Gardening advice is easy to find on the web, but much of the information is inaccurate, inappropriate for your area, and may do more harm than good! The links on this page are excellent sources for research-based gardening information. Click here for a few tips to finding useful gardening information for Western North Carolina: Web Research Tips for WNC
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.
Friday, July
24, 2020
Farm Beginnings® Farmer-Led Training Program Virtual for 2020-2021
Free WIFI Hotspots Available Outside Buncombe Libraries
Girl Power: Virtual Dance Camp for Girls
Introducing Bookfix: Custom Reading Recommendations
LEAF Global Arts Open Downtown Asheville
NC Forest Service’s Annual Tree Seedling Sale
North Carolina COVID-19 Resources for Renters Facing Eviction
Notice of Public Comment Period: Hellbender Regional Trail Plan
On line Gardening Resources Buncombe County Extension
Plastic Free July
Research Your Family History Free
Resources for Your Equity Journey
School Supply Drive w/ The United Way
Self-Guided Driving and Walking Tours Smith-McDowell House
Shop + Dine Henderson County
Staff Picks of the Week BMC: Explore Space With NASA at Home
Staff Picks of the Week BMC: How to Understand The Circle of Fifths
Staff Picks of the Week BMC: Tap-Dancing Noses At The Royal Opera House
Staff Picks of the Week Brevard Music Center Beethoven Rocks! Multimedia Experience
Stay Active with Your Library Card
Support Independent Restaurants
The Asheville Vibes Gift Card Giveaway
The Gallery at Flat Rock Offers Porch Portraits
Tour Flat Rock Playhouse’s Garden
UNC Weight Research Program: Free 8-week program Health-E From Home
Virtual Exhibit: Hillbilly Land Myth and Reality of Appalachian Culture
Virtual Tour 1918 vs. 2020 Flu Pandemics WNC
Your Voice Matters: Advocate for those experiencing poverty
Tour d’Apple 2020
AM Power Hour – Virtual Networking
Many skills are required to start and expand a successful farm business: passion, clear goals, production experience, financial and marketing know-how, and more. Farm Beginnings® will help you build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking. Using a holistic management frame, farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, and an extensive farmer network, Farm Beginnings® will help you clarify your goals and strengths, establish a strong enterprise plan, and start building a profitable and sustainable operation. Although students do not need to own land, some farming or production experience is required to get the most out of the program. As we know, farming is more critical than ever. Apply to this program and be prepared when crisis hits!
Program Details: December 2020 – September 2021
2020-2021 Farm Beginnings® Farmer Training is 200+ Hours including:
— Winter Whole-Farm Business Planning Courses – 60 hours (October – March)**
— ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference (February) – 8 hours
— OGS Conferences – 40+ hours
— Mentorship with an experienced Farmer Mentor (March – September) – 15 hours
— Production Training – 45 hours (April – October): WNC CRAFT tours on sustainable farms around WNC & Field Days with regional partners Living Web Farms and the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy Incubator Farm
— One year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership – Membership and mentoring in a regional farmer network
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. The wifi is available all day every day, whether the library is open or not. Please observe all Buncombe County social distancing and gathering requirements while using the wifi. Questions? Call (828) 250-4700 or email [email protected].
Welcome to Zahiya Online’s LIVE dance classes! We are so excited to have you and big hugs and high fives for taking time for you and your wellbeing.
Our classes are for everyone and every body. All are welcome and all are celebrated, you belong in class.
Once you register for class, we will email you the Zoom link, get yourself set up and meet us online!
Here ‘s a little bit more about how it works:
Miss browsing the library’s shelves? Let us help with Bookfix. Call or email your local library to have a librarian put together a bundle of books tailored to your specific interests. You can pick up your personal Bookfix bundle at our curbside hold pickup service. Our Ask a Librarian line is available Monday-Saturday at (828) 250-4700 or you can email [email protected].
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The North Carolina Forest Service is accepting tree seedling orders as part of its annual sale.
Each year, the NCFS Nursery Program produces millions of quality seedlings for nearly 50 species of conifers, hardwoods and native understory plants, including eastern and Carolina hemlock seedlings, as well as an expanded selection of genetically improved third cycle loblolly pine seedlings.
