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.

Sunday, February 27, 2022
Oscar-Nominated Short Films: Animated
Feb 27 @ 12:00 pm
Peace Center Gunter Theatre

Oscar Shorts

Lights, Camera, Action! 📽️ The Peace Center is proud to present screenings of the Oscar-Nominated Short Films in all three categories once again. Join us for the best of Animated, Live Action and Documentary February 25-27.*

With screenings of all three categories taking place each day, there are plenty of opportunities to catch the films that caught the Academy’s eye! Detailed synopses will be added as they become available.

*Please be advised that the Oscar-Nominated Short Films feature mature content that may not be appropriate for children. 

Winter Photo Contest – “Winter Trees”
Feb 27 @ 12:00 pm – 11:45 pm
Chimney Rock State Park

Image result for Chimney Rock Park

It’s the Year of the Tree in North Carolina State Parks, and we are encouraging guests to celebrate trees all year long! Start off in the winter months while branches are bare and capture some unique tree shapes or the beauty of frosty evergreens. You may win a prize for your efforts!

GREAT PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED TO 3 WINNING ENTRIES

1st Prize: The winning photo will be our Facebook cover photo for two weeks, and the photographer will receive two annual passes to Chimney Rock State Park, two boat tour tickets from Lake Lure Tours, and dinner for two at the Old Rock Café.

2nd Prize: After the first place photo, the second place photo will be our Facebook cover photo for one week. The photographer will receive two annual passes to Chimney Rock State Park and dinner for two at the Old Rock Café.

3rd Prize: The third place photographer will receive two adult day passes (or one family pack of day passes) to Chimney Rock State Park and dinner for two at the Old Rock Café.

CONTEST RULES:

  1. There is no fee to enter the contest. All photographs must be taken of Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park only in areas accessible to guests between January 1, 2022 – February 28, 2022.
    The contest is open to amateur and professional photographers.
  2. Up to three photos per person can be submitted via any of the following ways to be eligible to win:
    • Facebook: First, like the Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park page. Next, send us a private message including your contact information specified in rule #3.
    • E-mail: If you don’t have access to social media, you may email your digital photo with your contact information specified in rule #3 to [email protected].
  3. Every entry should be clearly labeled with the photographer’s name, city & state, a brief photo caption, an email address and the best phone number to reach you.
  4. Photos should be available at a minimum resolution of 1200 x 1600 pixels (1 MB minimum) to be eligible to win. Photos taken via smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices are welcome if they meet minimum requirements.
  5. For entries showing human faces, you must list their name(s) and have written permission from any photographed person(s) to use their image.
  6. Entries should reflect the photographer’s interpretation of the theme. Emphasis will be placed on quality, composition and creativity. All entries may be used in promotions of Chimney Rock and park-related activities.
  7. Digital images can be optimized but not dramatically altered with photo editing software. Black and white photographs are welcome.
  8. Finalists will be chosen by Chimney Rock staff and the winner will be voted on by the public. Decisions regarding winners are final.

Winners will be notified personally and announced on Chimney Rock’s social media. For more information, call 1-828-625-9611, ext. 1812 or email us at [email protected].

BREWS, BLUES + BRUNCH EVERY SUNDAY
Feb 27 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
The S&W Market

The S&W Market is hosting a weekly Brews & Blues series featuring Mr. Jimmy & Friends. From 1pm-4pm every Sunday, there will be beer and mimosa specials in Highland Brewing’s Downtown taproom and great live blues in the building. Also enjoy delicious brunch specials from all vendors!

Oilers vs. Hurricanes
Feb 27 @ 1:00 pm
PNC Arena

More Info for Hurricanes vs. Canadiens

TEDX ASHEVILLE 2022
Feb 27 @ 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Diana Wortham Theatre

Re-engaging the community, both local and global, with this year’s spirited theme – Building Bridges; Opening Doors:  Ideas To Invite Connection & Momentum Forward. We’re excited to hear from some inspiring innovators, optimists, and storytellers, each inviting us to expand our minds and what we think we know.

Sunday Live: Steve Lapointe
Feb 27 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Steve Lapointe’s nine years of classical piano as a youth grounded him in music theory. Jazz studies while in Ithaca, NY, opened his ears to extemporaneous improvisation and the music of Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Bill Evans, Michel Petrucciani and the American songbook. Steve served as musical director of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Beach, Florida, and occasionally performed at the UU Asheville congregation.

