Guarantee Your Seats for All 9 Shows!

Premium Seating

Peacekeepers may purchase up to TWO Premium subscriptions per $250 donation. Box seating is available with annual gifts starting at $1,500 for upper boxes and $2,500 for lower boxes. Gifts must be renewed annually to retain season tickets in this section. Please note, due to demand, this seating area is limited.

Patron Accessibility

The Peace Center offers a variety of accessibility services including assistive listening, ASL interpreted performances (Saturday matinees), audio described performances, wheelchair accessible seating, and transfer chairs. For the best experience, please discuss your specific need with a Customer Service Representative. Some services require advance notice.

Ride in style on the historic Great Smoky Mountains Railroad aboard your very own restored Caboose. These are great for family reunions, birthday parties, private meetings, corporate field trips or just any time!

Our cabooses accommodate up to 15 people with seating on the main level and in the cupola. (And, remember, babies are people, too!) The cabooses feature heat, private bathrooms, windows that can be opened, and open air vestibules at each end for unobstructed views. Advanced reservations are required and availability of caboose rentals are limited.

A platter of cheese and crackers, and an assortment of 15 bottled Coca-Cola products are included. Plus, the caboose is the only place where you can bring your own food and drink (please, no alcohol) in picnic baskets or coolers.

You can charter the caboose on:

• Nantahala Gorge
• Tuckasegee River

Best value for small groups and private parties up to 15 passengers. Available by phone only. Book now by calling 800-872-4681.

Rafting

Enjoy this trip combining the Great Smoky Mountains Railroads trip with the Waterfall Jeep® tour. You’ll begin your trip in Bryson City, NC, with a 2 hour (approximate) railroad excursion over Fontana Lake and into the Nantahala Gorge. As you travel on the train, watch paddlers challenge the rapids. At the top of the line, disembark from the train and climb aboard Wildwater’s customized Jeep® for a 2-hour (approximate) personal exploration up the mountain, past waterfalls and lakes, up to the Appalachian Trail and back. A delicious deli lunch is included.

Available by phone only. Book now by calling 800-872-4681.

* Children 40 – 80 lbs. are required to sit in the front passenger seat with the airbag disengaged using a child booster seat. Children 80 lbs. or greater will sit in the back using a lap seat belt. If there is more than one child in the 40 – 80 lb. range, the second child will sit in the back using a lap belt.

The Omni Grove Park Inn, home of the iconic National Gingerbread House Competition, announced a reimagined Competition for 2021. After a virtual 2020, the Resort is planning to welcome back participants in-person this year, along with an esteemed panel of judges, including renowned Food Network Chef, Carla Hall.

Gingerbread enthusiasts are now encouraged to enter the Competition (find entry details HERE) and begin dreaming up dazzling designs for their confectionary creations. The 2021 Competition will take place at The Omni Grove Park Inn on November 22, 2021.

November 8, 2021: Competitor Entry Form Deadline.

November 15, 2021: Digital Content and Description Summary Form Deadline.

November 22, 2021: Awards Ceremony and Winners Announcement.

December 1-12, 2021: 12 Days of Gingerbread series on The Omni Grove Park Inn social channels highlighting top finalists. Assets will be available.

November 2021 – January 2, 2022: In-person Gingerbread Display will be open for public viewing at The Omni Grove Park Inn.

September is Library Card Sign-up Month, a time when Buncombe County Public Libraries join the American Library Association and libraries nationwide to remind parents, caregivers and students that signing up for a library card is the first step on the path to academic achievement and lifelong learning.

In Buncombe County, there are two ways to get a library card.

Go to any library – this is the fastest way.

If you can’t to come to a library, we can give you a card online.  You will need to email us a photo of your ID to get a card by email. We’ll email you a library card number and PIN that you can use immediately for all digital resources and the physical card will be mailed to you at a later date.

Remember, all Buncombe County and Asheville City School IDs can be used to check out library materials, so if you have a school ID you already have a library card. The PIN for your school ID is the last four digits of the ID number.

Since 1987, Library Card Sign-up Month has been held each September to mark the beginning of the school year. Please contact us if you have any questions and we look forward to seeing you at the library.

The City of Asheville is seeking public feedback on temporary initiatives launched in the spring of 2020 to support safe business operations and customer access during COVID-19. These initiatives have enabled over 100 businesses and organizations in Asheville to quickly expand outdoors into adjacent public spaces and parking lots.

