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.

Saturday, March 6, 2021
Find Your Farm Share! CSA guide available now
Mar 6 all-day
Online w/ ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project)

Joining a CSA (or Community Supported Agriculture) program connects you directly with local farms in your community. ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) offers several events and resources to learn more about CSAs, in which members buy a “share” of a farm’s harvest upfront and receive a weekly box of fresh produce or other farm goods. ASAP will host a virtual CSA Fair on March 10 from 4 to 6 p.m. on Zoom. In addition, Full Share, a free guide listing 60 CSA farms in the Appalachian Grown region, is available now at farmers markets and community centers throughout the region as well as digitally at asapconnections.org/find-local-food/csa.

 

The virtual CSA Fair will feature farms providing CSAs in Buncombe County and the surrounding region. In addition to traditional produce farms, the fair will include farms with meat and flower CSA programs. The virtual fair will have a similar format as live fairs in the past—a relaxed setting where attendees can talk to farmers about their CSA programs, products, growing practices, and more. Attendees can sign up for CSAs during the fair or follow up with farmers later. The fair is free to attend, but participants do need to register for the event to get a Zoom link.

 

For farmers, the CSA Fair is a chance to build relationships, even if attendees decide not to purchase a share. “[The customers we meet at the CSA Fair] tend to really want to know the farmer and the food, meaning they are a bit more adventurous when it comes to trying new things,” says K.P. Whaley of Tiny Bridge Farm. “They are interested in knowing how and what we are growing, and really want us to be successful as a farm operation. We may get some customers from the fair and that’s great. But we also start building relationships with future customers.”

 

Participating farms at press time include Bearwallow Valley Farms, Blazing Star Flowers, Colfax Creek Farm, Creekside Farm, Hickory Nut Gap Farm, Olivette Farm, and Tiny Bridge Farm, with more farms to be added before the fair. Check asapconnections.org/events/csa-fair for updates and to register.

 

ABOUT ASAP (APPALACHIAN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROJECT)

ASAP’s mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food. To learn more, visit asapconnections.org.

 

Organic Growers School Apprentice Link database for Farming
Mar 6 all-day
Online w/ Organic Growers School

The Apprentice Link database connects people who are serious about learning the sustainable farming trade with farmers who are willing to teach them in an apprenticeship setting. Our programs’ emphasis is specifically in the Southern Appalachians, with a focus on farms that participate in local Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) programs.

To be included in this listing, Organic Growers School has vetted each farm to determine of the following criteria has been met:

  • Farms are actively engaged in the local community.
  • Farms are using organic and/or sustainable production methods. Organic Certification and other certifications are not required, but we do ask that farms and farmers are “in-the-know” and conscientiously practicing organic standards.
  • Farms are dedicated to training new farmers by providing education as a pinnacle element of their apprenticeship program.
Sunday, March 7, 2021
28th Annual Organic Growers School Spring Conference Online REGISTRATION OPEN
Mar 7 all-day
Online w/ Organic Growers School

March 13-21, 2021 – Online
Kick-off Live Event
March 13, 2021
  • Three Live Keynote Talks
  • Teaser Videos for our 11 Themed Tracks
  • Lunchtime Entertainment
  • A Live Q&A With our Keynote speakers
  • A video social with other attendees
  • Access to our Exhibit Hall
Track Workshops
March 14-19, 2021
View 3 pre-recorded hour long workshops in each of 11 Themed Tracks:
  • Cherokee Foods
  • Cooking
  • Farming
  • Food Systems
  • Gardening
  • Herbs
  • Livestock
  • Mushrooms
  • Permaculture
  • Soils
  • Sustainable Living

Live Panel Discussion Sessions

March 20-21, 2021

Join a live Panel Discussion with each speaker from the Track workshops. Interact directly with panelists during the live Q & A portion!
Find Your Farm Share! CSA guide available now
Mar 7 all-day
Online w/ ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project)

Joining a CSA (or Community Supported Agriculture) program connects you directly with local farms in your community. ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) offers several events and resources to learn more about CSAs, in which members buy a “share” of a farm’s harvest upfront and receive a weekly box of fresh produce or other farm goods. ASAP will host a virtual CSA Fair on March 10 from 4 to 6 p.m. on Zoom. In addition, Full Share, a free guide listing 60 CSA farms in the Appalachian Grown region, is available now at farmers markets and community centers throughout the region as well as digitally at asapconnections.org/find-local-food/csa.

