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Asheville Parks and Rec Afterschool Programs: Afternoon Adventures
Apr 21 @ 2:45 pm – 6:00 pm
Asheville Area
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021-June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 2:45-6pm
K-6th graders.
Does your child enjoy having fun and making new friends? Offering
arts, crafts, special events, homework assistance and more!
Families currently enrolled in the school system’s reduced or free
meal program, please contact your recreation center for discount
fee information.
Locations: Burton, Grant, Montford, Shiloh, Stephens-Lee
Montford Pre-Teen Afterschool Program
Apr 21 @ 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Montford Community Center
Montford Pre-Teen Afterschool Program
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021 – June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 3:30-6pm
5th-6th graders.
New program designed to meet the needs of your pre-teen.
Providing time dedicated to school assignments, life skills, arts,
communication, leadership, fitness, nutrition, and loads of fun.
Location: Montford
Teen Leadership Program
Apr 21 @ 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Asheville Area
Teen Leadership Program
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021-June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 3:30-6pm
6th-9th graders.
Looking for a cool and enriching alternative for your Teen to attend
this school year? We offer creative activities, diverse projects,
field trips, and more.
Locations: Grant, Shiloh, Stephens-Lee
Youth Tech and Run Crew
Apr 21 @ 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Asheville Community Theatre
What goes on behind the curtains? In this course students learn the ins and outs of technical theatre and backstage work, including safety, basic light and sound board operation, and stage management. Students will then put their skills to practice by covering technical and backstage roles during Youth Production Class performances of The Giver. Students will split tech and performance dates so some scheduling conflicts may be accommodated. Tuition will be $225.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.
Classes: Mar 17-May 5, 2022 | Thursdays at 4:30-6:00 PM
Tech Week (Group 1): May 9-12, 2022 | Monday through Thursday| 4:30-6:30 PM
Tech Week (Group 2): May 16-19, 2022 | Monday through Thursday| 4:30-6:30 PM
Performances (Group 1): Saturday, May 14 at 2:30 PM and Sunday, May 15 at 6:30 PM
Performances (Group 2): Saturday, May 21 at 2:30 PM and Sunday, May 22 at 6:30 PM
Registration will begin on Tuesday, February 8, 2022.
Every April, during the presidentially proclaimed National Park Week, we join with the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, to celebrate America’s treasures. National Park Week is a time to explore amazing places, discover stories of history and culture, help out, and find your park.
Celebrate National Park Week 2022 with us April 16 to 24! Parks across the country will host a variety of special programs, events, and digital experiences. Entrance fees are waived on April 16 to kick off National Park Week and encourage everyone to enjoy their national parks.
Stay connected with national parks during National Park Week as the celebration goes digital. (Video contains footage copyright of More Than Just Parks. All rights protected.)
This year’s National Park Week theme is “sPark Connections”. With more than 400 national parks and National Park Service programs and partnerships in communities across the country, there is something new for everyone! And a lot closer to home than you may think. Each day of National Park Week, sPark a connection with us exploring a new theme.
April 16: sPark Discovery National Park Week kicks off with a fee-free day to encourage everyone to find something new by visiting a national park, especially one that may be close to home, a park you haven’t considered visiting, or one you never realized is a national park! What new national park will you discover?
Sunday, April 17: sPark Creativity National parks have inspired artistic expression and creativity for generations. What is your park muse? What masterpiece can you create?
Monday, April 18: sPark Collaboration We get along with a little help from our friends. Meet our many partners that help expand our reach and offerings and connect people to parks. How can you get involved or participate in opportunities?
Tuesday, April 19: sPark Innovation The National Park Service incorporates the latest technology to support conservation and preservation efforts while consistently working to improve the visitor experience. How can we surprise you with innovation?
Wednesday, April 20: sPark Opportunities On Workforce Wednesday, learn about the work we do and the employment opportunities available in the National Park Service and with partner organizations. How can you join?
Thursday, April 21: sPark Preservation The National Park Service is a leader and partner in preservation of historic, cultural, natural and recreational resources nationally—and even internationally! How can you get involved in preservation?
Friday, April 22: sPark Action On Earth Day we look at the health of the environment and how we impact its wellbeing and vice versa. What actions can you do to contribute to a healthy world?
Saturday, April 23: sPark Curiosity The National Park Service preserves and protects unique places with fascinating stories and unique landscapes. What are you curious about? What fascinating things can you discover?
Sunday, April 24: sPark Memories Generations of visitors have created lasting memories in national parks. What memories and traditions will you create?
Social Media
Share you National Park Week experiences and memories on social media using hashtags #NationalParkWeek and #sParkConnections. You can also use a special hashtag for each theme day.
April 16: #sParkDiscovery
Sunday, April 17: #sParkCreativity
Monday, April 18: #sPark Collaboration
Tuesday, April 19: #sParkInnovation
Wednesday, April 20: #sParkOpportunities
Thursday, April 21: #sParkPreservation
Friday, April 22: #sParkAction
Saturday, April 23: #sParkCuriosity
Sunday, April 24: #sParkMemories
National Park Week is Official!
Did you know National Park Week is recognized by a presidential proclamation? Each year, National Park Week is declared a special time to celebrate national parks and programs across the country and to encourage everyone to discover the nation’s diverse natural and cultural heritage.
