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.

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Saturday, February 3, 2024
Building Better Soil + Healthy Plants Workshop
Feb 3 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Fifth Season Gardening

Healthy plants start with healthy soil! In this workshop, learn the basics of how soil works, how to manage weeds with minimal tilling, and the important role of organic matter and diversity in the health and productivity of your soil. Join us to discover:

  • five guiding principles of good soil management
  • how to implement these principles for a thriving garden

We will be conducting hands-on soil sample tests and discussing how to read a soil report, along with many other useful soil health tips and tricks!

 

Workshop participants will receive 10% off on same-day purchases at Fifth Season Gardening Asheville.
Read more
Categories: Garden Garden Events
Kinēsa Workshop
Feb 3 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Happy Body

Fall in Love with Kinēsa
Discover Your Physical Body – reduce pain and create flexibility in the spine by understanding the language of your nervous system. Sensation and movement are essential when moving from discomfort and stiffness to pleasure and ease. This workshop will focus on lower back sensations working through the gifts of spinal twisting. Christina will explain how the pain loop can be interrupted with gentle and safe movements that direct your nervous system’s attention to healthier and organized functional movement patterns. A powerful movement lesson that can help assist in relieving back pain.

“Nothing is permanent about our behavior patterns except our belief that they are so.” – Moshe Feldenkrais

Read more
Categories: Health & Wellness
Promote Your Local Pollinators with Bee City
Feb 3 @ 3:30 pm
Swannanoa Library

 

This winter and spring join us for an introduction to pollinators presented by Bee City USA Asheville. Pollinators are under threat, but there’s plenty we can do to help right in our backyards.

We’ll talk about:

  • What is pollination
  • The importance of pollination
  • Pollinators & their identification
  • The importance of pollinator habitat

The presenter for this program will be Athena Rayne Anderson who holds PhD in Ecology with a focus on native pollinators. Athena is also a Certified Pollinator Steward through the Pollinator Partnership and works with Bee City USA Asheville to promote the value of native pollinator plants.

Our pollinator programs will be:

Fairview Library
Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 3:30 p.m.

Swannanoa Library
Saturday, Feb. 3 at 3:30 p.m.

Leicester Library
Saturday, April 13 at 2 p.m.

Skyland/South Buncombe Library
Tuesday, May 14 at 6 p.m.

These programs are free, and everyone is invited.

Read more
Categories: Community Family Fun Garden Garden Events
Sunday, February 4, 2024
2024 West Asheville Garden Stroll Seed Money Grant
Feb 4 all-day
online

Are you involved in a community-oriented gardening project in West Asheville that needs some extra resources? Or have you been dreaming of a great project that just needs some cash to become a reality? Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, WAGS has awarded Seed Grants annually since 2014.  We support projects that deepen horticultural & environmental awareness and education, encourage creative landscaping, &/or contribute to the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, such as boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens, schools, etc.

Seed Money Grants

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, WAGS offers annual grants for gardening projects, between $100 and $1000 per grant.
The grants are intended to deepen horticultural & environmental awareness and education, encourage creative landscaping, & contribute to the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, including boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens, schools, etc. To be eligible, the following stipulations apply:
· Proposed projects must be submitted by an individual living in West Asheville or by a community group such as a non-profit working in West Asheville, a neighbor collaboration, a faith community, a school, a business, a youth group, etc.
· Proposed projects must be community-oriented (not for individual home projects) & accessible to the public.
· Proposed projects must take place in the area bounded by Patton Avenue/Smokey Park Highway, I-40, & the French Broad River.
We encourage native plantings that support pollinators. (Bee City USA-Asheville has helpful information at https://www.ashevillegreenworks.org/native-pollinator…)
Grant applications are due on February 18. Applicants will be notified by March 18 and a simple report about the project (with in-process and final outcome photos) is due August 15. Grantees must be willing to allow use of photos and project descriptions in WAGS publicity materials.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for a Seed Grant, go to https://form.jotform.com/223385924338059, fill out the form and submit it. Note that the form allows you to attach documents such as a project description, budget, and letters of support.

