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.

Sunday, March 28, 2021
Asheville Regional Airport: design concepts for an expanded and modernized terminal
Mar 28 all-day
Online w/ Asheville Regional Airport
Asheville Regional Airport shares a sneak peek of design concepts for an expanded and modernized terminal
(Asheville, N.C.) Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) began a terminal design project nearly 18 months ago, working with architects at Gresham Smith, and is releasing a sneak peek of a few of the design concepts that have been developed. The design project, nearly fully funded by Federal Aviation Administration grant funds, is important to the strategic long-term planning and growth of the airport, and will result in detailed plans for an expanded and modernized airport that will serve the air service needs of western North Carolina for decades into the future. The design is the first step, and then the airport board will determine when the project will proceed forward.
“A design project like this takes 18 months to two years to complete,” said Lew Bleiweis, A.A.E., Executive Director. “We began the process more than a year ago, at a time when our passenger numbers were far exceeding the existing capacity of our terminal building at peak times. A new larger terminal is necessary to keep up with the demand – our growth is already returning.”
The design process began with many stakeholder meetings, both with the internal airport team and with community leaders, as well as a large community survey with more than 4,000 responses. “We are proud to have incorporated local input into the design principles, and are pleased to share our progress so far,” said Bleiweis.
The goals of a new terminal design are focused on achieving several strategic objectives, which include:
 More space to accommodate existing and future growth projections
  • expansion from 7 to 12 gates with ample room for passenger flow
  • additional aircraft parking space
  • expanded and modernized ticket lobby, TSA screening, baggage claim, concessions space
A centralized power plant
Flexibility in design to allow for enhancements and innovations as air travel evolves
Thoughtful design, guided by community, employee and key stakeholder input
An overarching design principle has guided decisions throughout the process: to create a modern gateway, humbly rooted in timeless natural beauty. “This design principle was a direct result of engagement with the local community, stakeholders, airport vendors and many others,” said Brad Sucher, Senior Architect and Project Manager at Gresham Smith. “And we currently are transforming these meanings into images that help lay the framework for AVL to represent the western North Carolina region. It is exciting to begin sharing these concepts.”
There are still months remaining in the design process, and then the airport will determine next steps, including funding plans and a specific timeline to move forward. More official information will be shared at that time.
Driving Tour with Smith-McDowell House
Mar 28 all-day
Online w/ Western North Carolina Historical Association
The residents of the Smith-McDowell House and grounds were woven in to the fabric of Asheville.

This driving tour begins at the Smith-McDowell House Museum on the campus of A-B Tech and continues through historic sites related to early occupants of the house.

Get Your Go Local Card
Mar 28 all-day
Online w/ Asheville Grown

Supporting Local Schools

Half of your purchase price of the 2021 Go Local Card will go to a public school to enhance programming, purchase much-needed teacher supplies and support local kids.

Buy yours TODAY!

Each year, as we add more businesses and cardholders to the program, the local movement grows stronger.

