always played a role in his creative voice.

Today Neil’s musical projects run the gamut from deeply traditional to refreshingly contemporary. His podcast TradCafe is a series of conversations and collaborations with traditional musicians from around the world. In 2021 TradCafe launched a video series featuring one-off musical collaborations between Neil and artists such as Troy MacGillivray, Jenna Moynihan, Begona Riobo, Anxo Pintos, Yann Falquet and Alasdair White. His 2020 release Burden Lake with acclaimed Shetland fiddler Kevin Henderson received 5 stars from The Scotsman. He tours regularly with Kevin Henderson, Katie McNally, The Pine Tree Flyers, and as a solo pianist, while playing more irregularly with a wide variety of side projects featuring top Celtic, Americana and Jazz musicians.

“Dazzling piano chops … Fingers absolutely soar across the keys”

–Portland Press Herald

“A mix of jazz and jigs that will raise a toast and get you on the dance floor.”

–George W. Harris

Jazz Weekly

“I was watching Neil’s hands on the piano and it was like watching two spiders… on crack!”

–Jerry Holland

———————————-

Kevin Henderson is a fiddler who draws on the rich fiddle music tradition of his native Shetland and his experience with leading bands including Boys of the Lough, Fiddlers Bid, Session A9 and Nordic Fiddlers Bloc to create an expressive and adventurously individual musical style.

Brought up in the Shetland schooling system, whose concentration on fiddle music and encouragement to participate still inspire him, Kevin benefited in his teens from the teaching of the legendary Willie Hunter. Lessons with Hunter could comprise chatting over coffee and biscuits and even extend to being taught survival skills, as well as learning both the essentials and the finer points of playing Shetland reels, and every Saturday Kevin came away motivated to emulate his mentor.

With school friends Chris Stout, Andrew Gifford and Maurice Henderson, Kevin formed Fiddlers Bid, a band that – almost thirty years, innumerable gigs and four enthusiastically received albums on – continues to represent the finest of Shetland fiddling allied with harmonic invention, creative subtlety and enthusiastic vigour.

It was Kevin’s clear understanding of and feeling for the Shetland tradition that led to him being invited, in 2001, to join the long-established Irish-Scottish band Boys of the Lough, alongside the Irish national treasure Cathal McConnell, an experience that has enriched his musical appreciation and love for a strong melody.

Since moving to Norway, while maintaining links with the Boys, the Bid and Session A9, one of Scotland’s finest fiddle ensembles, Kevin has put his heart and soul into Nordic Fiddlers Bloc, a meeting of three very distinctive musical styles where simplicity and directness are key. Their blend of Norwegian, Swedish and Shetland accents and their command of varying tones and voicings have led to ecstatic receptions on both sides of the North Sea and across the Atlantic.

Poetry Open Mic
Mar 9 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Shakedown Kava Lounge, Hendersonville

Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.

Sarah Shook + The Disarmers
Mar 9 @ 8:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

– WITH SPECIAL GUEST SUNNY WAR
– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY

SARAH SHOOK & THE DISARMERS
North Carolina’s Sarah Shook sings with a conviction and hard honesty sorely lacking in much of today’s Americana landscape. Always passionate, at times profane, Sarah stalks/walks the line between vulnerable and menacing, their voice strong and uneasy, country classic but with contemporary, earthy tension. You can hear in their voice what they’ve seen; world weary, lessons learned—or not—but always defiant. They level-steady mean what they say. Writing with a blunt urgency—so refreshing these days it’s almost startling—Sarah’s lyrics are in turn smart, funny, mean, and above all, uncompromising. The Disarmers hit all the sweet spots from Nashville’s Lower Broad to Bakersfield and take Sarah’s unflinching tales out for some late-night kicks. At times, it’s as simple and muscular as Luther Perkins’ boom-chicka-boom, or as downtown as Johnny Thunders. The Disarmers keep in the pocket, tight and tough.

The Disarmers line-up is currently Jack Foster on drums, Blake Tallent on guitar, Andrew Lambie on bass, and Nick Larimore on pedal steel.

