Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.

Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.

Wednesday, March 2, 2022
Revising for the Iceberg Effect
Mar 2 @ 10:30 am – 11:30 am
online w/ Fairview Library

This workshop explores the tension between lyrical and narrative elements in flash. We will revise our stories to achieve the “iceberg effect.” The instructor will also share flash fiction resources, publications, and contests where you can submit your work.  NOTE: This session works best if participants bring one or two stories, though this is not required.

Flash fiction is a dynamic genre, and though it is not new, flash has become popular in contemporary literary culture. With the rise of social media and short attention span readers, as well as the form’s unique ability to double as prose poetry, publishing opportunities for flash fiction abound. In this workshop series, we will focus on the intensity of the short prose form as “illuminated moment.” Through prompts and exercises, we will practice writing and revising a variety of flash stories. Participants will have the opportunity to share their own flash stories for feedback, as well as read and discuss selected works as models. The classes may be taken individually or as a series.

Beth Keefauver earned her Ph.D. in English and Creative Writing at the University of Tennessee, where she specialized in contemporary fiction, environmental literature, women’s studies, and served as a fiction editor for Grist. Her work has appeared in numerous national publications. Beth currently teaches creative and professional writing, environmental literature, women’s and gender studies at the University of South Carolina.

This class is sponsored by Buncombe County and the Fairview Friends of the Library.  Class size is limited, so register early!  Call 828-250-6484 or email [email protected] to register.

Thursday, March 3, 2022
Orientation: Valley History Explorer Hiking Series
Mar 3 @ 6:00 pm
Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center

Join us for an orientation to the Museum’s VALLEY HISTORY EXPLORER HIKING SERIES, which consists of 8 hikes to historic locations around the Swannanoa Valley, one in each of our communities. The hour-long orientation will cover specifics of each hike. The orientation will take place at the Swannanoa Valley Museum at 223 West State Street, Black Mountain, NC 28711. 

This series was developed to introduce the significant history of the region to visitors and residents of the Swannanoa Valley through moderate, approximately 3-mile hikes to historic locations. More information…

Hikes generally occur on the 2nd Saturday of each month (March – October) at 9:00am and meet at the Museum. Each hiker will receive a punch card that serves as a log and validation of the completion of each hike.

REGISTRATION FOR THE 2022 HIKING SERIES IS NOW CLOSED. Please e-mail [email protected] with any inquiries. 

Monday, March 7, 2022
Hike with a Naturalist Time: Mondays in March
Mar 7 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Chimney Rock State Park

Image result for Chimney Rock Park

Spend an hour hiking one of the Parks’ six trails with a naturalist. Watch the transformation from winter to spring on this educational excursion. You may even learn some of the Parks’ history as well. Meet in front of Cliff Dwellers Gifts.

Thursday, March 10, 2022
Creative Writing Group online
Mar 10 @ 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
online w/ Leicester Library

Join us for creative writing online! We’ll meet on Zoom and do several rounds of writing prompts. The group is simple – we just write and read our writing to each other.  This is a supportive and fun environment that gets your creative juices flowing with low stakes and lots of fun.

Email [email protected] for the link to the online meeting

Monday, March 14, 2022
Hike with a Naturalist Time: Mondays in March
Mar 14 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Chimney Rock State Park

Image result for Chimney Rock Park

Spend an hour hiking one of the Parks’ six trails with a naturalist. Watch the transformation from winter to spring on this educational excursion. You may even learn some of the Parks’ history as well. Meet in front of Cliff Dwellers Gifts.

Thursday, March 17, 2022
UNCA Visiting Writers Series – Natanya Ann Pulley
Mar 17 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Highsmith Union’s Mountain View Room

Natanya Ann Pulley is a Diné writer of fiction and non-fiction. Her clans are Kinyaa’áani (Towering House People) and Táchii’nii (Red Running into Water People). She’s published work in numerous journals including Split LipThe OffingWaxwing, and As/Us. Anthologized essays can be found in Counternarratives from Women of Color Academics#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women, Women Write Resistance, Shapes of Native Nonfiction and most recently The Diné Reader.