Photo courtesy of Mountain Xpress

Haunted Asheville Tour
Mar 28 all-day
Online w/ Western North Carolina Historical Association
Asheville, and the surrounding mountains, have also hosted numerous writers, musicians, and folklorists who have promoted (if not possibly created) some of these legends. Perhaps these are some of the reasons lore permeates the streets, hills, and valleys of this mountain city. You can see many of these sites for yourself, if you dare.
High-Risk Medical Conditions Group 4: Eligible COVID-19 Vaccine Beginning March 17
Mar 28 all-day
Online w/ NC Department of Health and Human Services
Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. announced beginning on March 17, people in Group 4 who have a medical condition that puts them at higher risk of serious illness and people who live in certain congregate settings will be eligible for vaccination. The rest of Group 4, which includes other essential workers will become eligible April 7. (See Deeper Dive)
The state was able to update its timeline today based on provider feedback and expected supply. As with previous eligibility changes, some vaccine providers may not be ready to open to Group 4 on March 17 if they are still experiencing high demand for vaccines in Groups 1 through 3.
Higher Risk Individuals in Group 4 are Now Eligible for COVID Vaccines
Mar 28 all-day
North Carolina
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released information on the addition of high-risk, group 4 individuals to those eligible for vaccines. According to their release, people in Group 4 who have a medical condition that puts them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness and those who live in certain congregate settings are now eligible for vaccination. You can find a COVID-19 vaccination site near you at MySpot.nc.gov.
North Carolina follows the recommendations of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as to who is at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. That includes adults of any age with conditions, such as asthma, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, sickle cell disease, obesity, or smoking.
In addition, those who are eligible starting March 17 includes anyone who is living in higher-risk congregate or close group living settings who is not already vaccinated.
The rest of Group 4, which includes other essential workers, will become eligible April 7. Previously eligible groups – health care workers, long-term care staff and residents, people 65 and older, and frontline essential workers – will continue to be prioritized.
Some vaccine providers may not be ready to open to people with a medical condition on March 17 if they are still experiencing high demand for vaccines in Groups 1, 2 and 3.
Visit YourShotYourSpot.nc.gov (English) or Vacunate.nc.gov (Spanish) for more information about the vaccines, including answers to frequently asked questions..
Not sure what vaccine group you’re in? Visit FindMyGroup.nc.gov. You can also contact the COVID-19 Vaccine Help Center toll-free at 1-888-675-4567.
Hiking for Hunger
Mar 28 all-day
Online w/ Hiking for Hunger

Former Volunteer Manager, Micah Tomlinson, and former MANNA Community Market Driver, Keeka Grant-Tomlinson, began hiking the Appalachian Trail together as part of Hiking for Hunger – a fundraiser created by both of them to help raise awareness of hunger and food insecurity in WNC, while also raising funds for MANNA FoodBank.
To follow along with their thru-hike and to learn more about Hiking for Hunger, Hiking for Hunger | Making miles for meals in Western North Carolina.
Hillbillyland: Myth + Reality of Appalachian Culture
Mar 28 all-day
Online w/ Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA)
North Carolina to Further Relax COVID-19 Restrictions
Mar 28 all-day
North Carolina
Governor Cooper announced Tuesday that North Carolina will continue to ease some COVID-19 restrictions. Executive Order 204 will take effect Friday, March 26 at 5 pm and is set to expire April 30th at 5 pm. The general mask mandate will remain in effect.
Executive Order 204 has three general categories of occupancy restrictions: up to 100% capacity, 75% capacity, and 50% capacity. All businesses must continue to maintain 6 feet of distance between patrons and implement safety protocols as they expand capacity.
The Executive Order also increases the mass gathering limits. The number of people who may gather indoors will increase to 50 and the number of people who may gather outdoors will increase to 100. The Order also lifts the restrictions on the late-night sale and service of alcoholic beverages on bars, restaurants, and other establishments.
Indoors and Outdoors up to 100% Capacity, Subject to Masks and 6 ft. Social Distancing
  • Museums and Aquariums
  • Retail Businesses
  • Salons, personal care and grooming businesses, tattoo parlors
Indoors up to 75% and Outdoors up to 100% Capacity, Subject to Masks and 6 ft. Social Distancing
  • Restaurants
  • Breweries, Wineries, and Distilleries
  • Recreation (e.g., bowling, skating, rock climbing)
  • Fitness and Physical Activity Facilities (e.g., gyms, yoga studios, fitness centers)
  • Pools
  • Amusement Parks
Indoors and Outdoors up to 50% Capacity, Subject to Masks and 6 ft. Social Distancing
  • Bars
  • Movie Theaters*
  • Gaming Facilities*
  • Meeting, Reception, and Conference Spaces
  • Lounges (including tobacco) and Night Clubs
  • Auditoriums, Arenas, and other venues for live performances
  • Sports Arenas and Fields (includes professional, collegiate, and amateur
*Movie theaters and gaming facilities may operate at up to 75% capacity outdoors.
Online Education Series: “The Story of a Cemetery, The Story of Asheville”
Mar 28 all-day
Online
Don’t miss our last installment of videos
on the South Asheville Cemetery:
Anne Chesky Smith, Executive Director of the Western North Carolina Historical Association, continues the story of the South Asheville cemetery. Located in the Kenilworth neighborhood, the cemetery was originally a place to bury enslaved people and following the Civil War continued as a burial site for African Americans until the 1940s. This final video in the series gives a broad overview of the site history. It covers stories from the first non-native settlers through the 20th century.
and in case you missed it…
Photo Contest Buncombe County Parks: Theme for April is Game On
Mar 28 all-day
Buncombe County Parks
Backpack, water bottles, stickers,
                                                          and other I
                                                          Heart Parks
                                                          items

