Calendar of Events

Please note: Nature Connects^®: Art with LEGO^® Bricks has been postponed until July; however, the exhibit will have an extended schedule and will be open until November 1. We look forward to seeing you!

The Arboretum is excited to welcome back the widely popular traveling exhibit, Nature Connects^®: Art with LEGO^® Bricks by Sean Kenney. Featuring 14 larger-than-life-size sculptures place created with nearly 500,000 LEGO Bricks, this family-friendly exhibit draws inspiration from the living world and combines art, play and science to create an inspiring intersection of education, entertainment and the environment. New sculptures include a 5-foot tall colorful peacock, giant dragonfly, bonsai tree and more!

The Fairy trail is open Monday thru Saturday, 9am-4pm. We encourage all visitors to be patient as there will be limits to the number of people allowed on the trail at the same time. While the trail is outdoors, there are some small spaces and we want to ensure our guests and fairies are safe. Please practice appropriate social distancing and bring a mask in case. Masks are not required, but are considerate in a close area. Our restrooms are not open to the public at this time. Please make arrangements prior to visiting.

Rules of the trail:

Do not move or rearrange fairy displays. The fairies are very fond of their own decorating.

Do not leave trash on the trail. Fairies do not like litter in their town.

Please ensure children and pets are supervised at all times. Dogs and loud noises can scare the fairies into hiding.

Do not disturb wildlife or vegetation. The fairies depend on the vegetation to build their homes.

The trail is one way only. Please stay on the trail at all times.

The Fairies can’t wait to see you all here!

P.S. the Fairies would like us to remind you that we are a non-profit and donations are greatly appreciated. Help us keep the fairies living in the style with which they’ve become accustomed.

“Lean” Thinking: For Products, Services or Projects of Any Type

Lean is a philosophy applicable to any organization or industry. Its primary focus is to improve customer experience while reducing unnecessary clutter and process steps thereby improving customer satisfaction and employee morale.

Earn a Certificate of Completion in Lean and acquire fundamental knowledge of Lean Thinking principles to include:

• “5-S”
• Value Stream Mapping
• Principles of “flow”
• “Plan-Do-Check-Act”
• Various forms of waste
• Learn what makes companies like Toyota, Nike, Caterpillar, Intel and John Deere the best in their field.

Well Walkers is back! Masks are required and social distancing will be practiced.

Walk your way to wellness on the 1/4 mile concourse at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Parking and admission are free to the public. Whether you’re on your lunch break, a senior, or exercising with a toddler in tow, stop in at your convenience to walk your way to wellness!

Times are 9:00 am – 1:00 pm except when noted otherwise. Dates are subject to change.

Come to my studio for private lessons in Creative expression and unlocking the Artist within.

THE YEAR 2020 While we aren’t able to do our live demos so far this year, we have another idea! Nancy Dillingham is one of our local writers and Nancy is a poet. She has written at least 10 books of poetry because we have them at Mountain Made. She has probably written more. “In Fred Chappell’s introduction to Dillingham’s book, Like Headlines: New and Selected Poems, he says: “Poetry is news that stays news” and that, in Dillingham’s poetry, “we wait both for the future to appear and for the past to subside.” Nancy is going to be our feature demo artist for the year and sharing her writing experiences. We are doing a book of poetry or thoughts on “The Year 2020”. They could be funny or serious. So our demo this year is going to be writing. Email it to us, bring it by Mountain Made, or use our demo table to put your thoughts down on paper and leave it with us. We are then, around the middle of Nov., going to put it all together into a book! It won’t be fancy but it will be for sale. We will take donations and it will all go to charity. We haven’t decided if it will be one or several but “The Year 2020” will let us know where it is most needed! We have a lot to think about this year so put it on paper and share your thoughts! Be sure to put your name on it, city and state but if you want to remain anonymous that is fine too.

The Blue Ridge Humane Society Thrift Store will begin accepting merchandise donations for resell from the public on Tuesday, June 30^th. Donations will only be accepted on Tuesdays and Fridays between the hours of 10:30am-4:00pm. The Thrift Store remains open for shopping with the reduced hours of 10:30am-4:30pm, Tuesday-Saturday, and with a limited shopper capacity.

