Calendar of Events

We are thrilled to announce our brand new YWCA Fitness App which we have created specifically with you in mind. This new app can be found by searching for “YWCA of Asheville and WNC” in both the Apple app store and the Android google play store. You can use it to connect with other YWCA members, can make class reservations up to 7 days in advance, access a library of workouts and exercises that can be done at home or in the fitness center, join challenges, track your progress towards your goals, and more!

We trust that you will love it as much as we do! We will be hosting an App help desk in our lobby September 14-17 to answer questions and help you get to know the App. Additionally, we’ve added some tools to our website to assist you. You can also contact our Membership Coordinator, Macie Murphy, at [email protected] or 8282547206 x 105.

As our local leaders are assessing the damage to Buncombe County in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Fred, Buncombe County Emergency Services is standing up a call center to connect residents to resources and information. To assist with disaster recovery, Buncombe County has activated a dedicated line for those impacted.

An Emergency Services Call Center is now available at (828) 844-5455.

The number will be answered Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., with an afterhours voicemail option. Our team will collect information and connect residents to resources if possible, including State Emergency Management or FEMA should they make a declaration for Buncombe County.

In addition, affected residents have the following supports:

• For stream damage, contact Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District at 828-250-4785.
• For crop loss please, contact the Farm Service Agency at (828) 649-9099, ext. 2.
• For building/structural damage in Buncombe County, please call the Buncombe County Permits & Inspections Department at (828) 250-5360. Structural damage should also be reported to an individual’s insurance company as soon as possible.
• For a flood assessment to a building or structure, contact the Buncombe County Floodplain Administrator at (828) 250-4830 or email contact information to [email protected].
• For City of Asheville sidewalk repairs or maintained streets, call (828) 259-5852. Residents can upload service requests to the Asheville App, a free app compatible with Android and Apple devices. Or click the “report issues” icon on the City of Asheville website.
• For damage to state maintained roads, call  (828) 298-0390 or call 511.
• Call 211.
• Find a Community Market.
• For building/structural damage in the Asheville City limits, please call the City of Asheville Building Safety Division at (828) 259-5967 or email contact information to [email protected]. Structural damage should also be reported to an individual’s insurance company as soon as possible.
• For a flood assessment to a building or structure within the Asheville City limits, contact the City of Asheville Floodplain Administration, Nancy Watford at (828) 450-8317 or email contact information to [email protected].

Flooding and Public Health

When addressing the impacts of flooding, residents and businesses should be aware of the dangerous health impacts of flooding. Proper assessment of wells and septic systems as well as cleaning and moisture removal remain key to eliminating threats to the public’s health. Please reference What to Do After the Flood by the EPA to learn more about considerations for well and pump safety after a flood event.

Power outages can also create food safety issues for homes and businesses. When the refrigerator goes out and you are concerned about food safety, please reference the Environmental Health Preparedness Manual to learn more about food safety before, during, and after a weather event.

Many thanks go out to our emergency services personnel and first responders, who worked all night to keep our community and neighbors safe during this dangerous storm.

From Planning & Development:

There will be a public hearing to consider the proposed FY2023 Community Transportation Program Application to be submitted to the North Carolina Department of Transportation on September 21 at 5:00 p.m. in Room 326 at 200 College Street in downtown Asheville.

Those interested in participating in the public hearing and needing either auxiliary aids or services under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or a language translator should contact Lamar Joyner, Clerk to the Board, on or before September 17, at 828.250.4101 or via email at [email protected].

The Community Transportation Program provides assistance to coordinate existing transportation programs operating in Buncombe County as well as provides transportation options and services for the communities within this service area. Current services are provided by Mountain Mobility using demand response services and deviated fixed routes

This application may be inspected beginning September 13, 2021 at Land of Sky Regional Council, 339 New Leicester Highway, Suite 140, Asheville, NC 28806, from Monday – Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Written comments should be directed to Vicki Jennings, Transit Program Manager, before September 21, 2021.

The Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce the re-launch of LEADS East! Starting on Thursday, August 19th, LEADS East will begin meeting every Thursday at 8am in the Community Room at the Hendersonville Co-op.

Visit The Learning Garden! The gardens are in full summer mode with ripening tomatoes, blooming roses, giant sunflowers, and many other perennials and plants of interest.

The Learning Garden is a dedicated, on-site teaching garden at the Buncombe Extension Center located at 49 Mt. Carmel Road, Asheville. It is managed and cared for by the Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteers (EMGVs) of Buncombe County.

Everyone is welcome to visit the gardens Monday and Wednesday mornings from 9 to 12 when temperatures are cool and Master Gardeners are working in the gardens. Or come visit on your own Monday through Friday, 8 to 5.

The Learning Garden (TLG) surrounds the Extension building, includes 8 distinct gardens, and a composting demonstration site. Each garden offers plants that grow well in our region. You will gather new ideas and learn successful horticultural practices that lead to beautiful, healthy gardens.

Look for plant labels in the garden. Find more information and brochures at the kiosk near the building and in the garden mailboxes.

GARDENERS ARE IN THE GARDEN.

The North Carolina Arboretum is going wild for art and nature in 2021 with Wild Art! On view April 1 through September 26, this outdoor sculpture exhibition features works by 17 local and national artists drawing inspiration from the natural environment. Situated throughout the Arboretum’s spacious, open-air gardens, the show offers guests a doorway into the wild world from the comfort and safety of cultivated landscapes transformed by art.

The 18 sculptures on display represent a variety of approaches to the theme of “wild art,” from the literal to the abstract, and are crafted from a diverse array of materials that will delight and inspire. Let your imagination take you on a wild journey into the world of plants and animals near and far with Wild Art at The North Carolina Arboretum.

