Calendar of Events

Join us for The HEAL Collective’s one-of-a-kind Summer Tour!

📅 Tuesday, July 29, 2025
🕔 5:00–7:30pm (doors open at 4:45)
📍 The Studio AVL — 34 Wall Street, Asheville, NC 28801

You’ve done the inner work.
You know how to name your patterns, ride the emotional waves, maybe even hold space for others.

But…
You still crave something deeper.
A place where your body can exhale.
Where healing doesn’t feel like a solo mission.
Where you can be held, celebrated, and activated alongside others who get it.

This is that space.

We’re Carissa & Eric—partners in love and in the wild vision of a more embodied, relational world.
We’ve walked through burnout, heartbreak, anxiety, and the kind of disconnection that healing work alone couldn’t quite touch.

This event is a call to come back into the body.
Into connection.
Into playful, powerful presence.

✨ What You’ll Experience:

❤️‍🔥 Grounding breathwork + guided meditation
❤️‍🔥 Somatic practices for regulation and joy
❤️‍🔥 Authentic relating & vulnerable connection
❤️‍🔥 Dance, movement, and community magic

🌟 You’ll Leave With:

💫 Practices to anchor yourself when the world feels chaotic
💫 Soul-nourishing connections with conscious humans
💫 A felt sense of possibility—in your body, your life, and your relationships

We believe healing is a path we must each walk ourselves, but we don’t need to walk it alone.
Healing can be embodied. It can be communal. It can be alive.

This isn’t just an event.
It’s the revolution.
A gathering of people who are ready to feel more free—together.

🎟️ Tickets
$44 – Individual
$77 – Bring a friend, partner, or fellow seeker and receive a discount

🍇 Light refreshments provided.
🌸 Space is intimate—reserve your spot early.

Come as you are. Leave more fully expressed.
We can’t wait to heal with you.

In a world of noise, give yourself the gift of stillness. Realign your nervous system and rest in the sanctuary of peace.

Join your host Kristin Hillegas, for a one-hour Serenity Sound Bath and experience a deeply immersive, full-body sound and vibrational experience. A sound bath can cleanse your soul, restore your balance, surround you with peace and tranquility and stimulate healing.

Note: Please bring a yoga mat/pillow/blanket since you will be lying on the floor. Wear warm, comfortable, and flexible clothing.

The Sound Bath will take place upstairs in the Education Building. Choose your space starting at 1:00 PM, doors close promptly at 1:15 PM.

This Sound Bath is offered on a sliding scale of $10-20

Accessible parking is available in the Center for Spiritual Living Asheville upper parking lot. The entrance to the upper parking lot is off of S. Bear Creek Rd between Science of Mind Way and Sand Hill Rd.
There is a boardwalk from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.

The North Carolina Writers Network and The Brandy Bar + Cocktails present
JENNIFER McGAHA as next in their series “In the Company of Writers”
The program offers a series of personal and conversational dialogues featuring guest writers/poets, followed by an open-mic forum. These inspirational gatherings will both enlighten and entertain those in attendance. The guest author speaks from 7-8 PM with an open mic from 8 -9 PM. The original music of John Longbottom welcomes you, continues during intermission, and closes the evening. Sign-up for the open mic sheet is posted at the entry.
Jennifer McGaha is the author of three works of creative nonfiction, including The Joy Document, a collection of fifty essays celebrating midlife, Flat Broke with Two Goats, a 2018 OverDrive Big Library Read, and Bushwhacking: How to Get Lost in the Woods and Write Your Way Out, a Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award finalist. Her work has also appeared in many magazines and literary journals including Image, The Huffington Post, The New Pioneer, Lumina, PANK, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Brevity, Bitter Southerner, Crab Creek Review, River Teeth, and others. An Appalachian native, Jennifer lives in a wooded North Carolina hollow with her husband, two cats, four unruly dogs, eight relatively tame dairy goats, and an ever-changing number of chickens

Co-sponsored by the North Carolina Writers Network and The Brandy Bar + Cocktails, the program, “In the Company of Writers” is featured the 2nd Wednesday of each month. https://www.facebook.com/events/581466841671943

Come join us at the Bridge & Tunnel Coffee Cafe at the Coman Center at A-B Tech for a wonderful day filled with good food and good people. We are so excited to have local vegan vendors get together and show you what they’ve got. You can stop by and get some treats to go or, even better, hang out with us for a while. There will be plenty of seating for eating and socializing. Find out more on Instagram and Facebook @vgnmkt
The event is indoors and is Rain or Shine. There will be some food trucks right out front.
Hours are 11:00 – 3:00.
Admission is free and everyone is welcome. It’s a vegan party & you’re invited!