The Music of Tom Petty
Feb 27 @ 2:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse Leiman Mainstage

The Music of Tom Petty.jpg

The ‘Queen’ Boys are back with The Music of Tom Petty. You filled the houses in 2019 for their Eagles/Beatles concert, 2020’s The Music of Queen, and their 2021 SOLD OUT outdoor Stadium Concert. Now they’re back to bring you the iconic music of Tom Petty. “American Girl,” “Free Fallin,” “Breakdown,” “Don’t Do Me Like That,” “Runnin’ Down a Dream,” and so many more will fill the Leiman Mainstage! Join us for a rockin’ night with these enduring tunes and the incredible artists that will have you swooning and hungry for more!

 

 

Fight Girl Battle World
Feb 27 @ 2:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

2021-22 Season: Fight Girl Battle World

Set in a futuristic universe where humanity is nearly non-existent, Fight Girl Battle World revolves around E-V, a hardnosed prizefighter and the last known female human in the galaxy. Amidst the aliens and the androids, E-V must fight to keep the human race from being completely obliterated in this “delicious intergalactic theatrical space ride.”

Please come prepared to wear a mask for the entire performance. Masking requirements may change based on the recommendation of federal and/or state health officials; please check our website for ACT’s most up-to-date masking policy.


All tickets are subject to sales tax and a $3 ticketing system fee. All sales final. No exchanges or returns.

Oscar-Nominated Short Films: Documentary
Feb 27 @ 2:30 pm
Peace Center Gunter Theatre

Oscar Shorts

Lights, Camera, Action! 📽️ The Peace Center is proud to present screenings of the Oscar-Nominated Short Films in all three categories once again. Join us for the best of Animated, Live Action and Documentary February 25-27.*

With screenings of all three categories taking place each day, there are plenty of opportunities to catch the films that caught the Academy’s eye! Detailed synopses will be added as they become available.

*Please be advised that the Oscar-Nominated Short Films feature mature content that may not be appropriate for children. 

GREENVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA DVORAK’S “NEW WORLD”
Feb 27 @ 3:00 pm
Peace Concert Hall

Dvorak's "New World"

 

Jack of the Wood : Sunday-Irish Session
Feb 27 @ 3:00 pm
Jack of the Wood

 

Jack of the Wood : Sunday-Irish Session 

Sundays

1 till who knows when?

Traditional Irish music is kept alive at Jack of the Wood with our unplugged Sunday session.

Jack of the Wood

95 Patton ave

Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 252.5445

http://www.jackofthewood.com/

Parade and Queen’s Ball
Feb 27 @ 3:00 pm
South Slope Asheville

Parade and Queen’s Ball

This parade is our gift to the city, a zany, exuberant and irreverent downtown event in the dead of winter.

We invite residents to get together with friends, neighbors, and coworkers to create high-quality, surprising and entertaining entries, add upbeat music, and strut their stuff tossing those ubiquitous beads to the crowd. Zaniness, political satire, and amazing displays of populist art appreciated!

We love and respect our community, and Asheville is not Bourbon Street. Alcohol and nudity are not part of our twist on Mardi Gras in the mountains. We are promoting a fun, safe event for all ages – with a definite emphasis on FUN!

All are welcome to march or cheer on the marchers this February! 

2019 route map.jpg

EARLY SHOW: Charlie Starr featuring Benji Shanks
Feb 27 @ 6:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

EARLY SHOW: Charlie Starr featuring Benji Shanks

Charlie Starr is the lead singer and a founding member of legendary southern rock band Blackberry Smoke.

Pigeonholing Blackberry Smoke has never been easy. Since emerging from Atlanta in the early ‘00s, the quintet—vocalist/lead guitarist Charlie Starr, guitarist/vocalist Paul Jackson, bassist/vocalist Richard Turner, drummer Brit Turner and keyboardist Brandon Still—has become known for a singular sound indebted to classic rock, blues, country and folk.

This fluidity has paid off handsomely, in the form of two Billboard chart-topping country albums, 2015’s Holding All The Roses and 2016’s Like An Arrow. (For good measure, the latter also topped Billboard’s Americana/Folk album chart.)

Find A Light, Blackberry Smoke’s sixth studio album, doubles down on diversity. Songs hew toward easygoing roots-rock (“Run Away From It All”) and Southern rock stomps (“The Crooked Kind”), as well as stripped-down acoustic numbers (“I’ve Got This Song”) and bruising alt-country (“Nobody Gives A Damn”). Rich instrumental flourishes—keening fiddle, solemn organ and bar-band piano boogie—add further depth and resonance.

