The Reuter Family YMCA is one of seven local YMCAs operated by the YMCA of Western North Carolina, a nonprofit that strengthens local communities through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. Founded in 1889, the YMCA of WNC engages more than 100,000 people – regardless of age, income, or background – to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the region’s health and well being, and provide opportunities to give back and support the community. For more information, please visit ymcawnc.org.

Join them to celebrate a greener future for the Reuter Family YMCA! You’re invited to a ribbon cutting to mark the installation of solar panels on the facility roof. This project was made possible by YMCA members Pete and Pat Wallenborn. Their generous gift helps the Y take a significant step toward sustainability and demonstrates our commitment to environmental stewardship. The Wallenborns will be recognized at the event. Attendees include representatives from Sundance Solar, the YMCA, and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. Light refreshments will be served. Meet at the front entrance of the Reuter Family YMCA on the Biltmore Park side. In case of rain, the event will be held in the lobby.

Access to equity for real estate deals is (more than) hard if you are black or a woman. Access to investment opportunities in real estate was impossible for all but the wealthiest until recently. Learn about moves made by the Obama administration that have led to a nascent but robust investment community online. And learn how SmallChange.co, a crowdfunding investment platform, has leveraged these rules to shake up the real estate industry big time. Eve Picker’s world is wrapped around cities and change. With a background as an architect, city planner, urban designer, real estate developer, community development strategist, publisher, and instigator, Eve has a rich understanding of how cities and urban neighborhoods work – and how they can be revitalized. Eve launched and leads Small Change, a real estate equity crowdfunding portal to help fund transformational real estate projects. Small Change connects every day investors with developers to help them build projects that make cities better, and provides investment opportunities for everyone who cares about cities and wants to see positive change. Small Change focuses on impact in 3 ways: 1) They measure the impact of each project to ensure they are equitable and innovative; 2) They embrace emerging minority & women developers; and 3) Everyone (18+) can invest to build wealth on Small Change. The Building Our City Speaker Series is presented by The Grove Arcade Public Market Foundation with support from the Asheville Downtown Association Foundation, the City of Asheville, Carleton Collins Architecture, Mosaic Lifestyle Realty, Kimpton Hotel Arras and The Collider. The series is produced by the Asheville Downtown Association and Urban3.

The Black Mountain Library will be hosting a reading and conversation with Jaki Shelton Green, Poet Laureate of North Carolina on Oct. 3 at 6 p.m.

Jaki Shelton Green is the first African American and third woman to be appointed as the North Carolina Poet Laureate. When he appointed her in 2018, Governor Cooper stated that “Jaki Shelton Green brings a deep appreciation of our state’s diverse communities to her role as an ambassador of North Carolina literature. Jaki’s appointment is a wonderful new chapter in North Carolina’s rich literary history.”

Born in Alamance County and raised in Orange County, Ms. Green has written books of poetry, co-edited poetry anthologies, and authored a play. Green won the North Carolina Award for Literature in 2013 and was inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2014. Ms. Green teaches Documentary Poetry at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University.

This event is free and everyone is invited. Ms. Green will be signing and selling copies of her work after the reading.

Fastest Labs is a drug, alcohol and DNA collection company that prides itself on accuracy, reliability, and efficiency. They specialize in providing fast and affordable drug and alcohol testing to employers and other organizations seeking to implement drug testing programs for their employees and members. Their franchise structure and certified collection site network allows them to provide stellar drug, alcohol, and DNA testing services in locations all over the country, with branches owned and operated by local business people.

They look forward to you joining them at the event as they celebrate one of their newest locations to service the community.   The event will be held from 11am – 12pm with light refreshments.

This event is offered as a benefit for Chamber membership. We also believe these are important topics for everyone, so we are opening this event to non-members for $15. We welcome you to come and check us out! Please contact Jessica Kanupp, our Member Development Specialist, at [email protected] if you’re considering a Chamber membership.

The Malaprop’s Book Club, hosted by Jay Jacoby, explores a diverse selection of fiction and nonfiction books determined by member suggestion. 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 the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM. The club will meet virtually until further notice. To join the club, please email [email protected]

As the vibrant hues of autumn begin to paint the landscape, we invite you to join us for a delightful community networking meeting to bid farewell to a fantastic summer and welcome the crisp, colorful days of fall.

