Mountain Xpress 01.14.26

OUR 32ND YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 32 NO. 24 JAN. 14-20, 2026

MOUNTAINX.COM

JAN. 14-20, 2026

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C O N T E NT S

NEWS

OPINION

FEATURES 6

8

SAME OLD STORY? When politics chases headlines, government still owes residents results

GIVE ME A SIGN While many people may imagine a mysterious figure with a crystal ball when they hear the terms psychic, medium or fortuneteller, there is no single mold for the mystic.

Professional psychics note that they come from all walks of life and use a range of divination tools to translate messages from another realm.

COVER PHOTO Caleb Johnson

CLEANING THE BACKLOG A new partnership aims to help foster children find permanent homes

OFFER EXPIRES 12/31/2025

A&C

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17 SPECIAL ORDERS Asheville Restaurant Week returns

COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick 4

LETTERS

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CARTOON: MOLTON

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WORD OF THE WEEK

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CARTOON: BRENT BROWN

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COMMENTARY

8

NEWS

9

SNAPSHOT

12 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

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3

OPINION

Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com.

Child care funding is important for economy [Regarding “County Receives Update on Early Childhood Education,” Dec. 3, Xpress:] I have long held opinions about the importance of child care as economic infrastructure. My thoughts are based on having been a working mother in a two-income family, as well as my 30-plus years of experience working with businesses on workforce and economic development for chambers of commerce.

I commend the Early Childhood Education and Development Committee for looking at ways to more closely target goals for the use of Buncombe County’s funds. We need to be able to move the needle on this incredibly important issue. The number of infant slots has been insufficient for quite a while, and it’s by far the most expensive care to provide, more than a year of in-state college tuition!

Young parents are least able to afford that cost, yet we want and need that young talent to keep our community healthy and vibrant. And it takes more workers to care for infants, and those employees are hard to get to begin with.

I appreciate the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners for stepping up by providing the funding and wish the committee the best in targeting the use of those funds.

— Kit Cramer President and CEO Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce Asheville

More depth needed in school vouchers discussion The latest installment of “I Beg To Differ” is thoroughly unenlightening [“Should Public Dollars Fund Private Schools?” Jan. 7, Xpress]. The two con-

C A RT O O N B Y R AN DY M O L T O N testants don’t engage with each other’s points; talking past each other appears to be built into the format. Bill Branyon writes at length about valid separation of church and state issues, but about little else. Carl Mumpower’s 10 points about the “deterioration of our public educational system” sound like they were taken from a Heritage Foundation pamphlet about anything objectionable about public education anywhere in the U.S. Where is the verifiable evidence of failings here in Western North Carolina, particularly in Buncombe and Henderson counties?

Branyon fails to make the most important point, for which Mumpower has no answer. In North Carolina, the private schools receiving public funds at most have to provide weak or minimal evidence of achievement, curriculum or even public safety screening of staff.

Public schools, whatever one thinks of standardized testing, have to provide reams of data from which the public evaluates progress or deterioration.

The high-end private schools (like Carolina Day School) provide achievement data, but unless a student from a low-income family is already receiving a scholarship there, the voucher will not magically pay for the substantial tuition. Most of the private religious schools apparently trust parents’ faith in their effectiveness without provid-

Word of the week scry

(intr. v.) to practice crystal gazing This week's word is also a noun, meaning "shout" or "outcry." X 4

JAN. 14-20, 2026

MOUNTAINX.COM

ing any public information that would support Mumpower’s position. In addition, the Republican majorities in the General Assembly are engaging in the kind of blunt social engineering that Mumpower has claimed to vigorously oppose in the past. Public education is so well established as an American institution that it would be more conservative to offer ways to improve it than to undermine and disestablish it.

The Mountain Xpress may want to step away from its formula in order to better inform the WNC public.

Perhaps Mumpower would like to engage in a public discussion with Henderson County Public Schools Superintendent Mark R. Garrett about the quality and challenges of Henderson County’s public schools.

That might prove enlightening and expose Mumpower’s automatic ideology. And Bill Branyon can take notes.

— Paul Weichselbaum Hendersonville Editor’s note: Weichselbaum adds that he is a member of Public School Strong in Henderson County and supports candidates Reid Barwick and Mary Ellen Kustin for the Henderson County Public Schools Board of Education.

What can we do about microplastics?

Microplastics are found everywhere — in air, soil, food and water, including every sample taken by MountainTrue from our French Broad, Broad, Green, Hiwassee, Little Tennessee, Watauga and New rivers. They have been

found in every human body system, including breast milk. The equivalent of a plastic spoon has been found in human brains. Microplastics can mimic or disrupt hormone activity and cause cellular stress leading to DNA damage and cell death.

Microplastics are simply very small pieces of plastic — smaller than a pencil eraser. A subset called “nanoplastics” are smaller than a human hair. Plastics do not biodegrade but instead break into microplastics, which contain all the chemicals used to make them.

Recycling is not the answer. Plastics that can be recycled can usually be recycled only once. And it is cheaper to make new plastic than to recycle existing plastic.

The answer is reduced production.

But no fossil fuel company wants to be the first to do this. It will require legislative action and less plastic demand by all of us.

So, write U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards and Sens. Ted Budd and Thom Tillis, and North Carolina lawmakers Rep. Eric Ager and Sen. Julie Mayfield to demand they take steps to reduce plastic production, support the Microplastics Study Act and find creative ways to get around the 2023 North Carolina budget bill that prohibited municipalities from restricting, taxing or charging fees on “auxiliary containers” (bags, cups and packaging), which prevented Asheville from banning single-use plastic bags and Styrofoam food containers.

Then, reduce your use of single-use plastics. They make up 40% of plastic production. Don’t buy disposable water bottles; tap water contains fewer microplastics than water in plastic bottles. While municipal water systems do not currently test for microplastics since there is no standard method or target limit, the City of Asheville tests for PFAS and found them to be undetectable.

Single-use plastics also include plastic grocery bags, which are used for an average of 10 minutes and then spend centuries trying to break down in the Buncombe County landfill. Use reusable shopping bags instead. And shop at local stores with a high score on Plastic Free WNC’s grocery store report card — Whole Foods Market, Aldi and Earth Fare.

Check out [avl.mx/f9y] to find how our local restaurants handle plastic and other “green” issues.

And while you can’t put Styrofoam curbside, Asheville GreenWorks holds regular Hard 2 Recycle events where you can drop it off.

We can all do something. Take steps now to reduce demand for plastics.

— Christine Klein Mauck Arden X

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5

OPINION

Same old story?

and Council members, including the mayor. That dialogue led to a Dec. 5 memo from Assistant City Manager Ben Woody that outlined practical, near-term tools the city can use to protect neighborhood residents while also addressing the housing affordability crisis. Drawing on those ideas, I spoke at the Dec. 9 City Council meeting, emphasizing that LNC is not anti-housing but wants to see those efforts paired with the resident-protection strategies described in the memo. The city subsequently confirmed its readiness to meet with LNC representatives to discuss the proposed solutions and protections.

When politics chases headlines, government still owes residents results

BY SEKOU L. COLEMAN Recent reporting about Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley has sparked two wildly divergent conversations in Asheville. One is about allegations, eligibility and paperwork. The other is about why this story is moving so fast and why it feels so familiar.

Here’s the distinction: Politics feeds on heat and narrative advantage; government is supposed to be about accountability and delivering for the people who live here.

Let’s start with what is knowable: The reporting on this issue has raised questions about residency documentation and a property tax exemption in another state. Mosley has said publicly that Asheville is her home and she is rooted here.

The N.C. State Board of Elections has confirmed that it’s investigating those questions; as of this writing, no finding has been issued. And any complaint or eligibility challenge should be addressed through the official process, not through insinuation or repetition. Mosley has said she’ll address any concerns that need correction.

But it’s also important to place these events in context. Many residents see this as an administrative issue with a defined process for resolution — not a public safety crisis. That is part of why the timing matters. With election season approaching, voters and political operatives are primed to see how lowstakes controversies can be inflated into a politically useful news cycle.

Longtime Asheville residents have also learned to be cautious about politicians who sound progressive on paper but go missing when the work gets hard. And for people who grew up here and are still here, the idea that Mosley’s connection to Asheville is suddenly in doubt feels disconnected from lived experience, because they have consistently seen her here, in the mix, doing the work.

DEVIL IN THE DETAILS I serve as a lead with the Legacy Neighborhoods Coalition (LNC), which works to protect Asheville residents from displacement while advancing community-led development. LNC’s member neighborhoods are Burton Street, East End/Valley Street and The Block, Emma, Shiloh 6

JAN. 14-20, 2026

and Southside. We support more affordable housing, and we push just as hard for the protections that determine whether longtime residents are actually able to remain here.

The work is rarely glamorous. A lot of it lives inside the city’s Unified Development Ordinance, zoning text amendments and technical policy changes that most people aren’t even aware of until their neighborhood is in the crosshairs. But those “unsexy” decisions are often where displacement pressure gets baked into the rules. LNC has had to show up at countless meetings, asking the city to listen to the residents most likely to be harmed, and pushing for guardrails that keep these communities from being treated as acceptable collateral damage.

This is where UNC Asheville Professor Emeritus Dwight Mullen’s lens is useful. The acclaimed political scientist has pointed out that planning strategies putting pressure on legacy neighborhoods are nothing new. This echoes earlier eras of “progress” that destabilized Black communities and working neighborhoods — and then justified the harm after the fact.

He also names a broader reality: When conditions deteriorate for Black communities, it often signals what’s coming for the city as a whole.

In Asheville, for example, displacement pressures surfaced earliest in legacy communities and now shape the broader affordability crisis.

This is also why protecting residents sometimes requires saying no.

Not to housing but to approaches that move fast on paper while leaving people exposed in real life. If you only judge the work by whether every proposal gets a yes vote, you miss the point. Sometimes the most responsible thing an elected official can do is slow down a decision, demand carve-outs, insist on protections or vote against a package that clearly falls short.

STANDING UP FOR RESIDENTS Mosley’s voting record illustrates the difference between a blanket opposition to housing developments and insisting on housing policy that doesn’t threaten the very residents it claims to help. Consider these recent examples:

MOUNTAINX.COM

SEKOU L. COLEMAN

“The same policy can land very differently depending on a neighborhood’s history and vulnerability.”

