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.

Lake Street Dive

Oct 27 @ 8:00 pm

Peace Concert Hall

Since forming in 2004, Lake Street Dive have matched their sophisticated musicianship with a fearless refusal to limit their sound. As shown on their most recent full-length album, 2021’s critically acclaimed Obviously, the Boston-bred band also possess a keen talent for combining sociopolitical commentary with immediately catchy pop gems. With their current lineup comprised of founding members Rachael Price (vocals), Bridget Kearney (bass), and Michael Calabrese (drums) — as well as keyboardist/vocalist Akie Bermiss and touring guitarist James Cornelison — Lake Street Dive continue to create joyously soulful rock & roll with equal parts ingenuity, intelligence, and irresistible abandon.

Although a certain spirited eclecticism has defined Lake Street Dive since their earliest days, the band’s four original members (including former guitarist/trumpet player Michael “McDuck” Olson) first crossed paths while studying jazz at Boston’s New England Conservatory of Music. Their full-length debut In This Episode… arrived in 2007, followed by three more independently released and rapturously received albums. As the band’s energetic live show continued to earn them a devoted following, Lake Street Dive made their Nonesuch Records debut with Side Pony: a 2016 effort that instantly shot to No. 1 on three Billboard charts and later landed on Paste’s 50 Best Albums of 2016 list. The following year, the group experienced a new infusion of creative energy with the addition of Bermiss (previously their touring keyboardist), who has since begun sharing writing and arrangement duties. Arriving in 2018, Lake Street Dive’s self-produced sixth album Free Yourself Up debuted in the top ten on the Billboard 200 and spent seven-and-a-half months on the non-commercial radio charts, with the smoldering hit single “Good Kisser” holding steady in the top five at Americana radio for over a month.

In recent years, Lake Street Dive have brought even more boldness to their kaleidoscopic sound while deliberately expanding their songcraft. To that end, Obviously finds the band examining such complex matters as gender inequality (on “Being a Woman”) and the monumental challenges faced by younger generations (on “Making Do”), shaping each track with a profound intentionality and ineffable mastery of melody and groove — a process Price refers to as “putting these messages into three and a half minute snippets, dropping whatever truth we can and hoping it’s the type of thing that people want to ruminate on.” Made with producer Mike Elizondo (Fiona Apple, Mary J. Blige), the result is an endlessly illuminating body of work that’s earned praise from the likes of Rolling Stone (who noted that “[a]t a moment when pop strives for lo-fi, solitary-world intimacy, the jazz-pop-whatever band refuse to think small”).

Last fall, to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their first covers EP, Lake Street Dive released Fun Machine: The Sequel, a 6-track EP of cover songs produced by Robin MacMillan and recorded at Figure 8 Recording in Brooklyn and Lucy’s Meat Market in Los Angeles. This new collection of songs reveals what makes the group so unique and their curations so special. Lake Street Dive don’t just inhabit these interpretations; they knock the walls down, re-finish the floors, and on some of them add a new room or two — it’s a way to both acknowledge their inspirations while also advancing their own musical foundation, inspiring a new generation of fans along the way. And as always, it’s their signature combination of immaculate musicianship, exceptional, inventive chops, and free-wheeling, playful sense of fun and originality leading the way.

Over the years, they’ve captivated massive audiences at such esteemed festivals as Newport Folk Festival, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and Toronto Jazz Festival, in addition to headlining tours all across the globe and sharing stages with acts like Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow. And through their fierce commitment to constantly elevating their artistry, Lake Street Dive have ultimately emerged as one of the most compelling voices in alternative music today, both reliably sublime and thrilling unpredictable.

Categories: Music

The “Everything’s Fine” Tour NOAH REID

Oct 27 @ 8:00 pm

The Orange Peel

Noah Reid has earned a permanent place in the music industry as a result of his powerful vocals and honest delivery. Evident on his debut album Songs from a Broken Chair (2016), sophomore album Gemini (2020) and his highly-anticipated third album Adjustments (2022), which collectively have garnered over 180 million streams, two nominations at the 2022 Canadian Folk Music Awards in the ‘Songwriter of the Year’ and ‘New/Emerging Artist of the Year’ categories and landed Noah on four Billboard charts. Reid’s songwriting style is reminiscent of singer-songwriters of the seventies but with a contemporary twist, resulting in a signature polished, albeit slightly rusted over, tone.

As an actor, Reid is best known for playing ‘Patrick’ in the Emmy-winning comedy series Schitt’s Creek, for which he won a Screen Actors Guild Award, along with the cast, for ‘Best Ensemble.’ In 2022 he was seen in Brian Watkins’ Amazon series Outer Range opposite Josh Brolin, Imogen Poots and Lewis Pullman and wrapped up his Broadway debut as the lead of Tracy Letts’ Tony-nominated play The Minutes, which received rave reviews.

