Food Scraps Drop Off

The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County and the Natural Resources Defense Council, is offering a FREE Food Scrap Drop-Off program in

two locations for all Buncombe County residents.  This organic matter will be collected and turned into good clean compost, keeping it OUT of our landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Register for Food Scraps Drop Off

Need a handy kitchen countertop food scrap bin?  Let us know on the registration form! We’ll be having bin giveaways at city and county facilities and would love to give you one.

Locations

West Asheville Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the south side of the building

942 Haywood Road, Asheville

Library open hours

Stephens-Lee Recreation Center “Food Scrap Shed” next to the Community Garden on the North side of the parking lot

30 Washington Carver Avenue, Asheville

• • Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  • Sunday, 12 – 4 p.m.

Murphy Oakley Community Center and Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the east side of the parking lot

749 Fairview Road, Asheville

• • Dawn – Dusk

Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander

• • • • Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
      • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 12:30 pm

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

• Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
• 90-Minutes – tours run daily
• 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
• $39 per person (ages 13+ only)

Included with admission

Back by popular demand, The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad exhibition offers guests:

• An opportunity to view rarely-seen treasures from the Biltmore collection
• A first-hand look at the Vanderbilts’ lifestyle
• Deeper insights into George, Edith, and Cornelia’s personalities, both at home and on their extensive travels

Access to exhibitions at The Biltmore Legacy is included with Biltmore daytime admission.

The Homeless Strategy Division of the City of Asheville Community and Economic Development Department invites members of the public to join them for an informative learning series focused on homelessness in our community. This 3-part learning series, presented by Homeless Strategy Specialist Debbie Alford,  offers community members the opportunity to learn more about the causes, responses, and actions that surround the homelessness issue in Asheville and the region. These in-person sessions are offered as a series with information building from one session to the next. Pre-Registration and attendance of all 3 sessions is recommended. October 2023 Session 1: October 3, 2023: Understanding Homelessness –  causes and local landscape Session 2: October 17, 2023: Understanding Solutions to Homelessness – community response, present and future Session 3: October 24, 2023: Personal Response to Homelessness – how to partner with local agencies and take action All October sessions will be held at Pack Memorial Library from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. November 2023 Session 1: November 2, 2023: Understanding Homelessness – causes and local landscape Session 2: November 9, 2023: Understanding Solutions to Homelessness – community response, present and future Session 3: November 16, 2023 : Personal Response to Homelessness – how to partner with local agencies and take action All November sessions will be held at the North Asheville Public Library from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Background: What does Homelessness look like in Asheville? Homelessness occurs when people lack sufficient resources and support during a normal life crisis. It often coincides with unemployment, mental health disorders, substance use, criminal justice involvement, and medical issues, but the vast majority of people who experience those things daily in our community aren’t homeless. In the 2023 Point-in-Time Count, which is an annual census of people experiencing homelessness, City of Asheville staff and volunteers identified 573 people without housing. Most people (402) were in emergency shelters or transitional housing programs. Unfortunately, 171 unsheltered people, defined as those community members who are camping, sleeping in cars, or otherwise on the street, were also counted. Detailed data are available here. A Community Solution Approach Ending homelessness occurs at the individual level, person by person, but requires that our homeless service system have the type and scale of resources needed to respond to each person’s unique needs.  Our goal as a community is to have a well-coordinated and right-sized mix of homeless services that together form a system that’s effective and efficient at ending homelessness. Crises will always occur in all of our lives, but with a robust response system, we can prevent more people from becoming homeless, shorten the time people experience homelessness, and continually increase the number of people exiting homelessness. The City of Asheville is not a direct provider or authority overseeing homelessness efforts within the community. Instead, as suggested by the National Alliance to End Homelessness,  the City government works alongside service providers and other stakeholders to support and expand community capacity and strategies to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness. The Homeless Initiative Advisory Committee (HIAC), serves as the governance board overseeing policy, strategy, and federal resource allocation for the Continuum of Care. HIAC is responsible for developing a collective vision and an effective and streamlined community-wide collaboration to maximize resources and efforts to best respond to homelessness together as a unified Continuum of Care.

Hit the trails and learn more about The North Carolina Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with a guided trail walk! April through October, this free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and through a variety of forest types. Depending on the season and each guide’s area of expertise, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more.

Guided trail walks are limited to 15 people, including the guide, and are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age. Groups depart from the Baker Visitor Center Lobby on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m..

Walks last 1.5 – 2.5 hours, are approximately one to two miles in length. As this program is held rain or shine, all participants should dress appropriately for the weather.