Donations will need to be able to unloaded without staff assistance and placed into the appropriately labeled bin to ensure a contact-free drop-off. This will also assist with ensuring that all items can be properly transported and quarantined before processing and placement for resell in the store. During drop-offs all donors are asked to practice physical distancing and wear a mask following state mandates. Donated items will be quarantined before processing by staff and volunteers to ensure that all items are safe for resell.

Staff and volunteers continue to adhere to additional cleaning, sanitizing, scheduling, and social distancing practices as recommended by the CDC and current safety regulations. The number of customers allowed in the store remains limited to reduce the risk of exposure. Markers are placed to designate 6ft spaced waiting areas for shoppers to enter the store or for waiting in line for check-out. Customers, as well as staff and volunteers, are required to wear a mask while on Thrift Store premises and shopping and follow CDC recommendations.

All customers will be required to follow the procedures listed below:

• All staff, volunteers, and customers are required to wear a mask while on the Thrift Store premises and during shopping.
• Store hours are adjusted; keep an eye on the website and Facebook page for current hours.
• The number of customers allowed in the store is limited. Please expect a wait and be patient with other shoppers while waiting, and our staff and volunteers managing the entrance and exit.
• Practice social distancing while shopping or waiting in line. Markers will be placed for checkout and entry lines.
• Shields are installed at checkout locations for the safety of our customers, volunteers, and staff.
• Hand sanitizer stations are available for customers, volunteers, and staff at stations located at each door.
• Anyone exhibiting signs of illness is asked to stay home, including staff and volunteers.
• Follow CDC recommendations at all times:
  • Three W’s: Wear a cloth mask, Wait 6’ apart and Wash your hands!
• Donations will be accepted on Tuesdays and Fridays only, between 10:30am-4pm. Items must be able to unloaded without staff assistance and placed into bins for quarantine. Donors are asked to practice physical distancing and wear a mask while on Thrift Store property.

If you believe in our cause, consider making a donation or learning how to volunteer by visiting the Blue Ridge Humane Society’s website at www.blueridgehumane.org or call (828) 692-2639.

Buncombe County Recreation Services will open its five outdoor swimming pools. Safety and sanitation measures have been taken to comply with Buncombe County’s Stay Safe, Stay Smart order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pool visitors will be required to practice the Three Ws: wear a cloth face covering when entering/exiting the pool and when not in the pool, wait at least six feet apart from and avoid close contact with anyone who does not live in your household, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often.

Pool will open for two sessions Monday-Saturday, closing between sessions for a sanitation period that includes wiping down all common touch points. Sunday hours include one session. Admission for each session is $3 per guest. Due to limited capacity, guests are highly encouraged to purchase tickets online. If a pool is unable to open for any reason or is forced to close within the first hour of operation, all guests will receive a raincheck via the email address provided when purchasing the original ticket. Booking are currently available through July 10.

Monday-Friday
10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
2:15-5:15 p.m.

Saturday
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
3-6 p.m.

Sunday
1-6 p.m.

“While this summer is different in nearly every way for local families, we’re happy to safely and responsibly open our pools to the community,” said Josh O’Conner, Director of Buncombe County Recreation Services. “While we are not allowing toys, balls, noodles, dive sticks, and other communal items inside pools, the guest experience should be enhanced as visitors will be able to enjoy pools with a capacity limit of roughly 30% normal occupancy.”

Cane Creek Pool
590 Lower Brush Creek Road
Fletcher, NC 28732

Erwin Pool
58 Lees Creek Road
Asheville, NC 28806

Hominy Valley Pool
25 Twin Lakes Road
Candler, NC 28715

North Buncombe Pool
892 Clarks Chapel Road
Weaverville, NC 28787

Owen Pool
117 Stone Drive

During this 5-week online group class, Ben Brill will cover the fundamentals of ukulele and guitar and teach kids several cool-sounding songs they can play on the instrument right away. The group will even co-create an original song by the end of the class.

*For students interested in guitar, they’ll need to have a simple $10 device called a Capo to play along with the class.

This is a FUN, low-pressure way to have some enjoy music this summer. It’s great if students can attend all 5 classes, but they still can drop in any day and learn.

The event will happen weekly on Tuesday’s at 11 AM, starting July 7th, 2020. If you don’t yet own an instrument, Ben can make some suggestions. The cost of the sessions is $20 per class and can be paid upfront (all classes), OR per session.