Monthly Visitor is a new class series by Period Nirvana. Every month, we will host a speaker to teach a class or lead a workshop in their area of expertise. The class will be about an hour long with the opportunity for questions and to shop for menstrual care and wellness products afterwards. Enjoy 15% off your purchase as a thank you for purchasing a ticket and attending!

This month, we invite Dr. Taylor Yankey to lead a workshop on contraception! This class will include a brief history, an overview of the hormones involved with menstruation to understand the variety of contraceptives, and a breakdown of all of the options for contraception. She will also cover how contraceptives can be used for more than preventing pregnancy.

This event is for anyone curious about contraception! Period Nirvana is an inclusive space and we welcome anyone who wishes to attend. This class is geared toward high-school and college aged folks, but is also appropriate for middle-schoolers who might be interested.

Get to know our August Monthly Visitor!

Dr. Taylor Yankey, PharmD, MPH is a pharmacist who currently serves as the primary pharmacist for the Sona Access Program at Sona Pharmacy & Clinic, a local independent pharmacy in Asheville, NC. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Public Health degrees at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN. Awarded the USPHS Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award in 2023, Yankey believes that a community pharmacist is the most accessible healthcare provider for rural and underserved communities. She strives to leverage pharmacy practice to enhance the holistic health of our community, working on projects related to medication adherence, medication access, health literacy, and the wellbeing of healthcare staff. When not on the job, you can find her meandering through the River Arts District or enjoying quiet time at home with her husband, Tanner, and feline companion, Lilly

Join AdventHealth Hendersonville and The Blood Connection for a blood drive on Thursday, August 21, at AdventHealth Hendersonville.

To make it easy for the public to donate, AdventHealth and The Blood Connection follow all safety protocols for blood donation.

Blood Drive at AdventHealth Hendersonville

Thursday, August 21 | 10 am to 3 pm

100 Hospital Drive, Hendersonville

Look for The Blood Connection Mobile Donor Unit near the Valet parking lot.

Donors will receive up to $40 in rewards!

To make an appointment, visit thebloodconnection.org and search for the Sponsor Code 23AC.

Thursday – August 21 – 7-9pm – WNC Songwriter Sessions returns with Karen Cohen, Just Rick, and Todd Hoke. An evening of original songs in the natural acoustics and listening room atmosphere of the beautiful and historic Brandy Bar + Cocktails.
Hidyho Neighbors! Another solid trio of swellegant songwriters will be sharing their lyrical and musical offerings for our August session at the coolest bar in all Hendo. Karen Cohen, Just Rick, and Todd Hoke will entertain you with their tales and tunes. Delicious cocktails + handcrafted songs + friendly folks = time well spent. Join us!
Karen Cohen has honed her own unique finger-style guitar for over 5 decades. Her current passion is writing songs that combine authenticity, emotion, and imagery with beautiful melody. Karen just arrived on the WNC and Upstate SC scene 6 months ago and is generating a lot of excitement at local open mics and songwriter showcases.
Just Rick (aka Rick Reles) is a guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist based in Hendersonville, North Carolina. A lifelong musician and singer-songwriter inspired by the roots of American rock music. He draws from country, blues, bluegrass, rockabilly, and classic rock to craft his growing catalog of original songs. From early bands like Green Steam and Full House to Identity Crisis and IC3, Rick has been a gigging musician. Today he plays solo as well as in Two Step Too and The Right Fit.
Todd Hoke tried therapy but that didn’t work out so he took up the guitar instead and, as of this printing, has remained mostly unincarcerated (a fact his mother loudly boasts about every time her bowling league gathers at the pool hall to play poker and whittle).
With hosts Annie Wenz and Todd Hoke. For more info visit: [email protected]

Starseed Sound Bath with Levi Reynolds

Calling all Starseeds, lightworkers, and cosmic travelers—this is your invitation to a high-frequency sound healing experience designed to awaken your celestial essence and realign your energy with the cosmic flow.

