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.

October 2020 Oct 2020
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Friday, October 23, 2020
Virtual Justice Matters Tour w/ Pisgah Legal
Oct 23 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Online

 
We’ll examine the need in our region, discuss how civil legal aid can be an effective anti-poverty tool and share how Pisgah Legal is responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

Please RSVP here if you’d like to join and we will send you instructions on how to join by computer or phone.
Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
Begin with Breath Tai Chi Class
Oct 23 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Online

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

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

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

Read more
Categories: Health & Wellness
Saturday, October 24, 2020
Coffee for Champions Supports Special Olympics
Oct 24 all-day
Buncombe County

Coffee for Champions Supports Special Olympics

Do you need a cup of ambition before you start the day (or a few throughout the day)? During the month of October, popular coffee shops and cafés throughout Buncombe County donate up to five cents of each cup of coffee purchased to support local sports programs for community members with intellectual disabilities.

Coffee for Champions is the largest annual fundraiser for Special Olympics Buncombe County, a completely donation-funded, volunteer-driven program that provides year-round training and competitive programs in 11 sports for more than 480 youth and adults. Funds raised help build equitable opportunities for everyone who lives here, create a connection between athletes and the greater community, and celebrate changing attitudes about the talents of people with intellectual disabilities.

“We started Coffee for Champions five years ago,” says Karla Furnari, Local Coordinator for Special Olympics Buncombe County. “Each year, it continues to grow and helps expand programs and fund critical needs such as equipment, uniforms, and transporting athletes. Even though in-person training was put on hold because of COVID-19, volunteer coaches continued to engage with athletes on a regular basis to keep them mentally and physically healthy during a time that has been particularly taxing on individuals with intellectual disabilities. We have safely resumed some programs in which social distancing is possible and face coverings can be worn such as tennis and bocce.”

Donating Five Cents Per Cup

  • Ivory Road Café & Kitchen (1854 Brevard Road in Arden)
  • Mosaic Café & Coffee House (1 Town Square Boulevard in Biltmore Park)
  • PennyCup Coffee Company at the YMI (39 South Market Street in Downtown Asheville)
  • Round Earth Roasters (518 Hendersonville Road in Asheville)
  • Trout Lily Market (1297 Charlotte Highway in Fairview)

Donating One Cent Per Cup

  • PennyCup Coffee Company West (362 Depot Street in Asheville’s River Arts District)
  • PennyCup Coffee Company Haw Creek (6 Beverly Road in Asheville’s Haw Creek)
  • PennyCup Coffee Company North (857 Merrimon Avenue in North Asheville)

Buncombe County Special Olympics is made possible through funding from donors and support from Buncombe County Government. To donate or volunteer, visit the organization’s website.

Special Olympics was founded by Eunice Kennedy in 1968 to celebrate changing attitudes about the talents of people with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics Buncombe County provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for adults and children above the age of seven. Sports include alpine skiing and snowboarding, aquatics, athletics, basketball, bocce, bowling, cheerleading, gymnastics, powerlifting, soccer, and tennis, as well as a young athletes program. The organization also offers the Adaptive Athlete Program in a partnership with Buncombe County Recreation Services.

Read more
Categories: Community Food & Drink Fundraisers Health & Wellness
COVID-19 Testing in Buncombe County Info. Website
Oct 24 all-day
Various locations in Buncombe County

 

Para leer este artículo en español, haga clic aquí.

COVID-19 Testing General Information

Think you have been exposed to COVID?

Testing is widely available at urgent cares, federally qualified health centers, and through some primary care providers for those who need it however, it remains important to focus on the prevention of COVID first and foremost to keep the virus from spreading further into the community and to loved ones.

