Raffle: Trip to NYC 2023

Enter to win a fabulous trip for two to New York!

Raffle tickets on sale through Sunday, August 6, 2023!

Tickets are $50 and only 500 will be sold.

Travel package for Thanksgiving 2023, with check-in on Wednesday, November 22, 2023 and check-out on Sunday, November 26, 2023.

Prize includes:

• Two round-trip Business Class tickets to New York from Asheville Regional Airport
• Transfers to and from the airport to your hotel
• Accomodations for four nights in Midtown at The Lotte New York Palace, with a choice of one king bed or two double beds
• VIP Macy’s Parade Day experience, including brunch and complimentary drinks, access to indoor and outdoor VIP viewing areas, and access to the Inflation Celebration of parade balloons on Wednesday afternoon
• Orchestra seating tickets to the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular
• Tickets to a Broadway show
• Up to $500 to spend on guided tours or additional theatre tickets
• Personal consultation with Foothills Travel to customize your trip
• On-site concierge provided through MyBucketListEvents

The drawing will take place the week of August 7, 2023. Winner will be notified by phone call and email.

The Biltmore Avenue parking garage will temporarily close March 25 to April 8 due to construction of the adjacent Moxy Hotel. This closure is to ensure safety. The Biltmore Avenue Garage will be temporarily closed for 15 days beginning March 25, 2023, through April 8, 2023, for the second phase of the Moxy Hotel construction. The garage will temporarily close to all parking customers to ensure the community’s safety. The closure will impact a total of 412 parking spaces. The construction contractor will provide parking garage security for the duration of the garage closure.   The Moxy Hotel, a 115-unit, 7-story building, is currently being constructed on the south side of the Biltmore Avenue Parking Garage. To accommodate hotel construction, renovations to the Biltmore Parking Garage are required. The garage’s construction needed to renovate was initiated in January 2023 with a two-phase approach. The first phase was completed on February 8, 2023, 22 days ahead of schedule. Parking arrangements for the City’s Monthly parking accounts   Access cards for the City’s monthly parking accounts in the Biltmore Avenue Parking Garage will be reprogrammed to allow access into the following parking areas during the 15-day closure period:   Harrah’s Cherokee Center parking garage Rankin Street parking garage Wall Street parking garage Parking lot is located at 50 Asheland Avenue (adjacent to the Transit Center)   Monthly parking account holders at the Biltmore Avenue Parking Garage will also receive a 50% credit to their accounts on March 1, 2023, for the inconvenience. Monthly parking account holders have been notified via email and text message alerts.   Parking arrangements for hourly parkers   The City strives for minimal disruption during this closure. Several alternate free and fee-based parking options are available through the City of Asheville in the downtown area, including monthly parking garage passes, lots and street options starting at $30 per month. You can always find more information about parking in Asheville by visiting the City of Asheville parking services page or on the Asheville App. You can always find more information about parking in Asheville by visiting the City of Asheville parking services page

Spring at Biltmore, one of the estate’s most glorious seasons, invites you to experience a spring break mountain escape with all the charm of a European retreat. Immerse yourself in thousands of colorful tulips as Biltmore Blooms transforms our gardens and grounds. Explore Italian Renaissance Alive and Ciao! From Italy. Savor our Winery’s award-winning vintages and, of course, the timeless elegance of Biltmore House.

• Daytime access to 8,000 acres of gardens and grounds, including:
  • 75+ Acres of formal and informal gardens
  • 20+ Miles of hiking, biking, and walking trails
• Antler Hill Village & Winery
• Complimentary Wine Tasting
• Complimentary Parking

Gardens & Grounds admission does NOT include Biltmore House entry.