Our Fall BAC Cookout promises to be a fantastic afternoon of connection. We’ll fire up the grill for some delicious hot dogs with all your favorite fixings and an array of sides. This gathering provides an excellent opportunity for us to come together, share stories of our summer adventures, and forge new connections as we head into the autumn season.

Whether you’re a long-time member of our Business Advisory Council or new to the group, we encourage you to join us for this enjoyable event. The more, the merrier!

Crime and Politics Book Club

Back and better than ever under new management, Clean Juice invites you to their Grand Opening on Saturday, October 7th with extended hours from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Join the celebration in their renovated and refreshed shop, still offering the same delicious organic food you love. They’ve also teamed up with The Verner Center for Early Learning to create a positive impact on underprivileged children in the community. All week long, you can show your support for this meaningful cause by making donations to the organization while enjoying the finest organic juices, smoothies, and food made with top-quality USDA Organic ingredients. Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. CLOSED Sunday and Monday

Join us for a virtual bookclub-style discussion of Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond at noon on Monday, October 9th.

All Young Professionals are welcome for an After Hours Networking event! Come connect with other young professionals and enjoy drinks from Highland and snacks from Biscuit Head.

Ernest Co-Warehousing offers flexible warehousing suites and coworking sapce in Asheville, NC.

• Thursday, Oct. 12 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 13 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 14 from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Where: Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street, 250-4700

The Friends of Pack Library will have their Annual Antique and Collectible book sale the second weekend in October at Pack Library in downtown Asheville.

The Oct. 12-13 sale will feature antique and collectible books on the lower level of the library, along with comic books and music CDs. Bookends Used Book Store will have ½ price sale both days and children’s books will be 10 cents each. On the second day of the sale, Oct. 13, everything in the sale will be half off.

On Saturday, Oct. 14 from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., there will be a box sale with a box of books for only $25. Boxes will be provided. Prices in Bookends Used Book Store will return to regular pricing.

For more info, call Pack Library at 250-4700 or email the Friends of the Library.   Proceeds benefit Buncombe County Public Libraries.

Making connections is key to meeting business goals and building brand awareness. Mega Networking lets you do just that. In a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, you’ll meet business contacts from a variety of industries, gain exposure for your company and learn about other local businesses.

Held just twice a year, Mega Networking’s structured, “round robin” approach allows you to make valuable connections in a small group. Each person has a chance to share about their business, and a table leader moderates to put you at ease and keep the group on track. As you rotate from table to table, you’ll interact with most of the attendees, allowing you to make numerous connections in just one morning.

You’ll leave with great leads, great ideas and positive energy to keep your business moving forward.

Helpful tips:

• *     Practice your “elevator speech” ahead of time so you can share your most important information in one minute.
• *     Bring a little something to help others remember you and your business (something visual yet simple, AND your business card).
• *     Stay “portable” — you’ll be moving from table to table throughout the morning.
• *     If you’re a newcomer to this event, arrive a little early so you can settle in comfortably at your first table and learn the flow of the event without being rushed.
• *     Schedule time now on your calendar to follow up soon with those you meet.

Cost is $45 per Chamber member, $75 for other attendees.
Limited to 1 attendee per organization and five attendees per business category.

Table Host Sponsorship – serve as moderators for each table during the connection rounds rather than rotating as other attendees do. Previous experience at Mega Networking is preferred and extremely valuable for serving in the Table Host role. Table Hosts are encouraged to decorate their table in a fun and festive manner representative of their business. 

If you’re considering Chamber membership and would like to attend this event we welcome you to come and check us out! Please contact Jessica Kanupp, our Membership Development Specialist, at [email protected]

An Evening With David Sedaris: The best-selling author and well-known NPR humorist, playwright, and comedian, David Sedaris returns to Cullowhee for An Evening With David Sedaris. With more than 16 million copies of his books in print, Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers. The October 12th event includes a live reading of new material, time for audience members to ask questions of the author, and book signings before and after the event. Sedaris’ books will be available for purchase at the event through the City Lights Bookstore of Sylva, NC.