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.

Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Pet Food Giveaway: Blue Ridge Humane and the ASPCA
Jun 2 @ 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Blue Ridge Humane Society

Blue Ridge Humane Society is partnering once again with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Animals (ASPCA) Spay/Neuter Alliance in Asheville to provide a free pet food giveaway to those in need or affected by COVID-19, on Tuesday, June 2, from 9am-1pm at the Blue Ridge Humane Society storage facility located at 802 S. Grove Street in Hendersonville, NC. Cat and dog food will be distributed first come, first serve, as supplies last. Social distancing and protective measures will be taken by all staff and we ask the public to do the same (contact free, wear a mask, and keep a 6ft distance).

Food is provided through part of the ASPCA’s Relief and Recovery Initiative, which has included the creation of regional pet food distribution centers provided in partnership with the Petco Foundation, to give dog and cat owners free access to critical food supplies as the outbreak continues to spread. During the first distribution in May over 250 pets were fed with food provided through the partnership.

Blue Ridge Humane has increased pet food distribution to local partner food banks in response to needs due to COVID-19 and is grateful for the support of the ASPCA to extend resources to those in need through another channel.

The Blue Ridge Humane Society, Inc., is a 501(c)3 animal welfare organization started in 1952 dedicated to ensuring the highest quality of life for animals in Henderson County and our neighboring communities. BRHS cares for pets awaiting adoption at the Adoption Center; offers low-cost vaccine clinics, animal education programs, pet training classes, and youth education and projects; coordinates community pet food assistance, emergency vet assistance, and the Spay Neuter Incentive Program (SNIP), which is a collaboration with Henderson County, the City of Hendersonville, and the Henderson County Animal Services Center.

Rendezvous Mountain Educational State Forest Reopening
Jun 2 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Rendezvous Mountain Educational State Forest

Rendezvous Mountain Educational State Forest will reopen to the public effective 9a.m. May 13. To encourage responsible use and to maintain required social distancing, phased reopening will begin with allowing public access only to areas of the forest that promote movement-focused activities such as hiking. All areas and facilities of the forest will not be available during phase one of the reopening but will become available in accordance with Governor Cooper’s phased plan for reopening the state.

What can visitors expect during a visit to Rendezvous Mountain ESF during phase one of the reopening?

  • Rendezvous Mountain ESF will be open Monday through Friday, 9a.m. until 5p.m.
  • Most of the trail system will be open, and visitors should come prepared to access trails and to keep moving.
  • Parking has been adjusted to allow for more spacing and to make it more feasible for visitors to maintain recommended social distance.
  • While portable toilets will be available for visitors, restrooms will remain closed.
  • Gathering areas of the forest will remain closed to encourage movement and separation. These areas include the following:
  • all picnic areas;
  • the McGee Forestry Center;
  • the Bathhouse;
  • the Ranger Station;
  • the Logger’s Shack;
  • the Office; and,
  • the amphitheater.

As we move forward with this phased approach, we urge the public to adjust expectations, to be prepared, to stay local and to continue complying with CDC recommendations and guidelines. Visitors are asked to be responsible for individual best practices and to follow social distancing recommendations. Visitor behavior will be a key factor for providing continued public access and to avoid additional closures to the forest during this period of phased reopening. For phased reopening to be successful for public lands across our state, visitors must be good stewards and good neighbors. If you arrive during a busy time and find limited parking, the right decision is to return home and plan to visit another day at another time. If we are busy, expect other public lands, such as state parks and national forests, to also be busy. For up-to-date information about access to state forests in North Carolina, please stay tuned into https://ncforestservice.gov/COVID19.htm and NCFS social media accounts.

Janet’s Planet Online Astronaut Academy
Jun 2 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
online

Every week day, Janet’s Planet gives children a daily dose of science and space topics from around the world.

This is for ages 7-16!

Come and join us! See the Event Brite link below to register. Parents must register for their children.

Once I get your confirmation of your invite, I will personally send you the link to the class.
This is a measure to keep you safe. You can also email me at [email protected] for any questions.
Am hopefully going to get you all a calendar soon of all the talks. More astronauts to come!
Free Lunches at Ferguson YMCA
Jun 2 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Ferguson Family YMCA

Image may contain: 2 people, people sitting and outdoor, possible text that says 'the MEETING COMMUNITY NEED'

FREE LUNCHES for anyone 18 years of age and under at the Ferguson Family YMCA. Simply drive up to our front door and let us know how many lunches you need, no questions asked.

