Buncombe County seeks Swannanoa residents’ input on
Land of Sky Regional Council navigates
Snack cake and fridge pickles make good use of summer’s zucchini glut
Brit Washburn’s latest poetry collection exalts
news tips & story ideas
Local designers and boutique owners specialize in everything from fantastical costume pieces and upcycled streetwear to classic couture looks. And like other sectors, the city’s fashion industry is constantly evolving along with the cultural and economic landscapes. On this week’s cover is model Camille Lawson, wearing a conceptual piece by designer Sheila Thibodeaux.
PUBLISHER & EDITOR: Jeff Fobes
ASSISTANT PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson
MANAGING EDITOR: Thomas Calder
EDITORS: Lisa Allen, Gina Smith
OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose
STAFF REPORTERS: Lisa Allen, Thomas Calder, Brionna Dallara, Justin McGuire, Brooke Randle, Gina Smith Intern: Amrit Brown
COMMUNITY CALENDAR & CLUBLAND: Braulio Pescador-Martinez
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Jon Elliston, Mindi Meltz Friedwald, Peter Gregutt, Rob Mikulak
REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Christopher Arbor, Edwin Arnaudin, Danielle Arostegui, Mark Barrett, Eric Brown, Cayla Clark, Molly Devane, Ashley English, Mindi Meltz Friedwald, Troy Jackson, Carol Kaufman, Bill Kopp, Chloe Leiberman, Morgan L. Sykes, Jessica Wakeman, Kay West, Jamie Zane
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Caleb Johnson Intern: Chad Truitt
ADVERTISING, ART & DESIGN MANAGER: Susan Hutchinson
LEAD DESIGNER: Scott Southwick
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FRONT OFFICE: Caitlin Donovan, Lisa Watters
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UNCA strays from identity with stadium plan
At this writing, as we await the decision of the UNC Board of Governors on the future of 45 acres of urban forest on UNC Asheville’s campus, I can’t help but reflect on how things have changed in the two years since I graduated.
During my time as a student, environmental science consistently ranked among the top programs in terms of enrollment. This makes sense, particularly given the unique natural surroundings of Asheville, which I’m sure are a big draw for students interested in the natural sciences. Taking away the forest would take away unique, hands-on learning opportunities for these students.
Any claim that the forest goes “unused,” simply is not true, as there has been significant research funding tied to that land. These projects will disappear if it’s lost, along with future opportunities for funding. What kind of message does it send to these students and faculty that their institution is seeking to replace a living lab with a soccer stadium?
I predict this decision will also have an effect on the university’s new master’s in environmental resilience. If you were a prospective student wanting to pursue further study related to the environment, would you choose an institution that is willing to compromise its own green space?
At a time when the landscape of higher education is changing, I believe leaning into what makes institutions unique should be top priority. For UNCA, a large part of that has been its unique location in Asheville — and Western North Carolina as a whole — that is reflected in events we host, marketing materials, admissions presentations and more. The university’s website claims “Asheville is your classroom,” and yet they are willing to bulldoze it. The timing feels especially out of step with that identity. Asheville and Western North Carolina are still recovering from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene, including significant tree destruction. Hosting Gov. Josh Stein to discuss storm recovery
Word of the week
haute couture (n.) the houses or designers that create exclusive and often trend-setting fashions
Thanks to Xpress reporter and editor Gina Smith for inspiring this week’s word. Read more about Asheville’s haute couture in this week’s cover story, Page 16. X
and resilience while actively moving to destroy forestland feels contradictory. It also seems in direct contradiction to past commitments, including the 2023 Climate Action Plan and 2021 Carbon Commitment, both signed while I was still a student.
I hope that Chancellor Kimberly van Noort and the administration truly weighed all possible options — such as upgrading the existing soccer field — before deciding to pursue this one. The impact on the future of the university — and the environment it exists in — may not be what they expect. Watching UNCA move forward with this plan is difficult, as it contradicts the values I came to know and appreciate during my time as a student.
—
Alex Pritchard
UNC Asheville alum, class of ’23 New Orleans
Editor’s note: After this letter was submitted, WLOS reported that the UNC System Board of Governors gave UNCA the green light July 24 to take initial steps to move forward with its stadium development plan.
We are the voice for UNCA’s urban forest
Anne Walch so clearly laid out why developing one of the last urban forests is unethical [“UNCA Should Scrap Ill-conceived Stadium Plan,” July 2, Xpress]. The proposed development to replace an urban forest with a soccer stadium is not only unpopular but also lacks regeneration for a diverse ecosystem and regeneration of the Asheville community. Can’t let this happen, Asheville.
When Julia Butterfly Hill brought international attention to the plight of the world’s last remaining ancient
forests in 1997 by living 180 feet up in a 1,000-year-old redwood for 738 days, the whole world tuned in. Luna, the tree Butterfly Hill sat in, still stands. Maybe it’s time for Asheville to take the trees. Like Hill, we must be the voice for this remaining forest.
Cutting down 100-plus-year-old trees endorses blatant disconnection to Mother Earth and poverty of mind. Let’s uphold, revere, steward and nurture this living forest and all the seen and unseen treasures she bestows. We are the voice for this urban forest; no. You cannot rape land and call it progress. — Tricia Collins Burnsville
Raleigh’s power grab targets UNCA’s woods
I’m writing in regard to UNC Asheville’s plan to raze 45 acres of forest on its south campus, adjacent to the Five Points neighborhood. The plan includes constructing a 5,000-seat stadium, plus retail shops and housing. While I oppose this from an ecological perspective — I’m a dedicated treehugger and environmentalist — there’s another issue here that must be addressed: Raleigh’s power grab of Western North Carolina’s land, politics and culture.
