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.
Soul on Fire: A Celebration of Heritage through Art, Culture & Music is an evening dedicated to offering a new narrative to the community about the power of one individual to make change, forge community connections, and support youth…all through the power of arts + culture. Join adé PROJECT and friends for an Opening Reception to “My Soul Looks Back”, an art exhibit featuring the collected works of Mrs. Shirley Whitesides from over nearly 50 years. And then, dance the night away with Free Flow Band, enter into a raffle or silent auction for great prizes, or sign up for the opportunity to get a one-of-a-kind tattoo from Miya Bailey, a former student of Mrs. Shirley Whitesides, and nationally known artist. Here is an idea of the event agenda:
– 5pm – Doors open for RECEPTION
– 5:30-6:30pm – “My Soul Looks Back”, an exhibit by Mrs. Shirley Whitesides, Opening Reception, sponsored by AB-Tech
– 6:30pm – Doors open for DANCE
– 7pm – The story of Delta House Jazz Band
– 7:05pm – Welcome Address – Lakesha McDay, Dogwood Trust
– 7:15pm – Free Flow Band
– 9pm – Intermission Address – Mrs. Shirley Whitesides, Delta House Life Development + Miya Bailey, City of Ink
– 9:15pm – Free Flow Band
– 11pm – Event concludes
In addition to all of the art and artistic experiences, there will be delicious food, beer + wine and the promise of community connections from past, present, and future!

Have you ever wanted to explore a museum after dark? Maybe with some great food and dancing in the mix? The After-Hours Party is for you! The night will feature live entertainment from Crocodile Smile, a bar with local beverages, and amazing food from local chefs. Come dance the night away in the new, art-filled Windgate Foundation Atrium!

About This Trip
Over 90,000 guests rode THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2018 and we hope to see you in 2019! The 1¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ begins November 8, 2019, and operates through December 31, 2019.
.png)
The Buncombe County Public Library system is supporting Asheville writers during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) by offering quiet writing spaces, raffle prizes, and a NaNoWriMo NoMo’ party in early December.
NaNoWriMo is a writing challenge to write 50,000 words of a novel during the thirty days of November. It began in 1999 and is supported by an international nonprofit organization of the same name.
The Black Mountain Library, Leicester Library, Pack Library, North Asheville Library, South Buncombe Library, and West Asheville Library will all be offering quiet spaces for writers to work on their 50,000 word count goal throughout the month. Some branches will offer tea, coffee and snacks as well. The Pack Library Youth Services department will host a Teen Writer’s Café every Friday afternoon. “We wanted to have a space at a library in the county every day where a writer could come plug in their laptop or pull out their notebook and chip away at their word count with no interruptions,” Anna Booraem, Branch Manager of the South Buncombe Library, says.
Each time a writer comes to one of the library writing spaces to work on their novel in November, they will be entered into a raffle for prizes to be given away at the NanoWrimo NoMo’ party. The raffle prizes will include treats from local businesses, including Dynamite Coffee, as well as some official NaNoWriMo swag.
The NaNoWriMo NoMo’ party will be held at the Lord Auditorium in the Pack Library on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 2-3:30 pm. The party is for any writer who participated in NaNoWriMo. There will be food, activities and opportunities to meet other writers, as well as a “micro mic” that will give each writer a chance to read one paragraph from their novel to the group.

Community Box Partner
Each month, we are honored to be a community partner to a local non-profit that is working to make Asheville a better place. Over the past year we have supported the following non-profits who are making a difference in our community: Pisgah Legal Services, Mountain Child Advocacy Center, Asheville City Schools Foundation, Helpmate, The Montford Players, Asheville Choral Society, Asheville Symphony, BeLoved, Food Connection, The Montford Neighborhood Association, Immediate Theatre Project, The Asheville Humane Society, Western North Carolina Aids Project, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
Great food in Montford and when diners leave donations for the Literacy Council, Chiesa will match up to $500!
Chiesa (Italian for church) is a quaint Italian restaurant featuring generations of family recipes, house-made pasta, and local ingredients. Located in the historic Montford neighborhood, Chiesa (pronounced kee-ay-sa) is housed in a building that has been at the center of the community for over one hundred years, serving as the local grocery store, then as a church, and since 2014, the neighborhood Italian restaurant. Our friendly staff welcomes all guests as family, providing a warm and comfortable atmosphere for both inside and patio dining (when weather permits).