“That’s one of my favorite things about Blackberry Smoke albums—there’s a lot of variety,” Starr says. “My favorite albums through the years are built that way, too. I love a record that keeps you guessing. I love the fact that our records are sort of a ride, with different types of songs and different vibes.”

Oscar-Nominated Short Films: Live Action
Feb 27 @ 6:00 pm
Peace Center Gunter Theatre

Oscar Shorts

Lights, Camera, Action! 📽️ The Peace Center is proud to present screenings of the Oscar-Nominated Short Films in all three categories once again. Join us for the best of Animated, Live Action and Documentary February 25-27.*

With screenings of all three categories taking place each day, there are plenty of opportunities to catch the films that caught the Academy’s eye! Detailed synopses will be added as they become available.

*Please be advised that the Oscar-Nominated Short Films feature mature content that may not be appropriate for children. 

Sierra Nevada Career Fair
Feb 27 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Detroit Pistons
Feb 27 @ 7:00 pm
Spectrum Center

Logo for Charlotte Hornets   vs.  Logo for Detroit Pistons

 

TV: BALLY SPORTS SOUTHEAST – RADIO: CHARLOTTEWFNZ 610 AM/102.5 FM

 

 

 

DEATH ON THE NILE
Feb 27 @ 7:00 pm
Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co.

DEATH ON THE NILE - Friday, Saturday & Sunday - 7:00 pm Shows

** IMPORTANT INFO — MAKE SURE YOU PURCHASE THE CORRECT SHOWTIME! Eventbrite has changed their refund policy. We can refund the price of your ticket price, but Eventbrite will no longer refund their processing fees ($1.06 per ticket) so you will still be charged that fee.

Seating is first come, first seated as always with no reserved seating.

MOVIE SYNOPSIS:

While on vacation on the Nile, Hercule Poirot must investigate the murder of a young heiress. Based on the Agatha Christie novel, this is the sequel to the 2017 murder mystery smash hit, Murder on the Orient Express.

 

CONTENT GUIDELINE: Rated PG-13

 

RUNNING TIME = 2 hours 7 minutes

 

TICKET INFO:

You can purchase online tickets here on Eventbrite, but you can also purchase tickets at our 675 Merrimon Avenue location.

Watch this fantastic film in Asheville’s original dine-in theater. There are tables in front of our big, cushy theater seats. Order dinner from our huge diverse menu (vegan options!), and enjoy this rare cinematic experience with 140+ other fans of this film. Also, enjoy a huge selection some of the best local beer from the third oldest brewery in WNC!

 

FAQ…

WHAT ARE MY TRANSPORTATION/PARKING OPTIONS FOR GETTING TO AND FROM THE EVENT?

There is plenty of parking in front of the building, on each side, and also in a big parking lot behind the building. All parking is free. Asheville Pizza & Brewing on Merrimon Avenue is very easy to find. Only five minutes from I-26, I-240 and Downtown.

 

SHOULD I ARRIVE EARLY?

ABSOLUTELY!!! We strongly suggest you arrive at least 30 minutes early so you can order and get settled into your seat before the movie starts.

 

CAN I ORDER FOOD AND BEVERAGE INSIDE THE THEATER?

Yes! You can order anything from the diverse menu of Asheville Pizza & Brewing and drink any of Asheville Brewing Company’s delicious beers! The menu has pizza, burgers, sandwiches, salads, quesadillas, vegan options and more! The full menu can be found on our website.

 

IS THERE ANY PRE-SHOW ENTERTAINMENT?

Doors usually open one hour prior to the showtime with a pre-show collection of unique and funny videos playing before the movie begins. Regulars to our theater always arrive extra early to enjoy our pre-show which changes with each movie.

 

HOW CAN I CONTACT THE ORGANIZER WITH ANY QUESTIONS?

Email us at [email protected] if you have any questions. Please do not call our location as the staff who answers will likely not be able to know the answer.

 

DO I HAVE TO BRING MY PRINTED TICKET TO THE EVENT?

It isn’t necessary. After you purchase your ticket we will have your name on a list when you arrive, so we really only need the name the tickets were purchased with. You can also show us the email purchase confirmation on your phone, but you can bring in a printed ticket if you prefer.

 

Please check in at the ticket counter at least 20 minutes before showtime to find a good seat.

 

IS IT OKAY IF THE NAME ON MY TICKET REGISTRATION DOESN’T MATCH THE PERSON WHO ATTENDS?