 

The virtual CSA Fair will feature farms providing CSAs in Buncombe County and the surrounding region. In addition to traditional produce farms, the fair will include farms with meat and flower CSA programs. The virtual fair will have a similar format as live fairs in the past—a relaxed setting where attendees can talk to farmers about their CSA programs, products, growing practices, and more. Attendees can sign up for CSAs during the fair or follow up with farmers later. The fair is free to attend, but participants do need to register for the event to get a Zoom link.

 

For farmers, the CSA Fair is a chance to build relationships, even if attendees decide not to purchase a share. “[The customers we meet at the CSA Fair] tend to really want to know the farmer and the food, meaning they are a bit more adventurous when it comes to trying new things,” says K.P. Whaley of Tiny Bridge Farm. “They are interested in knowing how and what we are growing, and really want us to be successful as a farm operation. We may get some customers from the fair and that’s great. But we also start building relationships with future customers.”

 

Participating farms at press time include Bearwallow Valley Farms, Blazing Star Flowers, Colfax Creek Farm, Creekside Farm, Hickory Nut Gap Farm, Olivette Farm, and Tiny Bridge Farm, with more farms to be added before the fair. Check asapconnections.org/events/csa-fair for updates and to register.

 

ABOUT ASAP (APPALACHIAN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROJECT)

ASAP’s mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food. To learn more, visit asapconnections.org.

 

Gardening Video: Starting Seeds and Growing Transplants Indoors
Mar 7 all-day
Online w/ Buncombe County Master Gardener

A Sowing Circle Presentation:
Starting Seeds and Growing Transplants Indoors

Sponsored by the Black Mountain Blooms Seed Lending Library
in partnership with Buncombe County Master GardenerSM Volunteers

Presenter: John Bowen, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer

This three-part program is presented by John Bowen, Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer and long-time gardener. John shares tips and tricks for starting seeds indoors and tending the young plants until they are ready to transplant into your garden. He talks about containers, planting media, lights, temperature, and other parts of the process to grow those healthy, robust transplants we all need. He also discusses timing and helps us learn when to plant for the best outcome.

To access this video on the Buncombe County Master Gardener website, click on the link below:

Starting Seeds and Growing Transplants Indoors

Or go to www.buncombemastergardener.org, click on the ‘Gardening Videos’ tab at the top of the page and select the video from the list provided.

Kids Vote for the North Carolina Children’s Book Awards
Mar 7 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
online w/ Buncombe County Libraries

 

It’s time for kids to vote for their favorite books!

Throughout the month of March, kids can vote for the NC Children’s Book Award by visiting any Buncombe County Public Library location. The North Carolina Children’s Book Award is a children’s choice program sponsored by school and public librarians in North Carolina. The awards are designed to introduce kids to books and to instill a lifelong love of reading.

The Library has partnered with the Board of Elections to provide official voting booths for kids to vote.

Kids can vote in person at any of these libraries between March 2 and March 31:

  • Enka-Candler
  • Fairview
  • North Asheville
  • Pack Memorial
  • South Buncombe
  • Swannanoa
  • Weaverville
  • West Asheville

Kids can also vote “absentee” by asking for a ballot at any library, or they can drop their completed ballot in our book drop before the end of March to “mail in” their vote.

You are eligible to vote if 1) You’re a kid and 2) You’ve read or listened to at least 5 of the picture book nominees and/or 3) You’ve read or listened to at least 3 of the junior book nominees. Kids may vote for each category if they have read or listened to the required number of titles.

For more information on the NC Children’s Book Award and a list of the nominees, please visit the North Carolina Children’s Book Award.

If you’d like to have the picture books read to you, just click the “Read Aloud” link under any book.

Any questions? Contact your friendly neighborhood librarian.

Monday, March 8, 2021
28th Annual Organic Growers School Spring Conference Online REGISTRATION OPEN
Mar 8 all-day
Online w/ Organic Growers School

March 13-21, 2021 – Online
Kick-off Live Event
March 13, 2021
  • Three Live Keynote Talks
  • Teaser Videos for our 11 Themed Tracks
  • Lunchtime Entertainment
  • A Live Q&A With our Keynote speakers
  • A video social with other attendees
  • Access to our Exhibit Hall
Track Workshops
March 14-19, 2021
View 3 pre-recorded hour long workshops in each of 11 Themed Tracks:
  • Cherokee Foods
  • Cooking
  • Farming
  • Food Systems
  • Gardening
  • Herbs
  • Livestock
  • Mushrooms
  • Permaculture
  • Soils
  • Sustainable Living