White Squirrel Hiking Challenge 6
Apr 22 all-day
Western North Carolina Mountains
Hiking Challenge 6 is here! In Conserving Carolina’s and WPA’s White Squirrel Hiking Challenge 6, you get to explore the places you’re helping to protect—and they’re amazing! We invite you to take eight hikes on lands that Conserving Carolina has helped to protect, enhance, or open to the public.
This challenge includes two all-new Conserving Carolina trails with gorgeous views! Plus, you can see the highest waterfall east of the Rockies, lakes and waterfalls in DuPont State Recreational Forest, expanded trails in Bracken Mountain Preserve, and a beautiful creek in the Green River Game Lands. There’s also the all-time favorite Bearwallow Mountain with its 360-degree views over the mountains and countryside we’re working to protect.
These hikes will take you to some of our region’s “greatest hits,” as well as hidden gems where you may have the woods to yourself. If you’re into mountain biking, you have the option of biking some of these trails. And if you love to swim, fish, or just be near the water, five of these hikes take you to rivers, lakes, or waterfalls.
And the Hikes Are…
Drumroll please…. Here are the 8 hikes for this new Hiking Challenge! You can find more information and links to the full hike descriptions below. Which one will you do first?
Log each hike as you complete it. You can check your progress in this roster.
You can do the hikes at your own pace. You can take weeks, months, or over a year—whatever works for you.
You must complete all your hikes before the start of the next Hiking Challenge. We launch a new challenge about every two years.
Only hikes that you’ve done after Oct. 1, 2021 count toward Hiking Challenge 6.
You can complete the hikes on your own or as a group.
Please share about your hikes with the hashtag #whitesquirrelhikingchallenge (optional)
Feel free to share about your hikes and connect with other hikers in our Facebook group, the Conserving Carolina Community.
The Hiking Challenge is free and open to all, but you must be a Conserving Carolina member to become a Hiking Challenge 6 Champion. If you are a member and you complete all 8 hikes, you will earn your White Squirrel Patch and exclusive perks from local businesses that support conservation, including Appalachian Coffee Company, Lazy Otter Outfitters, Murphy’s Naturals, and YAM Yoga and Massage. Most importantly, you get to experience eight great places and deepen your personal connection to land conservation.
Better World Day 2022 Week of Events
Apr 22 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Evergreen Community Charter School
Evergreen Community Charter school of Asheville, North Carolina is holding Better World Day, a week-long Earth Day event. Evergreen has anchored our Better World Day activities in our annual Earth Day event for years. This has traditionally been a day where our school community participates in watershed stewardship service projects around our campus with support from community partners and a variety of learning workshops led by local wildlife experts. This year, we are making important changes to our event that reflect our school’s mission more broadly and to more comprehensively embody our school’s mission.
In addition to including the traditional watershed stewardship-focused projects, our event will include actions that engage us with community stewardship and emphasize our commitment to breaking down the structural and relational barriers that perpetuate racial inequalities in our community. Our event will celebrate and engage all of the ways we are stewards of the natural world, the rivers, the wild animals, the air, and the humans we share our Earth with. This year on Better World Day, Evergreeners are “In This Together”, exploring the many ways our school’s practices of learning about and taking actions towards habitat protection and ecological restoration can be done with mindful attention towards the building and restoration of our human community, too.
WEEK OF EVENTS:
Friday, April 22- Earth Day! Evergreen’s Better World Day event: Community circle and school-wide day of service projects and learning workshops. Local wildlife experts Carlton Burke, Steve O’Neil, and Rob Gudger will be joining us to share animals and stories of the human impacts on the habitat of some of these wild creatures. The EV Club of Asheville will be bringing an EV car show and sharing information about the impacts of moving towards electric vehicles as one way to curb the impacts of climate change. Every grade level/classroom will engage with meaningful service projects, such as:
– Raised bed construction in the garden ($2K grant monies raised to support this project)
– Forest pond habitat restoration project ($1K grant monies raised to support this project)
– Water quality assessments in local streams with a community partner, Riverlink
– Campus composting program – building bear-proof classroom composting bins, with a community partner, Asheville Greenworks
– Food System Justice, service in local community gardens in partnership with local community gardens, supported by Bountiful Cities
– Invasive Plant Removal- education about invasive plants and their impact on our local ecosystems + service groups focused on the removal of invasive plants from our campus forest and AVL streams (in partnership with Riverlink)
– Family engagement: Evergreen’s Social Justice Curriculum team will share with our greater family community ways to be “In This Together” with us to work towards the greater health of our planet and our community.
Saturday, April 23- My Place in Race: An equity workshop for middle school youth. Evergreen aims to host this workshop that will bring youth from around Asheville together for a day of relationship building and learning together about ways to dismantle structural racism in our communities and the power of youth voice and youth action in this movement. Led by local community leaders. (still seeking funding to be able to make this happen)
Monday & Tuesday, April 25 & 26: Evergreen Plant Sale
A fundraiser to support Better World Day projects and partnerships
Thursday, April 28: Student-Led Conferences.
A family engagement reflection opportunity.
Friday, April 29- Monday, May 1: YWCA’s Stand Against Racism
Nature Walk in Asheville, NC
Apr 22 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Cherokee
Join us on a guided nature walk tour of the native trees and plants that are traditionally used in Eastern Band of Cherokee basket making.
Spring Break Animal Encounters
Apr 22 @ 2:00 pm
Chimney Rock State Park
Did you know our staff had a wild side? Join a Park naturalist to meet some of our live Animal Ambassadors and learn what kind of wildlife inhabits the Park and their important roles in the ecosystem. Some of our best teachers have feathers, fur, shells or scales!