Levi Reynolds will guide you through a multidimensional sound journey using upgraded gongs, sound bowls, and celestial vibrational instruments infused with meteorites and tektites from Mercury, Mars, the Moon, and asteroid Vesta (Tatahouine). These high-vibration frequencies resonate with starseed DNA, activating deep inner wisdom, light codes, and cosmic remembrance.

This experience is designed to help you:
✨ Connect with the cosmic origins of your soul
✨ Activate starseed light codes and higher consciousness
✨ Release stagnant energies and realign with your soul’s mission
✨ Journey through celestial frequencies in a deeply immersive soundscape

Our space is small and cozy, creating an intimate setting for this powerful experience. Arrive early to claim a spot lying down—otherwise, chairs will be available for seating.
Please bring any comfort items you may desire: blankets, pillows, bolsters, eye mask, etc. We also have some community items available for use.

🔹 Tickets: $33 per person
🔹 Purchase upon arrival

Come and bathe in the frequencies of the stars—your soul will remember the way home. 🌌✨

Immerse yourself in the healing power of sound. This restorative Sound Bath is designed to clear energetic blocks, uplift your spirit, and elevate your vibration. Let the soothing frequencies of crystal bowls and sacred tones guide you into deep relaxation, alignment, and renewal. Step into your highest frequency—peace, clarity, and inner radiance await.

Join your host Kristin Hillegas, for a one-hour Serenity Sound Bath and experience a deeply immersive, full-body sound and vibrational experience.

Note: Please bring a yoga mat/pillow/blanket since you will be lying on the floor. Wear warm, comfortable, and flexible clothing.

The Sound Bath will take place upstairs in the Education Building. Choose your space starting at 6:15 PM, doors close promptly at 6:30 PM.

This service is on a sliding scale of $10-20

Accessible parking is available in the Center for Spiritual Living Asheville upper parking lot. The entrance to the upper parking lot is off of S. Bear Creek Rd between Science of Mind Way and Sand Hill Rd.
There is a boardwalk from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.

Join Jessa at her new Holistic Skincare and Sound Bath Studio in Asheville for twice monthly Thursday Evening Sound Baths. ***Space is Limited- Tickets Required****
These sessions focus on revous system regulation, energetic balance, and seasonal, lunar, and solar alignment.

International Overdose Awareness Day takes place on August 31st — in Asheville, OAD events will take place at Carrier Park from 12:30-5:30p Sunday. Join us in uplifting each other in recovery and honoring those we have loved and lost to overdose. This gathering will host panelists, a youth speaker, a guided writing activity, and community connection along with a collective honoring of loved ones lost. Free food from Equal Plates will be provided for lunch. We welcome friends, families, and community members in recovery as well as anyone who feels called to offer their heart to this meaningful day. Hosted by SeekHealing partnered with WNCAP, Buncombe County, UMOJA, RHA, Sunrise Community Center, and Vaya Health.

Eager to reset your inner being to peace and tranquility? It’s time for Humpday Harmony with a soothing Sound Bath!

Join your host Kristin Hillegas, for a one-hour Serenity Sound Bath and experience a deeply immersive, full-body sound and vibrational experience. A sound bath can cleanse your soul, restore your balance, surround you with peace and tranquility and stimulate healing.

Note: Please bring a yoga mat/pillow/blanket since you will be lying on the floor. Wear warm, comfortable, and flexible clothing.

The Sound Bath will take place upstairs in the Education Building. Choose your space starting at 6:15 PM, doors close promptly at 6:30 PM.

This service is being offered on a sliding scale of $10-20.

Accessible parking is available in the Center for Spiritual Living Asheville upper parking lot. The entrance to the upper parking lot is off of S. Bear Creek Rd between Science of Mind Way and Sand Hill Rd.
There is a boardwalk from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.

Join Jessa in her new Holistic Skincare and Sound Bath Studio for twice monthly Thursday Evening Sound Baths. ***Space is Limited-Tickets Required*** These sessions focus on nervous sytem regulation, energertic balance, and seasonal, solar, and lunar alignmnet.