Live Panel Discussion Sessions

March 20-21, 2021

Join a live Panel Discussion with each speaker from the Track workshops. Interact directly with panelists during the live Q & A portion!
Find Your Farm Share! CSA guide available now
Mar 8 all-day
Online w/ ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project)

Joining a CSA (or Community Supported Agriculture) program connects you directly with local farms in your community. ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) offers several events and resources to learn more about CSAs, in which members buy a “share” of a farm’s harvest upfront and receive a weekly box of fresh produce or other farm goods. ASAP will host a virtual CSA Fair on March 10 from 4 to 6 p.m. on Zoom. In addition, Full Share, a free guide listing 60 CSA farms in the Appalachian Grown region, is available now at farmers markets and community centers throughout the region as well as digitally at asapconnections.org/find-local-food/csa.

 

The virtual CSA Fair will feature farms providing CSAs in Buncombe County and the surrounding region. In addition to traditional produce farms, the fair will include farms with meat and flower CSA programs. The virtual fair will have a similar format as live fairs in the past—a relaxed setting where attendees can talk to farmers about their CSA programs, products, growing practices, and more. Attendees can sign up for CSAs during the fair or follow up with farmers later. The fair is free to attend, but participants do need to register for the event to get a Zoom link.

 

For farmers, the CSA Fair is a chance to build relationships, even if attendees decide not to purchase a share. “[The customers we meet at the CSA Fair] tend to really want to know the farmer and the food, meaning they are a bit more adventurous when it comes to trying new things,” says K.P. Whaley of Tiny Bridge Farm. “They are interested in knowing how and what we are growing, and really want us to be successful as a farm operation. We may get some customers from the fair and that’s great. But we also start building relationships with future customers.”

 

Participating farms at press time include Bearwallow Valley Farms, Blazing Star Flowers, Colfax Creek Farm, Creekside Farm, Hickory Nut Gap Farm, Olivette Farm, and Tiny Bridge Farm, with more farms to be added before the fair. Check asapconnections.org/events/csa-fair for updates and to register.

 

ABOUT ASAP (APPALACHIAN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROJECT)

ASAP’s mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food. To learn more, visit asapconnections.org.

 

Gardening Video: Starting Seeds and Growing Transplants Indoors
Mar 8 all-day
Online w/ Buncombe County Master Gardener

A Sowing Circle Presentation:
Starting Seeds and Growing Transplants Indoors

Sponsored by the Black Mountain Blooms Seed Lending Library
in partnership with Buncombe County Master GardenerSM Volunteers

Presenter: John Bowen, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer

This three-part program is presented by John Bowen, Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer and long-time gardener. John shares tips and tricks for starting seeds indoors and tending the young plants until they are ready to transplant into your garden. He talks about containers, planting media, lights, temperature, and other parts of the process to grow those healthy, robust transplants we all need. He also discusses timing and helps us learn when to plant for the best outcome.

To access this video on the Buncombe County Master Gardener website, click on the link below:

Starting Seeds and Growing Transplants Indoors

Or go to www.buncombemastergardener.org, click on the ‘Gardening Videos’ tab at the top of the page and select the video from the list provided.

Visit Our Gardens This Spring at Flat Rock Playhouse
Mar 8 all-day
Flat Rock Playhouse
Pink flower blooming near
                    wishing well.

Visit Our Gardens This Spring

The Playhouse Gardens are open and just in time for spring! Whether you’re going for a stroll, staying for a picnic, or learning about the different flora using the QR codes in each flower bed, we hope you’ll join us at the Playhouse Gardens. Stay tuned for upcoming events and learn about all the hard work that our volunteers do by following them on Instagram.

Kids Vote for the North Carolina Children’s Book Awards
Mar 8 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
online w/ Buncombe County Libraries

 

It’s time for kids to vote for their favorite books!

Throughout the month of March, kids can vote for the NC Children’s Book Award by visiting any Buncombe County Public Library location. The North Carolina Children’s Book Award is a children’s choice program sponsored by school and public librarians in North Carolina. The awards are designed to introduce kids to books and to instill a lifelong love of reading.

The Library has partnered with the Board of Elections to provide official voting booths for kids to vote.

Kids can vote in person at any of these libraries between March 2 and March 31:

  • Enka-Candler
  • Fairview
  • North Asheville
  • Pack Memorial
  • South Buncombe
  • Swannanoa
  • Weaverville
  • West Asheville

Kids can also vote “absentee” by asking for a ballot at any library, or they can drop their completed ballot in our book drop before the end of March to “mail in” their vote.

