Asheville Outlets will again host the Venardos Circus, a Broadway-style animal-free circus, with its all-new “Let’s Build a Dream” Tour from November 2-19, 2023. This season the wondrous Venardos Circus cast will take audiences on a journey under the big top as it unveils a fresh, magical, and all-new experience for fans. The show features an original score, amazing performers, stunning lighting, and dazzling costumes. The 2023 Venardos Circus is traveling with a new, custom-crafted, Italian-made red-and-white striped tent that offers expanded seating around a central stage for an immersive experience.

Additionally, Venardos Circus will host a special Sensory Friendly Performance on Saturday, November 4 at 11am. General Admission tickets start at $16.95 for youth under age 12 and $27.95 for adults. For schedules and more information, please visit VenardosCircus.com or ShopAshevilleOutlets.com.

Did you know you could take a course in the Cherokee language for free with your library card?

Buncombe County Public Libraries offers access to Transparent Languages for online language instruction from home computers, laptops and mobile devices. To log in, your ID is your library card number and your PIN is the last four digits of your phone number.

Transparent Languages partners with 7,000 Languages, a nonprofit organization working to empower communities around the world to sustain their endangered languages. As a result of this collaboration, the library can offer free instructional courses for over 25 indigenous languages, including Cherokee.

Cherokee is spoken by about 2,000 people mainly in Western North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. 7,000 Languages partnered with the Cherokee PINS Project Foundation to create two beginner Cherokee courses. The Cherokee Alphabet Course teaches the shapes, names, and pronunciation of the Cherokee syllabary. The Cherokee Beginner Course introduces learners to a common, practical language that they can hear, write, and speak throughout the course. Language learners can practice their listening and speaking skills with voice recognition software guided by native speakers.

Both of these courses, along with hundreds of other language courses, are available free with your library card. If you have any questions, let us know.

We love contra dance, and nobody gets paid for making the dances happen. We all just pitch in. You can too. Here’s how it works:

• Help us OPEN or CLOSE, and dance for free all night long! It only takes 30 minutes to an hour.
• Help us at the DOOR, and dance for free half the night AND another whole night!

ALSO – if you want to volunteer on a regular basis, e.g. work the early door every 3rd Thursday, tell us and we’ll set that up!

The Volunteer page on the OFB website has a convenient, easy-to-use sign-up form for each of our dances.

Kayla Birstein is our volunteer coordinator. If you have questions or ideas about volunteering, contact info is on the Volunteer page.

Volunteer Opportunities

Early Host: Arrive by 7:15, greet the sound tech, band, and caller. Get into the safe, take out the starter money, count and fill out pay-out sheet. And advise/supervise volunteers.

Openers (3 people needed): Early Arrive by 7:15 pm, check in with Early Host, sweep the hall, set up chairs, make sure the bathrooms are clean and stocked.

Early Door Person (2 people needed): Arrive by 7:30 check, in with Early Host, work when needed to take money at the door. Alternate with your other door people and Early host to switch off who sits and who dances. Goes ’til 9:00pm.

Closers (3 people needed): Job time: 10 minutes. Break down the hall, put away chairs, tables, sweep the floors, empty and take out trash. Check in with the Late Host to make sure everything is done

Late Host: Arrive by 9:30, check-in with Early Host, the pay-out form should be filled out. Dancers should pay full price until first contra after the waltz break. Count the money, do the payout, supervise breakdown and close the hall.

We need your help and the help of your network to make this holiday drive as successful as possible in putting new books into the hands of Buncombe County elementary and middle school students during the holiday break.

What better way to spread holiday cheer than by donating books? Imagine the joy on a child’s face when they receive a brand-new book. It’s like sprinkling a little bit of magic into their lives!

We’ve partnered with over a dozen local organizations serving K-12 students throughout the county. They’re eagerly waiting for book drop-offs like kids waiting for the first snowfall! 

You can make a positive impact right now by donating directly using the button below, or why not turn giving back into an outing?

Holiday Book Drive 2023 (givebutter.com)

Visit the Barnes & Noble on Tunnel Road at the Asheville Mall to shop in-store and donate them on the spot.