Find testing near you:

  • If you DO NOT HAVE a healthcare provider who offers testing for COVID-19 and you need to get tested, there are several ways to find testing near you.
  • Visit the Find My Testing Place website to find a clinic or pop up testing site near you.
  • People in Buncombe County can access testing by completing the Buncombe County Self-Checker online. If you need testing, you can set up an appointment at one of the county’s open-air, drive-through sites. People can also call the Ready Team at (828) 419-0095 from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm., Monday – Friday to be pre-screened for testing at these sites. A Ready Team member will call you within 2 business days to schedule your appointment.
  • You can call the Buncombe County nurse line at (828) 250-5300 to find out where you can get tested (Press OPTION #1 to speak with a nurse) from 8 am to 5:30 pm.

Testing Site Locations in Buncombe County: Appointment required at these sites

South West Buncombe

58 Apac Dr., Asheville (Buncombe County Sports Park)
Every Thursday
9:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.

Central Buncombe

A-B Tech, Genevieve Circle, Asheville (Allied Health Parking Lot)
Every Sunday
1:30-5:30 p.m.

Important: Please check Buncombe County’s Facebook page for site cancellations due to weather. 

Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
CRITICAL NEED For Blood Donations
Oct 24 all-day
various see below

Donate Blood - The Blood Connection
The message is simple – COVID-19 has made a severe impact on the blood supply and The
Blood Connection is asking the community to donate blood as soon as possible to support the
critical need of blood for local hospitals in this area.

To find a blood drive: https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/zip
To find a center (5 in Upstate, 2 in Western NC): https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/centers
Those interested in hosting a blood drive in the community: thebloodconnection.org/host-a-drive<http://thebloodconnection.org/host-a-drive>

Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
Find My Testing Place Website
Oct 24 all-day
Online

News article image

COVID-19 testing is provided at some local health departments, doctor and clinician offices, many hospitals and clinics, many pharmacy sites and retail outlets, and other community locations.

No-Cost Community Testing Events

The content in the Test Site Finder below is provided and maintained by Castlight: COVID-19 Resource Center. These testing sites are not endorsed or vetted by NCDHHS. Please call the testing site or your health care provider before you go for testing.

Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
Inclusion Matters: Wheelchair Swings at Parks
Oct 24 all-day
Buncombe CountyParks

Buncombe County is diverse. Playgrounds should be, too. The spirit of inclusion is straightforward in a recent partnership that has brought swing access for persons of all abilities to the three largest parks in the County’s Recreation Services system.

With support from Dogwood Health Trust, Sand Hill Lions Club, and the citizens of Buncombe County, wheelchair swings can be found at Buncombe County Sports Park, Charles D. Owen Park, and Lake Julian Park that adhere to Americans with Disability Act (ADA) Standards for Accessible Design. Front and rear ramps allow easy access onto and off a 32 inch wide platform (the same as standard doorway entries). Wheelchairs can easily navigate on specially engineered mulch that also acts as a safety feature in case a user should fall.

Read more
Categories: Community Family Fun Outdoors Parks & Recreation
NC Nonprofit Coalition Launches Voter Safety Protection Campaign
Oct 24 all-day
Online

Vulnerable North Carolinians can request free PPE as they head to the polls.

Protecting Voters

Whether you Early Vote or vote on Election Day, NCBA wants to protect voters at the polls by providing FREE single-use PPE kits. These kits will include:

 

  • A pair of disposable gloves
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Single-use protective mask
  • A pen and simple instructions on how to cast your ballot in person
  • A template to create your voting plan
  • A voter guide (will be mailed separately)
REQUEST FREE PPE KIT

Need Assistance Requesting a PPE Kit?

Thanks to our partners at Disability Rights NC, voters can call 888-WEVOTE-2 for additional assistance, and to request a free PPE Kit.

Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
North Carolina will remain paused in Phase 3 for three more weeks
Oct 24 all-day
North Carolina

Governor Roy Cooper announced today that North Carolina will remain paused in Phase 3 for three more weeks as health officials continue to monitor North Carolina’s viral trends. North Carolina has seen increased hospitalizations and trajectory of cases in recent weeks. Governor Cooper underscored the importance of wearing masks, social distancing, and using good judgment despite fatigue or frustration with the pandemic.

Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
Opioid Awareness Site
Oct 24 all-day
Online

When a grieving parent came to Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger looking for ways to help raise awareness around opioid-related deaths, she spurred a change in how data and public records intertwine. Utilizing public information from death certificates, the Sheriff’s Office and Buncombe County Emergency Management Services, Reisinger and his team used geographic information systems (GIS) to help tell the story of the opioid epidemic in Buncombe County.

“We use GIS every day to help us track parcels of land, create street maps, and help connect our residents to their parks,” said Reisinger. “By harnessing the same technology, we can tell the story of our friends, neighbors, and loved ones who we’ve lost to this cruel and unrelenting epidemic. That story, we hope, will help raise awareness and connect people in need to resources that are available.”

The website pulls publicly available information such as trends over time and demographics to show how deaths from opioids have affected our community and who they’ve impacted. In Buncombe County, the majority of overdoses since 2010 have primarily occurred in white males between the ages of 20 and 39. The website, using a heat map, shows the occupations of those who have died: psychologist, electrician, chef, homemaker, and more.

Deputy Register of Deeds Miranda Stewart, who pulled this project together, shared more about the process: “Using data specific to Buncombe County helps us better understand where and how our community has been affected. Although state data is useful, it can take up to a year or longer to receive, making it difficult to understand if current policies and programs are helping in the community we have the privilege to serve.”

In addition to charting patterns and demographics, the website also provides connections to support. “One thing we want our community to be able to take away from this is that these were individuals whose lives mattered,” said Buncombe County Opioid Response Coordinator Amy Upham. “And, secondly, that help is available. Appalachian Mountain Community Health Centers, MAHEC, and Vaya Health all have resources to help if you or someone you love is wanting to enter treatment.”

The website also features the National Safety Council’s Memorial Site “Celebrating Lost Loved Ones.”

To visit the website exploring the opioid epidemic, go to buncombecounty.org/opioids. This Story Map application is best viewed on a larger screen with a modern web browser.

Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
SlowCOVIDNC Exposure Notification App
Oct 24 all-day
Online

How it Works

  • Download the SlowCOVIDNC Exposure Notification app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and enable Bluetooth and Exposure Notifications. Bluetooth must be on for the app to work. After opting-in to receive notifications, the app will generate an anonymous token for your device. A token is a string of random letters which changes every 10-20 minutes and is never linked to your identity or location, but is linked to date. This protects your privacy and security.
  • Through Bluetooth, your phone and the phones around you with the SlowCOVIDNC app work in the background (minimizing battery) to exchange these anonymous tokens every few minutes. Phones record how long they are near each other and the Bluetooth signal strength of their exchanges in order to estimate distance.
  • If you test positive for COVID-19, you may obtain a unique PIN to submit in the app. This voluntary and anonymous reporting notifies others who have downloaded the app that they may have been in close contact with someone in the last 14 days who has tested positive.
  • PINs will be provided to app users who receive a positive COVID-19 test result through a web-based PIN Portal, by contacting the Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) call center, or by contacting their Local Health Department (LHD).
  • SlowCOVIDNC periodically downloads tokens from the server from the devices of users who have anonymously reported a positive test. Your phone then uses its records of the signal strength and duration of exposures with those tokens to calculate risk and determine if you have met a threshold to receive an Exposure Notification.
Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
Support Pisgah Legal: Dollar to Dollar Match Donations
Oct 24 all-day
Online

 A Wave of Evictions Expected This Winter
photo credit: Rob Schumacker/The Republic
A federal moratorium (temporary halt) on evictions due to non-payment of rent went into effect on September 4th and will last until December 31, 2020. While this moratorium is a welcome step forward, it does not solve the ongoing eviction crisis.  Jim Barrett, Pisgah Legal’s Executive Director, said in a recent article that he “hopes this so-called moratorium buys some time, but if you think about it, it expires the end of December. When would you rather not be evicted?”