Take the survey here.

The AVL Shares Space initiatives include the following:

• “Shared Streets” (pedestrian priority environment and use of on-street parking spaces along a corridor)
• Temporary Parklets (use of on-street parking spaces)
• Expansion on private lots (i.e. parking lots)
• Expansion on public sidewalks
• 10-minute curbside pick-up zones

While these temporary initiatives were launched in response to specific needs during the pandemic, the City would like to collect public feedback on the successes and impacts of each initiative to assess possibilities for longer-term programs. The survey will remain open through September 20. (Participating businesses are being surveyed separately.)

More information about each initiative, as well as goals and objectives of the program, can be found at www.ashevillenc.gov/AVLSharesSpace.

Unique outdoor sculptural works by environmental artist Patrick Dougherty, known as “Stick Man,” will reside in Antler Hill Village. Renowned worldwide for his monumental creations, Dougherty weaves saplings and branches into intricate artworks, fashioning whimsical forms ranging from gigantic snares and cocoons to sculptural interpretations of notable buildings. The visual appeal of these large-scale artworks may be appreciated up close as guests are encouraged to walk through and around the creations, affording the opportunity to admire the artistry and technical skills required to make the sculptures.

Want to save money and support your community organizations at the same time? Join the Target Circle Rewards Program! Members have the chance to vote for a local non-profit whenever they shop at Target between now and September 30.

Join today at target.com/circle and vote for ACT! It’s the easiest way to support ACT and save on products you need!

Tarzan Train

For the first time in Greenville Chautauqua’s history you can view three of 2021 Reinventing America Festival performances and discussions.

You can catch them virtually through Oct 3. You have access to videos of the live shows and also the Virtual Conversations with the performers about their characters.

Please note, these virtual programs are only viewable through mid-night Sunday October 3 (to honor the intellectual property of the performers.) 

So go ahead and schedule some “downtime” in the comfort of your home and step back into history with Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, and Rosa Parks.

YMICC is committed to economic development and entrepreneurship for Black individuals and communities. Through this program entrepreneurs will receive six (6) months to one (1) year of business incubation support that will include business development training, startup and capacity building funding, as well as, mentorship opportunities. We are interested in you and your business ideas.

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The “HMMM” (Hospitality, Medical, Manufacturing, Municipality) workforce training initiative and business development program is designed to support participants with training to build technical and workforce skills. The expansion of this program is “Operation Gateway” which provides a “circle of support” that addresses barriers to successful employment.  In this program participants will receive wraparound services along their pathway to the workplace. This circle of services includes childcare, transportation, financial support, guidance, and re-entry skill development (e.g., resume-building and interviewing).

In the spring of 2020, the City of Asheville launched several temporary initiatives to support safe business operations and customer access to goods and services during COVID-19. These “AVL Shares Space” initiatives enabled businesses and organizations to quickly expand outdoors, generally into adjacent public spaces and parking lots, with the primary goal of supporting the local economy while facilitating alignment with public health guidance. To date, over 100 businesses have been authorized to expand outdoors. More information, including other guiding principles and goals of the program can be found here.

The City would like to collect public feedback on the successes and impacts of each initiative in order to assess possibilities for longer-term programs.

Please let us know how you’ve interacted with any or all of these initiatives, and provide feedback on your experience.

The Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity ReStore is hosting the 10^th annual ReUse Contest to showcase innovative building projects constructed predominantly of used building materials.

Winners will be selected in the following categories:

• Furniture: $200 ReStore gift card
• Homesteading (i.e. chicken coop, raised bed): $200 ReStore gift card
• Live and/or work space: $200 ReStore gift card
• Art: $200 ReStore gift card
• Home Decor: $200 ReStore gift card
• Vans & Vehicle (NEW!): $200 ReStore gift card
• Best in Show: $500 ReStore gift card

Winners will be announced in a press release, on Asheville Habitat’s website and social media pages, and featured in the Asheville Habitat ReStore.

The purpose of this annual contest is to showcase innovative building and DIY projects
constructed predominantly of reused building materials. A large number of ReStore shoppers
purchase items intended to be repurposed or reused in unique and creative ways; the ReStore
Reuse contest is a great way to showcase their projects and inspire others to reuse, recycle
and repurpose usable materials.
The creativity of this community never ceases to amaze. Past projects have included a fence
fashioned from doors, a potting bench built from pallets, a chair crafted from an oil drum, yard
art made from old tools, and so much more. To see photos from the 2020 contest, click here.
A panel of five judges will select winners in the following categories: Furniture, Homesteading,
Live and/or Work Space, Art, Home Décor, Vans and Vehicles (NEW!), and Best in Show.
Winners will be announced in mid-October.

