To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus), Grandfather Mountain is only selling tickets online.

Only a select number of tickets will be sold per day for certain time-slots to limit the number of guests in the park at one time, in accordance with the state of North Carolina’s phased “reopening” plan and social gathering guidelines.

Please check back closer to your visit for ticket availability. As of now, reservations are only available through June 21.

Each guest entering the park must have a ticket, which includes a time-slot. Prices are as follows:

Adult: $22
Senior (age 60+): $20
Child (ages 4-12): $9
AAA Adult: $20 (must present valid AAA card)
AAA Child: $8 (must present valid AAA card)

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!

Blue Ridge Community College is hosting two Career and College Promise
(CCP) bootcamps on Aug. 14 and 21 as a required orientation for all currently
enrolled CCP high school students.
The orientation events are hosted online via Zoom. Two different times are
offered at each bootcamp, one at 9 a.m. and the other at 4 p.m.
The bootcamps will go over a variety of common issues encountered by CCP
students. Participants will have the opportunity to set up their student account,
find which textbooks they need for classes, pay for their course fees and even
meet some campus safety officers.
“This is an excellent opportunity to feel prepared for the upcoming school
year,” stated NC Career Coach Marcus Roberson. “Students have four
chances to attend and ask any questions they may have or get the help they
need.”
The CCP program was created to offer eligible high school students a chance
to simultaneously earn high school and college credits tuition-free through Blue
Ridge.
Students are encouraged to register for a time in advance to ensure the
College is prepared to answer all questions at each session.
To register for Hendersonville High School and West Henderson High School
students, contact Marcus Roberson via call or text at (828) 329-0505 or via
email at [email protected].
To register for North Henderson High School and East Henderson High School
students, contact Doug Gibson via call or text at (828) 230-2905 or via email at
[email protected].
To register for home school and private school students in Henderson County,
contact Cearra Selbrade via phone at (828) 694-1817 or email at
[email protected].
To register for Rosman, Brevard and Davidson River High Schools students,
contact Bailey Varley via call or text at (828) 243-3960 or via email at
[email protected].
To register for home school and private school students in Transylvania
County, contact Rob Rhodes via phone at (828) 883-2520 or email at
[email protected].

The Fairy trail is open Monday thru Saturday, 9am-4pm. We encourage all visitors to be patient as there will be limits to the number of people allowed on the trail at the same time. While the trail is outdoors, there are some small spaces and we want to ensure our guests and fairies are safe. Please practice appropriate social distancing and bring a mask in case. Masks are not required, but are considerate in a close area. Our restrooms are not open to the public at this time. Please make arrangements prior to visiting.

Rules of the trail:

Do not move or rearrange fairy displays. The fairies are very fond of their own decorating.

Do not leave trash on the trail. Fairies do not like litter in their town.

Please ensure children and pets are supervised at all times. Dogs and loud noises can scare the fairies into hiding.

Do not disturb wildlife or vegetation. The fairies depend on the vegetation to build their homes.

The trail is one way only. Please stay on the trail at all times.

The Fairies can’t wait to see you all here!

P.S. the Fairies would like us to remind you that we are a non-profit and donations are greatly appreciated. Help us keep the fairies living in the style with which they’ve become accustomed.

When a friend gave Toland Sand a stained glass studio in 1977, he embarked upon a journey that would lead him to explore the myriad qualities that define glass as a medium. Sand’s 43 years as a sculptor has resulted in works of stained glass, blown glass, and every combination in between. A pioneer in utilizing the unique properties of dichroic glass, Sand begins his current sculpture with optical crystal and dichroic coated glass, hand worked by grinding in ever finer stages until a polish is achieved. Seeking balance, harmony, and symmetry, with an accent on deconstructed form, his work inhabits the symbolic, the cosmic, and the mystery. Sand is inspired by his peers as well as artists such as Isamu Noguchi, David Smith, Henry Moore, and Mark Rothko.
Sand’s work can be found numerous public and private collections including the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass, Neenah, WI, Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, TN, Imagine Museum, Sarasota, FL, and others.

