It’s time for us to learn more about what issues concern voters in Buncombe County! This canvassing training/launch will prepare you to reach the people in your precincts who tend to vote for Democrats, but not often enough!

All Buncombe Democrats who are willing to knock on doors should attend.

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.

Register for 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

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

942 Haywood Road, Asheville

Library open hours

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

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

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

• Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
• 90-Minutes – tours run daily
• 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
• $39 per person (ages 13+ only)

Included with admission

Back by popular demand, The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad exhibition offers guests:

• An opportunity to view rarely-seen treasures from the Biltmore collection
• A first-hand look at the Vanderbilts’ lifestyle
• Deeper insights into George, Edith, and Cornelia’s personalities, both at home and on their extensive travels

Access to exhibitions at The Biltmore Legacy is included with Biltmore daytime admission.

The Homeless Strategy Division of the City of Asheville Community and Economic Development Department invites members of the public to join them for an informative learning series focused on homelessness in our community. This 3-part learning series, presented by Homeless Strategy Specialist Debbie Alford,  offers community members the opportunity to learn more about the causes, responses, and actions that surround the homelessness issue in Asheville and the region. These in-person sessions are offered as a series with information building from one session to the next. Pre-Registration and attendance of all 3 sessions is recommended. October 2023 Session 1: October 3, 2023: Understanding Homelessness –  causes and local landscape Session 2: October 17, 2023: Understanding Solutions to Homelessness – community response, present and future Session 3: October 24, 2023: Personal Response to Homelessness – how to partner with local agencies and take action All October sessions will be held at Pack Memorial Library from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. November 2023 Session 1: November 2, 2023: Understanding Homelessness – causes and local landscape Session 2: November 9, 2023: Understanding Solutions to Homelessness – community response, present and future Session 3: November 16, 2023 : Personal Response to Homelessness – how to partner with local agencies and take action All November sessions will be held at the North Asheville Public Library from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Background: What does Homelessness look like in Asheville? Homelessness occurs when people lack sufficient resources and support during a normal life crisis. It often coincides with unemployment, mental health disorders, substance use, criminal justice involvement, and medical issues, but the vast majority of people who experience those things daily in our community aren’t homeless. In the 2023 Point-in-Time Count, which is an annual census of people experiencing homelessness, City of Asheville staff and volunteers identified 573 people without housing. Most people (402) were in emergency shelters or transitional housing programs. Unfortunately, 171 unsheltered people, defined as those community members who are camping, sleeping in cars, or otherwise on the street, were also counted. Detailed data are available here. A Community Solution Approach Ending homelessness occurs at the individual level, person by person, but requires that our homeless service system have the type and scale of resources needed to respond to each person’s unique needs.  Our goal as a community is to have a well-coordinated and right-sized mix of homeless services that together form a system that’s effective and efficient at ending homelessness. Crises will always occur in all of our lives, but with a robust response system, we can prevent more people from becoming homeless, shorten the time people experience homelessness, and continually increase the number of people exiting homelessness. The City of Asheville is not a direct provider or authority overseeing homelessness efforts within the community. Instead, as suggested by the National Alliance to End Homelessness,  the City government works alongside service providers and other stakeholders to support and expand community capacity and strategies to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness. The Homeless Initiative Advisory Committee (HIAC), serves as the governance board overseeing policy, strategy, and federal resource allocation for the Continuum of Care. HIAC is responsible for developing a collective vision and an effective and streamlined community-wide collaboration to maximize resources and efforts to best respond to homelessness together as a unified Continuum of Care.

Hit the trails and learn more about The North Carolina Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with a guided trail walk! April through October, this free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and through a variety of forest types. Depending on the season and each guide’s area of expertise, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more.

Guided trail walks are limited to 15 people, including the guide, and are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age. Groups depart from the Baker Visitor Center Lobby on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m..