On his third album Adjustments, singer-songwriter Noah Reid documents the kind of minor schisms and major upheavals that leave our lives forever altered. Endlessly revealing the nuance and character of his voice, the Toronto-bred artist imbues his incisive storytelling with a potent expression of unease and frustration and ineffable wonder—an emotional complexity perfectly echoed in the album’s elegantly orchestrated yet unpredictable form of alt-rock. At a time when turmoil feels strangely commonplace, Adjustments ultimately allows for a moment of quiet transcendence within the chaos, wholly transforming the very texture of our experience.

“I wrote this album during a transitional period where a lot of tectonic shifts were taking place in my life,” says Reid, also an accomplished actor known for his role as Patrick on the award-winning series Schitt’s Creek. “I was getting married, Schitt’s Creek was coming to an end, the pandemic was beginning—some of the changes were more internal and others were more at the societal level, but they all involved a shift in my thinking about the world around me.”

Recorded live at Toronto’s Union Sound Company and produced by Juno Award nominee Matthew Barber (who also helmed Reid’s 2016 debut album Songs from a Broken Chair and its 2020 follow-up Gemini), Adjustments came to life over a series of sessions with musicians like guitarist Christine Bougie (Bahamas, Amy Millan), drummer Joshua Van Tassel (Great Lake Swimmers, Amelia Curran), and trumpet player Bryden Baird (Feist, Ron Sexsmith). On the album-opening lead single “Everyday,” Reid offers a sublime introduction to the expansive sonic world of Adjustments, sharply contrasting the song’s heavy-hearted mood with bright guitar tones and effervescent melodies. “I wrote that song in the early days of the pandemic, when I’d look out the window at this park that’s usually full of kids and families but now was totally desolate,” says Reid. “It came from a feeling of being forced into a sort of loneliness, and not really knowing what to do about that.” With its ethereal textures and swooning steel guitar, the piano-driven “Left Behind” speaks to the bittersweet freedom of living life at your own unhurried pace. Meanwhile, on “Rivers Underground,” Reid presents a gorgeously tender meditation on love and luck and risk, amplifying the track’s intensity with a luminous string arrangement courtesy of Drew Jurecka (a Grammy-nominated composer who’s worked with Buffy Sainte-Marie and The Weather Station). “My wife Clare and I have talked at various points about how easy it would’ve been for us not to find our way to each other,” says Reid. “Writing that song, I was thinking about how Toronto’s built on all these underground creeks and rivers, and how that’s a good metaphor for the strangeness of human connection—these waters trying to find their way out to the lake, flowing together or ending up apart.”

One of the most galvanizing moments on Adjustments, “Statue’s in the Stone” begins as a weary lament for the state of the human heart (“We treat it like it’s all infinite/And we throw it all away”), then unfolds into a soul-stirring anthem lit up in lush harmonies and incandescent horns. “We live in a very judgmental time, where social media really highlights this urge to tear each other down,” says Reid. “But I think if we looked inside ourselves with any kind of honesty, we’d realize that what we need is within us, and we’d be able to lead with a little more love and kindness.” Several songs later, Adjustments closes out with the thrilling catharsis of “Everything’s Fine”: an eight-minute epic that reaches an ecstatic frenzy at its gloriously sprawling, guitar-drenched bridge. “Over the past few years it seems like we’re simultaneously being told everything’s fine and absolutely nothing is fine, and it can be so hard to tell what’s real,” says Reid. “That song came from the confusion of that, and in the studio we decided to just to let the band rip and completely burn the house down.”

A longtime musician who began composing melodies on piano as a child and later developed his songcraft while studying at the National Theatre School of Canada, Reid infuses all of Adjustments with the clarifying directness of a close conversation—yet unfailingly demonstrates a poet’s ability to draw immense meaning from the most granular details. As a result, the album abounds with warmly delivered wisdom—an element that’s illuminating for both audience and artist alike. “Sometimes a line will jump out of my mouth when I’m out on a walk or driving or alone in my house playing piano or guitar, and I’ll just to try to follow that line wherever it takes me,” says Reid in discussing his creative process. “I often don’t really understand what I’m saying as I’m saying it, but then I’ll listen back later on and go, ‘Oh, okay—that was useful.’ This record has definitely done that for me, and I hope it will keep on talking to me over time.”

Categories: Music

Saturday, October 28, 2023

Adult Theatre Classes

Oct 28 all-day

Asheville Community Theatre

You asked and we delivered! ACT is proud to offer a wide range of classes for adults. We invite you to join us to explore, discover, nurture, and refine your theatrical abilities – your stage is waiting.

