Calendar of Events
Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.
Help reach our matching gift challenge. We are halfway to our goal.
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Deep Dive into Archives is a living exhibit shining a light on the individuals who were once enslaved at the Smith-McDowell House through primary documentation.
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In this 1-hour program, Dr. David Moore, an archaeologist at Warren Wilson University, discusses the Joara Native American Village and Native resistance to the Spanish invasion of WNC in the 1500s. Dr. Moore has been involved with the archaeology of this site near modern Morganton, NC for nearly three decades. He describes the findings of ongoing excavations and places them in context with the culture of the Native peoples who eventually thwarted Spanish colonization attempts in the Appalachian Mountains.
VIEW OUR PAST PROGRAMS
These programs are provided free for our members. For the general public, please consider donating $5.00 or more for each program you watch.
All proceeds fund future programming.
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Eligibility Checklist:
- Focus on K-12 youth services.
- Registered nonprofit organization, and/or 501(c)(3) with a valid EIN
- Located within a UScellular service area ZIP code:
A recent grant award by the Perry N. Rudnick Endowment Fund to help renovate and save the Tebeau Children’s Center. In addition to bringing Head Start, Early Head Start and NC Pre-K education programs to Henderson County’s underprivileged children under 5 years old, the renovation project will restore a community landmark that has provided childcare since the mid-1970’s!
WCCA is trying to raise the necessary funding to renovate the old daycare center and turn it into a modern early childhood education center.
WCCA has been awarded a $25,000 grant by the Perry N. Rudnick Endowment Fund of
the Community Foundation of Henderson County. The funds will be used to help
renovate and save the 70-year old Tebeau Children’s Center in Hendersonville, NC.
● The old daycare center which is located near Pardee Hospital off 9th Avenue between
Hendersonville Elementary and Middle School has been around since the mid-70’s. It
was called Stay ‘n Play, then Lovin’ & Learning, and Hendersonville School for Little
Folks. Generations of Henderson County families have relied on the center for childcare.
● After it closed in early 2020, WCCA bought the Tebeau Drive property. WCCA is in the
process of renovating and remodeling the facility to make it a modern early childhood
education center to serve nearly 100 children and families.
● David White, CEO for WCCA said “We’re grateful to partner with a group like the Perry
N. Rudnick Endowment Fund and the Henderson County Community Foundation to
save a piece of Henderson County’s past. Their support is an investment in future
generations of our children!”
● WCCA has raised just over $402,000 of the $850,000 needed to renovate the Tebeau
Center in time for its opening in April 2022. If you would like to help support this
worthwhile effort, please visit WCCA.org and donate!
The Southeasts largest Animal Fiber fair with OVER 100 VENDORS – Workshops, Demonstrations & Contests, Quality Yarns, Fleeces & Rovings, Livestock and Fleece Sales, World Renowned Instructors
The exhibit was developed as part of the celebration of the 450th anniversary of the Juan Pardo expeditions. Several years ago, archaeologists identified a site near Morganton as the location of Joara, one of the largest Native American towns in what is today Western North Carolina.
Joara was occupied from approximately 1400-1600 A.D. Two Spanish expeditions led respectively by Hernando de Soto and Juan Pardo visited the town in the 1500s. The Pardo expedition was part of a larger effort to establish a string of forts from the coast of present-day South Carolina all the way to Mexico. In 2013, archaeologists confirmed that Joara was also the site of Fort San Juan, established by Pardo in 1567, nearly 20 years before the English settlement at Roanoke on the coast of North Carolina and 40 years before the settlement at Jamestown.
Through various artifacts uncovered by the archaeology, the exhibit showcases the Spanish occupation of Fort San Juan and the lives of the native people who lived in the Joara area.
The exhibit is on loan from the Exploring Joara Foundation Inc. Exploring Joara engages the public in archaeology in the Carolinas, and emphasizes the discovery of the Native American town of Joara and Fort San Juan. The exhibit will be on display at the Western North Carolina Historical Association’s gallery inside the Smith-McDowell House through December 15.
The gallery is open for visitation Thursday, Friday, and Saturday between 10:30am and 4:00pm. Reservations are recommended.
Our first Youth Production Class is right around the corner! We will be offering TWO sessions of Clue (High School Edition) – 1 session for middle school students, and one session for high school students. Classes will meet afterschool, and each session will end with two performances on the Mainstage! Registration for both sessions will begin on Wednesday, July 14. Tuition will be $350.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.
High School Cast:
Classes/rehearsals: Meet Monday and Wednesday afternoons August 30 – October 27, 2021 from 4:30-6:00 pm
Tech Week: Monday, November 1 – Thursday, November 4, 2021; 4:30-6:30 pm each night
Performances: Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 2:30 pm and Sunday, November 7, 2021 at 6:30 pm
Our first Youth Production Class is right around the corner! We will be offering TWO sessions of Clue (High School Edition) – 1 session for middle school students, and one session for high school students. Classes will meet afterschool, and each session will end with two performances on the Mainstage! Registration for both sessions will begin on Wednesday, July 14. Tuition will be $350.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.
