Please note: Nature Connects^®: Art with LEGO^® Bricks has been postponed until July; however, the exhibit will have an extended schedule and will be open until November 1. We look forward to seeing you!

The Arboretum is excited to welcome back the widely popular traveling exhibit, Nature Connects^®: Art with LEGO^® Bricks by Sean Kenney. Featuring 14 larger-than-life-size sculptures place created with nearly 500,000 LEGO Bricks, this family-friendly exhibit draws inspiration from the living world and combines art, play and science to create an inspiring intersection of education, entertainment and the environment. New sculptures include a 5-foot tall colorful peacock, giant dragonfly, bonsai tree and more!

Welcome to Sky Top Orchard!

We are asking guests to visit on weekdays whenever possible. We offer the same items you love on those days as we do on weekends plus it helps keep crowds down on weekends. Thank you!

The mountains of western North Carolina are full of pick your own u-pick orchards. We offer more. In addition to a long list of apple varieties, visit Sky Top Orchard and you’ll enjoy panoramic mountain views, orchard ponds with ducks and geese, a barnyard area with sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, peacocks and more, a bamboo forest to explore, lots of picnic areas and, of course, a mountaintop of fragrant apple and fruit trees. View our downloadable map to see all that we have to offer and visit our picking schedule to find out what’s available now.

When you purchase a bushel of apples, a wagon load of pumpkins or a cooler full of apple cider you’ll take home more than the makings for delicious fall recipes, you’ll take home a mountain of memories too. And don’t forget our famous apple cider doughnuts. They’re an autumn tradition. We bet you can’t eat just one.

Ready to join us on top of our mountain? Plan Your Visit Today!

To keep guests and our staff safe, we require face masks (covering both nose and mouth) by employees and guests in any area where social distancing is difficult so plan to wear them in the fruit stand, in line for doughnuts, in any areas that are not out in the orchard where you are picking. You must also maintain a distance of 6 feet in all lines and areas where you encounter others.

4 state exhibit – SC, NC, TN, GA

The entries have been chosen for this year’s annual juried exhibition. Thank you to all who entered.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there will not be an awards reception this year, but we will make the awards announcements online at 11:00am on 26 September.

The exhibit can be viewed in our Solomon Gallery 15 September – 17 October, during normal business hours.
Tues – Sat 10am – 4pm

View the list of accepted entries.

2020 A YEAR OF COVID, TURMOIL, UNCERTAINTIES, HEROES & HOPE

The year 2020 for better or worse will go down in American history as a pivotal moment. It has been often said that history is written for and by the victors.

But nowadays in a world overwhelmed with 2-second tweets, forgettable social media, conspiracy theories and online rages; modern history seems to be written by the distracted, the delusional and the destructive.

Mountain Made, a local arts & crafts boutique in Grove Arcade, is taking a different approach. We are creating a public history journal of poetry, personal musing, thoughtful insights and yes, rants on “The Year 2020”. They could be funny or serious.

We have setup two interactive art stations inside the gallery:

* The first one is where you can quickly put down your thoughts on some blank paper (the original “i-pad”) and leave it with us.

* The other is a shared, public painting series where you can lay brush to canvas if you are more a visual person.

Upon reopening, the Nature Center will be open seven days a week, from 10 am until 4:30 pm.  Asheville residents receive a discounted rate with local ID and children under the age of 3 are free.

“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.

Once your appetite for knowledge is satisfied, enjoy sample tastings of flavors like Apple Pie, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, and Strawberry moonshine. If the samples are not enough, there will be plenty of Moonshine infused cocktails like Copper Cola or Moonshiner’s Mimosa available for purchase.

GSMR is excited to feature multiple craft NC based distilleries to serve our guests only the best! Each jar is handcrafted and authentically infused with real fruit, the way moonshine was meant to be made.

Passengers will also enjoy a full service All-Adult First Class ride with an attendant serving GSMR’s freshly cooked pulled pork barbeque rubbed with Cajun spices then slow-roasted to perfection served with southern sweet cornbread muffin with honey butter, coleslaw, and cinnamon apples then finish with a delicious piece of Sea Salt Caramel Cheesecake. Riders will also receive their very own Carolina Shine mason drinking jar, refillable with soda beverages and tea throughout the day, and a souvenir GSMR tote bag (1 per couple/party).

From burgers to chicken fingers, to grilled cheese and pasta, Twisted Laurel has something for even the pickiest of eaters. Twisted Laurel knows these times are weird, though, and just plain crazy. They want to celebrate kids and their hard-working parents by offering a Free Kids Meal to all children under 12 with the purchase of any full-priced entrée!

Instructors: Shinara Taylor and Gabriel Kline

Tuesdays, 11am – 1pm
September 8th – October 6th

In art as in life, good writing will always win the day! That being said, many artists struggle with this important career skill. Gabriel and Shinara are here to demystify the process. We have created a laid back, but jam-packed, 5-week business class focusing on writing for artists in all media. We’ll start by showing you ten ways to dynamize your writing while covering topics like artists statements, resumes, teaching proposals, grant applications and more. Each class will feature one-on-one time with the instructors to give you feedback on your specific writing projects.
Tuition $150

Level: All Levels, Artists working in all media are welcome
Note: This class does not include access to open studio hours.