Winter 1 Session (October 23-December 17, week off November 20-26 for Thanksgiving)

Categories: Theatre

Artsville Collective: Virtual Gallery of Artists (VGA) program

Oct 28 all-day

online

Artsville Collective proudly presents the Virtual Gallery of Artists (VGA) program,
an initiative designed to help elevate the careers of local artists. VGA offers artists a unique
opportunity to gain global exposure, valuable marketing skills, and an array of promotional
resources. The VGA program invites individual artists to apply for three months of marketing
exposure through print, digital, and podcast platforms. Artsville provides guidance on building
relationships with the press and art buyers, empowering artists by coming alongside them and
forming connections. Notably, Artsville does not take any commissions on art sales, ensuring
artists keep their full earnings.
Nine artists introduced in first cohort from Oct- Jan include a carefully curated group
showing diversity in age, mediums, experience and exposure in the art markets so they may also
learn from each other. Meet Amy Massey, Candice Hensley, Elizabeth Walton, Georgia Deal,
Jean McLaughlin, Joseph Pearson, Max Cooper, Selene Plum, and Wendy Newman.
Accessible only online, Artsville’s VGA also provides VGA artists a comprehensive toolkit,
including newsletters, podcasts, discussion groups, and learning programs. Committed artists
who actively participate can earn recognition and further opportunities, such as involvement in
Artsville events, pop-up exhibits, and networking groups. In preparation for the holiday season,
Artsville will also present a curated holiday catalog of handmade gifts, offering a unique
opportunity for VGA participants to showcase their work to a wider audience.
Artsville Collective is dedicated to supporting and empowering the artistic community in
Western North Carolina. For further information about Artsville programs and opportunities,
contact Meredith McBride at [email protected] or 828-216-8050. Images and

Instagram- ArtsvilleUSA
Facebook- ArtsvilleCollective

Categories: Art & Craft

Asheville Holiday Parade Volunteers w/ Asheville on Bikes

Oct 28 all-day

Pack Square Park

Co-founders Rachel Reeser and Mike Sule ride the Holiday Parade in 2008

Asheville on Bikes is coordinating with the Asheville Downtown Association to support the Asheville Holiday Parade on Nov. 18 with Bike Marshall volunteers. The “Bike Marshall In Parade” option is a great way to experience the event because you get to pedal the parade route and take in the spectacles and participants. If you’re interested, sign up to volunteer!

Categories: Holiday Volunteers

AVL Unpaved Public Survey

Oct 28 all-day

online

Asheville Unpaved

A POLICY & PLAN FRAMEWORK FOR NATURAL SURFACE TRAILS IN THE CITY OF ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

UPDATE: Your input is needed for our AVL Unpaved Public Survey

The first phase of the AVL Unpaved trails are moving forward, and we are seeking community input to design trail kiosks and signs that will best support trail users. Take the AVL Unpaved Public Survey at this link to contribute. The survey will be open from September 11th – November 11th.

Take the survey!

What are the AVL Unpaved Trails?

AVL Unpaved Alliance, in partnership with the City of Asheville, hired Elevated Trail Designs to design a series of natural surface trails in the undeveloped forested pockets of Asheville. In 2022, thanks to generous community support and grant funding through Explore Asheville, three initial projects were identified: Bacoate Branch, French Broad River West, and Azalea Park.

Categories: Community Sports

Buncombe County Special Collections call for proposals

Oct 28 all-day

online

Buncombe County Special Collections is excited to announce a call for proposals for the third year of its creative residency program.

This is an annual opportunity for artists in Buncombe County to create new, research-driven creative work using BCSC’s historic resources as source material and/or inspiration, and to present their work in the Carolina Record Shop, a dedicated exhibition space in the BCSC reading room. Artists age 18 and up, based in Buncombe County, working in any creative discipline are invited to apply.

Buncombe County Special Collections is looking for projects that will:

Offer new, diverse perspectives on our shared history
Identify and address gaps and/or amplify narratives that are historically underrepresented in the collection
Educate and inspire non-traditional users of archives and special collections to engage with the collection in new ways.

More information (including the PDF of the call for proposals) is available at here. The 2024 Creative Residency is made possible in part by the Trust Fund for Buncombe County Public Libraries.

You can also visit Buncombe County Special Collections in the lower level of Pack Memorial to view the current exhibition in the Carolina Record Shop, “Belonging & Non-Belonging: The History and Future of Zines in Western North Carolina,” curated by 2023 resident Miles Lamberson.

Categories: Art & Craft

Buncombe County Violence Prevention Task Force Survey

Oct 28 all-day

online

The Buncombe County Violence Prevention Task Force is a local community-based group which helps provide educational presentations and support to the community. One project the task force has worked on implementing is a community attitudes survey. The survey will ask for your thoughts about different social norms, types of violence and the communities that are affected by violence. Some of the content touches on difficult topics such as domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse. Survey responses will help the Family Justice Center and partnering agencies better understand these issues in our community and how to provide support to survivors and prevent violence from occurring. The survey will likely take about 5-10 minutes to complete. You can stop at any time and skip any questions you do not want to answer. Your answers are anonymous and participation is completely voluntary. The survey is available in both Spanish and English, and participants must be 18+ to participate. Please email questions to [email protected].

Please share this information and link to the survey with your networks or anyone you know who lives in Buncombe county as we’re trying to reach as many folks in our community as we can.