You are eligible to vote if 1) You’re a kid and 2) You’ve read or listened to at least 5 of the picture book nominees and/or 3) You’ve read or listened to at least 3 of the junior book nominees. Kids may vote for each category if they have read or listened to the required number of titles.

For more information on the NC Children’s Book Award and a list of the nominees, please visit the North Carolina Children’s Book Award.

If you’d like to have the picture books read to you, just click the “Read Aloud” link under any book.

Any questions? Contact your friendly neighborhood librarian.

The Garden Helpline Is OPEN. Master Gardeners Work Remotely to Answer Your Questions
Mar 8 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Online w/ Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Buncombe County

The pandemic continues to keep many of us at home and in our gardens! Our gardens will continue to grow and we will continue to have gardening questions.

To answer those questions, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County are working from home to keep the Garden Helpline open to the public. We are available to respond to your phone calls and emails.  Send an email or leave a voice message at any time and a Master Gardener will respond during the Helpline hours listed below.

The information we provide is consistent with NC State University horticultural research and an integrated pest management approach which includes cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical methods.

Two ways to contact the Garden Helpline

Call 828-250-4878
Email questions and photos to [email protected]

Garden Helpline hours

Mondays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Fridays, 10 a.m. to noon

The Extension office remains closed to the public and most Master Gardener programs for the public are being held virtually. Soil test kits can be picked up at the Extension office. They are in a box outside the front door.

To learn more about Extension Master Gardener volunteers and gardening in Buncombe County, visit our website at https://www.buncombemastergardener.org/

For updates about programming and other information or to contact staff with the NC Cooperative Extension Buncombe County Center, visit https://buncombe.ces.ncsu.edu/

 

SVM Book Club: Lige of the Black Walnut Tree: Growing Up Black in Southern Appalachia by Marhella Burnette
Mar 8 @ 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Online with Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center

From the publisher: “Mary Othella Burnette, an 89 year old African American woman, was born and reared in Black Mountain, North Carolina. While much has been documented about White communities in Southern Appalachia, little has been written by a native mountaineer about African Americans living in that area. All of Ms. Burnette’s stories are rare, and most of them contain vibrant and emotional depictions of characters she grew up with and around from early childhood through the mid-1940s, a time when the sun was setting on the lives of the few surviving family members of freed slaves and their community-minded heirs who settled in the Swannanoa Valley after 1865. As these original stories display the social and cultural norms of a fading era, they also reveal how residents of those times faced oppression with a steadfast belief in America and held on to their unwavering hope for better days. Thus this thoughtful work becomes an open window into African American history. Ms. Burnette’s love for Black Mountain, combined with her loyalty to Valley residents and other characters she adoringly describes, brings these beautifully written, historically and culturally significant stories to life.”

The author, Mary Othella Burnette, will co-host this book club discussion!

This book is available for purchase through the Swannanoa Valley Museum. Please call 828-669-9566 or email [email protected] to obtain your copy.

This event is free, but an RSVP is required in order to receive the Zoom link. Registration ends half an hour before the start of the event.

“When All God’s Children Get Together:  Fostering Racial Justice Book Club with Ann Woodford,
Mar 8 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Online

Ann Miller Woodford w When All Gods Children Get T

The lecture will be followed by four additional virtual events featuring Woodford on Thursdays, March 11 and 25, and April 8 and 15 from 1-2 p.m.  Those free-to-the-public sessions, held under the theme “When All God’s Children Get Together:  Fostering Racial Justice Book Club with Ann Woodford,” will address several topics covered in the author’s new book.

Participants, who can register at https://aarp.cvent.com/AnnWoodfordBookClub, will discuss subjects listed below with facilitators and Woodford:

March 11–General Overview.  How African American people in this region compare to nationwide:  race relations and racial disparities.

March 25–History of Ethnic Cleansing in Georgia and how it led to African American people coming to Western North Carolina (includes other national cleansings, the Green Book and a coup in Wilmington, N.C.)

April 8–What is White Privilege and how it can make a difference; Using your power to make a difference.

April 15–Steps that can be taken to smooth race relations locally and beyond.

As a child in a segregated, one-room, one-teacher “colored/negro” elementary school in the small mountain town of Andrews, N..C. Woodward’s talents as an artist were discovered by one of her teachers.  Soon, she was using oils, pencil, charcoal and ink as she drew remarkable scenes of people, animals and landscapes, which has led to a long career as an artist.  Eventually, her creativity knew no boundaries, as she has excelled as a writer, designer, entrepreneur and speaker.  Learn more about Woodford at her website, https://anntree.com.