Advance Livesaving Research

Your 2021 Annual Fund Drive gift will accelerate innovative research to improve and save the lives of sick and injured patients in western North Carolina. Please give generously.

• $50
• $100
• $250
• $500

Give Now

• a love for North Carolina through mixed media on paper by Sophia Allison;
• well known local landscapes through acrylic on canvas by Carrie Jenson;
• a change in perspective through oil on linen by Joan Lesikin,
• communicative vessels through earthenware sculptures by Robert Milnes,
• vibrant abstract motion through acrylics on paper by Eleanor Palmer;
• and a glimpse of Asheville through oil on canvas by Maureen Scullin.

Emerging and established artists in NC can apply for $500-2,000 in aid

The North Carolina Arts Council understands the important role artists contribute to the vitality, unity and resiliency of our communities. NCAC has established the North Carolina Arts Council Artist Support Grant (ASG) as a regional grant program to support individual artists during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. The program funds professional and artistic development for emerging or established artists to create work, improve their business operations, or bring their work to new audiences.

Funds are granted through 18 regional partners across the state, to ensure a more equitable disbursement of funds to artists in rural and urban areas across the state. Buncombe County is part of Region 17, which includes Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania counties.

Last year, Region 17 received 126 applications and awarded 32 awards totaling $30,088– supporting artists from a variety of different mediums.

This year, applicants have the opportunity to apply for up to $2,000– double what was offered last year. Applicants will also apply directly through the NCAC website to help simplify the application process. Instructions and a virtual application workshop video are available on the AAAC website.

The deadline to apply is September 30.

| Just in time for NC Arts Education Week, the Asheville Area Arts Council (AAAC) is proud to announce a new partnership with the Asheville City Schools Foundation (ACSF) and Buncombe County Schools (BCS) to expand the Teaching Artists Presenting in Asheville Schools (TAPAS) program into county classrooms.

The new expanded program is called Teaching Artists Presenting in Asheville Area Schools, and the Fall 2021 TAPAAS catalog is now available online through both the ACSF and AAAC websites. Teachers in Asheville City Schools should continue to apply directly to ASCF for residencies. Teachers in Buncombe County Schools should apply through the arts council.

For more information visit: ashevillearts.com or acsf.org.

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Asheville Ale Trail has joined Wicked Weed in their WNC Love: Flood Relief

Flood Relief Fundraiser

On Tuesday, August 18th, Tropical Storm Fred hit Western North Carolina bringing 8-12 inches
of rainfall and causing extreme flooding. Haywood County in particular suffered severe flooding
and damage affecting both residential and commercial areas. Many residents of Haywood
County lost their homes. Unfortunately several members of the brewing community suffered
significant loss and destruction as well. BearWaters Brewing in downtown Canton had over 9
feet of flooding and lost countless kegs, barrels and equipment, in addition to some of their
outdoor structures.

As a response, Wicked Weed created the WNC Love: Flood Relief Fundraiser Campaign to
encourage the brewing community to get involved and help raise flood recovery donations.
Along with Wicked Weed, several breweries have joined in participation by donating a portion of
their proceeds to flood relief initiatives, and are hoping many more will join.
About Asheville Ale Trail: Asheville Ale Trail is the most comprehensive and up-to-date guide
to breweries, cideries, wineries and distilleries in Western North Carolina. The printed Field
Guide is available for free at hundreds of locations throughout the region.

Help close the diaper gap in Western North Carolina by donating diapers and baby wipes during Diaper Need Awareness Week. Diaper need has risen dramatically since the beginning of the pandemic, and Asheville Outlets is partnering with Babies Need Bottoms to host a diaper supply drive from Monday, September 27 through Sunday, October 3, 2021. Donations of diapers and baby wipes can be placed in the marked bins in the Food Court. Babies Need Bottoms distributes supplies to their nonprofit partners who serve families facing diaper need in 7 counties in WNC, to help cover over 1,300 bottoms every month!