We know you love Buncombe County parks! We get tagged in lots of pics on Facebook and Instagram. Why not get a sweet reward for your photo skills?

Each month, we’ll announce a theme. Post your favorite photos to Instagram or Facebook showing the theme in one of our parks. Make sure to tag @BuncombeRecreation and use the hashtag #IHeartBCParks. Be sure your photo is set to “public” and use the hashtag or we won’t be able to find it. (Full rules below.)

Our theme for April is… (drumroll, please) Game On! You play soccer, disc golf, volleyball, kickball, gaga, horse shoes, fishing, bocce, lacrosse, softball, baseball, and more in Buncombe County parks. Post your best pics by Apr. 30; you can submit an unlimited number of photos. Be creative and think outside the box.

The winning photo will receive:

  • Cool I Heart Parks swag: rope bag cross body sling, water bottle, compass, first aid kit, pen, and stickers
  • Picture set as the cover photo for Buncombe County Recreation Service’s Facebook page for a month
  • Bragging rights

Want to get a jump on the competition? Future themes include kids, pets, autumn views, and Leave No Trace.

#IHeartBCParks Photo Contest Rules and Guidelines

  1. Photos MUST be taken at a Buncombe County park. Tag or identify your location in your post.
  2. You do not need to be a Buncombe County resident to enter. Everyone is eligible to submit an entry*.
  3. Photos must be posted on Facebook or Instagram.
  4. Entry participants must be a follower of Buncombe County Recreation Services on Facebook or Instagram. Non-followers are not eligible.
  5. To enter, post your photo on Facebook or Instagram tagging @BuncombeRecreation on Facebook or Instagram. Use the hashtag #IHeartBCParks. (If you do not use this hashtag we won’t be able to find your photo.)
  6. Make sure your photo is set to “public” so we can see it.
  7. By submitting your photo, you warrant that your entry is an original work of authorship. You understand and agree that Buncombe County Recreation Services can re-post your photo and credit your name/username in any future promotions hereafter.
  8. All photos must be posted within the time frame to be eligible.
  9. Individuals may submit an unlimited number of photos.
  10. Prizes cannot be substituted, transferred, or returned for cash. No purchase necessary to enter or win. A purchase does not increase the chances of winning.
  11. This contest is not sponsored, administered, or endorsed by Facebook or Instagram.
  12. Be creative and think outside the box. Get out and enjoy your Buncombe County parks, pools, and open spaces!

*Entries must be submitted by individuals ages 18 or older. Employees of Buncombe County, the contest’s participating sponsors, and members of the immediate family of any such persons are not eligible to participate and win. The term “immediate family” includes spouses, siblings, parents, children, grandparents, and grandchildren, whether it is “in-laws,” or by current or past marriage(s), remarriage(s), adoption, co-habitation or other family extension, and any other persons residing at the same household whether or not related.

To receive the I Heart Parks monthly newsletter, sign up online.

RAIL: The Railroad and Incarcerated Laborer Memorial Project
Mar 28 all-day
Online w/ Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA)

The construction of the Mountain Division of the Western North Carolina Railroad is widely considered one of the greatest human accomplishments in regards to both engineering and construction ever undertaken at the time it occurred. The project took place over a period of several years in the late 1800s. Many people are aware that the railroad provided the first dependable access to and from much of Western North Carolina for the rest of the state as well as much of the nation. Many also know the names of some of those who were instrumental in seeing through the completion of this ambitious project. Names such as Colonel Alexander Boyd Andrews, of Andrews’ Geyser fame. However, what most people are unaware of is that at least 95% of the labor which built the railroad across the Blue Ridge Escarpment was completed by inmates from the North Carolina State Penitentiary… and approximately 98% of those inmates were African American men… the majority of whom were unjustly imprisoned…

This project was created to share the true story behind this human endeavor and to honor the memory of those who labored and those who died here.