Masks are required of all students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

 

Accessibility

Find accessibility information for campus buildings at maps.unca.edu. For accessibility questions or to request event accommodations, please contact [email protected] or 828.250.3832.

 

Visitor Parking

Visitors may park in faculty/staff and non-resident lots from 5:00 p.m. until 7:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, and on weekends, holidays, and campus breaks. Visitors are not permitted to park in resident student lots at any time.

Visiting Writers Series: A Literary Reading and Talk by Natanya Ann Pulley
Mar 17 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Highsmith Student Union Mountain Suites

UNC Asheville’s Department of English welcomes P. B. Parris Visiting Writer and author Natanya Ann Pulley to the Mountain Suites in Highsmith Union for a reading and talk as part of their spring Visiting Writers Series.

Natanya Ann Pulley is Diné and her clans are Kinyaa’áani (Towering House) and Táchii’nii (Red Running into Water). Her short story collection With Teeth was the winner of the 2018 Many Voices Project competition through New Rivers Press and published in October 2019. She’s published stories in The Massachusetts Review, Phantom Drift, Split Lip, and The Offing (among others). Her most recent anthologized essays are included in Shapes of Native Nonfiction and The Diné Reader. Natanya is the founding editor of Hairstreak Butterfly Review and an assistant professor of English at Colorado College where she teaches texts by Native American writers, Fiction Writing, and Experimental Forms in Ethnic Literature. She is at home in the mountains and the desert, and she loves collage, low-stakes crafts, and her many families including the pack of once-wolves in her home. Online publications can be found at natanyapulley.com.

This is the second of three events in the 2022 Spring Visiting Writers Series presented by the UNC Asheville English Department. Additional events include a reading and talk from Dinty Moore on February 7, and a reading and talk from bestselling author Nadia Owusu on March 29.

Additional information may be found at english.unca.edu/engage/visiting-writers-series/

Community Expectations

As members of this community, we care about everyone. Faculty, staff, students, and visitors have a shared commitment to take the necessary precautions to avoid spreading COVID-19 while following all recommended health guidelines. Please see UNC Asheville’s Community Expectations. Masks are required of all students, faculty, staff, and visitors.


Accessibility

Find accessibility information for campus buildings at maps.unca.edu. For accessibility questions or to request event accommodations, please contact [email protected] or 828.250.3832.

Visitor Parking

Visitors must have a permit to park on campus — please visit the Transportation website to register.

Friday, March 18, 2022
Worm Moon Hike
Mar 18 @ 6:00 pm
SAHC Community Farm

Celebrate the Full Worm Moon with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy! The full moon is called Worm Moon in March because the ground begins to thaw, and earthworms reappear. The softer ground also allows plant life to emerge from its winter slumber. On Friday, March 18th, we will take in the beginnings of the growing season with a beautiful hike at our Community Farm. Participants will hike around the farm’s Discovery Trail before enjoying a beautiful sunset and moonrise from our very own Event Center. As we hike, we will learn about nutrient cycling and the importance of vermiculture.

Distance: 2 miles

Difficulty: Moderate, several inclines present on the trail.

Saturday, March 19, 2022
Peachful Partnership Hike with HBC
Mar 19 @ 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Clyde NC

Time: Starting at 10 am

Where: Clyde, NC

Distance: 2.3 miles

Difficulty: Moderate. 530 ft of elevation gain in 1.15 miles.

Cost: $10 for non-members, Free for SAHC Members

Join the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and Highland Brewing Company on Saturday, March 19 for a hike celebrating the release of Highland’s Peachful Ale. Participants will travel across two SAHC owned properties in the Crabtree Community of Haywood County. These properties account for 292 acres of land and over 15,000 linear feet of stream corridor protected forever.

Both properties combine productive agricultural land with valuable wildlife habitats and breathtaking scenic views. Hikers will have a short, but steep, climb to the top where one of the best views on all SAHC owned properties awaits us. Along the way, we will be discussing the importance of our farmland protection program.