Asheville Parks and Rec Afterschool Programs: Afternoon Adventures
Apr 22 @ 2:45 pm – 6:00 pm
Asheville Area
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021-June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 2:45-6pm
K-6th graders.
Does your child enjoy having fun and making new friends? Offering
arts, crafts, special events, homework assistance and more!
Families currently enrolled in the school system’s reduced or free
meal program, please contact your recreation center for discount
fee information.
Locations: Burton, Grant, Montford, Shiloh, Stephens-Lee
Montford Pre-Teen Afterschool Program
Apr 22 @ 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Montford Community Center
Montford Pre-Teen Afterschool Program
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021 – June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 3:30-6pm
5th-6th graders.
New program designed to meet the needs of your pre-teen.
Providing time dedicated to school assignments, life skills, arts,
communication, leadership, fitness, nutrition, and loads of fun.
Location: Montford
Teen Leadership Program
Apr 22 @ 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Asheville Area
Teen Leadership Program
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021-June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 3:30-6pm
6th-9th graders.
Looking for a cool and enriching alternative for your Teen to attend
this school year? We offer creative activities, diverse projects,
field trips, and more.
Locations: Grant, Shiloh, Stephens-Lee
Candlelight Orchestra: A Tribute to The Greatest Showman
Apr 22 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Asheville M.T. Theatre
With over a thousand flickering candles illuminating the performers, Candlelight Orchestra will be paying tribute to the powerful music of The Greatest Showman and more over the course of 60 mesmerizing minutes.
An enchanting evening with the Candlelight Orchestra
Whether you’re looking for a beautiful and unique Asheville event or a romantic candlelit experience, this event is for you. You don’t need to know all things classical music to enjoy the evening of magical ambiance, simply unplug and savor the music you’ll hear.
Held in specially selected venues in comfortable idyllic settings so you can soar with classical music in a relaxed but awe inspiring atmosphere bathed by the flicker of over a thousand candlelights. Prepare to soar into the clouds! This concert series is coming to the The M.T. Theatre, a historical venue of purpose and elegance located in downtown Asheville, NC.
Performances by Candlelight Orchestra
After traveling around the world—in cities like Edinburgh, London, Kotor, Montenegro and Vancouver, BC—the experience of Candlelight Orchestra has finally made its way to Asheville! The concerts feature the classical romantics and your all-time favorites.
With over a thousand flickering candles illuminating the performers, the Candlelight Orchestra concerts present a collection of classical music over the course of 60 mesmerizing minutes.
Candlelight Orchestra: A Tribute to The Greatest Showman
Apr 23 all-day
Asheville M.T. Theatre
With over a thousand flickering candles illuminating the performers, Candlelight Orchestra will be paying tribute to the powerful music of The Greatest Showman and more over the course of 60 mesmerizing minutes.
An enchanting evening with the Candlelight Orchestra
Whether you’re looking for a beautiful and unique Asheville event or an evening with the powerful music of “The Greatest Showman” as a candlelit experience, this event is for you. You don’t need to know all things classical music to enjoy the evening of magical ambiance, simply unplug and savor the music you’ll hear.
Held in specially selected venues in comfortable idyllic settings so you can soar with classical music in a relaxed but awe inspiring atmosphere bathed by the flicker of over a thousand candlelights. Prepare to soar into the clouds! This concert series is coming to the The Asheville Theatre, a historical venue of purpose and elegance located in the heart of downtown Asheville, NC.
Performances by Candlelight Orchestra
After traveling around the world—in cities like Edinburgh, London, Kotor, Montenegro and Vancouver, BC—the experience of Candlelight Orchestra has finally made its way to Asheville, NC! The concerts feature the awe inspiring music from “The Greatest Showman, with vocalists and dancers performing with the world class orchestral musicians.
With over a thousand flickering candles illuminating the performers, the Candlelight Orchestra concerts present a collection of classical and modern music over the course of 60 mesmerizing minutes.
National Park Week
Apr 23 all-day
National Parks
National Park Week
Every April, during the presidentially proclaimed National Park Week, we join with the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, to celebrate America’s treasures. National Park Week is a time to explore amazing places, discover stories of history and culture, help out, and find your park.
Celebrate National Park Week 2022 with us April 16 to 24! Parks across the country will host a variety of special programs, events, and digital experiences. Entrance fees are waived on April 16 to kick off National Park Week and encourage everyone to enjoy their national parks.
Stay connected with national parks during National Park Week as the celebration goes digital. (Video contains footage copyright of More Than Just Parks. All rights protected.)
This year’s National Park Week theme is “sPark Connections”. With more than 400 national parks and National Park Service programs and partnerships in communities across the country, there is something new for everyone! And a lot closer to home than you may think. Each day of National Park Week, sPark a connection with us exploring a new theme.
April 16: sPark Discovery National Park Week kicks off with a fee-free day to encourage everyone to find something new by visiting a national park, especially one that may be close to home, a park you haven’t considered visiting, or one you never realized is a national park! What new national park will you discover?
Sunday, April 17: sPark Creativity National parks have inspired artistic expression and creativity for generations. What is your park muse? What masterpiece can you create?
Monday, April 18: sPark Collaboration We get along with a little help from our friends. Meet our many partners that help expand our reach and offerings and connect people to parks. How can you get involved or participate in opportunities?
