Vote AVL is a nonpartisan movement to increase voter turnout in the Asheville Area. The site features voter resources including registration info, a calendar of important dates, and information on candidates at the local, state and national levels. Businesses can take the pledge to provide information and resources to their employees, so that they can use their voice to make their vote count. Learn more at voteavl.org.

Important Dates:

Friday, October 9th – Voter Registration deadline (online or postmarked by)

Thursday, October 15th – Early Voting begins, including same-day registration

Tuesday, October 27th – Deadline to request an Absentee Ballot (received by)

Saturday, October 31st – Early Voting Ends

Tuesday, November 3rd – Election Day and Absentee Ballot deadline (received by)

Call United Way’s 2-1-1 if you have questions about general community support services (24 hours a day/7 days a week) and please encourage others to call as well.

Commissioner Meetings take place on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 200 College St. in room 326 in downtown Asheville. To view previous meetings, meet your Board of Commissioners, and check out future agenda items, you can visit buncombecounty.org/commissioners.

***Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no public attendance will be permitted. The public will be able to watch the meeting via Facebook Live @Buncombegov or on BCTV.***

Volunteer Opportunities Volunteer roles range from: Maintaining our beautiful corn maze trails! Hosting one of our many attractions including the jumping pillow or the slides! Picking corn from the maze for our Corn Cannons! Helping with Check-In and merchandise sales! *If you have specific needs related to a physical disability be sure to let us know and we will be happy to accommodate you in your role assignment. Volunteer Perks Shifts are two or three hours long, and you’re free to sign up for multiple shifts! You will receive a snack & refreshment after your shift! FREE ticket to visit Maze on Thursdays!

Caldwell Arts Council announces its “Western NC Regional Online Poetry Competition,” featuring Final Judge Kari Gunter-Seymour, Poet Laureate of the state of Ohio and $1200 in total cash awards! Click here for a printable pdf of these guidelines.

Eligibility and Guidelines:

• Residents of the following 31 counties in western North Carolina are eligible to enter:  Alexander,
  Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Davie, Forsyth, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey.
• The deadline for entry is midnight, September 15, 2020.
• Entrants must be at least 18 years of age at time of submission.
• Each entrant may submit up to two original poems.
• Cost to enter is $10 for up to two poems.
• All entries AND entry fees must be submitted electronically. See below for submission and payment details. No U.S.P.S. mailed entries, checks or cash will be accepted.
• Poems must not have been written before January 1, 2019.
• Previously published poems are not eligible for submission.
• Poems can be of any subject matter or style; however the Caldwell Arts Council reserves the right to decline the written or audible posting/performance of any entered poem to its website, or other Arts Council platform due to its unsuitability for wide audiences as determined solely by the Caldwell Arts Council.
• Poems must be submitted electronically as a WORD document using .doc or .docx as your file
  extension.
• Poems cannot exceed 100 lines.
• All poems must be single spaced, in Times New Roman font, and be 12pt. type.
• Winning entrants must agree to allow their poems to be posted on the Caldwell Arts Council’s website and/or to be used in subsequent marketing/promotional materials by the Caldwell Arts Council.
• Entrants reserve/keep all other publication rights.
• Caldwell Arts Council staff, board members and their immediate family members are ineligible to
  enter.

Fit Tribe athletes get unlimited access to outdoor groups and virtual sessions. All you have to do is show up and we will help you show out! Pick your workout schedule and reach your goals.

Workout Times

The Magnetic Theatre is seeking 2 – 10 minute, holiday season themed monologues, vignettes and one-act pieces to be performed later this year as a compilation show.  The show will be a live-streamed performance, though some segments may be pre-recorded.

Parameters:

Theme must be tied to December seasonal holidays (including New Year’s Eve).

–          Between 2 and 10 minutes in length.

–          A monologue or vignette/one-act with no more than two characters.

–          Any genre accepted (Comedy, Dramatic, Horror, etc.).

Submission Deadline:
October 1, 2020

“David Wilcox is a father, a husband, a citizen and a songwriter. First inspired to play guitar after hearing a fellow college student playing in a stairwell. Wilcox is now 18 records into a career marked by personal revelation and wildly loyal fans. His lyrical insight is matched by a smooth baritone voice, virtuosic guitar chops, and creative open tunings, giving him a range and tenderness rare in folk music.”

