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.

Thursday, February 27, 2020
Attracting Birds to the Landscape
Feb 27 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Bullington Gardens

Bullington staff Kelsey Jarvis and John Murphy will discuss trees, shrubs and hardy perennials that will draw birds to your garden year-round with examples of nesting preferences and food sources for specific birds. In partnership with Wild Birds Unlimited Hendersonville.

Friday, February 28, 2020
13th Annual HEAL (Healthy Eating and Living) Conference
Feb 28 all-day
Ambrose West

Thursday, February 27th
Noon – 4:00 pm (check-in begins at 11:15 am)

Friday, February 28th
8:45 am – 4:30 pm (check-in begins at 7:45 am)

HEAL presents professional development and networking opportunities as well as education for the general public.
Our conference addresses disordered eating and eating disorders recovery by presenting experts from various sectors of the industry.

Awareness helps with prevention, treatment, and support and our hope is to reach many, with approachable education and (10 possible) CEs.  Take a look at this year’s schedule, speakers, and topics… and register now!  Seating is limited and we will sell out.

EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems: food and farm help/resources in WNC
Feb 28 all-day
WNC

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems is a partnership of North Carolina State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

 

Healthy Beginnings WNC Farmers Market
Feb 28 @ 12:00 pm – 2:30 pm
WNC Farmers Market

Healthy Beginnings – February 28 at noon to 2:30. AdventHealth and WNC Farmers Market are teaming up to promote healthy habits. Blood pressure and body mass index screenings will be available and AdventHealth dieticians will prepare samples of healthy recipes using WNC Farmers Market ingredients.

Introduction to Medicare
Feb 28 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
OLLI/Reuter Center, UNCA

This class will explain how Medicare works, the enrollment process, how to avoid penalties, and ways to save money. People who are new to Medicare, caregivers, and others who help senior citizens with their Medicare insurance should consider attending this informative class. The information presented is unbiased and accurate. No products are sold, recommended , or endorsed.

Saturday, February 29, 2020
Early Bird Registration Open for Senior Games and Silver Arts 2020
Feb 29 all-day
Buncombe County NC

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 Tuesday, April 14-Friday, May 15. Registration is $5 before March 9 or $10 after that date. Military veterans may register for free.

To register, fill out a registration form (see documents below) or register online at ncseniorgames.org. Archery and pickleball have registration deadline dates.

Sports include basketball, bocce, croquet, football throw, softball throw, golf, cycling, track and field, archery, cheerleading, bowling, swimming, billiards, badminton, cornhole, horseshoes, pickleball, racquetball, shuffleboard, tennis, and table tennis. Miniature golf, rowing, and team softball and basketball are new this year. 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 at Buncombe County Libraries in April and May.

A full schedule can be accessed below as a PDF.

Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram.

Table: News Item Documents
File Name Size Type Date & Time Added
Registration 209 KB 02/04/2020 7:52 AM
Schedule 45 KB 02/04/2020 7:52 AM
EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems: food and farm help/resources in WNC
Feb 29 all-day
WNC

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems is a partnership of North Carolina State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

 

Farmer Incubator Program – Apply Now!
Feb 29 all-day
SAHC

Farmer Incubator Program – Apply Now!

Farming = a long-term game. Traditionally, farming was a lifelong+ learning process, with families passing along experience, knowledge, and land accrued by multiple generations. Today, your experience in farming may be different. This program is part of a collaborative support system to help “incubate” farm businesses as they grow.

Farming is a business… What’s your business plan?

Do you have a farm business idea? Make it a reality! You are invited to join Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s Farmer Incubator Program, a “business incubator” for farm operations.

Sunday, March 1, 2020
Early Bird Registration Open for Senior Games and Silver Arts 2020
Mar 1 all-day
Buncombe County NC

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 Tuesday, April 14-Friday, May 15. Registration is $5 before March 9 or $10 after that date. Military veterans may register for free.

To register, fill out a registration form (see documents below) or register online at ncseniorgames.org. Archery and pickleball have registration deadline dates.

Sports include basketball, bocce, croquet, football throw, softball throw, golf, cycling, track and field, archery, cheerleading, bowling, swimming, billiards, badminton, cornhole, horseshoes, pickleball, racquetball, shuffleboard, tennis, and table tennis. Miniature golf, rowing, and team softball and basketball are new this year. 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 at Buncombe County Libraries in April and May.