Tuesday, April 19: sPark Innovation The National Park Service incorporates the latest technology to support conservation and preservation efforts while consistently working to improve the visitor experience. How can we surprise you with innovation?
Wednesday, April 20: sPark Opportunities On Workforce Wednesday, learn about the work we do and the employment opportunities available in the National Park Service and with partner organizations. How can you join?
Thursday, April 21: sPark Preservation The National Park Service is a leader and partner in preservation of historic, cultural, natural and recreational resources nationally—and even internationally! How can you get involved in preservation?
Friday, April 22: sPark Action On Earth Day we look at the health of the environment and how we impact its wellbeing and vice versa. What actions can you do to contribute to a healthy world?
Saturday, April 23: sPark Curiosity The National Park Service preserves and protects unique places with fascinating stories and unique landscapes. What are you curious about? What fascinating things can you discover?
Sunday, April 24: sPark Memories Generations of visitors have created lasting memories in national parks. What memories and traditions will you create?
Social Media
Share you National Park Week experiences and memories on social media using hashtags #NationalParkWeek and #sParkConnections. You can also use a special hashtag for each theme day.
April 16: #sParkDiscovery
Sunday, April 17: #sParkCreativity
Monday, April 18: #sPark Collaboration
Tuesday, April 19: #sParkInnovation
Wednesday, April 20: #sParkOpportunities
Thursday, April 21: #sParkPreservation
Friday, April 22: #sParkAction
Saturday, April 23: #sParkCuriosity
Sunday, April 24: #sParkMemories
National Park Week is Official!
Did you know National Park Week is recognized by a presidential proclamation? Each year, National Park Week is declared a special time to celebrate national parks and programs across the country and to encourage everyone to discover the nation’s diverse natural and cultural heritage.
White Squirrel Hiking Challenge 6
Apr 23 all-day
Western North Carolina Mountains
Hiking Challenge 6 is here! In Conserving Carolina’s and WPA’s White Squirrel Hiking Challenge 6, you get to explore the places you’re helping to protect—and they’re amazing! We invite you to take eight hikes on lands that Conserving Carolina has helped to protect, enhance, or open to the public.
This challenge includes two all-new Conserving Carolina trails with gorgeous views! Plus, you can see the highest waterfall east of the Rockies, lakes and waterfalls in DuPont State Recreational Forest, expanded trails in Bracken Mountain Preserve, and a beautiful creek in the Green River Game Lands. There’s also the all-time favorite Bearwallow Mountain with its 360-degree views over the mountains and countryside we’re working to protect.
These hikes will take you to some of our region’s “greatest hits,” as well as hidden gems where you may have the woods to yourself. If you’re into mountain biking, you have the option of biking some of these trails. And if you love to swim, fish, or just be near the water, five of these hikes take you to rivers, lakes, or waterfalls.
And the Hikes Are…
Drumroll please…. Here are the 8 hikes for this new Hiking Challenge! You can find more information and links to the full hike descriptions below. Which one will you do first?
Log each hike as you complete it. You can check your progress in this roster.
You can do the hikes at your own pace. You can take weeks, months, or over a year—whatever works for you.
You must complete all your hikes before the start of the next Hiking Challenge. We launch a new challenge about every two years.
Only hikes that you’ve done after Oct. 1, 2021 count toward Hiking Challenge 6.
You can complete the hikes on your own or as a group.
Please share about your hikes with the hashtag #whitesquirrelhikingchallenge (optional)
Feel free to share about your hikes and connect with other hikers in our Facebook group, the Conserving Carolina Community.
The Hiking Challenge is free and open to all, but you must be a Conserving Carolina member to become a Hiking Challenge 6 Champion. If you are a member and you complete all 8 hikes, you will earn your White Squirrel Patch and exclusive perks from local businesses that support conservation, including Appalachian Coffee Company, Lazy Otter Outfitters, Murphy’s Naturals, and YAM Yoga and Massage. Most importantly, you get to experience eight great places and deepen your personal connection to land conservation.
Better World Day 2022 Week of Events
Apr 23 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Evergreen Community Charter School
Evergreen Community Charter school of Asheville, North Carolina is holding Better World Day, a week-long Earth Day event. Evergreen has anchored our Better World Day activities in our annual Earth Day event for years. This has traditionally been a day where our school community participates in watershed stewardship service projects around our campus with support from community partners and a variety of learning workshops led by local wildlife experts. This year, we are making important changes to our event that reflect our school’s mission more broadly and to more comprehensively embody our school’s mission.
In addition to including the traditional watershed stewardship-focused projects, our event will include actions that engage us with community stewardship and emphasize our commitment to breaking down the structural and relational barriers that perpetuate racial inequalities in our community. Our event will celebrate and engage all of the ways we are stewards of the natural world, the rivers, the wild animals, the air, and the humans we share our Earth with. This year on Better World Day, Evergreeners are “In This Together”, exploring the many ways our school’s practices of learning about and taking actions towards habitat protection and ecological restoration can be done with mindful attention towards the building and restoration of our human community, too.
