Calendar of Events

Discover the beauty of the Appalachia’s both wild and rural. Your day begins with the expansive views of Chimney Rock State Park where your group is welcome to enjoy one of the many leisure or intensive hiking trails on the property. Lunch at the award-winning Old Rock Cafe is included with this package to enjoy at your leisure after 11am. At 2pm, join the park’s animal educators for the Animal Encounter, an interactive experience where you can touch, feel, and learn about the wildlife at the park. After meeting the animals of the wild, your group will drive an easy 20 minutes North up 74A for the evening portion of your day trip.

Starting at 4pm, your evening encounter begins with an in-depth tour of the farm’s history and agricultural model along with a meet-and-greet of our farm animals. Choose our standard top-tier tour or upgrade to a horseback ride for an intimate farm experience. Immediately following the tour, your group will be treated to a plated Farm-to-Fork meal prepared by our expert catering chef including an adult beverage of your choice. Finish the day with engaging conversations and gorgeous long-range views as the sun sets.

There’s more than Chunky Monkey and New York Super Fudge Chunk in downtown Asheville’s Ben & Jerry’s this summer.

Art created by Vance Elementary School fifth grade students of art educator Robbie Lipe is now on display on the brick walls opposite the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. The exhibit depicts the students’ interpretation of the artist Kehinde Wiley and the contemporary portraits he creates inspired by traditional Baroque paintings. It will be featured through the end of the summer.

“Ben & Jerry’s is excited about showcasing art from the community inside our scoop shop,” said general manager Chris Carter. “Making use of our walls to show what local artists are creating complements our social mission — to be actively involved in the places we live and do business. I hope this is the first of many art exhibits on our walls.”

Carter gave all the credit for the exhibit to Ms. Lipe, who teaches kindergarten through 5th-grade students at Vance Elementary. She was named the North Carolina Arts Educators Association “Art Educator of the Year” in 2017-2018.

Ben & Jerry’s is located at 19 Haywood Street. Current hours are Monday-Thursday 12 pm to 10 pm; Friday 12 pm – 11 pm; Saturday 11:30 am – 11 pm; Sunday 11:30 am – 10 pm.

For more information, call Carter at 310-601-6247.

Did you know that the Development Services Department offers training opportunities for professional development? Classes are held at Wesley Grant Sr. South Center, 285 Livingston St, Asheville, NC 28801 (unless noted otherwise).

Below is a list of upcoming classes:

• Mechanical Code Class: Sept. 3 and 10, 1 to 4 p.m. (tentative dates). Cost: $65.
• National Electrical Code (NEC) Class for Contractors: Oct. 14-15, 6 to 10 p.m. Cost: $80.
• Electrical Journeyman Test: Oct. 15, 8 a.m. to noon. Cost: $50.
• Building Code Class: Nov. 5 and 12 (tentative dates), 1 to 4 p.m. Cost: $65.
• Plumbing Code Class: Dec. 3 and 10, 1 to 4 p.m. (tentative dates). Cost: $65.

You can’t beat a walk with a friend over good conversation. So, why not take a walk with lots of friends and a history expert to boot? Buncombe County Libraries is excited to announce its Strolling Through History program focused on getting you moving while taking in some experiential history. “Each one of the strolls is a little different. We’ll talk about the evolution of the architecture, famous (or not quite so famous) residents, important events, and more,” explains Pack Memorial Librarian Katherine Calhoun Cutshall. “On our Haywood Street stroll, we talked about how the street has seen two major rebirths and discussed the careers of two WWI nurses who grew up on the street while it was mostly residential.”

Pack Librarians are always looking for innovative ways to showcase the library’s portfolio of initiatives and resources. “The North Carolina Room is a hidden gem in our library system, so programs like Strolling Through History bring the collection to the streets of downtown while showing off resources and programs in a fun new way,” notes Katherine. And of course, exercising your muscles and social skills are important at any age

So, how can you get involved with the monthly Strolling Through History? There are two versions: one for elder adults and one for babies and their caregivers. If you’re interested in participating, the elder adults strolls are the third Friday of every month, and the babies and caretakers strolls are the third Wednesday of every month (except July). All strolls will meet at Pack Memorial Library at 10:30 a.m., and participants should wear comfortable shoes and bring water to stay hydrated. Registration is required. 