Symphonic Masterpieces Opening Night + Season Finale: BMC Principal Guest Conductor JoAnn Falletta, named by Gramophone as one of the 50 Greatest Conductors of All Time, kicks off the season with Opening Night! on Friday, June 23 performing Carl Orff’s epic audience favorite for orchestra and choir, Carmina Burana. With Keith Lockhart on the podium, Verdi’s Requiem will thrill and delight patrons for the Season Finale on Sunday, August 6. Scored for double choir, full symphony orchestra, and featuring four soloists, Verdi’s Requiem is one of the world’s most beloved choral works, bringing drama and grandeur to the concert stage. Symphonic music highlights planned for this summer include Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra, Gershwin’s An American in Paris, Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, Vaughan Williams’s “A London Symphony”, Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 2, Strauss’s Till Eulinspiegel’s Merry Pranks, Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, “Titan”, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnol, Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Liszt’s Les Préludes, Hanson’s “Romantic” Symphony, Nielsen’s Symphony No. 5, and many more. BMC’s tradition of performing movie scores live to full length feature films continues in 2023 with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Concert. Legendary Artists Series with Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald + Guest Artist Highlights Legendary Artist Patti LuPone, a true Broadway legend and three-time Tony Award winner, performs a special BMC Presents concert on Saturday, June 24. Ms. LuPone explores her lifelong love affair with Broadway through indelible interpretations of classic Broadway show tunes. On July 25 and 26, Emmy, GRAMMY®, and record-breaking six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald comes to Brevard Music Center for a double-header with two legendary performances. Ms. McDonald brings her luminous voice and dramatic incisiveness to two programs of beloved Broadway classics, as she presents popular standards and lesser-known treasures in both the intimate setting of Parker Concert Hall, and with full orchestra on the big stage. These performances are made possible by 2023 Legendary Artists Series Sponsors, Drs. Joanne and Tom Parker, and the Robinson-Hill Humanitarian Fund. 2023 Summer Festival Season Guest Artist Highlights: Artistic Director Keith Lockhart leads five programs this summer featuring works by Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler, Strauss, and Prokofiev. Maestro Lockhart closes the season with Verdi’s monumental Requiem. Principal Guest Conductor JoAnn Falletta returns to conduct two core symphonic programs, Carmina Burana and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6. Internationally acclaimed pianist Jeremy Denk makes his long-awaited Brevard debut with two concertos on two nights, performing Brahms’s 2nd Piano Concerto and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4. Renowned violist Roberto Díaz, a BMC alumnus and President of the famed Curtis Institute of Music, visits Brevard to play Bright Sheng’s new viola concerto written specially for Mr. Díaz. Mr. Denk and Mr. Díaz are the inaugural honorees of The Thomas C. Bolton Distinguished Artist Chair, a newly-established program supported by The Payne Fund. Norwegian conductor Rune Bergmann conducts two programs of orchestral favorites including Stravinsky’s Petrushka and Grieg’s beloved Piano Concerto. Virtuoso violinist Simone Porter performs Bruch’s soaring Scottish Fantasy, and superstar flutist Anthony Trionfo plays two showpieces for flute and orchestra with Ken Lam and the Brevard Concert Orchestra. Performance Today’s ‘Classical Woman of the Year’ Lara Downes returns to the Brevard Music Center for two concerts, including a preview performance of a new work by the dean of American composers Adolphus Hailstork, and a recital of music from her upcoming album, Love