The Fairy trail is open Monday thru Saturday, 9am-4pm. We encourage all visitors to be patient as there will be limits to the number of people allowed on the trail at the same time. While the trail is outdoors, there are some small spaces and we want to ensure our guests and fairies are safe. Please practice appropriate social distancing and bring a mask in case. Masks are not required, but are considerate in a close area. Our restrooms are not open to the public at this time. Please make arrangements prior to visiting.

Rules of the trail:

Do not move or rearrange fairy displays. The fairies are very fond of their own decorating.

Do not leave trash on the trail. Fairies do not like litter in their town.

Please ensure children and pets are supervised at all times. Dogs and loud noises can scare the fairies into hiding.

Do not disturb wildlife or vegetation. The fairies depend on the vegetation to build their homes.

The trail is one way only. Please stay on the trail at all times.

The Fairies can’t wait to see you all here!

P.S. the Fairies would like us to remind you that we are a non-profit and donations are greatly appreciated. Help us keep the fairies living in the style with which they’ve become accustomed.

 Blue Ridge Humane Society is hosting a free pet food giveaway to those in need or affected by COVID-19, on Monday, July 13, from 9am-1pm at the Blue Ridge Humane Society Adoption Center in Edneyville. Cat and dog food, along with limited pet supplies, will be distributed first come, first serve, as supplies last. Social distancing and protective measures will be taken by all staff and we ask the public to do the same during the drive-thru pick-up. Members of the community will be asked to stay in their cars, and staff will load needed items to ensure a contact-free interaction. The Adoption Center is located at 88 Centipede Lane, Hendersonville, NC 28792.

If a pet owner is in need of food but unable to attend the pick-up, please call or text the BRHS helpline at (828) 393-5832. Blue Ridge Humane has increased pet food distribution to local partner food banks in response to needs due to COVID-19, as well as hosted additional giveaways for the community. Additional resources and limited assistance is available for local pet owners. For a full list of services provided by Blue Ridge Humane please visit https://www.blueridgehumane.org/pet-owner-resources/.

The Blue Ridge Humane Society, Inc., is a 501(c)3 animal welfare organization started in 1950 dedicated to ensuring the highest quality of life for animals in Henderson County and our neighboring communities. BRHS cares for pets awaiting adoption at the Adoption Center; offers low-cost vaccine clinics, animal education programs, pet training classes, and youth education and projects; coordinates community pet food assistance, emergency vet assistance, and the Spay Neuter Incentive Program (SNIP), which is a collaboration with Henderson County, the City of Hendersonville, and the Henderson County Animal Services Center.

If you believe in our cause, consider making a donation or learning how to volunteer by visiting the Blue Ridge Humane Society’s website at www.blueridgehumane.org or call (828) 692-2639.

HRC is proud to announce a series of one-week tennis youth camps this summer. Half day and full day camps are available. Campers get tennis training and get to use many of the amenities of HRC such as the racquetball courts, hammock/picnic area, rec room and pool. All camps are led by High Performance Tennis Pro Cre Still.

“We are very excited to be able to offer the camps this summer.  We can handle all abilities on our tennis courts and have fun off and on the court with all the things available to us at HRC,” stated Still.  “Our camps are already popular and this year we are adding a few more surprises that will add to the fun of the camps!”

HRC’s High Performance Tennis Camp is offered June 22-26, July 13-17 and July 27-31.  This camp is available for tournament players ages 10-18 and is 9am-5pm every day.  HRC Pros lead campers through tennis training, match play, off-court fitness, pool time, cross training through other sports and more with snacks provided.  Price is $495/week or $125/day.

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Buncombe County Recreation Services will open its five outdoor swimming pools. Safety and sanitation measures have been taken to comply with Buncombe County’s Stay Safe, Stay Smart order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pool visitors will be required to practice the Three Ws: wear a cloth face covering when entering/exiting the pool and when not in the pool, wait at least six feet apart from and avoid close contact with anyone who does not live in your household, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often.

Pool will open for two sessions Monday-Saturday, closing between sessions for a sanitation period that includes wiping down all common touch points. Sunday hours include one session. Admission for each session is $3 per guest. Due to limited capacity, guests are highly encouraged to purchase tickets online. If a pool is unable to open for any reason or is forced to close within the first hour of operation, all guests will receive a raincheck via the email address provided when purchasing the original ticket. Booking are currently available through July 10.

Monday-Friday
10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
2:15-5:15 p.m.

Saturday
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
3-6 p.m.

Sunday
1-6 p.m.

“While this summer is different in nearly every way for local families, we’re happy to safely and responsibly open our pools to the community,” said Josh O’Conner, Director of Buncombe County Recreation Services. “While we are not allowing toys, balls, noodles, dive sticks, and other communal items inside pools, the guest experience should be enhanced as visitors will be able to enjoy pools with a capacity limit of roughly 30% normal occupancy.”

Cane Creek Pool
590 Lower Brush Creek Road
Fletcher, NC 28732

Erwin Pool
58 Lees Creek Road
Asheville, NC 28806

Hominy Valley Pool
25 Twin Lakes Road
Candler, NC 28715

North Buncombe Pool
892 Clarks Chapel Road
Weaverville, NC 28787

Owen Pool
117 Stone Drive

Asheville Outlets has announced that the majority of retailers and eateries at the center are now open, including American Eagle Outfitters, Lucky Brand, RH Outlet, West Elm Outlet, Pandora, Skechers, Sportsman’s Warehouse, Tommy Hilfiger, Vera Bradley Factory Outlet Store, Johnston & Murphy Factory Store, Talbot’s Outlet, and Le Creuset, among many more.