Whether one is for or against development of forested land, I think we can all agree that these decisions should be made by Asheville’s residents and local government. This project, however, is being pushed through by the Board of Governors, which oversees the UNC System — the same Board of Governors that has created a culture leading to the canceling of various liberal arts majors, firing of staff and, most recently, forcing trans students to leave their preferred campus housing. None of this aligns
with Asheville and Buncombe County’s values: UNCA has always been different from the other schools in the UNC System. None of this aligns with UNCA’s mission or brand, and neither does the plan to develop the 45-acre urban forest.
So misaligned is this proposed development that language has been written into the state budget declaring that UNC millennial campus development in Buncombe County is not subject to local zoning oversight. Why should the Raleigh-based Board of Governors be above Asheville and Buncombe County’s zoning laws? WNC’s topography is completely different from Raleigh’s; the western part of the state has its own unique needs for managing stormwater, drainage, green space, etc., and those infrastructure costs will be borne one way or another by Asheville’s taxpayers. Furthermore, UNCA’s development plan will destroy 20,000 trees, which flies in the face of both Asheville’s and Buncombe County’s goals for environmental protections and tree canopy preservation.
The proposed development, we’ve been told, is to create a revenue stream for UNCA that would offset the university’s deficit — but UNCA has not been forthcoming with its financial needs. And, it’s worth remembering that the university is a public school: It’s not meant to turn a profit. Meanwhile, the stadium is estimated to cost $58 million to build, with $29 million of that slated to come from public sources, though the university has yet to reveal the ultimate source of this public funding. Whatever the source, it will rely on taxpayer dollars, yet it will benefit private companies. And the companies that manage the stadium, run the retail shops and lease the housing will all be direct competition to currently existing, locally owned concert venues, retail shops and landlords — but will be at an advantage because they won’t be required to pay property taxes.
There’s little likelihood that this development will bring additional money to Asheville or Buncombe County. Stadiums are proven money-losing ventures, and dollars that residents spend there would simply be dollars they don’t spend at other local venues. Not only is this development unnecessary and unwanted, it would come at a cost to local business owners.
Everyone who stands to benefit from this lives outside Buncombe County, while all of the risk will be absorbed by Asheville’s taxpayers and the residents of the Five Points community.
The UNC System’s Raleigh-based Board of Governors should not be forcing its agenda on Asheville and Buncombe County. WNC is so often un- or underrepresented by our state government, and this is just another
CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON
example of overreach that brings no benefit to the local community.
— Alli Marshall Asheville
Join us to fight transphobia in UNCA housing
Trans students in Asheville are under attack. Not from far-right vigilantes, anti-trans grifters or hell-slinging preachers, but from UNC Asheville, which claims to “respect diversity” and “work for inclusion.”
On Wednesday, June 11, leaders of the Trans Student Union (TSU) were contacted by anxiety-ridden members about an email they received from UNCA. The email stated that their housing would be reassigned to comply with a 2013 UNC policy banning gender-inclusive housing on its campuses. Although many of the students who were contacted had already changed their legal sex assignment through the appropriate mechanisms, they were still deemed in violation of the policy. Some, per a WLOS article, were told to detransition to keep their housing assignments. All the affected trans students had their university records changed unilaterally and were told they had a week to resolve the issue before their housing would be impacted.
This is in direct opposition to the practice of gender-inclusive housing established by the university until national right-wing attention fell on the campus. It appears that the first group to be sacrificed for the public image of the campus has been trans students.
Housing matters to everyone, but it affects trans people in particular ways.
The 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey reports that “nearly one-third (30%) of respondents had experienced homelessness in their lifetime.” Housing is generally a site of physical and emotional violence, and trans people often have fewer resources to leverage when their housing suddenly becomes insecure. Many of these students also chose UNCA due to its national reputation as a gender-inclusive community, and rolling back the gender-affirming housing assignments puts these students at risk. To have this taken away is heartbreaking and horrifying to our campus community.
Trans students have already crafted research projects and given their input to the university, only to have it ignored. Join us as we demand preventive resources and policies to fight transphobia in UNCA housing.
— Blu Buchanan Assistant professor Department of Sociology and Anthropology
UNC Asheville Asheville
Editor’s note: Xpress contacted UNCA with the writer’s points, and we received the following response from spokesperson Brian Hart: “A change in housing procedures was made after a review of our policies and practices identified a gap between evidentiary thresholds for determining a student’s sex in Housing and Residence Life (HRL) and the university’s system of record. The change was made to address this gap by aligning the evidentiary threshold for HRL with that of the university. Student demographic information, including sex, is maintained by the Registrar’s Office, and the process for a stu-
dent to request a change to their demographic information is done in accordance with registrar practice and policies.
“To prevent housing instability concerns, the HRL team reached out to every impacted student with multiple housing solutions to meet their specific needs. We have received positive feedback from students on their new housing assignments who are excited, ready and prepared for the year ahead. We remain committed to providing the support all students need to be successful.”
Additional coverage on the issue from Raleigh’s News & Observer can be found at avl.mx/ez3. X
CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN
Listening session
Buncombe County seeks Swannanoa residents’ input on future
BY BRIONNA DALLARA
bdallara@mountainx.com
Buncombe County officials participated in a free weekly community dinner at Valley Hope Church in Swannanoa on July 21 to gauge what residents want to see in their community as part of the county’s Comprehensive Plan 2030-2050. The County Planning and Development Department launched a 10-question survey to find out what residents consider to be the community’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The survey is available at avl.mx/eys. The survey will inform a component of the comprehensive plan that just focuses on the Swannanoa community, called the Swannanoa Small Area Plan.
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will be interviewing candidates for a Small Area and Resilience Plan steering committee from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5, in Board Chambers on College Street. About 80 residents attended the July 21 meeting, with several offering their take on their community.