Regional Resources: Historical Research
Mar 28 all-day
Online w/ Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA)

Western North Carolina has a rich assortment of county historical societies, archives, and museums. The Western North Carolina Historical Association seeks to help researchers, historians, genealogists, and the general public take full advantage of these resources.

 

Registration Open for Senior Games + Silver Arts 2021
Mar 28 all-day
Buncombe County Parks

Each spring, hundreds of locals 50+ years-old enjoy participating in the Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and Silver Arts. This year’s program will be held at locations throughout Buncombe County from the week of Apr. 19 through May 19 (tentative). There is no registration fee this year.

To register, fill out a registration form (see documents below) or register online at ncseniorgames.org.

Sports include bowling, croquet, football throw, softball throw, golf, putt-putt, cycling, track and field, archery, cheerleading, swimming, billiards, badminton, cornhole, horseshoes, pickleball, racquetball, shuffleboard, tennis, and table tennis. Age categories start at 50 and increase at five year intervals.

Silver Arts categories are classified as Heritage (quilting, woodwork, crochet, basket weaving, jewelry, needlework, tole painting, weaving, knitting, pottery, stained glass, woodcarving, and woodturning), Visual (solo, small group, and large group), Performing, Literary (poem, short story, essay, and life experience), and Contemporary. Art pieces will be displayed online.

Self-Guided WNC Tours
Mar 28 all-day
Online w/ Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA)
Western North Carolina is defined as much by the various chains and valleys within the Appalachian Mountains as it is by the various people here. The region contains large swaths of national forest lands and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It contains old rivers and old folkways, along with an increasingly large stream of transplants and temporary visitors. This virtual tour gives a broad overview of our region.
Share Your Story Campaign: Support Asheville Art Museum as Finalist in The National Medal
Mar 28 all-day
Online w/ Asheville Art Museum

The Asheville Art Museum is the only museum in North Carolina to be selected as a finalist for this award. Chapel Hill Public Library is the only library to be selected in North Carolina.

The National Medal is the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries that demonstrate significant impact in their communities. For more than 25 years, the award has honored institutions that demonstrate excellence in service to their communities.

To celebrate this honor, IMLS is encouraging the Asheville Art Museum’s community members to share stories, memories, pictures, and videos on social media as part of the Share Your Story Campaign, using the #IMLSmedals hashtag, and engage with IMLS on Facebook and Twitter. For more information, please visit the IMLS website. The Asheville Art Museum will be featured on IMLS’s social media accounts on Tuesday, March 30, and we invite all to also share the content with the community.

National Medal winners will be announced in late spring. Representatives from winning institutions will be honored for their extraordinary contributions during a virtual National Medal Ceremony this summer.

To see the full list of finalists and learn more about the National Medal, visit the IMLS website.

Southeastern Student Sustainability Conference
Mar 28 all-day
Online

SSC_Pic1

 

This annual conference brings together student EcoReps, sustainability interns, and faculty and staff advisers from around the region for a weekend of peer leadership training and collaboration. This conference is a great opportunity to learn from your peers, share your successes (and get constructive feedback), and get inspiration you can bring back to your own campus.

Key topics in 2021 will include:

• Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion in our work
• Effective Student Leadership/ Peer 2 Peer education
• Zero Waste initiatives
• Educational initiatives & events
• Adapting to COVID-19
• Translating student visions into institutional action

This conference will be held VIRTUALLY due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.

Register
There is no fee to attend, however, you must register to participate in the virtual sessions. The registration deadline is Friday, March 19 at midnight.

Stay Informed. Be Buncombe Ready. Sign up for BC Alerts
Mar 28 all-day
online w/ Buncombe County Government

News article image

Buncombe County will be using our emergency notification system to let people know when COVID vaccine appointments are available.