WEEK OF EVENTS:
Friday, April 22- Earth Day! Evergreen’s Better World Day event: Community circle and school-wide day of service projects and learning workshops. Local wildlife experts Carlton Burke, Steve O’Neil, and Rob Gudger will be joining us to share animals and stories of the human impacts on the habitat of some of these wild creatures. The EV Club of Asheville will be bringing an EV car show and sharing information about the impacts of moving towards electric vehicles as one way to curb the impacts of climate change. Every grade level/classroom will engage with meaningful service projects, such as:
– Raised bed construction in the garden ($2K grant monies raised to support this project)
– Forest pond habitat restoration project ($1K grant monies raised to support this project)
– Water quality assessments in local streams with a community partner, Riverlink
– Campus composting program – building bear-proof classroom composting bins, with a community partner, Asheville Greenworks
– Food System Justice, service in local community gardens in partnership with local community gardens, supported by Bountiful Cities
– Invasive Plant Removal- education about invasive plants and their impact on our local ecosystems + service groups focused on the removal of invasive plants from our campus forest and AVL streams (in partnership with Riverlink)
– Family engagement: Evergreen’s Social Justice Curriculum team will share with our greater family community ways to be “In This Together” with us to work towards the greater health of our planet and our community.
Saturday, April 23- My Place in Race: An equity workshop for middle school youth. Evergreen aims to host this workshop that will bring youth from around Asheville together for a day of relationship building and learning together about ways to dismantle structural racism in our communities and the power of youth voice and youth action in this movement. Led by local community leaders. (still seeking funding to be able to make this happen)
Monday & Tuesday, April 25 & 26: Evergreen Plant Sale
A fundraiser to support Better World Day projects and partnerships
Thursday, April 28: Student-Led Conferences.
A family engagement reflection opportunity.
Friday, April 29- Monday, May 1: YWCA’s Stand Against Racism
Chestnut Mountain Nature Park Opening
Apr 23 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Chestnut Mountain Nature Park
the Town of Canton will host a public opening for the Chestnut Mountain Nature Park on Hwy 19-23. Situated as a park-within-a-park, the mountain biking Berm Park will simultaneously open the public. The family-friendly grand opening event will include live music, outdoor retailers, a kids pop-up bike park, and food and beverage available to purchase from local vendors.
“We cannot think of a better way to celebrate Earth Day than the opening of this incredible conservation and recreation project,” says Nick Scheuer, town manager. “The importance of Chestnut Mountain Nature Park cannot be overstated and its impact on wildlife protection, quality of life improvements and economic development will impact generations to come. None of this would be possible without our incredible partners at Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.”
Chestnut Mountain view, photo by Adams Wood
Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy purchased the 450-acre Chestnut Mountain property in 2020 in an ambitious endeavor to pair permanent protection of habitat and water resources with creation of a conservation-friendly, community-centric space for outdoor recreation. The Town of Canton engaged Equinox Environmental to lead a master planning process for the park, including community input sessions, and Elevated Trail Design worked on trail design for the property. Seth Alvo, creator of the Berm Peak YouTube channel and Seth’s Bike Hacks, galvanized his followers to support development of Berm Park — a mountain biking oasis and park-within-a-park at Chestnut Mountain Nature Park.
Berm Park
“Berm Park is a free, public bike park,” says Alvo. “While it’s just a tiny part of Chestnut Mountain, it will be a big part of the community. Funds to build Berm Park were provided by sponsoring companies and crowd-sourced from Patreon and YouTube followers, who watched the park come to life, week by week and stage by stage, on the internet. The collaboration between recreation and conservation here at Chestnut Mountain will remain an example for other communities in how working together can make big projects come to life. Chestnut Mountain and Berm Park now serve as assets to the area, strengthening the community’s health through recreation, and enriching the lives of many.”
Located in an important wildlife corridor, the large property includes diverse ecological communities, streams that flow into Hominy Creek, and the top of Chestnut Mountain. A portion of the tract was once slated for a motorsports speedway. Although that project never developed, grading work done for the speedway created a space well-suited for mountain bike and hiking trails. Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy partnered with the Town of Canton and an excited group of partners and funders to bring to fruition this vision — a nature park in which habitat and water resources are permanently protected by conservation easements, with areas open for people to enjoy, explore, and learn about nature.
“Forested ridgelines and coves provide diverse habitat for plants and animals,” says Hanni Muerdter, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s conservation director. “This land contains a mosaic of habitat types, with pockets of mature hardwood forest with laurel and rhododendron, forested slopes facing a variety of directions, and an open field and early successional edge area beneficial for birds. We look forward to continuing to study patterns of wildlife movement across the land with our partners at The Wildlands Network. We’re also excited about the potential for the property to be an educational outdoor classroom. The Berm Park biking skills course was placed in a good location because that area was already disturbed, and the majority of the rest of the property will be reserved for forested habitat and single-track trails.”
This year the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is transferring ownership of the land to the Town of Canton, but the nonprofit land trust will continue to monitor the conservation easements permanently protecting the tract in perpetuity. Conservation easements held by the State of NC and Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy ensure that the natural resources of the land will remain protected for future generations.
On Saturday, April 23, approximately 35 acres of the total 450-acre tract will open to the public, and will be open for day use afterward. This area includes the mountain biking skills course at Berm Park and a mixed use (hiking and biking) trail that climbs approx. 350 ft. from the parking lot and pedestrian bridge which forms a gateway into the property. The Town of Canton continues to secure funding and plan for infrastructure development outlined in the Chestnut Mountain Nature Park master plan along with other pertinent information. Future hiking trails, recreation areas, and park amenities will open over the next two years.