HOUSING, HOUSING, HOUSING
• Tiphereth Hassan said that the lack of affordable housing pushed her to move to the outskirts of the valley, making for a long commute for her daughter, who attends school in Swannanoa. “There are too many people like me, like we’ve gone to college, we’ve done all the things, and we just can’t survive, even
though we’re working our tails off. It’s just, it’s not fair,” Hassan said.
• Carol Groben, member of the Swannanoa Grassroots Alliance, said safe, affordable housing is the single most critical need in the community. “There’s still so many people that do not have a safe place to live. They’re living in inadequate housing, living in housing in unsafe locations. It’s very challenging due to the lack of buildable locations,” she said. “A lot of these folks had no flood insurance.”
AESTHETICS
• Matt Barker, board chair of Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa, said threats to the community are opportunistic development and becoming a catch basin for cheap development. “We need investment in the community for sure, but we don’t want it to turn into second-tier, nasty stuff that other communities don’t want,” said Barker, who said he doesn’t want more mattress shops, vape stores and fantasy worlds moving in instead of community-oriented businesses.
• On a smaller scale, Lucky Bickers pointed to overgrown grass on Wilson Avenue. “The [median] along Old U.S. 70 is overgrown so much it’s about 3 1/2 feet of grass and stuff that you can’t see, and it’s dangerous. There’s big trucks coming down there loaded, and at 4 o’clock, there’s an enormous amount of cars coming because of state offices,” said Bickers, who
has been trying to contact the N.C. Department of Transportation, which maintains the road.
POWER OF COMMUNITY
• “I think the biggest strength I’ve seen is just the community and [how] everyone cares for one another,” said Carey Dowell, who works with the children’s ministry at Valley Hope Church.
• Groben said community spirit was a huge strength after Helene. “It was there before that, but people came out of the woodwork,” Groben said. “The people that I’ve met who’ve been involved in recovery efforts, who live here, are some amazing people. You could have
suspected that there were a lot of good salt-of-the-earth people in Swannanoa, but you had no idea of their willingness to contribute sacrificially to getting our community back on its feet.”
MORE LISTENING SESSIONS
Representatives from the Buncombe County Planning and Development Department will hold the following vision sessions:
• Coffee with a Planner: Wednesday, July 30, 2-4 p.m., Short Sleeves Coffee, 222 Whitson Ave.
• Groovin on Grovemont: Tuesday, Aug. 5, 6-8 p.m., Grovemont Park, 251 Stonewall Ave. X
INPUT NEEDED: Swannanoa residents gathered for a weekly dinner at Valley Hope Church, this time with guests from the Buncombe County Planning and Development Department. Photo courtesy of Valley Hope Church
‘Plans are in the process’ Ingles announces plans for new Swannanoa store
A room of Swannanoa residents attending the weekly free meal at Valley Hope Church on July 21 got good news from Buncombe County officials during a planning session: There is going to be a new Ingles. The bad news: It might take a couple of years.
“Plans are in the process of being approved for the new Ingles Swannanoa Valley shopping center,” wrote Pat Jackson, Ingles’ chief financial officer, in an email to Xpress “The project will include demolition of existing shops, raising the site elevation and construction of Ingles’ newest prototype grocery store. In addition, there will be new, expanded small and large tenant space opportunities along with a new i Market. We intend to get started as soon as we get final approval from the county.”
The timeline for the project could take up to two years, said Lillian Govus, communications and public engagement director for the county, in an email to Xpress.
OUT WITH THE OLD: Plans are in the works for the Swannanoa Ingles to be torn down and rebuilt in the next couple of years.
The new store will be built next to the one that was damaged during Tropical Storm Helene and has been closed since, creating a food desert for residents. The building that once housed the post office and Ace Hardware will be torn down, according to a July 21 Facebook post by Buncombe County Commissioner Jennifer Horton.
The new building will have room for additional tenants, as will the existing
building, Govus wrote. Plan details for the site won’t be revealed until permit applications are submitted.
“We anticipate that the submittal package is forthcoming in the next 1-2 months,” Govus said.
In the meantime, Swannanoa residents Diana and Justin Rhodes will be working to open a small grocery store this fall on Alexander Place next to Short Sleeves Coffee and walk-
able from the historic Beacon Village neighborhood. The shop will sell produce, meat, dairy, eggs, pantry staples and bulk food such as flour and sugar, said Diana Rhodes.
“It’s really important to us and to the community that everybody has a place where they can shop. Our access has been really, really limited, and so we’re going to do what we can do on our small scale,” Diana Rhodes said. X
Photo by Chad Truitt
Unpredictable times
Land of Sky Regional Council navigates volatile funding landscape
BY GREG PARLIER
gparlier@mountainx.com
Nathan Ramsey isn’t one who speaks out strongly against GOP presidents. So when the lifelong Republican issued a public statement in May after the Trump administration cut $7.7 million in Digital Equity Act funds from the Ramseyled Land of Sky Regional Council, it was notable.
“The termination notice I received this evening that a $7.7 million grant from [the National Telecommunication and Information Administration] has been terminated is heartbreaking news for me,” Ramsey wrote in a public statement sent to stakeholders and media May 20. “I hope that policymakers at
the federal level will realize how important this funding is to WNC and find other ways to help support our recovery.”
In all, the council has lost $10 million in federal grants since President Donald Trump took office in January, Ramsey says, and it remains unclear what other programs could be eliminated.
Land of Sky is a council of governments, or COG, made up of municipalities in Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania counties. COGs became popular in the mid-1960s, spurred by the support of Congress, to bring local elected officials together regularly to provide a more regional governing perspective. Land of Sky staff provides management, planning and technical services to local governments
NEWS BRIEF
Signs
of hope
Explore Asheville reports growth in hotel bookings
During the July 23 Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority meeting, Explore Asheville’s Vice President of Business Development Michael Kryzanek shared highlights from fiscal year 2025 for group business recruitment, reporting significant growth in hotel bookings for group meetings, conferences and events. New bookings by roomnight increased by roughly 39%, from 63,998 in fiscal year 2024
to 89,092 this year. Explore Asheville booked 477 total groups compared to 415 last year, a 15% increase from FY 2024. Of those bookings, 389 groups were new to Buncombe County (80% of total annual bookings). Total spending represented by these groups is estimated at $67.4 million, compared to $48.8 million last year, a 38% increase.