A full schedule can be accessed below as a PDF.

Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram.

Table: News Item Documents
File Name Size Type Date & Time Added
Registration 209 KB 02/04/2020 7:52 AM
Schedule 45 KB 02/04/2020 7:52 AM
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Plant Sale
Mar 5 @ 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
NC Cooperative Extension-Buncombe County

 

It’s almost time for Soil & Water’s popular plant sale. For a list of plants and prices, click the below PDF. Quantities are limited, so don’t miss out.

2020 Plant Sale

Friday, March 6, 2020
EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems: food and farm help/resources in WNC
Mar 6 all-day
WNC

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems is a partnership of North Carolina State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

 

Plant Sale
Mar 6 @ 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
NC Cooperative Extension-Buncombe County

 

It’s almost time for Soil & Water’s popular plant sale. For a list of plants and prices, click the below PDF. Quantities are limited, so don’t miss out.

2020 Plant Sale

Saturday, March 7, 2020
Early Bird Registration Open for Senior Games and Silver Arts 2020
Mar 7 all-day
Buncombe County NC

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 Tuesday, April 14-Friday, May 15. Registration is $5 before March 9 or $10 after that date. Military veterans may register for free.

To register, fill out a registration form (see documents below) or register online at ncseniorgames.org. Archery and pickleball have registration deadline dates.

Sports include basketball, bocce, croquet, football throw, softball throw, golf, cycling, track and field, archery, cheerleading, bowling, swimming, billiards, badminton, cornhole, horseshoes, pickleball, racquetball, shuffleboard, tennis, and table tennis. Miniature golf, rowing, and team softball and basketball are new this year. 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 at Buncombe County Libraries in April and May.

A full schedule can be accessed below as a PDF.

Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram.

Table: News Item Documents
File Name Size Type Date & Time Added
Registration 209 KB 02/04/2020 7:52 AM
Schedule 45 KB 02/04/2020 7:52 AM
EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems: food and farm help/resources in WNC
Mar 7 all-day
WNC

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems is a partnership of North Carolina State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

 

Organic Growers School 27th Annual Spring Conference, March 6–8
Mar 7 all-day
Mars Hill University

The 27th Annual Spring Conference—for farmers, gardeners, homesteaders, and sustainability seekers—is hosted by Organic Growers School (OGS), an Asheville-based non-profit organization. The conference takes place Friday–Sunday, March 6–8, 2020. The weekend event takes place at Mars Hill University in Mars Hill and the pre-conference events are in Buncombe and Henderson Counties.

Cost for  the pre-conference workshops are $60 with conference registration (Saturday, Sunday, or both) and $75 without. Cost for the weekend conference if registered by January 31, 2020 is $65 for Saturday and $80 for Sunday with the full weekend for $110.  For registration  after January 31, the cost of Saturday is $80, Sunday is $70 and the full weekend is $140.

The Spring Conference offers practical, region-specific workshops on farming, gardening, permaculture, urban growing, and rural living and includes a trade show, a seed exchange, special guest speakers, and a Saturday evening social.

More than 150 classes—both 90-minute sessions and half-day workshops—are offered on Saturday and Sunday in 17 learning tracks:

  1. Community Food

  2. Cooking

  3. Earth Skills

  4. Farmers: Beginning

  5. Farmers: Experienced

  6. Gardening: Beginning

  7. Gardening: Experienced

  8. Herbs

  9. Homesteading

  10. Livestock

  11. Mushrooms

  12. Permaculture

  13. Poultry

  14. Soils

  15. Sustainable Forestry

  16. Sustainable Living

  17. Thinking Big

This one-of-a-kind event brings people of all walks of life together for a weekend of learning, inspiration, and networking and features a host of local and regional experts. The mission of the Spring Conference is to provide down-to-earth advice on growing and sustainable living while remaining affordable and accessible. The Spring Conference is the largest locally run sustainability conference in the Southeast and is proudly focused on regionally appropriate growing methods.

Three full-day, on-farm, pre-conference workshops with special guest instructors are available on Friday, March 6, 2020 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. They are:

  1. Mushroom Cultivation at the Farm & Home with William Padilla-Brown & Leif Olson at Creekside Farms Education Center in Arden, NC.