If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected]

Monday, March 21, 2022
Hike with a Naturalist Time: Mondays in March
Mar 21 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Chimney Rock State Park

Image result for Chimney Rock Park

Spend an hour hiking one of the Parks’ six trails with a naturalist. Watch the transformation from winter to spring on this educational excursion. You may even learn some of the Parks’ history as well. Meet in front of Cliff Dwellers Gifts.

Monday, March 28, 2022
Hike with a Naturalist Time: Mondays in March
Mar 28 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Chimney Rock State Park

Image result for Chimney Rock Park

Spend an hour hiking one of the Parks’ six trails with a naturalist. Watch the transformation from winter to spring on this educational excursion. You may even learn some of the Parks’ history as well. Meet in front of Cliff Dwellers Gifts.

Tuesday, March 29, 2022
Visiting Writers Series: A Literary Reading and Talk by Nadia Owusu
Mar 29 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Karpen Hall Laurel Forum

UNC Asheville’s Department of English welcomes guest bestselling author and memoirist Nadia Owusu to the Laurel Forum in Karpen Hall for a reading and talk as part of their spring Visiting Writers Series.

Whiting Award-winning author Nadia Owusu is a Ghanaian and Armenian-American writer and urbanist. She was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and raised in Italy, Ethiopia, England, Ghana, and Uganda. Her first book, Aftershocks, A Memoir (2021), topped many most-anticipated and best book of the year lists, including The New York Times, Oprah Magazine, Vogue, TIME, Vulture, and the BBC. It was a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice.

This is the final of three events in the 2022 Spring Visiting Writers Series presented by the UNC Asheville English Department. Previous events includes a reading and talk from Dinty Moore on February 7, and a reading and talk from Diné writer of fiction and non-fiction Natanya Ann Pulley on March 17.

Additional information may be found at english.unca.edu/engage/visiting-writers-series/

Community Expectations

As members of this community, we care about everyone. Faculty, staff, students, and visitors have a shared commitment to take the necessary precautions to avoid spreading COVID-19 while following all recommended health guidelines. Please see UNC Asheville’s Community Expectations. Masks are required of all students, faculty, staff, and visitors.


Accessibility

Find accessibility information for campus buildings at maps.unca.edu. For accessibility questions or to request event accommodations, please contact [email protected] or 828.250.3832.

Visitor Parking

Visitors must have a permit to park on campus — please visit the Transportation website to register.

Visiting Writers Series: Nadia Owusu
Mar 29 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Karpen Hall’s Laurel Forum

The English Department’s Visiting Writers Series has provided exceptional literary arts programming that is free and open to the public. Every year, our series aims to connect students, faculty, staff, and the greater Asheville community with established authors to hear their work, and the stories behind their work. Our visiting writers have engaged with students in the classroom, over meals, and during informal presentations. Recent visiting writers include Claudia Rankine, Jericho Brown, Wally Lamb, David Ebershoff, and C.J. Hauser.

Our series is funded in large part by patrons of the series. Please consider supporting this series by making a tax-deductible contribution.

Nadia Owusu is a Ghanaian and Armenian-American writer and urbanist. She was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and raised in Italy, Ethiopia, England, Ghana, and Uganda. Her first book, Aftershocks, A Memoir, topped many most-anticipated and best book of the year lists, including The New York TimesThe Oprah MagazineVogueTIMEVulture, and the BBC. It was a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice.

Masks are required of all students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

 

Accessibility

Find accessibility information for campus buildings at maps.unca.edu. For accessibility questions or to request event accommodations, please contact [email protected] or 828.250.3832.

 

Visitor Parking

Visitors may park in faculty/staff and non-resident lots from 5:00 p.m. until 7:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, and on weekends, holidays, and campus breaks. Visitors are not permitted to park in resident student lots at any time.

Wednesday, April 13, 2022
Creativity Lab
Apr 13 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Story Parlor

Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm at Story Parlor
April 13, April 20, April 27, May 4, May 11, May 18*
*Final class on May 18 runs from 6:30-9:30pm
Make up class reserved for May 25

Story Parlor presents Creativity Lab: a six-week exploration of the creative process, common blocks and obstacles, and ways to kickstart and sustain creative momentum.