On March 11, 2025, City Council took up zoning changes involving cottage housing and flag lots. In conversations with LNC leaders ahead of the vote, the vice mayor focused on getting protections in the form of carve-outs into the proposal, even if the overall package still raised concerns. The goal was to reduce the immediate pressure on legacy neighborhoods while also making it clear that developer-driven changes should not move forward without stronger displacement protections and a better engagement structure.

Council approved the zoning changes 4-3, and Mosley voted no, signaling that the carve-outs were a start, not a solution. Still, those exemptions matter because they reflect a basic truth that LNC has repeated for years: The same policy can land very differently depending on a neighborhood’s history and vulnerability. Responsible housing policy must take that reality into account.

But that wasn’t the only time this year that Mosley stood up for neighborhoods at risk. On Oct. 14, 2025, she named a fairness issue that many residents will recognize. “Legacy neighborhoods have been waiting literally four years for a requested change … and tonight we’re considering two ordinance changes for downtown businesses.” Her point was simple: Council’s responsiveness shouldn’t be reserved for the loudest or best-connected stakeholders.

And it didn’t end there. After that meeting, Mosley helped convene conversations with LNC, city staff

WHOSE CITY IS THIS? This sequence signaled both a shift in these neighborhoods’ relationship with the city and a nod to community-led power. But it’s hard to imagine that happening without the involvement of someone who knows Asheville well and has the relationships and social capital to connect the people capable of moving things forward.

Professor Mullen has also noted something else that many Black residents will recognize. Elected officials who disrupt entrenched interests can become targets, and Black elected officials, especially Black women, often face a particular kind of scrutiny that is faster, harsher and more personal. You don’t have to believe that every critique is racially motivated to acknowledge the pattern, which has been evident at the national level in the recent controversies involving New York State Attorney General Letitia James and Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani Willis.

Naming that context is not a verdict: It’s a call for consistency and due process. So, yes, ask questions.

Apply standards evenly. Respect due process. But don’t turn headlines into verdicts and don’t let controversy become a permission slip for stalling the work of government.

Asheville must increase affordability while also protecting renters and homeowners from being priced out.

The measure of success is simple: Can ordinary residents still afford to live here? That’s what LNC is fighting for, and it’s why Mosley’s advocacy for legacy neighborhoods should be understood as what it is: insisting that progress include the people who are already here.

Sekou Coleman serves as coordinator for the Legacy Neighborhoods Coalition, which works to protect the communities most impacted by displacement, honor their history and culture, and advance community-led development. X

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Clearing the backlog

A new partnership aims to help foster children find permanent homes WORKING ON THE FRONT LINES

BY JUSTIN McGUIRE jmcguire@mountainx.com Buncombe County Health and Human Services (DSS) is partnering with the nonprofit Foster Family Alliance (FFA) of North Carolina to address long-standing challenges in recruiting, training and retaining foster, kinship and adoptive families.

The goal of the contract, which runs through Tuesday, June 30, is to reduce delays, prevent families from dropping out of the system and shorten the time children spend waiting in foster care for permanent, stable homes, says FFA Executive Director Gaile Osborne, who lives in Buncombe County and has fostered more than 30 children.

“We are not looking to go in and replace the frontline social workers,” she explains. “We’re looking to come alongside and assist.”

Rebecca Smith, Buncombe’s director of social work, says the county has long struggled with the same problems seen across North Carolina and the country — not enough families willing and able to foster or adopt, especially for older youths, sibling groups and children from minority backgrounds. Even when families do step forward, many leave the system within a few years, creating a constant need for recruitment, training and support, Smith says.

The FFA partnership is designed to address those challenges on multiple fronts at once.

“We really value lived experience, and Foster Family Alliance comes to the table with people who understand how the system works from the foster parent perspective,” Smith says.

The partnership works by embedding nonprofit staff members directly into the county’s foster care operations to handle specific tasks that often slow cases down.

For example, one FFA employee works in the DSS office several days a week, participating in case discussions and focusing on “family-finding” for children who do not yet have adoptive placements. That work includes reviewing case histories, identifying relatives or other meaningful connections — such as grandparents, extended family members, teachers or coaches — and helping the county follow up on those leads.

The embedded staff member also completes preplacement assessments for adoptive homes, a required step in the adoption process that can take months when contracted out to private providers. By doing that work in-house, the partnership helps move cases forward faster and allows county social workers to focus on core case management and decision-making, Smith says.

Buncombe County employs about 45 social workers and supervisors focused on foster care, many carrying caseloads of 10-15 children, she says.

In fiscal year 2024, 510 Buncombe County children were in DSS custody.

FFA has also taken on some of the front-end work with families. Staff members run foster and adoptive parent training cycles, including Saturday sessions for people who cannot attend weekday classes, and assist families with licensing paperwork once training is complete. They provide handson coaching to prospective adoptive families, stepping in when delays, paperwork or uncertainty might otherwise cause families to walk away from the process.

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SNAPSHOT

FAMILY MATTERS: Gaile Osborne and her husband, Thomas, have fostered more than 30 children since 2008. She serves as executive director of the Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina. Photo courtesy of FFA “Our ultimate goal is achieving adoption for children who are legally free for adoption or who are unable to reunify with their parents,” Smith says.

“Having adequate foster families who are willing to provide permanency for children has been an issue the entire time I’ve been in this field.” ’30 DAYS TO FAMILY’ The contract outlines specific benchmarks, including foster and adoptive parent training cycles, assistance with licensing applications, completion of up to 20 preplacement assessments, family-finding services for at least 20 children, recruitment events and monthly progress reports. Family-finding includes a process known as “30 days to family,” which looks for kinship caregivers — relatives or trusted adults already connected to a child — who may be able to provide long-term care.

The county is using $91,667 in adoption incentive money received from the state to support the partnership, Smith says. Those funds are tied to performance benchmarks related to finalized adoptions, with counties receiving fund-

ing based on how effectively they move eligible children into permanent homes.

The deal, which began July 1 and runs through June 30, was not fully implemented until mid-August due to the time required to issue the request for proposals and obtain approvals, Smith says.

“As long as we are meeting the benchmarks, I think we are really interested in at least one more year [of the agreement] so that we can really get ahead of some of the backlogs that we’ve had and try to get to a place where we can be more proactive in our approach,” Smith says. “And so far, I think it’s going really well, and we are hoping to extend into fiscal year 2027.”

Osborne says her group is also exploring similar partnerships with other counties in Western North Carolina, though any expansion would depend on staffing.

The Buncombe County partnership is unique and not currently duplicated elsewhere in the state, she explains.

FOCUS REMAINS ON CHILDREN Osborne says being embedded in the county office gives her organization a clearer view of how child welfare decisions are made and allows staff to better explain those decisions to families.

“So many times as a caregiver, we don’t understand what goes into a decision from a county DSS office,” she says. “It is a privilege to sit at this table and see how these very intricate and intimate decisions are made on behalf of children.”

Both leaders stress that while funding and performance metrics matter, the focus remains on children.

“It breaks our hearts when we have a kid that is struggling to find that permanent option,” Smith says. “We think about these kids as our kids.”

Osborne says the goal is to ensure caregivers feel supported enough to stay.

“If there’s one thing to be said,” she says, “we can look another caregiver in the face and say, ‘I get it. I understand what you’re going through.’” X

ON THE STREETS: Residents gathered at Pack Square on Jan. 8 to protest the killing of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident, who was shot dead by a federal officer while in her car. Around 5:30 p.m. the demonstrators marched through downtown before congregating on the Flint Street bridge, where they held a moment of silence to honor Good. Over the weekend, additional rallies were held downtown. Photo by Thomas Calder

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JAN. 14-20, 2026

9

FEA TU RE S

Give me a sign

Local psychics shed light on mystical practices

BY BRIONNA DALLARA bdallara@mountainx.com With January upon us, there is a good chance you’ve taken part in some kind of New Year’s ritual.

Maybe you set resolutions. (Get that job promotion! Stick to that gym routine! Fall in love! Love yourself!) Or grubbed on symbolic foods. (A dozen grapes under the table or collards and black-eyed peas, anyone?)

Or perhaps you sought otherworldly advice.

For some spiritual practitioners, the annual collective reset signals their busy season. Asheville-based psychic-medium Kelly Palmatier, owner of the practice Channeling White Light, says she usually sees an average 20% uptick in business requests toward the end of December and beginning of January.

At other times of the year, Palmatier exercises her supernatural abilities with up to 20 readings in a typical week — either psychic readings that answer questions about an individual’s life path or mediumship readings, where she connects with loved ones who have crossed over to the spirit realm. During the holidays, she says, she often does up to 24 readings per week.

“It makes sense,” says Palmatier.

“It’s the end of the holiday season, and people are looking to the year ahead and wondering what’s in store for them.”

Even outside of the busy months, the psychic industry as a whole continues to gain popularity. Interest in new age practices has ramped up on social media platforms and beyond in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The psychic services industry’s total revenue has increased by more than 4% annually since the start of COVID19. In 2025 alone, the industry raked in

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DIVINATION: Last year, Kelly Palmatier, a local psychic-medium, launched the Asheville Psychic Society, a networking group for spirit workers. She and other local mystics who spoke with Xpress note that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to the practice. Photo by Caleb Johnson $2.3 billion and grew by 2.2%, according to a report by IBISWorld analysts.

About 30% of U.S. adults consult astrology (horoscopes), tarot cards or fortunetellers at least once a year — with most doing it for fun, according to a 2024 Pew Research Center survey.

But the industry has experienced its share of challenges.

Until 2003, Buncombe, Haywood and Madison counties were among 66 North Carolina counties that outlawed paranormal practices. A 1951 statute made it “unlawful for any persons to practice the arts of phrenology, palmistry, fortune-telling and other crafts of a similar kind,” Xpress reported in 1999.

After practitioners banded together to advocate against the legislation, the N.C. General Assembly reversed the ban.

In the decades since, Western North Carolina psychics have continued to find new ways to support one another.

The Asheville Psychic Society, a networking group for spirit workers founded by Palmatier, emerged in October last year. And some established local practitioners host workshops designed to help up-and-coming psychics hone their abilities.

While many people may imagine a mysterious figure with a crystal ball when they hear the terms psychic, medium or fortuneteller, there is no single mold for the mystic. Professional psychics come from all walks of life, each possessing various degrees of clairvoyance and using a range of divination tools, from tarot cards to tea leaves, to translate messages from another realm.