Asheville Outlets is an open-air shopping center; hours are Monday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, 12 noon to 6:00 p.m.

This year, we weren’t able to host our “Strolling through History” series of walking tours, but thanks to some awesome work by interns we hosted from UNC Asheville this spring, they will be partially available virtually!

Enjoy “Scrolling” through history from your couch, or grab your tablet or smartphone and follow the tour in real life. (Make sure to follow local safety guidelines!)

The tours will be posted as links in this event discussion. Leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Join us for another free legal name change clinic. We will supply you with all of the paperwork needed for the name change and help you answer any questions you may have while navigating this often confusing process. It’s easier with friends!

Our clinic is free, but there are different costs associated with the name change process that you will pay to different agencies along the way, and they are as follows:

Fingerprint fees: $10 each (you’ll need 2 sets)
State background check: $14
FBI background check: $18
Name change petition: $120
Notary fees: vary by location
There is also a charge for a new copy of your birth certificate, but that depends on what state you were born in. To find that info, check https://www.vitalchek.com.

Not all fees are due at the same time in the name change process. Fingerprints are the first step in the process which you then send off for the the state and FBI background checks. The federal background check can take up to 3 months to return, so you will have a little time to get the filing fee for the name change petition together.

If you feel like you would be more comfortable with an escort to the ID Bureau for fingerprinting or to the courthouse to file papers, please let us know in advance of the clinic date so that we can make the proper arrangements.

Buncombe County Recreation Services will open its five outdoor swimming pools. Safety and sanitation measures have been taken to comply with Buncombe County’s Stay Safe, Stay Smart order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pool visitors will be required to practice the Three Ws: wear a cloth face covering when entering/exiting the pool and when not in the pool, wait at least six feet apart from and avoid close contact with anyone who does not live in your household, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often.

Pool will open for two sessions Monday-Saturday, closing between sessions for a sanitation period that includes wiping down all common touch points. Sunday hours include one session. Admission for each session is $3 per guest. Due to limited capacity, guests are highly encouraged to purchase tickets online. If a pool is unable to open for any reason or is forced to close within the first hour of operation, all guests will receive a raincheck via the email address provided when purchasing the original ticket. Booking are currently available through July 10.

Monday-Friday
10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
2:15-5:15 p.m.

Saturday
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
3-6 p.m.

Sunday
1-6 p.m.

“While this summer is different in nearly every way for local families, we’re happy to safely and responsibly open our pools to the community,” said Josh O’Conner, Director of Buncombe County Recreation Services. “While we are not allowing toys, balls, noodles, dive sticks, and other communal items inside pools, the guest experience should be enhanced as visitors will be able to enjoy pools with a capacity limit of roughly 30% normal occupancy.”

Cane Creek Pool
590 Lower Brush Creek Road
Fletcher, NC 28732

Erwin Pool
58 Lees Creek Road
Asheville, NC 28806

Hominy Valley Pool
25 Twin Lakes Road
Candler, NC 28715

North Buncombe Pool
892 Clarks Chapel Road
Weaverville, NC 28787

Owen Pool
117 Stone Drive

Swannanoa, NC 28778

Participants will have the opportunity to connect with Melissa McKinney and others via the Zoom App for an inspired music collaboration project. The group will spend time getting to know a little bit about one another and then they will pick a song that inspires them and that they feel will lift others. Through a combination of group and one on one instruction, participants will learn to use the Soundtrap recording App to record their parts. Participants will also receive guidance on how to creatively video their part of the music video that will accompany the audio project. The audio and video will be edited into a music video that will be released on social media with the desired outcome to Spread Joy to others during this difficult period of time. Participants will need to have access to Computer, iPad or tablet or smartphone.

Zoom Link: TBD

The Rec n Roll mobile recreation unit is headed to your neighborhood! This free program offers all sorts of games and activities the whole family can enjoy. Come out and Play! *Weather Permitting

Interested in finding our more about the Literacy Council?

Just Economics has prepared a budget workshop series to help understand what is in our City, County, State and Federal budgets and to help individuals become better advocates. Each workshop is an hour and a half long and will be on-line through zoom (you can also participate by calling in). The first budget workshop is an overview of public budgeting and is important to have before the second workshop focusing on the City of Asheville’s budget with attention to the Asheville Police Department’s budget. The third workshop will focus on the County (and the Sheriff’s Department) and the final workshop will include conversations about the state budget and models of budget changes around the country. The Public Budget Overview (Workshop 1) is scheduled for Monday, July 13th at 5:30pm. Registration is required to receive the link.

Ballads and unaccompanied traditional songs of Appalachia are timeless, soulful and evoke a deep sense of connection. For generations, people have kept these songs alive by teaching them to each other on porches, at gatherings and at work. In this presentation, musician Susan Pepper will sing some of her favorite ballads from the region while sharing stories and showing photos of the people and places from which she learned her songs. Pepper has spent many years collecting songs and stories from traditional singers in Western North Carolina. She has performed at the Library of Congress and teaches ballad workshops online as well as at regional and national venues such as Banjo-Fiddle Frolic, John C. Campbell Folk School and Traditional Youth Song Weekend. She has a Master of Arts in Appalachian Studies with a focus in music, and created an album of her field recordings with a grant from the North Carolina Arts Council. She is also the co-producer of the recent Appalachian music film, The Mountain Minor.

This event will take place as a webinar.