Event participants can find her book at the library, various local and national online sellers or on her website.  While the book is recommended, it is not required to participate.

https://www.aarp.cvent.com/AnnWoodfordBookClub

Mystery Book Club
Mar 8 @ 7:00 pm
Online w/ Malaprop's

The club will meet virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic. If you are interested in attending, please email [email protected] for instructions about how to attend the club event.  

Join host Tena Frank for Malaprop’s Mystery Book Club! Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!

The club meets at Malaprop’s on the second Monday of every month at 7:00pm.

Tuesday, March 9, 2021
28th Annual Organic Growers School Spring Conference Online REGISTRATION OPEN
Mar 9 all-day
Online w/ Organic Growers School

March 13-21, 2021 – Online
Kick-off Live Event
March 13, 2021
  • Three Live Keynote Talks
  • Teaser Videos for our 11 Themed Tracks
  • Lunchtime Entertainment
  • A Live Q&A With our Keynote speakers
  • A video social with other attendees
  • Access to our Exhibit Hall
Track Workshops
March 14-19, 2021
View 3 pre-recorded hour long workshops in each of 11 Themed Tracks:
  • Cherokee Foods
  • Cooking
  • Farming
  • Food Systems
  • Gardening
  • Herbs
  • Livestock
  • Mushrooms
  • Permaculture
  • Soils
  • Sustainable Living

Live Panel Discussion Sessions

March 20-21, 2021

Join a live Panel Discussion with each speaker from the Track workshops. Interact directly with panelists during the live Q & A portion!
Find Your Farm Share! CSA guide available now
Mar 9 all-day
Online w/ ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project)

Joining a CSA (or Community Supported Agriculture) program connects you directly with local farms in your community. ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) offers several events and resources to learn more about CSAs, in which members buy a “share” of a farm’s harvest upfront and receive a weekly box of fresh produce or other farm goods. ASAP will host a virtual CSA Fair on March 10 from 4 to 6 p.m. on Zoom. In addition, Full Share, a free guide listing 60 CSA farms in the Appalachian Grown region, is available now at farmers markets and community centers throughout the region as well as digitally at asapconnections.org/find-local-food/csa.

 

The virtual CSA Fair will feature farms providing CSAs in Buncombe County and the surrounding region. In addition to traditional produce farms, the fair will include farms with meat and flower CSA programs. The virtual fair will have a similar format as live fairs in the past—a relaxed setting where attendees can talk to farmers about their CSA programs, products, growing practices, and more. Attendees can sign up for CSAs during the fair or follow up with farmers later. The fair is free to attend, but participants do need to register for the event to get a Zoom link.

 

For farmers, the CSA Fair is a chance to build relationships, even if attendees decide not to purchase a share. “[The customers we meet at the CSA Fair] tend to really want to know the farmer and the food, meaning they are a bit more adventurous when it comes to trying new things,” says K.P. Whaley of Tiny Bridge Farm. “They are interested in knowing how and what we are growing, and really want us to be successful as a farm operation. We may get some customers from the fair and that’s great. But we also start building relationships with future customers.”

 

Participating farms at press time include Bearwallow Valley Farms, Blazing Star Flowers, Colfax Creek Farm, Creekside Farm, Hickory Nut Gap Farm, Olivette Farm, and Tiny Bridge Farm, with more farms to be added before the fair. Check asapconnections.org/events/csa-fair for updates and to register.

 

ABOUT ASAP (APPALACHIAN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROJECT)

ASAP’s mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food. To learn more, visit asapconnections.org.

 

Gardening Video: Starting Seeds and Growing Transplants Indoors
Mar 9 all-day
Online w/ Buncombe County Master Gardener

A Sowing Circle Presentation:
Starting Seeds and Growing Transplants Indoors

Sponsored by the Black Mountain Blooms Seed Lending Library
in partnership with Buncombe County Master GardenerSM Volunteers

Presenter: John Bowen, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer

This three-part program is presented by John Bowen, Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer and long-time gardener. John shares tips and tricks for starting seeds indoors and tending the young plants until they are ready to transplant into your garden. He talks about containers, planting media, lights, temperature, and other parts of the process to grow those healthy, robust transplants we all need. He also discusses timing and helps us learn when to plant for the best outcome.

To access this video on the Buncombe County Master Gardener website, click on the link below:

Starting Seeds and Growing Transplants Indoors

Or go to www.buncombemastergardener.org, click on the ‘Gardening Videos’ tab at the top of the page and select the video from the list provided.

Visit Our Gardens This Spring at Flat Rock Playhouse
Mar 9 all-day
Flat Rock Playhouse
Pink flower blooming near
                    wishing well.