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A SIXTH SENSE From a young age, Asheville-based medium Robyn Michelle, known professionally by only her first and middle names, remembers seeing silhouettes that others could not see. Not only did she see them, she felt them — some carried the presence of ancestors, others felt like strangers.

Throughout her adolescence, Robyn Michelle wrote the presences off as ghosts until she was told by several mediums that she shared their clairvoyant abilities.

“I knew that I was connected to realms that other people seemed to not really understand or relate to, but I didn’t know how to cultivate [that ability],” she recalls. “I didn’t know what boundaries were. I didn’t know that I was actually in control and that these [spirit] beings around me were there to love me and protect me and support me.”

Robyn Michelle pursued a better understanding of her clairvoyance, traveling as far as Stansted, England to study with mediums around the world at Arthur Findlay College, a school of spiritualism and psychic sciences.

Robyn Michelle notes that individuals who have heightened sensitivity in the material world can have strong intuitive senses as well. As a young person, her feelings of empathy, for example, often felt like a burden.

“Why is everything so hard for me?

Why can’t I be in a shopping mall without getting a migraine? Why can’t I be around people who are in bad moods

and not go home depressed out of my mind?” she recalls thinking as a child.

Now, Robyn Michelle works full time as an evidential medium, facilitating personal readings as well as intuitive development courses for those who wish to expand their psychic skills. As an evidential medium, she connects clients to individuals who are deceased — or “in spirit” — by bringing them verifiable information such as personality traits, memories or other details only their loved ones might know about them.

Robyn Michelle says she receives information from humans who have passed away to the spirit world, an unseen world that exists around us, who wish to communicate with loved ones who are earthside.

She is careful to highlight the distinction between medium readings and psychic readings. “When I say psychic, I’m talking about the living,” she says.

“If you go for a psychic reading, it’s about your life, your journey, perhaps your past, your future, what’s happening now. Whereas mediumship is not about your life — mediumship is about connecting with your loved ones in spirit.”

ALL THE ‘CLAIRS’ In other words, “not every psychic is a medium, but every medium is a psychic,” says Anthony Mikolojeski, also known as the Asheville Medium.

After working as a hairstylist for 44 years, Mikolojeski says he first heard from his spirit guides when he started to receive premonitions about clients that he would not be privy to. Now a full-time medium, Mikolojeski’s weeks are spent doing in-person and virtual readings, in addition to demonstrating mediumship in front of large audiences and teaching at conferences for fellow mediums.

Mikolojeski, like Palmatier, says he possesses all the “clairs,” meaning the psychic abilities attached to the five senses. The clairs include clairvoyance (seeing), clairaudience (hearing), clairgustance (tasting), clairalience (smelling), claircognizance (knowing) and clairsentience (feeling). There is also animal communication, an ability to receive messages from pets in the spirit world.

Similar to Mikolojeski, Palmatier does remote and group readings, as well as offers one-on-one, in-person readings at her office in the back of the Instant Karma retail shop in West Asheville. She also hosts fundraisers where she donates 100% of proceeds from group readings to a local nonprofit.

During psychic readings, Palmatier says, she often tunes directly into the energy of spirits but will sometimes use tarot cards as a divination tool to illustrate the energy. Other divination tools include pendulums, runes, tea leaves, palms and — of course — the famed crystal ball.

“I really like the way a divination tool will kind of keep me focused, keep me on track, keep me in check,” Palmatier says.

Mikolojeski notes that connecting with individuals who have crossed over to the spirit realm comes with a great deal of responsibility. “We’re dealing with people’s traumas in their lives,” he says. “You [might be] helping to create closure and comfort that they didn’t already have with a relative.”

And all readings should come from the realm of light, he continues. “It always should be an uplifting experience for the client because mediumship is all about healing.”

GREEN AND RED FLAGS Like Robyn Michelle, Mikolojeski studied at Arthur Findlay College to further advance his mediumship. Additionally, Mikolojeski teaches mediumship regularly in Lily Dale, N.Y., a tiny town famous as the “World’s Largest Center for the Religion of Spiritualism,” according to Smithsonian Magazine. Similarly, Palmatier was a student of parapsychology, the scientific study of paranormal phenomena, at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, and mentored under professional psychics.

Despite some academic endorsement of parapsychology, many remain skeptical of the field’s validity. Roughly 50% of Americans don’t believe in clairvoyance, while 23% are unsure about it, according to a 2025 Gallup poll.

Robyn Michelle says she welcomes the skepticism.

“I believe there are a lot of poorly trained at best, and fraudulent at worst, people who are doing this work in the world, and it’s really good to be very discerning about who you go to,” she says. “I don’t think everybody who puts ‘medium’ or ‘psychic’ on their website is doing heart-centered, accurate, ethical work.”

For those wanting to explore some spiritual guidance in the new year, here’s what local psychics advise:

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“I don’t think everybody who puts ‘medium’ or ‘psychic’ on their website is doing heart-centered, accurate, ethical work.”

— Robyn Michelle, Asheville-based medium Green flags • If a psychic doesn’t request any details about your life before doing your reading, chances are, the person is legitimate.

• If you get a good vibe from a medium, go with your gut. A reading should be something that brings you peace and inspiration.

• Check out a psychic’s Google reviews and referrals.

• A good session should leave you feeling more grounded and empowered — not dependent or alarmed.

Red flags • If someone approaches you for a reading or with a message, especially while you are grieving, that’s a major red flag.

• If a provider tells you that you are cursed, you most likely have an imposter on your hands.

• If providers say they can do a revenge spell, don’t fall for it (no matter how bad that ex is).

• Messages from spirits indicating that they’re upset with you can often signal a bad reading.

• Ethical practitioners don’t create fear. They also won’t position themselves as the sole authority in your life and won’t claim certainty about outcomes.

Palmatier created a point-based psychic credibility scoring system to help people assess the trustworthiness of mediums. (It’s available as a free download on her website at avl.mx/f9t.)

holds seem unavoidable. However, the psychics Xpress interviewed say it’s not easy to make blanket predictions.

Most readings, Palmatier says, tap into a person’s individual journey to provide insight and encouragement.

“There’s so much when you’re talking about the state of the world — your perspective makes a huge difference,” Palmatier says. “What I do is I just tune in to each individual situation and guide them through how to best maneuver through their feelings and come out on the other side.”

If a reading doesn’t resonate, she advises people to just let it go. “Don’t ever let a psychic or a medium force their beliefs on you if something doesn’t feel right.”

And everyone, she adds, is psychic to some degree, so it’s important to trust your intuition. “We all have that little inkling, but some people may have it naturally stronger than others.”

There are some local options that can help folks tap into that inkling, includ-

ing Palmatier’s own Asheville Psychic Society. The networking group is open to anyone interested in the intuitive art of psychicism, or who wishes to better understand the industry standards and ways to approach readings, Palmatier says.

Robyn Michelle hosts intuitive development circles in Asheville twice per month for all levels of experience, during which participants explore their intuition through exercises, meditations, readings and more. Mikolojeski teaches psychic development and mediumship classes locally that explore the use of divination tools and ways to work with your own energy.

“I believe we’re better together. So if we have a community where people feel supported, there’s a chance they might do better readings if the individual provider is feeling better,” Palmatier says.

The material world itself is a school, says Mikolojeski, while the spirit world is our true home. And he believes those two worlds are connected.

“When we leave this world, we move into a different dimension, and our love, our lessons we learned, and our consciousness still continue,” he says. “There’s a life force that we can’t explain that comes from our spirit that continues on.” X

LOOKING AHEAD At the start of 2026, following a year of political protest and continued recovery from Tropical Storm Helene, questions about global issues and what the future

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR JAN. 14 - JAN. 22, 2025 For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, opt. 1.

 Online-only events  More info, page 17 WELLNESS SharQui Bellydance Fitness A bellydance fitness class suitable for all levels, led by instructor Kim Reigle.

WE (1/14, 1/21), SA (1/17), noon, World Dance Asheville, 1269 Tunnel Rd Tai Chi Fan The Tai Chi Fan class includes a short Flying Rainbow Single Fan form, partner work, and Flying Rainbow Double Fan form.

WE (1/14 1/21), 1pm,Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave 50+ Yoga For individuals aged 50 and above, focusing on gentle movements and flexibility, taught by Barbara.

WE (1/14), FR (1/16), MO (1/19), WE (1/21), noon, Weaverville Yoga, 3-B Florida Avenue

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Anahata Yoga A heart-centered yoga practice focusing on the Anahata chakra, led by Barbara.

WE (1/14, 21), FR (1/16), SA (1/17), MO (1/19), 10:30am,Weaverville Yoga, 3-B Florida Avenue Community Yoga w/ Carrie A free hour of yoga, meditation and mindfulness with local yoga instructor.

WE (1/14), 10:30am,AmeriHealth Caritas NC Wellness and Opportunity Center, 216 Asheland Ave Quantum Energy Healing & Transformation: Group Session w/Meg A group session focusing on connecting in the quantum field to release limitations, clear trauma imprints, and embody more light.

TH (1/15), 7pm, The Well, 3 Louisiana Avenue

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Tai Chi for Beginners In the Beginner Tai Chi class, the focus is on the Yang 10 and 24 forms as well as Qigong exercises for health.

TH (1/15, 22), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave

Chinese Tea and Tai Chi Foundations This is a class for all ages and all levels. No experience is needed.

SA (1/17), 10:30am,Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave Awaken: A Yoga & Sound Bath Journey Ease into your Sunday with a sensory journey designed to awaken presence, play, and possibility.

SU (1/18), 10am, The Restoration Hotel Asheville, 68 Patton Ave Candlelight Flow Yoga Unwind in our all-levels Candlelight Flow Yoga class.

SU (1/18), 5pm,Happy Body Pilates, 25 Reed St., Suite 210 Sunday Morning Meditation A combination of silent sitting and walking meditation, facilitated

by Worth Bodie, a longtime Buddhist student and practitioner.

SU (1/18), 10am,The Lodge at Quietude, 1130 Montreat Rd Doom Metal Yoga w/ Quantum Mystic Doom metal Yoga will be a slower paced yoga class connecting movements with the breath.

MO (1/19), 6:30pm, Eulogy, 10 Buxton Ave Hatha Yoga Suitable for all levels.

MO (1/19), 9am Yin Yang Qigong Together, we will balance the Yin and Yang within to effortlessly smooth out internal and external physical, emotional and mental disharmonies.

MO (1/19), 10am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave Kinēsa Mat Class Kinēsa focuses on retraining the brain and calming the nervous system to release habitual patterns of posture, movement, and body mechanics.