at Last. Opera With fully staged productions of La Traviata, The Turn of the Screw, and Into the Woods, PLUS An Evening of George Gershwin, 2023 is a powerhouse season for vocal music at Brevard Music Center! Verdi’s La Traviata is a tale of romance, tragedy, passion – and parties! Filled with enduring melodies, iconic arias, and an unforgettable score, Violetta and Alfredo’s love story will transport opera goers to a bygone era. Join BMC’s Janiec Opera Company to see why Verdi’s La Traviata is the world’s most popular opera. Britten’s The Turn of the Screw is a timeless ghost story based on the Henry James novella of the same title. Regarded by many as the finest of all Benjamin Britten’s works for stage, it is a fable of good versus evil, natural versus the supernatural, and possession and exorcism, creating an astonishing dramatic power that has a shattering impact in the theater. This is a rare chance to see and hear this melodic and scary masterpiece! Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Tony-winning triumph Into the Woods takes everyone’s favorite storybook characters and brings them together for a timeless, yet relevant, piece. With a book and score that are both enchanting and touching, the Brothers Grimm hit the stage and come to life in an epic fairytale about wishes, family, and the choices we make. An Evening of George Gershwin is a glorious tribute to a true American genius known for such classic songs as “Embraceable You,” “I Got Rhythm,” and “S’Wonderful.” Members of Brevard’s Janiec Opera Company will take audiences on a grand tour of these favorites from the Great American Songbook. BMC Presents Relax into the groove of easy summer nights with specials featuring artists we all know and love and the nostalgic music we crave. International avatar of contemporary artistic excellence, jazz master Branford Marsalis joins Jazz@Brevard on Friday, June 16, for a swinging night to remember. Broadway, television, and film legend Patti LuPone shares her lifelong love affair with Broadway through indelible interpretations of classic Broadway show tunes when she performs on the big stage on Saturday, June 24. Revolution: The Music of the Beatles is a symphonic celebration of the world’s most famous foursome. With songs like “Penny Lane,” “Hey Jude,” “All You Need is Love,” everyone will be singing and dancing in the aisles on Tuesday, June 27. The 2023 BMC Presents lineup also includes the second annual North Carolina Guitar Celebration hosted by guitarist Bryan Sutton in partnership with the Blue Ridge Guitar Camp and Mountain Song Productions on June 3. The BMC Presents season would not be complete without the tradition of Béla Fleck’s Blue Ridge Banjo Concert, with Béla Fleck and over 110 banjos on stage, to close out the summer season on August 19. A wide variety of programs are planned, with more announcements expected soon! Chamber Music Highlights Prepare to be enchanted inside the intimate and elegant Parker Concert Hall. Highlights include Beethoven’s Archduke Trio, Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, Dvořák’s Serenade for Winds, Schubert’s String Quintet, Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, A Steinway Piano Celebration, and much more. BMC’s distinguished Artist Faculty will be joined by celebrated guest artists such as pianist Lara Downes, the Seraph Brass, the Jasper String Quartet, and violist Roberto Díaz. New World Encounters This season’s “festival within a festival,” is New World Encounters, which has been curated to explore the influences of American Jazz on some of the most important European composers of the 20th century. Part of the summer’s focus on Americana programming, New World Encounters uses music from the past and present to illuminate connections through the voices of a variety of composers: Igor Stravinsky, Paul Hindemith, Maurice Ravel, Woody Herman, and more. Multimedia program “New World Encounters,” designed and written by cultural historian Joseph Horowitz, will be an engaging