Listen to his song New Blue Horizon on our playlist.

• Annie’s Garden by Joe Ebel

• Daydream by Sapphirecut

• Stages, Intro by Hannah Hatch

• Blindman to the Breeze by Midair Dervish

 Check out our playlist on Spotify

and tell us which local artist or band you dig the most!

FIND INFO AT:  https://www.lwv.org/blog/100-days-and-100-ways-get-ready-election-day?utm_source=MonthlyHighlights&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=July2020

Our limited edition t-shirt run sold out within just a few hours last time. We were blown away by your generosity and excitement! If you missed out, we’re psyched to announce we have the second, limited edition batch, in charcoal gray this time, ready for sale! Thanks to our amazing local friends at Image 420 Screenprinting, this is a second, special, limited edition t-shirt and sticker merch bundle that you can buy NOW! Click here. These awesome shirts, which come in unisex sizes S through 4X in a charcoal heather gray, plus the matching sticker, are available for a $50 bundle price which will include one of each. The full price of your purchase will benefit our campaign to keep the Orange Peel alive and well until it is safe for us to all be together enjoying shows again in person. There are only 100 of the charcoal gray bundle from local designer, Brent Baldwin. Every penny will bring us closer to hosting your favorite artist on our stage in the coming months when we can gather safely, and we will be SO thankful to all those who choose to demonstrate their support this way. We can’t wait to see you around town in your gear that helped save the music. If you’d prefer to make a direct donation, or if your preferred size sells out, please click here to make a direct monetary donation. Thank you all for your love and support. Don’t forget, another amazing way to help us, even if you don’t have the means to buy a shirt, is to contact our elected representatives and let them know that you want congress to save independent live music! You can do that here: saveourstages.com. Sending a letter (which takes 30 seconds and only requires your name and address) is a MAJOR contribution that we appreciate equally to those who can buy a shirt. Or even better, do both.

Learn to make dilly beans, salsa, fruit butter, and more!

2020 has taught us that everything is subject to change. In the interest of protecting our artists, audience, staff and volunteers, we will be having very few, if any, in-person shows during this year’s festival. If there are opportunities for safe in-person performances, preference will be given to local artists. We cannot encourage any interstate travel during the pandemic. The good news is: because much of the festival will take place online, anyone, anywhere, who wishes to apply now has a chance to perform without traveling. Although this format may seem limiting, the audience is limitless. We are open to all sorts of new experiments in live or virtual performance, whether it be an unconventional show format, online platform or unusual venue. Email us if you’ve got any questions.

Show everyone that you are an Arts Ally and help fund programs and services that support the entire local arts community.

+ Individual ($8.50/mo or $100/yr)
+ Dual ($17/mo or $200/yr)
+ Corporate ($500-$1,000/ yr)

Calling all families! If you visit the Museum with children and/or participate in the Museum’s family programs (or might in the future!), we want to hear from you. As we transition family programs to virtual or small-group in-person formats, we need your feedback to create a model that will work for you this fall. We’re giving away a FREE guest pass to one of the first 50 people to fill out the survey.

A Musical Love Letter from Asheville to the World

Celebrating the diversity of music in Western North Carolina, The Asheville Symphony Sessions features songs that combine the unique styles of locally based musicians, with the Asheville Symphony. The album was produced by Michael Selverne of Welcome to Mars, at Asheville’s Echo Mountain Recording Studios.

Featured artists are Doc Aquatic, Electric Owls, Free Planet Radio featuring Lizz Wright, Lovett, Matt Townsend, Rising Appalachia, Shannon Whitworth, and Steep Canyon Rangers. The album synthesizes a variety of genres including folk, country, roots, rock, pop, bluegrass, R&B, and jazz, with each track featuring ensembles from the ASO ranging in size from 9 players to 24.