For additional food for your family, pick up a FREE box of fresh produce at our Mobile Markets. Calendars are online at ymcawnc.org/nutritionprograms.

COVID-19 Testing Sites for Buncombe County Residents
Jun 2 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Klondyke Apartments

Testing sites are outdoors and will be cancelled in the event of storms based on notification from the National Weather Service. Notice of cancellation will be made by 9am on the day of testing. 

Please bring your insurance card if you have one. Visit web site for details. https://www.buncombecounty.org/countycenter/news-detail.aspx?id=18637#sec-community-based-testing-sites

Curbside Hold Pick Up Now Available at the Library
Jun 2 @ 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Buncombe County Libraries

Curbside hold pickup is now available at the library. You can pick up your holds on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 1-5 p.m. at the North Asheville Library, West Asheville Library, South Buncombe/Skyland Library, and the Black Mountain Library. Park in the library parking lot, have your library card handy, and call the phone number on the sign posted at your parking space. A librarian will bring your books out to the hold table and leave them for you to pick up. Your books will be checked out to you and ready to go.

You can place holds online using the library catalog link on the library webpage. You can also call (828) 250-4700 or email [email protected] for assistance placing or transferring holds.

Bookdrops are open

All library book drops are open. You may return your materials to any library book drop.  No fines will be charged while the library is closed.

If you need a library card, email [email protected].

We look forward to seeing you at the library!

While library programs are on hold, our Children’s Librarians are hosting online storytimes for kids of all ages on all library Facebook pages and YouTube. We also have a collection of stories you can listen to anytime on our StoryLine. Just call (828) 250-KIDS (5437) and hear a story read by your favorite librarian.

Since you can’t come to us while the libraries are closed, we are bringing some of our programs to you using Facebook live and ZOOM broadcasts.

Buncombe County Public Libraries have free wifi hotspots available outside any library building. To use the wifi, look for the LibraryGuest network and use the password readmore.

While the libraries are closed, you can call Ask-A-Librarian at 828-250-4700 with any questions you may have about library materials, digital services, or reference assistance. Librarians will be staffing the phones Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. to connect you with all the resources we have available.

Asheville Community Theatre: The Snow Queen and the Impossible Journey Online!
Jun 2 @ 4:00 pm
Asheville Community Theatre Online
Forest Plan Info Session: Invasive Species
Jun 2 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
webinar

There are various plants, insects, and other invasive species that threaten the biodiversity and overall resilience of our forests. Join us on June 2, for a webinar during which Bob Gale, MountainTrue’s Public Lands Director and Ecologist, will look more closely at how the draft management plan for the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests proposes to address and manage invasive species. Register to receive access to the webinar.

Cultivating Digital Photography Skills: Narrative Online Class Asheville Art Museum
Jun 2 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum Online

In this four-part class taught by Learning & Engagement Assistant Paige Taylor, explore ways to visualize narratives and tell stories using digital photography! Through a series of weekly assignments, create sequences of images that tell a story or express a narrative based on text, fiction, and personal experiences or perspectives. Use images from the Museum’s Collection and other sources for inspiration. Class time includes instruction, journaling, group shares, and discussions; individual preparation between classes includes responding to weekly photo prompts and short readings.

JUNE 3, 10, 17, & 24—Wednesdays, 6–8pm
Registration deadline: June2

THIS FREE PROGRAM WILL TAKE PLACE VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM. SPACE IS LIMITED.

Steel Magnolias POSTPONED to 2021 Season
Jun 2 @ 7:30 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse
Tuesday Early Jam
Jun 2 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall
Drive In Movies at Brevard Music Center Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Jun 2 @ 9:00 pm
Brevard Music Center

BMC @ THE MOVIES DRIVE-IN EXPERIENCE

In accordance with phase one of the Governor’s reopening orders, Brevard Music Center (BMC) will begin presenting Drive-In Movies on its campus starting Saturday night, May 30, 2020. The eight-film series is made possible by BMC with lead sponsors, PLATT and the Transylvania County Library FoundationStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is the first featured film in the series. The films will be presented on weekends at 9 PM on a big screen in the parking lot adjacent to BMC’s Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium (WPA) in Brevard.  Ticket sales for this event will begin Tuesday, May 26 at 9 AM.