highlight of the festival. The Weinstein Era Brevard Music Center celebrates the decade-long tenure of President & CEO Mark Weinstein, who is retiring at the end of 2023. Under Weinstein’s leadership, Brevard Music Center has achieved unprecedented growth in fundraising, infrastructure, curriculum, and programming. Critical building projects and renovations, a multitude of new programs, and a multi-genre roster of internationally acclaimed artists have cemented BMC’s reputation as a foremost, international treasure that is fortified by the warmth and support of the Brevard community. Join us as we celebrate Mark’s leadership and delight in this exceptional finale season. How to Get Tickets for BMC’s 2023 Summer Festival 2023 Price Freeze!: To help ease the sting of inflation everyone is feeling right now, BMC has decided to freeze all ticket prices this season in gratitude for its valued patrons. There will be no changes in pricing from last year! Tickets: Subscriptions to the 2023 Summer Festival are available with a variety of benefits including savings of up to 25% off single ticket prices, same seat benefits, advance access to popular programs, add-on discounts for guests, and more. The Golden Ticket Subscription provides the ultimate in reserved seats to all Symphony, Opera and Chamber Music Series performances and also includes BMC’s Opening Night and Season Finale— a full summer of musical inspiration with tickets to 35 concerts! Subscriptions may also be purchased to the Symphony Series (17 concerts), the Opera Series (4 concerts), or the Chamber Music Series (12 concerts). Flexible Subscription options like “Compose Your Own” and “Flex 6” provide the opportunity for you to curate your own custom series with as few or as many events as you want based on your schedule and musical preferences. On Sale Dates: Subscription sales and renewals begin February 6. Single ticket Donor Presale for all Brevard Music Center contributors of $150+ begins March 13. All single ticket sales to the general public will open on April 17. Complete details about the 2023 Summer Season is available at brevardmusic.org. 2022-23 Parker Concert Hall Series Parker Concert Hall is Brevard Music Center’s state-of-the-art, intimate 400-seat concert hall overlooking scenic Lake Milner. The new hall plays host to an 18-concert series from October through May featuring a varied lineup of classical, jazz, vocal, and fusion artists. The series continues Thursday, February 9, with the legendary folk singer Tom Rush accompanied by Matt Nakoa, Valentine Romance with award-winning British vocal ensemble Gesualdo Six on Thursday, February 16, singer-songwriters Woody Platt and Shannon Whitworth on Tuesday, February 28, St. Patrick’s Day revelry with Irish music icons Dervish on Tuesday, March 14, award-winning piano trio Sitkovetsky Trio on Thursday, March 30, cellist Benjamin Hughes in recital on Tuesday, April 18, Rodney Marsalis and the Philly Big Brass on Thursday, April 27, the renowned Barcelona Flamenco Ballet on Thursday, May 4, and Mostly Mozart at the Parker Concert Hall on Monday, May 15, part of the Asheville Amadeus Festival. Great seats remain for these performances; tickets are priced from $35. To find out more about the 2023 Summer Festival Season at Brevard Music Center and remaining 2022-23 Parker Concert Hall Series performances, please visit brevardmusic.org/tickets. You can also contact the BMC Box Office at (828) 862-2105 or at [email protected]. ABOUT BREVARD MUSIC CENTER | SUMMER INSTITUTE & FESTIVAL Founded in 1936, the Brevard Music Center stands as one of this country’s premier summer classical music training programs and festivals. Each summer, over 700 gifted students come to the Music Center from across the United States and around the world to study with a distinguished faculty and renowned guest artists. Brevard’s hallmark is the powerful sense of community that re-emerges each year as faculty and students present remarkable concerts and events to summer audiences.