“While we are excited to open up Chestnut Mountain in its first phase,” continues Scheuer, “this park is very much a work in progress, and we look forward to unveiling trails and amenities throughout the park that every user will be able to enjoy. The Town of Canton is partnering with Haywood Waterways Association on a stream restoration project along Hominy Creek. The next phase of park development will include hiking and biking specific trails, picnic pavilion, kids bicycle playground, scenic overlooks and more. There’s a lot to be excited about this month and in the future.”
Event Details
The April 23 Chestnut Mountain Nature Park Grand Opening event will include music by Life Like Water and food/refreshments available for purchase from Woof Street Bistro, Pig in a Basket BBQ, Pelicans of Asheville, and Papertown Coffee.
Vendors and organizations hosting activities for the event include: Squatch Bikes, Youngblood Bicycles, Rolls Right, Cognitive MTB, Pisgah Area SORBA, Asheville on Bikes, KidCycle Club, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.
The Pigeon River Garden Club’s Earth Day celebration will take place at the Chestnut Mountain Nature Park Grand Opening. The Pigeon River Garden club (PRGC) will be present along with the following organizations: Haywood County Extension Master Gardeners, Haywood Waterways Association, Haywood County Parks & Recreation, Haywood County Public Library, Canton Historical Museum, and Lake Logan – Camp David.
Nestled in the heart of the Southern Appalachian Mountains on the Pigeon River and a mere 20 miles from downtown Asheville is Canton, NC, a historic mill town with unmatched character and pride. The Town of Canton boasts a relatively mild climate, a fascinating history & picturesque surroundings full of recreation opportunities for the young or the young at heart. More info at www.CantonNC.com.
About Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy:
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is a nationally accredited, non-profit land trust conserving land and water resources in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Since 1974, SAHC has protected over 80,000 acres of unique plant and animal habitat, clean water, farmland, scenic views, and places for all people to enjoy outdoor recreation. SAHC’s acquisition of the Chestnut Mountain property was made possible with funding from the North Carolina Land and Water Fund, the NC Attorney General’s Office’s Environmental Enhancement Grant Program, The Pigeon River Fund of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, the Conservation Trust for North Carolina, many private donors, and loans from the The Conservation Fund and from Hudson Land and Timber LLC. More info at Appalachian.org.
Drip, Drip Drop: A WATER Adventure (Ages 3-4)
Apr 23 @ 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
UNCA--Outdoors on the Reynolds Green - Right Outside Carol Belk Theatre
Curiosity transforms a little youngin’ into a tiny water droplet and imagination takes them on an outdoor, wonder-filled adventure.
About this event
Water is all around us. A liquid life force in our blood, sweat and tears that falls from the sky into the ground forming rivers, lakes and oceans. Find out what happens when curiosity transforms a little youngin’ into a tiny water droplet and imagination takes them on a wonder-filled adventure.
What is TVY? Theatre for the Very Young combines elements of dramatic play with immersive design to create an interactive and multi-sensory performance experience. Although TVY centers in its creation the aesthetic and developmental needs of children ages 0-5, anyone who wishes to experience the world with a sense of child-like wonder and awe is invited to attend.
Note: Due to the participatory nature of the performance, the audience size will be limited to 15 children per show. Parents and grown-ups will be able to watch the performance. Please plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early to participate in the pre-show activities. The show will begin promptly at the start time listed and will last approximately 30 minutes. Children and their grown-ups are invited to join us after the show for an additional 30 minutes of free play time at our hands-on, water-inspired stations.
There will be a food truck on site. Beer and cider on tap and we will have the fire-pit going. Bring a hammock to hang in the trees where the French Broad and Hominy Creek meet. There are disc baskets setup so don’t forget your putter. And of course bring your hiking shoes, the French Broad Greenway butts right up to Hominy.
All proceeds FART makes in April are going to Asheville Greenworks!
Send me a message with any questions. Our comedy line-up is booked but we have a few music slots available!
Did you know our staff had a wild side? Join a Park naturalist to meet some of our live Animal Ambassadors and learn what kind of wildlife inhabits the Park and their important roles in the ecosystem. Some of our best teachers have feathers, fur, shells or scales!
Every April, during the presidentially proclaimed National Park Week, we join with the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, to celebrate America’s treasures. National Park Week is a time to explore amazing places, discover stories of history and culture, help out, and find your park.
Celebrate National Park Week 2022 with us April 16 to 24! Parks across the country will host a variety of special programs, events, and digital experiences. Entrance fees are waived on April 16 to kick off National Park Week and encourage everyone to enjoy their national parks.
Stay connected with national parks during National Park Week as the celebration goes digital. (Video contains footage copyright of More Than Just Parks. All rights protected.)
This year’s National Park Week theme is “sPark Connections”. With more than 400 national parks and National Park Service programs and partnerships in communities across the country, there is something new for everyone! And a lot closer to home than you may think. Each day of National Park Week, sPark a connection with us exploring a new theme.
April 16: sPark Discovery National Park Week kicks off with a fee-free day to encourage everyone to find something new by visiting a national park, especially one that may be close to home, a park you haven’t considered visiting, or one you never realized is a national park! What new national park will you discover?
Sunday, April 17: sPark Creativity National parks have inspired artistic expression and creativity for generations. What is your park muse? What masterpiece can you create?
Monday, April 18: sPark Collaboration We get along with a little help from our friends. Meet our many partners that help expand our reach and offerings and connect people to parks. How can you get involved or participate in opportunities?