There is no pre-registration; walks are first-come first served and sign up sheets are located in the Baker Visitors Center.

Walks are FREE; however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are appreciated. Regular parking fees apply. Arboretum Society Members always park free.

Know Before You Go

• Guided Trail Walks are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age.
• Guided Trail Walks are rain or shine and all participants should be dressed comfortably and for the weather.
• Hikes cover 1-2 miles and last 1.5-2 hours.
• Well-behaved leashed pets are welcome to accompany their owners. In the rare case that a pet is disruptive or negatively impacts the experience, the pet and its owner may be asked to excuse themselves from the guided walk.
• COVID-19 Safety: In order to hear the guide and fully participate in the trail walk, participants will be in close proximity to one another for extended periods of time. While face coverings are not required, participants should use their best judgement to keep themselves and others safe while enjoying the trails. Individuals who are experiencing flu-like symptoms or suspect they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should not participate.
• At this time, no more than 6 spaces may be filled by a single family/group through pre-registration for any one Guided Trail Walk. If additional spaces are available on the day of the Walk, additional members of the family/group may participate. We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to welcoming larger groups in the future.

LEAF isn’t just for kids! Join us in the Mezzanine while you wait for your youth to finish their class or just to hang out!

It’s not all Chianti! Italian wines are some of the most varied, characterful, and food-friendly wines on the planet. With so many different grape varieties, laws, and climates, Italy can be intimidating for novice and seasoned wine drinkers alike. Demystify this fascinating region by learning what grapes are grown where and what styles are tied to different areas.

Embark on a tour of Italy with a progressive tasting of wines from six distinct regions, each telling a story of tradition, culture, and terroir. We’ll also look at the culinary traditions associated with these regions and discuss how these wines work with fall flavors.

Tax & Gratuity Included • Tickets are Transferable
Limited Seating • 21 and over

Advanced Sommelier

Cara De Lavallade

Come join us for Business After Hours at Eliada Homes!

Eliada Homes is a non-profit agency in Asheville that provides a cradle-to-career continuum of services for over 400 children and youth annually. This includes our 5-Star Child Development Center (child care, pre-k, afterschool, and summer camp), Residential mental health programs, Foster Care, adoption services, respite care, equine therapy, intensive in-home therapy, and Workforce-Ready housing assistance for youth aging out of foster care. Established in 1903, we have been helping children succeed for 120 years.

Join us for the Asheville Chamber Business After Hours Corn Maze & Fall Festival event on October 17^th at 5 p.m. at Eliada Homes. Network and mingle while enjoying all the Eliada Fall Fundraising Festival attractions such as the custom maze, slides, bouncy pillow, corn cannons, hayride, and lawn games! Farm tours will also be available.

Feel free to bring a gift to be raffled off as door prizes towards the end of the evening. Bring your business cards for networking and a chance to win prizes!

This event is offered as a benefit for Chamber membership. We welcome you to come and check us out! Please contact Jessica Kanupp, our Member Development Specialist, at [email protected] if you’re considering a Chamber membership

 Ticket sales and registration just opened for Pisgah Legal’s 13^th Annual Justice Forum, and already more than 100 people have signed up to attend the October 17^th event at UNC Asheville’s Sherrill Center, Kimmel Arena.

What’s driving the strong interest? This year’s speaker is Matthew Desmond, the Pulitizer-Prize-winning author of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, which transformed our understanding of inequity and economic exploitation in America. Desmond, a professor of sociology, MacArthur “Genius,” and the founder of the Eviction Lab at Princeton University, was launched onto the national stage as an expert on contemporary American poverty with the publication of his bestseller.

Desmond’s latest book, the instant #1 New York Times bestseller Poverty, by America investigates why the United States, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. Why does this land of plenty allow one in every eight of its children to go without basic necessities, permit scores of its citizens to live and die on the streets, and authorize its corporations to pay poverty wages?

Desmond will explore this question and help us imagine solutions at the October 17 event. This is the second time that Desmond has appeared as the keynote speaker for Pisgah Legal’s annual Forum; the first was in 2017.

“Pisgah Legal is thrilled to welcome Matthew Desmond back to Asheville,” says Pisgah Legal Chief Development Officer Ally Wilson. “The event was sold-out in 2017, and we are already seeing an enthusiastic response for our upcoming Justice Forum.”