If you’re interested in the group, send Ben a message so that you can receive the secure Zoom links to the meetings and farther instructions.

This year, we weren’t able to host our “Strolling through History” series of walking tours, but thanks to some awesome work by interns we hosted from UNC Asheville this spring, they will be partially available virtually!

Enjoy “Scrolling” through history from your couch, or grab your tablet or smartphone and follow the tour in real life. (Make sure to follow local safety guidelines!)

The tours will be posted as links in this event discussion. Leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Join Leaflin for a Vinyasa flow practice designed to welcome the Summer season. Link movement and breath in the (spatially-distant) company of others, as we practice traditional sun salutations and an all-levels flow. Please bring a mat or towel to practice on, if you like. Breathe, move, and find your center under the solstice sun.

*This practice will take place in a PRIVATE OUTDOOR LOCATION in West Asheville . Exact location will be send after registration.
**In the case of rain, you may use the class pass purchased for future Outdoor Yoga class or any live stream yoga class.

Buncombe County Public Libraries will be opening three additional locations for curbside pickup service, the Fairview, Leicester, and Oakley/South Asheville branches. These locations will operate from 1-5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, in addition to our current curbside pickup service locations at the Black Mountain, North Asheville, South Buncombe, and West Asheville locations. For more information about library curbside pickup service or to place an item on hold for pickup, please call your local library or the Ask-A-Librarian line (828-250-4700) or visit buncombecounty.org/library. We hope to see you soon!

French Broad River Brewery has been brewing quality craft beer in the heart of Asheville, North Carolina since 2001. They consider themselves one of the original breweries to shape the craft beer culture that flourishes in WNC today.  Named after the iconic French Broad River, they are continuously inspired by its rolling waters and thriving wildlife. FBRB embodies the life and spirit of the river in all that we do and we are proud to call them a partner.

Next week, French Broad River Brewing will be donating a portion of all of their sales – online and in their taproom – to LEAF, in an effort to help support our mission and our community. Please consider supporting this local Asheville business, as they support LEAF.

Together, we’ll explore the creative freedom and mental relaxation that comes from practicing hand embroidery without a preset pattern or design. We’ll set up our projects and free our minds to relax and wander while our hands create meandering designs. No sketching is involved, no hand sewing experience is required, and best of all, there’s no way to do it wrong!

See one possible result in this video: https://youtu.be/Rq9wzSWZsSM There will be a brief demonstration of this technique, and help getting started (for those who desire it). You are always welcome to go your own way and stitch what you wish.

We’ll gather around the virtual table to hand sew together on a series of Tuesdays:

July 7, 14, 21, 28 ~ 2020
from 1:30 – 3:30 pm and also
from 6:30 – 8:30 pm

Show up once or every time – whatever suits you and your schedule.

This casual workshop takes place on Zoom. It is available live only and will not be recorded. A free Zoom account is required to participate. Click “Find Tickets” at the top of this event page to receive login instructions.

Each session is stand alone with no formal intent. There’s nothing to fall behind on if you miss a time or two.

Supply list:
~ a piece of clothing or fabric to sew on (woven non-stretchy fabric will be easier than stretchy knit)
~ an embroidery hoop (whatever size is comfortable for you)
~ a hand sewing needle
~ embroidery floss (in several colors, if you like)
~ snips or scissors
~ reading glasses (if you’ve reached that age)
~ needle threader (ditto)

(If you have a hand sewing project in progress and would just like some company, you’re welcome to work on that instead.)

Ages 17+. No hand sewing experience required.

Suggested donation: $1 – $5 per session

Buncombe County Recreation Services will open its five outdoor swimming pools. Safety and sanitation measures have been taken to comply with Buncombe County’s Stay Safe, Stay Smart order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pool visitors will be required to practice the Three Ws: wear a cloth face covering when entering/exiting the pool and when not in the pool, wait at least six feet apart from and avoid close contact with anyone who does not live in your household, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often.

Pool will open for two sessions Monday-Saturday, closing between sessions for a sanitation period that includes wiping down all common touch points. Sunday hours include one session. Admission for each session is $3 per guest. Due to limited capacity, guests are highly encouraged to purchase tickets online. If a pool is unable to open for any reason or is forced to close within the first hour of operation, all guests will receive a raincheck via the email address provided when purchasing the original ticket. Booking are currently available through July 10.