Walks last 1.5 – 2.5 hours, are approximately one to two miles in length. As this program is held rain or shine, all participants should dress appropriately for the weather.

There is no pre-registration; walks are first-come first served and sign up sheets are located in the Baker Visitors Center.

Walks are FREE; however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are appreciated. Regular parking fees apply. Arboretum Society Members always park free.

Know Before You Go

• Guided Trail Walks are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age.
• Guided Trail Walks are rain or shine and all participants should be dressed comfortably and for the weather.
• Hikes cover 1-2 miles and last 1.5-2 hours.
• Well-behaved leashed pets are welcome to accompany their owners. In the rare case that a pet is disruptive or negatively impacts the experience, the pet and its owner may be asked to excuse themselves from the guided walk.
• COVID-19 Safety: In order to hear the guide and fully participate in the trail walk, participants will be in close proximity to one another for extended periods of time. While face coverings are not required, participants should use their best judgement to keep themselves and others safe while enjoying the trails. Individuals who are experiencing flu-like symptoms or suspect they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should not participate.
• At this time, no more than 6 spaces may be filled by a single family/group through pre-registration for any one Guided Trail Walk. If additional spaces are available on the day of the Walk, additional members of the family/group may participate. We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to welcoming larger groups in the future.

LEAF isn’t just for kids! Join us in the Mezzanine while you wait for your youth to finish their class or just to hang out!

Join us on Tuesday, October 24th between 5:30 & 7 PM for a mystical journey through the Highlands Botanical Garden!

🧙‍♀️ Dress up in your spookiest, funniest, or most enchanting costumes
🍭 Go trick-or-treating through the garden trails
👻 Get your face painted by our friends from Macon Faces
🌲 Enjoy our bonfire & refreshments in the meadow

It’s a family-friendly evening of enchantment and wonder. Don’t miss this opportunity to create unforgettable Halloween memories.
Costumes are encouraged, and the event is open to all ages.

Weather dependent.

In this 8-week session discover the fun and fundamentals of musical theatre technique by integrating acting, singing, and simple choreography in the development of a Broadway repertoire. Students will learn proper vocal technique, story-telling through song, musical theatre-style choreography, and how to work within an ensemble. With new material every semester, this class can (and should) be taken multiple times. We will end the semester with a taped video performance that will be emailed out to all families!

Join the Buncombe County Violence Prevention Task Force for an educational discussion about violence prevention! Food will be provided at the event which is located at the East Asheville Public Library. ASL and Spanish interpretation will also be available for this meeting.

Únase al Grupo de Trabajo de Prevención de la Violencia del Condado de Buncombe para un debate educativo sobre la prevención de la violencia. La comida será proporcionada en el evento que se encuentra en la Biblioteca Pública de East Asheville. También habrá interpretación ASL y en español para esta reunión.

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

Players of all skill levels gather at Shakedown Kava Lounge (Hendersonville’s kava
bar) every Tuesday for the kava bar’s weekly Table Tennis Tournament, Games to 11, best of 3, double elimination, paddles
included, winner receives eternal glory and a $25 bar tab, Entry is free.

Demo Day is coming Tuesday, October 24, 2023! Stay tuned for more details.

Please join Venture Asheville’s Elevate entrepreneurs for a fast-paced, high-energy Demo Day. Hear pitches from startups that are investment-ready and actively raising capital.

For more information on the Elevate program visit VentureAsheville.com/Elevate

A ticket and registration is required.

American Patchwork Quartet (APQ) is on a mission to reclaim the immigrant soul of American Roots Music. With several Grammy awards among its members, APQ brings together diverse backgrounds and talents to reimagine timeless songs from America’s past. By weaving together the music, stories, and experiences of many people, APQ creates a beautiful musical tapestry that draws connections between contemporary American culture and its immigrant roots. Their repertoire includes expert reimaginings of classic songs such as “Wayfaring Stranger,” “Pretty Saro,” and “Beneath the Willow.”