Learn more:

Pisgah Legal is receiving an average of 1,000 calls a week, with over half relating to housing and fears of eviction.  Your support will help provide the vital free legal services to help stem the eviction crisis for thousands of our WNC neighbors. Gifts made to support this important work are being matched dollar-for-dollar. To learn more, contact Ally Wilson at [email protected] or call 828-210-3444.
Read more
Categories: Community Fundraisers Health & Wellness
Top 10 Vegetables to Plant That Will Really Feed You
Oct 24 all-day
Online

Mfchpvvaq4alitdl2b3v file

Top 10 Vegetables to Plant That Will Really Feed You

This 1 hour and 20 minute long video course is accompanied by a 24 page course manual to help you get growing. Enter your email above for free, instant access. There is no credit card or payment needed, it’s our gift to you!

By signing up for this course, you’ll also receive our super-useful newsletters full of seasonal tips, how-to’s, wild food recipes, and more. Plus, you’ll get special deals on classes and be the first to hear about new programs. Don’t worry, we’ll keep all your info private and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Read more
Categories: Education Garden Health & Wellness
“Find Your Color” Photo Contest Chimney Rock
Oct 24 @ 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Chimney Rock Park

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15 – SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15

Fall “Find Your Color” Photo Contest

Time: Park hours
Cost: No additional cost to enter.

It’s during this time of year that the mountains explode with color. Capture photos of the fall season and enter them into our “Find Your Color” Photo Contest. We’ll use the winning entries on our website and Facebook album, and you’ll win some fun prizes. Photos must be taken within the Chimney Rock section of the Park.

GREAT PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED TO 3 WINNING ENTRIES

Winners will be notified and announced on Chimney Rock’s social media channels. F

Read more
Categories: Art & Craft Outdoors Parks & Recreation
Rocky Cove Railroad Exhibit
Oct 24 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

On exhibit Saturdays and Sundays from 12 – 4 p.m. (weather permitting), Rocky Cove Railroad is a G-Scale (garden scale) model train that demonstrates the coming of trains to western North Carolina at the turn of the 20th century. The exhibit is located below the Grand Garden Promenade.

Read more
Categories: Family Fun Outdoors Parks & Recreation
Grandfather’s Starry Skies
Oct 24 @ 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Grandfather Mountain

October is one of the best times of year to be stargazing at Grandfather Mountain. The air is cool and clear, and the summer constellations are still very prominent, with some early winter sights making their appearance later in the evening. This course is also during the time of the Orionid meteor shower, so hopefully some of these celestial fireworks will grace our skies during the nighttime observation.

The goal for this course is to create a familiarity with the night sky and learn the basics of stargazing that can be applied on your own on any clear night throughout the year. We’ll start in the classroom by exploring some of the best print and digital resources for observing the night sky and cover some of the basics of stargazing and how to orient to the night sky. We’ll also discuss the use of planispheres, star maps and star charts to find some of the most beautiful deep sky wonders that can be seen through binoculars or small telescopes. During the evening hours, we’ll be out at various viewing locations on the mountain, practicing our stargazing skills while looking for meteors and learning about some of the most prominent stars, constellations and other objects visible this time of year.

Course instructor Stephan Martin has been a stargazer since he was very young growing up under dark skies of South Florida. Martin is also an astronomer, educator and author, who has taught astronomy and physics at colleges, universities and learning centers across the U.S. and internationally for more than 25 years. He has worked as a data analyst for the Hubble Space Telescope and as Observatory Supervisor at Williams College, where he participated in scientific research expeditions around the world to study the dynamics of the solar corona during solar eclipses.

Read more
Categories: Education Outdoors Parks & Recreation
Sunday, October 25, 2020
Coffee for Champions Supports Special Olympics
Oct 25 all-day
Buncombe County

Coffee for Champions Supports Special Olympics

Do you need a cup of ambition before you start the day (or a few throughout the day)? During the month of October, popular coffee shops and cafés throughout Buncombe County donate up to five cents of each cup of coffee purchased to support local sports programs for community members with intellectual disabilities.