BCAlerts

If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s to be ready… Buncombe Ready. But what’s the best way to stay up to date about available vaccines, natural disasters, public health emergencies, and more? Sign up for BC Alerts, and you’ll get that information sent directly to you in real time.

Text BCAlert  to 99411 or click here to sign up and pick the types of alerts you’d like to receive. You’ll also be able to choose from preferred languages. Need TTY? No problem, that option is also available.

If you’ve already signed up for BC Alerts in the past, you’ll need to re-register due to a change in emergency alert providers.

Stay Buncombe Ready and sign up for BC Alerts today.

Follow the County on our social media pages  at facebook.com/buncombegov or facebook.com/bchhs, on Twitter at twitter.com/buncombeGov and on Instagram at instagram.com/buncombecounty.

You may also sign up for Buncombe County’s COVID-19 newsletter at buncombeready.org and click the sign up button.

The Partner Agency Map: Who is your nearest food partner?
Mar 28 all-day
Online w/ Manna Food Bank
The Partner Agency Map:
Who is your nearest food partner?
Do you know your nearest local resource for free food?
Take a moment from your day and view the Partner Agency Map to learn more about your local resources are for free food. Whether you are looking for supplemental food yourself or know someone who may be, this information is great to know and share.
To create a food secure WNC we need to make sure we’re aware of the resources we have available for ourselves and the people in our personal networks.

FIND A FREE FOOD DISTRIBUTION NEAR YOU

The MANNA Partner Network of over 200 nonprofit pantries, meal sites, and other community-based organizations help residents to access free food across 16 western North Carolina counties. Use the map below to find MANNA partners close to you, or search the up-to-date listing of food partners (by county).

UNC Asheville Opens On-Campus Vaccine Clinic in Partnership with MAHEC
Mar 28 all-day
UNC Asheville Reuter Center
TIME AND DATES VARY
Nearly a year into the coronavirus pandemic, UNC Asheville has a new role to play in combating COVID-19, expanding the campus’ commitment of care and compassion beyond the classrooms and into the community, as the Reuter Center has been transformed into a COVID-19 immunization site in partnership with the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC).

“MAHEC and UNCA are eager to urgently vaccinate as many people as possible every week until COVID is no longer present in Western North Carolina,” commented MAHEC’s CEO Jeff Heck. “UNCA is a great partner and together we will work to bring the vaccine to as many residents as possible.”

The site continues to call individuals as vaccine shipments arrive. Schedule updates and frequently asked questions will be posted at https://coronavirus.unca.edu/faq/covid-19-vaccine/, and individuals will be contacted directly with their appointment details.

Victoria: The Forgotten Town Walking Tour
Mar 28 all-day
Online w/ Western North Carolina Historical Association
Contained by its larger growing neighbor (Asheville), the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, and the Southern Railway line, the Town of Victoria existed from 1887 until 1905, when it was absorbed into Asheville. The community—which included the Smith-McDowell House and Fernihurst mansion—originally incorporated into a town to prevent unwanted development (particularly from the Vanderbilts).
American Red Cross Be a hero Roll up a Sleeve
Mar 28 @ 7:00 am – 3:00 pm
Asheville Blood Donation Center

March is Red Cross Month, and for more than 130 years, heroic American Red Cross volunteers have provided hope and urgent relief to families in communities across the country.
This March the community is invited to join in the lifesaving mission of the Red Cross and be
someone’s hero by rolling up a sleeve to give blood.
According to the Red Cross, someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds to respond to
patient emergencies. Accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients,
and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease may all require blood.
All blood types are needed.
Be a hero in your community by rolling up a sleeve….

To make an appointment or to learn more, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor
App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood
Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. Completion of a RapidPass® online health history
questionnaire is encouraged to help speed up the donation process. To get started, follow the
instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App. A blood donor card
or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who
are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh
at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High
school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height
and weight requirements.