Middle School Cast:
Classes/rehearsals: Meet Monday and Wednesday afternoons September 6 – November 3, 2021 from 4:30-6:00 pm
Tech Week: Monday, November 8 – Thursday, November 11, 2021; 4:30-6:30 pm each night
Performances: Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 2:30 pm and Sunday, November 14, 2021 at 6:30 pm
Join the Swannanoa Valley Museum for an evening of haunted history in Black Mountain! In these outdoor walking tours through Black Mountain’s downtown historic district, visitors will learn about the humorous, haunting and harrowing history of the Swannanoa Valley while being visited by some of its most famous spirits. This event, which is a fundraiser for the museum, will highlight the town’s many tragedies and triumphs- and the many ghosts, friendly and frustrated, born from these events.
Tours will last approximately 2 hours.
October is one of the best times of year to be stargazing at Grandfather Mountain. The air is cool and clear, and the summer constellations are still very prominent, with some early winter sights making their appearance later in the evening. Our class is also during the time of the Orionid meteor shower, so hopefully some of these celestial fireworks will grace our skies during our nighttime observing.
Our goal for this class is to create a familiarity with the night sky and learn the basics of stargazing that can be applied on your own on any clear night throughout the year. We’ll start in the classroom by exploring some of the best print and digital resources for exploring the night sky and cover some of the basics of stargazing and how to orient to the night sky. We’ll also discuss the use of planispheres, star maps, and star charts to find some of the most beautiful deep sky wonders that can be seen through binoculars or small telescopes. During the evening hours, we’ll be out at various viewing locations on the mountain, practicing our stargazing skills while looking for meteors and learning about some of the most prominent stars, constellations, and other objects visible this time of year.
Your instructor, Stephan Martin, has been a stargazer since he was very young growing up under dark skies of South Florida. Steve is also an astronomer, educator, and author who has taught astronomy and physics at colleges, universities, and learning centers across the US and internationally for over twenty-five years. He has worked as a data analyst for the Hubble Space Telescope and as Observatory Supervisor at Williams College, where he participated in scientific research expeditions around the world to study the dynamics of the solar corona during solar eclipses.
Adult Field Courses
Welcome to Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation’s (GMSF) Field Courses! We are excited to share the unique wonders of the mountain with you. Since 2008, GMSF has aimed at creating educational programming that deepens understanding through in-depth study and field research. Our goal is to provide you with a rich experience in a particular field of study, and to also provide a safe and memorable trip to Grandfather Mountain.
The series runs from May through October, with topics including bird ecology and behavior, ecology, photography, painting, climate change and stargazing. Cost is $60 per person (or $25 for members of Grandfather Mountain’s Bridge Club program), with registration required in advance. To learn more or become a member, click here.
NOTE: Bridge Club members must present valid Bridge Club ID upon arrival, or they will have to pay the full price.
CANCELLATION POLICY: These events are extremely popular and usually have an extensive waiting list. If for some reason you are unable to attend, we ask that you let us know as soon as possible. Cancellations made less than one week prior to the event will not be eligible for refund. Cancellations made within a week or greater, or in the event that we are forced to cancel, will be fully refunded.
October is one of the best times of year to be stargazing at Grandfather Mountain. The air is cool and clear, and the summer constellations are still very prominent, with some early winter sights making their appearance later in the evening. Our class is also during the time of the Orionid meteor shower, so hopefully some of these celestial fireworks will grace our skies during our nighttime observing.
Our goal for this class is to create a familiarity with the night sky and learn the basics of stargazing that can be applied on your own on any clear night throughout the year. We’ll start in the classroom by exploring some of the best print and digital resources for exploring the night sky and cover some of the basics of stargazing and how to orient to the night sky. We’ll also discuss the use of planispheres, star maps, and star charts to find some of the most beautiful deep sky wonders that can be seen through binoculars or small telescopes. During the evening hours, we’ll be out at various viewing locations on the mountain, practicing our stargazing skills while looking for meteors and learning about some of the most prominent stars, constellations, and other objects visible this time of year.
Your instructor, Stephan Martin, has been a stargazer since he was very young growing up under dark skies of South Florida. Steve is also an astronomer, educator, and author who has taught astronomy and physics at colleges, universities, and learning centers across the US and internationally for over twenty-five years. He has worked as a data analyst for the Hubble Space Telescope and as Observatory Supervisor at Williams College, where he participated in scientific research expeditions around the world to study the dynamics of the solar corona during solar eclipses.