Visit Our Gardens This Spring

The Playhouse Gardens are open and just in time for spring! Whether you’re going for a stroll, staying for a picnic, or learning about the different flora using the QR codes in each flower bed, we hope you’ll join us at the Playhouse Gardens. Stay tuned for upcoming events and learn about all the hard work that our volunteers do by following them on Instagram.

Kids Vote for the North Carolina Children’s Book Awards
Mar 9 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
online w/ Buncombe County Libraries

 

It’s time for kids to vote for their favorite books!

Throughout the month of March, kids can vote for the NC Children’s Book Award by visiting any Buncombe County Public Library location. The North Carolina Children’s Book Award is a children’s choice program sponsored by school and public librarians in North Carolina. The awards are designed to introduce kids to books and to instill a lifelong love of reading.

The Library has partnered with the Board of Elections to provide official voting booths for kids to vote.

Kids can vote in person at any of these libraries between March 2 and March 31:

  • Enka-Candler
  • Fairview
  • North Asheville
  • Pack Memorial
  • South Buncombe
  • Swannanoa
  • Weaverville
  • West Asheville

Kids can also vote “absentee” by asking for a ballot at any library, or they can drop their completed ballot in our book drop before the end of March to “mail in” their vote.

You are eligible to vote if 1) You’re a kid and 2) You’ve read or listened to at least 5 of the picture book nominees and/or 3) You’ve read or listened to at least 3 of the junior book nominees. Kids may vote for each category if they have read or listened to the required number of titles.

For more information on the NC Children’s Book Award and a list of the nominees, please visit the North Carolina Children’s Book Award.

If you’d like to have the picture books read to you, just click the “Read Aloud” link under any book.

Any questions? Contact your friendly neighborhood librarian.

Book Discussion: American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Mar 9 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Online w/ Leicester Library

Book Discussion Group- Online!

This month we’re discussing the controversial American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins on Zoom. The Leicester Library Book Discussion Group meets the second Tuesday of each month at 1 pm. Newcomers welcome!

Live Stream: Amy Reed launches Tell Me My Name, in conversation with Jeff Zentner
Mar 9 @ 6:00 pm
Online w/ Malaprop's

Like most of our events, this event is free, but registration is required. Click here to RSVP for this event. Prior to the event the link required to attend will be emailed to registrants.

Pre-order Tell Me My Name from Malaprop’s to get a signed or personalized copy. If you would like personalization (ex. “To Maia”), just indicate that in the comments area when ordering.

If you decide to attend and to purchase the authors’ books, we ask that you purchase from Malaprop’s. When you do this you make it possible for us to continue hosting author events and you keep more dollars in our community. If you would like to support us without purchasing a book, you may purchase a gift card or make a donation of any amount. Thank you!


On wealthy Commodore Island, Fern is watching and waiting–for summer, for college, for her childhood best friend to decide he loves her. Then Ivy Avila lands on the island like a falling star. When Ivy shines on her, Fern feels seen. When they’re together, Fern has purpose. She glimpses the secrets Ivy hides behind her fame, her fortune, the lavish parties she throws at her great glass house, and understands that Ivy hurts in ways Fern can’t fathom. And soon, it’s clear Ivy wants someone Fern can help her get. But as the two pull closer, Fern’s cozy life on Commodore unravels: drought descends, fires burn, and a reckless night spins out of control. Everything Fern thought she understood–about her home, herself, the boy she loved, about Ivy Avila–twists and bends into something new. And Fern won’t emerge the same person she was. An enthralling, mind-altering psychological thriller, Tell Me My Name is about the cost of being a girl in a world that takes so much, and the enormity of what is regained when we take it back.

Amy Reed is the award-winning author of several novels for young adults, including The Nowhere GirlsBeautiful, and Clean. She also edited Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America. Amy is a feminist, mother, and Virgo who enjoys running, making lists, and wandering around the mountains of western North Carolina where she lives.

Jeff Zentner is the author of The Serpent King, New York Times Notable Book, winner of the William C. Morris Award, and recipient of many other accolades; and Goodbye Days, named an ALA-YALSA Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults title. Jeff was a Publishers Weekly Flying Start and an Indies Introduce pick. Before becoming a writer, he was a musician who recorded with Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, and Debbie Harry. Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee is his ode to best friends who make things together. He lives in Nashville with his wife and son. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or visit him at jeffzentnerbooks.com.

