Calendar of Events
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.
January through April
Actors portray characters from Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Story “Three Boys with Jugs of Molasses and Secret Ambitions.”
NPS Photo
Educators in grades 3-12 are invited to submit original poems written by their students in February. The poems will be judged and winners announced in April. Find the 2022 Poetry Contest Information and submission guidelines here. The theme “Ambition” is from one of Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Stories, to celebrate it’s 100th year of being published. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.”
Students are invited to submit a poem to Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site’s annual Student Poetry Contest. The contest encourages youth to explore writing their own poetry, and is open to students nationwide!
Submissions are accepted from grades 3-12 and must be postmarked by March 1, 2022. See below for submission rules.
Winners will be notified by April 8, 2022, and will be invited to participate in a special virtual program on April 22.
2022 Contest Rules
Theme – “Ambition”
Carl Sandburg wrote millions of words reflecting on the American experience of the 20th century. Though his words often focused on war, labor, and social injustice, as a father of three, he also wrote imaginative, zany, and fantastical children’s stories, called “Rootabaga Stories.” Carl Sandburg’s “Rootabaga Stories” were first published in 1922 and celebrate 100 years of entertaining readers of all ages this year. The theme “Ambition” is from one of these stories. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.” Read the story here.
Poems submitted for the 2022 contest should reflect the theme of “Ambition.” By definition, a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. Or setting goals to achieve success.
Submission Rules
- Poetry accepted from 3-12th grades only. Poems will be grouped for judging by 3-5th, 6-8th, and 9-12th.
- Poems must be submitted by a teacher (traditional classroom or homeschool teacher).
- No more than three poems per class. Teachers with multiple classes, can submit up to three poems per class period.
- Poem will be judged on its ability to communicate the theme.
- Poem can be written in any style, but must not exceed one-page in length. No illustrations.
- Poems must be typed, no handwritten entries, using standard computer fonts, like Times, Arial, etc…
- Do not place any identifying information (name, school, grade, etc…) on poem sheet, that will go on the accompanying submission form.
- Submission form must be complete to be accepted:
- Paperclipped to poem, no staples
- Must be signed by parent, student and teacher
- Submissions must be postmarked, faxed, or e-mailed to [email protected], by March 1, 2022. Emailed submissions must be docs, .pdfs or scans. Low resolution pictures of the submission will not be accepted.
Judging
Judges from the literary community will make the decision for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place within each grade category (3-5th, 6-8th, 9-12th).
Poetry Partners
The 2022 Poetry Contest is a result of tremendous community support including the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, and literary volunteers who serve as judges. Thank you.
Poetry Resources
You may also find curriculum resources to use in the classroom at the park’s website: www.nps.gov/carl/learn/education/index.htm.
Send Submissions to:
Carl Sandburg Home NHS
Attn: Poetry Contest
81 Carl Sandburg Lane
Flat Rock, North Carolina 28731
Fax 828-693-4179
Email: [email protected]
This group is for everyone who suffers from a poor body image. You do not have to consider yourself to be a writer; the only requirement is that you want to heal your relationship with your body. As a Body Image Coach and a person living in this body-shaming culture, I know how painful a challenging body image can be. Writing can be a powerful tool used to heal this type of trauma. The structure of this group is that I will give out writing prompts and then everyone will write as fast as they can, without editing, for approximately ten minutes. Then there will be an opportunity for group members to share what they wrote (only if they want to) and then receive feedback from the group members on how the writing impacted them. In this safe space we can learn together how to see our bodies and ourselves in a more empowering light.
This meetup is free, but donations to cover meetup and zoom fees are gratefully accepted.
January through April
Actors portray characters from Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Story “Three Boys with Jugs of Molasses and Secret Ambitions.”
NPS Photo
Educators in grades 3-12 are invited to submit original poems written by their students in February. The poems will be judged and winners announced in April. Find the 2022 Poetry Contest Information and submission guidelines here. The theme “Ambition” is from one of Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Stories, to celebrate it’s 100th year of being published. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.”