Bender Gallery continues to be open and welcoming visitors into our gallery in limited numbers and with facemasks, of course. We remain dedicated to supporting our artists during these unprecedented times by making ourselves available almost anytime you wish to speak with us to answer questions and sharing their work online and through social media. We and our artists thank you for your support!

“Shine and Dine” on the railway! We cordially invite you to hop on board The Carolina Shine, GSMR’s All-Adult First Class Moonshine Car! We will be proudly serving hand crafted, triple-distilled, craft moonshine. Some of the smoothest tasting moonshine in the Carolinas!

Offered on the Nantahala Gorge excursion, this shine and dine experience begins in a renovated First Class train fleet car, The Carolina Shine. The interior features copper lined walls filled with the history of moonshining in North Carolina. Learn about the proud tradition that the Appalachians established when bootlegging was an acceptable way of life and local home brews were the best in town. Read about Swain County’s very own Major Redmond, the most famous mountain moonshine outlaw of the 19th century.

Once your appetite for knowledge is satisfied, enjoy sample tastings of flavors like Apple Pie, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, and Strawberry moonshine. If the samples are not enough, there will be plenty of Moonshine infused cocktails like Copper Cola or Moonshiner’s Mimosa available for purchase.

GSMR is excited to feature multiple craft NC based distilleries to serve our guests only the best! Each jar is handcrafted and authentically infused with real fruit, the way moonshine was meant to be made.

Passengers will also enjoy a full service All-Adult First Class ride with an attendant serving GSMR’s freshly cooked pulled pork barbeque rubbed with Cajun spices then slow-roasted to perfection served with southern sweet cornbread muffin with honey butter, coleslaw, and cinnamon apples then finish with a delicious piece of Sea Salt Caramel Cheesecake. Riders will also receive their very own Carolina Shine mason drinking jar, refillable with soda beverages and tea throughout the day, and a souvenir GSMR tote bag (1 per couple/party).

As the need for blood donations continues, Asheville Outlets will host two blood donation drives in partnership with the American Red Cross on Fridays, August 7 and 21, 2020 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. next to Famous Footwear. The American Red Cross is now testing all blood, platelet, and plasma donations for the COVID-19 antibody. Red Cross donors can expect to receive the results of their antibody test within 7 to 10 days through the Red Cross Blood Donor App or on the donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org. Donors are asked to register in advance, by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/give and entering the sponsor code Ashevilleoutlets. The American Red Cross will establish additional safety guidelines to ensure all donors are socially distanced.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that the coronavirus (COVID-19) does not pose any known risk to blood donors during the donation process or from attending blood drives. For more information, visit ShopAshevilleOutlets.com.

The Bob Moog Foundation is also excited to welcome shoppers back into the Moogseum Store in downtown Asheville, NC. While the exhibit space will remain closed until North Carolina enters phase 3, the store offers a wide variety of synth-inspired merchandise from magnets, t-shirts and pint glasses, to books, hats and vinyl records. The Moogseum Store will be open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm.

To ensure the safety of guests, extensive cleaning measures and CDC guidelines will be followed by staff, and both staff and visitors will be required to wear cloth or disposable face coverings.

Volunteers needed for the 2020 hurricane season!

Microsoft Teams Session
RSVP required by 8/28. tinyurl.com/VirtualVolunteerFairRSVP

Join us to learn how to help your neighbors and community in times of need!
Due to predictions for an active hurricane and wildfire season and the complexities of COVID-19, the Red
Cross will need thousands of volunteers to care for people when disasters strike. Learn how you can be a
Ready Red Cross Shelter or Health Services Volunteer so you can answer the call when your community
needs it most.

We are open with new rules and safety measures!

Let’s have fun and stay safe!