Categories: Community

Cole Caswell: The Source, From the Blue Ridge

Oct 28 all-day

Tracey Morgan Gallery

Tracey Morgan Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition by photographer Cole Caswell in our project space. This is Caswell’s first exhibition with the gallery and is presented in conjunction with Orly Cogan: Holding On & Letting Go in our main gallery. An opening reception for both artists will be held Friday, Sep-tember 15 from 6-8PM.

On view in this exhibition is a recent series of 60 unique tintype landscape photographs all taken in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Though his homebase and studio are on an island off the coast of Maine, Caswell has been living and working nomadically for the past decade, traveling around in his 1990s bus with a portable darkroom. Drawn to the Appalachian Mountains near Asheville, NC, Caswell spent four weeks in the spring of 2023 developing this new body of work.

These works show an interest in human’s place within the natural world, on both a macro and micro level. While contemporary life has largely pulled us away from a meaningful connection to place, these photo-graphs feel grounded in the earth, with an intensely magnetic aura and depth that is counterintuitive to their two-dimensional surfaces. Caswell embraces the idiosyncrasies and imperfections inherent to this analog medium, allowing the material itself to become a co-collaborator. The photographs are dark and moody, seeming to unearth something beautifully sinister and complex buried deep within the landscape. Utilizing an historic photographic process of wet-plate collodion in a contemporary context, the works serve as a res-pite from our technologically saturated world.

“The Source,” included in the show’s title, is in reference to the sun, which is prominently depicted. Through the analog tintype photographic process, we are given access to views of the sun which would not be possi-ble with the naked eye. The small scale of the tintypes (10 x 8 inches) gives a pleasing and almost unset-tling intimacy to the otherwise vastness of earth’s star – serving as small portals to expansive celestial spac-es.

In addition to the unique tintypes, four editioned and framed 25 x 20 inch enlargements from the series will be on view.

Cole Caswell’s work explores our ability to subsist within the contemporary environment. He has collabo-rated with the arts collective Spurse, The Nation Park System, and The Kohler Center for The Arts. He is the current Visual Artist Fellow for the State of Maine for his work focused on threatened coastal landscapes and he holds an adjunct faculty position at Southern Maine Community College, where he develops and teach-es photography courses remotely. In addition to these teachings Cole has lectured at the Maine Media Work-shops; Kohler Arts Center; The Halide Project; Syracuse University’s School of Architecture; The School of the Museum of Fine Arts; Tufts University; and the Bakery Photo Collective. His work has been shown ex-tensively around North America and is the subject of numerous publications. His studio is located on Peaks Island off the coast of Maine.

Categories: Art & Craft

Food Scraps Drop Off: Oakley Community Center

Oct 28 all-day

Murphy Oakley Community Center and Library

Food Scraps Drop Off

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

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

Locations

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

749 Fairview Road, Asheville

- Dawn – Dusk

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

30 Washington Carver Avenue, Asheville

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

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

942 Haywood Road, Asheville

- Library open hours
- Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center
  85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander
  - - Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
    - Saturday, 8 a.m. – 12:30 pm

Green Drinks online

Oct 28 all-day

online

Green Drinks lives on every Saturday as The Free & Open University of Eco-Sustainability on Facebook

Categories: Community

Have a Gardening Question? Contact the Helpline! 2023 Schedule

Oct 28 all-day

Extension Office

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

Three ways to contact the Garden Helpline

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

Garden Helpline Hours

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

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

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

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

Categories: Community Garden

Hops for Hunger: Wicked Weed Brewing

Oct 28 all-day

Wicked Weed Brewing

During the month of October, Wicked Weed Brewing gives you yet another excuse to visit one of their taprooms.

All pours of their Milk and Cookies Imperial Stout will contribute $1 to MANNA. A stout with with Golden Raisins, Cinnamon, and Vanilla? Sounds like the start of fall to us.

Categories: Community Food & Drink Fundraisers

Keep Asheville BOO-tiful! — Fundraiser

Oct 28 all-day

Ware

Make a donation of $100 or more to GreenWorks by October 31st and receive a $10 gift card and a treat from Ware. In order to receive your gift, you must show your receipt to a Ware employee in-store. No purchase from Ware necessary. Gift must be collected by November 15th, 2023. Valid for donations of $100 or more made between September 27 – October 31, 2023.

Visit Ware Online

Categories: Community Fundraisers

Orly Cogan: Holding On + Letting Go

Oct 28 all-day

Tracey Morgan Gallery

Tracey Morgan Gallery is pleased to present Holding On & Letting Go, an exhibition of textile-based work by New York artist Orly Cogan. This is Cogan’s first solo exhibition with the gallery. An opening reception with the artist will be held Friday, September 15 from 6-8PM.