Adult Field Courses
Welcome to Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation’s (GMSF) Field Courses! We are excited to share the unique wonders of the mountain with you. Since 2008, GMSF has aimed at creating educational programming that deepens understanding through in-depth study and field research. Our goal is to provide you with a rich experience in a particular field of study, and to also provide a safe and memorable trip to Grandfather Mountain.
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| The residents of the Smith-McDowell House and grounds were woven in to the fabric of Asheville.
This driving tour begins at the Smith-McDowell House Museum on the campus of A-B Tech and continues through historic sites related to early occupants of the house. |
Help reach our matching gift challenge. We are halfway to our goal.
|
|
Deep Dive into Archives is a living exhibit shining a light on the individuals who were once enslaved at the Smith-McDowell House through primary documentation.
|
|
|
|
In this 1-hour program, Dr. David Moore, an archaeologist at Warren Wilson University, discusses the Joara Native American Village and Native resistance to the Spanish invasion of WNC in the 1500s. Dr. Moore has been involved with the archaeology of this site near modern Morganton, NC for nearly three decades. He describes the findings of ongoing excavations and places them in context with the culture of the Native peoples who eventually thwarted Spanish colonization attempts in the Appalachian Mountains.
VIEW OUR PAST PROGRAMS
These programs are provided free for our members. For the general public, please consider donating $5.00 or more for each program you watch.
All proceeds fund future programming.
|
|
|
|
The construction of the Mountain Division of the Western North Carolina Railroad is widely considered one of the greatest human accomplishments in regards to both engineering and construction ever undertaken at the time it occurred. The project took place over a period of several years in the late 1800s. Many people are aware that the railroad provided the first dependable access to and from much of Western North Carolina for the rest of the state as well as much of the nation. Many also know the names of some of those who were instrumental in seeing through the completion of this ambitious project. Names such as Colonel Alexander Boyd Andrews, of Andrews’ Geyser fame. However, what most people are unaware of is that at least 95% of the labor which built the railroad across the Blue Ridge Escarpment was completed by inmates from the North Carolina State Penitentiary… and approximately 98% of those inmates were African American men… the majority of whom were unjustly imprisoned…
This project was created to share the true story behind this human endeavor and to honor the memory of those who labored and those who died here.
Western North Carolina has a rich assortment of county historical societies, archives, and museums. The Western North Carolina Historical Association seeks to help researchers, historians, genealogists, and the general public take full advantage of these resources.
Eligibility Checklist:
- Focus on K-12 youth services.
- Registered nonprofit organization, and/or 501(c)(3) with a valid EIN
- Located within a UScellular service area ZIP code:
 |
| Contained by its larger growing neighbor (Asheville), the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, and the Southern Railway line, the Town of Victoria existed from 1887 until 1905, when it was absorbed into Asheville. The community—which included the Smith-McDowell House and Fernihurst mansion—originally incorporated into a town to prevent unwanted development (particularly from the Vanderbilts). |
A recent grant award by the Perry N. Rudnick Endowment Fund to help renovate and save the Tebeau Children’s Center. In addition to bringing Head Start, Early Head Start and NC Pre-K education programs to Henderson County’s underprivileged children under 5 years old, the renovation project will restore a community landmark that has provided childcare since the mid-1970’s!
WCCA is trying to raise the necessary funding to renovate the old daycare center and turn it into a modern early childhood education center.
WCCA has been awarded a $25,000 grant by the Perry N. Rudnick Endowment Fund of
the Community Foundation of Henderson County. The funds will be used to help
renovate and save the 70-year old Tebeau Children’s Center in Hendersonville, NC.
● The old daycare center which is located near Pardee Hospital off 9th Avenue between
Hendersonville Elementary and Middle School has been around since the mid-70’s. It
was called Stay ‘n Play, then Lovin’ & Learning, and Hendersonville School for Little
Folks. Generations of Henderson County families have relied on the center for childcare.
● After it closed in early 2020, WCCA bought the Tebeau Drive property. WCCA is in the
process of renovating and remodeling the facility to make it a modern early childhood
education center to serve nearly 100 children and families.
● David White, CEO for WCCA said “We’re grateful to partner with a group like the Perry
N. Rudnick Endowment Fund and the Henderson County Community Foundation to
save a piece of Henderson County’s past. Their support is an investment in future
generations of our children!”
● WCCA has raised just over $402,000 of the $850,000 needed to renovate the Tebeau
Center in time for its opening in April 2022. If you would like to help support this
worthwhile effort, please visit WCCA.org and donate!
The Southeasts largest Animal Fiber fair with OVER 100 VENDORS – Workshops, Demonstrations & Contests, Quality Yarns, Fleeces & Rovings, Livestock and Fleece Sales, World Renowned Instructors