Focused on the process and the act of doing, opposed to product or outcome, Creativity Lab explores ways to overcome fear, embrace curiosity, and channel our muse in all creative endeavors.

The six-week workshop is experiential, hands-on, and tactile. The Lab will utilize exercises to help cultivate imagination, innovation, and creativity. Each class will focus on a different part of the creativity process all while building a tool kit for dealing with obstacles in our way, creating positive habits for growth, and investigating the ways our personal narratives intersect with our work.

Registration Includes:

A guidebook with supplementary readings, exercises, and activities

A custom Story Parlor notebook

Access to Creativity Mixers

Who Should Attend:

Anyone looking to kickstart or follow-through with a creative project

Anyone wanting to discover more about their habits and approach to creativity

Anyone hoping to learn more about the process of being creative

Anyone wishing to make creativity a part of their daily life

Anyone looking to explore the intersection of art and the human condition

Anyone interested in identifying their core values’ intersection with creative goals and aspirations

Anyone wanting a creative community in which to play, explore, and experiment

Monday, April 18, 2022
THE MOTH Presents the Asheville StorySLAM: “Books”
Apr 18 @ 7:30 pm
The Grey Eagle

THE MOTH Presents the Asheville StorySLAM: "Books"

THE MOTH

BOOKS: Prepare a five-minute story about the written word. The novels that changed your life or the ones you only pretended to read. An open book, or one judged by cover alone. Book stores, clubs, and libraries. Dog-eared pages with notes in the margins, tell us about one for the record books, or just the CliffsNotes. If you go home with someone and they don’t have any…

Tuesday, April 19, 2022
Virtual Panel: Working With Bookstores: How to Increase Your Chances of Being on the Shelf and in Front of the Podium
Apr 19 @ 6:00 pm
online

Malaprop’s is pleased to be part of this special informational session for writers.

How do stores select which books they’ll carry? How do events work? What about consignment sales? Join Gold Leaf Literary and friends from Malaprop’s, Bookmarks, and M. Judson for a discussion about what makes booksellers happy and cringey when it comes to taking on local author’s books and doing events. We’ll share tips and best practices for setting up bookstore events and helping your books find their way on (and off!) the shelves, plus what to do (and not do) at your event.

The cost for this session is $10 and we’ll be donating half of all proceeds to UNICEF to help children in Ukraine, Syria, and elsewhere whose lives are endangered and disrupted by war.

Wednesday, April 20, 2022
White Squirrel Hiking Challenge 6
Apr 20 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?

  1. Bearwallow Mountain
  2. Wildcat Rock Trail – Extended
  3. Bracken Preserve
  4. DuPont State Recreational Forest: Fawn Lake and Lake Julia
  5. DuPont State Recreational Forest: Holly Road to Hooker Falls
  6. Green River Game Lands: Green River Cove Trail
  7. Whitewater Falls
  8. Youngs Mountain Trail
  9. LOG YOUR HIKES
    • 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 CompanyLazy Otter OutfittersMurphy’s Naturals, and YAM Yoga and Massage. Most importantly, you get to experience eight great places and deepen your personal connection to land conservation.

Forest Bathing
Apr 20 @ 5:41 pm – 6:41 pm
Transfiguration Preserve

Join us for a session of forest bathing. This walk will provide time to enjoy a 2 1/2 hour experience in the blooming spring forest as we discover what the dynamic season invites us to explore.

Mattie is a certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide. She is also a Zen practitioner, an Episcopal oblate, and a retired education professor, and she is certified in wilderness first aid. This event is one of our monthly forest bathing walks. Forest bathing is a practice from Japan that has been gaining attention in the West. Forest bathing is not about getting exercise. It’s not about hiking to get somewhere. It’s about being present in the forest, taking it in. It’s about creating relationships between humans and the more-than-human world.

To keep everyone safe, these walks are limited to 12 participants. Registration is required.

A donation of $30 is suggested for forest bathing walks, for those who are able. Donations are not required and the amount of your gift is entirely up to you. Donations of $35 or more will include Conserving Carolina membership benefits.

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT FOREST BATHING

RSVP below.