Wednesday, March 10, 2021
28th Annual Organic Growers School Spring Conference Online REGISTRATION OPEN
Mar 10 all-day
Online w/ Organic Growers School

March 13-21, 2021 – Online
Kick-off Live Event
March 13, 2021
  • Three Live Keynote Talks
  • Teaser Videos for our 11 Themed Tracks
  • Lunchtime Entertainment
  • A Live Q&A With our Keynote speakers
  • A video social with other attendees
  • Access to our Exhibit Hall
Track Workshops
March 14-19, 2021
View 3 pre-recorded hour long workshops in each of 11 Themed Tracks:
  • Cherokee Foods
  • Cooking
  • Farming
  • Food Systems
  • Gardening
  • Herbs
  • Livestock
  • Mushrooms
  • Permaculture
  • Soils
  • Sustainable Living

Live Panel Discussion Sessions

March 20-21, 2021

Join a live Panel Discussion with each speaker from the Track workshops. Interact directly with panelists during the live Q & A portion!
Gardening Video: Starting Seeds and Growing Transplants Indoors
Mar 10 all-day
Online w/ Buncombe County Master Gardener

A Sowing Circle Presentation:
Starting Seeds and Growing Transplants Indoors

Sponsored by the Black Mountain Blooms Seed Lending Library
in partnership with Buncombe County Master GardenerSM Volunteers

Presenter: John Bowen, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer

This three-part program is presented by John Bowen, Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer and long-time gardener. John shares tips and tricks for starting seeds indoors and tending the young plants until they are ready to transplant into your garden. He talks about containers, planting media, lights, temperature, and other parts of the process to grow those healthy, robust transplants we all need. He also discusses timing and helps us learn when to plant for the best outcome.

To access this video on the Buncombe County Master Gardener website, click on the link below:

Starting Seeds and Growing Transplants Indoors

Or go to www.buncombemastergardener.org, click on the ‘Gardening Videos’ tab at the top of the page and select the video from the list provided.

Visit Our Gardens This Spring at Flat Rock Playhouse
Mar 10 all-day
Flat Rock Playhouse
Pink flower blooming near
                    wishing well.

Visit Our Gardens This Spring

The Playhouse Gardens are open and just in time for spring! Whether you’re going for a stroll, staying for a picnic, or learning about the different flora using the QR codes in each flower bed, we hope you’ll join us at the Playhouse Gardens. Stay tuned for upcoming events and learn about all the hard work that our volunteers do by following them on Instagram.

Kids Vote for the North Carolina Children’s Book Awards
Mar 10 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
online w/ Buncombe County Libraries

 

It’s time for kids to vote for their favorite books!

Throughout the month of March, kids can vote for the NC Children’s Book Award by visiting any Buncombe County Public Library location. The North Carolina Children’s Book Award is a children’s choice program sponsored by school and public librarians in North Carolina. The awards are designed to introduce kids to books and to instill a lifelong love of reading.

The Library has partnered with the Board of Elections to provide official voting booths for kids to vote.

Kids can vote in person at any of these libraries between March 2 and March 31:

  • Enka-Candler
  • Fairview
  • North Asheville
  • Pack Memorial
  • South Buncombe
  • Swannanoa
  • Weaverville
  • West Asheville

Kids can also vote “absentee” by asking for a ballot at any library, or they can drop their completed ballot in our book drop before the end of March to “mail in” their vote.

You are eligible to vote if 1) You’re a kid and 2) You’ve read or listened to at least 5 of the picture book nominees and/or 3) You’ve read or listened to at least 3 of the junior book nominees. Kids may vote for each category if they have read or listened to the required number of titles.

For more information on the NC Children’s Book Award and a list of the nominees, please visit the North Carolina Children’s Book Award.

If you’d like to have the picture books read to you, just click the “Read Aloud” link under any book.

Any questions? Contact your friendly neighborhood librarian.

The Garden Helpline Is OPEN. Master Gardeners Work Remotely to Answer Your Questions
Mar 10 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Online w/ Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Buncombe County

The pandemic continues to keep many of us at home and in our gardens! Our gardens will continue to grow and we will continue to have gardening questions.

To answer those questions, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County are working from home to keep the Garden Helpline open to the public. We are available to respond to your phone calls and emails.  Send an email or leave a voice message at any time and a Master Gardener will respond during the Helpline hours listed below.

The information we provide is consistent with NC State University horticultural research and an integrated pest management approach which includes cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical methods.

Two ways to contact the Garden Helpline

Call 828-250-4878
Email questions and photos to [email protected]

Garden Helpline hours

Mondays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Fridays, 10 a.m. to noon

The Extension office remains closed to the public and most Master Gardener programs for the public are being held virtually. Soil test kits can be picked up at the Extension office. They are in a box outside the front door.