About This Trip
Over 90,000 guests rode THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2018 and we hope to see you in 2019! The 1¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ begins November 8, 2019, and operates through December 31, 2019.
.png)
The Buncombe County Public Library system is supporting Asheville writers during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) by offering quiet writing spaces, raffle prizes, and a NaNoWriMo NoMo’ party in early December.
NaNoWriMo is a writing challenge to write 50,000 words of a novel during the thirty days of November. It began in 1999 and is supported by an international nonprofit organization of the same name.
The Black Mountain Library, Leicester Library, Pack Library, North Asheville Library, South Buncombe Library, and West Asheville Library will all be offering quiet spaces for writers to work on their 50,000 word count goal throughout the month. Some branches will offer tea, coffee and snacks as well. The Pack Library Youth Services department will host a Teen Writer’s Café every Friday afternoon. “We wanted to have a space at a library in the county every day where a writer could come plug in their laptop or pull out their notebook and chip away at their word count with no interruptions,” Anna Booraem, Branch Manager of the South Buncombe Library, says.
Each time a writer comes to one of the library writing spaces to work on their novel in November, they will be entered into a raffle for prizes to be given away at the NanoWrimo NoMo’ party. The raffle prizes will include treats from local businesses, including Dynamite Coffee, as well as some official NaNoWriMo swag.
The NaNoWriMo NoMo’ party will be held at the Lord Auditorium in the Pack Library on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 2-3:30 pm. The party is for any writer who participated in NaNoWriMo. There will be food, activities and opportunities to meet other writers, as well as a “micro mic” that will give each writer a chance to read one paragraph from their novel to the group.

Community Box Partner
Each month, we are honored to be a community partner to a local non-profit that is working to make Asheville a better place. Over the past year we have supported the following non-profits who are making a difference in our community: Pisgah Legal Services, Mountain Child Advocacy Center, Asheville City Schools Foundation, Helpmate, The Montford Players, Asheville Choral Society, Asheville Symphony, BeLoved, Food Connection, The Montford Neighborhood Association, Immediate Theatre Project, The Asheville Humane Society, Western North Carolina Aids Project, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
Great food in Montford and when diners leave donations for the Literacy Council, Chiesa will match up to $500!
Chiesa (Italian for church) is a quaint Italian restaurant featuring generations of family recipes, house-made pasta, and local ingredients. Located in the historic Montford neighborhood, Chiesa (pronounced kee-ay-sa) is housed in a building that has been at the center of the community for over one hundred years, serving as the local grocery store, then as a church, and since 2014, the neighborhood Italian restaurant. Our friendly staff welcomes all guests as family, providing a warm and comfortable atmosphere for both inside and patio dining (when weather permits).

About This Trip
Over 90,000 guests rode THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2018 and we hope to see you in 2019! The 1¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ begins November 8, 2019, and operates through December 31, 2019.
.png)
The Buncombe County Public Library system is supporting Asheville writers during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) by offering quiet writing spaces, raffle prizes, and a NaNoWriMo NoMo’ party in early December.
NaNoWriMo is a writing challenge to write 50,000 words of a novel during the thirty days of November. It began in 1999 and is supported by an international nonprofit organization of the same name.
The Black Mountain Library, Leicester Library, Pack Library, North Asheville Library, South Buncombe Library, and West Asheville Library will all be offering quiet spaces for writers to work on their 50,000 word count goal throughout the month. Some branches will offer tea, coffee and snacks as well. The Pack Library Youth Services department will host a Teen Writer’s Café every Friday afternoon. “We wanted to have a space at a library in the county every day where a writer could come plug in their laptop or pull out their notebook and chip away at their word count with no interruptions,” Anna Booraem, Branch Manager of the South Buncombe Library, says.
Each time a writer comes to one of the library writing spaces to work on their novel in November, they will be entered into a raffle for prizes to be given away at the NanoWrimo NoMo’ party. The raffle prizes will include treats from local businesses, including Dynamite Coffee, as well as some official NaNoWriMo swag.
The NaNoWriMo NoMo’ party will be held at the Lord Auditorium in the Pack Library on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 2-3:30 pm. The party is for any writer who participated in NaNoWriMo. There will be food, activities and opportunities to meet other writers, as well as a “micro mic” that will give each writer a chance to read one paragraph from their novel to the group.

