Get ready for an enchanting evening as we, Dogwood Alliance, present the highly anticipated Woods & Wilds Annual Storytelling Event in Asheville! This unique event brings together nature enthusiasts and the community to celebrate our deep connection with the forests and each other.

Thanks to our partner SlayTheMic, this extraordinary gathering will showcase seven captivating live storytellers who will transport you through tales of wonder and intrigue. You’ll be immersed in the magic of storytelling, reminding us that we are an integral part of nature, not separate from it.

But the excitement doesn’t end there! The event will be amplified by the mesmerizing sounds of The Alien Music Club, paying tribute to the legendary band, The Doors. Their music promises to lift spirits, touch hearts, and open minds to the infinite possibilities that arise when we unite to create magic together.

Join us as we weave together stories and music to celebrate our connection with the woods and the wilds. Be prepared for an unforgettable night of wonder and inspiration. Come, be part of this extraordinary experience and let nature’s magic envelop your senses. See you there!

With multiple parks featuring ballfields and volleyball, pickleball, tennis, and basketball courts, Asheville has plenty of opportunities to join pick-up games or play with organized sports leagues. Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) offers a broad line-up of youth athletics programs, adult sports leagues, and special events throughout the year with an emphasis on fair play and enjoyment for any level of experience, including the fall opportunities below.

Search Current Asheville Sports and Athletics

Limited spots available, so advance registration at AVLREC.com required. Some activities offer discounted registration for early sign ups. Most team sports also offer “looking for a team” options for free agents. Some activities charge a higher rate for participants who do not live in Asheville.

Leagues

6v6 Indoor Volleyball League, $200 per team

Registration opens November 27, games begin January 16 for winter season

Upper, middle, and lower divisions play at Tempie Avery Montford Community Center.

Over 40 Basketball League, $60 per player

Registration ends August 24, games begin September 12

Asheville’s newest team sports league provides an opportunity for community members over 40 who want to get back into the game or prefer to play with others around the same age. Sign up as an individual to be placed on a team based on height, position, and skill level for games played at Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center.

Flag Football League, $600 per team

Registration opens August 30, games begin October 17

Upper, middle, and lower divisions play at Asheville Middle School on 211 South French Broad Avenue.

Winter Basketball League, $600 per team

Registration opens October 10, games begin November 27

Upper and lower divisions play at Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center. Middle division plays at Stephens-Lee Community Center.

Clinics and Tournaments

Tennis Clinic, $20 per player

Registration ends September 6, clinics held each Tuesday and Thursday from September 12-21

Instructional clinics for beginners and intermediate players teach the basics and build on skills each class at Murphy-Oakley Park.

Doubles Grass Volleyball Tournament, $20 per team

Registration ends September 5, tournament on September 16

Six sets to 21 in pool play for advance and intermediate divisions in which all teams advance to the playoffs on a day of music, fun, and volleyball at Carrier Park.

Intro to Golf, $10 for series with players responsible for their own green fees

Registration ends September 28, games played each Wednesday from October 4-25

Travel to a different golf course each week for one-on-one coaching to learn the game. For more info, contact Colt Miller at [email protected] or (828) 707-2376.

Pumpkin Ball Softball Bash Tournament, $150 per team

Registration ends September 30, tournament on October 7

All players hit a 16-inch softball in games played on a 200-foot distance field with unlimited home runs with a three-game guarantee. Winning teams receive prizes and trophies. For more info, contact Zack Stewart at [email protected] or (828) 545-1644.

Late Night Wiffleball Tournament, $5 per team

Registration ends November 9, tournament on November 16

Five-player teams play in this two-game guarantee tournament at Tempie Avery Montford Community Center. For more info, contact Kiley Pritchard at [email protected] or (828) 507-3357.

Back and better than ever under new management, Clean Juice invites you to their Grand Opening on Saturday, October 7th with extended hours from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Join the celebration in their renovated and refreshed shop, still offering the same delicious organic food you love. They’ve also teamed up with The Verner Center for Early Learning to create a positive impact on underprivileged children in the community. All week long, you can show your support for this meaningful cause by making donations to the organization while enjoying the finest organic juices, smoothies, and food made with top-quality USDA Organic ingredients. Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. CLOSED Sunday and Monday

Jones Park Playground was a treasured community park used by families from across the city of Asheville. Unfortunately, it was removed without a replacement plan in September of 2021. Members of the community began working immediately to find a solution to get this playground rebuilt with donated funds and labor from the community. In this process the park was renamed Candace Pickens Memorial Park. Candace played in this park and brought her son to play. She was tragically killed here in 2016. October 4-8 hundreds of volunteers from neighborhoods across the city and county will be giving their time to help bring this playground back. Working side by side we are building more than just a playground, we are building community and connections that will last lifetimes.