Please email us at [email protected] if you have difficulty with the application or need assistance in completing it.

Read more
Categories: Garden Grants
School Garden Grants
Feb 4 all-day
online

Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County are happy to announce for the seventeenth year we are offering School Garden Grants to Asheville City and Buncombe County public schools, including state charter schools.

We provide a notice of the application period along with instructions to all school principals, elementary through senior high. Additional information is available on our website, buncombemastergardener.org where you can learn more about the guidelines for receiving a grant and get access to the online 2024 School Garden Grants Application.

All applications must be completed online. Completed applications will be accepted beginning January 12, 2024, and must be submitted no later than 9 p.m. on February 15, 2024. If you have any questions, please call the Extension Office at 828-255-5522.

We are proud of our partnership with Asheville City and Buncombe County public schools. Since 2007, we have awarded 60 School Garden Grants totaling over $47,000. These grants have involved more than 17,500 students and hundreds of teachers, parents, and community volunteers.

School gardens grow more than plants. They grow imagination and creativity. They make math and science come alive, and they build community. We hope your school will join us in 2024.

Click on the link below to review the guidelines for school garden grants:
Guidelines for 2024 School Garden Grants

 

Read more
Categories: Community Education Garden Grants
Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display
Feb 4 @ 8:30 am
Biltmore Estate

Included with admission

Embark on a scenic journey across George Vanderbilt’s Italy with a large-scale outdoor display that combines brilliant botanical designs with authentic messages written by Vanderbilt himself.

Beautifully handcrafted of natural elements, each sculptural postcard depicts a location or landmark Vanderbilt visited more than a century ago. This captivating complement to Biltmore’s Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition reveals Vanderbilt’s passions for travel, culture, architecture, and art as well as his personal experience of such renowned Italian cities as Milan, Florence, Venice, Pisa, and Vatican City.

Adding to the charm and visual appeal of Ciao! From Italy—sure to be a hit among kids of all ages—is the G-scale model train that travels in and out of each postcard in this enlightening display!

Read more
Categories: Art & Craft Family Fun Garden Outdoors
Indoor Tropical Bonsai Display
Feb 4 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Garden
Monday, February 5, 2024
2024 West Asheville Garden Stroll Seed Money Grant
Feb 5 all-day
online

Are you involved in a community-oriented gardening project in West Asheville that needs some extra resources? Or have you been dreaming of a great project that just needs some cash to become a reality? Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, WAGS has awarded Seed Grants annually since 2014.  We support projects that deepen horticultural & environmental awareness and education, encourage creative landscaping, &/or contribute to the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, such as boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens, schools, etc.

Seed Money Grants

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, WAGS offers annual grants for gardening projects, between $100 and $1000 per grant.
The grants are intended to deepen horticultural & environmental awareness and education, encourage creative landscaping, & contribute to the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, including boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens, schools, etc. To be eligible, the following stipulations apply:
· Proposed projects must be submitted by an individual living in West Asheville or by a community group such as a non-profit working in West Asheville, a neighbor collaboration, a faith community, a school, a business, a youth group, etc.
· Proposed projects must be community-oriented (not for individual home projects) & accessible to the public.
· Proposed projects must take place in the area bounded by Patton Avenue/Smokey Park Highway, I-40, & the French Broad River.
We encourage native plantings that support pollinators. (Bee City USA-Asheville has helpful information at https://www.ashevillegreenworks.org/native-pollinator…)
Grant applications are due on February 18. Applicants will be notified by March 18 and a simple report about the project (with in-process and final outcome photos) is due August 15. Grantees must be willing to allow use of photos and project descriptions in WAGS publicity materials.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for a Seed Grant, go to https://form.jotform.com/223385924338059, fill out the form and submit it. Note that the form allows you to attach documents such as a project description, budget, and letters of support.

Please email us at [email protected] if you have difficulty with the application or need assistance in completing it.