RSVPs will close at 3PM on 4/21/22

Creativity Lab
Apr 20 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Story Parlor

Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm at Story Parlor
April 13, April 20, April 27, May 4, May 11, May 18*
*Final class on May 18 runs from 6:30-9:30pm
Make up class reserved for May 25

Story Parlor presents Creativity Lab: a six-week exploration of the creative process, common blocks and obstacles, and ways to kickstart and sustain creative momentum.

Focused on the process and the act of doing, opposed to product or outcome, Creativity Lab explores ways to overcome fear, embrace curiosity, and channel our muse in all creative endeavors.

The six-week workshop is experiential, hands-on, and tactile. The Lab will utilize exercises to help cultivate imagination, innovation, and creativity. Each class will focus on a different part of the creativity process all while building a tool kit for dealing with obstacles in our way, creating positive habits for growth, and investigating the ways our personal narratives intersect with our work.

Registration Includes:

A guidebook with supplementary readings, exercises, and activities

A custom Story Parlor notebook

Access to Creativity Mixers

Who Should Attend:

Anyone looking to kickstart or follow-through with a creative project

Anyone wanting to discover more about their habits and approach to creativity

Anyone hoping to learn more about the process of being creative

Anyone wishing to make creativity a part of their daily life

Anyone looking to explore the intersection of art and the human condition

Anyone interested in identifying their core values’ intersection with creative goals and aspirations

Anyone wanting a creative community in which to play, explore, and experiment

Thursday, April 21, 2022
White Squirrel Hiking Challenge 6
Apr 21 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?

  1. Bearwallow Mountain
  2. Wildcat Rock Trail – Extended
  3. Bracken Preserve
  4. DuPont State Recreational Forest: Fawn Lake and Lake Julia
  5. DuPont State Recreational Forest: Holly Road to Hooker Falls
  6. Green River Game Lands: Green River Cove Trail
  7. Whitewater Falls
  8. Youngs Mountain Trail
  9. LOG YOUR HIKES
    • 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 CompanyLazy Otter OutfittersMurphy’s Naturals, and YAM Yoga and Massage. Most importantly, you get to experience eight great places and deepen your personal connection to land conservation.

Friday, April 22, 2022
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?

  1. Bearwallow Mountain
  2. Wildcat Rock Trail – Extended
  3. Bracken Preserve
  4. DuPont State Recreational Forest: Fawn Lake and Lake Julia
  5. DuPont State Recreational Forest: Holly Road to Hooker Falls
  6. Green River Game Lands: Green River Cove Trail
  7. Whitewater Falls
  8. Youngs Mountain Trail
  9. LOG YOUR HIKES
    • 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 CompanyLazy Otter OutfittersMurphy’s Naturals, and YAM Yoga and Massage. Most importantly, you get to experience eight great places and deepen your personal connection to land conservation.

Saturday, April 23, 2022
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?

  1. Bearwallow Mountain
  2. Wildcat Rock Trail – Extended
  3. Bracken Preserve
  4. DuPont State Recreational Forest: Fawn Lake and Lake Julia
  5. DuPont State Recreational Forest: Holly Road to Hooker Falls
  6. Green River Game Lands: Green River Cove Trail
  7. Whitewater Falls
  8. Youngs Mountain Trail
  9. LOG YOUR HIKES
    • 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 CompanyLazy Otter OutfittersMurphy’s Naturals, and YAM Yoga and Massage. Most importantly, you get to experience eight great places and deepen your personal connection to land conservation.

Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Creativity Lab
Apr 27 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Story Parlor

Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm at Story Parlor
April 13, April 20, April 27, May 4, May 11, May 18*
*Final class on May 18 runs from 6:30-9:30pm
Make up class reserved for May 25

Story Parlor presents Creativity Lab: a six-week exploration of the creative process, common blocks and obstacles, and ways to kickstart and sustain creative momentum.

Focused on the process and the act of doing, opposed to product or outcome, Creativity Lab explores ways to overcome fear, embrace curiosity, and channel our muse in all creative endeavors.