Select a wine on draft and fill a plēb urban winery 500mL or 1L growler for a reduced price (see menu for availability and pricing). Growler purchase is separate. Carry out only.

https://www.facebook.com/events/859748727719594/?event_time_id=859748847719582

Surf N Brew will donate 10% of the night’s proceeds to support WCCA’s Etowah
Children’s Center.

The 2019 recipient is WCCA’s Etowah Children’s Center which provides Head Start,
Early Head Start and NC Pre-K childcare to children 1 month old to 5 years of low
income families. Proceeds raised will help fund improvements to the 245 Brickyard Rd.,
Etowah facility including the purchase of 3 outdoor playground shade structures,
outdoor learning environment equipment and children’s books.

Ladies, please join us the first Thursday of every month** for great wine, great friends, and lots of fun!

**July’s event will not be held because of the 4th.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2190909954570744/?event_time_id=2190909984570741

Each September, Historic Biltmore Village businesses and volunteers join to host Farm to Village – Dining Under the Stars in celebration of the unique history and personality of the Village community and its connection to local farms. This year’s event takes place on Thursday, September 5th at 6pm. Guests will dine under the stars at a 150’ long feasting table set in the middle of Boston Way. Cocktails begin at 6pm while guests can visit with chefs. Dinner starts at 7pm, and live music will be provided by local favorite, Texas Peat.

Proceeds will support MANNA FoodBank!

Tickets are $115 per person (to include food and alcohol) and only 100 tickets are available!

Buncombe County and the City of Asheville recognize the urgency of fighting climate change. Over the past 18 months, both the City of Asheville and Buncombe County have passed resolutions committing the city and county to power their government operations with 100% renewable energy by 2030 and for the entire county to be powered by 100% renewable energy by 2042. Brownie Newman, Chair of the Buncombe County Commission, and Julie Mayfield of the Asheville City Council will talk about the city and county’s plans and initiatives to begin the process of meeting these goals. This event is free and open to the public.

You can’t beat a walk with a friend over good conversation. So, why not take a walk with lots of friends and a history expert to boot? Buncombe County Libraries is excited to announce its Strolling Through History program focused on getting you moving while taking in some experiential history. “Each one of the strolls is a little different. We’ll talk about the evolution of the architecture, famous (or not quite so famous) residents, important events, and more,” explains Pack Memorial Librarian Katherine Calhoun Cutshall. “On our Haywood Street stroll, we talked about how the street has seen two major rebirths and discussed the careers of two WWI nurses who grew up on the street while it was mostly residential.”

Pack Librarians are always looking for innovative ways to showcase the library’s portfolio of initiatives and resources. “The North Carolina Room is a hidden gem in our library system, so programs like Strolling Through History bring the collection to the streets of downtown while showing off resources and programs in a fun new way,” notes Katherine. And of course, exercising your muscles and social skills are important at any age

So, how can you get involved with the monthly Strolling Through History? There are two versions: one for elder adults and one for babies and their caregivers. If you’re interested in participating, the elder adults strolls are the third Friday of every month, and the babies and caretakers strolls are the third Wednesday of every month (except July). All strolls will meet at Pack Memorial Library at 10:30 a.m., and participants should wear comfortable shoes and bring water to stay hydrated. Registration is required. 

Join long-time composter and Master Gardener Intern, John Bowen, for a hands-on composting workshop. Participants will learn about cold- and hot-composting, ratios of green to brown, what can and cannot be composted, how to build a proper compost pile, trouble-shooting composting problems and so much more. This workshop will get you energized to start your own composting system at home.

The workshop will be held, rain or shine, on Sept. 7 at 10 am at Dr. John Wilson Community Garden, 99 White Pine Drive in Black Mountain. Please bring a hat, camping chair, and water. This hour long presentation is free and sponsored by Black Mountain Blooms Seed Lending Library and Buncombe County Extension Master Garden Volunteers. We welcome you to be apart of our growing community! For any questions, contact Black Mountain Library 828-250-4756.

Attention all knights, pages, jesters, jousters, kings, queens, princesses and princes! Get your costumes ready, and come out and have some fun on September 7th! Boys, girls, moms, dads, come one, come all to the First Annual Renaissance Fair at the Farm. We have all sorts of fun demonstrations planned, such as fencing, sword fighting, and juggling. Other activities to be announced, including a costume contest!

Having a good story is one thing. Being able to organize your content and deliver it is another. Clarifying our message and presenting it with passion and confidence is crucial for engagement and success.