Students are invited to submit a poem to Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site’s annual Student Poetry Contest. The contest encourages youth to explore writing their own poetry, and is open to students nationwide!
Submissions are accepted from grades 3-12 and must be postmarked by March 1, 2022. See below for submission rules.
Winners will be notified by April 8, 2022, and will be invited to participate in a special virtual program on April 22.
2022 Contest Rules
Theme – “Ambition”
Carl Sandburg wrote millions of words reflecting on the American experience of the 20th century. Though his words often focused on war, labor, and social injustice, as a father of three, he also wrote imaginative, zany, and fantastical children’s stories, called “Rootabaga Stories.” Carl Sandburg’s “Rootabaga Stories” were first published in 1922 and celebrate 100 years of entertaining readers of all ages this year. The theme “Ambition” is from one of these stories. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.” Read the story here.
Poems submitted for the 2022 contest should reflect the theme of “Ambition.” By definition, a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. Or setting goals to achieve success.
Submission Rules
- Poetry accepted from 3-12th grades only. Poems will be grouped for judging by 3-5th, 6-8th, and 9-12th.
- Poems must be submitted by a teacher (traditional classroom or homeschool teacher).
- No more than three poems per class. Teachers with multiple classes, can submit up to three poems per class period.
- Poem will be judged on its ability to communicate the theme.
- Poem can be written in any style, but must not exceed one-page in length. No illustrations.
- Poems must be typed, no handwritten entries, using standard computer fonts, like Times, Arial, etc…
- Do not place any identifying information (name, school, grade, etc…) on poem sheet, that will go on the accompanying submission form.
- Submission form must be complete to be accepted:
- Paperclipped to poem, no staples
- Must be signed by parent, student and teacher
- Submissions must be postmarked, faxed, or e-mailed to [email protected], by March 1, 2022. Emailed submissions must be docs, .pdfs or scans. Low resolution pictures of the submission will not be accepted.
Judging
Judges from the literary community will make the decision for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place within each grade category (3-5th, 6-8th, 9-12th).
Poetry Partners
The 2022 Poetry Contest is a result of tremendous community support including the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, and literary volunteers who serve as judges. Thank you.
Poetry Resources
You may also find curriculum resources to use in the classroom at the park’s website: www.nps.gov/carl/learn/education/index.htm.
Send Submissions to:
Carl Sandburg Home NHS
Attn: Poetry Contest
81 Carl Sandburg Lane
Flat Rock, North Carolina 28731
Fax 828-693-4179
Email: [email protected]
This series will be held the first Wednesday of the Month at 10:30 a.m. – begins Jan. 5 on Zoom.
Flash fiction is a prose narrative that takes the form of very short, self-contained stories. Flash fiction is a dynamic genre, and though it is not new, it 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 free 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. The schedule is:
- Intro to Flash Fiction: Wednesday, January 5 at 10:30 AM
- Finding the Illuminated Moment: Wednesday, February 2 at 10:30 AM
- Revising for the Iceberg Effect: Wednesday, March 2 at 10:30 AM
Beth Keefauver earned her Ph.D. in English and Creative Writing at the University of Tennessee. She has taught creative writing for the Great Smokies Writing Program as well as several colleges and universities in the region. In 2015, Beth joined the University of South Carolina Upstate Department of Languages, Literature, and Composition. Beth lives in Fairview, NC with her sons Boone & Rowan, their cat, and a flock of chickens.
This class is sponsored by Buncombe County and the Fairview Friends of the Library. Class size is limited so register early! Call 828-250-6496 or email to register.
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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. |
Muddy Sneakers is proud to host Asheville and Salisbury’s only screening of Mountainfilm on Tour this March! Join us virtually from Thursday, March 3rd to Sunday, March 6th for a fantastic weekend of community and film as we celebrate our shared passion for the outdoors. As this event is virtual, viewing the films is entirely at your leisure! Once you register for your ticket, you will receive a confirmation email with the show link. The event will go live at 9:00am ET March 3rd, and end at 11:55pm ET March 6th.