The Steady Collective is dedicated to promoting the wellness of people who use drugs through empowerment and respectful collaboration. This outreach event is open to all and includes comprehensive harm reduction to improve overall community health by reducing the rate of drug overdose and the spread of infectious disease with education, advocacy, and direct services.

Participants receive educational material, naloxone, syringes, and supplies at no cost.

We have been working hard to establish Emergency Safety Guidelines in order to safely operate during the COVID-19 pandemic.  It’s important for all to remember that we are able to be open because we are an open-air grocery store, not a social gathering.

 Taught by Amanda Klinikowski 

6 week class meets on Tuesdays.

Have you ever wanted to use your voice, body, and imagination to say something you believe in?! Then this is the class for you! Each day we will warm up our bodies, voices, and imagination and work together to create an original skit with movement based on one of Aesop’s Fables! Our final class session will be recorded and shared with friends and families. This class is taught using ZOOM video conferencing.

Asheville, NC! Join us for a live guided forest bathing meditation to dive deep into the heart of nature healing. As humans we evolved with the forest but a lot of us have lost a deep understanding and connection to how it guides us on our healing journey. Are you ready to reconnect to your roots and regain overall balance in your daily life?

This month we are grateful to partner with Skinny Beats Sound Shop to bring you an elevated healing experience. Sound therapy promotes a sense of calm and ease while supporting your bodies ability to work through any blocks.

Due to COVID-19, we are limiting groups to no more than 8 people to allow for appropriate precautions to be taken!

Please bring:
-Your mask and know that we will be practicing social distancing during this meditative experience.
-Something to sit or lay upon that will help you to completely relax.

Note: Price is per person. Location details and what to bring will be emailed upon booking.

This October, we’re selling the wine and beer from our concessions inventory for you to take home! Come see us at the theatre any Tuesday or Wednesday evening in October and purchase a six pack of local beer, a four pack of cider, or a bottle of wine to take home! We’ll have a table set up at the front door, so you won’t even have to come inside, plus we’ll be wearing masks, checking IDs and encouraging you to social distance if there’s a line!

Prices: $6.00 for 6-pk 12 oz beer, $8.00 for 4-pk 16 oz cider, $8.00 per bottle of wine. Credit cards only, no cash sales. Prices do not include sales tax, which will be added.

Lights, camera, action! “Let’s go to the movies” in this fun class celebrating

Weekly Zoom class, one 20-minute private coaching
Instructors: Anna Kimmell, Matthew Glover

Tuesdays from 4:30 – 5:30 PM

Lights, camera, action! “Let’s go to the movies” in this fun class celebrating songs of the silver screen! In a combination of weekly Zoom sessions and one private coaching, young actors will work with Studio 52 faculty to develop their skills in vocal technique, acting through song, and movement. The semester culminates in a one-of-a-kind movie musical revue, presented in a final virtual screening! 

Our Ideal Volunteer Tutor

The ideal volunteer tutor is someone seeking to make a one-year commitment of two hours per week to help someone else make the change of a lifetime. For our volunteer tutors, an education background is helpful, but not necessary. The most important qualities are patience, an open mind, and resourcefulness. Tutors also need to be non-judgmental and sensitive to cultural differences. A GED or high school diploma is required. Ideal tutors enjoy seeing concrete outcomes from their efforts and sharing in the life-changing successes of others. See our full tutor position description here.

Get breastfeeding off to the best start possible with our breastfeeding class. Designed for expectant mothers, we will go over everything you would want to know before your little bundle arrives.

There is a $20 class fee for this class that is due upon the start of class.

Hone your ability to create honest characters, feel confident connecting and collaborating with others, and discover freedom and playfulness. In this class for high school actors (both beginners and experienced performers), students will explore performance technique in the development of monologues (which can be used for future auditions), as well as digging deep into character objectives and tactics. At the end of the semester, share your newfound skills in a final virtual showcase.

Tuesdays from 6 – 7 PM
Sep. 22 – Nov. 17
9th – 12th Grades
​Weekly Zoom class
Instructors: Betsy Bisson, Lisa K. Bryant
​

This meeting will be online until the COVID threat is clear. It’s easy to join in. Just click the link on the right of the screen. We usually start with a TED Talk or YOUtube for 15 minutes or so, followed by some questions for everyone to discuss. Looking forward to seeing you onscreen, for now, and in-person as soon as it’s safe for all.

This class will be offered in person on the ACT Mainstage, following all the recommended

protocols for safety and sanitation. Class is limited to 8 students.

Improv II reinforces all of the skills learned in Improv I by applying those skills to advanced scene work, character creation structures, and at times intentionally conflict-filled scenarios. Beyond Basic will encourage students to no longer be bound by the rules of improv but to swing freely and see that the strategies are not restricting but sound instincts. A sense of play is as important as proper technique. Students will gain further experience and confidence in unscripted comedic performance through more-involved improvised stories, scenes, and group structures; again all done from a safe distance.

Prerequisite: Improv 1 or extensive improv experience (approved by instructor)

*In person classes are 50 minutes with an added 10 minutes for temperature checks*