Retreat leader, educator and Jungian psychotherapist Diana McKendree leads a discussion exploring the world of dreamwork and how we might better understand our dreams. Part of Kanuga’s Lunch & Learn series, the Thursday, September 18 event begins with a forest bathing nature walk (weather permitting) at 10 a.m. McKendree’s “What Did You Dream Last Night?” discussion begins at 11 a.m., followed by a buffet lunch in Kanuga’s dining hall. Bring a recent dream, notebook and pen. Registration and more info at kanuga.org/events.

Retreat leader, educator and Jungian psychotherapist Diana McKendree leads a discussion exploring the world of dreamwork and how we might better understand our dreams. Part of Kanuga’s Lunch & Learn series. The Thursday, September 18 event begins with a forest bathing nature walk (weather permitting) at 10 a.m. McKendree’s “What Did You Dream Last Night?” discussion begins at 11 a.m., followed by a buffet lunch in Kanuga’s dining hall. Bring a recent dream, notebook and pen. Registration and more info at kanuga.org/events.

Asheville, NC — September 19, 2025 — The Western North Carolina Recovery Community Collaborative (WNCRCC) will host the First Annual WNC Recovery Rally: “Pathways to Recovery – One Rally, Many Journeys” on Friday, September 19, 2025, from 1:00–5:00 p.m. at Pack Square Park in Downtown Asheville.

This free, family-friendly event celebrates National Recovery Month, honoring individuals and families impacted by mental health and substance use disorders. The rally aims to break stigma, inspire hope, and connect the community with multiple pathways to recovery.

Event Highlights

Inspirational speakers & personal recovery stories

Live music & entertainment

Food trucks & family-friendly activities

Resource fair featuring 40+ community organizations

“This rally is about showing WNC that we are surrounded by recovery, the hope that’s available, and the many resources ready to walk alongside anyone throughout their journey,” said Jessica Shepherd Joudry, Chair of the Planning Committee.

Celebrate the autumnal equinox in an evening of yoga, spirituality and healing, Thursday, Sept. 22 at Kanuga. The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with check-in at the Labyrinth and nature crafting, followed by slow-flow yoga at 6:30 p.m., and concludes with a healing sound bath at 7:45 p.m. To close the evening, attendees are invited to linger over a cup of tea and reflect on the coming fall season. Bring your own mat, blanket and camp chair. Cost: $18 (plus tax and fees). 130 Kanuga Chapel Dr in Hendersonville. Registration and more info at kanuga.org/events.

Back by popular demand, the third Annual Mountain Monarch Festival will be at Gorges State Park in Sapphire on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This free event, hosted by the park and sponsored by the Friends of Gorges State Park and other partners, will celebrate the monarch butterfly during its migration and raise awareness about the species’ declining numbers. The park lies along the monarchs’ migratory route. The butterflies can be seen in early October each year flying over the park, heading south to the high-elevation fir forests in central-southern Mexico’s Volcanic Belt, where they overwinter until early spring.

The festival will offer educational programs and exhibits as well as children’s crafts, face painting by Brevard College cheerleaders, a butterfly hike, and a Monarch Migration Passport to guide visitors through the activities. The featured speakers will be Heyward Douglas, an entomologist who is a former naturalist and has served on the Foothills Trail Conservancy’s board of directors since 1989, who will talk about visiting the wintering area for the monarchs in Mexico, and Brian Bockhahn, interpretation and education specialist for North Carolina State Parks, who will discuss “Monarch Life Cycle and Tagging.”

The event, activities and programs are free and open to the public. The event will be held rain or shine and is first-come, first-served. For event details, visit https://www.friendsofgorges.org

Dark City LIT! A Literary Festival at the Black Mountain Public Library
105 N. Dougherty St. Black Mountain NC 28711

Saturday, November 8

Join us for the inaugural Dark City LIT! Literary Festival!

Write Local, Read Local Author Fair is back for its fourth year! 20 local authors will be handselling books from 9-11 a.m. and reading from their works from Noon to 1 p.m.

Free Workshops Follow:
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
The Fun, Fascinating, and Fabulous World of Research with Dr. Susan Eischeid
In this engaging workshop, you’ll learn practical strategies for harnessing research—whether historical, personal, or primary sources—to elevate your fiction and non-fiction writing with vivid detail and universal resonance.

3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Publishing as Collective Practice with Andrew Mack of Loblolly Press
Discover how vibrant communities and collaborative efforts—from writers’ groups to small presses—are reviving literature today and leave with your own personalized “community map” to sustain your creative journey.