Read more
Categories: Garden Grants
Growing Minds: “I Tried Local…” free virtual toolkit
Feb 5 all-day
online

Growing Minds has published “I Tried Local…” a Toolkit for Engaging Kids with Local Food and Farms. This resource—intended for early care and education through second grade classrooms—offers an immersive curriculum designed around 10 crops grown in North Carolina. The print toolkit is currently available to educators in North Carolina who participate in a virtual training with Growing Minds. A free digital version is also available to anyone on the Growing Minds website.

Each unit includes an overview of a North Carolina–grown crop, lesson plans, recipes, coloring pages, book recommendations, discussion prompts, and a link to the “Meet Your Farmer” video series featuring North Carolina farmers. The toolkit also offers resources for implementing the core elements of farm to school—gardens, classroom cooking and taste tests, farm field trips and farmer visits, and local foods in meals or snacks.
Growing Minds will host a series of virtual training to support educators interested in using the toolkit. The first will be held on Zoom on Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Register here or contact [email protected] for more information.
Read more
Categories: Community Education Family Fun Garden
School Garden Grants
Feb 5 all-day
online

Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County are happy to announce for the seventeenth year we are offering School Garden Grants to Asheville City and Buncombe County public schools, including state charter schools.

We provide a notice of the application period along with instructions to all school principals, elementary through senior high. Additional information is available on our website, buncombemastergardener.org where you can learn more about the guidelines for receiving a grant and get access to the online 2024 School Garden Grants Application.

All applications must be completed online. Completed applications will be accepted beginning January 12, 2024, and must be submitted no later than 9 p.m. on February 15, 2024. If you have any questions, please call the Extension Office at 828-255-5522.

We are proud of our partnership with Asheville City and Buncombe County public schools. Since 2007, we have awarded 60 School Garden Grants totaling over $47,000. These grants have involved more than 17,500 students and hundreds of teachers, parents, and community volunteers.

School gardens grow more than plants. They grow imagination and creativity. They make math and science come alive, and they build community. We hope your school will join us in 2024.

Click on the link below to review the guidelines for school garden grants:
Guidelines for 2024 School Garden Grants

 

Read more
Categories: Community Education Garden Grants
Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display
Feb 5 @ 8:30 am
Biltmore Estate

Included with admission

Embark on a scenic journey across George Vanderbilt’s Italy with a large-scale outdoor display that combines brilliant botanical designs with authentic messages written by Vanderbilt himself.

Beautifully handcrafted of natural elements, each sculptural postcard depicts a location or landmark Vanderbilt visited more than a century ago. This captivating complement to Biltmore’s Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition reveals Vanderbilt’s passions for travel, culture, architecture, and art as well as his personal experience of such renowned Italian cities as Milan, Florence, Venice, Pisa, and Vatican City.

Adding to the charm and visual appeal of Ciao! From Italy—sure to be a hit among kids of all ages—is the G-scale model train that travels in and out of each postcard in this enlightening display!

Read more
Categories: Art & Craft Family Fun Garden Outdoors
Indoor Tropical Bonsai Display
Feb 5 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Garden
Dementia Partners Support Group
Feb 5 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Asheville YMCA

Join us for the Dementia Partners support group with Dementia Partners AVL. This group meets on the first Monday of every month from 6-7 p.m.

This event is free and open to everyone in the community.

Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
2024 West Asheville Garden Stroll Seed Money Grant
Feb 6 all-day
online

Are you involved in a community-oriented gardening project in West Asheville that needs some extra resources? Or have you been dreaming of a great project that just needs some cash to become a reality? Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, WAGS has awarded Seed Grants annually since 2014.  We support projects that deepen horticultural & environmental awareness and education, encourage creative landscaping, &/or contribute to the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, such as boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens, schools, etc.