TU (1/20), 8:30am,Happy Body Pilates, 25 Reed St., Suite 210 Qigong for Health and Resilience Practice a variety of simple yet powerful standing movements

that can be as deep and challenging as you wish.

TU (1/20), 9am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave

SUPPORT GROUPS Carolina Resource Center for Eating Disorders Support Group This support group is peer-led and facilitated by licensed therapists & dietitians specializing in eating disorders.

Regiser at avl.mx/es6.

WE (1/14, 1/21), 6pm, online Nicotine Anonymous People share their experience, strength and hope to stop using nicotine. You don’t need to be stopped, just have a desire to attend.

TH (1/15, 1/22), 4:30pm,Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 1 Kenilworth Knolls Unit 4 Staying Grounded in Shaky Times A spiritual practice, support, and discussion group for seekers.

It will explore a variety of spiritual practices including meditation, breath-work, meditative movement and more.

WE (1/14, 1/21), 2pm,AmeriHealth Caritas NC Wellness and Opportunity Center, 216 Asheland Ave Winter Women Meeting Monthly meeting for mature women to discuss and study Celtic Spirituality.

TH (1/15), noon, First Congregational Church of Christ of Asheville, 20 Oak Street Magnetic Minds: Depression & Bipolar Support Group A free weekly peer-led meeting for those living with depression, bipolar, and related mental health challenges. For more information contact (828) 367-7660.

SA (1/17), 2pm,First Congregational Church of Christ of Asheville, 20 Oak Street Solutions Group Daily living sober meeting. For more information, visit avl.mx/f91.

SU (1/18), 12:30pm, online Sunrise AA Meeting Daily virtual Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

For more information, visit avl.mx/f91.

SU (1/18), 7am, online Families Anonymous Support group for those affected by someone else’s addiction.

TU (1/20), 6pm,Love & Respect, 350 Chadwick Ave Suite 300

The Men’s Nest Make meaningful human connections to strengthen your social health, cultivate compassion, and learn to use your power to give and receive authentic support.

TU (1/20), 5:15pm,SeekHealing, 50 S. French Broad Ave

DANCE Fundamentals of Bellydance Explore the fundamentals of bellydance, focusing on internal movement, isolations, smooth travel, hip articulation, and fluidity.

WE (1/14, 1/21), 5:30pm, The Well, 3 Louisiana Avenue Latin Night Wednesday w/DJ MTN VIBEZ A Latin dance social featuring salsa, bachata, merengue, cumbia, and reggaeton with dance lessons for all skill levels. Open dance is from 9 p.m. to midnight.

WE (1/14, 1/21), 8pm, One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd Nia Dance Class Nia brings the body, mind, emotions, and spirit to optimal health through music, movement, and self expression.

TH (1/15, 1/22), TU (1/20), 10:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave Country Western Line Dancing & Two-Stepping Steppin’ Out AVL presents three hours of free line dancing and two-stepping in a friendly, inclusive environment. No boots, partner or experience needed.

TH (1/15, 1/22), 6pm, Banks Ave, 32 Banks Ave We Line Dance Instructor Brenda Mills leads an all-inclusive exercise class using line dancing to get your body moving.

TH (1/15, 1/22), 6:15pm,Stephens-Lee Rec Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Bellydance Drills A class focusing on bellydance drills suitable for all levels, led

by Olivia Blahowsky.

SU (1/18), 4pm,World Dance Asheville, 1269 Tunnel Rd

ART Trolls: A Field Study An interactive exhibition featuring twelve troll sculptures exploring human life, crafted from materials like fallen branches and wooden pallets.

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NC Arboretum, 20 Frederick Law Olmsted Way Highwater: Ceramics from the Gail & Brian McCarthy Collection Highwater features ceramics from the collection of Gail & Brian McCarthy, celebrating the 45-year legacy of Highwater Clays as a pillar of the ceramics community in WNC and beyond. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am.

Exhibition through April 26, 2026.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Lasting Legacies: Architecture in Asheville by Richard Sharp Smith, Albert Heath Carrier & Douglas D. Ellington Lasting Legacies shines a spotlight on the contributions of two of the city’s most prominent architectural firms to Asheville’s built environment and artistic spirit in the early decades of the 20th century. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am.

Exhibition through Jan. 18, 2026.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Look Homeward, Angel: Letterio Calapai’s Wood Engravings of the Asheville-Inspired Novel This exhibition presents a folio of prints

by Letterio Calapai illustrating “Look Homeward, Angel” (1929)—Thomas Wolfe’s semi-autobiographical novel set in a fictionalized Asheville. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am.

Exhibition through Feb. 22, 2026.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Modern Bestiary: Creatures from the Collection This exhibition explores the artistic legacy of the medieval

bestiary through a selection of animals and fantastic beasts from the Museum’s Collection. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am.

Exhibition through March 15, 2026.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Women of the Pacific Northwest This exhibition celebrates the voices, visions and material mastery of female artists working today, with roots from this rich and progressive region. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am.

Exhibition through May 17, 2026.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Shadow Art Soirèe Flora & Forage Delight in the playful use of watercolor paints, pencils, and an array of textured papers to craft tiny, enchanting art pieces inspired by the delicate shadows cast by botanicals.

TH (1/15), 5:30pm, Flora, 428B Haywood Rd

COMMUNITY MUSIC Asheville Junction Band Asheville Junction is a mother-daughter bluegrass/Americana act from the high country of NC. Their music is filled with hot fiddlin’, mesmerizing vocals and harmonies.

WE (1/14), 6:30pm, Flat Rock Cinema, 2700 Greenville Hwy Friends of Music & the Arts Series Present: African American Composers & Spirituals Lucy Owen Hoyt, lyric soprano and Charles Frost, Organist and Conductor, will bring together their love of music in a program celebrating African American composers and spirituals.

SU (1/18), 4pm,The Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness, 1895 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock Swing Dance w/ The Asheville Jazz Orchestra From the toe-tapping dance-floor favorites of the Swing Era to timeless classics by legends like Count Basie and Buddy Rich, the AJO’s performances are a celebration of jazz at its finest.

SU (1/18), 2pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Road

Slow Art Friday A volunteer educator will lead this week’s Slow Art Friday where you can experience how close looking can foster relaxation and connection.

FR (1/16), noon, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Public Tour: Featured Exhibition A guided tour of the museum’s current featured exhibition.

SA (1/17), 2pm,Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Public Tour: Discovering Art in Asheville Join volunteer educators or Museum staff for an interactive tour.

SU (1/18), 3pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Into These Mountains w/Donna Ray Norton A varied and vibrant look into the heart of mountain heritage.

Through music, movement, and shared history, these sessions will showcase the people who historically (and continue to) shape WNC. TU (1/20), 1pm,White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Road Jazz Showcase w/Dr. William Bares The White Horse Jazz Showcase with Dr. Bill Bares will spotlight outstanding regional

vocalists, UNCA faculty jazz artists, and additional special guests.

WE (1/21), 7pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Road Choir Night: For Good A one-night-only choir experience where you will learn 1 song, rehearse and film a final performance at the end of the night.

TH (1/22), 7pm, The Funkatorium, 147 Coxe Ave

Wishing you a season full of Peace, Joy, and Adventure!

COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS New Year’s Resolutions Usually Don’t Work w/Motivational Speaker How many times has a new year approached and you promised yourself you were going to change something in your life? This workshop is designed to help you keep those promises.

WE (1/14), 11:30am,AmeriHealth Caritas NC Wellness and Opportunity Center, 216 Asheland Ave Crystal Singing Bowls & Chakra Workshop A hands-on, soul-nourishing workshop where everyone gets to play a crystal singing bowl.

SA (1/17), 1pm,Community Commons at CSL Asheville, 3 Science of Mind Way

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SU (1/18), 1pm,Community Commons at CSL Asheville, 3 Science of Mind Way Transitions... Taking the Next Truthful Step In the midst of transition and uncertainty, it’s natural to feel uneasy—but it can also be a profound invita-

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MLK Events Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Prayer Breakfast Mike Kelly, a South Carolina native and longtime community leader, will serve as keynote speaker for the Prayer Breakfast.

SA (1/17), 7:30am,Crowne Plaza Hotels Resorts Asheville, 1 Resort Dr The Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville & Buncombe: Candlelight Service The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville & Buncombe County invites the community for its 45th annual celebration honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Awardees will be recognized for their outstanding service.

SU (1/18), 5:30pm,Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 Church St. Give Us the Ballot!

Reclaiming the Power of Selma A community potluck will be held from 5:006:00 p.m., followed by

the program beginning at 6:00 p.m. This year’s theme is “Give Us the Ballot!”, featuring a screening of the groundbreaking film Selma, directed by Ava DuVernay.

MO (1/19), 5pm,Kenilworth Presbyterian Church, 123 Kenilworth Rd Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service This day of service will feature multi-generational community volunteers filling family-sized bags of dried beans and rice for the Storehouse, following a short presentation in honor of Dr King.

MO (1/19), noon,St. James Episcopal Church, 424 W. State Street Peace March & Rally A peace march and rally will take place to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It will begin at St. James A.M.E Church and will travel to Pack Square Park.

MO (1/19), 11:30am,St. James A.M.E Church, 44 Hildebrand St

tion. This evening of insight, presence, and soulful connection will teach you to navigate life’s transitions with grace and authenticity.

WE (1/21), 6:30pm,Community Commons at CSL Asheville, 3 Science of Mind Way The Art of Fermentation: Let’s Make Yogurt A hands-on workshop where you will learn to make yogurt with cow’s milk and nut milk’s.

TH (1/22), 5:30pm, N.C. Cooperative Extension, 258 Carolina Lane Tips to Kick Start Your Career: A Job Readiness Workshop w/NCWorks Connect with AmeriHealth Caritas and NCWorks to learn about key job search resources and tips in order to find the job you are seeking.

This workshop will be presented via a live webinar at your local ACNC Wellness & Opportunity Center.

TH (1/22), 11:30am,AmeriHealth Caritas NC Wellness and Opportunity Center, 216 Asheland Ave

LITERARY Poetry Open Mic Asheville’s longest-running open mic, welcoming all forms of creative expression.

Sign-up at 8 p.m. for a 5 or 10-minute spot.

WE (1/14, 1/21), 8:30pm,Sovereign Kava, 268 Biltmore Ave Library Tour We’ll take you behind the scenes at the library, highlighting things you may or may not know and sharing tips for making the most of your library.