Using vintage fabrics such as table clothes, bed linens, and dish towels as her base material, Cogan adds hand interventions of embroidery, crochet, appliqué and paint, layering contemporary imagery onto repurposed textiles, engaging with ideas of feminism, beauty, art history, fairy tales, fantasy, and desire. Through semi-erotic depictions of the human figure, Cogan creates contrasting visual dialogues with traditional foundations associated with femininity and domesticity.

Cogan sees her work as in collaboration with the original makers of the fabrics she uses, which were most likely handmade by women of past generations. The act is both subversive and playful – honoring the craft of other artisans while co-opting their wares to explore sexuality and presumptions about gender roles.

While the recent works selected for this exhibition continue Cogan’s interest into the many facets of feminism and eroticism, they more broadly explore themes of attachment/detachment in interpersonal relationships, family, and work. They look at the paradox of parenting (Cogan is mother to a teenager), in which parents must simultaneously be protectors and providers, while allowing their children to find their own identities on their own terms. Cogan notes this challenge is surprisingly like the process of art making, which necessitates the artist letting go of preconceived notions of the final piece to create.

Included with the two-dimensional framed, stretched, and free hanging works is an installation in the center of the gallery, Confections (2006-ongoing). Comprised of entirely fabricated crocheted and knitted cakes and other desserts, this piece looks at indulgence and temptation, again using a traditionally “feminine” trope to unpack the many aspects of human longing.

Orly Cogan was born in Israel and educated at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in NYC and The Maryland Institute College of Art. She has been exhibiting her work throughout the US and Europe for over two decades and has been at the forefront of the fiber arts movement, with an emphasis on Feminism in contemporary art. Cogan has been included in a number of notable national and international museum and university exhibitions, including The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, CT; The Museum of Arts & Design, NY; Riverside Museum, Riverside, CA; The Hudson River Museum, NY; The Textile Museum of Toronto, Canada (with Judy Chicago); The Rijswijk Textile Biennial in The Museum Rijswijk; and at The Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, Oslo among others. Cogan’s work is found in various public and private collections including The Museum of Arts & Design, NY and MIT. She has curated several acclaimed group exhibitions in NYC. Cogan’s work has been published in several books and museum catalogues. Reviews of her work are included in the New York Times, New American Paintings, the Los Angeles Times, W Magazine, Elle, Art in America, Art News, and Art Forum, among many others. She currently lives and work in New York, NY.

Categories: Art & Craft

Sponsor a child for the holidays

Oct 28 all-day

Eliada Homes

Help Make a Child Smile this Holiday Season!

Eliada works hard to make the holidays a special time for the children in our care. You can help bring a smile to their face by fulfilling their holiday wishes!

Sponsor a Child:

When you sign up to sponsor a child for the holidays, you’ll receive a Wish List that a young person created. Wish Lists include their favorite things, clothing sizes, and most needed and wanted items. The value of a Wish List is around $200. You can divide that cost with friends, or even sponsor several children.

For most of Eliada’s children and youth, the gifts they receive from sponsors are the only gifts they will get during the holiday season.

To sign up to sponsor, please contact Rebecca Boline by email at [email protected].

Sponsor Multiple Children:

We also have Wish Lists which include items that children will need here at Eliada depending on what program they are in.

Cottage wish lists for youth living at Eliada, for example, include toiletries, bedding and towels, books, games, art supplies, suitcases and kitchen utensils. Many children come to Eliada with a few clothes in a garbage bag. Together we can provide them things that every home should have!

Other wish lists are for our Child Development programs, Foster Care program, Farm program, Summer Camp program, and Recreation programs. Our Equine Therapy program also has some needs this holiday season! We never know when we’ll get a call for a child in Foster Care who needs a home immediately. Let’s help Foster Parents provide these children everything they deserve!

Sponsor a last minute wish:

Some youth living at Eliada won’t arrive until right before the holidays! We won’t receive their wish lists until mid-late November. Can you sign up to help one of these teens at the last minute?

If you don’t have time to shop, Eliada will use your donation to purchase gifts for children who may arrive at Eliada very close to Christmas or right after Christmas. It shouldn’t matter when you arrive at Eliada–your wishes should be fulfilled! You can make a donation here. In the comment field, write “holiday wishes.”

To sign up to sponsor multiple children or a teen at the last minute, please contact Rebecca Boline by email at rboline @eliada.org or by phone at (828) 254-5356, ext. 306.

Categories: Community Donations Family Fun Holiday

Star Wars Reads

Oct 28 all-day

Oakley/South Asheville Library

Drop in any time on Saturday, October 28th and celebrate your love of a galaxy far, far away with us. Make a craft, check out books about your favorite Star Wars characters, and complete our scavenger hunt to win a special prize!