The Justice Forum is scheduled for Tuesday, October 17 at 7:00pm and is FREE and open to the public. An Advance Reception will be held at 5:30pm with tickets available for $125/person. Advance registration and ticket sales are open at https://www.pisgahlegal.org/justiceforum. The event will also be livestreamed. Sponsorship

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

This workshop is for anyone who wants to bring their real-life stories to the page, whether for publication or simply to record stories for family and friends. Through focused prompts, we will revisit and write about important moments from our lives. Our session will include timed writing exercises, group discussions, and an opportunity to read one’s work aloud in a supportive setting. Please bring paper and a writing implement and come ready to write!

Space is limited, so registration is required.

Lori Horvitz’ first collection of memoir-essays, The Girls of Usually, won the 2016 Gold Medal IPPY Book Award in Autobiography/Memoir. Her creative nonfiction has appeared in a variety of journals including Hobart, South Dakota Review, The New York Times, The Guardian, and Hotel Amerika. Professor of English at UNC Asheville, Horvitz has been awarded fellowships from Yaddo, Cottages at Hedgebrook, VCCA, Ragdale, Blue Mountain Center, and Brush Creek. She holds a Ph.D. in English from SUNY Albany, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Brooklyn College.

Join Librarian and Friend Jill Totman this Fall to discuss, “Books I Swore I’d Never Read Again!” Re-read classic titles will fresh perspective & new conversations.

• Tuesday, October 17th @ 6 PM: The Awakening by Kate Chopin
• Tuesday, November 21st @ 6 PM: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

This group will meet in person at the Weaverville Library on the third Tuesday evening of the month at 6 PM. Copies of each title will be available at the Weaverville Library while supplies last.  No reservations are necessary & newcomers are always welcome.

Thanks to the Friends of the Weaverville Library for sponsoring this series!

A young poet tells the inspiring story of his migration at the age of nine from El Salvador to the United States in this “gripping memoir” (NPR) of bravery, hope, and finding family.

The library’s moderated online book discussion group meets on the third Tuesday of each month, September through May. You can join by emailing [email protected] at least one hour prior to the meeting.

Players of all skill levels gather at Shakedown Kava Lounge (Hendersonville’s kava
bar) every Tuesday for the kava bar’s weekly Table Tennis Tournament, Games to 11, best of 3, double elimination, paddles
included, winner receives eternal glory and a $25 bar tab, Entry is free.

Created between the dry freeways of Palm Springs, California and lush coastlines and Hilo, Hawai’i, V is the definitive Unknown Mortal Orchestra record. Led by Hawaiian-New Zealand artist Ruban Nielson, V draws from the rich traditions of West Coast AOR, classic hits, weirdo pop and Hawaiian Hapa-haole music. With his sharpest-ever ear for “making it UMO”, Ruban evokes blue skies, beachside cocktail bars and hotel pools without ever turning a blind eye to the darkness that lurks below perfect, pristine surfaces.

The road to V began in April 2019 when UMO headed to Indio, California, to perform at Coachella. For that fortnight, Ruban booked an Airbnb in nearby Palm Springs and brought his family along. Between performances, he realized the desert resort city’s palm tree-lined streets reminded him of a childhood spent playing by white hotel swimming pools with his siblings while their entertainer parents performed in showbands across the Pacific and East Asia.

A year later, Ruban started thinking about Palm Springs again as the COVID-19 pandemic loomed on the horizon. After contemplating spending lockdown at home in Portland, he purchased a house in Palm Springs. Having spent a decade touring, Ruban knew he had health issues and burnout to address. As America went into lockdown, he settled in for enforced downtime. Under the palm trees, he had the space to reflect. He felt a sense of gratitude for the lifestyle music had afforded him. The warm, dry weather cleared up his lifelong asthma issues, he found himself singing better than ever before, and new songs began to flow out of him in his home studio.

When he recorded his third album Multi-Love, Ruban incorporated disco elements into the lo-fi funk-rock dreamscapes of his first two records. Coming from a punk background where the slogan “disco sucks” had been casually thrown around, he found a subversive glee in flipping the script. On V, you can hear a continuation of this impulse in the arid disco-funk of ‘Meshuggah’. “There are two kinds of musical taste, constructed and instinctual,” Ruban said. “Taste as clout is dangerous to art, in my opinion. Then, there’s music that will send a shiver down your spine. You didn’t ask for that shiver. It just happens.”

During the pandemic’s early days, Ruban’s brother Kody had flown from New Zealand to Palm Springs to help him with his recordings. When they talked about records that moved them in that spine-shivering manner, Ruban started thinking about the ubiquitous 70s AM radio rock and 80s pop songs he remembered hearing as a child while their parents were working as entertainers. He wanted to write his version of those records, leading to the two glorious uptempo singles UMO released in 2021, ‘Weekend Run’ and ‘That Life’.