Community Box Partner
Each month, we are honored to be a community partner to a local non-profit that is working to make Asheville a better place. Over the past year we have supported the following non-profits who are making a difference in our community: Pisgah Legal Services, Mountain Child Advocacy Center, Asheville City Schools Foundation, Helpmate, The Montford Players, Asheville Choral Society, Asheville Symphony, BeLoved, Food Connection, The Montford Neighborhood Association, Immediate Theatre Project, The Asheville Humane Society, Western North Carolina Aids Project, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
Great food in Montford and when diners leave donations for the Literacy Council, Chiesa will match up to $500!
Chiesa (Italian for church) is a quaint Italian restaurant featuring generations of family recipes, house-made pasta, and local ingredients. Located in the historic Montford neighborhood, Chiesa (pronounced kee-ay-sa) is housed in a building that has been at the center of the community for over one hundred years, serving as the local grocery store, then as a church, and since 2014, the neighborhood Italian restaurant. Our friendly staff welcomes all guests as family, providing a warm and comfortable atmosphere for both inside and patio dining (when weather permits).

About This Trip
Over 90,000 guests rode THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2018 and we hope to see you in 2019! The 1¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ begins November 8, 2019, and operates through December 31, 2019.
.png)
The Buncombe County Public Library system is supporting Asheville writers during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) by offering quiet writing spaces, raffle prizes, and a NaNoWriMo NoMo’ party in early December.
NaNoWriMo is a writing challenge to write 50,000 words of a novel during the thirty days of November. It began in 1999 and is supported by an international nonprofit organization of the same name.
The Black Mountain Library, Leicester Library, Pack Library, North Asheville Library, South Buncombe Library, and West Asheville Library will all be offering quiet spaces for writers to work on their 50,000 word count goal throughout the month. Some branches will offer tea, coffee and snacks as well. The Pack Library Youth Services department will host a Teen Writer’s Café every Friday afternoon. “We wanted to have a space at a library in the county every day where a writer could come plug in their laptop or pull out their notebook and chip away at their word count with no interruptions,” Anna Booraem, Branch Manager of the South Buncombe Library, says.
Each time a writer comes to one of the library writing spaces to work on their novel in November, they will be entered into a raffle for prizes to be given away at the NanoWrimo NoMo’ party. The raffle prizes will include treats from local businesses, including Dynamite Coffee, as well as some official NaNoWriMo swag.
The NaNoWriMo NoMo’ party will be held at the Lord Auditorium in the Pack Library on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 2-3:30 pm. The party is for any writer who participated in NaNoWriMo. There will be food, activities and opportunities to meet other writers, as well as a “micro mic” that will give each writer a chance to read one paragraph from their novel to the group.
Select a wine on draft and fill a plēb urban winery 500mL or 1L growler for a reduced price (see menu for availability and pricing). Growler purchase is separate. Carry out only.
https://www.facebook.com/events/859748727719594/?event_time_id=859748887719578