Seed Money Grants

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, WAGS offers annual grants for gardening projects, between $100 and $1000 per grant.
The grants are intended to deepen horticultural & environmental awareness and education, encourage creative landscaping, & contribute to the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, including boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens, schools, etc. To be eligible, the following stipulations apply:
· Proposed projects must be submitted by an individual living in West Asheville or by a community group such as a non-profit working in West Asheville, a neighbor collaboration, a faith community, a school, a business, a youth group, etc.
· Proposed projects must be community-oriented (not for individual home projects) & accessible to the public.
· Proposed projects must take place in the area bounded by Patton Avenue/Smokey Park Highway, I-40, & the French Broad River.
We encourage native plantings that support pollinators. (Bee City USA-Asheville has helpful information at https://www.ashevillegreenworks.org/native-pollinator…)
Grant applications are due on February 18. Applicants will be notified by March 18 and a simple report about the project (with in-process and final outcome photos) is due August 15. Grantees must be willing to allow use of photos and project descriptions in WAGS publicity materials.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for a Seed Grant, go to https://form.jotform.com/223385924338059, fill out the form and submit it. Note that the form allows you to attach documents such as a project description, budget, and letters of support.

Please email us at [email protected] if you have difficulty with the application or need assistance in completing it.

Read more
Categories: Garden Grants
Free Acupuncture Sessions
Feb 6 all-day
YWCA of Asheville

Thanks to YWCA member Megan Smith, we are partnering with Affordable Acupuncture Asheville to offer a great benefit to our YWCA community. We will offer free 10 minute ear acupuncture sessions Tuesday evenings in February. Megan, one of the co-owners of Affordable Acupuncture Asheville, will be the main facilitator of these sessions. Sessions will be free to both members and non-members. Pre-registration is not required; just come in and sign up for a 10 minute time slot the day-of. The sign up sheet will be in the fitness studio, and sessions are first-come first-serve.
Read more
Categories: Health & Wellness
Growing Minds: “I Tried Local…” free virtual toolkit
Feb 6 all-day
online

Growing Minds has published “I Tried Local…” a Toolkit for Engaging Kids with Local Food and Farms. This resource—intended for early care and education through second grade classrooms—offers an immersive curriculum designed around 10 crops grown in North Carolina. The print toolkit is currently available to educators in North Carolina who participate in a virtual training with Growing Minds. A free digital version is also available to anyone on the Growing Minds website.

Each unit includes an overview of a North Carolina–grown crop, lesson plans, recipes, coloring pages, book recommendations, discussion prompts, and a link to the “Meet Your Farmer” video series featuring North Carolina farmers. The toolkit also offers resources for implementing the core elements of farm to school—gardens, classroom cooking and taste tests, farm field trips and farmer visits, and local foods in meals or snacks.
Growing Minds will host a series of virtual training to support educators interested in using the toolkit. The first will be held on Zoom on Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Register here or contact [email protected] for more information.
Read more
Categories: Community Education Family Fun Garden
School Garden Grants
Feb 6 all-day
online

Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County are happy to announce for the seventeenth year we are offering School Garden Grants to Asheville City and Buncombe County public schools, including state charter schools.

We provide a notice of the application period along with instructions to all school principals, elementary through senior high. Additional information is available on our website, buncombemastergardener.org where you can learn more about the guidelines for receiving a grant and get access to the online 2024 School Garden Grants Application.

All applications must be completed online. Completed applications will be accepted beginning January 12, 2024, and must be submitted no later than 9 p.m. on February 15, 2024. If you have any questions, please call the Extension Office at 828-255-5522.

We are proud of our partnership with Asheville City and Buncombe County public schools. Since 2007, we have awarded 60 School Garden Grants totaling over $47,000. These grants have involved more than 17,500 students and hundreds of teachers, parents, and community volunteers.

School gardens grow more than plants. They grow imagination and creativity. They make math and science come alive, and they build community. We hope your school will join us in 2024.

Click on the link below to review the guidelines for school garden grants:
Guidelines for 2024 School Garden Grants

 

Read more
Categories: Community Education Garden Grants
Growing Minds Farm to School Mini-Grant
Feb 6 @ 6:30 am
online
ASAP’s Growing Minds mini-grants help early childhood education (ECE) centers and K-12 schools throughout the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina provide children positive experiences with healthy local foods through these components of farm to school: school gardens, farm field trips and farmer classroom visits, and local foods served in meals, snacks, and/or taste tests.

Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding. 