Categories: Family Fun

The Berkshires Land: Fall Fishing Destinations

Oct 28 all-day

The Berkshires

As the summer is waning and the leaves change colors, anglers across the country eagerly await the start of fall fishing season in some of America’s most attractive locations. To help anglers plan their ideal adventure, FishingBooker has created a list of the 9 Best Fall Fishing Destinations for 2023. The Berkshires have been named at the top of the list. Here’s why:

Fall foliage is the perfect setting for chasing that trophy-sized catch while enjoying the scenic beauty of the landscapes along the way, and the Berkshires encompass it all. Comprised of extensive forests, breathtaking Appalachian trails, and numerous rivers and lakes, this region is beyond wonderful. If you’re an angler, hearing about mountain rivers and fall fishing probably tells you a lot about the species you can target in this region. The cold waters that run through the Berkshires are a fly fishing heaven.

To provide readers with an immersive experience of the beauty and excitement the Berkshires offer, here is a custom-made video we have created specifically for this destination. This video showcases the finest fishing spots, expert insights, and professional narration that will capture the attention of your audience.

The full unranked list of 9 best fall fishing destinations includes:

Berkshires, MA
San Diego, CA
Casper, WY
Lake of the Ozarks, MO
Grayling, MI
Buffalo, NY
Virginia Beach, VA
Asheville, NC
Kissimmee, FL

About FishingBooker:

With an offer of more than 42,000 fishing trips spanning over 2,000 cities across 110 countries, FishingBooker has gained the trust of countless fishing enthusiasts. Our platform has enabled hundreds of thousands of anglers to embark on fishing trips and create long-lasting memories with friends and family across the US – and beyond. By connecting anglers with skilled captains and the best fishing locations, we are committed to making fishing accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

—-

Here is a Dropbox folder that contains a long-form video of all destinations, as well as an additional image you may need if you decide to cover the story. Please feel free to use any of the materials included in the link, and do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need further assistance.

Categories: Outdoors Sports

The Curator’s Journal: A Year-long Insider’s View of American Bonsai at The North Carolina Arboretum

Oct 28 all-day

online w/ The North Carolina Arboretum

Registration is ongoing through the year. Get new updates and access all previous entries in a convenient online library.

The Curator’s Journal by Bonsai Curator Arthur Joura is a year-long course offering the ultimate insider’s view of bonsai at The North Carolina Arboretum. Regular entries chronicle growing an art and growing an enterprise. Some journal entries will be long and others more brief; some will be mostly words and others mostly pictures; some will be close-up studies of detail and others will step back to take in the wider scene. The path will not be linear, but all the entries will be steps along a journey.

You’re invited to come along.

The Journeyperson Program

Oct 28 all-day

Organic Growers School

Starting a farm is a formidable challenge, but keeping a farm business going, growing, and thriving is even harder!

The Journeyperson Program is designed for farmers who have been independently farming for three or more years and are serious about operating farm businesses in the Southern Appalachian region. This program will give you the space and time to work on your business’s scale, viability, and long-term direction while making connections that deepen peer-to-peer support.

Limited spots are available for the full program, and those who want to be eligible for our Savings Incentive Program and the professional development funds must commit to participating in all aspects of the program.

What makes the Journeyperson program unique?

Participants can use this program as a tangible step toward achieving their farm goals, and make significant contributions to the agricultural community and economy.

This program is designed to give tailored guidance and support for your farm business to answer questions of:

Scale
Market access
Land access
Risk management
Understanding cash flow
Enterprise innovation

Categories: Garden Events

Treasured Tree Nomination

Oct 28 all-day

online

One of Lem’s first decisions after opening River Arts District Brewing Company was to get this giant Silver Maple recognized as a Treasured Tree. We estimate this beautiful tree to be around 124 years old.

Thank you Lem & the rest of the RAD Brewing Company for honoring the oldest trees in our urban canopy! If you are interested in dedicating a tree of your own, check out our website for the Treasured Tree application.

Categories: Community

Turning of the Maples Virtual 5K

Oct 28 all-day

online

Register today for your virtual 5K, which you can complete anywhere you’d like, and receive some of our coolest TOTM swag yet, including an exclusive TOTM-branded belt bag made from six plastic bottles’ worth of recycled materials and a BRAND NEW TOTM sticker for your UNC Asheville sticker collection.

Not only will you be able to walk, jog, bike, or run your 3.1 miles in style, you’ll be supporting our very own Bulldogs every step of the way! A portion of your registration is a gift to the UNC Asheville Fund, which supports top student and campus priorities, like financial aid and community outreach.

Join the over 3 dozen folks who have already registered, especially if you’d like to reserve your limited edition belt bag. We have less than 70 left, and each one that’s reserved will benefit our students and campus where support is needed most.

🍁 Don’t miss the beloved Turning of the Maples Virtual 5K! 🍁

Now’s the time to bring home your favorite UNC Asheville tradition! While our students and faculty celebrate the color-changing canopy of maple leaves on the Quad with bluegrass music, warm apple cider, and maple cookies, you can enjoy the autumnal scenery in your own neighborhood while supporting the UNC Asheville Fund, which provides immediate and flexible support where our students and faculty need it most.