The six-week workshop is experiential, hands-on, and tactile. The Lab will utilize exercises to help cultivate imagination, innovation, and creativity. Each class will focus on a different part of the creativity process all while building a tool kit for dealing with obstacles in our way, creating positive habits for growth, and investigating the ways our personal narratives intersect with our work.

Registration Includes:

A guidebook with supplementary readings, exercises, and activities

A custom Story Parlor notebook

Access to Creativity Mixers

Who Should Attend:

Anyone looking to kickstart or follow-through with a creative project

Anyone wanting to discover more about their habits and approach to creativity

Anyone hoping to learn more about the process of being creative

Anyone wishing to make creativity a part of their daily life

Anyone looking to explore the intersection of art and the human condition

Anyone interested in identifying their core values’ intersection with creative goals and aspirations

Anyone wanting a creative community in which to play, explore, and experiment

Thursday, April 28, 2022
White Squirrel Hiking Challenge 6
Apr 28 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?

  1. Bearwallow Mountain
  2. Wildcat Rock Trail – Extended
  3. Bracken Preserve
  4. DuPont State Recreational Forest: Fawn Lake and Lake Julia
  5. DuPont State Recreational Forest: Holly Road to Hooker Falls
  6. Green River Game Lands: Green River Cove Trail
  7. Whitewater Falls
  8. Youngs Mountain Trail
  9. LOG YOUR HIKES
    • 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 CompanyLazy Otter OutfittersMurphy’s Naturals, and YAM Yoga and Massage. Most importantly, you get to experience eight great places and deepen your personal connection to land conservation.

Friday, April 29, 2022
White Squirrel Hiking Challenge 6
Apr 29 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?

  1. Bearwallow Mountain
  2. Wildcat Rock Trail – Extended
  3. Bracken Preserve
  4. DuPont State Recreational Forest: Fawn Lake and Lake Julia
  5. DuPont State Recreational Forest: Holly Road to Hooker Falls
  6. Green River Game Lands: Green River Cove Trail
  7. Whitewater Falls
  8. Youngs Mountain Trail
  9. LOG YOUR HIKES
    • 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 CompanyLazy Otter OutfittersMurphy’s Naturals, and YAM Yoga and Massage. Most importantly, you get to experience eight great places and deepen your personal connection to land conservation.

Saturday, April 30, 2022
White Squirrel Hiking Challenge 6
Apr 30 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?

  1. Bearwallow Mountain
  2. Wildcat Rock Trail – Extended
  3. Bracken Preserve
  4. DuPont State Recreational Forest: Fawn Lake and Lake Julia
  5. DuPont State Recreational Forest: Holly Road to Hooker Falls
  6. Green River Game Lands: Green River Cove Trail
  7. Whitewater Falls
  8. Youngs Mountain Trail
  9. LOG YOUR HIKES
    • 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 CompanyLazy Otter OutfittersMurphy’s Naturals, and YAM Yoga and Massage. Most importantly, you get to experience eight great places and deepen your personal connection to land conservation.

WNCHA Hidden History Hikes – Ellicott’s Rock
Apr 30 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Ellicott’s and Governor’s rocks along the Chattooga River.

 

Join the Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA) Saturday, April 30 at 9AM as we hike to Ellicott’s and Governor’s rocks along the Chattooga River.

Along the Chattooga River, the states of NC, SC, and GA intersect. From conflicts between Cherokees and white settlers, to the Walton War between Georgia and North Carolina over their boundaries, this area has seen its share of strife and political challenges. Surveyor Andrew Ellicott initially settled the conflict and placed a marker along the bank of the river in 1811. But eventually his work was challenged by the more precise “Governor’s Rock” a few years afterward. As late as the 1970s though, NC and GA once again disputed the precise location. Join us as we hike through three states and explore the history of this contested boundary.