The exhibit is available to all guests during normal Arboretum hours, and there is no admission cost to view the sculptures beyond our usual parking fee of $16 per personal vehicle.

With the convenience of being open year-round, 7 days a week, the WNC Farmers Market offers a selection of farm-fresh produce at the lowest prices in Western N.C. Our popular retail buildings, providing a selection of non-perishables, fruits, vegetables, crafts and more, are open daily.

Located in the heart of downtown Asheville, North Carolina, and open to the public this Fall. Host your company dinner or private party at Citizen Vinyl today.

Garden pots are essential to our operations at the tree nursery, and we’re running low! Do you have extra plastic nursery pots lying around your house?   Please drop your pots off at our Sand Hill Nursery in the “Return Pots” section (Buncombe County Sports Park, 24 Apac Circle, Asheville) look for a sign on the fence.

This  is where your love for the stage can begin!

In our pre-school to early elementary class, we will be exploring every part of the stage including prop-building, dancing, singing, and acting.  Whether you have a young performer destined for Broadway or just a little theatre enthusiast, we will help grow their love of theatre with new friends and explore the joys of storytelling!

All teachers are vaccinated. Open Warehouse space and new HVAC system.

Included with admission

Our fun-for-all-ages botanical model train displays invite you to experience our grounds in an engaging new way. Located in the Conservatory in the Walled Garden, the displays feature replicas of structures connected with Biltmore and its founder George Vanderbilt. Each beautifully executed piece was handcrafted from such natural elements as leaves, bark, and twigs.

In compliance with state and local mandates related to COVID-19, all guests must enter the Conservatory via the ADA entrance in the back and follow a one-way route.

Included with admission

A unique-to-Biltmore, large-scale outdoor sculpture will be crafted and installed in Antler Hill Village this spring by Patrick Dougherty. Over the last three decades, this internationally-acclaimed artist has combined his carpentry skills and love of nature to build over 300 of these wondrous works, captivating the hearts and imaginations of viewers worldwide.

Image: Close Ties (2006) Scottish Basketmakers Circle, Dingwall, Scotland. Photo: Fin Macrae
NOTE: This is an example of Patrick Dougherty’s work; the artist will create Biltmore’s unique structure in Antler Hill Village this spring.

Summer at Biltmore offers an abundance of opportunities to explore our 8,000-acre Blue Ridge Mountain backyard and create the kind of memories that last a lifetime. Wander through historic gardens, along winding trails, and within the spacious halls of America’s Largest Home^®. Enjoy extraordinary experiences and peace of mind in one spectacular setting: only at Biltmore.

Virtual attendance via Zoom video and audio internet connection

Presenter: Ralph Coffey, Extension Master Gardener^SM Volunteer

Why should we be interested in four-season trees and shrubs? Consider that some plants are only interesting when they bloom, yet they take up as much space in the garden as those with multiple seasons of interest. Or do we want to add diversity and value to our landscape? Four-season plants do just that and will be important visual features, especially in a small garden.

This presentation takes a look at 12 trees and shrubs planted in The Learning Garden at the Buncombe County Extension office. We’ll observe how these plants grow and change through the four seasons. We’ll examine the ways each plant adds interest and creates beauty in the garden with:

• bark and foliage,
• fruit displays and seed heads,
• flower buds and the structure of flower scapes,
• the overall growth habit of the plant, and
• the architecture of the tree or shrub in winter.

Join Ralph Coffey as he opens our eyes to the wonders of these four-season plants and helps us look anew at the beauty that can grace our gardens.

Registration: The talk is free but registration is required. Please click on the link below to register. If you encounter problems registering or if you have questions, call 828-255-5522.

“Shine and Dine” on the railway! We cordially invite you to hop on board The Carolina Shine, GSMR’s All-Adult First Class Moonshine Car! We will be proudly serving hand crafted, triple-distilled, craft moonshine. Some of the smoothest tasting moonshine in the Carolinas!

Offered on the Nantahala Gorge excursion, this shine and dine experience begins in a renovated First Class train fleet car, The Carolina Shine. The interior features copper lined walls filled with the history of moonshining in North Carolina. Learn about the proud tradition that the Appalachians established when bootlegging was an acceptable way of life and local home brews were the best in town. Read about Swain County’s very own Major Redmond, the most famous mountain moonshine outlaw of the 19th century.

The exhibit was developed as part of the celebration of the 450th anniversary of the Juan Pardo expeditions. Several years ago, archaeologists identified a site near Morganton as the location of Joara, one of the largest Native American towns in what is today Western North Carolina.

Joara was occupied from approximately 1400-1600 A.D. Two Spanish expeditions led respectively by Hernando de Soto and Juan Pardo visited the town in the 1500s. The Pardo expedition was part of a larger effort to establish a string of forts from the coast of present-day South Carolina all the way to Mexico. In 2013, archaeologists confirmed that Joara was also the site of Fort San Juan, established by Pardo in 1567, nearly 20 years before the English settlement at Roanoke on the coast of North Carolina and 40 years before the settlement at Jamestown.

Through various artifacts uncovered by the archaeology, the exhibit showcases the Spanish occupation of Fort San Juan and the lives of the native people who lived in the Joara area.

The exhibit is on loan from the Exploring Joara Foundation Inc. Exploring Joara engages the public in archaeology in the Carolinas, and emphasizes the discovery of the Native American town of Joara and Fort San Juan. The exhibit will be on display at the Western North Carolina Historical Association’s gallery inside the Smith-McDowell House through December 15.

The gallery is open for visitation Thursday, Friday, and Saturday between 10:30am and 4:00pm. Reservations are recommended.