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!

Learn to create your own foam stamps to print designs inspired by nature. Create gorgeous dish towel designs that you can use at home or give as a gift!

Experience the basics of shaping hot steel with a hammer and anvil in our unforgettable Blacksmithing & Brews workshop. No experience is necessary as our instructor will guide you every step of the way in this basics of blacksmithing program, helping you work a piece of rough steel into a one of a kind, hand crafted knife form you can take home. After the workshop, you can enjoy a local brew on the front deck of our main lodge overlooking Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Mountains. You can take it easy, soaking up the mountain views while you sip, or work on refining your knife to transform its rugged, fresh-out-of-the-fire look to a smoother, cleaner finish. (We’ll provide the tools!)

Ages 13+ are welcome, but you must be at least 21 to be served beer. If you’re under 21, we’ll provide root beer or sparkling water. Each person participating will take home their own wrought iron crude knife form that can be used as a letter opener or simple spreading utensil.

Reservations are required to reserve your spot for the Blacksmithing & Brews experience.

Enjoy a one-of-a-kind hike in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains with our friendly llamas! Hikers will learn about our famous llamas’ interesting histories and how to safely handle the animals before heading out on a hike with gorgeous mountaintop views on our private trails.

Each family/group gets 1 to 3 lovable llamas to share and there’s plenty of time for llama cuddles and, of course, llama selfies! This moderate hike is around 1 mile long and does require requires walking uphill on rocky and sometimes slippery terrain. This experience lasts approximately an hour and a half.

Reservations required to reserve your spot on the hike. We need a minimum of 4 hikers to book and may contact you about rescheduling if we do not have enough bookings. We welcome all ages on our llama hikes, and children 5 and under are free. When you make your reservation, please let us know if you have anyone under that age.

Enjoy an outdoor yoga class with gorgeous views of the Blue Ridge mountains on our 76-acre mountaintop property. All levels welcome; bring a mat if you have one. Donations accepted.

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete has shared guidance on the impacts to COBRA resulting from the American Rescue Plan Act through their Legal Bulletin #876. According to the bulletin: if an individual became or becomes eligible for COBRA because of an involuntary change in status, and if the individual has any eligibility left between April 1 and September 30, 2021, and if the individual doesn’t have other coverage available through a spouse’s employment or the individual’s new employment, then he or she will get “free” COBRA coverage. The employer then can recoup the costs with a credit on payroll taxes. The plan sponsor will have to do a great deal of administrative work figuring out how to send which notice to which individuals. Employer-sponsored health plans will be required to provide six months of “free” COBRA coverage to most plan participants who Are eligible for COBRA continuation coverage, and Lose coverage because of involuntary employment termination or reduction in hours. The Plan must inform the eligible individual about the new benefit and provide the option to sign up for what amounts to a premium waiver for the six-month period. An employee or former employee will be eligible for this “free” coverage benefit if any of the following apply during the April 1-September 30 time period: The individual becomes eligible for COBRA coverage The individual currently has COBRA coverage, The individual would have been eligible for COBRA coverage but declined it And the individual is not eligible for other coverage, including through new employment or a spouse’s plan.

Sicard Hollow is a four-piece progressive bluegrass band who formed with a mutual passion for pushing the boundaries of genre. Heavily influenced by the Grateful Dead and New Grass Revival, these young pickers bring new energy to a timeless style with a combination of fearless improvisation and instrumental prowess.

Having toured extensively around the southeast for the last year, this group of players continues to grow their sound with every performance. Having always thought of themselves as a live band, producer, Dan Davis, had his work cut out for him while producing their debut album, Secret of the Breeze, at Zac Brown and Oliver Wood’s Southern Ground Nashville. The result was a perfect encapsulation of the band’s genre-kicking tenacity. There is no slowing down for Sicard Hollow.

Donor Turnout Hits Historic Low

The Blood Connection extends collection hours in response to urgent need

The Blood Connection, the community blood center, is seeing historically low blood donor turnout and has extended its center hours in response to this urgent need. According to the latest TBC data, local hospitals have consumed twice as much blood as the community has donated. If this trend continues, it could cause a blood rationing event or blood shortage for hospitals in this community. Donation centers are now open earlier and later to accommodate more blood donors.

Donor Turnout Hits Historic Low

The Blood Connection extends collection hours in response to urgent need

The Blood Connection, the community blood center, is seeing historically low blood donor turnout and has extended its center hours in response to this urgent need. According to the latest TBC data, local hospitals have consumed twice as much blood as the community has donated. If this trend continues, it could cause a blood rationing event or blood shortage for hospitals in this community. Donation centers are now open earlier and later to accommodate more blood donors.

RiverLink is partnering with the City of Asheville and local volunteers to protect water quality through an Adopt-A-Storm Drain Program. Pollution from stormwater runoff is the biggest threat to clean water in our urban streams. Stormwater is rain that flows across the landscape—rather than soaking into the ground—where it picks up pollutants before flowing into a storm drain and emptying into the nearest stream.

With funding from the Pigeon River Fund, a grant administered by the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, this pilot program will pair volunteers with a storm drain in the Central Asheville Watershed.

The goal is to get 100 storm drains adopted in 2021. Volunteers will be awarded with fun prizes for their commitment and enthusiasm, and  if successful, the Adopt A Storm Drain program will expand to include other areas in the City of Asheville.

How does it work?

Select a storm drain in a convenient location of the Central Asheville Watershed. It could be in front of your home, business, or where you exercise regularly. By adopting a storm drain, you commit to checking the drain in between rain events and keeping it clear of litter and debris. All it takes are gloves and a trash bag. Then with a smartphone or computer, you can report debris cleaned/cleared, and conditions such as illegal dumping or flooding. In a matter of minutes, you help protect water quality and prevent street flooding from clogged drains!

Included with admission

Our fun-for-all-ages botanical model train displays invite you to experience our grounds in an engaging new way. Located in the Conservatory in the Walled Garden, the displays feature replicas of structures connected with Biltmore and its founder George Vanderbilt. Each beautifully executed piece was handcrafted from such natural elements as leaves, bark, and twigs.

In compliance with state and local mandates related to COVID-19, all guests must enter the Conservatory via the ADA entrance in the back and follow a one-way route.

DESCRIPTION

2021 West Fork, Tuckasegee River scheduled releases are brought to you by our friends at American Whitewater. Nantahala Outdoor Center is a proud sponsor of American Whitewater’s work to protect and restore river’s across the country- Learn more about becoming an American Whitewater member here.

The West Fork of the Tuck is 5.5 miles of class III- IV+ whitewater, from Thorpe Dam to Thorpe Powerhouse. From slides to boulder gardens, this section of the Tuckasegee River offers a wide variety of fun challenges for advanced paddlers.