Applications due by:

  • November 30, 2023
  • January 30, 2024
  • March 30, 2024

If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year. Learn more and apply here!

Read more
Categories: Community Education Garden Grants
Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display
Feb 6 @ 8:30 am
Biltmore Estate

Included with admission

Embark on a scenic journey across George Vanderbilt’s Italy with a large-scale outdoor display that combines brilliant botanical designs with authentic messages written by Vanderbilt himself.

Beautifully handcrafted of natural elements, each sculptural postcard depicts a location or landmark Vanderbilt visited more than a century ago. This captivating complement to Biltmore’s Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition reveals Vanderbilt’s passions for travel, culture, architecture, and art as well as his personal experience of such renowned Italian cities as Milan, Florence, Venice, Pisa, and Vatican City.

Adding to the charm and visual appeal of Ciao! From Italy—sure to be a hit among kids of all ages—is the G-scale model train that travels in and out of each postcard in this enlightening display!

Read more
Categories: Art & Craft Family Fun Garden Outdoors
Indoor Tropical Bonsai Display
Feb 6 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Garden
Parkinson’s Support Group
Feb 6 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Groce United Methodist Church

Lisa Laney’s 35 year career in medical social work, has included home health care social worker in WNC, a Palliative Care social worker, and currently her private practice of Care Management, Mountain Area Premier Care Navigation, which opened in 2014. Three years later she co-founded Choice Care Your Way, a caregiver registry, which helps match high quality caregivers to clients in need.
Although you may not need Lisa’s services now, knowing what resources are available, and how to find them should the need arise, provides peace of mind. If you have a question you would Lisa to answer, please submit it through the Parkinson’s Support group email in advance: [email protected].

Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
2024 West Asheville Garden Stroll Seed Money Grant
Feb 7 all-day
online

Are you involved in a community-oriented gardening project in West Asheville that needs some extra resources? Or have you been dreaming of a great project that just needs some cash to become a reality? Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, WAGS has awarded Seed Grants annually since 2014.  We support projects that deepen horticultural & environmental awareness and education, encourage creative landscaping, &/or contribute to the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, such as boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens, schools, etc.

Seed Money Grants

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, WAGS offers annual grants for gardening projects, between $100 and $1000 per grant.
The grants are intended to deepen horticultural & environmental awareness and education, encourage creative landscaping, & contribute to the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, including boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens, schools, etc. To be eligible, the following stipulations apply:
· Proposed projects must be submitted by an individual living in West Asheville or by a community group such as a non-profit working in West Asheville, a neighbor collaboration, a faith community, a school, a business, a youth group, etc.
· Proposed projects must be community-oriented (not for individual home projects) & accessible to the public.
· Proposed projects must take place in the area bounded by Patton Avenue/Smokey Park Highway, I-40, & the French Broad River.
We encourage native plantings that support pollinators. (Bee City USA-Asheville has helpful information at https://www.ashevillegreenworks.org/native-pollinator…)
Grant applications are due on February 18. Applicants will be notified by March 18 and a simple report about the project (with in-process and final outcome photos) is due August 15. Grantees must be willing to allow use of photos and project descriptions in WAGS publicity materials.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for a Seed Grant, go to https://form.jotform.com/223385924338059, fill out the form and submit it. Note that the form allows you to attach documents such as a project description, budget, and letters of support.

Please email us at [email protected] if you have difficulty with the application or need assistance in completing it.

Read more
Categories: Garden Grants
Growing Minds: “I Tried Local…” free virtual toolkit
Feb 7 all-day
online

Growing Minds has published “I Tried Local…” a Toolkit for Engaging Kids with Local Food and Farms. This resource—intended for early care and education through second grade classrooms—offers an immersive curriculum designed around 10 crops grown in North Carolina. The print toolkit is currently available to educators in North Carolina who participate in a virtual training with Growing Minds. A free digital version is also available to anyone on the Growing Minds website.