Community Box Partner
Each month, we are honored to be a community partner to a local non-profit that is working to make Asheville a better place. Over the past year we have supported the following non-profits who are making a difference in our community: Pisgah Legal Services, Mountain Child Advocacy Center, Asheville City Schools Foundation, Helpmate, The Montford Players, Asheville Choral Society, Asheville Symphony, BeLoved, Food Connection, The Montford Neighborhood Association, Immediate Theatre Project, The Asheville Humane Society, Western North Carolina Aids Project, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
Great food in Montford and when diners leave donations for the Literacy Council, Chiesa will match up to $500!
Chiesa (Italian for church) is a quaint Italian restaurant featuring generations of family recipes, house-made pasta, and local ingredients. Located in the historic Montford neighborhood, Chiesa (pronounced kee-ay-sa) is housed in a building that has been at the center of the community for over one hundred years, serving as the local grocery store, then as a church, and since 2014, the neighborhood Italian restaurant. Our friendly staff welcomes all guests as family, providing a warm and comfortable atmosphere for both inside and patio dining (when weather permits).

About This Trip
Over 90,000 guests rode THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2018 and we hope to see you in 2019! The 1¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ begins November 8, 2019, and operates through December 31, 2019.
.png)
The Buncombe County Public Library system is supporting Asheville writers during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) by offering quiet writing spaces, raffle prizes, and a NaNoWriMo NoMo’ party in early December.
NaNoWriMo is a writing challenge to write 50,000 words of a novel during the thirty days of November. It began in 1999 and is supported by an international nonprofit organization of the same name.
The Black Mountain Library, Leicester Library, Pack Library, North Asheville Library, South Buncombe Library, and West Asheville Library will all be offering quiet spaces for writers to work on their 50,000 word count goal throughout the month. Some branches will offer tea, coffee and snacks as well. The Pack Library Youth Services department will host a Teen Writer’s Café every Friday afternoon. “We wanted to have a space at a library in the county every day where a writer could come plug in their laptop or pull out their notebook and chip away at their word count with no interruptions,” Anna Booraem, Branch Manager of the South Buncombe Library, says.
Each time a writer comes to one of the library writing spaces to work on their novel in November, they will be entered into a raffle for prizes to be given away at the NanoWrimo NoMo’ party. The raffle prizes will include treats from local businesses, including Dynamite Coffee, as well as some official NaNoWriMo swag.
The NaNoWriMo NoMo’ party will be held at the Lord Auditorium in the Pack Library on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 2-3:30 pm. The party is for any writer who participated in NaNoWriMo. There will be food, activities and opportunities to meet other writers, as well as a “micro mic” that will give each writer a chance to read one paragraph from their novel to the group.

Community Box Partner
Each month, we are honored to be a community partner to a local non-profit that is working to make Asheville a better place. Over the past year we have supported the following non-profits who are making a difference in our community: Pisgah Legal Services, Mountain Child Advocacy Center, Asheville City Schools Foundation, Helpmate, The Montford Players, Asheville Choral Society, Asheville Symphony, BeLoved, Food Connection, The Montford Neighborhood Association, Immediate Theatre Project, The Asheville Humane Society, Western North Carolina Aids Project, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
Great food in Montford and when diners leave donations for the Literacy Council, Chiesa will match up to $500!
Chiesa (Italian for church) is a quaint Italian restaurant featuring generations of family recipes, house-made pasta, and local ingredients. Located in the historic Montford neighborhood, Chiesa (pronounced kee-ay-sa) is housed in a building that has been at the center of the community for over one hundred years, serving as the local grocery store, then as a church, and since 2014, the neighborhood Italian restaurant. Our friendly staff welcomes all guests as family, providing a warm and comfortable atmosphere for both inside and patio dining (when weather permits).
The Taste of Asheville, hosted by AIR and presented by Cheney Brothers, brings over 40 of Asheville’s famed independent restaurants together under one roof for an unforgettable evening of sampling small bites, craft beverages and music.
This year, AIR will raffle the “True Taste of Asheville,” a massive mouthwatering goodie basket filled with over $1,000 in foodie fun including a collection of autographed cookbooks that feature AIR restaurants, tickets to Chow Chow 2020, a pair of AVL Food Fan tickets, gifts from Spicewalla, Asheville Tea Company, East Fork Pottery and so much more. Raffle tickets are $50 each and will be sold inside the event.
This event not only entertains the taste buds, this year the tastes will be accompanied by some amazing tunes with famed Asheville artists JBOT (Josh Blake Organ Trio) and Free Champagne performing throughout the evening.
In its 11th year, the annual evening is a vital fundraiser to support the work of the AIR – a group of over 150 locally owned, independent restaurants that serve the flourishing food scene of Asheville.
As perhaps the largest organization of independent restaurants in the country, AIR is dedicated to keeping Asheville’s food scene eclectic, authentic and flavorful. This diverse community of restaurants and restaurateurs range from large to small and fine to casual dining, each bringing their own personality and talents to our vibrant mountain city.
VIP tickets allow early entry into the event at 6 p.m., one hour ahead of general admission, at $100/person. General admission tickets will allow access at 7 p.m. and are $75/person. Make sure to stop by and grab a ticket for the raffle – featuring a true taste of Asheville, including local cookbooks, food and products.