Time: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Jones Park Playground was a treasured community park used by families from across the city of Asheville. Unfortunately, it was removed without a replacement plan in September of 2021. Members of the community began working immediately to find a solution to get this playground rebuilt with donated funds and labor from the community. In this process the park was renamed Candace Pickens Memorial Park. Candace played in this park and brought her son to play. She was tragically killed here in 2016. October 4-8 hundreds of volunteers from neighborhoods across the city and county will be giving their time to help bring this playground back. Working side by side we are building more than just a playground, we are building community and connections that will last lifetimes.

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

Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center

85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander

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

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

749 Fairview Road, Asheville

• • Dawn – Dusk

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.

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

942 Haywood Road, Asheville

• • Library open hours

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

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

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

942 Haywood Road, Asheville

Library open hours

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

you’re itching to get out and do some bargain hunting, the Swannanoa Community Yard Sale is here to help! The twice-annual sale returns this Saturday, Oct. 7, from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., in the Swannanoa Ingles parking lot, 2299 US Hwy. 70. With dozens of sellers and hundreds of shoppers, there’s something for everyone. Don’t miss out on this area’s largest yard sale event!

Seller spaces are $15 each if paid in advance ($20 on the day of the sale), with a two space maximum per seller. Please bring your own tables. We’ve had an overwhelming response and are nearing seller capacity, so please check availability and register in advance by sending an email to [email protected] or calling 828-515-1840.

All proceeds from seller spaces help support Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa (FANS) — an all-volunteer nonprofit organization — and the Swannanoa community. Thank you, and see you at the sale!

Buncombe County Democrats are ready to assist our precincts that are not officially recognized as “organized.” In order to be organized, your precinct needs to have at least five members attend a meeting to elect a Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary. All Democrats living in the following precincts are encouraged to attend this meeting: 4.1, 9.1, 13.1, 15.1, 19.1, 24.1, 35.1, and 37.1 (if you’re not sure of your precinct number, look it up at https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/).

Some of you may be willing to serve as an officer – we hope so!! Some of you may attend to learn more and to be sure there’s a quorum to elect your officers – we need you! After a large group meeting for brief instructions, each precinct will meet separately to hold their elections.

Being a precinct officer requires no experience – most of our officers serve simply because they want to make a difference during these tumultuous times. If you are undecided about whether or not to serve as an officer, please contact BCDP First Vice Chair Kathie Kline at [email protected] or 828-776-3751 for more information.

Being organized as a precinct has so many benefits, including access to volunteer lists, trainings and events that promise to bring your community together for a meaningful and unified purpose. We hope to see you on September 2nd!

[There will be another meeting to organize remaining precincts in October.]

Since March of 2022, the Community Reparations Commission has been working to establish short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations for consideration by the City of Asheville and Buncombe County Government. On Saturday, Oct. 7, a Community Reparations Summit will be held, providing an opportunity for the public to hear directly from the impact focus areas of criminal justice, economic development, education, housing, and health and wellness and provide feedback on their draft recommendations. The event will also feature keynote speaker George Fatheree, who helped return $20 million to the descendants of the owners of Bruce’s Beach, a popular California waterfront property, after it was wrongly taken from them in the 1920s.

“Our Community Reparations Commission has been hard at work, and we’re excited to be able to take this opportunity to lift up their work while also making sure it’s representative of our community’s wishes,” said Dr. Noreal Armstrong, Buncombe County’s Chief Equity & Human Rights Officer.

The Community Reparations Summit will be held from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7 at the UNC Asheville Sherrill Center, 227 Campus Drive, Asheville. Parking and admission are free, but attendance is limited and registration is required.

The Community Reparations Summit is hosted by the City of Asheville, Buncombe County Government, the UNC Asheville Department of Education, and the UNC Asheville Africana Studies Program.

“We are at a critical juncture in the historic work that’s being undertaken in Asheville and Buncombe County,” said Brenda Mills, the City of Asheville’s Director of Equity and Inclusion. “From our keynote speaker to our impact focus areas, this summit will be a day to celebrate, reflect, and chart our path ahead, and we look forward to our community helping us advance our reparations work.”

Leading up to the Community Reparations Summit, UNC Asheville will host two free movie nights:

• “Black in Asheville” on Monday Oct. 2 at 6:30 p.m. followed by a discussion with filmmaker Todd Gragg
• “The Big Payback” on Thursday, Oct. 5 at 6:30 p.m.

Both movies will be shown at the Mullen & James Humanities Hall, 600 Theatre Lane, Woodfin on the campus of UNC Asheville. Doors will open at 5:45 p.m., and free parking will be available. Food trucks will be available in the parking lot for moviegoers beginning at 5 p.m.

You can begin restoring the urban canopy in Buncombe County from your own back yard by picking up a native tree from our county-wide Fall Tree Adoption on October 29.

The 2023 Fall Tree Adoption registration is now live online. Please review the FAQs, species information, and tree care and planting instructions prior to your registration.