SUNNY WAR
Sunny War has crafted a set of songs that draw on a range of ideas and styles as though she’s marshalling all her forces to get her ideas across: ecstatic gospel, dusty country blues, thoughtful folk, rip-roaring rock and roll, even avant-garde studio experiments. She melds them together into a powerful statement of survival revealing a probing songwriter who indulges no comforting platitudes and a highly innovative guitarist who deploys spidery riffs throughout every song.  “I feel like there are two sides of me” says the Nashville-based singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso. “One of them is very self-destructive and the other is trying to work with that other half to keep things balanced.” That’s the central conflict on her upcoming fourth album, the eclectic and innovative Anarchist Gospel, which documents a time when it looked like the self-destructive side might win out. “Everybody is a beast just trying their hardest to be good. That’s what it is to be human. You’re not really good or bad. You’re just trying to stay in the middle of those two things all the time and you’re probably doing a shitty job of it. That’s okay because we’re all just monsters.”

Friday, March 10, 2023
Free Seed Libraries at Buncombe County Public Libraries
Mar 10 all-day
Black Mountain, Leicester, Weaverville Libraries

Did you know that three Buncombe County Libraries have a seed library so you can check out seeds?  Each seed library offers vegetable, herb, and flower seeds that you can take home and plant.

If you’re a gardener or want to be a gardener, you can borrow seeds from the library at planting time. At the end of the growing season, save seeds from the plants and return a portion of the seeds to the library to be loaned out the next year. If you don’t have any seeds at the end of the season, that’s OK too. It’s not a requirement, it just helps the seed libraries grow. There is no charge to use the seed library, just visit the Weaverville, Black Mountain or Leicester Libraries and sign up. You’ll find different seeds at each location and you don’t need a library card to use the seed library.

The benefits of a seed lending library are many: it’s a way to have fun, build community with fellow gardeners, and support people who are new to gardening. It also preserves rare, open-pollinated or heirloom seeds and encourages local gardeners to save quality seeds that are suited to our growing area.

For more information on any of our seed libraries, contact the Black Mountain Library, the Leicester Library, or the Weaverville Library.

Gardening Video: Get Going with Grasses!
Mar 10 all-day
online
Panicum virgatum_Matt Lavin_CC BY-SA 2.0_Flickr
Switchgrass

 

Gardening in the Mountains presents:
Get Going with Grasses!

Presenter: Nancy Duffy – Owner of Muddy Boots Garden Design

Grasses are great garden plants! Learn about specific grasses, their uses, and planting and maintenance.

Based in Asheville, North Carolina, Nancy Duffy is the owner of Muddy Boots Garden Design.  Over the last decade she has increasingly focused on natural planting styles and has done many meadow and woodland designs.

Video access:
To access this video on the Buncombe County Master Gardener website, click on the link below:

                                                                          Get Going with Grasses!

Or go to www.buncombemastergardener.org , click on the ‘Gardening Videos’ tab at the top of the page, and select the video from the list provided.

Global LEAF classes and workshops
Mar 10 all-day
LEAF Global Arts Center

Current Classes Available

Click on a class to learn more! Once you have purchased a class, a LEAF staff member will reach out with further details! Classes are held Virtually or at the LEAF Global Arts Center in downtown Asheville. Please see class descriptions for more information.

Questions, requests, or scholarship inquiries? Please email [email protected]

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    Queer Music Exploration with Kayla Lynn

    $15.00 – $50.00

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    Intro to Ukulele Class with Melissa McKinney

    $15.00 – $50.00

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    Intro to Guitar Class with Melissa McKinney

    $15.00 – $50.00

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    LEAF Lights Program

    $15.00 – $50.00

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    All Ages Hip Hop Dance Class

    $15.00 – $50.00

  • LEAF Schools & Streets

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    LEAF Summer Camp

    $230.00

  • Otto Vazquez

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    The ROK Experience (Virtual)

    $40.00

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    Adama’s West African Drumming Workshop

    $15.00

Other Classes and Workshops

We are always striving to expand our offerings! If you have an idea for a class or workshop you’d like to see, send us a suggestion!

If you are an artist and would like to host a class or workshop at LEAF Global, please reach out, we would love to hear from you.

For all inquiries, or to reserve a session virtually or in person at LEAF Global please email [email protected]

LEAF Retreat May 11-14 Schedule Unveiled
Mar 10 all-day
online

LEAF Retreat Schedule Is Here!

Today, we are thrilled to unveil the highly-anticipated schedule for this year’s LEAF Retreat. We poured lots of love into creating a lineup that’s sure to make your heart sing and your feet move. With legendary pioneers like The Headhunters and many incredible acts from all over the Americas, including Guatemala, Peru, Mexico, Venezuela, Aztec & Cherokee Nations! You will not want to miss a single moment of this epic celebration of music, culture, community and life. So, grab your friends, pack your bags, and let’s get ready to LEAF it all on the dance floor! We’ll see you May 11-14, for LEAF Retreat, Legends of The Americas!
-Otto Vazquez, Artistic Curator

PS…This is the flow, and we are still curating and expanding the experiences so exact times will be shared in early April.