A number of notable arrangers worked on the project including Michael Bearden, who works with Lady Gaga and Neil Young and was Michael Jackson’s musical director for the This Is It tour; Van Dyke Parks, who composed and arranged the score for Disney’s The Jungle Book (1967) animated film and composed Smile with Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys; and Jonathan Sacks, a composer and orchestrator who has worked on many blockbuster films including The Princess and the Frog (2009), Disney’s Cars (2006), and Seabiscuit (2003).

Black Folks Camp Too launched as a marketing initiative aimed at connecting Black individuals with camping, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Founder Earl B. Hunter was inspired by his son, Dillion, during a three month RV road trip in which they met only one other black family.

The inaugural class of the automotive apprenticeship program has kicked off at Blue Ridge Community College. The apprentices were presented with shop towels to mark the beginning of their time in the program.

The inaugural class of the automotive apprenticeship program has kicked off at Blue Ridge Community College. The apprentices were presented with shop towels to mark the beginning of their time in the program.

Earn while you Learn!

• Get paid full time—go to class 1 day/week and work 4 days/week
• Free college tuition
• Finish with a credential in your field

The raffle will offer three separate prizes to three separate winners: first prize, Moog Source, serial number 2628 (valued at $2,800); second prize, an updated Moog Prodigy, serial number 3078 (valued at $2,500); and the Moog Rogue, serial number 3674 (valued at $1,500) as third prize. The Moog Source and Moog Rogue were expertly restored by Tone Tweakers. The Prodigy was expertly restored by Wes Taggart, who also updated the instrument with a Synthrotek MST MIDI-to-CV Converter, which allows control of the Prodigy from a MIDI keyboard or sequencer, velocity routing, aftertouch or mod wheel MIDI messaging directly to the cutoff frequency of the Prodigy’s world-famous Moog filter.

All three synthesizers share the robust Moog build and rich sound quality as well as a shared technical lineage rooted in the legendary Minimoog, which is widely known as the most iconic, archetypal analog synthesizer of all time. The Rogue and Prodigy are renowned for their deep bass and flexible modulation capabilities while the Source is lauded for its rich sound, and for its sequencers, sample and hold, arpeggiator, presets, and unique data wheel.

Playground openings.

Some areas remain closed including restrooms and picnic shelters. Paddle boat, water trike, and Jon boat rentals will not be available until further notice.

Staying physically active is one of the best ways to keep your mind and body healthy. Parks are open spaces to exercise for no or little cost, places for hurried individuals to reconnect with nature, and community areas to connect with neighbors and preserve culture. While these facilities and areas can offer mental and physical health benefits, it is important that you follow the steps below to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

Guidance for Park Visitors

• Remember that ongoing community spread of COVID-19 continues. Practice the three Ws:
  • Wear a cloth face covering over your nose and mouth when you go out or are around others.
  • Wait at least six feet apart from and avoid close contact with others who do not live in your household.
  • Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often.
• Stay home if you are sick or exhibiting symptoms.
• Wash your hands before leaving home and bring sanitizer or wipes, water, and sunscreen. No restrooms or water fountains are currently open.
• Maintain at least six feet of physical distance between yourself and anyone who does not live in your household.
• Outdoor gatherings are limited to 50 persons.
• Playgrounds are subject to regular cleaning, but the virus that causes COVID-19 can spread when kids touch contaminated objects, and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Picnic shelters remain closed.
• Keep it moving when using trails and step aside to let others pass. At some parks, trails may be marked as one-way only.
• Limit your park time so that others can also safely enjoy the space.
• Pack out all trash, leftover food, and litter to help minimize invasive species, bank erosion, and water pollution.
• Let us know how you’re enjoying your parks! Tag Recreation Services on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #IHeartBCParks.

The Buncombe Community Remembrance Project is part of the Equal Justice Initiative’s (EJI) National Memorial for Peace and Justice nationwide initiative for individual counties throughout the United States.

The Buncombe Community Remembrance Project is a collaborative approach utilizing a diverse community coalition led by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County.