Tuesday, April 19: sPark Innovation The National Park Service incorporates the latest technology to support conservation and preservation efforts while consistently working to improve the visitor experience. How can we surprise you with innovation?
Wednesday, April 20: sPark Opportunities On Workforce Wednesday, learn about the work we do and the employment opportunities available in the National Park Service and with partner organizations. How can you join?
Thursday, April 21: sPark Preservation The National Park Service is a leader and partner in preservation of historic, cultural, natural and recreational resources nationally—and even internationally! How can you get involved in preservation?
Friday, April 22: sPark Action On Earth Day we look at the health of the environment and how we impact its wellbeing and vice versa. What actions can you do to contribute to a healthy world?
Saturday, April 23: sPark Curiosity The National Park Service preserves and protects unique places with fascinating stories and unique landscapes. What are you curious about? What fascinating things can you discover?
Sunday, April 24: sPark Memories Generations of visitors have created lasting memories in national parks. What memories and traditions will you create?
Social Media
Share you National Park Week experiences and memories on social media using hashtags #NationalParkWeek and #sParkConnections. You can also use a special hashtag for each theme day.
April 16: #sParkDiscovery
Sunday, April 17: #sParkCreativity
Monday, April 18: #sPark Collaboration
Tuesday, April 19: #sParkInnovation
Wednesday, April 20: #sParkOpportunities
Thursday, April 21: #sParkPreservation
Friday, April 22: #sParkAction
Saturday, April 23: #sParkCuriosity
Sunday, April 24: #sParkMemories
National Park Week is Official!
Did you know National Park Week is recognized by a presidential proclamation? Each year, National Park Week is declared a special time to celebrate national parks and programs across the country and to encourage everyone to discover the nation’s diverse natural and cultural heritage.
Running of the Goats 5k and Nature Walk
Apr 24 @ 7:30 am – 9:30 am
WNC Nature Center
Are you ready to run wild with the WNC Nature Center?! Join us for the first ever Running of the Goats 5k and Nature Walk to support the animals you love!
1. Choose to run or walk the 3.1 mile course, which starts and ends at the WNC Nature Center. Begin your journey by catching a glimpse of the goats, bears, birds, and otters before heading out on a rolling, paved course.
2. Opt to walk only* inside the Nature Center along a paved route and see more animals waking up to start their day. Your self-guided tour will include fun, nature-related prompts and activities along the path. Children 2 and under can join you for free (without registering) for the Nature walk, but kids 3 and up must be registered. *In order to ensure the comfort of our animals, running is not permitted during the Nature Walk.
3. Participate at any time in any location with the virtual option.
No matter which option you choose, you’ll receive a race shirt (if registered by 4/11 at midnight) and a free guest pass to visit the Nature Center in the future. Nature Center goats Roddy and Rolo, Swiss and Alpine, and Bill and Ted will be cheering you on as you race to be the Greatest Of All Time!
Drip, Drip Drop: A WATER Adventure (Ages 3-4)
Apr 24 @ 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
UNCA--Outdoors on the Reynolds Green - Right Outside Carol Belk Theatre
Curiosity transforms a little youngin’ into a tiny water droplet and imagination takes them on an outdoor, wonder-filled adventure.
About this event
Water is all around us. A liquid life force in our blood, sweat and tears that falls from the sky into the ground forming rivers, lakes and oceans. Find out what happens when curiosity transforms a little youngin’ into a tiny water droplet and imagination takes them on a wonder-filled adventure.
What is TVY? Theatre for the Very Young combines elements of dramatic play with immersive design to create an interactive and multi-sensory performance experience. Although TVY centers in its creation the aesthetic and developmental needs of children ages 0-5, anyone who wishes to experience the world with a sense of child-like wonder and awe is invited to attend.
Note: Due to the participatory nature of the performance, the audience size will be limited to 15 children per show. Parents and grown-ups will be able to watch the performance. Please plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early to participate in the pre-show activities. The show will begin promptly at the start time listed and will last approximately 30 minutes. Children and their grown-ups are invited to join us after the show for an additional 30 minutes of free play time at our hands-on, water-inspired stations.
Artful Adventure at Asheville Art Museum
Apr 24 @ 11:30 am – 12:15 pm
Asheville Art Museum
Come along on an Artful Adventure! Take a whimsical walk with your family through our Museum to discover artworks that highlight our favorite foods in the galleries. Our adventure comes to an end at the Wells Fargo Art PLAYce, where you can play and create! Bring your imagination and the whole family.
Earth Day Kids Festival
Apr 24 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Rabbit Rabbit
“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
NATIVE AMERICAN PROVERB
This event is free and open to the public
In WNC we are so lucky to have a bounty of incredible natural spaces surrounding us. These ancestral lands of the Cherokee Indian are full of life, beauty, and magic that deserves to be experienced by everyone. This Earth Day we want to celebrate our planet and natural resources with you and your family!
Join RiverLink and a host of local environmental organizations to learn about: plants and animals, mountains and streams, composting and recycling, and so much more. Every participating organization will have fun games and activities, interactive displays, arts and crafts, etc for kids to engage with. We hope that these future stewards will have a chance to connect deeper with their environment and learn about what these groups are doing to protect it.
At the festival we will also be showcasing entries and announcing the winners for RiverLink’s Voices of the River: Art and Poetry contest. Our mountains and rivers are an incredible source of creative inspiration and artistic exploration. These talented young artists and writers have created beautiful works that honor our rivers and Mother Earth herself.