Offered for BIPOC, LGTBQIA+, and individuals from other historically marginalized communities—the residency invites artists to present a three-week performance featuring the core elements of storytelling through art, collaboration, and exploration of the human condition.
Applications due April 30.

About the STORY/ARTS RESIDENCY

Story Parlor’s residencies exist to champion the creative work of locally-based artists and art groups hailing from BIPOC, LGTBQIA+, and other historically marginalized communities in the quest to amplify and bridge together the diverse fabric of voices in Asheville.

Specifically, the Story/Arts residency aims to provide a platform that showcases the transformative and healing powers of storytelling through all art mediums, while tending to the core values of Story Parlor’s mission, which include:

• Connecting audiences and artists from varying creative backgrounds and interests

• Informing, inspiring, and invigorating through the arts

• Promoting and fostering self-inquiry and mindfulness

• Cultivating creative exchange and cultural insight

• Fostering authenticity and inclusiveness

In addition to public performances and/or workshops, artists-in-residence receive dedicated rehearsal time in the space; an artist stipend; creativity coaching sessions; marketing and promotion; and more.

Applications for the 2023 summer residency are below and due no later than April 30, with preference given to applicants who cross disciplines, embrace collaboration, and present a residency proposal that embodies the core elements of storytelling through all art forms.

The City of Asheville is seeking feedback from businesses and residents on how we can curb the use of single-use plastics, particularly plastic bags and styrofoam foodware containers, in our community.

This short survey should take less than ten minutes to complete and will ask residents and businesses to share their experiences with these products, what actions they would like to see the City take and what kind of support would be necessary to reduce the consumption of these single-use plastic products.

The survey will remain open through April 30 and results will inform City Staff’s recommendation on next steps to City Council in October, 2023. Staff will also share results and any additional engagement opportunities with the community on the project page.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library® Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library impacts the pre­-literacy skills and school readiness of children under the age of 5 in Buncombe County. The program mails a new, free, age-appropriate book to registered children each month until they turn five years old. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library creates a home library of up to 60 books and instills a love of books and reading from an early age. If you have any questions about the program, please send an email to [email protected]. A national panel of educators selects the Imagination Library titles, which include: The Little Engine that Could, Last Stop on Market Street, Violet the Pilot, As an Oak Tree Grows, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Llama Llama Red Pajama, Look Out Kindergarten, here I come, and many more (take a look at all the titles). Register your child now! Program Launch and Expansions Literacy Together became a Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library affiliate in November 2015 with support from the Buncombe Partnership for Children. Through this program, registered children in Buncombe County receive a free book in the mail each month. Their parents also have the opportunity to attend workshops to learn how to build their children’s early literacy skills. Parents in need of literacy assistance are encouraged to receive tutoring through Literacy Together’s adult programming. The program served 200 children during the 2015/16 fiscal year. The program expanded to serve 400 children in July 2016, and 600 in August 2017. In July 2018, capacity increased to 1,900 thanks to a special allocation in the North Carolina state budget. We’re now serving 4,600 kids in Buncombe County.

Food Scraps Drop Off

The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County and the Natural Resources Defense Council, is offering a FREE Food Scrap Drop-Off program in two locations for all Buncombe County residents.  This organic matter will be collected and turned into good clean compost, keeping it OUT of our landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Register for Food Scraps Drop Off

Need a handy kitchen countertop food scrap bin?  Let us know on the registration form! We’ll be having bin giveaways at city and county facilities and would love to give you one.

Locations

Murphy Oakley Community Center and Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the east side of the parking lot

749 Fairview Road, Asheville

• • Dawn – Dusk

Stephens-Lee Recreation Center “Food Scrap Shed” next to the Community Garden on the North side of the parking lot

30 Washington Carver Avenue, Asheville

• • Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  • Sunday, 12 – 4 p.m.

West Asheville Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the south side of the building

942 Haywood Road, Asheville

• • Library open hours
  • Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center

    85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander

    • • Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
      • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 12:30 pm

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, in cooperation with the IRS, NC Department of Revenue, Buncombe County Library System, and Council on Aging, Inc. will offer free tax preparations for taxpayers of low and moderate income, with special attention to those aged 60 and older.

You will need an appointment to speak with a tax help aide. At your appointment, you can drop off your tax documents and you’ll be given another appointment in about 2 weeks to pick up your paperwork and completed tax form.

How it works

1. Pick up a tax record envelope and instructions at Black Mountain, West Asheville, Weaverville, or Pack Library during library hours.
2. Complete the Intake/Interview Booklet in your envelope by answering all questions. Then sign and date the last 3 pages.  Place all your tax forms and any information relating to your tax return in your envelope.
3. Make an appointment to drop off your Tax Record Envelope and meet with a Tax-Aide volunteer.

Schedule and appointments

Black Mountain Library

Mondays and Thursdays, appointments are available between 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

To make an appointment, either email [email protected] with your name and telephone number, or call (828) 669-8610 between 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday. An AARP volunteer will contact you to set up your appointment. You can pick up a tax packet at the library. At your appointment, a tax volunteer will check all documents and give you a follow-up appointment to pick up your completed tax return and documents.