Coffee for Champions is the largest annual fundraiser for Special Olympics Buncombe County, a completely donation-funded, volunteer-driven program that provides year-round training and competitive programs in 11 sports for more than 480 youth and adults. Funds raised help build equitable opportunities for everyone who lives here, create a connection between athletes and the greater community, and celebrate changing attitudes about the talents of people with intellectual disabilities.

“We started Coffee for Champions five years ago,” says Karla Furnari, Local Coordinator for Special Olympics Buncombe County. “Each year, it continues to grow and helps expand programs and fund critical needs such as equipment, uniforms, and transporting athletes. Even though in-person training was put on hold because of COVID-19, volunteer coaches continued to engage with athletes on a regular basis to keep them mentally and physically healthy during a time that has been particularly taxing on individuals with intellectual disabilities. We have safely resumed some programs in which social distancing is possible and face coverings can be worn such as tennis and bocce.”

Donating Five Cents Per Cup

  • Ivory Road Café & Kitchen (1854 Brevard Road in Arden)
  • Mosaic Café & Coffee House (1 Town Square Boulevard in Biltmore Park)
  • PennyCup Coffee Company at the YMI (39 South Market Street in Downtown Asheville)
  • Round Earth Roasters (518 Hendersonville Road in Asheville)
  • Trout Lily Market (1297 Charlotte Highway in Fairview)

Donating One Cent Per Cup

  • PennyCup Coffee Company West (362 Depot Street in Asheville’s River Arts District)
  • PennyCup Coffee Company Haw Creek (6 Beverly Road in Asheville’s Haw Creek)
  • PennyCup Coffee Company North (857 Merrimon Avenue in North Asheville)

Buncombe County Special Olympics is made possible through funding from donors and support from Buncombe County Government. To donate or volunteer, visit the organization’s website.

Special Olympics was founded by Eunice Kennedy in 1968 to celebrate changing attitudes about the talents of people with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics Buncombe County provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for adults and children above the age of seven. Sports include alpine skiing and snowboarding, aquatics, athletics, basketball, bocce, bowling, cheerleading, gymnastics, powerlifting, soccer, and tennis, as well as a young athletes program. The organization also offers the Adaptive Athlete Program in a partnership with Buncombe County Recreation Services.

Read more
Categories: Community Food & Drink Fundraisers Health & Wellness
COVID-19 Testing in Buncombe County Info. Website
Oct 25 all-day
Various locations in Buncombe County

 

Para leer este artículo en español, haga clic aquí.

COVID-19 Testing General Information

Think you have been exposed to COVID?

Testing is widely available at urgent cares, federally qualified health centers, and through some primary care providers for those who need it however, it remains important to focus on the prevention of COVID first and foremost to keep the virus from spreading further into the community and to loved ones.

Find testing near you:

  • If you DO NOT HAVE a healthcare provider who offers testing for COVID-19 and you need to get tested, there are several ways to find testing near you.
  • Visit the Find My Testing Place website to find a clinic or pop up testing site near you.
  • People in Buncombe County can access testing by completing the Buncombe County Self-Checker online. If you need testing, you can set up an appointment at one of the county’s open-air, drive-through sites. People can also call the Ready Team at (828) 419-0095 from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm., Monday – Friday to be pre-screened for testing at these sites. A Ready Team member will call you within 2 business days to schedule your appointment.
  • You can call the Buncombe County nurse line at (828) 250-5300 to find out where you can get tested (Press OPTION #1 to speak with a nurse) from 8 am to 5:30 pm.

Testing Site Locations in Buncombe County: Appointment required at these sites

South West Buncombe

58 Apac Dr., Asheville (Buncombe County Sports Park)
Every Thursday
9:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.

Central Buncombe

A-B Tech, Genevieve Circle, Asheville (Allied Health Parking Lot)
Every Sunday
1:30-5:30 p.m.

Important: Please check Buncombe County’s Facebook page for site cancellations due to weather. 

Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
CRITICAL NEED For Blood Donations
Oct 25 all-day
various see below

Donate Blood - The Blood Connection
The message is simple – COVID-19 has made a severe impact on the blood supply and The
Blood Connection is asking the community to donate blood as soon as possible to support the
critical need of blood for local hospitals in this area.

To find a blood drive: https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/zip
To find a center (5 in Upstate, 2 in Western NC): https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/centers
Those interested in hosting a blood drive in the community: thebloodconnection.org/host-a-drive<http://thebloodconnection.org/host-a-drive>

Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
Find My Testing Place Website
Oct 25 all-day
Online

News article image

COVID-19 testing is provided at some local health departments, doctor and clinician offices, many hospitals and clinics, many pharmacy sites and retail outlets, and other community locations.

No-Cost Community Testing Events

The content in the Test Site Finder below is provided and maintained by Castlight: COVID-19 Resource Center. These testing sites are not endorsed or vetted by NCDHHS. Please call the testing site or your health care provider before you go for testing.

Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
Inclusion Matters: Wheelchair Swings at Parks
Oct 25 all-day
Buncombe CountyParks

Buncombe County is diverse. Playgrounds should be, too. The spirit of inclusion is straightforward in a recent partnership that has brought swing access for persons of all abilities to the three largest parks in the County’s Recreation Services system.

With support from Dogwood Health Trust, Sand Hill Lions Club, and the citizens of Buncombe County, wheelchair swings can be found at Buncombe County Sports Park, Charles D. Owen Park, and Lake Julian Park that adhere to Americans with Disability Act (ADA) Standards for Accessible Design. Front and rear ramps allow easy access onto and off a 32 inch wide platform (the same as standard doorway entries). Wheelchairs can easily navigate on specially engineered mulch that also acts as a safety feature in case a user should fall.

Read more
Categories: Community Family Fun Outdoors Parks & Recreation
NC Nonprofit Coalition Launches Voter Safety Protection Campaign
Oct 25 all-day
Online

Vulnerable North Carolinians can request free PPE as they head to the polls.

Protecting Voters

Whether you Early Vote or vote on Election Day, NCBA wants to protect voters at the polls by providing FREE single-use PPE kits. These kits will include:

 

  • A pair of disposable gloves
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Single-use protective mask
  • A pen and simple instructions on how to cast your ballot in person
  • A template to create your voting plan
  • A voter guide (will be mailed separately)
REQUEST FREE PPE KIT

Need Assistance Requesting a PPE Kit?

Thanks to our partners at Disability Rights NC, voters can call 888-WEVOTE-2 for additional assistance, and to request a free PPE Kit.

Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
North Carolina will remain paused in Phase 3 for three more weeks
Oct 25 all-day
North Carolina

Governor Roy Cooper announced today that North Carolina will remain paused in Phase 3 for three more weeks as health officials continue to monitor North Carolina’s viral trends. North Carolina has seen increased hospitalizations and trajectory of cases in recent weeks. Governor Cooper underscored the importance of wearing masks, social distancing, and using good judgment despite fatigue or frustration with the pandemic.

Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
Opioid Awareness Site
Oct 25 all-day
Online

When a grieving parent came to Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger looking for ways to help raise awareness around opioid-related deaths, she spurred a change in how data and public records intertwine. Utilizing public information from death certificates, the Sheriff’s Office and Buncombe County Emergency Management Services, Reisinger and his team used geographic information systems (GIS) to help tell the story of the opioid epidemic in Buncombe County.

“We use GIS every day to help us track parcels of land, create street maps, and help connect our residents to their parks,” said Reisinger. “By harnessing the same technology, we can tell the story of our friends, neighbors, and loved ones who we’ve lost to this cruel and unrelenting epidemic. That story, we hope, will help raise awareness and connect people in need to resources that are available.”

The website pulls publicly available information such as trends over time and demographics to show how deaths from opioids have affected our community and who they’ve impacted. In Buncombe County, the majority of overdoses since 2010 have primarily occurred in white males between the ages of 20 and 39. The website, using a heat map, shows the occupations of those who have died: psychologist, electrician, chef, homemaker, and more.