Future movie titles and and on-sale dates for the weekly film series will be announced soon.

BMC is also collaborating with the following community partners for the Drive-In Movies @ Brevard Music Center series: The Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania CountyRise and Shine Freedom SchoolSAFEVeterans History Museum of the CarolinasSharing HouseMeals on Wheels, and Bread of Life. Volunteers from these participating non-profit organizations will be giving each car a free bag of popcorn and candy along with literature about their missions in the community. Brevard’s own Co-Ed Cinema is providing the popcorn, and Ingles Markets will provide free candy to patrons.

Drive-in enthusiasts will enjoy featured movies on a 30-foot screen coordinated and constructed by PLATT. Audio will occur via FM transmission to the moviegoer’s car radio. In order to minimize physical interactions, tickets can only be purchased ahead of time via this website, and a limit of 80 cars per showing will be allowed.

Ticket prices for each movie are only $15 per car. All tickets must be purchased in advance – up to 1 hour before show time. No tickets will be sold onsite at BMC, and there will be no box office access during any Drive-In Movies @ Brevard Music Center film presentation.

https://secure.brevardmusic.org/online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=46747029-392C-4E6C-A362-4F8AF280F582&utm_source=Brevard+Music+Center&utm_campaign=3662c05937-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_1_31_2018_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b154873bc5-3662c05937-131688489

Tuesday Night Funk Jam
Jun 2 @ 10:00 pm – Jun 3 @ 6:00 pm
The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall

Image

EVERY Tuesday at Asheville Music Hall! Tuesday Night Funk Jam has been a huge part of Asheville’s vibrant music scene since 2008 and is #Asheville’s hottest weekly concert. Tuesday Night Funk Jam is programmed and orchestrated by an evolved Legendary House Band with trombonist Derrick Lee Johnson at the helm. At 10PM sharp, the Legendary House Band kicks off the night

Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Absentee Ballot Information: June 23 Second Primary Election
Jun 3 all-day
Buncombe County

The second primary election will take place on Tuesday, June 23. Eligible voters include:

  • Registered Republicans
  • Unaffiliated voters that voted Republican in March
  • Unaffiliated voters that did not vote in March

Absentee by-mail voting is taking place now.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and response the North Carolina State Board is reminding North Carolinians that all voters can vote by mail during every election, casting a ballot without leaving the comfort of home. No excuse is necessary. The State Board Office and Task Force are discussing ways to make voting by mail easier, while making sure that the 100 county boards of elections stand ready to process an expected increase in mail-in ballots. If you, or someone you know, will be unavailable to vote in person, there is information you need to know to ensure your vote is counted.

For active duty military, their family members, and U.S. citizens living abroad:

You will need to go to FVAP.gov or ncsbe.gov/voting-options/military-overseas-voting and follow the absentee ballot instructions to receive an absentee ballot. If you have questions about that process, you can call us at (828) 250-4222.

For all others wishing to receive an absentee ballot:

Anyone else wishing to request an absentee ballot may do so for any reason as long as they complete a 2020 North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form and return it one of the following ways:

  • Mail it to: P.O. Box 7468, Asheville, NC 28802
  • Hand deliver it to the dropbox located in the entryway of our office at 77 McDowell St., Asheville, 28801

Special Note: Military and overseas voters may email to [email protected] or fax (828) 250-6262 a signed copy of this form.

Deadline to return the completed Absentee Ballot Request Form is Tuesday, June 16, at 5 p.m.

Once your N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form has been received, an absentee ballot will be sent out. Absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before Tuesday, June 23, 2020, and received by Friday, June 26, at 5 p.m. They may also be returned in person to our office (by 5 p.m. on June 23) but only by the voter or a near relative. For more information about absentee voting, visit the North Carolina Board of Elections website.

Near relative exceptions

From June 17 to June 22, a voter’s near relative may come into the office to fill out an absentee request form for a voter who is sick or disabled who did not previously request an absentee ballot. The request will be processed immediately and the ballot handed to the near relative to take to the voter.  These ballots have the same deadlines as stated above.

The following qualify as a near relative: spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, in-laws, stepparent, stepchild, or verifiable legal guardian.