Yes, just make sure they check in with whatever name the tickets were purchased under. We don’t ask for any identification, just the name for the tickets.

Bob Mould Solo Electric: Distortion and Blue Hearts!
Feb 27 @ 8:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

– 7PM DOORS / 8PM SHOW

 

– ALL AGES

 

– STANDING ROOM ONLY

BOB MOULD

Legendary musician Bob Mould announces his “Distortion and Blue Hearts!” tour starting September 16, 2021, in Boston at Paradise. The tour is in two parts. For the first three weeks, Bob will be joined by Jason Narducy on bass and drummer Jon Wurster. Beginning October 15 in Bloomington, IL, Mould will perform “Solo Distortion” electric shows (full run of dates and locations below).

On July 16, 2021, before any tour dates happen, Demon Music Group will conclude their year-long Bob Mould retrospective campaign with their fourth vinyl box, Distortion: Live. The 8 LP set includes live recordings from Mould’s solo career and his band Sugar.

PURCHASE DISTORTION: LIVE HERE

This box follows October 2020’s 8 LP Distortion: 1989-1995 vinyl set, which took in Mould’s early solo outings as well as his records with the much-beloved Sugar, January 2021’s 9 LP Distortion: 1996-2007 box set continuing through the next steps in Mould’s solo career and his outings as LoudBomb and Blowoff, April 2021’s 7 LP Distortion 2008-2019 covering District Line to Sunshine Rock, and the 24 CD Distortion: 1989-2019 box, which covers the entirety of his post-Hüsker Dü output.

Mould’s live shows will span his entire 40+ year career, including songs from the Distortion collection and from his landmark band Hüsker Dü, as well as songs from last year’s explosive and critically acclaimed album Blue Hearts — about which Rolling Stone’s 4 out of 5 star review raved, “feels like a lost Hüsker Dü album with Mould howling invective over his buzzsawing guitar.”

“It’s been a year and a half away from the stage. I’ve missed the noise, the sweat, and seeing your smiling faces. I’m fully vaccinated, and I hope you are too, because this Fall will be a punk rock party with the band — and the solo shows will be loud and proud as well. It’s time to make up lost time, reconnect, and celebrate together with live music!”

As with the previously released box sets in the Distortion collection, each album has been mastered by Jeff Lipton and Maria Rice at Peerless Mastering in Boston and is presented with brand new artwork designed by illustrator Simon Marchner and pressed on 140g clear vinyl with unique splatter effects. This box set includes 4 live albums: Live At The Cabaret Metro, 1989; the Sugar album The Joke Is Always On Us, Sometimes; LiveDog98 (first time on vinyl), and Live at ATP 2008 (first time on vinyl). In addition, the set includes a 28-page companion booklet featuring liner notes by journalist Keith Cameron; contributions from Bully’s Alicia Bognanno; rare photographs and memorabilia, and a bonus LP Distortion Plus: Live, which features live rarities including B-Sides and stand-out tracks from the Circle of Friends concert film.

Discover more about the box sets including full track listings and FAQs here:

Bob Mould: Distortion

 

H.C. McENTIRE

“Early rise, start the fire, till the rows, pass the tithes.” So starts H.C. McEntire’s sophomore release, Eno Axis. It’s a set of directions delivered with assurance and authority, reaching the listener without pretension almost as a sermon or spell. McEntire has always had one foot planted in the traditional country gospel roots of her upbringing while boldly wrestling with its complications, creating an Americana sound of her own. But that has never rung as true as it does now on the transcendent psalms of Eno Axis.

Unlike McEntire’s solo debut, LIONHEART, which was recorded in sporadic bouts and fits while she was touring, Eno Axis is firmly rooted in place. After two years working all over the world as a backup singer in Angel Olsen’s band, McEntire came home to a hundred-year-old farmhouse tucked away in the woods of Durham, North Carolina, right on the Eno River. Here, McEntire was able to refocus. Like the blue-collar Appalachian kin she descended from, her days were scheduled by the clockwork of the Earth’s rotation: splitting wood, stacking it, weeding and watering the garden, walking the dog past the bridge and back—and every evening on the front porch, watching dusk fall. Eno Axis emerges from this time as the strongest work McEntire has shared yet.