  2. Healing Our Soils through Compost, and Compost Tea: Safe & Natural Fertilizers with Troy Hinke at Living Web Farms in Mills River, NC

  3. Chickens & You: From Egg to Table with Pat Foreman & Meagan Coneybeer at Franny’s Farm in Leicester, NC.

The conference will also host an evening lecture on Friday, March 6, 2020 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. with Leah Penniman entitled, Farming While Black: African Diasporic Wisdom for Farming & Food Justice. The location for this event is the Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St, Asheville, NC 28801.

The Spring Conference features a trade show on Saturday and Sunday that showcases a wide array of exhibitors and products from local farms, gardening suppliers, and cottage industries that specialize in organic products and resources. Also featured on Saturday and Sunday is the annual Seed and Plant Exchange booth which offers the opportunity to preserve genetic diversity and protect regionally adapted varieties. Attendees may bring excess seeds and small plants to share, barter, or trade.

For more information, visit the website at https://organicgrowersschool.org/conferences/spring/ and see the entire weekend schedule at https://organicgrowersschool.org/conferences/spring/schedule/.

2020 Workdays at Sandhill Tree Nursery
Mar 7 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Buncombe County Sports Park

2020 Workdays at Sandhill Tree Nursery

From Asheville GreenWorks:

Looking to get involved, stay active, and meet some new friends? Public workdays at Sandhill Native Tree Nursery and Edible Orchard take place on the first Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. until noon at Buncombe County Sports Park (58 Apac Circle in West Asheville/Candler). 2020 dates include:

  • Feb. 1
  • March 7
  • April 4
  • May 2
  • June 6
  • July 11 (the second Saturday due to July 4)
  • Aug. 1
  • Sept. 5
  • Oct. 3
  • Nov. 7

Join other volunteers in mulching, pruning, and weeding along with special projects. Please wear work clothes to get dirty and close-toed shoes. Sunscreen, water, and hat are also handy items to have on hand. All other tools and gear will be provided. Contact Gabby Fitts with any questions at (828) 232-7144 or [email protected].

The Sandhill tree nursey is supported with a Buncombe County Community Recreation Grant. Specific native trees are grown at the site and planted in public places throughout the county as a larger plan to plant no less than 500 trees annually. The project allows for a greater variety of fruit and shade trees to support a more diverse ecology.

Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram.

Ninja Expo
Mar 7 @ 11:00 am
Budo Mountain Family Movement Center

Join us for our Ninja Expo!

We will be opening up to our community with free mini classes for all ages. Our full staff will be present to answer all questions and to help you get signed up!

New students that sign up for membership will receive a free uniform and a special deal on their first month’s membership.

Sunday, March 8, 2020
Early Bird Registration Open for Senior Games and Silver Arts 2020
Mar 8 all-day
Buncombe County NC

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 Tuesday, April 14-Friday, May 15. Registration is $5 before March 9 or $10 after that date. Military veterans may register for free.

To register, fill out a registration form (see documents below) or register online at ncseniorgames.org. Archery and pickleball have registration deadline dates.

Sports include basketball, bocce, croquet, football throw, softball throw, golf, cycling, track and field, archery, cheerleading, bowling, swimming, billiards, badminton, cornhole, horseshoes, pickleball, racquetball, shuffleboard, tennis, and table tennis. Miniature golf, rowing, and team softball and basketball are new this year. 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 at Buncombe County Libraries in April and May.

A full schedule can be accessed below as a PDF.

Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram.

Table: News Item Documents
File Name Size Type Date & Time Added
Registration 209 KB 02/04/2020 7:52 AM
Schedule 45 KB 02/04/2020 7:52 AM
Organic Growers School 27th Annual Spring Conference, March 6–8
Mar 8 all-day
Mars Hill University

The 27th Annual Spring Conference—for farmers, gardeners, homesteaders, and sustainability seekers—is hosted by Organic Growers School (OGS), an Asheville-based non-profit organization. The conference takes place Friday–Sunday, March 6–8, 2020. The weekend event takes place at Mars Hill University in Mars Hill and the pre-conference events are in Buncombe and Henderson Counties.