“Fitting In and Sticking Out” – Asheville: Biennial Queer Studies Conference
Mar 28 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Online w/ UNC Asheville

UNC Asheville’s biennial Queer Studies Conference, co-sponsored this year by Davidson College, will bring together scholars, artists and activists March 26-28 for virtual workshops and presentations. With keynote presentations by Wriply Bennet and Kay Ulanday Barrett, the conference will be based around the theme, Fitting In and Sticking Out – Queer [In]Visibilities and the Perils of Inclusion.

wriply m bennet
Wriply Bennet

Bennet, an Ohio-born illustrator, has been active at the nexus of trans and racial issues. She began organizing work with the Trans Women of Color Collective and then traveled to Ferguson, Missouri to protest after the police killing of Michael Brown. She became known as one of the Black Pride Four – four people arrested for disrupting the Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival in 2017 as part of a demonstration with the stated aim of highlighting “violence against and erasure of black and brown queer and trans people, in particular the lack of space for black and brown people at pride festivals.” Bennet’s art has been part of online exhibitions and can be seen in the award-winning documentary Major! which profiles Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a black transgender elder and activist. In her keynote, Bennet will focus on divestment as a queer liberation strategy.

Philippinx-American poet Kay Ulanday Barrett, disabled and transgender, is the author of When The Chant Comes, and the recently published More Than Organs, slated for publication just weeks before the Queer Studies Conference begins. A performer and educator and Campus Pride Hot List artist as well as poet, Barrett has spoken at Princeton University; University of Pennsylvania; University of California, Berkeley; Musee Juste pour Rire (Just for Laughs – a museum dedicated to humor) in Montreal; Chicago Historical Society, and Brooklyn Museum. PBS NewsHour, Buzzfeed and Huffington Post are among the national media to have featured Barrett, whose keynote will be titled, When The Chant Comes: Poetry & Margins at the Center.

Biennial Queer Studies Conference
Mar 28 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Online w/ UNC Asheville

UNC Asheville’s biennial Queer Studies Conference, co-sponsored this year by Davidson College, will bring together scholars, artists and activists March 26-28 for virtual workshops and presentations. With keynote presentations by Wriply Bennet and Kay Ulanday Barrett, the conference will be based around the theme, Fitting In and Sticking Out – Queer [In]Visibilities and the Perils of Inclusion.

This conference is free for all attendees, with a suggested donation of $20. Registration is required for access, and is available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-queer-studies-conference-2021-tickets-126872951413.

For more information, please contact the conference organizers, UNC Asheville Assistant Professor of Sociology Shawn Mendez ([email protected]) or Healthy Campus Liaison Jordan Perry ([email protected]).

Connecting Community: Free Resources for Parents of Young Children
Mar 28 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Buncombe County
Buncombe Partnership for Children

Buncombe Partnership for Children is on a mission to strengthen the capacity of educators, families, and the community to build a strong foundation for children’s learning and development beginning at birth. We are excited to partner with the incredible nonprofit to share some of their programming for parents of pre-kindergarten little ones.

  1. Circle of Security Parenting Program: 8-week parenting class conducted by trained facilitators to meet other parents, strengthen relationship with your child, recognize your child’s needs, behavior & more.
  2. Kaleidoscope Play & Learn Online: Adult-child online groups for 0-5 year olds and their families/caregivers. All you need is an email address to join for activities, stories, music, learning, and fun. Enrollment is ongoing.
  3. It’s Time for Kindergarten Events: Virtual discussion about what skills and experiences are most important for children to develop in the year before starting school. This is a great opportunity to look at different types of learning experiences, development, and time to get questions you may have answered. Please email [email protected] with questions.
Take + Play: Borrow Disc Golf Sets, Ukuleles, + Games
Mar 28 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library

Pack Youth Services introduces Take & Play, a pilot program that offers everyone the opportunity to borrow games, ukuleles, and disc golf sets from the Youth Services department at Pack Library. Take & Play items check out for three weeks, and you need to pick them up and drop them off at Pack Library. Games, ukuleles, and disc golf sets are available on a first-come, first-served basis and you check them out with your library card just like a book. Call 250-4720 for details, or drop by the library anytime we’re open.

All our library hours are listed here.