To learn more about Extension Master Gardener volunteers and gardening in Buncombe County, visit our website at https://www.buncombemastergardener.org/

For updates about programming and other information or to contact staff with the NC Cooperative Extension Buncombe County Center, visit https://buncombe.ces.ncsu.edu/

 

Find Your Farm Share Fair
Mar 10 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Online w/ ASAP

Olivette Farm at the 2019 CSA Fair at New Belgium Brewing

Joining a CSA (or Community Supported Agriculture) program connects you directly with local farms in your community. ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) offers several events and resources to learn more about CSAs, in which members buy a “share” of a farm’s harvest upfront and receive a weekly box of fresh produce or other farm goods. ASAP will host a virtual CSA Fair on March 10 from 4 to 6 p.m. on Zoom. In addition, Full Share, a free guide listing 60 CSA farms in the Appalachian Grown region, is available now at farmers markets and community centers throughout the region as well as digitally at asapconnections.org/find-local-food/csa.

 

The virtual CSA Fair will feature farms providing CSAs in Buncombe County and the surrounding region. In addition to traditional produce farms, the fair will include farms with meat and flower CSA programs. The virtual fair will have a similar format as live fairs in the past—a relaxed setting where attendees can talk to farmers about their CSA programs, products, growing practices, and more. Attendees can sign up for CSAs during the fair or follow up with farmers later. The fair is free to attend, but participants do need to register for the event to get a Zoom link.

 

For farmers, the CSA Fair is a chance to build relationships, even if attendees decide not to purchase a share. “[The customers we meet at the CSA Fair] tend to really want to know the farmer and the food, meaning they are a bit more adventurous when it comes to trying new things,” says K.P. Whaley of Tiny Bridge Farm. “They are interested in knowing how and what we are growing, and really want us to be successful as a farm operation. We may get some customers from the fair and that’s great. But we also start building relationships with future customers.”

 

Participating farms at press time include Bearwallow Valley Farms, Blazing Star Flowers, Colfax Creek Farm, Creekside Farm, Hickory Nut Gap Farm, Olivette Farm, and Tiny Bridge Farm, with more farms to be added before the fair. Check asapconnections.org/events/csa-fair for updates and to register

Sand Hill Community Garden Workdays
Mar 10 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Buncombe County Sports Park

Volunteers at Sand Hill Community Garden

Looking to get involved, stay active, and meet some new friends? Sand Hill Community Garden workdays take place on Wednesdays (6-8 p.m.) and Saturdays (10 a.m.-noon) from Feb. 27-Oct. 30, 2021, at Buncombe County Sports Park. The garden is located on 16 Apac Dr. in West Asheville/Enka-Candler.

Join friends and neighbors as they come together on common ground to raise fresh, organic vegetables and fruits for the Enka community.

Expect to wear a mask and maintain social distance throughout. Tools and hand sanitizer are available, but any gloves, loppers, pruners, or gardening tools you can bring will decrease the amount of contact between volunteers. Please wear work clothes to get dirty and closed-toe shoes. Sunscreen, water, and a hat are also handy items to have on hand.

Sand Hill Community Garden has been growing fresh produce since 2011 and raised over 1,200 lbs. of organic produce last year.

NOTE: Community workdays are weather dependent. Please join the community garden email list (send your info to [email protected]) to stay up on workday tasks and other garden news.

To receive the I Heart Parks monthly newsletter, sign up online. Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.

Thursday, March 11, 2021
28th Annual Organic Growers School Spring Conference Online REGISTRATION OPEN
Mar 11 all-day
Online w/ Organic Growers School

March 13-21, 2021 – Online
Kick-off Live Event
March 13, 2021
  • Three Live Keynote Talks
  • Teaser Videos for our 11 Themed Tracks
  • Lunchtime Entertainment
  • A Live Q&A With our Keynote speakers
  • A video social with other attendees
  • Access to our Exhibit Hall
Track Workshops
March 14-19, 2021
View 3 pre-recorded hour long workshops in each of 11 Themed Tracks:
  • Cherokee Foods
  • Cooking
  • Farming
  • Food Systems
  • Gardening
  • Herbs
  • Livestock
  • Mushrooms
  • Permaculture
  • Soils
  • Sustainable Living

Live Panel Discussion Sessions

March 20-21, 2021

Join a live Panel Discussion with each speaker from the Track workshops. Interact directly with panelists during the live Q & A portion!