Each unit includes an overview of a North Carolina–grown crop, lesson plans, recipes, coloring pages, book recommendations, discussion prompts, and a link to the “Meet Your Farmer” video series featuring North Carolina farmers. The toolkit also offers resources for implementing the core elements of farm to school—gardens, classroom cooking and taste tests, farm field trips and farmer visits, and local foods in meals or snacks.
Growing Minds will host a series of virtual training to support educators interested in using the toolkit. The first will be held on Zoom on Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Register here or contact [email protected] for more information.
Read more
Categories: Community Education Family Fun Garden
School Garden Grants
Feb 7 all-day
online

Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County are happy to announce for the seventeenth year we are offering School Garden Grants to Asheville City and Buncombe County public schools, including state charter schools.

We provide a notice of the application period along with instructions to all school principals, elementary through senior high. Additional information is available on our website, buncombemastergardener.org where you can learn more about the guidelines for receiving a grant and get access to the online 2024 School Garden Grants Application.

All applications must be completed online. Completed applications will be accepted beginning January 12, 2024, and must be submitted no later than 9 p.m. on February 15, 2024. If you have any questions, please call the Extension Office at 828-255-5522.

We are proud of our partnership with Asheville City and Buncombe County public schools. Since 2007, we have awarded 60 School Garden Grants totaling over $47,000. These grants have involved more than 17,500 students and hundreds of teachers, parents, and community volunteers.

School gardens grow more than plants. They grow imagination and creativity. They make math and science come alive, and they build community. We hope your school will join us in 2024.

Click on the link below to review the guidelines for school garden grants:
Guidelines for 2024 School Garden Grants

 

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Categories: Community Education Garden Grants
Growing Minds Farm to School Mini-Grant
Feb 7 @ 6:30 am
online
ASAP’s Growing Minds mini-grants help early childhood education (ECE) centers and K-12 schools throughout the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina provide children positive experiences with healthy local foods through these components of farm to school: school gardens, farm field trips and farmer classroom visits, and local foods served in meals, snacks, and/or taste tests.

Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding. 

Applications due by:

  • November 30, 2023
  • January 30, 2024
  • March 30, 2024

If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year. Learn more and apply here!

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Categories: Community Education Garden Grants
Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display
Feb 7 @ 8:30 am
Biltmore Estate

Included with admission

Embark on a scenic journey across George Vanderbilt’s Italy with a large-scale outdoor display that combines brilliant botanical designs with authentic messages written by Vanderbilt himself.

Beautifully handcrafted of natural elements, each sculptural postcard depicts a location or landmark Vanderbilt visited more than a century ago. This captivating complement to Biltmore’s Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition reveals Vanderbilt’s passions for travel, culture, architecture, and art as well as his personal experience of such renowned Italian cities as Milan, Florence, Venice, Pisa, and Vatican City.

Adding to the charm and visual appeal of Ciao! From Italy—sure to be a hit among kids of all ages—is the G-scale model train that travels in and out of each postcard in this enlightening display!

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Categories: Art & Craft Family Fun Garden Outdoors
Indoor Tropical Bonsai Display
Feb 7 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

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Categories: Garden
Energetic and Spiritual Defense Workshop
Feb 7 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Skinny Beats

Event Details
Energetic & Spiritual Defense Workshop

Embark on a transformative journey with our immersive workshop where the mystical meets the practical and you discover the art of fortifying your energy and spirit. Join us for a captivating experience that goes beyond the ordinary as we delve into the secrets of energetic and spiritual defense.

This workshop isn’t just about defense; it’s about empowerment. Elevate your energetic awareness strengthen your spiritual foundation and step into a life where you navigate the world with confidence and resilience. Join us for an unforgettable experience that transcends the ordinary—where your energy becomes your greatest ally. Embrace the extraordinary within and let the journey begin!

Course Information: This event will host a maximum of 20 attendees and will be part a 3 part series. To participate with Series 2 and 3 all attendees must attend the first Series 1.