Deputy Register of Deeds Miranda Stewart, who pulled this project together, shared more about the process: “Using data specific to Buncombe County helps us better understand where and how our community has been affected. Although state data is useful, it can take up to a year or longer to receive, making it difficult to understand if current policies and programs are helping in the community we have the privilege to serve.”

In addition to charting patterns and demographics, the website also provides connections to support. “One thing we want our community to be able to take away from this is that these were individuals whose lives mattered,” said Buncombe County Opioid Response Coordinator Amy Upham. “And, secondly, that help is available. Appalachian Mountain Community Health Centers, MAHEC, and Vaya Health all have resources to help if you or someone you love is wanting to enter treatment.”

The website also features the National Safety Council’s Memorial Site “Celebrating Lost Loved Ones.”

To visit the website exploring the opioid epidemic, go to buncombecounty.org/opioids. This Story Map application is best viewed on a larger screen with a modern web browser.

Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
SlowCOVIDNC Exposure Notification App
Oct 25 all-day
Online

How it Works

  • Download the SlowCOVIDNC Exposure Notification app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and enable Bluetooth and Exposure Notifications. Bluetooth must be on for the app to work. After opting-in to receive notifications, the app will generate an anonymous token for your device. A token is a string of random letters which changes every 10-20 minutes and is never linked to your identity or location, but is linked to date. This protects your privacy and security.
  • Through Bluetooth, your phone and the phones around you with the SlowCOVIDNC app work in the background (minimizing battery) to exchange these anonymous tokens every few minutes. Phones record how long they are near each other and the Bluetooth signal strength of their exchanges in order to estimate distance.
  • If you test positive for COVID-19, you may obtain a unique PIN to submit in the app. This voluntary and anonymous reporting notifies others who have downloaded the app that they may have been in close contact with someone in the last 14 days who has tested positive.
  • PINs will be provided to app users who receive a positive COVID-19 test result through a web-based PIN Portal, by contacting the Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) call center, or by contacting their Local Health Department (LHD).
  • SlowCOVIDNC periodically downloads tokens from the server from the devices of users who have anonymously reported a positive test. Your phone then uses its records of the signal strength and duration of exposures with those tokens to calculate risk and determine if you have met a threshold to receive an Exposure Notification.
Read more
Categories: Community Health & Wellness
Support Pisgah Legal: Dollar to Dollar Match Donations
Oct 25 all-day
Online

 A Wave of Evictions Expected This Winter
photo credit: Rob Schumacker/The Republic
A federal moratorium (temporary halt) on evictions due to non-payment of rent went into effect on September 4th and will last until December 31, 2020. While this moratorium is a welcome step forward, it does not solve the ongoing eviction crisis.  Jim Barrett, Pisgah Legal’s Executive Director, said in a recent article that he “hopes this so-called moratorium buys some time, but if you think about it, it expires the end of December. When would you rather not be evicted?”

Learn more:

Pisgah Legal is receiving an average of 1,000 calls a week, with over half relating to housing and fears of eviction.  Your support will help provide the vital free legal services to help stem the eviction crisis for thousands of our WNC neighbors. Gifts made to support this important work are being matched dollar-for-dollar. To learn more, contact Ally Wilson at [email protected] or call 828-210-3444.
Read more
Categories: Community Fundraisers Health & Wellness
Top 10 Vegetables to Plant That Will Really Feed You
Oct 25 all-day
Online

Mfchpvvaq4alitdl2b3v file

Top 10 Vegetables to Plant That Will Really Feed You

This 1 hour and 20 minute long video course is accompanied by a 24 page course manual to help you get growing. Enter your email above for free, instant access. There is no credit card or payment needed, it’s our gift to you!