This year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and our desire to raise awareness of our work in the communities we serve, we’re giving tickets away for free! We only ask for a meaningful donation to support Muddy Sneakers’ mission and work. To learn more about Muddy Sneakers, visit www.muddysneakers.org
Muddy Sneakers is proud to host Asheville and Salisbury’s only screening of Mountainfilm on Tour this March! Join us virtually from Thursday, March 3rd to Sunday, March 6th for a fantastic weekend of community and film as we celebrate our shared passion for the outdoors. As this event is virtual, viewing the films is entirely at your leisure! Once you register for your ticket, you will receive a confirmation email with the show link. The event will go live at 9:00am ET March 3rd, and end at 11:55pm ET March 6th.
This year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and our desire to raise awareness of our work in the communities we serve, we’re giving tickets away for free! We only ask for a meaningful donation to support Muddy Sneakers’ mission and work. To learn more about Muddy Sneakers, visit www.muddysneakers.org
Muddy Sneakers is proud to host Asheville and Salisbury’s only screening of Mountainfilm on Tour this March! Join us virtually from Thursday, March 3rd to Sunday, March 6th for a fantastic weekend of community and film as we celebrate our shared passion for the outdoors. As this event is virtual, viewing the films is entirely at your leisure! Once you register for your ticket, you will receive a confirmation email with the show link. The event will go live at 9:00am ET March 3rd, and end at 11:55pm ET March 6th.
This year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and our desire to raise awareness of our work in the communities we serve, we’re giving tickets away for free! We only ask for a meaningful donation to support Muddy Sneakers’ mission and work. To learn more about Muddy Sneakers, visit www.muddysneakers.org
Muddy Sneakers is proud to host Asheville and Salisbury’s only screening of Mountainfilm on Tour this March! Join us virtually from Thursday, March 3rd to Sunday, March 6th for a fantastic weekend of community and film as we celebrate our shared passion for the outdoors. As this event is virtual, viewing the films is entirely at your leisure! Once you register for your ticket, you will receive a confirmation email with the show link. The event will go live at 9:00am ET March 3rd, and end at 11:55pm ET March 6th.
This year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and our desire to raise awareness of our work in the communities we serve, we’re giving tickets away for free! We only ask for a meaningful donation to support Muddy Sneakers’ mission and work. To learn more about Muddy Sneakers, visit www.muddysneakers.org
The Asheville Art Museum is proud to partner with Visual AIDS for Day With(out) Art 2021 by presenting ENDURING CARE, a video program highlighting strategies of community care within the ongoing HIV epidemic. The program features newly commissioned work by Katherine Cheairs, Cristóbal Guerra, Danny Kilbride, Abdul-Aliy A. Muhammad and Uriah Bussey, Beto Pérez, Steed Taylor, and J Triangular and the Women’s Video Support Project.
From histories of harm reduction and prison activism to the long-term effects of HIV medication, ENDURING CARE centers stories of collective care, mutual aid, and solidarity while pointing to the negligence of governments and non-profits. The program’s title suggests a dual meaning, honoring the perseverance and commitment of care workers yet also addressing the potential for harm from medications and healthcare providers. ENDURING CARE disrupts the assumption that an epidemic can be solved with pharmaceuticals alone, recasting community work as a lasting form of medicine.
Visual AIDS is a New York-based non-profit that utilizes art to fight AIDS by provoking dialogue, supporting HIV+ artists, and preserving a legacy, because AIDS is not over.
Presented in conjunction with Ruminations on Memory. Generous funding for exhibition programming provided by Art Bridges.
FILMS
Drop into screen art films, films that relate to artists and artworks in our galleries, and films about the ins and outs of the art world.