Our virtual 5K (3.1 miles) can be completed anywhere and anytime between October 27-29. You can run, jog, bike, or walk in your neighborhood, in a park, or on a trail. Or, if you prefer indoor activity, your home or local gym works, too! However you celebrate Turning of the Maples, share a photo of your 5K outing on social media using the hashtag #UNCATOTM5K.

A portion of your $25 registration is a gift to the UNC Asheville fund, which supports students and programs across campus. Your registration includes:

A Turning of the Maples 5K sticker

Apple Cider Packet

An exclusive Turning of the Maples 5K Belt Bag (known as a Fanny Pack to the 25+ crowd 😉) made with 6 plastic bottles’ worth of recycled materials! (ONLY 100 AVAILABLE.)

These items will be deployed on a daily basis, but may not arrive prior October 27.

How does the Turning of the Maples Virtual 5K work?

Register: Make a gift of at least $25 to the UNC Asheville Fund on this form.

You’ll receive your swag!

Run, walk, jog, or bike your favorite 5K route at your own pace between October 27-29. Don’t forget to wear your UNC Asheville gear and take photos! Tag the UNC Asheville Alumni Association and use the hashtag #UNCATOTM5K so that we can follow along!

The 2023 Turning of the Maples Virtual 5K is proudly sponsored by the UNC Asheville Alumni Association.

Questions? Contact the Alumni Engagement Office at [email protected].

Categories: Fundraisers Sports

Volunteer for the Eliada Corn Maze and Fall Festival

Oct 28 all-day

Eliada Homes

Eliada’s Annual Corn Maze and Fall Festival is the agency’s single largest fundraiser. Through your volunteer support, you are directly impacting the lives of vulnerable children in our community.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer roles range from:

Maintaining our beautiful corn maze trails!
Hosting one of our many attractions including the jumping pillow or the slides!
Helping with Check-In and merchandise sales!

*If you have specific needs related to a physical disability be sure to let us know and we will be happy to accommodate you in your role assignment.

Volunteer Perks

Shifts are two hours long, and you’re free to sign up for multiple shifts!
You will receive a snack & refreshment after your shift!

Group Volunteer Opportunities

If you are a part of a community or church group and are interested in volunteering as a team, we’d love to have you! Contact our Resource Development Officer Rebecca Boline, at [email protected] or (828) 254-5356 x306 to get your volunteer group signed up today!

Restrictions

We ask that volunteers be 18+ years of age. Besides that, we have no other requirements for volunteering-just your commitment to lending two helping hands and a great attitude during your shift!

Categories: Volunteers

Asheville Parks + Recreation Adult fall athletic programs + sports leagues

Oct 28 @ 7:00 am

Various Locations

With multiple parks featuring ballfields and volleyball, pickleball, tennis, and basketball courts, Asheville has plenty of opportunities to join pick-up games or play with organized sports leagues. Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) offers a broad line-up of youth athletics programs, adult sports leagues, and special events throughout the year with an emphasis on fair play and enjoyment for any level of experience, including the fall opportunities below.

Search Current Asheville Sports and Athletics

Limited spots available, so advance registration at AVLREC.com required. Some activities offer discounted registration for early sign ups. Most team sports also offer “looking for a team” options for free agents. Some activities charge a higher rate for participants who do not live in Asheville.

Leagues

6v6 Indoor Volleyball League, $200 per team

Registration opens November 27, games begin January 16 for winter season

Upper, middle, and lower divisions play at Tempie Avery Montford Community Center.

Over 40 Basketball League, $60 per player

Registration ends August 24, games begin September 12

Asheville’s newest team sports league provides an opportunity for community members over 40 who want to get back into the game or prefer to play with others around the same age. Sign up as an individual to be placed on a team based on height, position, and skill level for games played at Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center.

Flag Football League, $600 per team

Registration opens August 30, games begin October 17

Upper, middle, and lower divisions play at Asheville Middle School on 211 South French Broad Avenue.

Winter Basketball League, $600 per team

Registration opens October 10, games begin November 27

Upper and lower divisions play at Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center. Middle division plays at Stephens-Lee Community Center.

Clinics and Tournaments

Tennis Clinic, $20 per player

Registration ends September 6, clinics held each Tuesday and Thursday from September 12-21

Instructional clinics for beginners and intermediate players teach the basics and build on skills each class at Murphy-Oakley Park.

Doubles Grass Volleyball Tournament, $20 per team

Registration ends September 5, tournament on September 16

Six sets to 21 in pool play for advance and intermediate divisions in which all teams advance to the playoffs on a day of music, fun, and volleyball at Carrier Park.

Intro to Golf, $10 for series with players responsible for their own green fees

Registration ends September 28, games played each Wednesday from October 4-25

Travel to a different golf course each week for one-on-one coaching to learn the game. For more info, contact Colt Miller at [email protected] or (828) 707-2376.