— Brooke Randle X
and helps identify problems best addressed regionally.
Land of Sky also seeks funding for local governments to address issues related to aging, economic and community development, workforce development and regional transportation.
About two-thirds of Land of Sky’s $16 million budget comes from federal grants, making the volatile landscape of the current administration extra tricky to navigate, especially in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene, says Ramsey, who was named executive director in 2020.
Xpress sat down with Ramsey to discuss how Land of Sky has responded to Helene, what the region’s biggest needs are and how he is navigating WNC’s largest COG through these complicated times.
Xpress: What role did the Land of Sky Regional Council play after Helene?
Ramsey: Like everyone in the community, we were just trying to help our region respond and recover the best we can, supporting our local governments and all the different areas where we focus.
A big part of what we do is to go out and secure funding for the region. Coming out of Helene, that’s been more important than ever. We had staff that were helping [local governments] with microgrids and alternative power solutions to help respond to the storm. We had staff that were helping people connect to the internet through Starlinks. We were supporting older adults, their nutrition needs and helping support humanitarian needs. We were hold-
VOLATILE TIMES: Nathan Ramsey, executive director of the Land of Sky Regional Council, says the Trump administration's cuts to federal programs are endangering the agency's work in helping the region recover from Tropical Storm Helene. Photo courtesy of Ramsey
ing job fairs right after the event to address or respond to the thousands of people who had lost their jobs. We are doing FEMA Public Assistance support for local governments to help them recoup the expenses that they incurred after the storm. There’s a lot of different layers.
What is the biggest need for our region post-Helene?
Nothing that I say is to discount the significant private, philanthropic and federal and state support our communities have received following Helene. We’re very grateful, and it’s been incredible to see people from all over the country, even beyond, come and donate their time and talent to help us. Even with all that help, there’s a lot of unmet needs, particularly in two areas.
One, the state has provided $150 million in zero interest loans to our local governments. But when that first opportunity was provided, there was over $600 million in demand. So a lot of our local governments are dealing with cash-flow challenges. The FEMA reimbursement process is very slow. We have local governments that have multiples of their annual budget in damage. That’s a challenge.
Second, there really hasn’t been grant funds that would support a lot of these small businesses that were really damaged significantly, lost a lot of revenue and are struggling to stay open. The more of those small businesses that close, the harder our recovery will be. It’ll make it harder on our local governments because that’ll be less local government tax revenue.
How is Land of Sky coping with cuts to federal funding?
It’s not unusual for grants to expire. What’s unusual is for the grants to be canceled or awarded and then rescinded. We have over $10 million in federal grants that are still sitting out there that haven’t come to Western North Carolina for various reasons. It’s an evolving situation, let’s say.
Our budget is like a quilt. We don’t have taxing authority, so we have to patch together our budget. It’s like putting a quilt together or a puzzle. That uncertainty has created cascading challenges. It hasn’t been quite as bad as the worst fears we had, but it’s certainly … as I said, we have $10 million that has yet to come to WNC.
You put out a statement when you learned that the Digital Equity Act grant was canceled. Why was that important to you to do?
We sent that out publicly for two reasons. No. 1 is it’s a big dollar
amount: $7.7 million. It was going to be matched with additional funds from Dogwood Health Trust and some other sources. It was serving over 20 counties in WNC. That was significant. But the other piece of it, although that grant wasn’t specifically awarded due to Helene, that grant was trying to address a need that we saw all too clearly in Helene: a lack of digital connectivity.
That grant got tied up at the federal level because it was funded through the Digital Equity Act, and there were some folks who were viewing equity through the lens of race and other traits. But in the case for our region, it was about how small-town communities [don’t] have the same connectivity as large urban areas. I think the reason the president and [Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick] were concerned about that funding was that they didn’t understand how it would impact Western North Carolina. It wasn’t like a quota. We weren’t trying to only provide that service to one race or one gender or anything. It was to help veterans. It was to help people that needed access to health care and education and so many other things.
Were you surprised that the grant was canceled?
That was a grant that was awarded under the last days of the prior presidential administration. We knew [it could be on the chopping block] because it had equity in its name. We’ve now gone through and scrubbed our grants. There’s all these words you can’t use anymore.
I’m trying not to say equity anymore; instead, we say “opportunity for all.” We’re all about providing access for everyone. It’s not bringing some people down and bringing some people up. It’s about helping everybody. That’s the job of Land of Sky. We don’t exist to serve one
group; we exist to serve the whole region. It doesn’t matter your politics, your religion, your race, your sexual orientation or any other way you want to classify yourself. We’re there to help you.
What does the future look like for Land of Sky?
We’re in a world in which you never know what your next email is going to say. So we’re still on thin ice in that regard.
Going forward, I hope our community can continue our spirit of collaboration and cooperation and not let the things that divide most places divide us. Because we can’t recover from Helene unless we’re together on this, and it’s not going to be a right or a left or up or down solution. It’s going to be all of us. So we need Congress and the president to support us, we need the governor and the legislature to support us. We need private philanthropy to support us. We need churches to support us like they’ve been doing. We need our neighbors pitching in to help their neighbors. That’s how we’ve gotten this far, and we need to be able to continue that. X
water + shiatsu = watsu
Enjoy a therapeutic aquatic practice that combines gentle movement and support in warm water, fostering deep relaxation and emotional healing.