PREVIOUS YEARS EVENTS HAVE SOLD OUT. CONSIDER PURCHASING IN ADVANCE, AS DOOR SALES WILL BE LIMITED, OR NOT AVAILABLE AT ALL!
Created and produced by Adventure Entertainment, this is Australia’s original women’s adventure film tour. This short film festival is a celebration of the inspiring women around us who are doing extraordinary things in the name of adventure.
Once again, the evening’s guest emcee is Asheville local, business owner and previous holder of the Fastest Known Time on the Appalachian Trail, Jennifer Pharr Davis. Blue Ridge Hiking Company and She Jumps will be onsite with information and volunteers to answer all of your adventure questions!
Every year, our selection of unique films are carefully chosen to show women achieving their personally adventurous goals. Being adventurous doesn’t always have to mean being the fastest, going the highest or doing the most extreme things. Adventure for most of us is just stepping outside of our comfort zones and climbing our own personal Mt Everest. The films showcase real stories about women from a variety of cultures and sports around the world. We aim for the festival to be enjoyed by women, children and men of all ages.
This year’s line-up features a diverse set of films with women of all ages including Australian Olympic champion Torah Bright, ultra trail running champion Lucy Bartholomew and many more, including women in climbing, distance swimming and mountain biking. The official WOMEN’S ADVENTURE FILM TOUR line up includes 7 short films in the 2 hour set.
All ticket buyers will have the opportunity to enter an awesome prize draw from the WOMEN’S ADVENTURE FILM TOUR official partners, including Flikr*, Cee Coach and others.
The WOMEN’S ADVENTURE FILM TOUR is exempt from classification, but the films are suitable for the entire family and would normally achieve a PG-13 rating, though, there might be some instances of “spicy” language peppered throughout.
Visit our social media accounts for updates.
Website: https://womensadventurefilmtour.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/womensadventurefilmtour/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womensadventurefilmtour/
Sign up to a 90 day trial of ADVENTURE+ and watch hundreds of outdoor and adventure films for free. Click Here
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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 |
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 Lip, The Offing, Waxwing, 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.
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.
Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival is one of the largest and most prestigious mountain festivals in the world! Hot on the heels of the Festival that is held every fall in beautiful Banff, Alberta, the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour hits the road. With stops planned in about 550 communities and more than 40 countries across the globe, the Banff World Tour celebrates amazing achievements in outdoor storytelling and filmmaking worldwide! From the over 400 entries submitted into the Festival each year, award-winners and audience favorites are among the films that are carefully selected to play in theatres around the world. Traveling to remote vistas, analyzing topical environmental issues, and bringing audiences up-close and personal with adrenaline-packed action sports the 2022/2022 World Tour is an exhilarating and provocative exploration of the mountain world.
Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival is one of the largest and most prestigious mountain festivals in the world! Hot on the heels of the Festival that is held every fall in beautiful Banff, Alberta, the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour hits the road. With stops planned in about 550 communities and more than 40 countries across the globe, the Banff World Tour celebrates amazing achievements in outdoor storytelling and filmmaking worldwide! From the over 400 entries submitted into the Festival each year, award-winners and audience favorites are among the films that are carefully selected to play in theatres around the world. Traveling to remote vistas, analyzing topical environmental issues, and bringing audiences up-close and personal with adrenaline-packed action sports the 2022/2022 World Tour is an exhilarating and provocative exploration of the mountain world.
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.
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 Times, The Oprah Magazine, Vogue, TIME, Vulture, 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.
About this event
Join host Broker Asheville for a food drive to support Manna FoodBank and a special screening of THE SANDLOT for our VIP Clients, Friends and Family.
RSVP now for this fun, family event on Sunday, April 3, 2022 from 2 to 5 pm at Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Avenue, on Asheville’s South Slope. Admission is FREE, and we will be sharing some goodies for you and your family to enjoy. We’re excited to see y’all!