WE (1/14), 3:30pm,Transylvania County Library, Brevard, 212 S Gaston Street World Affairs Book Club Where passionate readers and engaged citizens delve into thought-provoking books.

TH (1/15), 10am,Transylvania County Library, Brevard, 212 S Gaston Street Flooded Poetry Mondays Poetry-specific open mic, starring you plus weekly featured read-

ers, every Monday.

MO (1/19), 6:30pm,Flood Gallery, 802 Fairview Rd, Ste 1200 Poetry Reading w/Los Pequeño Glazier & Brent Martin A poetry reading with Loss Pequeño Glazier.

He will read from his new collection, Ten Thousand Trees, and be joined by Brent Martin.

TH (1/22), 6:30pm,YMI Cultural Center, 39 S Market Street Black Experience Book Club This community-centered series is designed to explore literature that centers the voices, histories, and futures of the African Diaspora.

SA (1/17), 3pm, City Lights Bookstore, 3 E Jackson St, Sylva The Prison Industry: How it Works & Who Profits An evening with Bianca Tylek, the author of The Prison Industry: How It Works and Who Profits, a groundbreaking exposé that uncovers the vast network of corporations and government entities profiting from incarceration.

TH (1/22), 6pm,Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd

THEATER & FILM Foreign Film Friday: The Butcher of Prague (Lidice) by Nikolaev This film features the story of the Czech village of Lidice, which was razed in 1942 in reprisal for the assassination in Prague of Reich Protector Reinhard Heydrich, and is familiar all over the world.

FR (1/16), 7pm,Flood Gallery, 802 Fairview Rd, Ste 1200 Frozen Jr. The enchanting modern classic from Disney is ready for your Broadway Junior stars. Frozen Jr. is

based on the 2018 Broadway musical, and brings Elsa, Anna, and the magical land of Arendelle to life, onstage.

FR (1/16), 7:30pm, SA (1/17), SU (1/18), 10:30am and 2:30pm, Asheville Community Theater, 35 E Walnut St The Comedy Zone: Sid Davis This hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more.

FR (1/16), SA (1/17), 8pm, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS Home for All Ages: Community Housing Conversations Community forum on the future of housing—learn about policy changes, share your voice, and help shape safe, age-friendly homes.

WE (1/14), noon,Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd IBN Evening Social A networking event open to all industries and businesses. Free to attend with no membership requirements.

WE (1/14), 5:30pm,12 Bones Smokehouse & Brewing, Arden, 2350 Hendersonville Road

community that inspires healing, resilience, and hope on the journey to recovery.

TH (1/15), 3pm,AmeriHealth Caritas NC Wellness and Opportunity Center, 216 Asheland Ave NSA-WNC Meeting Professional keynote speakers, coaches, trainers, facilitators, and consultants who cover a broad range of topics, skills, & knowledge.

TH (1/15), 10:15am,AmeriHealth Caritas NC Wellness and Opportunity Center, 216 Asheland Ave History Bites: Protecting Your Assets Against Identity Theft w/Johnny Kantner These informational talks delve into local history, culture, and other interesting information. The programs are free, and coffee will be served.

FR (1/16), 11am,Historic Johnson Farm, 3346 Haywood Rd Corduroy Speed Relating Speed Relating challenges you to answer carefully crafted personal questions through rapid one-onone encounters. All genders, orientations, and relationship statuses welcome.

FR (1/16), 8pm, Eda’s Hide-a-Way, 1098 New Stock Rd, Weaverville

Social Seniors A social gathering for seniors to engage in various activities and connect with peers.

WE (1/14, 21), TH (1/15, 22), FR (1/16), MO (1/19), TU (1/20), 9am,Grove Street Community Center, 36 Grove S

Tantra Speed Date Meet singles and ignite connections through fun, chemistry-building games. Each exercise will aid you and your date in playfully exploring the depth of your connection.

SA (1/17), 5:30pm, WellSpring Wellness Center, 960 Tunnel Road

Caregiver Support Group w/Stronger Together Wellness Stronger Together Wellness empowers caregivers through shared experiences, fostering a vibrant

Asheville Lightworkers Collaborative This program focuses on self and global awakening and transformation through mutual support, inspiration, sharing

and connection. Please call 541-799-5289 for address.

SU (1/18), 4pm, Private Home in West Asheville Atheists of WNC This little Atheist group invites anyone who doesn’t believe in religions to come chat with like-minded people. Find out more at avl.mx/f8c.

SU (1/18), 10am,EarthFare - Westgate, 66 Westgate Pkw Sunday Celebration An uplifting Science of Mind Celebration.

SU (1/18), 11am,Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science of Mind Way Lunch & Learn w/Dr. Silverberg The session will be led by Dr. Silverberg of Western Carolina Orthopaedic Specialists and will focus on muscle-sparing surgical techniques and robotic-assisted advancements in joint replacement. This free, community-focused event is open to all, and lunch will be provided.

MO (1/19), noon,Haywood Regional Medical Center, 262 Leroy George Dr Time & Timelessness The Social Sangha with Paul Linn will lead an evening of meditation, dharma talk and discussion as you explore the world of time and timelessnes.

MO (1/19), 6:30pm,The Lodge at Quietude, 1130 Montreat Rd Therapeutic Journaling w/Jean: A Morning Ritual Evidence-based, peer-reviewed research indicates that expressive writing has been a successful therapeutic tool for improved health.

WE (1/21), 10am,AmeriHealth Caritas NC Wellness and Opportunity Center, 216 Asheland Ave

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C O MM UNI T Y CA LEN DA R

GAMES & CLUBS

Open year round!

Tues. - Sat.: 9 to 9 Sun. & Mon.: 9 to 6 WEEKLY EVENTS Corn Hole, Live Music, Bingo, Line Dancing, Sip & Paint, Karaoke

All your favorite live music EVERY FRIDAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY Karaoke Every other Friday NIGHT!

BBQ, Burgers, Philly Cheesteaks, Tacos, Quesadillas, Fajitas and more!

Tues. - Sat.: 11am-9pm Sun.: 11am-6pm

Asheville Board Game Club Meetup Play a wide variety of games—strategy, party, cooperative, and more—and we’re always happy to teach, so no experience needed.

WE (1/14, 1/21), 5:30pm,Well Played Board Game Café, 162 Coxe Ave, 101 Board Game Night Open, casual game night—come and go as you please. An assortment of board games available to play.

WE (1/14, 1/21), 5pm,Hi-Wire RAD Beer Garden, 284 Lyman St Homeschooler’s Hangout Games help develop cognitive skills, including decision-making, problem-solving, and logical analysis. In older adults, playing games has been shown to lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

TH (1/15, 1/22), 11am, Well Played Board Game Café, 162 Coxe Ave, 101 Community Bingo Play everyone’s favorite game for free in the historic Stephens-Lee

building. Small prizes awarded to winner of each game.

SA (1/17), 1pm,Stephens-Lee Rec Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Adult Community Basketball Come shoot some hoops or play a pick up game with friends.

SU (1/18), 1pm,Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St Hooping Around Community Basketball Come show your skills, play a pick-up game, and get a good sweat in during our Community Basketball.

SU (1/18), 1:15pm,Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd Southside After Praise After church, enjoy an afternoon playing spades or dominoes.

SU (1/18), 1:30pm,Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St Weekly Sunday Scrabble If you like Wordle, Boggle, Words with Friends or Scrabble online, this club may be a good fit for you.

All of the games are

provided.

SU (1/18), 1:30pm,Stephens-Lee Rec Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Meetup Mondays Making Mondays cool again with craft nights, Brazilian Roda music, and Singles Game Night.

MO (1/19), 7pm,Archetype Brewing, 265 Haywood Rd Monday Night Music Video Bingo Come out for Monday night music video bingo with Jason.

MO (1/19), 6pm,Mills River Brewing Co., 336 Banner Farm Rd, Mills River Pool Night Pool night, every Monday night with a $5 buy in. Must be signed up by 7 p.m.

MO (1/19), 6:30pm,Eda’s Hide-a-Way, 1098 New Stock Rd, Weaverville Game Designers of NC Meetup Come playtest the next generation of games.

TU (1/20), 6pm,Well Played Board Game Café, 162 Coxe Ave, 101 Magic: The Gathering Whether you’ve been playing for years or are just starting your

journey, this is your chance to battle, brew, and build community.

TU (1/20), 6pm,Well Played Board Game Café, 162 Coxe Ave, 101 Game Night An evening of cards and games such as dominoes and Rummikub.

TH (1/22), 7pm,First Congregational Church of Christ of Asheville, 20 Oak Street

KID-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS Baby Story Time A lively language enrichment story time designed for children ages 4 to 18 months.

TH (1/15, 1/22), 10:30am,Oakley/South Asheville Library, 749 Fairview Rd Black Cat Tales: Story Time w/Cats Families with children age 7 & under are invited to relax in the cat lounge and listen to a cat-centric book surrounded by our resident panthers.

WE (1/14), 4pm, House of Black Cat Magic, 841 Haywood Rd.

Happy New Year!

Join us for our first Lunch & Learn of 2026...

Tue., Feb 19th • 11am - 1pm

Come enjoy a presentation about Givens Gerber Park: a more affordable rental retirement option (55+) and enjoy lunch on us.

Monthly fees are all-inclusive and based on income.

RSVP required.

20% off* of our Jonagold Apartment!

3016 Chimney Rock Road, Hendersonville, NC 828-606-7276 jandmfarmsnc.com 16

JAN. 14-20, 2026

*If you sign your lease by the end of February

Kids Kung Fu A foundational Kung Fu class for children, focusing on building confidence and discipline.

TH (1/15), 4pm,Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave

LOCAL MARKETS RAD Farmers Market A year-round weekly market featuring local fruits vegetables, meats, bread, honey, eggs, pastries, flowers, crafts and more.

SNAP, Double SNAP, & Farmers Market Prescriptions accepted here.

WE (1/14, 1/21), 3pm,New Belgium Brewing Asheville, 21 Craven St Weaverville Tailgate Market This market features a selection of fresh, locally grown produce, grass fed beef, pork, chicken, eggs, cheese, baked goods, artisan bread, eclectic handmade goodies, garden and landscaping plants.

WE (1/14, 1/21), 3pm,Weaverville Tailgate Market, 60 Lake Shore Dr Honky Tonk Flea Discover unique antique treasures, vintage gems, and handmade goods while listening to the best honky tonk vinyls.