Pumpkin Ball Softball Bash Tournament, $150 per team

Registration ends September 30, tournament on October 7

All players hit a 16-inch softball in games played on a 200-foot distance field with unlimited home runs with a three-game guarantee. Winning teams receive prizes and trophies. For more info, contact Zack Stewart at [email protected] or (828) 545-1644.

Late Night Wiffleball Tournament, $5 per team

Registration ends November 9, tournament on November 16

Five-player teams play in this two-game guarantee tournament at Tempie Avery Montford Community Center. For more info, contact Kiley Pritchard at [email protected] or (828) 507-3357.

Categories: Community Parks & Recreation Sports

Asheville Parks + Recreation Youth Fall + Winter athletic programs + sports leagues

Oct 28 @ 8:00 am

Various Locations

Flag Football, $15 per player

Registration ends August 30, games begin September 9

Teams divided by ages 6-8, 9-10, 11-12, and 14-16 practice drills for 30 minutes prior to weekly games with two 20 minute halves at Asheville Middle School on 211 South French Broad Avenue.

Softball Clinic, $10 per player

Registration ends September 3, clinics begin September 11

Instructional five-week clinic with divisions for 6-8, 9-10, and 11-12 year-olds teaches fundamentals through drills and scrimmages at Asheville Middle School on 211 South French Broad Avenue with the intent of building a youth softball program in the future.

Youth Archery Class, $25 per archer

Registration ends October 10, class held each Thursday from October 26-November 16

This introductory course teaches individuals 9-12 years-old range safety and proper shooting techniques.

Winter Basketball League, $35 per player

Registration ends October 31, evaluations begin November 6

Age divisions include 5-6 (instructional), 9-10, 11-12, and 13-15.

Fling the Fletch Junior Disc Golf Open, $5 for beginner and $20 for advanced competitive

A local pro teaches a clinic followed by a nine-hole family fun tournament for beginners ages 8-18 and an 18-hole competitive round for advanced players ages 12-16.

Turkey Tee Off Family Mini Golf Tournament, free

Registration ends November 10, tournament on November 18

Enjoy friendly competition with friends and family at Lakeview Putt and Play on 2245 Hendersonville Road.

Categories: Family Fun Parks & Recreation Sports

Food Scraps Drop Off: Buncombe County Landfill

Oct 28 @ 8:00 am – 12:30 pm

Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center

Food Scraps Drop Off

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

Locations

Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center

85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander

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

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

749 Fairview Road, Asheville

- Dawn – Dusk

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

30 Washington Carver Avenue, Asheville

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

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

942 Haywood Road, Asheville

- Library open hours

Categories: Community

Food Scraps Drop Off: Stephens-Lee Recreation Center

Oct 28 @ 8:00 am – 2:00 pm

Stephens-Lee Recreation Center

Food Scraps Drop Off

The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County and the Natural Resources Defense Council, is offering a FREE Food Scrap Drop-Off program in

two locations for all Buncombe County residents. This organic matter will be collected and turned into good clean compost, keeping it OUT of our landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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

Locations

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

30 Washington Carver Avenue, Asheville

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

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

749 Fairview Road, Asheville

- Dawn – Dusk

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

942 Haywood Road, Asheville

Library open hours

Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander

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

Categories: Community

North Asheville Tailgate Market

Oct 28 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm

North Asheville Tailgate Market

Shoppers at the market

Welcome to Western NC’s most premier farmers market!

Since 1980, we have been providing Asheville and the surrounding area with a full range of local, sustainably produced produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, breads, plants, prepared foods and crafts. Day vendors complement the members’ offerings with additional products and services.

The North Asheville Tailgate Market is a weekly, Saturday morning gathering of the best farmers, craftsmen, and bakers. With over 40 vendors and more than 40,000 annual customers, the market’s energetic and warm environment welcomes all.

Categories: Farmers Market

WNC Farmers Market

Oct 28 @ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

WNC Farmers Market

NCDA&CS - Marketing Division - Western North Carolina Farmers Market

The WNC Farmers Market is the premier destination for buying and selling the region’s best agriculture products directly from farmers & food producers to household & wholesale customers in an environment that celebrates the region’s diverse culture, food & heritage.

House of Operation:

WNC Farmers Market: 24/7, 361 days a year market access for farmers
Office: Monday- Friday, 8am-5pm
Market Shops: 7 days a week, 8 am-5 pm
Wholesale and Truck Sheds: 7 days a week

Categories: Farmers Market

Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display

Oct 28 @ 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!

Categories: Art & Craft Family Fun Garden Outdoors

October 2023 Oct 2023

Calendar of Events

UPDATE: Your input is needed for our AVL Unpaved Public Survey

What are the AVL Unpaved Trails?

Food Scraps Drop Off

Three ways to contact the Garden Helpline

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

Starting a farm is a formidable challenge, but keeping a farm business going, growing, and thriving is even harder!

What makes the Journeyperson program unique?

Food Scraps Drop Off

Food Scraps Drop Off

Welcome to Western NC’s most premier farmers market!

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

Garden Helpline Hours