Join me in the studio as we use hammers, saws, files and fire to transform silver wire into a beautiful pair of silver drop earrings. Class price includes all materials.

These “Netflix Party” are events Hosted by the “Your Belfast Social Meetup – a Northern Ireland group. They start their movies at 7:00 BST (2:00 Hendo time) each Friday. You can chat via scrolling screen on the right before and during the show. It’s pretty cool talking to people “across the pond” to see how they are handling the pandemic. The Event Host posts a selection of movies for those who RSVP to vote on the day before. Then an hour before showtime the Netflix Party link is posted to the event page.

For those of you who don’t know, Netflix Party is a way we can chat whilst watching in sync together. Anyone with the Chrome Extension ‘Netflix Party’ on their Desktop can join the movie and the chatroom IF they have a Netlix account.

This is a 45 minute class that’s great for beginners and those wanting to deepen their current Tai Chi Practice. This is an online class and is open to all adults. In this class, you don’t have to memorize anything or learn complex routines. Its all about getting into the flow!

Classes will now be streamed via the “Begin with Breath Connect” Website. Monthly and Annual Memberships are available. Sign up here:

https://app.namastream.com/#/begin-with-breath-connect/auth/signup

 The Hemp X Hot Box:Roll with us Fridays from 5-10pm as we coast a route through West Asheville and Downtown. Stops at UpCountry Brewing, One World Brewing West, Foggy Mountain, and The One Stop. We’ll have smokable and edible hemp products for purchase to enjoy alongside any wine or beer you bring yourselves (closed containers only). We’re happy to provide an affordable way for locals and visitors to Roll Up, Stay Safe and Party Down! Cruisin Asheville July 10th, July 31st, August 7th, August 21st. More dates to come! 

Purchase Tickets on board! One Way Pass $3 and All Night Unlimited Pass $5

Private Rentals: Spark up your next Asheville area celebration with our personalized rental platform! We offer several packages at different price tiers to best cater to your party’s needs! Our team is dedicated to working with you to create an experience that will leave your guests (and your smoke) blown away!

The Hemp Xpress is dedicated to the safety of the Asheville community; public routes and experiences are operating at half capacity within social distance guidelines. Hand sanitizer is readily available to riders, and surfaces are regularly sanitized. Buncombe County requires a face mask be worn in public places.

Join us at The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall every Friday at 5:30PM for our FREE Acoustic Grateful Dead series Featuring members of Phuncle Sam and great drink and food specials.

This show was originally scheduled for June 26, 2020. Due to unforeseen circumstances, this show has been cancelled. Please consider donating your ticket money to The Orange Peel! Email [email protected] for more info. Refunds will be processed shortly.

Trampled by Turtles are from Duluth, Minnesota, where front man Dave Simonett initially formed the group as a side project in 2003. At the time, Simonett had lost most of his music gear, thanks to a group of enterprising car thieves who’d ransacked his vehicle while he played a show with his previous band. Left with nothing more than an acoustic guitar, he began piecing together a new band, this time taking inspiration from bluegrass, folk, and other genres that didn’t rely on amplification. Simonett hadn’t played any bluegrass music before, and he filled his lineup with other newcomers to the genre, including fiddler Ryan Young (who’d previously played drums in a speed metal act) and bassist Tim Saxhaug. Along with mandolinist Erik Berry and banjo player Dave Carroll, the group began carving out a fast, frenetic sound that owed as much to rock & roll as bluegrass.

Playwright Neil Simon got his first big break in the early 50’s as a staff writer on Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows, and this comedy takes a fictionalized look into writer’s room antics.

Set in the mid-twentieth century English projects, witness a young couple struggle through the issues that seem all too familiar today: employment, finances, class, education, love, loss, and all the complications that come with it. Life leads them through its ups and downs, but will they still be able to find each other in the end?

The Arboretum’s popular ArborEvenings summer after hours series will return this season with a special LEGO twist. Held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July through September, from 8 to 11 …