Cost for  the pre-conference workshops are $60 with conference registration (Saturday, Sunday, or both) and $75 without. Cost for the weekend conference if registered by January 31, 2020 is $65 for Saturday and $80 for Sunday with the full weekend for $110.  For registration  after January 31, the cost of Saturday is $80, Sunday is $70 and the full weekend is $140.

The Spring Conference offers practical, region-specific workshops on farming, gardening, permaculture, urban growing, and rural living and includes a trade show, a seed exchange, special guest speakers, and a Saturday evening social.

More than 150 classes—both 90-minute sessions and half-day workshops—are offered on Saturday and Sunday in 17 learning tracks:

  1. Community Food

  2. Cooking

  3. Earth Skills

  4. Farmers: Beginning

  5. Farmers: Experienced

  6. Gardening: Beginning

  7. Gardening: Experienced

  8. Herbs

  9. Homesteading

  10. Livestock

  11. Mushrooms

  12. Permaculture

  13. Poultry

  14. Soils

  15. Sustainable Forestry

  16. Sustainable Living

  17. Thinking Big

This one-of-a-kind event brings people of all walks of life together for a weekend of learning, inspiration, and networking and features a host of local and regional experts. The mission of the Spring Conference is to provide down-to-earth advice on growing and sustainable living while remaining affordable and accessible. The Spring Conference is the largest locally run sustainability conference in the Southeast and is proudly focused on regionally appropriate growing methods.

Three full-day, on-farm, pre-conference workshops with special guest instructors are available on Friday, March 6, 2020 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. They are:

  1. Mushroom Cultivation at the Farm & Home with William Padilla-Brown & Leif Olson at Creekside Farms Education Center in Arden, NC.

  2. Healing Our Soils through Compost, and Compost Tea: Safe & Natural Fertilizers with Troy Hinke at Living Web Farms in Mills River, NC

  3. Chickens & You: From Egg to Table with Pat Foreman & Meagan Coneybeer at Franny’s Farm in Leicester, NC.

The conference will also host an evening lecture on Friday, March 6, 2020 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. with Leah Penniman entitled, Farming While Black: African Diasporic Wisdom for Farming & Food Justice. The location for this event is the Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St, Asheville, NC 28801.

The Spring Conference features a trade show on Saturday and Sunday that showcases a wide array of exhibitors and products from local farms, gardening suppliers, and cottage industries that specialize in organic products and resources. Also featured on Saturday and Sunday is the annual Seed and Plant Exchange booth which offers the opportunity to preserve genetic diversity and protect regionally adapted varieties. Attendees may bring excess seeds and small plants to share, barter, or trade.

For more information, visit the website at https://organicgrowersschool.org/conferences/spring/ and see the entire weekend schedule at https://organicgrowersschool.org/conferences/spring/schedule/.

FairyKimSparkles.com at Whole Foods
Mar 8 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Whole Foods

ASHEVILLE!
Pamper yourself with Magical Fairy Hair!
You can wash, brush, comb, curl, flat iron, (up to 450°!), color, perm, blow it dry, get your haircut, etc.
Do whatever you normally do to your hair -but most of all; ENJOY IT!
Lasts until your hair sheds!
Space is limited. Sign up now for your Fairy Hair Sparkles!
Sign up at FairyKimSparkles.com/calendar

Monday, March 9, 2020
Early Bird Registration Open for Senior Games and Silver Arts 2020
Mar 9 all-day
Buncombe County NC

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 Tuesday, April 14-Friday, May 15. Registration is $5 before March 9 or $10 after that date. Military veterans may register for free.

To register, fill out a registration form (see documents below) or register online at ncseniorgames.org. Archery and pickleball have registration deadline dates.

Sports include basketball, bocce, croquet, football throw, softball throw, golf, cycling, track and field, archery, cheerleading, bowling, swimming, billiards, badminton, cornhole, horseshoes, pickleball, racquetball, shuffleboard, tennis, and table tennis. Miniature golf, rowing, and team softball and basketball are new this year. 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 at Buncombe County Libraries in April and May.

A full schedule can be accessed below as a PDF.

Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram.