WATSU® SESSIONS with Sarah Eisenstein NCLMBT #16530
Happy summer, lovely readers! After a fairly cool spring, we’ve finally turned the corner into reliably warm weather. May your heat-loving crops thrive! Be sure to send me your garden questions at gardening@ mountainx.com, and thank you!
I have sandy soil, and it’s hard to grow in. It doesn’t seem to hold onto water or compost. What can I do?
Most of the soils in our region are high in clay; many growers would like a little extra sand in the mix! However, in valleys and flood plains, there are places with sandy soil, even here in the mountains, and they pose some challenges to gardeners.
The inorganic part of soil (in the chemistry sense, meaning not alive rather than covered in pesticides) is made up of tiny particles that can be organized into three groups based on size, from largest to smallest: sand, silt and clay. These form aggregates, meaning they clump together. Aggregates, along with organic mat-
ter, air and water, form the basic “architecture” of the soil. They also influence chemical properties in the soil, like cation exchange capacity (CEC), which is basically the ability of a soil to hold onto and store nutrients, along with releasing them to plants as needed.
When soil is higher in sand, it tends to contain fewer aggregates, is more porous and is physically and chemically less capable of holding onto nutrients. Not only does water percolate more quickly through sandy soils since there’s just more space for it to drain, but these soils tend to have more of a buildup of waxy residues from quickly decomposing organic matter that actually repels water. So, the water has a hard time soaking in, and it leaves quickly.
OK, I’ve probably described the problem in more than enough detail, and you’re thinking, “So, what’s the solution?” The same general soil-tending practices that apply to all healthy gardens apply to sandy soils with some specific steps that can help build up organic matter, nutrients and improve water retention.
As I’ve mentioned before, adding compost, manure, worm castings and other biologically active and carbon-rich organic materials to garden soil is almost always a good idea. Also, keeping soil covered with a thick layer of mulch most or all of the time helps protect the living organisms that do amazing things below the surface. Mulch also prevents water loss and protects nutrients from being “cooked off” by sunlight. Additionally, periodically growing cover crops helps protect and enhance soil. Finally, minimizing or cutting out tillage (turning, rototilling or plowing the soil) protects
biological, physical and chemical properties of soil. These practices all support the accumulation of organic matter, which is key to plant growth and often deficient in sandy soils. Organic matter in soil includes anything that is or was ever alive. Sometimes people break it up into two categories: the dead (decomposing organic matter, or soil carbon) and the living (from worms to microbes: soil biota). They do play pretty different roles, but they aren’t truly separate categories, as everything that lives will die and decompose, and decomposition fuels the possibility of more life emerging. The trouble with sandy soil is that it doesn’t hold onto organic matter as well as soils with at least some amount of clay in them. With sandy soil, it’s especially important not to do too much tilling (turning, rototilling, plowing). In fact, a research study at Louisiana State University on improving organic mat-
ter in sandy soil found that various techniques worked to varying degrees without tillage, but no long-term increase was observed in tilled soils. One approach to increasing organic matter in sandy soil is to build it up on top, rather than down in the soil. There are several named styles of layered gardening: Lasagna Gardening is a book and method that’s pretty specific; Back to Eden is a documentary film about another simple method that involves a ton of wood chips. The basic approach is the same: Layer organic materials (compost, wood chips, grass clippings, kitchen scraps, animal manure, even paper or cardboard) on top of the soil. As it breaks down, it becomes biologically active, high organic matter soil that is ready for planting.
The main challenge with this type of approach is getting enough materials. If you’ve got just a couple of beds, it shouldn’t be a problem; our region
SLUG STANDOFF: With wet weather comes a persistent garden pest that requires some creative control techniques. Photo by Chloe Lieberman
is quite rich in hardwood chips at the moment after all the storm cleanup. If you’re gardening or farming on a larger scale, it can be tough to gather enough stuff. Also, it takes time for all this stuff to break down. This is an approach to improving the gardenability of sandy soils over time, given the right inputs.
Another solution to the challenges of sandy soil is to literally add clay. This also requires getting material inputs from outside, but it can have a permanent impact. With enough clay content, your soil will be able to hold onto organic matter, so the above-mentioned soil-tending techniques will be more effective. If you can get a load of clay-rich soil locally and dig it into your garden, that’s great. If you’re going to purchase clay, make sure it’s kaolin clay and not bentonite. The latter is absorbent and sealing; it doesn’t easily form aggregates with other soil particles, which is one way that clay enhances sandy soils.
FEELING SLUGGISH
I’ve had so many slugs in my garden this year. What can I do to get rid of them?
Yes, with the superwet year we’ve had, slugs are flourishing. The types of slugs that are pests in the garden are all nonnative species originally from Europe. All slugs are born male, become hermaphrodites (during this time they can self-fertilize) and then transform into females for most of their adulthood. These slimy boogers can live up to 6 years!
I personally pay my 8-year-old son and his friends to collect them in tin cans of salty water, which is quite effective but can get pricey! Ten cents per slug adds up. Other than that, there are a couple of effective strategies I’ve used.
The first one is minimizing slug habitat in and around the garden.
Slugs like dark, cool, moist places, such as under logs or discarded plant pots and under mulch. I will remove the mulch from garden beds that are heavily impacted by slugs, and I usually wait to mulch spring plantings if the weather is going to be moist and overcast. Look around your garden and get rid of random stuff that’s inviting slugs to take refuge during the sunny parts of the day. In this same vein, laying out a board on the ground near slug-impacted areas can act as a slug trap. Just look under the board in the morning and collect the slugs that have gathered there.
Another approach is to bury little paper cups so that their rims are flush with ground level, then fill them with beer. The slugs are attracted to the sweetness of the beer and then drown in it. This method becomes ineffective if the cups fill with rainwater, so isn’t always effective during the height of slug season when it rains a lot.
