Calendar of Events

Celebrate the arrival of autumn by immersing yourself in nature for a three hour gentle, guided walk in the woods with certified forest therapy guide, Melissa Loken. Deepen your connection with nature as you are guided through a series of invitations crafted to help disconnect from the busy-ness of living. Each invitation will give you the opportunity to slow down, relax and become aware of all your senses as you go as deep as you wish into connection with yourself and the natural world. Forest Bathing is a Japanese inspired wellness practice that has been proven to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, boost immune function, alleviate anxiety and depression, and leave participants feeling calm and relaxed. Forest bathing is a gentle practice in mindfulness or being present in the moment.

We’ll gather under the last evening skies of summer to observe the night sky and its wonders. Local astronomer Stephan Martin will give a tour of the stars and constellations of the summer sky while discussing some of their myths and the astronomical phenomena happening at this time. We may even see a few Taurid meteors cross our skies! All ages are welcome and no background in astronomy or science is required.

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. 

Community Garden located at the Buncombe County Sports Park.  
The mission of Sand HIll Community Garden is to share in garden space, knowledge, and labor with all members of the community.  Using organic growing practices we promote community health and wellness by providing fresh produce for garden members and local people in need of food.

Hickory Nut Gap Farm and the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) have joined together to celebrate all those interested in pursuing a career in agriculture.

On Thursday, September 26th from 5pm to 9pm, all new and future farmers are invited to spend the evening enjoying a buffet of farm-raised bbq, drinks, and fellowship. To start the evening, attendees will enjoy a guided square dancing icebreaker, followed by live music by Bull Moose Party and finally an update from the NYFC on their tireless efforts on capitol hill lobbying for young farmers.

“With the average age of farm owners in the U.S. approaching 60 and all of the food-related challenges ahead of us in the coming decades it can often feel hopeless and daunting to be involved with agriculture in the 21st century. But the truth is, there is hope, there are more and more young and beginning farmers joining our food system every day; but with such a decentralized form of production, these young farmers often don’t have many options to connect with each other, network, and feel encouraged,” says Hickory Nut Gap farm director, Asher Wright. “Here at HNG we have a great event space and kitchen with the capacity to host an event, and so we are very excited to welcome the next generation of producers to our farm to connect with each other and be assured that nobody is alone in this industry.”

5p-6pm: Mingle and Official Welcome

6pm-9pm: Complimentary dinner, drinks, live music

Dinner: BBQ, farm-to-fork sides, fresh breads all prepared by our culinary team at Hickory Nut Gap Farm

Drinks: Each attendee will receive two (2) complimentary drink tickets that can be used for beer, wine, or specialty soft drinks. Water and tea are unlimited. Additional beverages available to purchase.

Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.

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. 

“Fever Dreams”
Director: Rob Underhill (Carrboro, NC)
2nd Prize Feature film winner of the 25th annual Twin Rivers Media Festival
Four creepytales guaranteed to give you Fever Dreams…The Agent: an alcoholic screenplay middleman becomes trapped in acting out a nightmare scripted especially for him. The Entertainer: our host reveals on national television a tragic love story… and the contents of his coffee table. This is followed by a concise vignette on the importance of Timed Romance. The Cameraman: a wannabee movie-maker’s documentary turns into a real life horror story! Filmmakers, Director and Actors will attend the screening and be available for questions.
Doors open at 7:30 / Film begins at 8:00. Open donation.

Blue Ridge Pride is back and better than ever! The festivities begin on Friday evening with Friday in the Park, an opportunity for youth performers to showcase their talents on the stage at Pack Square Park!

A procession from Scandals Nightclub on Grove St. kicks off Saturday’s event at 10:00 a.m., come out and show your pride all the way from Scandals to Pack Square Park!

Finally, the festival begins at Pack Square Park at 11:00 a.m. The family-friendly environment features exciting vendors of all kinds, food, music at two different stages, dancing, performances, an inflatable bounce house, educational and community resources, and more!

Celebrate Oktoberfest in Hendersonville with games, food, music, and of course great beer! Things to do for all ages. Small entrance fee at gate. You don’t want to miss this event!

Join us for a night of celebration and fun October 2nd for our second annual Catch the Wave event hosted by RiverLink! We’ll have live music provided by The Barsters, awesome raffles, food, refreshments, and informational sessions providing updates on the project.

All proceeds from the event will help build the Greenway & Blueway so grab your friends and get ready for a good time!