Table: News Item Documents
File Name Size Type Date & Time Added
Registration 209 KB 02/04/2020 7:52 AM
Schedule 45 KB 02/04/2020 7:52 AM
Organic Growers School 27th Annual Spring Conference, March 6–8
Mar 9 all-day
Mars Hill University

The 27th Annual Spring Conference—for farmers, gardeners, homesteaders, and sustainability seekers—is hosted by Organic Growers School (OGS), an Asheville-based non-profit organization. The conference takes place Friday–Sunday, March 6–8, 2020. The weekend event takes place at Mars Hill University in Mars Hill and the pre-conference events are in Buncombe and Henderson Counties.

Cost for  the pre-conference workshops are $60 with conference registration (Saturday, Sunday, or both) and $75 without. Cost for the weekend conference if registered by January 31, 2020 is $65 for Saturday and $80 for Sunday with the full weekend for $110.  For registration  after January 31, the cost of Saturday is $80, Sunday is $70 and the full weekend is $140.

The Spring Conference offers practical, region-specific workshops on farming, gardening, permaculture, urban growing, and rural living and includes a trade show, a seed exchange, special guest speakers, and a Saturday evening social.

More than 150 classes—both 90-minute sessions and half-day workshops—are offered on Saturday and Sunday in 17 learning tracks:

  1. Community Food

  2. Cooking

  3. Earth Skills

  4. Farmers: Beginning

  5. Farmers: Experienced

  6. Gardening: Beginning

  7. Gardening: Experienced

  8. Herbs

  9. Homesteading

  10. Livestock

  11. Mushrooms

  12. Permaculture

  13. Poultry

  14. Soils

  15. Sustainable Forestry

  16. Sustainable Living

  17. Thinking Big

This one-of-a-kind event brings people of all walks of life together for a weekend of learning, inspiration, and networking and features a host of local and regional experts. The mission of the Spring Conference is to provide down-to-earth advice on growing and sustainable living while remaining affordable and accessible. The Spring Conference is the largest locally run sustainability conference in the Southeast and is proudly focused on regionally appropriate growing methods.

Three full-day, on-farm, pre-conference workshops with special guest instructors are available on Friday, March 6, 2020 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. They are:

  1. Mushroom Cultivation at the Farm & Home with William Padilla-Brown & Leif Olson at Creekside Farms Education Center in Arden, NC.

  2. Healing Our Soils through Compost, and Compost Tea: Safe & Natural Fertilizers with Troy Hinke at Living Web Farms in Mills River, NC

  3. Chickens & You: From Egg to Table with Pat Foreman & Meagan Coneybeer at Franny’s Farm in Leicester, NC.

The conference will also host an evening lecture on Friday, March 6, 2020 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. with Leah Penniman entitled, Farming While Black: African Diasporic Wisdom for Farming & Food Justice. The location for this event is the Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St, Asheville, NC 28801.

The Spring Conference features a trade show on Saturday and Sunday that showcases a wide array of exhibitors and products from local farms, gardening suppliers, and cottage industries that specialize in organic products and resources. Also featured on Saturday and Sunday is the annual Seed and Plant Exchange booth which offers the opportunity to preserve genetic diversity and protect regionally adapted varieties. Attendees may bring excess seeds and small plants to share, barter, or trade.

For more information, visit the website at https://organicgrowersschool.org/conferences/spring/ and see the entire weekend schedule at https://organicgrowersschool.org/conferences/spring/schedule/.

Thursday, March 12, 2020
Asheville CSA Fair
Mar 12 @ 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
New Belgium Brewing co

Meet local farmers and learn more about CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) programs with pickup locations in Asheville and Buncombe County. The CSA Fair is an opportunity to talk with farmers and learn about the products they offer, their growing practices, any opportunities to get involved on the farm, and when and where they deliver. The fair allows the community to learn about CSAs in a relaxed environment or is a chance to purchase a CSA membership. This free, family-friendly event is presented by ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project).

Find Your Farm Share! ASAP 10th annual CSA Fair
Mar 12 @ 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
New Belgium Brewing Co

As spring approaches, farmers in Western North Carolina are busy preparing for the season and selling CSA shares. To help the community learn more about CSAs (or Community Supported Agriculture), ASAP offers several events and resources. ASAP’s 10th annual Asheville CSA Fair will take place Thursday, March 12, from 3 to 6 p.m, at New Belgium Brewing Co. (21 Craven St.). This free, family-friendly event is open to the public. In addition, Full Share, a free printed guide to CSA farms in the Appalachian Grown region, is available now at farmers markets and community centers throughout the region.