About This Trip
Over 90,000 guests rode THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2018 and we hope to see you in 2019! The 1¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ begins November 8, 2019, and operates through December 31, 2019.
.png)
The Buncombe County Public Library system is supporting Asheville writers during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) by offering quiet writing spaces, raffle prizes, and a NaNoWriMo NoMo’ party in early December.
NaNoWriMo is a writing challenge to write 50,000 words of a novel during the thirty days of November. It began in 1999 and is supported by an international nonprofit organization of the same name.
The Black Mountain Library, Leicester Library, Pack Library, North Asheville Library, South Buncombe Library, and West Asheville Library will all be offering quiet spaces for writers to work on their 50,000 word count goal throughout the month. Some branches will offer tea, coffee and snacks as well. The Pack Library Youth Services department will host a Teen Writer’s Café every Friday afternoon. “We wanted to have a space at a library in the county every day where a writer could come plug in their laptop or pull out their notebook and chip away at their word count with no interruptions,” Anna Booraem, Branch Manager of the South Buncombe Library, says.
Each time a writer comes to one of the library writing spaces to work on their novel in November, they will be entered into a raffle for prizes to be given away at the NanoWrimo NoMo’ party. The raffle prizes will include treats from local businesses, including Dynamite Coffee, as well as some official NaNoWriMo swag.
The NaNoWriMo NoMo’ party will be held at the Lord Auditorium in the Pack Library on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 2-3:30 pm. The party is for any writer who participated in NaNoWriMo. There will be food, activities and opportunities to meet other writers, as well as a “micro mic” that will give each writer a chance to read one paragraph from their novel to the group.

Community Box Partner
Each month, we are honored to be a community partner to a local non-profit that is working to make Asheville a better place. Over the past year we have supported the following non-profits who are making a difference in our community: Pisgah Legal Services, Mountain Child Advocacy Center, Asheville City Schools Foundation, Helpmate, The Montford Players, Asheville Choral Society, Asheville Symphony, BeLoved, Food Connection, The Montford Neighborhood Association, Immediate Theatre Project, The Asheville Humane Society, Western North Carolina Aids Project, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
Great food in Montford and when diners leave donations for the Literacy Council, Chiesa will match up to $500!
Chiesa (Italian for church) is a quaint Italian restaurant featuring generations of family recipes, house-made pasta, and local ingredients. Located in the historic Montford neighborhood, Chiesa (pronounced kee-ay-sa) is housed in a building that has been at the center of the community for over one hundred years, serving as the local grocery store, then as a church, and since 2014, the neighborhood Italian restaurant. Our friendly staff welcomes all guests as family, providing a warm and comfortable atmosphere for both inside and patio dining (when weather permits).