Need Help With Water Bills? New Water Assistance Program Could Offer Help.
Mar 10 all-day
online

If you’re behind on your water bill or afraid your water might get cut off, a new resource might be able to help you. On Jan. 4, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved more than $450,000 in federal funding for the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). The initiative is aimed at preventing water disconnections and helping reconnect drinking and wastewater services.

The LIHWAP will be administered by Buncombe County-based Eblen Charities. The nonprofit will make payments directly to utilities on behalf of qualifying households. The program is slated to run through Sept. 30, 2023 or until funds are exhausted.

Eligibility requirements

Households that currently receive Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Work First services, or those that received Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) services from Oct. 1, 2020-Sept. 30, 2021, are automatically eligible to receive this benefit if their water services have been cut off or are in danger of being cut off.

For additional eligibility information or to apply, please contact Eblen Charities at (828) 255-3066.

PRESERVATION GRANTS
Mar 10 all-day
online

The addition of preservation grants to our existing efforts in advocacy, technical support, preservation easements, and education, will allow us to reach a new and diverse audience.  This program will allow us to support both large and small projects from downtown Asheville to our rural and under-served communities.

Click here for the Grant Application

We look forward to helping with emergency stabilization projects and restorations of important places, to helping neighborhoods receive designations such as recognition on the National Register of Historic Places and to encouraging and supporting new and unique education and research opportunities.  We want to be surprised and humbled by the projects our community asks us to support!

As our city faces the inevitable challenges of growth, PSABC’s voice and reach must expand.  The important addition of this Preservation Grant Program comes in response to the needs of our community.

Preservation grants from $500 – $5000 will be offered to the public in three categories:

  1. Bricks-And-Mortar

Rehabilitation, restoration and repair of structures that are 50 years of age or older

Some examples: Windows and doors • Exterior painting • Porches • Roofs and gutters • Electrical and plumbing • Hardscaping • Foundation • Original exterior or interior details

  1. Public Education

Development of educational materials and programs that advance knowledge of our shared history

Some examples: Research and documentation • Oral histories • Installations specific to buildings, place history, and culture • Exhibitions • K–12 educational publications • Seminars and lectures • Documentary films

  1. Planning, Survey and Designation

Planning and design for building rehabilitation and restoration projects, historic resource surveys and local or national designations

Some examples: Historic building condition reports • Engineering and rehabilitation plans • Feasibility studies • Historic resource surveys • Updates of previous surveys • Local and national historic designations

Read about our past winners here!

Season Tickets: Flat Rock Playhouse’s 2023 Season
Mar 10 all-day
Flat Rock Playhouse

A South-Eastern Regional Premier and Shakespeare’s most wicked wonder join beloved Main Stage productions, Music on the Rock® and Playhouse Jr. Family Programming to round out an inviting 2023 season.

 

The Main Stage curtain lifts later this month with Here Comes the Sun Band & Friends – Music of the Beatles and More!, the musically-authentic act that will rock-and-roll fans through a decade of The Beatles music. A crowd favorite, the Music on the Rock® series will also feature Rumours – The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute Show in March, followed by the bluesy swagger of the Rolling Stones.

 

The season’s Main Stage series kicks off in April with Ring of Fire, a musical portrait of “The Man in Black,” Johnny Cash. Mother’s Day weekend brings the witty and hilarious Steel Magnolias. Children of all ages and the Vagabonds who never grew up will delight in a newly imagined Cinderella: Enchanted, a fresh take on a magical fairytale, followed by Broadway’s longest-running musical and infamous nine-time Tony Award-winner, A Chorus Line. And this summer, FRP is thrilled to present the South-Eastern Regional Premier of The Girl on the Train, a thrilling mystery based on the bestselling novel by Paula Hawkins and DreamWorks film.

 

In time for the haunting season, William Shakespeare’s Macbeth tragedy will engage audiences in the terrifyingly prophetic tale of revenge, murder, and madness in a smaller, intimate setting as part of FRP’s new Black Box series.

 

Slowpoke! The True Story of a Tortoise and Hare, an Appalachian retelling of Aesop’s fable arrives in November, and the season concludes with the popular holiday must-see A Playhouse Christmas–the same festivity and excellence in an all new show!