Ducks and chickens love to eat slugs, but will also trample, eat or scratch at garden plants. Ducks in particular prefer slugs to plants most of the time, so running ducks through the garden periodically can help with slug patrol. A friend of mine had a problem with snails (very similar to slugs) and employed both the beer-trap method and ducks. Unfortunately, the ducks just drank the beer and paraded around drunk rather than hunting snails!
Finally, the only effective slug killer on the market that’s also certified organic is iron phosphate pellets with the brand name Sluggo. This product works really well, but it’s also made less effective by heavy rains and needs to be reapplied at least every four weeks (more if it rains a lot). It’s very easy to use: You just sprinkle the pellets around impacted plants. Slugs eat the Sluggo, quickly stop eating and eventually die.
— Chloe Lieberman X
JULY. 30 - AUG 7, 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 24
WELLNESS
Free Community
Functional Fitness
Build muscular endurance through exercises that focus on multiple repetitions with lower weights while moving in all planes of motion.
WE (7/30), 10:15am, YWCA of Asheville, 185
S French Broad Ave
Gentle Tai Chi for Balance
This class works on improving our balance through exercises that help you to think with your feet while strengthening your balance muscles.
WE (7/30, 8/6), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Tai Chi Fan
The fan forms include movements from Yang, Chen and Sun styles of Tai Chi. Fans will be provided for class if you don't have your own.
WE (7/30, 8/6), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Nia Dance
A sensory-based movement practice that draws from martial arts,
dance arts and healing arts.
TH (7/31), 9:30am, TU (8/5), 10:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Active Breathwork
A dynamic class designed to awaken your body, release stored emotions, and bring clarity to your mind.
This class is a step up from the beginners class and is a great class for
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
those who have studied Yang 37.
SA (8/2), 8:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109 Himalayan Sound Bath Meditation
A guided meditation with the soothing tones of Himalayan singing bowls washing over you, calming your mind, and rejuvenating your spirit.
SA (8/2), SU (8/3), 11am, Somatic Sounds, 157 S Lexington Ave
Goat Yoga
Partake in a 45 minute all-levels yoga class, and then take all the time you want to snuggle and take selfies with your new goat friends.
SA (8/2), 9:30am, Candler, Candler
Kirtan w/Mantra Mandala
A sweet meditative practice of chanting mantras and divine names while experiencing the healing power of bhakti yoga, the yoga of love and devotion.
SA (8/2), 7:30pm, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd
Yoga in the Park
All-level friendly yoga classes based on Hatha & Vinyasa traditions. Classes led by a rotation of certified yoga instructors.
SA (8/2), SU (8/3), 10am, W Asheville Park, 198 Vermont Ave
Yoga Taco Mosa Come honor one another in yoga practice lead by Clare Desmelik. Bring your mat, a water bottle, and an open heart.
SU (8/3), 10am, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave
Candlelight Flow Yoga
This breath-centered practice blends gentle movement and mindfulness to release tension, restore balance, and leave you feeling grounded and renewed.
SPOTLIGHTING INDIGENOUS POP CULTURE: Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee hosts The Way We See the World, a special evening of Indigenous self-representation in film, art, music and more on Friday, Aug. 1, starting at 5:30 p.m. Presented by the Museum of the Cherokee People, the free event will feature four short films — Redbird, Thin Places and Tiger (all 2025) and Tentsítewahkwe (2024) — as well as an art market, a silent auction and more. Image from Redbird courtesy of the Museum of the Cherokee People
Qigong Downtown
It is easier to learn since all movements are performed 8 times and you create a flow of Qi, the lifeforce energy.
TU (8/5), 10am, Asia House, 119 Coxe Ave
Baguazhang Level 1
It is considered a very advanced style of Kung Fu with its complex use of geometry and physics.
TU (8/5), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Garden Helpline
You may send an email or leave a voicemail at any time and an Extension Master Gardener volunteer will respond during Garden Helpline hours.
TH (7/31), 10am, Buncombe County Cooperative Extension Center, 49 Mount Carmel Rd, Ste 102
Meadow Market
• The Meadow at Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Highway
• Sunday, Aug. 3 | 1 p.m.
An afternoon at an outdoor market featuring works by local makers and artisans.
“There are few things that will dislodge me from my front porch on a summer Sunday afternoon, but Highland’s weekly Meadow Market seems like a promisingly laid-back alternative. The curated market features handcrafted jewelry, pottery, textiles and more. I love to talk to local artists and check out their work, and the chance to support these makers post-Helene seems about as worthwhile as it gets.” — Tracy Rose X
Yin Yang Qigong Yin Yang Qigong offers lineage practices to return to your center, to be strong in your body and to feel relaxed, regulated and energized.
MO (8/4), 10am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Qigong for Health & Resilience
This class is an opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to learn traditional Qigong exercises.
TU (8/5), 9am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Yoga & Coffee Practice on the outdoor deck, get the body and mind balanced, and then you can hang out after for some coffee, tea and pastries.
TU (8/5), 9:30am, Cooperative Coffee Shop, 210 Haywood Rd
Tai Chi for Beginners: Yang 10 & 24
In this Beginner Tai Chi class, the focus is on the Yang 10 and 24 forms as well as Qigong exercises for health.
Chen style is known for its spiral movements and fajin, or issuing power. It is considered a very high level of Tai Chi.
TH (7/31, 8/7), MO (8/4), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
SUPPORT GROUPS
Disordered Eating/ Eating Disorders
This support group is peer-led and facilitated by licensed therapists & dietitians specializing in eating disorders. Register at avl.mx/es6. WE (7/30), 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.
A group collective that gathers to talk about encounters with visual, tactile, sensational, or fringe experiences with life and the interaction of energy.
Whether you’re exploring sobriety, new to recovery, or have been on this path for a while, you are welcome here.