About This Trip
Over 90,000 guests rode THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2018 and we hope to see you in 2019! The 1¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ begins November 8, 2019, and operates through December 31, 2019.
.png)
The Buncombe County Public Library system is supporting Asheville writers during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) by offering quiet writing spaces, raffle prizes, and a NaNoWriMo NoMo’ party in early December.
NaNoWriMo is a writing challenge to write 50,000 words of a novel during the thirty days of November. It began in 1999 and is supported by an international nonprofit organization of the same name.
The Black Mountain Library, Leicester Library, Pack Library, North Asheville Library, South Buncombe Library, and West Asheville Library will all be offering quiet spaces for writers to work on their 50,000 word count goal throughout the month. Some branches will offer tea, coffee and snacks as well. The Pack Library Youth Services department will host a Teen Writer’s Café every Friday afternoon. “We wanted to have a space at a library in the county every day where a writer could come plug in their laptop or pull out their notebook and chip away at their word count with no interruptions,” Anna Booraem, Branch Manager of the South Buncombe Library, says.
Each time a writer comes to one of the library writing spaces to work on their novel in November, they will be entered into a raffle for prizes to be given away at the NanoWrimo NoMo’ party. The raffle prizes will include treats from local businesses, including Dynamite Coffee, as well as some official NaNoWriMo swag.
The NaNoWriMo NoMo’ party will be held at the Lord Auditorium in the Pack Library on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 2-3:30 pm. The party is for any writer who participated in NaNoWriMo. There will be food, activities and opportunities to meet other writers, as well as a “micro mic” that will give each writer a chance to read one paragraph from their novel to the group.

Community Box Partner
Each month, we are honored to be a community partner to a local non-profit that is working to make Asheville a better place. Over the past year we have supported the following non-profits who are making a difference in our community: Pisgah Legal Services, Mountain Child Advocacy Center, Asheville City Schools Foundation, Helpmate, The Montford Players, Asheville Choral Society, Asheville Symphony, BeLoved, Food Connection, The Montford Neighborhood Association, Immediate Theatre Project, The Asheville Humane Society, Western North Carolina Aids Project, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
Great food in Montford and when diners leave donations for the Literacy Council, Chiesa will match up to $500!
Chiesa (Italian for church) is a quaint Italian restaurant featuring generations of family recipes, house-made pasta, and local ingredients. Located in the historic Montford neighborhood, Chiesa (pronounced kee-ay-sa) is housed in a building that has been at the center of the community for over one hundred years, serving as the local grocery store, then as a church, and since 2014, the neighborhood Italian restaurant. Our friendly staff welcomes all guests as family, providing a warm and comfortable atmosphere for both inside and patio dining (when weather permits).

About This Trip
Over 90,000 guests rode THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2018 and we hope to see you in 2019! The 1¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ begins November 8, 2019, and operates through December 31, 2019.
Join Bellagio Art to Wear for our Annual Open House in our beautiful gallery. Bellagio features collections from renowned artists of handcrafted clothing, accessories, jewelry and gift items. Enjoy cookies, hot cider and free parking in beautiful Historic Biltmore Village.
Ten percent of sales during our annual Holiday Open House will be donated to the Asheville MANNA Food Bank.
Holiday Open House Dates and Times:
Saturday, November 23rd 10:00am – 7:00pm
Sunday, November 24th 12:00pm – 5:00pm
The Marshall Handmade Market is held the weekend before Thanksgiving in the Marshall High Studios, a 1920s two story brick high school nestled on an island in the French Broad River. Some of the most talented makers in the region fill the spacious, sunny auditorium, and the resident artists of Marshall High spruce up the classrooms-turned-studios and open their doors to share their process and art with visitors.
Enjoy coffee and pastries from local artisan bakers and a delicious lunch from the Smashbox Kitchen food truck, as well as music and plenty of seating on the generous back deck. The idyllic island setting, charming historic high school and fantastic artists all combine to make the Marshall Handmade Market a favorite among holiday shows for locals and visitors.
Join us for our Annual Open House and enjoy cookies, hot cider and live music. New Morning Gallery features handcrafted ornaments and gifts by over 1,000 American artists that are housed in an amazing 2 story, 12,000 square foot gallery. There is free parking in beautiful Historic Biltmore Village. Ten percent of sales during our annual Holiday Open House will be donated to the Asheville MANNA Food Bank.
Holiday Open House Dates and Times:
Saturday, November 23rd 10:00am – 7:00pm
Sunday, November 24th 12:00pm – 5:00pm