In this half-day workshop, participants will be guided through experiential and engaging activities on storytelling, delivery skills, performance tips and speech crafting.

Working in small groups and individually, attendees will have an opportunity to practice, hone and perform for each other. You’ll walk away with applicable tools for a winning presentation.

Come prepared with a 3-minute, written presentation about your organization. During the workshop with Barrie, you will have an opportunity to hone your content, practice applying delivery skills to your presentation and perform it for a small group of other attendees.

Instructor Barrie Barton:
Whether it is through delivering your signature speech, pitching an idea to potential clients or performing your authentic stories, Barrie Barton is dedicated to the art of personal and professional engagement, communication and expression.  Through the empowering tools of presentation skills, stories and messages that matter, Barrie guides clients to discover and transform their true confidence, amplify their personal presence, powerfully deliver their message so they may flourish though positive engagement in the world. As the founder and lead facilitator of Stand and Deliver Asheville, a presence-based public speaking and communication skills coaching program for professionals, organizations and entrepreneurs, Barrie combine’s highly developed and insightful perspectives of body language, presentation mastery and adult learning methods with a talent and passion to motivate and encourage clients to reach their finest potential.

Did you know that the Development Services Department offers training opportunities for professional development? Classes are held at Wesley Grant Sr. South Center, 285 Livingston St, Asheville, NC 28801 (unless noted otherwise).

Below is a list of upcoming classes:

• Mechanical Code Class: Sept. 3 and 10, 1 to 4 p.m. (tentative dates). Cost: $65.
• National Electrical Code (NEC) Class for Contractors: Oct. 14-15, 6 to 10 p.m. Cost: $80.
• Electrical Journeyman Test: Oct. 15, 8 a.m. to noon. Cost: $50.
• Building Code Class: Nov. 5 and 12 (tentative dates), 1 to 4 p.m. Cost: $65.
• Plumbing Code Class: Dec. 3 and 10, 1 to 4 p.m. (tentative dates). Cost: $65.

Learn how to turn food scraps and livestock wastes into a clean, renewable source of cooking gas for your home or homestead. Biogas or methane digesters are used in rural communities throughout the world to provide burnable fuel where natural gas is either unpredictable or isn’t readily available.

Richard Freudenberger of Living Web Farms will walk participants through the process of converting kitchen scraps, garden discards, culls, and animal manures into methane-rich gas that can be used in place of natural gas or propane for a wide variety of applications on or off-grid. With every two pounds of organic material (including fats and meats), the farm’s home-scale biogas digester can produce about an hour’s worth of gas through the continuous action of anerobic bacteria, leaving behind a nutrient-rich liquid tea. By the end of the class, participants will understand how the process works, what materials are needed to produce and process the biogas, how to safely maintain a biogas system, what to expect from production throughout the year, and how to use the gas in various lights and appliances. Both commercial kits and home-built systems will be discussed to give attendees a wide range of opportunity to create their own systems.

You can’t beat a walk with a friend over good conversation. So, why not take a walk with lots of friends and a history expert to boot? Buncombe County Libraries is excited to announce its Strolling Through History program focused on getting you moving while taking in some experiential history. “Each one of the strolls is a little different. We’ll talk about the evolution of the architecture, famous (or not quite so famous) residents, important events, and more,” explains Pack Memorial Librarian Katherine Calhoun Cutshall. “On our Haywood Street stroll, we talked about how the street has seen two major rebirths and discussed the careers of two WWI nurses who grew up on the street while it was mostly residential.”

Pack Librarians are always looking for innovative ways to showcase the library’s portfolio of initiatives and resources. “The North Carolina Room is a hidden gem in our library system, so programs like Strolling Through History bring the collection to the streets of downtown while showing off resources and programs in a fun new way,” notes Katherine. And of course, exercising your muscles and social skills are important at any age

So, how can you get involved with the monthly Strolling Through History? There are two versions: one for elder adults and one for babies and their caregivers. If you’re interested in participating, the elder adults strolls are the third Friday of every month, and the babies and caretakers strolls are the third Wednesday of every month (except July). All strolls will meet at Pack Memorial Library at 10:30 a.m., and participants should wear comfortable shoes and bring water to stay hydrated. Registration is required. 

Select a wine on draft and fill a plēb urban winery 500mL or 1L growler for a reduced price (see menu for availability and pricing). Growler purchase is separate. Carry out only.

https://www.facebook.com/events/859748727719594/?event_time_id=859748851052915