SU (1/18), 12am,Eda’s Hide-a-Way, 1098 New Stock Rd, Weaverville Junk-O-Rama Vintage Market Full bad, vintage clothes, jewelry, local art & more.

SU (1/18), noon,Fleetwood’s, 496 Haywood Rd WNC Farmers Market This year-round market features locally grown produce, fruits and vegetables, mountain crafts, plants, shops, arts and crafts, sourwood honey, and other farm fresh items.

Open daily, 8am.

570 Brevard Rd

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS Golden Ladle: Food Competition Make your favorite soup or chili and enter to win the Golden Ladle. Meat-based, vegetarian and vegan dishes are welcome.

See p17 TU (1/13, 1/20), 7pm, Fleetwood’s, 596 haywood Rd

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING

CONTACT US TODAY 828.771.2938 | aadkison@givensgerberpark.org

MOUNTAINX.COM

Oakley Community Closet A cost-free opportunity to swap and shop clothes, shoes, and

toys WE (1/14), 1pm,Murphy-Oakley Community Center, 749 Fariview Rd Read 2 Succeed Volunteer Tutor Training Learn how to become a volunteer reading tutor to commit to one student for the full school year, meeting with them twice a week during or after school. All volunteer reading tutors are required to complete six hours of training across three day.

Register at avl.mx/bto.

WE (1/14), 6pm, online Sulphur Springs Park Workday Work includes debris and brush removal, building and installing several landscape boxes, transporting a picnic table and bench to the park, and planting native plants and shrubs.

WE (1/14), 8am,Sulphur Springs Park, 112 Timothy Lane Wool for Warmth: A Knitting Night to Help our Community Wool for Warmth is back for a second night of knitting, drinks, food, and good will. This event is open to all knitters and folks can bring their own yarn and patterns, or Black Mountain Yarn Shop will have some supplies for sale.

TH (1/15), 6:30pm,Oak and Grist Distilling Co., 1556 Grovestone Rd Coverfest V: Benefit Concert for Asheville Middle School A benefit concert featuring local and regional musicians to support Asheville Middle School’s 8th grade capstone trip.

This year, 10 incredible local and regional artists (and one student band) will take the stage.

SU (1/18), 5pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave Winter Fundraiser w/ the Deviled Eggs Featuring everyone’s favorite accordion and saw band, this special fundraising show will benefit Asheville Fringe Society.

SU (1/18), 5:30pm,Sly Grog Lounge, 271 Haywood St Silent Films: Loud Music Support local filmmakers, musicians, and raise money for queer youth. Silent Films/Loud Music is a screening of short films with live musical scores performed by local bands.

TH (1/22), 7pm, Sly Grog Lounge, 271 Haywood St

ARTS & CULTURE

Special orders Asheville Restaurant Week returns

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com Asheville Restaurant Week returns for the first of its two annual installments, TuesdayMonday, Jan. 20-26. Organized by the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, the event celebrates the city’s diverse food scene through a range of menu specials at participating restaurants.

Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ features a $16 Hibernation Special that includes Meatlovers’ Meatloaf with brisket gravy or Impossible meatloaf with a choice of mashed red potatoes and garlic butter or green beans, homemade Rice Krispies treat or homemade cookie, and a canned beer or soda.

Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse will offer a special menu served family style and portioned for each table to share, depending on group size.

Dishes include crispy rice, salmon and citrus; grilled shishito peppers with carrot ginger ponzu; iceberg wedge with sesame dressing; nashi pear and nori; karagge chicken with Kewpie mayonnaise and Kyoto-Carolina barbecue sauce; smoked Carolina pork shoulder with toasted rye, yuzu pickles and Kyoto-Carolina barbecue sauce; a seasonal vegetable; and Mom’s Coconut Cake. The experience costs $40 per person.

Other partnering businesses this year include Bargello, Bonito Kitchen, Cantina Louie, Chestnut, Copper Crown, Corner Kitchen, French Broad Chocolate, The Hop, Laila, Pack’s Tavern, Regina’s, Salt Face Mule Brewing Co., Strada Italiano, Table and Zella’s Deli.

The event’s second installment takes place Tuesday-Monday, Feb. 17-23. Check Asheville Restaurant Week’s landing page for details on each restaurant’s specials and whether it will run during the January edition or in February.

To learn more, visit avl.mx/5k3.

Why I support Xpress

SWEET REWARDS: Mom’s Coconut Cake is part of Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse’s special menu during Asheville Restaurant Week. Photo courtesy of Ukiah

Compete for the Golden Ladle at Fleetwood’s Fleetwood’s in West Asheville is home to live music, vintage clothes, affordable drinks and the occasional wedding. Now it’s also host to showdowns with some of the city’s most talented amateur cooks.

Throughout January, the venue presents Golden Ladle contests and potlucks each Tuesday, 7-9 p.m., to see who has the best chilis and soups (Jan. 13), casseroles (Jan. 20) and sweet or savory pies (Jan. 27). A “dip off” competition kicked off the series on Jan. 6.

Meat-based, vegetarian and vegan dishes are welcome. Coffee will be provided. Free to attend.

To learn more, visit avl.mx/f9s. X

“I keep tabs on the food and beverage scene.”

– Burke Rogers

Join Burke and become a member at SupportMountainX.com MOUNTAINX.COM

JAN. 14-20, 2026

17

SMART BETS

by Edwin Arnaudin | earnaudin@mountainx.com

‘Curves Ahead’ Wasting no time in the new year, the Southern Highland Craft Guild (SHCG) debuted its newest exhibition, Curves Ahead, on Jan. 3. Presented in the SHCG’s Focus Gallery at the Folk Art Center, the show features the work of artists Gena Hopkins (bead jewelry), Theresa Clower (mixed media), Jessica White (printmaking), Vicki Love (leather) and Bob Bragg (furniture).

“Curves Ahead highlights how artists use line and form to guide

the eye, invite touch and challenge expectations of structure and utility,” the SHCG says in a press release. “Whether subtle or bold, each work emphasizes the importance of contour — revealing how curves can soften, strengthen and animate both functional and conceptual objects.”

Curves Ahead is on display through Sunday, March 22. Free to attend.

To learn more, visit avl.mx/e51. X

Atmosphere Straight out of Minneapolis, Atmosphere — the duo composed of lyricist Slug and producer Ant — has established itself as one of hip-hop’s most exciting and consistently great acts through intelligent, cheeky rhymes and some of the genre’s most innovative and enduring beats.

As anyone who’s seen them perform can attest, they’re already one of the best live shows in hip-hop on their own. But as evidenced through their revered Rhymesayers record

label and gregarious approach to touring, they love community building.

That generous spirit gets taken to another level with Atmosphere’s Winter Carnival Tour, which stops by at The Orange Peel on Saturday, Jan. 17, at 7:30 p.m., with a ridiculously stacked bill that also includes fellow top indie rap talents Sage Francis, R.A. The Rugged Man, Kool Keith and Mr. Dibbs. Tickets are $37.50.

To learn more, visit avl.mx/f9x. X

Donate your car.

Change a life.

Do you have an extra car that needs a new home?

Your donated car can open the doors to independence, increased income, and higher education for a hardworking member of our community. Vehicles of all types and conditions are welcomed and appreciated!

The donation is tax-deductible. The process is simple.

The impact is real.

workingwheelswnc.org | 828-633-6888 18

JAN. 14-20, 2026

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CLUBLAND For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14 FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Saylor Brothers Jamgrass Wednesdays, 6:30pm GALACTIC PIZZA Trivia Night, 6:30pm HI-WIRE BREWING BILTMORE VILLAGE Weekly Trivia, 7pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old-time Jam, 5pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Wednesday Bluegrass Jam w/Finklestein Three, 6:30pm PISGAH BREWING CO. Angel Chantel & Underbrush (bluegrass), 6pm SHAKEY'S SSIN w/DJ Ragga Massive, 10pm SLY GROG LOUNGE Weird Wednesday Open Jam, 8pm THE MULE JeoPARTY: Jeopardy Inspired Trivia Tournament, 7pm THE ODD Terraoke Karaoke Takeover, 9pm THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL The Woodshed Power Trio (rock'n'roll), 9pm

GREEN MAN BREWING Thursday Night Trivia, 7pm HI-WIRE BREWING BILTMORE VILLAGE Family Feud Style Trivia, 7pm

MILLS RIVER BREWING CO. Seth & Sara (country), 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Congdon Griffin Band (blues, rock), 8pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Thursday Karaoke, 9:30pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Fee Fi Phaux Fish (Phish tribute), 8pm PISGAH BREWING CO. The Feels (funk, indie, soul), 7pm SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/DJ Franco Nino, 9pm SHAMROCK IRONS Jazz Showcase, 7pm STATIC AGE LOFT Auto-tune Karaoke w/ Who Gave This B*tch a Mic, 10pm

THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL The Bassment (edm, dubstep), 9pm

185 KING STREET Vandalia (folk, old-time), 7pm CROW & QUILL Lock, Stock & Teardrops (dancehall, honky-tonk), 8pm EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY Bless Your Heart Trivia w/Harmon, 7pm FLEETWOOD’S East Ritual & Hot Tub Sandwich (indie, psych, rock), 9pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Mike Mattison & Trash Magic (blues, roots), 9pm

LOBSTER TRAP Dinah's Daydream (Gypsy, jazz), 6:30pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic Night, 6:30pm

THURSDAY, JANUARY 15

GINGER'S REVENGE Pop-Culture Trivia: Stranger Things, 7pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam, 7pm

THE GREY EAGLE Ruston Kelly (Americana, country, pop rock), 8pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN • Irish Session, 5pm • Open Mic, 7pm

ASHEVILLE MASONIC TEMPLE Candlelight: Tribute to The Beatles (Beatles, tribute), 6:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Drunken Prayer (Americana), 8:30pm

NIGHTSHADE Cayla Clark’s Smoke Show, 7pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Slice Standup Comedy Pageant Finale, 7:30pm TWIN LEAF BREWERY Trivia Night, 6:30pm URBAN ORCHARD CIDER CO. Wayward Trivia, 6:30pm VOWL BAR AT DSSOLVR Hot Couch Karaoke w/ DJ BridalPartiBucardi, 8pm

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16 ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL SkiiTour (electronic, House), 9pm

FLOOD GALLERY True Home Open Mic, 6pm

ELEVATED KAVA LOUNGE DOWNTOWN Open Mic Night, 8pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Jerry's Dead Thursdays, 6pm