Who Is This Workshop For?
This class is for people who have already been on a path of study of energy spirituality consciousness. This is not a beginners class.
These classes are for participants who are familiar or comfortable in with working in the energetic or spiritual realms.
Energetically or spiritually sensitive people who are seeking tools on how to manage and defend against challenging situations and relationships.
People who want to create energetic and spiritual shelters to staff off harmful collective patterns and intrusive energies.
Frontline high stress pressured public facing work environments that cause energetic and spiritual exhaustion.
Challenging interpersonal or family dynamics that cause energetic or spiritual drop outs.

Dynamics We Will Cover
Emotional and Energetic Dumping
Energetic Powerlessness In Conflict
Energetic & Spiritual Boundary Crossing
Money & Relationship Interference​
Managing Challenging Dynamics With Others Who Are: Badgering Guilt Ridden Demanding Entitled Dominant and Abusive

What Participants Will Understanding Energetic Boundaries​​
Mindfulness Practices​
Energy Management Tools​​
Visualization Techniques:​​
Identifying and Clearing Negative Energies:​​
Creating Your Sacred Space​​
Practical Applications in Daily Life​
Group Energetic Dynamics​​
Self-Care and Energetic Hygiene​
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* Classes are limited to 20 participants per class. Please arrive no later than @ 5:50 to get settled and ready for a fast moving and exciting class. Teaching will begin at 6:00 sharp!. Short breaks are given to help participants process the information and solidify these teachings.

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Categories: Community Health & Wellness Spiritual Workshops
Thursday, February 8, 2024
2024 West Asheville Garden Stroll Seed Money Grant
Feb 8 all-day
online

Are you involved in a community-oriented gardening project in West Asheville that needs some extra resources? Or have you been dreaming of a great project that just needs some cash to become a reality? Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, WAGS has awarded Seed Grants annually since 2014.  We support projects that deepen horticultural & environmental awareness and education, encourage creative landscaping, &/or contribute to the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, such as boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens, schools, etc.

Seed Money Grants

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, WAGS offers annual grants for gardening projects, between $100 and $1000 per grant.
The grants are intended to deepen horticultural & environmental awareness and education, encourage creative landscaping, & contribute to the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, including boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens, schools, etc. To be eligible, the following stipulations apply:
· Proposed projects must be submitted by an individual living in West Asheville or by a community group such as a non-profit working in West Asheville, a neighbor collaboration, a faith community, a school, a business, a youth group, etc.
· Proposed projects must be community-oriented (not for individual home projects) & accessible to the public.
· Proposed projects must take place in the area bounded by Patton Avenue/Smokey Park Highway, I-40, & the French Broad River.
We encourage native plantings that support pollinators. (Bee City USA-Asheville has helpful information at https://www.ashevillegreenworks.org/native-pollinator…)
Grant applications are due on February 18. Applicants will be notified by March 18 and a simple report about the project (with in-process and final outcome photos) is due August 15. Grantees must be willing to allow use of photos and project descriptions in WAGS publicity materials.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for a Seed Grant, go to https://form.jotform.com/223385924338059, fill out the form and submit it. Note that the form allows you to attach documents such as a project description, budget, and letters of support.

Please email us at [email protected] if you have difficulty with the application or need assistance in completing it.

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Categories: Garden Grants
Growing Minds: “I Tried Local…” free virtual toolkit
Feb 8 all-day
online

Growing Minds has published “I Tried Local…” a Toolkit for Engaging Kids with Local Food and Farms. This resource—intended for early care and education through second grade classrooms—offers an immersive curriculum designed around 10 crops grown in North Carolina. The print toolkit is currently available to educators in North Carolina who participate in a virtual training with Growing Minds. A free digital version is also available to anyone on the Growing Minds website.

Each unit includes an overview of a North Carolina–grown crop, lesson plans, recipes, coloring pages, book recommendations, discussion prompts, and a link to the “Meet Your Farmer” video series featuring North Carolina farmers. The toolkit also offers resources for implementing the core elements of farm to school—gardens, classroom cooking and taste tests, farm field trips and farmer visits, and local foods in meals or snacks.
Growing Minds will host a series of virtual training to support educators interested in using the toolkit. The first will be held on Zoom on Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Register here or contact [email protected] for more information.
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Categories: Community Education Family Fun Garden