Monday-Friday
10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
2:15-5:15 p.m.

Saturday
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
3-6 p.m.

Sunday
1-6 p.m.

“While this summer is different in nearly every way for local families, we’re happy to safely and responsibly open our pools to the community,” said Josh O’Conner, Director of Buncombe County Recreation Services. “While we are not allowing toys, balls, noodles, dive sticks, and other communal items inside pools, the guest experience should be enhanced as visitors will be able to enjoy pools with a capacity limit of roughly 30% normal occupancy.”

Cane Creek Pool
590 Lower Brush Creek Road
Fletcher, NC 28732

Erwin Pool
58 Lees Creek Road
Asheville, NC 28806

Hominy Valley Pool
25 Twin Lakes Road
Candler, NC 28715

North Buncombe Pool
892 Clarks Chapel Road
Weaverville, NC 28787

Owen Pool
117 Stone Drive

Swannanoa, NC 28778

We have been working hard to establish Emergency Safety Guidelines in order to safely operate during the COVID-19 pandemic.  It’s important for all to remember that we are able to be open because we are an open-air grocery store, not a social gathering.

With COVID restrictions relaxing a bit, we are going to be starting a new round of group classes!

Our group classes will focus on basic obedience and will provide important information about your dog’s behavior so you can implement new practices at home. We cover topics such as leash manners, forms of stay, coming when called and more. Dogs four months and older are welcome!

Each class is followed by a brief, structured socialization period. Any dog enrolled is invited to stay after class for supervised social play opportunities.

Classes must have at least 3 dogs signed up for the class to be held. If more than 6 dogs are signed up, we will split in to separate time slots so that each individual will receive adequate attention from the trainer and maintain social distancing.

The class will meet every Tuesday at 6pm for 6 weeks and the cost is $180 or you can pay by the class for $35. Please arrive 15 minutes early for the first class to fill out paperwork as needed.

Please contact Ruff Life via messenger, email ([email protected]) , or phone (828-365-8244) with more questions or to reserve your spot.

What if you truly had to sustain yourself without a lot of purchased food? In this workshop, Patryk Battle will share tips and tricks for eating rather well year-round from food you grow yourself, weeds you might find in your yard, and foraged items from wild spaces near you. Recipes and tastings included.

https://livingwebfarms.org/workshops/deep-dining-how-to-really-eat-from-your-yard-garden-and-nearby-wild-spaces/

What would the average person do if they couldn’t stop at the grocery store or farmer’s market to stock up on produce? How would we sustain ourselves? These questions have become more pertinent in times of supply chain interruption, food shortages, and income loss caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. As Americans look to increase their food security, it’s appropriate to learn from those who have been gathering knowledge about local plants for decades. If we don’t know a fantastic forager or a green-thumb gardener, where do we turn?

Enter Patryk Battle. Battle is a veteran gardener and farmer, currently the Director of Living Web Farms, an education and research nonprofit focused on food systems near Asheville, NC. He is a source of abundant information and wisdom on gardening and farming, and has been teaching workshops on many topics related to growing, preserving, and preparing food for years.

This July 28th, Battle forges new territory in a workshop called “Deep Dining in Your Garden”, wherein he’ll explore the question of how people can nourish themselves without store-bought food. “In this time of heightened awareness of – and desire for – food resilience, it’s going to be comforting and empowering to know that there is already food everywhere,” asserts Battle. “We can eat parts of plants – squash, beans, and many others – that we don’t realize we can eat. Additionally, there are wild places near the garden that can provide abundant nutrition.”

While this workshop was originally scheduled to take place on Living Web Farms in Mills River, this is unfortunately no longer possible. This workshop will be available to participants as a live Zoom meeting, YouTube stream or pre-recorded video. This will enable Battle to visit different on-farm sites and show more edible plants in their natural environment. “The ability to look at all these different sites means I might be able to hit on a few things that people actually have on or near their property,” he says. “The mission of Living Web Farms is to provide pathways to the future should we run into disruptions, and indeed, we are seeing a bit of a disruption now. We think it’s important to have lots of food growing and to empower people with the knowledge of all the food around them.”