TH (7/31, 8/7), 6:30pm, American Legion Post #2, 851 Haywood Rd
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 (8/2), 2pm, First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St
Dementia Support Group
This free community group meets every month on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday at the Woodfin YMCA and 1st and 3rd Monday at the Asheville YMCA. MO (8/4), 6pm, Asheville YMCA, 30 Woodfin St
WNC Prostate Support Group
A forum for men, caregivers, family members, partners and supporters to attend no matter their current situation with prostate cancer.
TU (8/5), 6:30pm, First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St
Maternal Mental Health Support Group for Mommas w/Sistas
Caring 4 Sistas Sistas Caring 4 Sistas invites you to an afternoon of mental health support.
A Latin dance social featuring salsa, bachata, merengue, cumbia, and reggaeton with dance lessons for all skill levels.
WE (7/30, 8/6), 8pm, One World Brewing W, 520 Haywood Rd Free Bellydance Class
This class is meant to give attendees a taste of this beautiful art form in a supportive judgement-free class taught by Melanya Zerpa.
TH (7/31), noon, World Dance Asheville, 1269 Tunnel Rd, Ste F Line Dance Party w/ Bootscootin Philip Bring your boots and booties to the dance floor because this is gonna be one electric night, dancing and learning from Philip himself.
MO (8/4), 6pm, Fitz and the Wolfe, 1 Battery Park Ave, Asheville
Monday Night Contra Dance Contra dancing is a fun, social dance for everyone. Follow a lesson at 7 p.m. and then dance to a live band and caller at 7:30 p.m.
MO (8/4), 7:30pm, A-B Tech, 340 Victoria Rd
Pop Choreo Workshop (Ages 12+)
Step into the spotlight in this Pop Choreo Workshop—a high-energy, music video-inspired dance experience designed for ages 12 and up. TH (8/7), 5pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain
Enchanted Garden Art Show
Discover a magical blend of art and nature in this outdoor sculpture invitational featuring works by eight artists from North Carolina and beyond. Gallery open Monday through Sunday, 10am. Exhibition through Sept. 21. Grovewood Gallery, 111 Grovewood Rd
#RADstrong Nine displaced River Arts District artists will exhibit their work in a range of media including painting, encaustic, jewelry, mixed media, photography and more. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 10am, and Sunday, noon. Exhibition runs through Aug. 17. Pink Dog Gallery, 348 Depot St
Collaborative Art Opening: Push Skateshop & Horse + Hero
ART
This unique partnership brings together two community-driven creative spaces with a shared passion for supporting local artists and energizing Asheville’s cultural scene.
Olga Michelson & Susan Voorhees: Blooming Connections
The exhibition showcases the artists' unique perspectives on the natural world, from the vibrant hues of blooming flowers to the serenity of everyday moments. Gallery open daily, 11am. Exhibition through July 31. Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave
Our Living Record
This vibrant and deeply personal exhibition features artwork from Southern LGBTQ+ community members and allies who explore preserving queer memory in the face of cultural erasure. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 9:30am. Exhibition through Sept. 1. See p24 Revolve Studio, 821 Riverside Dr, Ste 179
James Henkel: On the Nature of Things
James Henkel’s photography shows a commitment to aesthetic pleasures while embracing melancholia and the disruption of the preciousness of still life imagery, allowing space for humor & absurdity. Gallery open Wednesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through Aug. 9.
Tracey Morgan Gallery, 22 London Rd
Viewshed Exhibition
The exhibition highlights works that span painting, textile, sound, and performance, inviting viewers to consider the ways in which artistic methodologies evolve and reverberate across time. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through August, 16, 2025.
Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St
Iron & Ink Exhibition
This exhibition focuses on a dynamic era in American history—the Machine Age—when industrialization and advances in technology transformed urban landscapes and redefined the nature of work and leisure nationwide. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through Sept. 27.
Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Tina Curry: Into the Wild Into the Wild features a wide variety of animals not often encountered in daily life, originating from various continents.
It will primarily showcase ceramic creations. However, it will also include a unique bronze sculpture and some new experimental pieces. Gallery open Monday through Sunday, 10am. Exhibition through August 10. Grovewood Gallery, 111 Grovewood Rd
Randy Siegel: Bindings Art Exhibit
This exhibition features scraps of fabric, rope, wire, and thread, along with obsessive stitching and often beading, obscure and obstruct hidden aspects of self often too painful to acknowledge and to beautiful to ignore. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 10am. Exhibition through Aug. 30. N Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave
Native America: In Translation
This exhibition, curated by Apsáalooke artist Wendy Red Starr, features the work of seven Indigenous artists who explore themes of community, heritage, and the lasting impact of colonialism in North America. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through Nov. 3. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
COMMUNITY MUSIC
Concerts on the Creek: PMA
Free concert series for the community with PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) bringing an evening of soul-lifting music this week. There will be food trucks available on most nights.
FR (8/1), 7pm, Bridge Park Gazebo, 76 Railroad Ave, Sylva Matt Watroba Presents: The Power Of Singing, The Power Of Song
This will be an unforgettable, interactive evening of song, singing, laughter, and friendship.
FR (8/1), 7:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
Michael Hantman & Friends
A free community concert that will feature music by Leonard Cohen, Cat Stevens, Dylan and more.
SA (8/2), 5pm, Reems Creek Golf Course, 36 Pink Fox Cove Rd, Weaverville
CMS of the Carolinas Presents: Leipzig & Beyond
Explore the music inspired by Leipzig. Works by Clara Schumann, Tonia Ko, Ethel Smyth and Robert Schumann.
SA (8/2), 7:30pm, Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church, 101 Chapel Ln, Swannanoa
Album Release
Concert w/Elizabeth McCorvey
Enjoy an opening performance by The Moon and You, and come celebrate Elizabeth’s new album. There will be a food truck on site and some great drink specials.
SU (8/3), 2pm, The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd Ste 10
Jordan Scheffer Asheville-born and raised, Jordan Scheffer is a blind performer whose style is an expressive fusion of African influences, neo-soul, jazz, blues and funk.