“To all the winds—hold high the hymnal, gather blessings by the fistful,” McEntire sings in her celebration of the Eno on “River’s Jaw.” McEntire doesn’t write lyrics; she writes poetry. Growing up in the tiny rural community of Green Creek, outside Tryon, North Carolina, she knows how to tell a story. And just as Loretta Lynn sang about watching her mama’s fingers bleed on the washboard in “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” McEntire, too, takes the listener by the hand and pulls them into her own experience. On “One Eye Open” McEntire revisits her childhood Sunday school room and reckons with Christian fundamentalism. On “Footman’s Coat,” she ruminates on time, biological clocks, and the path of possibilities left in her past.

Tracked and mixed at the Fidelitorium with a full backing band, many of the songs on Eno Axis feature scratch first takes of McEntire’s lead vocals, initially meant to be thrown out and redone. This rawness creates an immediacy, her self-assured, instinct- driven, and mesmerizing delivery complementing Eno Axis’ lush acoustics and warm tones. After a dreamy atmospheric interlude, “Time, On Fire” builds and retracts with a driving pop drum beat, exploring movement like the ebb and flow of a river, culminating in a soaring guitar solo. And just as a river’s current sometimes takes us somewhere unexpected, into new territory where we never knew we could go, Eno Axis closes with one of the album’s most revelatory experiences—a new, glossier cover of “Houses of the Holy” by Led Zeppelin. Under McEntire’s empowering reconstruction of this rock ’n’ roll classic, the masculine, driving signature guitar vanishes, and instead we’re left with one of the inimitable queer voices of our time bashfully asking, “Can I take you to the movies?”

With Eno Axis, H.C. McEntire establishes herself as a force to be reckoned with in the greater American musical landscape. These songs transcend country and gospel, folk and rock—they’re poems directed straight to the listener, simple psalms on how the sun falls, how the train passes, how love grows and bends. McEntire inspires us to find the stillness within our own lives—a remarkable clear-ringing declaration for our uncertain times.

Parquet Courts
Feb 27 @ 8:00 pm
The Orange Peel

Wide Awake! is New York’s Parquet Courts’ fifth record since their formation eight years ago. It’s also their most groundbreaking. It’s an album about independence and individuality but also about collectivity and communitarianism. Love is at its center. There’s also a freshness here, a breaking of new territory that’s testament to the group’s restless spirit.

In part, this may be attributed to the fact that it’s produced by Brian Burton, better known as Danger Mouse, but it’s also simply a triumph of their songwriter’s art. The songs, written by Austin Brown and Andrew Savage are filled with their traditional punk rock passion, as well as a lyrical tenderness, but are elevated to even greater heights by the dynamic rhythmic propulsion of Max Savage (drums) and Sean Yeaton (bass).

The plan from the start was to introduce new musical ideas previously unexplored by the band. These were varied. For Brown, a few of the touchstones were Grace Jones, The Upsetters, Townes Van Zandt, Parliament and Augustus Pablo. For Savage though, the soundtrack to the sessions in Electric Lady Studios in New York and later at Sonic Ranch in Texas, was different.

LATE SHOW: Charlie Starr featuring Benji Shanks
Feb 27 @ 9:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

LATE SHOW: Charlie Starr featuring Benji Shanks

Charlie Starr is the lead singer and a founding member of legendary southern rock band Blackberry Smoke.

Pigeonholing Blackberry Smoke has never been easy. Since emerging from Atlanta in the early ‘00s, the quintet—vocalist/lead guitarist Charlie Starr, guitarist/vocalist Paul Jackson, bassist/vocalist Richard Turner, drummer Brit Turner and keyboardist Brandon Still—has become known for a singular sound indebted to classic rock, blues, country and folk.

This fluidity has paid off handsomely, in the form of two Billboard chart-topping country albums, 2015’s Holding All The Roses and 2016’s Like An Arrow. (For good measure, the latter also topped Billboard’s Americana/Folk album chart.)

Find A Light, Blackberry Smoke’s sixth studio album, doubles down on diversity. Songs hew toward easygoing roots-rock (“Run Away From It All”) and Southern rock stomps (“The Crooked Kind”), as well as stripped-down acoustic numbers (“I’ve Got This Song”) and bruising alt-country (“Nobody Gives A Damn”). Rich instrumental flourishes—keening fiddle, solemn organ and bar-band piano boogie—add further depth and resonance.

“That’s one of my favorite things about Blackberry Smoke albums—there’s a lot of variety,” Starr says. “My favorite albums through the years are built that way, too. I love a record that keeps you guessing. I love the fact that our records are sort of a ride, with different types of songs and different vibes.”