Each tree we give away costs ~ $300 to grow to the point in which you adopt it. Your contribution goes directly towards supporting our urban forestry efforts in Asheville & Buncombe County. We request a minimum donation of $10; if you are able to contribute more, you will support the planting of trees in lower-wealth neighborhoods where disproportionate tree removal exacerbates the effects of extreme heat and other impacts of climate change.

A $10 contribution covers your tree adoption.

A $50 contribution gives FIVE people the opportunity to receive a tree.

A $100 contribution gives TEN people the opportunity to receive a tree.

A $300 contribution covers the full cost of raising your tree to the point when you get to take it home to enjoy!

No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

REMINDER: One tree per Buncombe County residence

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

Take a 90-plus minute stroll along 7th Avenue/Historic Depot District, where the action was when the first steam engine locomotives rolled into town starting in 1879 bringing hundreds of tourists. The district surrounding the historic Railroad Depot was where it was happening in the Gilded Age of Hendersonville from 1879, when the first steam locomotive arrived with hundreds of tourists daily, till the Crash of 1929 … learn about the drays, the hustle, the inns, the summer visitors, the shoot-outs, growth of agriculture, and popular candy stores.  These 90-plus minute walks occur rain or shine.  Please make a reservation, 828-545-3179.

All tours: $10 per person age 10 and over.  Children under 10 yrs. free with paying adult.

Meeting Place:  Hendersonville City Hall, front steps  (at corner of 5^th Ave. E. and King St.)

Schedule a private tour anytime for your group.

Reservations/information:  828-545-3179

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)

Buncombe County Democrats are ready to assist our precincts that are not officially recognized as “organized.” In order to be organized, your precinct needs to have at least five members attend a meeting to elect a Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary. All Democrats living in the following precincts are encouraged to attend this meeting: 43.2, 46.1, 47.1, 48.1, 49.1, 53.1 and 55.1 (if you’re not sure of your precinct number, look it up at https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/).

Some of you may be willing to serve as an officer – we hope so!! Some of you may attend to learn more and to be sure there’s a quorum to elect your officers – we need you! After a large group meeting for brief instructions, each precinct will meet separately to hold their elections.

Being a precinct officer requires no experience – most of our officers serve simply because they want to make a difference during these tumultuous times. If you are undecided about whether or not to serve as an officer, please contact BCDP Precinct Organizer Jenny Floyd at [email protected] for more information.

Being organized as a precinct has so many benefits, including access to volunteer lists, trainings and events that promise to bring your community together for a meaningful and unified purpose. We hope to see you on October 7th!

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community. The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am. No RSVP needed, just drop by! Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Every Friday from April through November (weather permitting),
check out the Hike and Sip Tour at Souther Williams Vineyard, a unique opportunity to hike our scenic rolling vineyards and enjoy
five different wines along the way, led by a private tour guide who will share the history of the farm and while you hike through the
vines, This educational experience will delight as you live the life of grape throughout its annual pilgrimage to the glass, This 1
hour tour requires moderate walking through hillside vineyards and appropriate farm/field attire, and can accommodate up to 12
people and reservations are required 2 days in advance, $50 per person, Souther Williams Vineyard, Hendersonville,

Kids’ Comedy Tour: Wildly funny, this educational and entertaining tour features the perfect blend of Asheville’s history and kid-centric comedy. Geared specifically toward the 5–12 year old crowd, you’ll explore the town with our famously outlandish tour guides leading the way.

• Perfect for birthday parties
• Makes for memorable school field trips
• Tickets are $27 per person
• Beverages available for purchase at the LaZoom Room
• Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue

Sandburg Home Tours – Thursday to Sunday at 11am, 1pm, 2pm.

*As of April 2022, tours are free until further notice. See rates below if they change before your visit. Online reservations are available at recreation.gov.

The Sandburg Home is a great place to start your visit! The ground floor of the home contains visitor information, exhibits, tour ticket sales, the park store, and you can watch the park video. The main and top level of the home are furnished with the Sandburg family belongings. Visitors may only access the furnished ares of the home on a guided tour.

• Tour Reservations: Reserving in advance lets you pick your preferred house tour time. Tours fill up quickly. Last-minute, in-person tickets may not be available on the day you visit. Plan ahead and reserve house tour tickets at recreation.gov.

• Passes: The park does not currently sell the America the Beautiful– National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes.
  *These passes do not waive the house tour fee, but do provide a discount.
  *You can purchase a pass online at America the Beautiful – National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass | USGS Store.
• 30-minute house tours are offered year-round, schedule varies by season. Visit recreation.gov for the current schedule.
• Visitors may only tour the Sandburg Home on a guided tour.
• Tours are limited to 6 persons.
• Strollers are not permitted on the house tour, but there is a place to leave them for storage. Infants and small children should be carried through the house while on tour.

  Sandburg Home Guided Tour Fee
  *Tours are free until further notice, this chart is the rate when fees resume.
  (credit card only)
  $10.00 for Adults 16 and older
  $6.00 for Adults age 62 and older and all interagency pass holders
  Free for Children age 15 and under

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.