How can you order tree seedlings from the NCFS Nursery Program?
- Tree seedlings can be ordered from the online seedling store at www.buynctrees.com.
- Tree seedlings can also be ordered by phone at 1-888-NCTREES (1-888-628-7337).
- Tree seedlings can be ordered using the order form found in our current catalog. Complete the form and mail to Seedling Coordinator, 762 Claridge Nursery Road, Goldsboro, NC 27530.
- A user-friendly catalog is available at the “Tree Seedlings & Nursery Program” link located at www.ncforestservice.gov. Catalogs are also available at local NCFS offices located in all 100 North Carolina counties. Inside the catalog, landowners can find information about the types of tree species, quantities and costs to order. Each tree description includes information about ideal planting locations and whether a species is typically used to benefit wildlife, restore habitats or as marketable timber.
Distribution of tree seedlings will occur December through mid-April, depending on weather conditions. Seedling orders can be shipped to one of 12 distribution centers statewide for a small fee or via UPS for a charge. Seedling orders are also available for pickup from the NCFS Claridge Nursery in Goldsboro or the Linville River Nursery, near Crossnore. For information on planting trees, people are encouraged to contact an NCFS county ranger. Contact information for your local NCFS county office and nursery locations is available at www.ncforestservice.gov/contacts.
From NCDHHS
If you are a renter in North Carolina facing eviction due to COVID-19 economic impacts, there may be resources available to you.
Rental and Utility Assistance
If you were unable to pay your rent and/or utilities due to COVID-19 or its economic impacts, you may qualify for assistance. Call NC 2-1-1 to learn of resources in your community for emergency needs, including rental and utility assistance.
The French Broad River MPO has been working with local governments and community stakeholders in the region over the last year to develop a plan for a regional trail network, the Hellbender Regional trail. This plan connects the various bicycle, pedestrian, and greenway plans developed locally in Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania counties to illustrate existing and planned trails that may someday connect to form a regional network for bicycle and pedestrian travel.
Unlike highway and roads, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure is primarily the responsibility of the various local governments in our region so the Hellbender Regional Trail Plan does not intend to usurp local brands or mandate designs, but intends to make the various sections of planned and existing networks greater than the sum of its parts through increased coordination and partnerships. This plan focuses on regional connections, but does not deprioritize more locally-focused infrastructure. It is primarily focused on multi-use paths (paved trails, greenways, rail-to-trails, sidepaths, etc.) but may include some sections with on-street and other connections where constraints may require exceptions to a typical off-road path. This is also a long-range plan. At more than 150 miles, the full build-out of this network would reflect a nearly ten-fold increase in the miles of multi-use paths in the region- a task that will likely take a considerable amount of time at current funding levels. At this point, organizers are inviting the public to comment on the Draft Hellbender Regional Trail Plan that reflects the work of the work group and stakeholders as well as the countless hours put into developing the local plans in our region on which the Hellbender Regional Trail Plan is based.
The Draft Hellbender Regional Trail Plan is available on the MPO’s website and comments bay be sent in by Friday, August 21st via the google doc form available on the website or by emailing [email protected].
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Resources
Join us as we celebrate the global movement of going plastic-free this July! Our Plastic Reduction Task Force will be celebrating all month with community shoutouts, games, reading lists, resources, and more! Follow our Facebook page @goingplasticfreeAVL and Instagram @going_plasticfree for updates so that you won’t miss a thing.
Save these dates:
Saturday, July 11th – Going Plastic Free Scavenger Hunt
Thursday July 23rd – Plastic Free July Trivia
For the month of July, genealogists and historians can access the popular Ancestry.com database from home for free. All you need is a library card.
Among the billions of records available, Ancestry.com includes census records and indexes, vital, church, military, public member trees; birth, marriage and death records; tax, criminal, land and wills stories, memories and histories, pictures, city directories, immigration and travel schools, maps and more. There are records from the United States as well as international records, so no matter where your family might be from, you will probably be able locate them in the Ancestry database.
Find a new branch of your family tree with Ancestry. Visit the library website at buncombecounty.org/library and use the Virtual Library tab to access Ancestry. If you don’t have a library card, email us at [email protected] and we can give you a card by email. Call 828-250-4700 with any questions.