Monday, February 28, 2022
— NURTURING CHILDREN — BLACK HISTORY MONTH READING LIST
Feb 28 all-day
online

It is our hope that the many accomplishments that Black people have made, and continue to make in this country, are celebrated every day of the year as Black history IS American History. Beyond that, we challenge everyone to consider, not just the momentous, exceptional, or singular figures but to truly celebrate Blackness. Visit our blog post designed with our partners at Read2Suceed that includes a children’s reading list of both historic characters and Black characters to add to your child’s library.

2022 Issues Survey, It’s Vital We Hear From Your Downtown Business
Feb 28 all-day
online
Twice each year, we survey our membership and the downtown business community. Surveys are an important tool in gathering feedback from our members. The results will be presented at our State of Downtown Luncheon on Tuesday, March 8.

The survey takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. This survey is focused on downtown businesses. We want to hear from owners and employees alike, so please share with your staff. **We hope to work with partners to develop at survey for residents later in the year.

Access the survey here.

Survey data is shared with City Council, County Commission and appropriate staff. It is also discussed at meetings with partners and other organizations working towards solutions. It’s important that we hear from as many businesses as possible.

Apply for a Preservation Grant Today!
Feb 28 all-day
online w/Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County
The Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County
  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
  1. Public Education
Development of educational materials and programs that advance knowledge of our shared history
  1. Planning, Survey and Designation
Planning and design for building rehabilitation and restoration projects, historic resource surveys and local or national designations
Apply for Justice Resource Advisory Council
Feb 28 all-day
online

Are you looking for a great way to get involved with your community and make a difference? Board, committee, and commission members aid the governing process by keeping Buncombe County in touch with the ideas and attitudes of our community. They help provide direction for the allocation of funds, the provision of human services, protection of residents, property, and our natural resources.

Public input is vitally important to the success of our County, and right now Buncombe County has vacancies on a number of boards and commissions. Learn more about vacancies, deadlines to apply, and the application process at buncombecounty.org/transparency.

Featured Board & Commission vacancies

Justice Resource Advisory Council: Leveraging best practices to increase system efficiency, promote public safety & community wellness.

Are you interested in the inner workings of Buncombe County’s criminal justice system? The Justice Resource Advisory Council (JRAC) is seeking one at-large community member.

JRAC is a collaborative initiative and advisory body with leadership from Buncombe County and representatives from the criminal justice and court system focusing on systemic planning and coordination for crucial needs in the criminal justice system. JRAC examines potential improvements to the system, sets priorities, makes recommendations, and guides their implementation. Top priorities are:

  • Jail population reduction
  • Diverting individuals with mental illness and substance abuse into treatment
  • Increasing court efficiency
  • Data integration
  • Community engagement
  • Addressing racial and ethnic disparities
  • Juvenile justice
  • Re-entry support

The JRAC meets the first Friday of February, April, June, August, October, and December at 12:30 p.m. at 200 College Street Ground Floor, unless otherwise announced.  Apply online here.

Current Buncombe County Boards & Commissions vacancies

  • Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee: 1 vacancy, Deadline Jan. 11, 2022
  • Agricultural Advisory Board: 1 vacancy, Until filled
  • Justice Resource Advisory Council: 1 vacancy (community member at-large) Until filled
  • Homeless Initiative:  1 vacancy; Until filled
  • Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC):  1 vacancy (1 person under the age of 21 years or a member of the public representing the interests of families of youth at-risk of justice involvement); 1 vacancy (member of faith community); 1 vacancy (community member at-large); 1 vacancy (representative of Parks & Recreation) Until filled
  • Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee: Ongoing need
  • Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee: Ongoing need
Asheville City’s Homeless Initiative: Point-In-Time Count Dashboard Launch
Feb 28 all-day
online
homelessness
Point-In-Time Count

Point in Time (PIT) Count Dashboard and Web Page Available on the City of Asheville Website

 

2021 Point in Time (PIT) count data is now available on the City of Asheville website.  The PIT data is displayed via dashboard, and presents numbers on those experiencing homelessness, either in emergency shelter, transitional housing or who are unsheltered. The 2022 Point in Time Count happened on January 25, and this dashboard will be updated with the new data later in the spring.

 

Each year, the City of Asheville, in collaboration with a number of local organizations that focus on housing insecurity, collects data on the people in our community that are experiencing homelessness in the annual Point in Time (PIT) count. The data collected are aggregated, with identifying information removed, and then are reported to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which requires that all communities that receive HUD funding to address homelessness conduct an annual PIT Count. This count is a one night “snapshot” that, when taken each year, can provide an overview of the population and trends over time.