Session Law 2019-239 made several changes to the absentee voting process. Changes include:

  • An absentee request form is now valid only if returned to the county board of elections by the voter, the voter’s near relative or legal guardian, or a Multi-partisan Assistance Team (MAT).
  • The absentee request form must be mailed or delivered in person to the voter’s county board of elections. Unlike past elections, request forms may not be emailed or faxed.
  • If a voter needs help completing the request form due to blindness, disability, or inability to read or write, and a near relative or legal guardian is not available, the voter may get help from another person, who must list their name and address on the form.

For any additional information or questions contact us at (828) 250-4200.

Be an Election Worker. Make Extra Cash and Serve Your Community.
Jun 3 all-day
Buncombe County

Election workers are essential to ensuring that elections are a success. With each election, millions of Americans dedicate themselves to sustaining the backbone of democracy, our election process.

Buncombe County Election Services is now recruiting poll workers for the second primary which will take place on Tuesday, June 23. The contest is between Republicans Lynda Bennett and Madison Cawthorn, who are vying for the GOP nomination for U.S. House District 11.

BMC Artistic Director Keith Lockhart: Collaborating with Ilana Davidson
Jun 3 all-day
online

BMC Artistic Director Keith Lockhart discusses his deep connection with the music of Mahler and collaborating with his dear friend Ilana Davidson. Listen to a performance of the fourth movement with Lockhart, Davidson, and the Brevard Music Center Orchestra from July 25, 2014.

BMC@Home: Tribute to Cellist Lynn Harrell
Jun 3 all-day
online
BMC favorite Johannes Moser shares a personal tribute to cellist Lynn Harrell, who passed away in April 2020. Featured soloist collaborators are Yo-Yo Ma, Gautier Capuçon, Amanda Forsyth, Zlatomir Fung, Alban Gerhardt, Mischa Maisky, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Johannes Moser, Daniel Müller-Schott, Christian Poltéra, Jan Vogler, and Alisa Weilerstein.

BRCC Small Business Center Online Resources
Jun 3 all-day
BRCC Small Business Center Online

Welcome to the Small Business Center (SBC) located at Blue Ridge Community College, part of the Small Business Center Network (SBCN). Blue Ridge Community College Campuses and the SBC are located in Flat Rock and Brevard, North Carolina.

SBCN is comprised of 58 Small Business Centers throughout North Carolina, that supports the development of new businesses and the growth of existing businesses by being a community-based provider of local training, counseling, and resource information.

Local SBC training, confidential counseling, and resource information is offered at no cost due to funding from the State of North Carolina.
Services provided by the Small Business Center can be customized to suit your specific business needs.

Each week we offer a program on starting and growing a business to answer all your question about requirements and resources offered  through the federal, state, region, county, and local cities. 

Brevard Music Center: Around The Web Live-streamed updated weekly
Jun 3 all-day
online

Around The Web

Live-streamed performances, resources, and activities we love from around the web, updated weekly.

Coronavirus Phase 2 Public Health Materials for Local Businesses
Jun 3 all-day
online

As we ease into the Stay Home, Stay Safe Phase 2, Buncombe County Public Health has provided public health messaging and guidance for industry and local businesses to use in their operations. Please click the links below to download printable files.

For more information, Buncombe County and the City of Asheville are operating the Ready Team call center. The Ready Team can assist with business and general questions about COVID-19 and Buncombe County’s Stay Safe, Stay Home Order. To ensure that there are options for Spanish, Russian, and multiple other languages, the Ready Team is working with United Way’s call center. The Ready Team call center operates Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Call (828) 419-0095 or email [email protected].

Count on Me NC Provides Free Online Training to Protect Customers and Employees
Jun 3 all-day
online
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, NC State Extension, NC Restaurant & Lodging Association, and VisitNC.com have partnered to develop free training resources to help restaurants, hotels, and other businesses learn the best ways to protect customers and employees from COVID-19.
So far, over 3,500 businesses have completed Count on Me NC training. Participating businesses will receive printable certificates to display in their establishments to show they completed the training.
Digital BMC: TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4 in F minor
Jun 3 all-day
online

Selected past performances by BMC orchestras, faculty, and guest artists on YouTube, SoundCloud, and Open Air Brevard.

TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36
IV. Finale. Allegro con fuoco
Brevard Music Center Orchestra • JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Recorded live on July 27, 2018,
at the Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium in Brevard, NC.

Leap Then Look Collaboration Instagram
Jun 3 all-day
Online

Instagram Collaboration June 1st – 10th
@leap_then_look

How can we think, act, and make like we were all at Black Mountain? How can we use the approaches and principles of this amazing community to expand our creative resources and ways of working together?

UK-based innovative participatory artists Leap Then Look are working with BMCM+AC to delve into the archive and create a participatory project and workshop based on the BMCM+AC permanent collection.

Follow Leap Then Look on Instagram for instructions on how to take part and share your creations!

Summer Reading Program 2020: Imagine Your Story
Jun 3 all-day
Online

Libraries are currently closed to the public but your local librarians are working hard to provide resources and programs to keep you entertained from home.

Check out the BCPL Summer Reading Program website for virtual programs, activities you can do from home, links to get you started with e-books, e-audiobooks, and more. Be sure to keep checking back throughout the summer. We are coming up with new ideas every day!

We would love to see what you are up to this summer. Tell us about the books you’ve been reading or share pictures of the projects and activities you are doing from home! Tag Buncombe libraries on Facebook or Instagram using our hashtag #yourstorymatters. You can also email photos and stories to [email protected]. We miss you and look forward to seeing your faces and hearing your stories when we reopen. In the meantime, be safe, be kind, and keep reading!

The ‘Asheville Cares’ Stay Safe Pledge Supports the Safety of the Local Community
Jun 3 all-day
City of Asheville
Virtual WNC Career Expo 2020
Jun 3 all-day
virtual

Employment has never been more critical to our community. In response to this need, we will still hold our annual Career Expo in partnership with the Mountain Area Workforce Development Board as planned.

Due to current circumstances, we are planning for this to be a virtual event. Using a platform called Easy Virtual Fair, job seekers and employers will be able to interact in real time across a variety of mobile devices. Employers can customize their virtual booth with branding and logos, upload job descriptions, and field questions via online chat.  Job seekers can apply directly to jobs, upload resumes, and interact with you via online chat.

We are currently accepting registration for virtual employer booths. Register online. 

Buncombe County Mandates: Wearing of Face Coverings in Certain Public Settings
Jun 3 @ 7:00 am
Buncombe County

Effective at 7 a.m. May 26, face coverings will be required for all individuals 12 years of age and older in all indoor public commercial facilities, including libraries and public transit. This follows a 4-3 vote along party lines by county commissioners May 21.

The face covering provision does not apply in the following places or situations:

 

  • While eating in any restaurant.
  • For reasons related to any individual’s medical condition, disability or religious beliefs.
  • In private offices.
  • In areas of retail establishments, businesses and restaurants that are not open to the public.
  • When complying with directions of law enforcement officers.
  • During any worship, religious and spiritual gatherings, funeral ceremonies, wedding ceremonies and other activities constituting the exercise of First Amendment rights.
  • In settings where it is not practical or feasible to wear a face covering when obtaining or rendering goods or services.

 

Guidelines for wearing a face covering include:

 

  • It must cover both the mouth and nose.
  • It must be snug.
  • Don’t touch a face covering while wearing it or, if you do, wash your hands or use hand sanitizer.
  • When removing, do so by lifting ear loops or ties without touching the front of mask or your face and wash your hands afterwards.
  • Wash the face covering with soap and water regularly or in the washing machine with other clothes.
  • Do not put a face covering on anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious or otherwise unable to remove their own mask, or on children under 2 years of age.
  • Do not use them as a substitute for social distancing, hand washing or staying home when sick.

 

Nature Connects®: Art with LEGO® Bricks
Jun 3 @ 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Please note: Nature Connects®: Art with LEGO® Bricks has been postponed until July; however, the exhibit will have an extended schedule and will be open until November 1. We look forward to seeing you!

The Arboretum is excited to welcome back the widely popular traveling exhibit, Nature Connects®: Art with LEGO® Bricks by Sean Kenney. Featuring 14 larger-than-life-size sculptures place created with nearly 500,000 LEGO Bricks, this family-friendly exhibit draws inspiration from the living world and combines art, play and science to create an inspiring intersection of education, entertainment and the environment. New sculptures include a 5-foot tall colorful peacock, giant dragonfly, bonsai tree and more!