Asheville Outlets will again host the Venardos Circus, a Broadway-style animal-free circus, with its all-new “Let’s Build a Dream” Tour from November 2-19, 2023. This season the wondrous Venardos Circus cast will take audiences on a journey under the big top as it unveils a fresh, magical, and all-new experience for fans. The show features an original score, amazing performers, stunning lighting, and dazzling costumes. The 2023 Venardos Circus is traveling with a new, custom-crafted, Italian-made red-and-white striped tent that offers expanded seating around a central stage for an immersive experience.

Additionally, Venardos Circus will host a special Sensory Friendly Performance on Saturday, November 4 at 11am. General Admission tickets start at $16.95 for youth under age 12 and $27.95 for adults. For schedules and more information, please visit VenardosCircus.com or ShopAshevilleOutlets.com.

Did you know you could take a course in the Cherokee language for free with your library card?

Buncombe County Public Libraries offers access to Transparent Languages for online language instruction from home computers, laptops and mobile devices. To log in, your ID is your library card number and your PIN is the last four digits of your phone number.

Transparent Languages partners with 7,000 Languages, a nonprofit organization working to empower communities around the world to sustain their endangered languages. As a result of this collaboration, the library can offer free instructional courses for over 25 indigenous languages, including Cherokee.

Cherokee is spoken by about 2,000 people mainly in Western North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. 7,000 Languages partnered with the Cherokee PINS Project Foundation to create two beginner Cherokee courses. The Cherokee Alphabet Course teaches the shapes, names, and pronunciation of the Cherokee syllabary. The Cherokee Beginner Course introduces learners to a common, practical language that they can hear, write, and speak throughout the course. Language learners can practice their listening and speaking skills with voice recognition software guided by native speakers.

Both of these courses, along with hundreds of other language courses, are available free with your library card. If you have any questions, let us know.

We love contra dance, and nobody gets paid for making the dances happen. We all just pitch in. You can too. Here’s how it works:

• Help us OPEN or CLOSE, and dance for free all night long! It only takes 30 minutes to an hour.
• Help us at the DOOR, and dance for free half the night AND another whole night!

ALSO – if you want to volunteer on a regular basis, e.g. work the early door every 3rd Thursday, tell us and we’ll set that up!

The Volunteer page on the OFB website has a convenient, easy-to-use sign-up form for each of our dances.

Kayla Birstein is our volunteer coordinator. If you have questions or ideas about volunteering, contact info is on the Volunteer page.

Volunteer Opportunities

Early Host: Arrive by 7:15, greet the sound tech, band, and caller. Get into the safe, take out the starter money, count and fill out pay-out sheet. And advise/supervise volunteers.

Openers (3 people needed): Early Arrive by 7:15 pm, check in with Early Host, sweep the hall, set up chairs, make sure the bathrooms are clean and stocked.

Early Door Person (2 people needed): Arrive by 7:30 check, in with Early Host, work when needed to take money at the door. Alternate with your other door people and Early host to switch off who sits and who dances. Goes ’til 9:00pm.

Closers (3 people needed): Job time: 10 minutes. Break down the hall, put away chairs, tables, sweep the floors, empty and take out trash. Check in with the Late Host to make sure everything is done

Late Host: Arrive by 9:30, check-in with Early Host, the pay-out form should be filled out. Dancers should pay full price until first contra after the waltz break. Count the money, do the payout, supervise breakdown and close the hall.

We need your help and the help of your network to make this holiday drive as successful as possible in putting new books into the hands of Buncombe County elementary and middle school students during the holiday break.

What better way to spread holiday cheer than by donating books? Imagine the joy on a child’s face when they receive a brand-new book. It’s like sprinkling a little bit of magic into their lives!

We’ve partnered with over a dozen local organizations serving K-12 students throughout the county. They’re eagerly waiting for book drop-offs like kids waiting for the first snowfall! 

You can make a positive impact right now by donating directly using the button below, or why not turn giving back into an outing?

Holiday Book Drive 2023 (givebutter.com)

Visit the Barnes & Noble on Tunnel Road at the Asheville Mall to shop in-store and donate them on the spot.