 

“Understanding who is homeless in our community and what their needs are is essential in the work of ending homelessness.  We’re excited to partner with the Office of Data and Performance to share this information with the community so that stakeholders can be empowered with the data we all need to develop strategies that move the needle on homelessness,” stated Emily Ball, Homeless Services System Performance Lead for the City of Asheville.

 

The dashboard displays information on homeless Asheville residents broken down by sheltered status and race. Visitors to the webpage can explore the data further by clicking the link at the bottom of the dashboard, which navigates to a spreadsheet where the data is broken down by gender, ethnicity, and veteran’s status, as well as the number of people who are chronically homeless in our community. The dashboard is a collaborative effort between the City’s Homeless Initiative in the Community and Economic Development department and the Office of Data & Performance in IT Services.

The PIT Dashboard and information regarding its findings are located on the City of Asheville’s website.  For more information on the City’s Homeless Initiative, contact Brian Huskey ([email protected]) or Emily Ball ([email protected]). For information on affordable housing, emergency housing, rental assistance or down payment assistance, or to learn how to assist our homeless community, please call 211. The service is free, confidential and available in any language.

Asheville Gallery of Art’s February 2022 Exhibit; New Members Show
Feb 28 all-day
Asheville Gallery of Art

Asheville Gallery of Art’s February show, “Time for Renewal” will feature works by three new gallery members: Kathy Goodson, Margie Kluska, and Johnnie Stanfield. The show will run February 1-28 during gallery hours, 11am-6pm. An event to meet the artists will be held at the gallery on First Friday, February 4, from 5-8pm at 82 Patton Avenue.

This show represents a seasonal reset. What is to come will be better. We have had our time to pause, and now it is time to refresh. For the earth, this is Spring, a time for new growth. In February, the light begins to change, and shadows shift. Underlying it all is the promise of our renewal.

Kathy Goodson
Color is one of Kathy’s visual languages. She captures the drama of her botanical flowers and leaves so they appear to leap off the painting…a visual feast in silk and dye or encaustic. The thrill of creating something unexpected is an elixir to her, with reds and fuchsia being her favorites. When creating an abstract, she begins by thinking about color, then a story begins to grow, which leads to a visual symbol or image, loaded with meaning related to the story. All of this happens before she puts the first brush stroke on the silk or
the wood. Her process is interactive, and she lets the painting create, then lead her.
“Color captivates me especially when winter begins to change into spring. The Lenten Rose is the first to emerge in late winter, with subtle and muted colors…unlike the later flowers of spring and summer.”

Margie Kluska
Margie has been drawing since she was a child. She enjoys studying the works of the classical artists and Hudson River School painters, and she has only recently taken up oil painting. Her inspiration is taken from nature, landscapes, wildlife, and flora. Living surrounded by the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains has inspired her to paint views that take one’s breath away. Distant mountain ranges, glorious sunsets, soaring hawks, and ever-changing weather patterns offer her extensive references which she captures on canvas. Her style, “loose realism”, captures the reality of each scene with a slight bent towards Impressionism.
“Light affects our moods. Whether it’s a sunrise, sunset, or storm clouds parting to expose a blue sky, our moods are instantly transformed.”

Johnnie Stanfield
An award-winning artist, Johnnie is known for her colorful, vivid watercolor and acrylic paintings of horses, fishing lure studies, and local landscapes. She is inspired by the emotion created when she sees an object or something in nature that recalls a past memory. She is then compelled to paint it, to convey and share that feeling with the viewer. Johnnie will paint a subject in watercolor to give it a softer feel so the viewer can devote their own emotion to the painting or add to the emotion she has created. If it is detailed, she will usually use acrylic or oil. Her paintings hang in private collections throughout the Southeast.
”Sheltering in Place” was inspired by my cat, during the shelter in place mandate in Spring, 2020. Like all of us, we waited for the sunshine, to renew our spirit and celebrate its warmth, while wondering when we could go back out into the world and resume our life as usual.”

For further information about this show, please contact the Asheville Gallery of Art at (828) 251-5796, visit the gallery’s website at www.ashevillegallery-of-art.com, or go to the gallery’s Facebook page.