Roots + Wings Creative Community
“What Motivates People from Dominant Groups to Support Social Justice” Diane J. Goodman and Lee Anne Bell
“The Costs of Racism to White People” by Paul Kivel
Seeing White Series from Scene On Radio, a 14-part documentary series exploring whiteness in America.
Slavery By Another Name, PBS Documentary
White Awake Manual — a set of educational resources for guiding white affinity processes
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The residents of Buck House were woven in to the fabric of Asheville.
This driving tour begins at the Smith-McDowell House Museum on the campus of A-B Tech and continues through historic sites related to early occupants of the house.
What is Shop & Dine HC?
Shop & Dine HC is a collaborative movement designed to remind the public of the benefits and importance of spending their dollars with our local businesses. Local businesses lay the framework for a strong community and we want Henderson County to shop local, spend local, save local.
Why does shopping locally matter?
When you shop locally:
- $0.02 of every $1 stays in the community through the Sales Tax. These dollars support county and municipal budgets for schools, law enforcement, infrastructure, and more.
- you help create and retain jobs for existing businesses as they succeed and grow, and create a successful business community that attracts other businesses and entrepreneurs.
- those same businesses you are supporting will give back to our community through donations to non-profits, civic clubs, youth programs, and more.
Simply put – our local businesses make our community better.
Want to get involved?
Be part of the conversation!
Join the Shop & Dine Facebook Group
Shop to Win!
When shopping in Henderson County:
- take a selfie, post it to Facebook or Instagram
- use the #ShopandDineHC
- tag the Chamber @hendersoncochamber and business visited
- be entered to win bi-monthly contests.
Contests begin July 1, 2020.
Around The Web w/ BMC
Live-streamed performances, resources, and activities we love from around the web, updated weekly.
Explore Space
With NASA at Home
Bring the universe into your home with virtual tours, family activities, podcasts, and more!
How to Understand
The Circle of Fifths
How is the Circle of Fifths used in music composition? Mark Newman uses visuals to help explain!
Tap-Dancing Noses At
The Royal Opera House
Don’t miss this scene from Shostakovich’s surreal and vibrant first opera, featuring tap-dancing noses.
Around The Web w/ BMC
Live-streamed performances, resources, and activities we love from around the web, updated weekly.
Beethoven Rocks!
Multimedia Experience
Join the Kennedy Center in a fun exploration of the life and work of Ludwig van Beethoven.
You don’t need to give up your fitness or workout routine just because COVID-19 has you spending more time at home. If you’ve got a library card and access to WiFi, it’s easy to stay active with digital resources. (If you need a new library card or renewal, call Ask a Librarian at (828) 250-4700 or follow these steps.)
North Carolina Digital Library
 Sharing this way to support our independent restaurants from our friends at the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association. A bi-partisan group in the House and Senate introduced a bill called the RESTAURANTS ACT. This bill is the first industry-specific relief bill to be introduced for restaurants since the onset of the COVID crisis. The bill would create a Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which allows restaurants to obtain a lump sum from the Treasury to use towards a broad range of operating expenses over the balance of 2020. Learn more at saverestaurants.org |
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 Suzanne has generously donated a portion of the session fee to Flat Rock Playhouse and she has a goal of raising $15,000 before the end of the year! She has currently raised $2,015, so help Suzanne reach her goal and capture some memories along the way. Check out some of her portraits above and click the link below to schedule your session today!
Inspired by the national trend of porch portraits, Suzanne of The Gallery at Flat Rock, will be offering portrait sessions and donating a portion of the session cost to Flat Rock Playhouse. A fifteen-minute porch portrait session is $65 (cash or check) of which $15 will be donated to the Flat Rock Playhouse, a friend and neighbor to the gallery which made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 season. |
Despite the cancellation of the Flat Rock Playhouse’s 2020 season due to COVID-19, folks are being encouraged to take time to enjoy the lush gardens on the grounds of the historic campus.
With a QR code reader on any smartphone, garden visitors can tap into information about the individual plants wherever they’re standing. The codes direct the phone to webpages on a Muddy Sneakers site that the garden volunteers control.