By signing up for this course, you’ll also receive our super-useful newsletters full of seasonal tips, how-to’s, wild food recipes, and more. Plus, you’ll get special deals on classes and be the first to hear about new programs. Don’t worry, we’ll keep all your info private and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Read more
Categories: Education Garden Health & Wellness
“Find Your Color” Photo Contest Chimney Rock
Oct 25 @ 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Chimney Rock Park

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15 – SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15

Fall “Find Your Color” Photo Contest

Time: Park hours
Cost: No additional cost to enter.

It’s during this time of year that the mountains explode with color. Capture photos of the fall season and enter them into our “Find Your Color” Photo Contest. We’ll use the winning entries on our website and Facebook album, and you’ll win some fun prizes. Photos must be taken within the Chimney Rock section of the Park.

GREAT PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED TO 3 WINNING ENTRIES

Winners will be notified and announced on Chimney Rock’s social media channels. F

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Categories: Art & Craft Outdoors Parks & Recreation
Rocky Cove Railroad Exhibit
Oct 25 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

On exhibit Saturdays and Sundays from 12 – 4 p.m. (weather permitting), Rocky Cove Railroad is a G-Scale (garden scale) model train that demonstrates the coming of trains to western North Carolina at the turn of the 20th century. The exhibit is located below the Grand Garden Promenade.

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Categories: Family Fun Outdoors Parks & Recreation
Monday, October 26, 2020
Coffee for Champions Supports Special Olympics
Oct 26 all-day
Buncombe County

Coffee for Champions Supports Special Olympics

Do you need a cup of ambition before you start the day (or a few throughout the day)? During the month of October, popular coffee shops and cafés throughout Buncombe County donate up to five cents of each cup of coffee purchased to support local sports programs for community members with intellectual disabilities.

Coffee for Champions is the largest annual fundraiser for Special Olympics Buncombe County, a completely donation-funded, volunteer-driven program that provides year-round training and competitive programs in 11 sports for more than 480 youth and adults. Funds raised help build equitable opportunities for everyone who lives here, create a connection between athletes and the greater community, and celebrate changing attitudes about the talents of people with intellectual disabilities.

“We started Coffee for Champions five years ago,” says Karla Furnari, Local Coordinator for Special Olympics Buncombe County. “Each year, it continues to grow and helps expand programs and fund critical needs such as equipment, uniforms, and transporting athletes. Even though in-person training was put on hold because of COVID-19, volunteer coaches continued to engage with athletes on a regular basis to keep them mentally and physically healthy during a time that has been particularly taxing on individuals with intellectual disabilities. We have safely resumed some programs in which social distancing is possible and face coverings can be worn such as tennis and bocce.”

Donating Five Cents Per Cup

  • Ivory Road Café & Kitchen (1854 Brevard Road in Arden)
  • Mosaic Café & Coffee House (1 Town Square Boulevard in Biltmore Park)
  • PennyCup Coffee Company at the YMI (39 South Market Street in Downtown Asheville)
  • Round Earth Roasters (518 Hendersonville Road in Asheville)
  • Trout Lily Market (1297 Charlotte Highway in Fairview)

Donating One Cent Per Cup

  • PennyCup Coffee Company West (362 Depot Street in Asheville’s River Arts District)
  • PennyCup Coffee Company Haw Creek (6 Beverly Road in Asheville’s Haw Creek)
  • PennyCup Coffee Company North (857 Merrimon Avenue in North Asheville)

Buncombe County Special Olympics is made possible through funding from donors and support from Buncombe County Government. To donate or volunteer, visit the organization’s website.

Special Olympics was founded by Eunice Kennedy in 1968 to celebrate changing attitudes about the talents of people with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics Buncombe County provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for adults and children above the age of seven. Sports include alpine skiing and snowboarding, aquatics, athletics, basketball, bocce, bowling, cheerleading, gymnastics, powerlifting, soccer, and tennis, as well as a young athletes program. The organization also offers the Adaptive Athlete Program in a partnership with Buncombe County Recreation Services.

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Categories: Community Food & Drink Fundraisers Health & Wellness