• More Accurately Reflect History of Racial and Economic Injustice and Inequity

• Heal from the Silent Trauma Surrounding Racial Violence:

  • Jim Crow
  • Lynchings
  • Mass Incarceration
  • Violence in Communities
  • State Sanctioned Violence
  • Contemporary Racial Trauma and Violence
  • Such as “Black Lives Matter”

• Foster Local Conversations and Reflections Concerning Community Healing

• Community Healing Through

  • Truth Telling
  • Educational Programming
  • Reconciliation Events
  • Transforming Narrative

Flat Rock Playhouse is proud to partner with The Breath Project to create an archive of 8 minute and 46 second works of live theater from multidisciplinary theater artists of color who are responding to this moment in history. All submissions that meet the Breath Project guidelines will be featured in the archive, and as partners in the project, CJ Barnwell will be the curator from our theater who will help select pieces from the archive to feature in a virtual festival in Fall 2020. For those who do not have access to video recording equipment, the Playhouse is able to offer the use of the Mainstage and video recording support. If you are interested in recording on the Mainstage, please email [email protected].

To be considered for the Fall 2020 virtual festival, please submit your piece by Sept. 14, 2020. For more information on the submission process, the mission of the Breath Project and other partner theaters, visit www.thebreathproject2020.com.

Craft Futures Fund

The Craft Futures Fund will support craft communities throughout the United States and their creative responses to COVID-19. These one-time, unrestricted grants of $5,000 will be disbursed to craft-based education projects that seed resilience, foster community, and amplify impact.

Buncombe County has opened the 2020-2021 application cycle of the Community Recreation Grants program. The grants are part of other countywide initiatives that help make Buncombe County a place everyone from infants to retirees has the opportunity to be strong, healthy, and successful. The program is intended to help community nonprofits make immediate improvements and jump-start long-term progress that align with the Buncombe 2025 plan. Grants range in amounts from $500-$6,000, depending on the number of qualifying applicants.

Eligibility

Eligible entities include Buncombe County nonprofits focused on providing equitable access to recreational, fitness, cultural, and wellness activities to the public at no- or low-cost. These funds are intended to be a leveraging tool that promote partnerships between the County and area nonprofits and are not a donation, funding stream, or sponsorship opportunity. Programs applying for funding should align with the Buncombe 2025 plan’s focus areas, as well as embody the spirt of Buncombe County Recreation Services’ mission: Connect Communities. Preserve Culture. Change Lives.

Projects funded in the past have included creative placemaking, increasing safe connections to a wider range of play and wellness activities for underserved residents, supporting access to experiences that preserve regional and international cultures, improvements to public athletic fields and fitness courses, expanding environmental education, building food security through community gardens, and establishing multigenerational outdoor spaces for neighbors to connect with each other and foster community pride.

Want to apply?

Application, guidelines, and a list of 2019-2020 recipients are available online. Questions should be directed to [email protected].

The grant application deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020. Late applications will not be accepted. The Community Recreation Grant Committee will notify all applicants via email no later than Friday, Nov. 15, 2020.

The raffle winner will choose from three amazing getaway packages, each valued at approximately $2,500:

• The Lake Lure Relaxing Getaway includes a three-night stay at The Enchanted Cottage on Lake Lure, a $100 gift certificate to Chimney Rock State Park, a $150 gift certificate to La Strada at Lake Lure, and a selection of craft beverages provided by Green Man Brewery.

• The Biltmore Estate Romantic Getaway includes a $2,500 Biltmore Estate gift card that can be used at all Estate locations, including overnight accommodations at the Inn on Biltmore Estate, dining at the Bistro, Estate tickets and tours, Biltmore Winery tastings, outdoor activities, or retail items.

• The Asheville Glamping Adventure Getaway includes a $1,600 gift certificate to be used for accommodations at any of Asheville Glamping’s thirteen unique glamp-sites, a $500 gift certification to the Adventure Center of Asheville, a $250 gift certificate to the Mast General Store and a $150 gift certificate to Well-Bred Bakery & Café.

 

Tickets are priced at $40 each or 3 tickets for $100. Visit https://tinyurl.com/y4yvu8kz for full package details.

 

A limited number of raffle tickets will be available for purchase from August 18, 2020 through September 20, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. EDT on our specially created event website at https://tinyurl.com/y4yvu8kz. The winner will be selected at random, announced on all CRC for ED social media platforms on September 20th at approximately 7:00 p.m. EDT, and will be notified directly by telephone, mail, and/or email. Please see full Terms & Conditions here.