Asheville Outlets’ Virtual Food Drive for MANNA FoodBank
Feb 28 all-day
online

Thanks for Supporting Asheville Outlets’ Virtual Food Drive for MANNA FoodBank

Asheville: We need your help! at the future Karen Cragnolin Park
Feb 28 all-day
future Karen Cragnolin Park

We’re looking for a team of dedicated volunteers to commit to monthly service days at the site of the future Karen Cragnolin Park. Volunteers will work outside at a safe social distance to remove invasive species. We will be working in groups of 15 or less and wearing masks to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

If you are interested in helping please fill out this survey (link below) so we can determine the best day and time to offer this monthly day of service.

Karen Cragnolin Park Update: We are delighted to report that the remediation of Karen Cragnolin Park (KCP) – named in honor of our visionary founder – is complete, and that we are initiating the first phase of the project by constructing the park’s greenway and an accompanying landscaped corridor. This will activate and connect the park (to the two adjacent greenways) and continue the journey of bringing the park fully online. Our goal with this phase is to create a beautiful aesthetic corridor with carefully selected plantings and design elements accompanied by educational, cultural and historical signage for people to experience as they move through the park. This phase is projected to cost approximately $1 million and will be achieved through individual donors and institutional and grant funding. Construction will begin when funding commitments are secured. To learn more about supporting our efforts please contact me at [email protected].

KC Park Greenway
Current plans for phase one with the installation of the new greenway.

As background, the 5.3 acre site was formerly home to the EDACO junkyard for over 50 years. Located adjacent to the French Broad River and bounded by Amboy Road, the car crushing operation contaminated the land and water with oil, gas, grease and antifreeze. RiverLink worked with experts to implement an extensive soil remediation process to restore the land.

Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architecture’s vision for KCP is bold and transformative. Upon full completion, KCP will serve as one of the missing links in the larger open space and greenway system, connecting Carrier Park to French Broad River Park. KCP will offer a contemplative and rejuvenating space that honors the natural and cultural history of the site while providing access to the water’s edge. The park will also stabilize riparian edges, collect and slow stormwater, and promote a wide range of habitats. The completed project will embrace the concept of a “living laboratory” – an outdoor classroom that makes the dynamic riparian and ecological processes visible. An educational, stimulating, and enjoyable park experience will cultivate a community invested in the long-term stewardship of the river and the park system for generations to come. Please see our website for the Master Plan and complete vision.

BE THE CHANGE, BUY A MURAL
Feb 28 all-day
online

Buy one of these murals for yourself or to donate to a local organization (make sure you check with them first), and keep the good work going! All proceeds from this auction will be split evenly between The Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County’s COPE Program and the Asheville Area Arts Council’s Arts Build Community Grant. Auction ends February 28.

Following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN, on May 25, 2020, protests broke out across the nation. Floyd was killed after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly 9 minutes. In response, hundreds of protestors gathered in downtown Asheville from May 29- June 6, 2020, with cries for justice and change.

During this time, Lowe’s Home Improvement generously donated plywood for downtown business owners to cover their storefronts while Asheville had its own reckoning. Business owners and artists seized this opportunity to lend their support for needed changes by painting murals on the plywood covering downtown businesses. Local muralists Gus Cutty, Kathryn Crawford, and Dustin Spagnola were the driving force behind this initiative.

When it came time for the murals to come down, local artists Evar Hecht and Ben Nelson had the foresight to collect and temporarily store these works, gathering over 150 pieces of plywood. The Asheville Area Arts Council, with the help of Dogwood Health Trust, then stepped in to move the murals to a secure, climate-controlled storage facility and worked with Aisha Adams of Equity Over Everything to determine next steps.

After several COVID setbacks, the arts council is proud to have partnered with the Martin Luther King Jr Association of Asheville and Buncombe County to present this virtual exhibition, auction and speaker series. It is our hope that the proceeds from the auction will support continued change and healing  in our community.

Thank you to Dogwood Health Trust for generously providing the funding to make this project possible, and to the artists and business owners for donating their time and energy to capture this moment in our history.

A video about the exhibition is featured as part of the 41st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration.

Black HERSTORY Month
Feb 28 all-day
online

#BlackHerstoryMonth is this month! 🎉 The perspectives of #BlackFeminists have consistently transformed the fights for gender equity and racial justice to ensure we can continue to build a world of equity, justice, and freedom for all. That’s why, all month, we’re celebrating Black feminism and centering the work of powerful Black sheroes past and present doing the critical intersectional work to #EliminateRacism and #EmpowerWomen. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram all month long as we center the unsung legacy of Black feminism: from Jane Crow to Intersectionality.