We hope you’ll join us for a day of fun, education, and creativity as we celebrate everything that our planet does for us.
Earth Day Kids Festival
Apr 24 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Rabbit Rabbit
In WNC we are so lucky to have a bounty of incredible natural spaces surrounding us. These ancestral lands of the Cherokee Indian are full of life, beauty, and magic that deserves to be experienced by everyone. This Earth Day we want to celebrate our planet and natural resources with you and your family!
Join RiverLink and a host of local environmental organizations to learn about: plants and animals, mountains and streams, composting and recycling, and so much more. Every participating organization will have fun games and activities, interactive displays, arts and crafts, etc for kids to engage with. We hope that these future stewards will have a chance to connect deeper with their environment and learn about what these groups are doing to protect it.
At the festival we will also be showcasing entries and announcing the winners for RiverLink’s Voices of the River: Art and Poetry contest. Our mountains and rivers are an incredible source of creative inspiration and artistic exploration. These talented young artists and writers have created beautiful works that honor our rivers and Mother Earth herself.
We hope you’ll join us for a day of fun, education, and creativity as we celebrate everything that our planet does for us.
Music of Grateful Dead for Kids
Apr 24 @ 12:00 pm
The Grey Eagle
The Rock and Roll Playhouse, a family concert series hosted at historic music venues across the country, allows kids to “move, play and sing while listening to works from the classic-rock canon” (NY Times). Performing songs created by the most iconic musicians in rock history, The Rock and Roll Playhouse band offers its core audience of families with children age ten and under games, movement, stories and an opportunity to rock out in an effort to educate children and explore their creativity. The Rock and Roll Playhouse is an early and often first introduction to a child’s lifelong journey with live music and rock and roll. See you at the show!
This concert for kids and families shares the music of the artist named above with a new generation of music lovers, but is not associated with or endorsed by the artist. All children must be accompanied by a parent or adult caregiver.
The Rock and Roll Playhouse knows that little ears are sensitive, so we turn down the volume at our shows. However, all kids experience music differently and you may find that your child is more comfortable wearing hearing protection earmuffs, such as Baby Banz, which are available for purchase here.
Spring Break Animal Encounters
Apr 24 @ 2:00 pm
Chimney Rock State Park
Did you know our staff had a wild side? Join a Park naturalist to meet some of our live Animal Ambassadors and learn what kind of wildlife inhabits the Park and their important roles in the ecosystem. Some of our best teachers have feathers, fur, shells or scales!
Drip, Drip Drop: A WATER Adventure (Ages 3-4)
FART Fest! Music, comedy, and good company
Seed Bomb Workshop
Spring Break Animal Encounters
Located in an important wildlife corridor, the large property includes diverse ecological communities, streams that flow into Hominy Creek, and the top of Chestnut Mountain. A portion of the tract was once slated for a motorsports speedway. Although that project never developed, grading work done for the speedway created a space well-suited for mountain bike and hiking trails. Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy partnered with the Town of Canton and an excited group of partners and funders to bring to fruition this vision — a nature park in which habitat and water resources are permanently protected by conservation easements, with areas open for people to enjoy, explore, and learn about nature.
“Forested ridgelines and coves provide diverse habitat for plants and animals,” says Hanni Muerdter, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s conservation director. “This land contains a mosaic of habitat types, with pockets of mature hardwood forest with laurel and rhododendron, forested slopes facing a variety of directions, and an open field and early successional edge area beneficial for birds. We look forward to continuing to study patterns of wildlife movement across the land with our partners at The Wildlands Network. We’re also excited about the potential for the property to be an educational outdoor classroom. The Berm Park biking skills course was placed in a good location because that area was already disturbed, and the majority of the rest of the property will be reserved for forested habitat and single-track trails.”
This year the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is transferring ownership of the land to the Town of Canton, but the nonprofit land trust will continue to monitor the conservation easements permanently protecting the tract in perpetuity. Conservation easements held by the State of NC and Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy ensure that the natural resources of the land will remain protected for future generations.
“While we are excited to open up Chestnut Mountain in its first phase,” continues Scheuer, “this park is very much a work in progress, and we look forward to unveiling trails and amenities throughout the park that every user will be able to enjoy. The Town of Canton is partnering with Haywood Waterways Association on a stream restoration project along Hominy Creek. The next phase of park development will include hiking and biking specific trails, picnic pavilion, kids bicycle playground, scenic overlooks and more. There’s a lot to be excited about this month and in the future.”
Nestled in the heart of the Southern Appalachian Mountains on the Pigeon River and a mere 20 miles from downtown Asheville is Canton, NC, a historic mill town with unmatched character and pride. The Town of Canton boasts a relatively mild climate, a fascinating history & picturesque surroundings full of recreation opportunities for the young or the young at heart. More info at www.CantonNC.com.
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is a nationally accredited, non-profit land trust conserving land and water resources in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Since 1974, SAHC has protected over 80,000 acres of unique plant and animal habitat, clean water, farmland, scenic views, and places for all people to enjoy outdoor recreation. SAHC’s acquisition of the Chestnut Mountain property was made possible with funding from the North Carolina Land and Water Fund, the NC Attorney General’s Office’s Environmental Enhancement Grant Program, The Pigeon River Fund of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, the Conservation Trust for North Carolina, many private donors, and loans from the The Conservation Fund and from Hudson Land and Timber LLC. More info at Appalachian.org.