 

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Reopens June 4
Jun 3 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

– Great Smoky Mountains Railroad [GSMR] is excited to announce the return of passenger
train operations Thursday June 4, 2020. Our Model Train Museum and Gift Shop will also reopen on June 4,
2020. All entities will be operating under state and CDC recommendations. As we begin this process our top
priority remains the safeguard of our visitors, employees, and community.
As we prepare for the June 4 opening, passenger trains will be offering seating in our Open Air Gondolas,
Standard Coach, and Crown Class. Reservations must be pre-booked prior to arrival. First Class service will
temporarily be suspended until August 1. Food service will be limited to pre-ordered box lunches only. We will
be following all health and safety guidelines including social distancing and 6-feet of space between seating and
public areas.

For the protection and safety of our employees, community, and you as guests we are asking the
following:
• Book your reservation online or over the phone before arriving on property.
• Follow CDC and State health and safety guidelines.
• Please wear a face covering while at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad upon arriving in the parking lot and Bryson
City Depot and throughout your experience with us.
• Practice social distancing.
• Gatherings/Congregating should not exceed the stated maximum amount for area.
• Follow proper hand washing guidelines.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Stay home if you are ill or exhibiting symptoms of flu or COVID-19. We will work with you to cancel or reschedule
your reservations without penalty when done in advance.
• Be courteous in enclosed spaces and walkways.
• Be prepared with cashless payment methods.
• Remain seated in your assigned passenger coach during your round trip.
• In open seating areas do not sit in non-designated seating. Non-designated seating will be noted by tape or signage.
• Plan ahead for lunch service by pre-booking one of our freshly prepared box picnic lunch options.

In addition, our operating schedule for summer of 2020 has been altered, these changes can be found on our
website. Guests who currently hold reservations for cancelled trains or effected classes of seating will be
notified with the option of seating change, rescheduling, or cancelation, we will continue waiving all fees.
Guests may also call our reservations line at 1-800-872-4681 between the hours of 9AM to 5:00PM EST or
email us at [email protected]. Calls and emails will be answered in the order they are received.
Please remain patient with us as our call and email volume will increase.
We appreciate our patrons patience and are excited to see the return of a safe and prosperous 2020 railroad
season.

Rendezvous Mountain Educational State Forest Reopening
Jun 3 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Rendezvous Mountain Educational State Forest

Rendezvous Mountain Educational State Forest will reopen to the public effective 9a.m. May 13. To encourage responsible use and to maintain required social distancing, phased reopening will begin with allowing public access only to areas of the forest that promote movement-focused activities such as hiking. All areas and facilities of the forest will not be available during phase one of the reopening but will become available in accordance with Governor Cooper’s phased plan for reopening the state.

What can visitors expect during a visit to Rendezvous Mountain ESF during phase one of the reopening?

  • Rendezvous Mountain ESF will be open Monday through Friday, 9a.m. until 5p.m.
  • Most of the trail system will be open, and visitors should come prepared to access trails and to keep moving.
  • Parking has been adjusted to allow for more spacing and to make it more feasible for visitors to maintain recommended social distance.
  • While portable toilets will be available for visitors, restrooms will remain closed.
  • Gathering areas of the forest will remain closed to encourage movement and separation. These areas include the following:
  • all picnic areas;
  • the McGee Forestry Center;
  • the Bathhouse;
  • the Ranger Station;
  • the Logger’s Shack;
  • the Office; and,
  • the amphitheater.

As we move forward with this phased approach, we urge the public to adjust expectations, to be prepared, to stay local and to continue complying with CDC recommendations and guidelines. Visitors are asked to be responsible for individual best practices and to follow social distancing recommendations. Visitor behavior will be a key factor for providing continued public access and to avoid additional closures to the forest during this period of phased reopening. For phased reopening to be successful for public lands across our state, visitors must be good stewards and good neighbors. If you arrive during a busy time and find limited parking, the right decision is to return home and plan to visit another day at another time. If we are busy, expect other public lands, such as state parks and national forests, to also be busy. For up-to-date information about access to state forests in North Carolina, please stay tuned into https://ncforestservice.gov/COVID19.htm and NCFS social media accounts.