However, the golden good times never last forever. As health issues began to plague one of his Hawaiian uncles, Ruban realized he was coming face to face with a sharper, more acute sense of mortality looming. Putting his recordings aside, he helped his mother and another of her brothers move home from New Zealand and Portland to Hawai’i to be with him. As they settled in, Ruban began dividing his time between Palm Springs and Hilo on the northeastern side of the big island.

He knew that part of his connection with Palm Springs came from how it evoked aspects of his childhood. For Ruban, Hawai’i had a similar association, but it also brought back faded memories of the darker side of his parents’ lifestyle. On those trips, he heard those classic AM radio rock records he’d talked about with Kody everywhere. They were inextricably intertwined with the palm trees, swimming pools, and glamorized hedonism he’d internalized since childhood.

There’s a type of music in Hawai’i called Hapa-haole (Half white). You can hear it expressed in signature UMO style through the humid guitar-led atmosphere of V‘s penultimate song, ‘I Killed Captain Cook’. Although the songs are presented in a traditional Hawaiian manner, they’re mostly sung in English. Having been influenced by Hawaiian music since UMO’s first album, Ruban saw a space for himself within the tradition. When he reflected on his success, he realized he had the responsibility and platform to represent Hapa-haole music on the global stage.

After reuniting with Kody at a cousin’s wedding in Hawai’i, the brothers traveled to Palm Springs. There, with assistance from their father, Chris Nielson (saxophone/flute) and longstanding UMO member Jake Portrait, they brought everything Ruban had been mulling over about together through the fourteen singalong anthems, cinematic instrumentals and mischievous pop songs that make up V.

“In Hawaii, everything shifted off of me and my music,” Ruban said. “Suddenly, I was spending more time figuring out what others need and what my role is within my family. I also learned that things I thought were true of myself are bigger than I thought. My way of making mischief – that’s not just me – that’s my whole Polynesian side. I thought I was walking away from music to focus on family, but the two ended up connecting.”

The first double album in the UMO discography, V, makes a strong case for itself as Ruban’s sunbleached masterpiece while simultaneously recontextualizing and enriching the journey that led him to this moment. Alongside Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation, Pulp’s Different Class, and Prince’s 1999, it’s a breakthrough work from a mid-career artist in full control of his creative powers. Most of all, V is about having fun while making music and art that transcends clout and currency. In the process, Ruban effortlessly reclaims taste as a personal part of selfhood; in that reclamation, he propels UMO to breathtaking new creative heights.

The 2023 Grammy-nominated British vocal ensemble VOCES8 is proud to inspire people through music and share the joy of singing. Touring globally, the group performs an extensive repertory both in its a cappella concerts and in collaborations with leading musicians, orchestras, conductors and soloists. Versatility and a celebration of diverse musical expression are central to the ensemble’s performance and education ethos which is shared both online and in person. VOCES8 is passionate about music education and is the flagship ensemble of the VOCES8 Foundation which actively promotes ‘Music Education For All’, reaching up to 40,000 people a year.

VOCES8 has performed at many notable venues since its inception in 2005 including Wigmore Hall, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Cité de la Musique Paris, Vienna Konzerthaus, Tokyo Opera City, NCPA Beijing, Sydney Opera House, Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall, Victoria Concert Hall Singapore, Palacio de Bellas Artes Mexico City amongst many others. This season they perform over 100 concerts in the UK and across Europe and visit the USA for 3 major tours.

The ensemble is a Decca Classics artist and also releases projects on its own label, VOCES8 Records. The latest Decca Classics album is the Grammy Nominated “The Lost Birds” featuring music by Christopher Tin. New album projects for 2023 include albums with Eric Whitacre, Paul Simon, and Christmas arrangements for VOCES8 and orchestra by Taylor Scott Davis.

The Greenville-centric story opens on Halloween night. While most families make their rounds through the well-known neighborhoods, a handful of kids break off from the group. Hoping to reveal an unspoken Greenville secret, they head to an abandoned mansion along the Reedy River. They knock on the door, and after no answer, a brave little girl says, “Let’s go!” and pushes it open. Lightning flashes to reveal a silhouette of a couple who dance a pas de deux to a string quartet medley of several Michael Jackson-inspired tunes. Music By Michael Jackson and Choreography by Hernan Justo.

Warning
Strob lighting and other intense lighting will be used during this show.