Winter Nantahala Gorge Train Tour Great Smokey Mountains Railroad
Mar 28 @ 10:30 am – 2:30 pm
Bryson City Depot Great Smokey Mountains Railroad

GSMR

Enjoy the sights and sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains while traveling along the Tennessee and Nantahala (nan-tuh-HAY-luh) River.The historic trellis bridge Fontana Trestle takes you across Fontana Lake and into the beautiful Nantahala Gorge. Onboard dining is available by selecting our First Class Seating option or pre-purchasing one of our boxed lunches, an amazing unique moving dining experience. Arrive at our layover destination in the heart of the Nantahala Gorge for a one-hour layover where you can relax by the river or enjoy sightseeing!

We are operating under all current COVID-19 safety guidelines and ask that you follow all protocols. Find the information HERE! *Please be aware dining options are currently not available at your layover destination. You are advised to enjoy onboard dining by pre-purchasing a box lunch meal option along with your train tickets.*

Plan on being here by 1 hour before your departure.

Tip-Based Walking Tour
Mar 28 @ 12:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Pack Square

This insider excursion provides you with tips and local secrets about the best way to do Asheville on a budget! You will have a better understanding of how Asheville became the unique, quirky city you see now and learn everything we are doing to “Keep Asheville Weird.” This is the only walking tour provided that allows you to choose how much you think a walking tour is worth and pay whatever you like. We will follow the urban trail, stop along the way for some free honey tastings and finish the tour with some special beer tastings at one of the best local breweries in South Slope! At the brewery, you will also be able to participate in a free raffle where you receive gifts donated from local businesses like free salsa classes, local theatre performances, books and more! I want you to know and love my city as much as I do and I am excited to share this experience with you!

Pay what you want at the end!

Downtown Tour
We will meet at Pack Square where the road cuts through the park! I will be wearing a free walking tour Tshirt
My parking recommendations are either street parking in the square or the Aloft parking deck on Biltmore Ave. If it’s a weekend, there should be free parking on the streets but be sure to check the meter! Feel free to ask any other questions you may have! 
River Arts Tour 
We will meet outside of the Magentic Theatre and your guide will be wearing a blue T-shirt !
 
I recommend parking in the public parking lot directly beside the theatre for free parking close to the meeting spot! 
Monday, March 29, 2021
1918 vs. 2020: Epidemics Then + Now in WNC
Mar 29 all-day
Online w/ Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA)

1918 vs. 2020

In the midst of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, we take an in-depth look at the 1918 influenza epidemic in Western North Carolina through newspaper clippings, advertisements, ephemera, photographs, and oral history and place the events of 1918 into context with our present-day response to the coronavirus pandemic.

2021 World Water Day Celebrating Video Kunchu Community Borehole Solarization
Mar 29 all-day
Online w/ Improving Lives Initiative
Water has often been rightly described as the integral ingredient of life and at Davis and Shirtliff, all efforts have been made to improving the quality and management of this precious resource. Through the #ImprovingLives Initiative launched in 2020, the company and its partners have implemented 295 water projects across the region, improving 658,000 lives in the process. The availability of clean water is known to transform societies in terms of health, education, and economic prosperity and for this reason, World Water Day is observed annually by the UN in order to highlight the importance of sustainably managed freshwater. In commemoration of World Water Day 2021, the D&S #ImprovingLives initiative has solarized a water project in Kunchu community, Kajiado County that will benefit over 1,800 community members and particularly women who previously had to walk 34kms to access safe water for their daily use. The handing over of the water project was celebrated in a colorful ceremony, captured on video and available to view.

What does water mean to you? To Davis & Shirtliff, water is an integral ingredient for life. To commemorate World Water Day 2021, we upgraded the Kunchu Community borehole to a hybrid solar system. The 1,800 member community used to rely on a diesel generator to pump water, using over 70 litres of fuel a week. With the new solar powered system they no longer need to spend money on diesel and instead can harness the power of the sun for free. At Davis and Shirtliff, we dedicate our efforts to improving the quality and management of this priceless resource. Through its #ImprovingLives Initiative, Davis and Shirtliff has implemented 295 water projects, improving 658,000 lives.