The Master Gardners have been hard at work adding some tech to our gardens! QR codes can now be found on the 62 garden beds that make up the Playhouse gardens. Visitors can use their smartphones to learn more about the plants they are seeing. Congratulations and thank you to Tamsin Allpress and all of our gardening volunteers who work to keep our gardens beautiful! Photo by volunteer Mary Smit
Health-e from Home is a free 8-week program designed to help you make a few small changes to your everyday health habits – and it can be done at home, or anywhere. Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are evaluating the acceptability and usage of this free online program that is designed to help people who are spending more time at home due to COVID-19 build healthier habits. Those who join the study will receive access to weekly lessons and tailored feedback from the study team that will encourage small changes to their eating, small increases in activity, and simple activities to promote well-being. Participants will complete a brief, 20-minute survey at the beginning and end of the program, as well as weekly check-in questions to help the study team provide personalized feedback to help individuals meet their health goals. Those who are interested in focusing on maintaining or losing weight will also be invited to a private Facebook group to join other study members working to meet weight goals during the study. To learn more and find out if you are eligible to participate, please visit http://healthefromhome.org.
ABOUT THE EXHIBIT The hillbilly stereotype is one that is alive and well in American popular culture as a quick survey of the cable dial reveals with such shows as Moonshiners, Appalachian Outlaws, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, and countless others.
Surprisingly, it is one often displayed among educated sorts here in Western North Carolina who would never dream of disparaging any minority or “out group,” but do not hesitate to characterize native Western North Carolinians, as a group, as ignorant, in-bred, hopelessly retrograde, violent, snake-handling, moonshining/meth-making rednecks.
The Hillbillyland Exhibition explores the power, prevalence, and persistence of the hillbilly stereotype from the days of its beginnings in the late 19th century to the present day. The exhibit takes a unique approach by focusing on photography featuring the people of the region, some of them stereotypical images, combined with poetry and short prose pieces that challenge and complicate these stereotypes.
Visit the Virtual Exhibit
ABOUT THE EXHIBIT
In the midst of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, we take an in-depth look at the 1918 influenza epidemic in Western North Carolina through newspaper clippings, advertisements, ephemera, photographs, and oral history and place the events of 1918 into context with our present-day response to the coronavirus pandemic.
https://www.wnchistory.org/virtual-exhibits/influenza/?utm_source=Western%20North%20Carolina%20Historical%20Association&utm_campaign=78fa0bbdf8-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_01_23_05_25_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7424f63c4d-78fa0bbdf8-329482143
Unlike so many canceled events, the Tour d’Apple will take off on Labor Day, September 7, 2020 with rolling starts beginning at 7:00am until 10am from Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, NC! Tour d’Apple invites up to 350 cyclists to ride from 25-100 miles one of four scenic routes around the apple orchards and beautiful mountains of Henderson County, NC.
New for 2020
To help with social distancing, this year the ride has been limited to 350 participants.
All staff/volunteers will be required to wear a face covering during the event. These will be provided to volunteers if necessary. Participants must wear a face covering (the free TDA buff meets this requirement) until the event starts, at all rest stops, and after they finish the event.
Participants will not be permitted to form in groups. They must maintain 6 foot distancing while in the start/finish area, in the event hub, and at all rest stops.
Custom Tour d’Apple buffs will be given to all 350 participants to register. The deadline to register and receive a free buff is August 15th.
An optional Virtual event experience is being offered so riders can participate in this cycling event from anywhere. Ride from your home, the park, or anywhere else you choose and submit your results online.
New Packet Pick-up Procedures: The packet, numbered bib and swag for this event can be shipped before the ride for $10, an option that is available when you register. Deadline to have packets mailed is August 15th. For those who do not want their packets mailed, there is a Drive-thru Packet Pick-up the day prior to the event (September 6th) from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the Blue Ridge Community College Parking lot. To encourage social distancing, there will be no packet pickup or registration on the morning of the ride.
Look for updates on the Tour d’Apple website http://tourdapple.com/ for updates and changes as Labor Day approaches. We have also published a Blog Post on what we are doing to adhere to the NC guidelines.
Free Ride T-shirt
Those cyclists who register by August 14th will receive a free Tour d’Apple t-shirt if registered prior to August 14th at midnight. After that, shirts will be available on a limited basis for an additional $10.
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