 

Becoming a CSA member connects you directly with local farms. Members buy a “share” of the farm’s harvest upfront and receive a weekly box of fresh produce or other farm goods, such as meat, eggs, or flowers. The CSA Fair is a relaxed setting for attendees to talk to farmers about their products and growing practices, learn more about the CSA process, and see if there is a program that is a good fit. Attendees can purchase a CSA share at the fair or get farmer contact information to follow up later. Farms at the Asheville CSA Fair all offer CSA pickup locations within Buncombe County, and some have a variety of options for size of the share, frequency of delivery, or payment plans.

 

Participating farms at the Asheville CSA Fair include A Way of Life Farm, Bearwallow Valley Farms, The Bird & The Beasts’ Farmstead, Colfax Creek Farm, Full Sun Farm, Hickory Nut Gap Farm, Highgate Farm, Mighty Gnome Market Garden, Olivette Farm, and Watershed Forest Farm. Check asapconnections.org/events/csa-fair for updates, as more farms may be added.

Friday, March 13, 2020
EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems: food and farm help/resources in WNC
Mar 13 all-day
WNC

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems is a partnership of North Carolina State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

 

Hope & Healing Conference: Faithfully Practicing Community Inclusion
Mar 13 all-day
McKimmon Conference Center

“And so the voices on the margins get heard and the circle of compassion widens. Souls feeling their worth, refusing to forget that we belong to each other,” says Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, Los Angeles, CA, in his book Tattoos on the Heart. Fr. Boyle and two homeboys will be sharing how they engage in healing conflicts and instilling hope of a fulfilling life at the Faith Connections on Mental Illness Hope & Healing Conference 2020: Faithfully Practicing Community Inclusion on Friday, March 13 at the McKimmon Conference Center in Raleigh, NC. Speakers from the Durham Nativity School, Rebound, Recovery Communities of NC, and Reintegration Support Network will present how engagement and support creates a healthier community. For

Saturday, March 14, 2020
EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems: food and farm help/resources in WNC
Mar 14 all-day
WNC

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems is a partnership of North Carolina State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

 

All About Growing Onions, Potatoes & Other Root Vegetables
Mar 14 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Black Mountain Library

On Sat., March 14, 10 to 11:30 am, the Sowing Circle Series will hold a free workshop on growing all sorts of root vegetables plus horseradish, asparagus, rhubarb, and others.

Experience is a great teacher and we have invited Chris Smith, author and executive director of The Utopian Seed Project, to share tips to get you started on growing a successful harvest of all sorts of root vegetables. Chris will also have his book, The Whole Okra, on sale and autograph it for you.

The seed library has a wide variety of free flower, herb and vegetable seeds for you to take home. The gardening series are held at the Black Mountain Library’s Education Room at 105 N. Dougherty Street. Our presentations are in partnership with Black Mountain Blooms Seed Lending Library and Buncombe County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers. Come join our gardening community and grow with us!

Plan Your Vegetable Garden with Master Gardeners
Mar 14 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
NC Cooperative Extension Buncombe County Center

 

  • Presenter: Mary Alice Ramsey, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer

With the anticipation of spring, now is the time to plan. Join Mary Alice Ramsey, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer, as she presents Planning Your Vegetable Garden and covers the following topics:

  • Identifying a gardening site.
  • Selecting your vegetables.
  • Drawing a diagram.

Before attending the seminar, become familiar with your garden space. This will help you with the garden planning paper activity that we will be doing as part of the seminar. Mary Alice will also share information on garden tools and structures, seed and plant sources, getting started, and keeping records.

Mary Alice’s garden has been included in the Gardens of Fairview tours each spring and her garden was featured in Southern Living magazine in August of 2017.

The talk is free, but seating is limited and registration is required. Please click on the link below to register. If you encounter problems registering or if you have questions, call (828) 255-5522.

Register here.

Mystical NIght Market
Mar 14 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Violet Owl

Join us for a celebration of the mind, body, and spirit! Local readers, healers, and vendors offering: astrological readings, intuitive/psychic/medium readings, Reiki/energy healings, art, Reiki-infused jewelry, fairy hair, crystals, sacred tools, apothecary items, and more! 
No entry fees! Come join us for a night of fun!