Pack Memorial Library

Wednesdays, appointments are available between 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

To make an appointment on Wednesday at Pack Library, email [email protected] with your name and phone number. An AARP volunteer will contact you to set up your appointment. If you don’t have access to email, the staff at the library can email AARP for you. You can pick up your tax packet at the library. At your appointment, a tax volunteer will check all documents and give you a follow-up appointment to pick up your completed tax return and documents.

Saturdays, appointments are available between 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

To make an appointment for Saturday tax help at Pack Library, email [email protected]. At your appointment, a tax volunteer will check all documents and give you a follow-up appointment to pick up your completed tax return and documents. This tax help is provided by UNCA. Saturday tax help ends on April 1 and there will be no tax help on February 18.

Weaverville Library and Weaverville First Baptist Church

Thursdays, appointments are available between 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

To make an appointment for tax help at the Weaverville First Baptist Church email [email protected] with your name and telephone number OR call the Weaverville Library at 828-250-6482 with questions. If you don’t have access to email, the staff at the library can email AARP for you.  An AARP volunteer will contact you to set up your appointment at the Weaverville First Baptist Church. You can pick up your tax packet at the library. At your appointment, a tax volunteer will check all documents and give you a follow-up appointment to pick up your completed tax return and documents.

West Asheville Library

Tuesdays, appointments are available between 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

To make an appointment at the West Asheville Library email [email protected] with your name and telephone number. An AARP volunteer will contact you to set up your appointment. If you don’t have access to email, the staff at the library can email AARP for you. You can pick up your tax packet at the library. At your appointment, a tax volunteer will check all documents and give you a follow-up appointment to pick up your completed tax return and documents in 1 or 2 weeks.

Tax help will start on Feb. 1 and end on April 15.

Bring the following documents and tax forms to your tax help appointment. Photocopies are recommended:

• Photo ID / Driver License for Taxpayer and Spouse
• Social Security Cards for Taxpayer, Spouse and ALL dependents
• Prior year Federal and State tax return
• W-2 (Wages), W-2G (Gambling winnings)
• Amounts of Stimulus Payments you received (EIP-3, IRS Letter 6475)
• Amounts of Child Tax Credit Payment you received (IRS Letter 6419)
• SSA-1099 (Social Security Benefit Statement)
• 1099-R (Retirement), 1099-RRB (Railroad Retirement Benefits)
• 1099-Interest, 1099-Dividend, 1099-OID
• 1099-B (Brokerage Statement, Sale of Stocks and Bonds), 1099-Ks
• 1099-G (Unemployment and State refunds)
• 1099-NEC (Self-Employment), 1099-MISC, PLUS itemized list of expenses
• 1099-S (Sale of Home), 1099-C (Forgiveness of Credit Card Debt)
• 1098- Home Mortgage Interest and Real Estate Taxes
• 1099-T (Education Credits) PLUS Student Account Statement
• 1098-E (Student Loan Interest)
• 1099-SA and/or 5498-SA (HSA = Health Savings Account) PLUS itemized list of expenses
• 1095-A (Health Insurance – Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance Marketplace)
• Schedule K-1 (Form 1065)
• Any other documents or information relevant to preparation of the tax return
• Voided check for direct deposit of any refund to your checking / savings account

Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteers will be staffing the Helpline as indicated in the schedule below. You may send an email or leave a voicemail at any time and an Extension Master Gardener volunteer will respond during Garden Helpline hours. When emailing, please include a photo if it helps describe your garden question. Soil test kits can be picked up at the Extension office, 24/7. The kits are located in a box outside the front door.

Three ways to contact the Garden Helpline

Call 828-255-5522
Email questions and photos to [email protected]
Visit the Extension Office at 49 Mt. Carmel Road during Helpline hours, listed below.

Garden Helpline Hours

March – (starts March 6)
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

April through September:
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Wednesday 12:00 Noon – 2:00 p.m.
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

October – (ends October 26th) 
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

We are here to help and support you! Please contact us. We look forward to answering your gardening questions.