EULOGY Broadway Rave: A Musical Theatre Dance Party, 8pm

SATURDAY, JANUARY 17

FLEETWOOD’S Small Doses, Drowning Leo, Night beers & Vulture Twin (punk), 9pm

HI-WIRE SOUTH SLOPE South Slope’s Open Mic Night, 6pm

TURGUA BREWING CO. Lightning Round Trivia w/Marty, 6pm

VOWL BAR AT DSSOLVR Group Therapy w/ Neptune Spins, 9pm

FITZ AND THE WOLFE Wrong Way Trio (hip-hop, reggae-rock, punk), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Reggie Headen & Nightime Noon (punk, rock, soul), 8pm ONE WORLD BREWING Jake Burns & Bryce Robertson (folk, reggae, rock), 7pm PISGAH BREWING CO. Andrew Scotchie’s Always Sunny B-Day Bash (rock'n'roll), 7pm PRITCHARD PARK DOWNTOWN The Friday Drum Circle, 6pm RIVER ARTS DISTRICT BREWING CO. Kate Bryant (acoustic), 6pm SHAKEY'S 2000s Karaoke w/DJ Franco Nino, 10pm SHAMROCK IRONS Moon Hunter (country, folk-rock), 8pm SHILOH GAINES Jamie Hendrickson Quartet (funk, jazz), 9pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Vinyl Night (multigenre), 8pm TAPROOM AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Angela Easterling and the Beguilers (country, folk, roots), 6pm THE GREY EAGLE Fred Eaglesmith (Americana, country, folk), 8pm THE ORANGE PEEL The Broken Hearts (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers tribute), 8pm THE PALM ROOM AT FITZ AND THE WOLFE The Swingin’ Poppies (jazz), 9pm WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN James Kylen & My Magnificent Nemesis (jazz, pop, rock), 7:30pm WORTHAM CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS The Slocan Ramblers (bluegrass), 8pm

BURGER BAR The Best Worst Karaoke, 8pm EULOGY Pissed Jeans w/Morgan Garrett (rock), 8pm FITZ AND THE WOLFE Tommi Janae (country), 8pm FROG LEVEL BREWING Paul Edelman (country, folk, roots), 6pm GINGER'S REVENGE Gluten Free Comedy, 12pm GREEN MAN BREWING The Z-Man Experience (rock, Ska), 3pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB • Nobody’s Darling String Band (bluegrass, blues, swing), 4pm • Will Willis & Friends (rock), 8:30pm NIGHTSHADE In Plain Sight (house, electronic), 9:30pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST • The Hillclimbers (Appalachian, bluegrass), 4pm • JLAD (The Doors tribute), 9pm ONE WORLD BREWING Noah Barber (Appalachian, soul), 7pm

speakeasy jazz club and cocktail lounge

RIVER ARTS DISTRICT BREWING CO. Modelface Comedy Night at RAD, 8pm SHAKEY'S Trash Talk Queer Dance Party & Drag Show, 10pm SHAMROCK IRONS Long Way Ramblers (bluegrass), 8pm STATIC AGE LOFT Meltdown (acoustic), 8pm STATIC AGE RECORDS Haunt3d, Girl Brutal, Machine 13 & DJ Tommy M (electronic), 8pm TAPROOM AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Sister Ivy (jazz, R&B, rock), 5pm THE ODD Party Foul Drag, 8pm THE ORANGE PEEL Atmosphere (hip-hop), 7:30pm THIRD ROOM Taylor Swift Neon Dance Party w/DJ Swiftie, 8pm

Tuesday: 6pm - Midnight Wednesday & Thursday: 5pm - 11pm Friday & Saturday: 5pm - Midnight

Enter thru the gate tucked between Virtue Boutique and Dane Wells Gallery at 56 N. Lexington Ave. MOUNTAINX.COM

JAN. 14-20, 2026

19

C L UB L AN D WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN The Jacktown Ramblers (bluegrass), 7:30pm

THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Shakedown Sundays, 8pm

SUNDAY, JANUARY 18

VOWL BAR AT DSSOLVR Freshen Up Open Mic Comedy, 7pm

185 KING STREET Open Electric Jam w/ The King Street House Band, 5pm BURIAL SOUTH SLOPE Mourning Mass, 2pm EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY Open Mic Night, 6pm FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 3pm GINGER'S REVENGE Jazz Jam Sundays, 2:30pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB • Bluegrass Brunch w/ The Bluegrass Brunch Boys, 12pm • Traditional Irish Music Session, 3:30pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Suns of Stars Sunday Residency (bluegrass), 2pm PISGAH BREWING CO. Sunday Jam: Spiro & Friends, 6:30pm RIVER ARTS DISTRICT BREWING CO. RAD Cellar Comedy, 7pm SHAMROCK IRONS Big Fur (Southern-rock), 1pm TAPROOM AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Carrie Morrison (folk, rock), 2pm THE GREY EAGLE Burlesque Brunch, 12pm

WELL PLAYED BOARD GAME CAFÉ Sunday Morning Trivia Brunch!, 10:30am WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Anya Hinkle w/Libby Weitnauer (bluegrass, roots), 7:30pm

MONDAY, JANUARY 19 AYURPRANA LISTENING ROOM Billy Martin, Matt Glassmeyer & Jonathan Goldberger (jazz), 7pm DIATRIBE BREWING Big Brain Trivia, 7pm DIRTY JACK'S Traditional Old Time Jam, 5:30pm HI-WIRE RAD BEER GARDEN RAD Music Bingo, 7pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Mashup Mondays w/ JLloyd (funk, jazz, soul), 8pm ONE WORLD BREWING Open Mic Downtown, 7:30pm RIVER ARTS DISTRICT BREWING CO. Trivia w/Billy, 7pm STATIC AGE LOFT The Hot Seat w/C.J. Green & Cam, 7pm STATIC AGE RECORDS Graven Lore, AntiSapien & All Hell (blackmetal, punk), 8pm

TAPROOM AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Trivia Night W/Two Bald Guys & A Mic, 6pm THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Mr Jimmy & Friends (blues), 7pm

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20

SHILOH & GAINES Music Bingo, 7pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Open Jam, 8pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING All Arts Open Mic, 6pm

BURGER BAR C U Next Tuesday Trivia, 9pm DIATRIBE BREWING Irish Session, 4pm

THIRD ROOM Open Decks, 8pm

ELUVIUM BREWING Not Rocket Science Trivia, 6pm

WAGBAR Trivia Tuesdays, 6pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Robert’s Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Nothin’ But the Blues Jam w/Mr. Jimmy, 7:30pm

HI-WIRE RAD BEER GARDEN RAD Weekly Trivia, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21

HI-WIRE SOUTH SLOPE Trivia Tuesdays w/Not Rocket Science, 7pm

12 BONES BREWING SMOKEHOUSE & BREWING Trivia Night w/King Trivia, 7pm

MILLS RIVER BREWING CO. Tuesday Night Trivia, 6pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. • Team Trivia, 7pm • Karaoke, 9:30pm

SHAKEY'S SSIN w/DJ Ragga Massive, 10pm SLY GROG LOUNGE Weird Wednesday Open Jam, 8pm THE GREY EAGLE Golden Folk Sessions, 7pm THE ODD Terraoke Karaoke Takeover, 9pm TURGUA BREWING CO. Lightning Round Trivia w/ Marty, 6pm TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic Night, 6:30pm

THURSDAY, JANUARY 22 EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY Bless Your Heart Trivia w/Harmon, 7pm FLEETWOOD’S Not Yer Dad's Trivia, 7pm

FLEETWOOD’S PSK Karaoke, 9pm

FLOOD GALLERY True Home Open Mic, 6pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Saylor Brothers Jamgrass Wednesdays, 6:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Tuesday Residency w/ Songs From The Road Band (Americana, bluegrass, folk), 7pm

GALACTIC PIZZA Trivia Night, 6:30pm

SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday in The Office, 10pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old-time Jam, 5pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Jerry's Dead Thursdays, 6pm GREEN MAN BREWING Thursday Night Trivia, 7pm

HI-WIRE BREWING BILTMORE VILLAGE Weekly Trivia, 7pm

Home Delivery EVERY WEEK

PISGAH BREWING CO. Jesse James DeConto (Americana, folk, pop), 6pm

TAPROOM AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Music Bingo w/Spencer, 6pm THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL • Early Tuesday Jam, 7pm • Uncle Lenny's Krazy Karaoke, 10pm

ARCHETYPE BREWING Trivia Tuesdays, 6:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Wednesday Bluegrass Jam w/Finklestein Three, 6:30pm

HI-WIRE BREWING BILTMORE VILLAGE Family Feud Style Trivia, 7pm

HI-WIRE SOUTH SLOPE South Slope’s Open Mic Night, 6pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam, 7pm LEVELLER BREWING CO. Traditional Irish Session, 6pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Thursday Karaoke, 9:30pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Fee Fi Phaux Fish (Phish tribute), 8pm ONE WORLD BREWING Curious Strange (folk), 8pm SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/DJ Franco Nino, 9pm STATIC AGE LOFT Auto-tune Karaoke w/ Who Gave This B*tch a Mic, 10pm STATIC AGE RECORDS Lamplight, Léna Bartels, Claire Whall & Julie Odell (folk), 8pm THE GREY EAGLE Chatham County Line (bluegrass, country, folk), 7pm THE ORANGE PEEL Joe List, 7pm TWIN LEAF BREWERY Trivia Night, 6:30pm URBAN ORCHARD CIDER CO. Wayward Trivia, 6:30pm VOWL BAR AT DSSOLVR Hot Couch Karaoke w/ DJ BridalPartiBucardi, 8pm

HOME DELIVERY

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TUESDAY:

FRIDAY:

2:00 - 8:00

2:00 - 9:00

4:00 - 8:00

2:00 - 9:00

4:00 - 10:00

2:00 - 9:00

WEDNESDAY: THURSDAY:

SATURDAY: SUNDAY:

THE FEELS - 7:00PM ANDREW SCOTCHIE’S BDAY BASH - 7:00PM JACKSON CHISHOLM & FRIENDS - 6:00PM SPIRO & FRIENDS SUNDAY JAM - 6:30PM JESSE JAMES DECONTO - 6:00PM CAROLINA BLUEGRASS STYLE - 7:00PM BRIDGET GOSSETT BAND - 6:30PM PHUNCLE SAM W/ CASSANA MONJE - 6:00PM SPIRO & FRIENDS SUNDAY JAM - 6:30PM