For more information and tickets please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/woodfin-greenway-blueway-2nd-annual-catch-the-wave-celebration-tickets-69998580639

Special thanks to our amazing co-hosts: Asheville GreenWorks, MountainTrue, Connect Buncombe, and French Broad River Academy

RiverLink is the proud fundraising partner of the Town of Woodfin and Buncombe County Greenways.
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AWESOME RAFFLE PRIZES
Grand Prize Items:
Homeslice Whitewater Kayak from Liquidlogic Kayaks
Raft, Zipline, Yurt Package from Wildwater Ltd.
Bike from Motion Makers Bicycle Shop
Jackson Cruise FlexDrive Fishing Kayak from Southern Raft Supply
Alloy Rim Wheelset and stem by Industry Nine

There will also be a dozen additional runner-up prizes

There will be a separate drawings for each. Raffle participants will put their ticket(s) toward whichever item(s) they wish.

**** YOU NEED NOT BE PRESENT TO WIN**** For those unable to attend the event, tickets for the raffle may be purchased online, and we’ll enter them for you. Winners will be notified by email.
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*Children 12 and under may attend at no charge.

Learn more about the project at https://riverlink.org/

Community Garden located at the Buncombe County Sports Park.  
The mission of Sand HIll Community Garden is to share in garden space, knowledge, and labor with all members of the community.  Using organic growing practices we promote community health and wellness by providing fresh produce for garden members and local people in need of food.

Let your little light shine for The SPARC Foundation as we sparkle and glow (feel free to wear your boldest and brightest) along the French Broad River! Hosted by Asheville Affiliates, SPARC After Dark will light up the night to raise funds for programs working to keep people out of institutional care. Modern Strangers will fill the autumn air with high-energy music… and the event will overflow with tasty local food and drinks from Urban Orchard, Roots Hummus, Catabaw Brewing, Mellow Mushroom, and more. Expect spectacular raffle packages and local prizes.

The SPARC Foundation

Catapult is, technically, a shadow dance company.  What it really is:  a theatrical art form that is an amazingly imaginative combination of dance, story-telling, and sculpture.   Founded in 2009, by Adam Battlestein (choreographer, Creative Director and Master Teaching Artist for Pilobolus Dance Theatre for 19 years), Catapult catapulted to fame on Season 8 of America’s Got Talent, earning their way to the finals of the NBC-TV hit show.

Catapult is all about the human body and its ability to transform.  The talented Catapult dancers work behind a screen to create seemingly impossible dancing shadow silhouettes of shapes from the world around us. You won’t believe your eyes as you watch these incredible dancers become a mountain, a full size elephant, a helicopter, a house with a window and people inside the window.  You will never figure out how they do it, and you won’t know what they will make next – you will be surprised and delighted again and again. Audiences of all ages love what appear to be effortless transformations and applaud over and over as more and more unbelievable images appear.

Catapult’s “Magic Shadows” show is packed with hundreds of shape transformations, and it is full of humor, emotion, and engaging stories.  There are 8 fully realized stories told through music and shadows and 6 short shadow dance videos which play between the live dances – brief moments of poetry or humor which perfectly cleanse the palate and prepare the audience for their next shadow journey.  Audiences leave this show dazed and happy, and they will never look at their own shadow the same way again!

Nobuntu — Thursday, October 3, 2019, 8 p.m. The five voices of Nobuntu echo with power and intensity, emanating pure joy while embodying the spirit of the artists’ Zimbabwe home. An all-female a cappella vocal quintet, Nobuntu draws international acclaim for its inventive performances that are accompanied by minimalistic percussion, traditional instruments and organic, authentic dance movements

? ASHEVILLE CONCERT THIS FRIDAY!

I am STOKED to bring this transformational music and movement concert experience to the Asheville Community at Violet Owl Wellness in Downtown Asheville!

Asheville was an oasis for me growing up in East Tennessee. I could just drive over the most beautiful mountains to find myself in a fresh new perspective on life. I saw some of the best concerts in Asheville while in high school and it is full circle for me to now bring my music to this beautiful city.

RSVP now @ Cornflower at Asheville NC and tag (or invite) your Asheville friends in the comments below!

See you on the Dance Floor!
ALL LOVE, Cornflower

The Lunsford Festival is an all-day festival celebrating regional music and dance traditions. The event is the second oldest folk festival in Western North Carolina and was named in honor of cofounder Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Lunsford was a musician and folklorist who dedicated his life to collecting and promoting the music of the Southern Appalachians. Through his work he became known as the “Minstrel of the Appalachians.” The festival, which is now in its 52nd year, brings out the region’s finest musicians and dancers.  It happens on the same day as the Madison Heritage Arts Festival, so downtown will be abuzz. Join us in honoring the rich cultural traditions of the Southern Appalachians!

10:00-5:00: Concert on the Upper Quad
11:00: Presentation of the Lunsford Award
12:00-1:00: Fiddle, Banjo, Guitar, Dulcimer, Shaped Note Workshops
1:15-2:00: Open jam (Sunken Garden)
1:30-3:30: Ballad Swap (Blackwell Hall)
5:30-7:30: Community Dance (Chambers Gym)