 

Catch everything from foot-stomping Music on the Rock® to Broadway energy to intimate Black Box performances with a season subscription, on sale February 28. Single tickets for all remaining shows go on sale on March 8, 2023. For a complete lineup with show descriptions and to purchase tickets, visit www.flatrockplayhouse.org.

 

This project was supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. www.NCArts.org.

Seeking Executive Director for Literacy Together
Mar 10 all-day
online w/ Literacy Together

Position Announcement
Executive Director, Literacy Together
Asheville, NC
Spring 2023

Literacy Together is seeking an experienced and passionate candidate to lead the organization as
executive director and add to its exceptional 36-year history.

Our Mission
To transform lives and communities through the power of literacy.

Our Vision
A just and equitable community in which literacy is accessible and achievable by all.

The Organization
Literacy Together is a strong, stable organization with solid infrastructure poised to move to the next
level of greater impact with the inspired leadership of the right individual.
Literacy Together’s core values include Lifelong Learning, Individual Dignity, Equity and Justice,
Leadership and Innovation. Literacy Together believes literacy is a social justice issue and
acknowledges and works to address the systemic barriers to literacy experienced by its students.
Literacy Together teaches individuals of all ages basic reading, writing, and English language skills
through specialized instruction provided by trained volunteer tutors. Programs include Adult Literacy,
English for Speakers of Other Languages, Youth Literacy, and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library®.
Students gain self-confidence and self-sufficiency to transform their lives as individuals, parents,
workers, and citizens.

Literacy Together, a nonprofit organization accredited by ProLiteracy and serving the community since
1987, provides highly individualized tutoring to fit the needs of over 300 students annually through the
skilled instruction of over 250 volunteer tutors. Literacy Together is governed by a 12-member board
of directors and staffed by nine highly skilled professionals. The organization has an annual budget of
$462,000, funded primarily by a mix of individual donations, foundations, and government grants. The
organizational culture is collaborative, committed, mission-driven, and service-oriented.

The Position
The next ED will take advantage of Literacy Together’s strong infrastructure, high-quality programs,
and existing partnerships by continuing to develop collaborations and build relationships with donors
and funders to broaden the organization’s impact. The next ED will also be a dynamic presence and
an effective communicator strongly aligned with the organizational values of Lifelong Learning,
Individual Dignity, Equity and Justice, Leadership and Innovation.

Organizational Priorities
The Board of Directors and staff of Literacy Together have identified the following as the highest
priorities for the new executive, the board, and the staff over the next 12 to 18 months:

● Continue Literacy Together’s track record of securing sustainable funding from diverse
revenue sources by focusing primarily on a growing individual and major donor base
● Strengthen existing and build new partnerships and collaborations to meet the community’s
need
● Support staff in delivering high-quality tutoring services as prioritized in the 2020-2025
Strategic Plan
● Further define and deepen the organization’s ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion
efforts, in order to identify and work to remove barriers to literacy
● Conduct an organizational compensation and benefit analysis, with continued exploration of
healthcare coverage and other benefits, to retain and motivate talented, dedicated staff.

StoryMaps: Interactive Story of Conservation in Buncombe County
Mar 10 all-day
online

With vibrant photographs and engaging data, Buncombe County’s new ESRI StoryMap is now available to help the public learn more about land conservation. With the Commissioners setting the goal of preserving 20% of County land by 2030, these maps are a timely way to provide an immersive journey into the past, present, and future of land conservation. “It’s also a tool that helps explain the County’s Ag and Land Resources conservation easement process that is overseen by the County Land Conservation Advisory Board and the Ag Advisory Board,” explains Farmland Preservation Program Manager Ariel Zijp. “The story map provides background information about the two Boards and shows their conservation focus areas in Buncombe County.

Beyond the sharp aesthetic of the website, there is a vast repository of conservation-related data, processes, and overall information. “Three of the four maps are interactive and allow residents to zoom in and out of the map,” says Farmland Preservation Program Coordinator Avni Naik. “Please remember that the focus areas help us guide conservation in the County but are not the sole determinant of project approval. If a property does not fall in a focus area we will still evaluate its conservation values through field work and landowner meetings. Similarly, a property that falls in a focus area does not mean automatic project approval. It would help the project rank higher, but other due diligence will still be carried out to ensure the best available projects are funded.