*This is a backcountry hike. Please do not attempt if you are unsure of your ability*

*With a small trailhead parking area, we are limited to 5 vehicles. We will need a few volunteers to shuttle others in their vehicles. Please let us know if you are willing to do this when you sign the waiver form*

*Participants may wish to carpool to the initial meeting location at Ingles in Cashiers, NC. You will be asked about your preference upon registration, and those interested will be put in contact with one another*

Details:

Meet:  We will depart at 9AM from the Ingles in Cashiers (US Hwy 64E, Cashiers, NC, 28717). We will carpool 10 miles to the trailhead (Bull Pen Rd, Cashiers, NC 28717). More information regarding parking and the trailhead will be sent to registrants the day prior to the outing.
Return to Ingles: Approximately 3PM
Hike Length: 6.5 miles total, out and back.
Elevation Gain: 1,220 Feet
Hike Difficulty: Moderately strenuous (using National Park Service metric)

What to Bring:

  • Backpack
  • Plenty of water (2+ liters)
  • Bagged lunch and snacks
  • Hiking boots or comfortable trail shoes
  • Weather-appropriate clothing (preferably no cotton)
  • Sunscreen
  • Hiking poles (recommended)
  • Hat (recommended)
  • Any needed medications.

Rain Date: In the event of inclement weather, participants will be notified in advance, no later than 8PM the evening prior if the event is to be rescheduled.

Tickets: $20 for WNCHA members/$30 non-members. We also have two no-cost, community-funded tickets available. We want our events to be accessible to as many people as possible. If you are able please consider making a donation along with your ticket purchase. These donations are placed in our Community Fund, which allows us to offer tickets at no cost to those who would not be able to attend otherwise.

Wednesday, May 4, 2022
Creativity Lab
May 4 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Story Parlor

Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm at Story Parlor
April 13, April 20, April 27, May 4, May 11, May 18*
*Final class on May 18 runs from 6:30-9:30pm
Make up class reserved for May 25

Story Parlor presents Creativity Lab: a six-week exploration of the creative process, common blocks and obstacles, and ways to kickstart and sustain creative momentum.

Focused on the process and the act of doing, opposed to product or outcome, Creativity Lab explores ways to overcome fear, embrace curiosity, and channel our muse in all creative endeavors.

The six-week workshop is experiential, hands-on, and tactile. The Lab will utilize exercises to help cultivate imagination, innovation, and creativity. Each class will focus on a different part of the creativity process all while building a tool kit for dealing with obstacles in our way, creating positive habits for growth, and investigating the ways our personal narratives intersect with our work.

Registration Includes:

A guidebook with supplementary readings, exercises, and activities

A custom Story Parlor notebook

Access to Creativity Mixers

Who Should Attend:

Anyone looking to kickstart or follow-through with a creative project

Anyone wanting to discover more about their habits and approach to creativity

Anyone hoping to learn more about the process of being creative

Anyone wishing to make creativity a part of their daily life

Anyone looking to explore the intersection of art and the human condition

Anyone interested in identifying their core values’ intersection with creative goals and aspirations

Anyone wanting a creative community in which to play, explore, and experiment

Thursday, May 5, 2022
White Squirrel Hiking Challenge 6
May 5 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?

  1. Bearwallow Mountain
  2. Wildcat Rock Trail – Extended
  3. Bracken Preserve
  4. DuPont State Recreational Forest: Fawn Lake and Lake Julia
  5. DuPont State Recreational Forest: Holly Road to Hooker Falls
  6. Green River Game Lands: Green River Cove Trail
  7. Whitewater Falls
  8. Youngs Mountain Trail
  9. LOG YOUR HIKES
    • 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 CompanyLazy Otter OutfittersMurphy’s Naturals, and YAM Yoga and Massage. Most importantly, you get to experience eight great places and deepen your personal connection to land conservation.

Friday, May 6, 2022
White Squirrel Hiking Challenge 6
May 6 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?

  1. Bearwallow Mountain
  2. Wildcat Rock Trail – Extended
  3. Bracken Preserve
  4. DuPont State Recreational Forest: Fawn Lake and Lake Julia
  5. DuPont State Recreational Forest: Holly Road to Hooker Falls
  6. Green River Game Lands: Green River Cove Trail
  7. Whitewater Falls
  8. Youngs Mountain Trail
  9. LOG YOUR HIKES
    • 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 CompanyLazy Otter OutfittersMurphy’s Naturals, and YAM Yoga and Massage. Most importantly, you get to experience eight great places and deepen your personal connection to land conservation.