JAN. 14-20, 2026

MOUNTAINX.COM

WHERE YOUR DRINK SUPPORTS THE ARTS 1/16 VINYL NIGHT, 8pm FRI Hosted by Alex Jones

MON

Ping-Pong Tournament, 6pm

TUE

1/17 SIPE, MOORE, & HILL, 8pm SAT w/ Aidan Finn

OPEN JAM: 7:30pm Signup / 8pm Show

1/22 STAND UP COMEDY, 8pm THUR Hosted by Justin Blackburn

POETRY OPEN MIC take out NIGHT

WED

OPEN DAILY • 828.505.8118 • 268 Biltmore Ave • Ashevillekava.com

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21

MARKETPLACE

F R E E W I L L A S T R O L O G Y BY ROB BREZSNY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Japanese Zen master Hakuin (1686–1769) painted with astonishing vigor well into his eighties. When asked his secret, he said he treated each brushstroke as if it were his first. He approached the ink and paper with a beginner's inspired innocence. I propose that you adopt a version of Hakuin's practice. Dive into your familiar routines with virgin eyes. Allow your expertise to be influenced by surprise. As for the mastery you have earned, may I suggest you use it as a launching pad for enthusiastic amateurism? Being skilled is wonderful. Being skilled *and* willing to experiment like a newcomer? That's the high art of perpetual combustion, an Aries specialty.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In 1971, NASA’s Apollo 15 mission delivered a new asset to the moon: the Lunar Roving Vehicle. This battery-powered “moon buggy” enabled astronauts to explore farther from their landing site than ever before. They gathered a record haul of rock and soil samples and a deeper understanding of the lunar surface. I think you Bulls would be wise to get your own equivalent of that moon buggy.

The apt metaphor here is enhancing your ability to extend your reach and explore beyond the familiar. In the coming weeks, I hope you will seek access to tools, allies, and freedoms that expand your range. Use them to push into new territory and scout around for intriguing valuables.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Are you ready to unveil the half-hidden, half-beautiful truths you have been keeping tucked away? I think you are. You might shake, sweat, and second-guess yourself right up until the moment the pivotal moment arrives. But then, I predict, you will zone in on how best to carry out your sublime assignment. The perilous blessings or radiant burdens you’ve been hoarding like secret treasures will finally spill out of you in just the right ways.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): A hermit crab finds a new shell not because the old one was bad, but because the creature grew. A similar urge stirs in you now: an instinct to relocate your sensitivity and tenderness into roomier housing. You don’t have to abandon your favorite people or situations. Just ripen and update your containers so your emotional intelligence can flourish even more. Maybe revise your work rhythms. Dream up new bedtime stories. Be braver in declaring your needs. Your ongoing transformations could be a bit bumpy, but mostly healing and cherished.

Give them the spaciousness they require.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Poet Jack Gilbert wrote, "We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure but not delight." Here’s what I think he meant: Pleasure is easy to access, available in many transactions. But delight requires courage.

We must be undefended enough to be astonished and elated. Here’s the potential glitch for you Leos: You sometimes feel inclined to perform your joy; you make your happiness into entertainment for others to be inspired by. But true delight is riskier and more real. It comes when you forget to curate yourself because you're too enchanted to remember you're being watched. Your next assignment: Conjure up three moments of private delight that no one but you will see.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Many of you are renowned for your precision, but that’s just half the story. The more complete truth is that when you are most robust, you’re a connoisseur of refinement. Your careful edits can transmute muddles into medicines. Your subtle fixes may catalyze major corrections. Here’s my bold declaration: You are now at the height of your Virgo powers. I hope you wield them with utter flair and finesse. Make everything you touch better than it was before you touched it.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Some astrologers work without ever glancing at the night sky.

Their bond with the planets lives mostly through abstract ideas. To balance that approach, Daniel

22

JAN. 14-20, 2026

Giamario developed a more hands-on approach to astrology. In his retreats, students trek into wild country, far from city lights, and spend the dark hours watching the dance of the heavenly bodies.

He teaches that cosmic energies can be sensed through our beautiful bodies as much as they can be understood by our fine minds. In the weeks ahead, I invite you to infuse all your explorations with that spirit. Learn through direct encounters, not just through concepts and recycled reports.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): English is my first language. I love how its wild, hybrid, restless qualities enable me to express myself.

I never grow weary of exploring its limits and discovering new ways to use it with flair and care. But I am also very grateful that my horoscopes are translated into Italian, French, Japanese, and Spanish. I am supremely blessed to have editors who turn my idiosyncratic prose into language that non-English speakers can enjoy. It’s one of the great gifts that life has given me. In the coming months, Scorpio, I will be wishing and expecting a similar bonus for you: help and support in expanding your ability to reach further in your self-expression.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Your intrepid spirit is most likely to find exciting adventures if it’s exquisitely prepared. While I love your daring spontaneity and experimental expansiveness, I hope that in the coming weeks, you will work hard to support them with good planning and rigorous foresight. Be imaginative and disciplined, wild and calculating, irrepressible and solidly responsible. If you heed my advice, you could break your previous records for making marvelous discoveries in the frontiers. PS: Treat wonder like a muscle. Flex it daily—with gratitude.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Sandcastles are good reminders of how temporary everything is.

We build them on the damp edge of the shore after the tide recedes, and then they crumble when the sea rolls back a few hours later. Let’s make the sandcastle your power symbol for the months ahead. In doing so, I don't mean to imply that your certainties will be demolished.

Rather, it's my way of urging you to enjoy and capitalize on the ever-changing nature of all things. In fact, I believe that knack should be one of your specialties in the coming months.

As the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh told us, we should be grateful for impermanence, because it keeps every possibility alive.

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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): During World War II, the United States faced a natural rubber shortage and funded research into synthetic substitutes. The effort was partly successful, but there were also failed experiments. Among these was a substance that later became a popular toy named Silly Putty. It sold millions of units and made its marketer wealthy. I suspect a metaphorically similar breakthrough is looming for you, Aquarius: an unplanned discovery that holds unforeseen value. You may soon have your own “Silly Putty moment"—an invention, idea, or situation that is technically a detour from your original goal but still delivers a gift.

So keep your curiosity loose and your judgment soft. Don’t dismiss the byproducts of your efforts. Some diversions may reveal themselves to be the magic you didn’t realize you needed.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I suggest you try an "as-if" exercise, Pisces. Here's what I propose: Enjoy a five-day period visualizing what your life would be like if you stopped saving yourself for a mythical future—including both the positive and negative aspects. Instead, envision yourself spending the coming months doing exactly what you yearn to do most, gleefully and intensely pursuing your sweetest dreams and prime mission. During this sabbatical, you will refrain from invoking excuses about why you can't follow your bliss. You will assume that you are attuned with the heart of creation. You will act as if you are a joy specialist who adores your life.

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Shep Berryhill

Carpentry · Woodwork Property Maintenance stairs & rails, cabinets, built ins, closets, decks, assembly & installation shepberryhill@gmail.com | 828-242-3227

The Art of Not Being Governed Rev. Dr. Mack Dennis

January Wednesday Evenings • 6pm Don’t avoid Revelation!

Come let John’s Apocalypse draw you to faithful dissent and creative transformation.

First Baptist Church of Asheville • 5 Oak St.

edited by Will Shortz | No. 1210

ACROSS

1 “___ been had!”

5 Shoo away, in a way 11 Thunderbolt wielder 15 First name in daring jumps 16 City NE of Olympia 17 Familiar with the tricks of 18 Emulates a dog around the family dinner table 19 Like voice mail messages, for example 21 Red “Inside Out” character 23 OUT OF ORDER! PAPER TRAY REQUIRES MAINTENANCE! 24 J.F.K. Library architect 25 Verbal hesitations 27 “No ___!”

31 Like some boarding school attire 33 Green dispensaries?

37 Iconic repeated Keanu Reeves role 38 Bit of condensation 39 Type of flooded field 42 Protected lands for plants and animals 44 OUT OF ORDER! USE STAIRS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! 45 One who is acting?

46 Corp. $$ bigwig 47 Some pearls of wisdom 48 Third-party holding 51 Used to have 54 ___ Chinmoy, 20th-century Indian spiritual leader 55 Time piece?

56 Hole in the wall 61 Rapper who co-starred in 1994’s “Above the Rim” 63 Love poem opener 67 Article of pool equipment 68 Children’s author Carle who wrote “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”

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DOWN 1 Software accessed via an online browser 2 Game-tying goal 3 Healthier version of a breakfast side dish 4 “Or ___ what?”

5 Longtime NASCAR sponsor 6 Alters the shape of 7 Dell competitor 8 Singer Amos 9 “You can say that again!”

10 Sensitivity 11 Secret identity of Don Diego de la Vega 12 Ax, so to speak 13 Beehive State athlete 14 Grassy section 20 Source of 3.5 million quotations, for short 22 Performer of the 1992 dance song “Supermodel (You Better Work)”

26 Greek figures with multiple heads 28 Status of 23-, 44- and 69-Across, as indicated by their clues and placement in the grid 29 Trampoline mats 30 Elf product 32 Org. opposed to “speciesism” 33 Common street sign symbol 34 Several things in a pagoda 35 Party starters, in brief 36 Sowing machine 40 “To your health!,” in Germany 41 ___ gaz (carbonated: Fr.) 42 [Don’t open this at the office!]

43 One of four rhyming letters

44 Modern prefix with village 49 “The Matrix” character, with “the” 50 Nuts 52 Standing 53 Aachen article 54 “There is more to life than increasing its ___”: Gandhi 57 Some needle work, in brief 58 “Community” character played

by Donald Glover 59 Apt letters missing from _ _stra_ _ 60 Songwriter Guthrie 62 ___ Minor 63 Fire up 64 Prize that a prospector pries 65 Sloth, e.g.

66 Some N.F.L. linemen

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE

L A D S B A L E D A M I D O L E O A L E X A N I K E F O R M I L E S I C A N S E E T A T G A P T H E E N D P E D S O S U Y A K S U R V I V E I W I L L B R I T O B I E I D E S F L A X P R E L L P E N D L O D E H A R E B E D S A G I R L I K I S S E D O S O A T E N A S A A S H C S I E J E C T S T H E S H E R I F F I S H O T M A O R I P O O R R I A L I Q U I T Y O D A A N D Y

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