In this time of pandemic-induced uncertainty, it’s undoubtedly wise to gather and share as much knowledge as possible about self-sufficiency. Maybe there are several nutritious, delicious, and free ‘weeds’ all around the neighborhood! Tune in to find out.

To register for Deep Dining from Your Garden, visit the following link: https://livingwebfarms.org/workshops/deep-dining-how-to-really-eat-from-your-yard-garden-and-nearby-wild-spaces/

To view Patryk Battle’s recent short-form videos, check out Resilience Daily on YouTube.

In this FREE four-week long cohort, participants will learn about different aspects of starting a business, including identifying potential markets, writing a business plan, running the finances of a business, and marketing a business.

You’ll attend sessions online and work closely with mentors and peers in fun breakout activities designed to help strengthen your business ideas and prepare you for success.

If you are interested in learning more or signing up, click here: http://www.sbtdc.org/takingtheleap/july/

Together, we’ll explore the creative freedom and mental relaxation that comes from practicing hand embroidery without a preset pattern or design. We’ll set up our projects and free our minds to relax and wander while our hands create meandering designs. No sketching is involved, no hand sewing experience is required, and best of all, there’s no way to do it wrong!

See one possible result in this video: https://youtu.be/Rq9wzSWZsSM There will be a brief demonstration of this technique, and help getting started (for those who desire it). You are always welcome to go your own way and stitch what you wish.

We’ll gather around the virtual table to hand sew together on a series of Tuesdays:

July 7, 14, 21, 28 ~ 2020
from 1:30 – 3:30 pm and also
from 6:30 – 8:30 pm

Show up once or every time – whatever suits you and your schedule.

This casual workshop takes place on Zoom. It is available live only and will not be recorded. A free Zoom account is required to participate. Click “Find Tickets” at the top of this event page to receive login instructions.

Each session is stand alone with no formal intent. There’s nothing to fall behind on if you miss a time or two.

Supply list:
~ a piece of clothing or fabric to sew on (woven non-stretchy fabric will be easier than stretchy knit)
~ an embroidery hoop (whatever size is comfortable for you)
~ a hand sewing needle
~ embroidery floss (in several colors, if you like)
~ snips or scissors
~ reading glasses (if you’ve reached that age)
~ needle threader (ditto)

(If you have a hand sewing project in progress and would just like some company, you’re welcome to work on that instead.)

Ages 17+. No hand sewing experience required.

Suggested donation: $1 – $5 per session

In light of current events and seeing as we have an all female management staff Carrabba’s is hosting a wine dinner celebrating women who are empowered. 4 courses 4 wines and a history lesson on 4 women who changed history. Collecting donations for women’s shelter and each item counts as an entry into drawing that night. Social Distancing and all other healtheasires will be met. Call and reserve your table today!

We are rescheduling the Versatile Tour out of an abundance of caution. Above everything, the health of our fans, touring crew, and concert venue employees is our top priority. Our team is diligently working to find the right time to safely tour. Until then, stay home, stay safe, and self-isolate! We are in this together.

Tickets & Info: www.theorangepeel.net/event/pop-evil/

When North Muskegon, Michigan native Leigh Kakaty formed Pop Evil, he chose the band’s name for a reason. He loved hard rock songs with good melodies but he also dug loud, crunchy guitars and propulsive metal rhythms. For Kakaty, it’s a natural duality that came from growing up in the Great Lakes and it eventually became the raison d’etre of his band.

“It’s just a natural part of who I am,”​ Kakaty says. ​”When I was growing up we’d roll out to the beach on the weekdays with an acoustic guitar and everyone would kick it. And on the weekends, we’d turn up the amps and, boom, everyone would try to break windows. It was all about the heaviness. And I needed both of those elements – the melodic and the metallic.”

Five albums into Pop Evil’s career, combining strong hooks with knockout punches is more important than ever. The band’s new record, simply called ​Pop Evil​, is a surging, contemporary sounding release that incorporates metal, alternative, hard rock and even electronic music. In the wake of the band’s peppy, upbeat 2015 album ​Up​, it’s a wake-up call, a musical rebirth that inspired the band to self-title the release, partially since they’d never done so. Their first album, ​Lipstick on the Mirror​ came out in 2008, and while it introduced listeners to the band’s core sound with well-received singles like “​Hero​” and “​100 in a 55​,” Pop Evil has grown exponentially since then.