Ultimately, the County believes these maps increase transparency and awareness about the importance of land conservation and the process of creating easements. “I hope this tool helps people understand that there is a conscious, research-based approach to the County’s conservation easement process and our conservation focus areas,” explains Zijp.

View the maps here.

Buncombe County would like to thank the following partners for their help with the creation of these StoryMaps:

Summer Camp at Nantahala Outdoor Center Registration Open
Mar 10 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

Teens at a kayak Summer Day Camp

Summer Day Camp is a great option for kids ages 9-17 with any skill level to learn and practice on the iconic rivers and lakes of Western North Carolina. Paddlers from beginner to advanced will receive high-quality instruction from our elite team while having fun and making friends.

 

Summer Camp Sign Up Open
Mar 10 all-day
Asheville Art Museum

Join us at the Museum for Summer Art Camp! Offered to rising K–12th grade students, all classes are age appropriate. Enrollment is limited, and pre-registration is required. Registration includes Museum admission and all materials necessary for each class. Classes are offered weekly for seven consecutive weeks, starting June 19 and running through the week of August 7.

Morning (9am–noon) and afternoon (1–4pm) sessions are offered each week. Students may sign up for both morning and afternoon sessions and stay for both sessions.

Camp Costs

Morning (9am–noon) or afternoon (1–4pm) half-day session: $130

Full day (9am–4pm, both morning and afternoon sessions): $250

Members receive a 10 percent discount.

Registration opens March 1. To be added to our Family Programs mailing list, click here. For more information, call 828.253.3227.

The Museum is committed to making our programs accessible to everyone, regardless of economic means. With support from the Walnut Cove Members Association, we’re able to provide a limited amount of financial aid to help students who could not otherwise afford to enroll in our programs.

The Learning Garden: A Hub of Gardening Education in 2023
Mar 10 all-day
Buncombe County Extension Office

After six years of hard work, the dream of using The Learning Garden as a hub for public gardening education is finally a reality. The Learning Garden, located at the Extension Office, 49 Mt. Carmel Road, is offering the public the opportunity to Visit and Learn in the garden on selected 2nd and 4th Thursdays, February – October. The Thursday in-person programs will consist of five garden-specific series. Visitors can walk around before or after the program and soak in our lovely gardens. Our gardens will open at 9:00 a.m. and all the demonstration programs run between 10-11:30 a.m.  To ensure a good learning experience, attendance will be limited and registration will be required.

Dahlia_labbradolci_CC BY-NC 2.0_Flickr

Dahlia Series
February 23
 – Getting Your Dahlias Ready for Planting
August 3
 – Disbudding Dahlias for Better Blooms
October 26 – Dividing and Storing Dahlias

 

Naturally dyed cotton_by Lucia Garcia Gonzalez_CC 1.0_Flickr

Dye Garden Series
May 4 – Planning Your Dye Garden
June 22 – Introduction to Natural Dyeing
July 27 – Fresh Indigo
August 24 – Botanical Printing: Printing with Leaves and Flowers
September 28 – Dyeing with Hopi Black Sunflower
November 9 – The Magic of Indigo

Rose Garden Series
March 9 – Pruning Roses
April 6 – Climbing Roses
April 13 – Rose Pests and Pathogens
May 20 – Growing Beautiful Roses (Saturday Seminar)

 

Sun & Shade Garden Series
May 11 – Planting a Native Butterfly Host Plant Garden
June 29 – Foodscaping Edible Plants in Flower Beds
August 31 – Dealing with “the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” Plants
Sept 14 – Native Butterfly Life Cycles in the Fall Garden

 

Vegetable Garden Series
March 23
 – Building an ADA Compliant Raised Garden
April 26
 – Planting Root Crops: Leeks, Onions, Carrots, Parsnips
May 25 – Planting a Seed Saving Garden
June 8 – Common Vegetable Garden Pests
July 13 – Kid Friendly Gardening
                                       August 10 – Preserving Your Vegetable Harvest

In addition to the Thursday programs listed above, The Learning Garden will present a series of ninety minute (+/-) hands-on seminars covering various gardening topics. These in-person programs will be held at The Learning Garden on selected Saturday mornings, February – September.

Saturday Seminars
February 18 – Tool Selection and Sharpening
March 18 – Pruning Trees and Shrubs
April 22 – Gardening for the Birds
May 20 – Growing Beautiful Roses
June 17 – Pollinator Plants in The Learning Garden
September 16 – Bulbs for All Seasons

Each of the programs in The Learning Garden will be announced individually through this blog and on our website two weeks before each program.  Each announcement will include instructions on how to register. Mark your calendar and register to attend as many as you can.