Throughout the entire month of April, Broker Asheville will be conducting a Food Drive for Manna FoodBank. We will kick off the Food Drive at this VIP client event. There is no pressure to bring anything but yourselves, but if you feel moved to donate please refer to the list of items below.
Those who donate throughout April will be entered in our raffle drawing — including everyone who donates at the movie screening — for a YETI Hopper BackFlip 24 Backpack Cooler!
FOOD ITEMS TO DONATE:
• Low-Sodium Canned Vegetables
• Canned Tuna & Chicken
• Oatmeal
• Canned & Dry Beans
• Peanut Butter
• Canola & Olive Oil
• Unsalted Nuts
• Low-Sodium Soups
• Brown Rice
• Green Tea
• Granola Bars & Popcorn
• Low-Sugar Cereal
Donate at the event or drop off your contributions between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday, at either Broker Asheville of Keller Williams location:
86 Asheland Avenue or 53 Asheland Avenue
Thank you in advance for your support ,and we look forward to seeing you there!
Most of what we think we know about moonshining history is wrong. That’s one of the themes of the Center for Cultural Preservation’s new documentary film on regional moonshine history, The Spirits Still Move Them. David Weintraub, award-winning director/producer of forty history films, interviewed nearly three dozen moonshiners and their families in our region to tell a story about moonshine history that’s never been relayed before. According to Weintraub, “The myth that all moonshiners are violent, lazy, drunk criminals hiding in the woods wearing long beards and longer arrest records has been recounted by the media for over 100 years. In reality, liquor production was hard, backbreaking work that only the most entrepreneurial farmers conducted which they did in order to survive difficult circumstances and put food on the table. It’s a fascinating story and far more interesting than the myths and distortions we’ve heard.”
This event airs live via Zoom. We will have time for audience questions after the approximately 1-hour film.
Most of what we think we know about moonshining history is wrong. That’s one of the themes of the Center for Cultural Preservation’s new documentary film on regional moonshine history, The Spirits Still Move Them. David Weintraub, award-winning director/producer of forty history films interviews nearly three dozen moonshiners and their families in Western North Carolina, East Tennessee and the Dark Corner of South Carolina to tell a story about moonshine history that’s never been relayed before.
According to Weintraub, “The myth that all moonshiners are violent, lazy, drunk criminals hiding in the woods wearing long beards and longer arrest records has been recounted by the media for over 100 years. In reality, liquor production was hard, backbreaking work that only the most entrepreneurial farmers conducted which they did in order to survive difficult circumstances and put food on the table. It’s a fascinating story and far more interesting than the myths and distortions we’ve heard.”
The film digs deep into Southern Appalachian history exposing the stereotypes and fabrications about mountaineers that have been fodder for movies and cable television programs for generations from the Beverly Hillbillies to the Moonshiner Show. Says Cody Bradford, fifth generation moonshiner and owner of Howling Moon Distillery in Asheville, “People think all moonshiners were outlaws but it was the federal government that enacted an excise tax after the Civil War that poor farmers had to bear. It was either starve or make liquor and it’s not difficult to understand which one they chose.”
Cody and his family are chronicled in the film as are moonshiners from Yancey County to Spartanburg County. Most surprising to many is that many moonshiners were African-Americans, women and Native Americans. And that moonshine played a central role in medicine since the Civil War.
This film is made possible by Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership, the Community Foundation of Henderson County and North Carolina Humanities. The Center for Cultural Preservation is a cultural nonprofit organization dedicated to working for mountain heritage continuity through oral history, documentary film, education and public programs. For more information about the Center contact them at (828) 692-8062 or www.saveculture.org
About the Presenter:
Award-winning film director David Weintraub has been an oral historian and filmmaker for over 20 years. His films have appeared on PBS stations around the country and at film festivals around the world. His credits include Guardians of Our Troubled Waters and Come Hell or High Water: Remembering the 1916 Flood.