Conceived by Clay Ross, a multi-Grammy award-winning musician known for his work with Ranky Tanky, APQ represents an earnest effort to reconcile traditional Southern roots with decades of experience collaborating in New York City’s jazz and world music scenes. With a sound that blends jazz refinement, country twang, West African hypnotics, and East Asian ornaments, APQ creates a musical patchwork that celebrates both differences and commonalities, serving as a metaphor for a more inclusive nation.

Since launching in 2020, APQ has covered nearly 20,000 miles together. Their impressive credentials include collaborating with prestigious cultural institutions such as Carnegie Hall in NYC, Forbes Center in VA, Weis Center in PA, and Walton Center in AR. The group made their international festival debut in 2022 at the World Expo in UAE. APQ has received both residency and touring grants from South Arts and Mid-Atlantic Arts, and they have been selected as official showcasing artists at Western Arts Alliance, Arts Midwest, NC Arts Market, and Folk Alliance. Their debut album, recorded at Echo Mountain Studio’s in Asheville, NC will be released in Fall of 2023.

Coco Live-to-Film Concert features a screening of the complete Disney Pixar film with Oscar® and Grammy®-winning composer Michael Giacchino’s musical score performed live by the 20-member Orquesta Folclórica Nacional de México. In addition to the original score by Giacchino, “Coco” also features the Oscar®-winning song “Remember Me” by Oscar-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and additional songs co-written by Germaine Franco and co-director and screenwriter Adrian Molina. Audiences will travel with Miguel (voice of Anthony Gonzalez) on his extraordinary journey to the colorful Land of the Dead to unlock the real story behind his family’s history set to a live orchestra.

Disney Pixar Coco es un evento especial que no te puedes perder. El evento consta de la proyección de la película, mientras la Orquesta Folclórica Nacional de México interpreta la música  del compositor ganador del Oscar® y el Grammy®, Michael Giacchino, en vivo. Además de la música original de Giacchino, “Coco” también incluye la canción ganadora del Oscar® “Remember Me” de los compositores ganadores del Oscar Kristen Anderson-Lopez y Robert Lopez, así como otras canciones coescritas por Germaine Franco y el codirector y guionista Adrian Molina. La voz original de Miguel, Anthony Gonzalez, transportara a los espectadores a la colorida Tierra de los Muertos, para descubrir la verdadera historia de su familia.

About the Movie: Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (voice of Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Héctor (voice of Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history. Disney and Pixar’s Coco is directed by Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3), co-directed by Adrian Molina (story artist Monsters University) and produced by Darla K. Anderson (Toy Story 3).

The Orquesta Folclórica Nacional de México of the Ballet Folclórico Nacional de México by Silvia Lozano, is a musical group that stands out for its ability to fuse pre-Hispanic instruments with instruments from the colonial era, thus creating a unique and distinctive sound that evokes the rich history and culture of Mexico.

This orchestra is made up of expert musicians who are highly trained in the interpretation of a wide variety of genres and styles of Mexican folk music, such as Mariachi music, Jarana music, Son music, and Huapango music, among others. In addition, their repertoire includes songs and instrumental pieces dating from pre-Hispanic and colonial times, which allows them to connect with the country’s historical and cultural roots.

Among the instruments used by the Orquesta Folclórica Nacional de México are traditional pre-Hispanic drums, such as the “Huehuetl “and “Tepobaztli”, as well as flutes, “Ocarinas” and other pre-Hispanic wind instruments. They also use guitars, violins, double basses, and other stringed instruments that date back to colonial times, resulting in a unique and surprising sound combination.

In conjunction with the dancers of the Ballet Folclórico Nacional de México by Silvia Lozano, the Orquesta Folclórica manages to transmit to the public the energy, passion, and diversity of Mexican culture through its music and dance, creating an authentic and exciting experience for all those who have the pleasure of enjoying the show.