Founded in 2017, Babies Needs Bottoms’ mission is to improve the lives of babies, toddlers, and parents in Western North Carolina through diaper distribution, community awareness and partnerships. For more information, or for those who need diapers, visit BabiesNeedBottoms.org. Financial donations are accepted at www.babiesneedbottoms.org/donate and diapering supplies can be purchased and shipped directly to Babies Need Bottoms through the Amazon Smile Charity List.

About Bearfootin’ Art Walk

Since 2003, the Bearfootin’ Art Walk has helped raise funding for Downtown Hendersonville and a variety of local non-profits. In addition to raising funds, the bears offer a window into good work being done by community organizations in Henderson County.

The Bearfootin’ Bears arrive as blank slates before local artists transform each in a spectacular fashion, with creative themes ranging from Mona Lisa to Blue Ridge Mountain scenery. After the “Reveal” event in early May, the bears then take up residence in downtown Hendersonville for the duration of the summer and fall, up until auction. Participants bid during the auction to raise funds for local non-profits and Downtown Hendersonville. Winning bids up to $3,000 are split evenly between the downtown program and the non-profit chosen by the sponsor, while bid amounts exceeding $3,000 are directed entirely to the non-profit. In 2020, the Bears raised more than $84,000, and in 2021 we hope to continue the tradition of giving.

2021 Bearfootin’ Auction

The 2021 Bears are currently stationed along Main Street until the auction in October. Check out our 2021 Bearfootin’ Bears!

Until 2020, the Bearfootin’ auctions were hosted in traditional style with a live auctioneer. Then, in response to the pandemic, Friends of Downtown Hendersonville pivoted to a virtual format for the 2020 auction. The virtual bidding format allowed people to bid over the course of a month until a scheduled bidding cutoff. This turned out to be a big success, with the 2020 auction raising more than $84,000. 

For the 2021 Auction, the Downtown Events Team and Friends of Downtown Hendersonville staff are incorporating the virtual bidding format with an in-person event. This means bidders will be able to begin bidding as early as September 15, 2021. Bidding will come to a close with an exciting in-person event on October 16 from 4-6:30pm, with all bidding closing at 6pm.

1. Bidding begins on September 15, 2021 at 12pm and ends at 6pm EST on October 16, 2021. Stay tuned for the release of the bidding platform closer to September 15!

2.  All bidding will occur virtually. There will be no in-person bidding. However, there will be live bidding via phone/computer up until the bidding cut off at 6pm on October 16.

3.  It’s free to register to bid, and you can bid anytime between September 15 and the deadline at 6pm on October 16. Initial bids will take place via the bidding website (stay tuned for link!). Bidders will receive automatic text message notification if they are outbid with the option to submit a new bid directly via text message.  

4. There will be an in-person countdown celebration on October 16 from 4-6:30 pm on the outdoor plaza at the Historic Train Depot at 650 Maple Street. The event will have a lively atmosphere with bells and cheers at each incoming bid, as well as live music, beer/wine and food trucks. The event is free and open to the public. While there will be no in-person bidding at the event, attendees can bid live via their cell phone. There will be an event information booth to help attendees get registered and begin bidding.

5. There will be no proxy bidding. Bidders will receive automatic text notification if they are outbid with the option to submit a new bid. There are no reserve/proxy bids, meaning you can’t set a price that the system will automatically bid for you. If you are outbid, you will need to place a higher bid if you wish to continue.   

6. Starting bids for all bears will be $1,500 and minimum bid increments are $100.  

7.  Any bear can be purchased at our “Buy Now” price of $10,000. The “Buy Now” option ends Thursday, October 14 at 5 p.m.

8. Bidders do not have to attend the in-person event to be a winning bidder. For those who can’t attend the in-person event on October 16, we will conduct a virtual Facebook Live event of the auction on the Downtown Hendersonville page. We will start the off by introducing the bears and providing information about how to bid before the clock runs out. All bidding is automatically cut off at 6pm on October 16.

9. Winning bidders will be contacted regarding payment and picking up their bear via text and email. Bears can be picked up at the event, or during a scheduled “pick up window” the week following the event. Winners have 5 days to pay or they will be automatically charged on the credit card filed. Alternatively, winners can pay with cash or check. There will be a 2.95% processing fee on all credit card transactions. 

Celebrate the holiday season and the joy of live theater by becoming a sponsor for A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas! Your support sustains the impact of the performing arts on our hearts and minds as well as our local economy.
Act now!