AM Power Hour
Mar 10 @ 8:00 am – 9:00 am
First Aid Collision
Enjoy a more productive day by meeting prospective customers at the start of your day. You may find a strong referral source, a new vendor, the perfect client, or simply get a foot in the door for connecting again later at another Chamber event. AM Power Hour is great if you are an early-bird or can’t make our after-hours networking events.
Thank you to We Sell WNC, for being a Presenting Sponsor of the 2023 AM Power Hours. March’s AM Power hour is Hosted by First Aid Collision.
Double Take Art Exhibition
Mar 10 @ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Ramsey Library

During the 2020 lockdown, Jeremy Phillips, UNCA Alum and adjunct professor of Humanities, started painting interiors of his house in West Asheville.

Many of these interiors included Jeremy’s more abstract art that was on the walls. In this show, “Double Take”, the two worlds come together: paintings of paintings in an internal architecture of home.

Food Scraps Drop Off: Buncombe County Landfill
Mar 10 @ 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center

Food Scraps Drop Off

The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County and the Natural Resources Defense Council, is offering a FREE Food Scrap Drop-Off program in two locations for all Buncombe County residents.  This organic matter will be collected and turned into good clean compost, keeping it OUT of our landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Register for Food Scraps Drop Off

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Need a handy kitchen countertop food scrap bin?  Let us know on the registration form! We’ll be having bin giveaways at city and county facilities and would love to give you one.

 

Locations Holidays call for hours

Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center

85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander

    • Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
    • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 12:30 pm

Murphy Oakley Community Center and Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the east side of the parking lot

749 Fairview Road, Asheville

    • Dawn – Dusk

Stephens-Lee Recreation Center “Food Scrap Shed” next to the Community Garden on the North side of the parking lot

30 Washington Carver Avenue, Asheville

    • Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
    • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
    • Sunday, 12 – 4 p.m.

West Asheville Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the south side of the building

942 Haywood Road, Asheville

    • Library open hours
WNC Farmers Market
Mar 10 @ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
WNC Farmers Market

NCDA&CS - Marketing Division - Western North Carolina Farmers Market

The WNC Farmers Market is the premier destination for buying and selling the region’s best agriculture products directly from farmers & food producers to household & wholesale customers in an environment that celebrates the region’s diverse culture, food & heritage.

House of Operation:

WNC Farmers Market: 24/7, 361 days a year market access for farmers
Office: Monday- Friday, 8am-5pm
Market Shops: 7 days a week, 8 am-5 pm
Wholesale and Truck Sheds: 7 days a week

An Abundance of Riches
Mar 10 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

Andrea Rich’s intricately designed, carved, and printed woodcuts draw viewers in for an up-close look.

Some of the artist’s earliest memories are of drawing animals. Childhood encounters with pets, livestock, and wildlife, including birds, deer, and toads, created a lasting connection to the natural world. Through encounters with creatures both tame and wild, Rich developed a fascination and a compassion for animals integral to her art.

“My prints are a visual record of the intriguing creatures that have enriched my life. The woodcut process challenges me to focus on the essence of my subjects. At the same time, I am drawn to the smell of the wood, its texture and grain, and the pleasure I experience while carving. I begin working on a block of wood and realize later that hours have passed without notice.”

Rich uses a centuries-old medium that requires one carved wood panel for each color – varying from one to sixteen – necessary to develop the composition. These panels are painstakingly aligned one atop another sequentially and pulled through a printing press to create the final woodcut.

The subjects of Rich’s woodcuts range from the wilderness of the Australian outback and the lush tropical Amazon forests to the roaring rivers of Yellowstone Park. Rich has traveled worldwide to study wildlife habitats and these varied firsthand experiences are reflected in her work.

Among Rich’s many achievements are international recognition for her woodcut prints, including a 2009 Award of Excellence from the Society of Animal Artists and a 2009 Medal of Excellence from the Artists for Conservation Foundation. She was named Master Artist by the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in 2006. In 2010 her work was featured in a solo exhibition at the Mass Audubon Visual Arts Center, Canton, Massachusetts. Rich is a member of the California Society of Printmakers, Artists for Nature Foundation, the Society of Animal Artists, and Society of Wildlife Artists.

In 2000 Rich designated the Woodson Art Museum as the repository for her artistic oeuvre. An Abundance of Riches is drawn from these holdings, which include an example of each of her woodcuts created since the mid-1980s.