Followed by An Evening with Tessa Fontaine!
5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Author of The Electric Woman: A Memoir in Death-Defying Acts and The Red Grove, longlisted for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize. Tessa will be reading from her work and signing copies of her books.

The North Carolina Writers Network and The Brandy Bar + Cocktails present VIVIAN I BIKULEDGE & MICHAEL HETTICH as next in their series “In the Company of Writers”
The program offers a series of personal and conversational dialogues featuring guest writers/poets followed by an open mic forum. These inspirational gatherings will elucidate and entertain those attending. The guest authors speak from 7-8 PM with an open mic from 8 -9 PM. The original music of Bob Sherrill welcomes you, continues during intermission, and closes the evening. Sign-ups for the open mic sheet are posted at the entry.
Vivian I. Bikulege is a poet and essayist. Her work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and has appeared in the North Carolina Literary Review, The Fourth River, and Broad River Review. A semi-finalist for the 2023 James Applewhite Prize, she also earned honorable mention in the 2022 Randall Jarrell Poetry Competition. Vivian was the 2022 Gilbert-Chappell emerging adult poet for western North Carolina under the mentorship of Ken Chamlee.

Run beside an active runway!  The AVL Runway 5K is exciting and unique!

Ready to run the FLATTEST 5K in the mountains?  How about a morning with music, local food trucks (think coffee and pastries) and better-than-ever plane spotting?

Asheville Regional Airport looks forward to welcoming you to the airfield!  

Our race is the most unique 5K in the mountains – it’s completely FLAT, and hey – it’s on the airfield of the airport. Racers will run on Taxiway Bravo, beside our active Runway 17-35.  Once again, the event is located on the north side of the airfield, so all attendees will be much closer to the taxiway and runway in the festival area. Be sure to wave to the passengers in the planes that will be taking off and landing while you run! What are you waiting for?

The Black Bear Half Marathon & 8k presented by Hunter Subaru is an exhilarating fall event that beckons both seasoned athletes and recreational runners alike. Nestled within the charm and beauty of Hendersonville, North Carolina, this race offers participants a unique opportunity to challenge their limits while immersing themselves in the splendor of the autumn season. Whether conquering the half marathon’s 13.1-mile stretch or embracing the spirited atmosphere of the 8k, participants love supportive community vibe, scenic course, and post-race festivities, including the Black Bear Fall Market!

We’re back in the heart of Hendersonville and we’re bringing some spirited fun—with an awesome new race shirt and shiny finisher medal for every participant. Costumes? Highly encouraged. FOMO? Guaranteed if you skip it. Run or walk through the Historic 7th Avenue District with a crowd of costumed runners, then keep the party going at the Fall Festival just steps from the finish line!

Get ready to roll into fall! The Pumpkin Pedaller, benefitting Asheville on Bikes, is back on Saturday, Oct. 25th at New Belgium Brewing. Join the community for a fun, festive bike ride celebrating everything that makes riding in Asheville special.

Event Schedule:
1:30pm – 7pm: Pop-Up Bike Park
2pm: Pedal Prep (15 minute ride brief + safe rider habits talk)
1:30-2:30pm: Entry for Costume Contest
2:30pm: Costume Contest!
3pm: Rides stagger start and depart New Belgium
4-5pm: Staggered return
5pm – 7pm: Continued bicycle frolic

2025 Costume Contest Categories: Best Group, Best Kids Costume, Local Life, Best Use of Bike

After being cancelled last year due to Helene, our annual fundraiser Walk For Your Neighbor is BACK! Please join us on Sunday, October 26 at First Baptist Church of Swannanoa for a walk and block party! There will be music, as well as food and drink! The walk will start at 2pm, with the block party continuing until 5pm.

To register for Walk for Your Neighbor, just scan the QR code on this flyer, or follow the link below. Registration is by donation only, but we are encouraging a $20 minimum donation for those who are able. You can also ask family and friends to sponsor your walk using the donation link you receive when you register. To be cost and environmentally conscious, we will be using last year’s t-shirts.

Our valley is still recovering and needs remain high. The more we raise through this walk, the more we can tangibly share the love of Christ with neighbors in need through food, clothing, baby supplies, healthcare, home repairs, and so much more! We hope you’ll give generously, lace up those sneakers, and come walk with us!