A collaboration between the Asheville Chamber Music Series and the Asheville Art Museum featuring North Carolina musicians embarking on a major concert career.
TU (8/5), 5pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Jodi John EP Release Show & Asheville Songwriters Showcase Catch the release of Jodi John’s debut EP, Sybelia, and a showcase of Asheville area songwriters involved in the project.
WE (8/6), 7pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave
Sarah Hennies & Tristan Kasten Krause
Composer and percussionist Sarah Hennies and composer and bassist Tristan Kasten-Krause make music rooted in observation.
TH (8/7), 7pm, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St
COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS
Simply Charmed Jewelry Workshop
This hands on workshop is drop in friendly and for ages 8 and up who are interested in jewelry making. After a quick demo by the instructor you can take up to 45 minutes to complete your masterpiece.
Pour your own custom candle in a Devil’s Foot Soda can. Each session features different scents.
TH (7/31), 4pm, The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd Ste 10
Money Foundations
This workshop is perfect for beginners or anyone looking to get back to basics. Register at avl.mx/eyv.
FR (8/1), noon, Online
Understanding Credit Learn what you can do to build it, improve it, and how to plan for future financial goals. This workshop is free but advanced registration is required.
MO (8/4), 4:30pm, OnTrack WNC, 50 S French Broad Ave
Yoga & 12 Step Recovery
Learn to deal with life’s stressors, substance free. Open to anyone, especially those impacted by substance use and behavioral health concerns.
TU (8/5), 8:30am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Preparing for Homeownership
Take your first step toward homeownership by learning strategies to become mortgage ready. The workshop is free, but registration is required. Register at avl.mx/eyv.
TU (8/5), 11:30am, Online
Change Your Palate Cooking Demo
This free lunchtime food demonstration is open to all but tailored towards those with type 2 diabetes or hypertension and/or their caretakers.
Couch to 5K Training Learn techniques, habits, and helpful tips each week to improve pace and form so you can run happy and healthy.
TH (8/7), 5:30pm, YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave
LITERARY
Christine D. Page: All Hallows' Eve
This event features a launch of local author Christine D. Page's new book All Hallows' Eve, including a conversation with illustrator Dana Irwin, and a reading from the book's main character Adelaide.
WE (7/30), 6pm, Malaprop's Bookstore and Cafe, 55 Haywood St
Meter & Melody: Poetry Night
Poetry open mic hosted by Dill every last Wednesday of the month.
WE (7/30), 7pm, Static Age Loft, 116 N Lexington Ave Poetry Open Mic This open mic welcomes any form of artistic expression from poetry to improv theatre to music to
dance.
WE (7/30, 8/6), 8:30pm, Sovereign Kava, 268 Biltmore Ave
Abolish Rent
To cap off our tenant organizing series with Asheville Democratic Socialists of America, we're hosting Abolish Rent coauthor Tracy Rosenthal for a hybrid conversation.
Each poet will be able to share 2-3 poems, and occasionally we will have local celebrity poets close out our night with a featured reading.
MO (8/4), 6:30pm,Flood Gallery, 802 Fairview Rd Ste 1200
Author Event: Climate of Chaos
Author Cassandra Newbould's new novel is a hard-hitting survival story featuring a disabled protagonist that explores the chilling effects of climate change and medical debt.
WE (8/6), 6pm, Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd
Mindful Storytime & Yoga for Families
This interactive event will blend storytelling with emotional wellness, helping young readers explore calm breathing, connection, and creativity.
TH (8/7), 4pm, Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd
THEATER & FILM
Hidden Rivers of Southern Appalachia Film Screening
The film follows the work of conservation biologists and explorers throughout the region – revealing both the beauty and vulnerability of this aquatic life – and how many people are finding ways to protect these ecosystems.
TH (7/31), 6pm, Guidon Brewing, 415 8th Ave E, Hendersonville
The Jewel of the Town Documentary
Enjoy a screening of The Jewel of the Town, a gold documentary about the Black Mountain Golf Course. This is a fundraiser for Hurricane Helene relief with 50% of the profits going to Bounty & Soul.
TH (7/31), 6:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
Anything Goes
Set aboard an ocean liner bound for London, Anything Goes is a madcap musical comedy filled with mistaken identities, mismatched lovers, and show-stopping songs by Cole Porter.
TH (7/31, 8/7), FR
(7/31), SA (8/2), 7:30pm, SU (8/3), 3pm, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville
Beyond Tales w/the Asheville Storytelling Circle
A night where tales unfold through theater, poetry, mantra chanting, puppetry, classic storytelling, and the delightfully weird world of story-theater.
TH (7/31), 7pm, Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lakeshore Dr, Weaverville
The Way We See the World: Spotlighting Indigenous Pop Culture
An evening of Indigenous self-representation in film, art, music and more. It will feature screenings of the following films: Redbird (2025), Tentsítewahkwe (2024), Thin Places (2025), Tiger (2025) and several art market artists.
FR (8/1), 5:30pm, Harrah's Cherokee Casino, 777 Casino Dr Cherokee
The Wizard of Oz
Be reminded that there’s no place like home as this multi-generational production takes you on a journey somewhere over the rainbow.
FR (8/1), 7pm, TC Roberson High School, 250 Overlook Rd
Pete 'n' Keely
Pete Bartel and Keely Stevens, reunite for a live television special re-living their illustrious musical career on TV, in Las Vegas showrooms, and at the top of the hit parade.
FR (8/1), SA (8/2), SU (8/3), 7:30pm, BeBe Theater, 20 Commerce St
Something Rotten!
A hilarious musical comedy that combines Shakespeare with musical theatre in a madcap Renaissance mashup.
FR (8/1), 7:30pm, SA (8/2), SU (8/3), 3pm, Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S Washington St, Hendersonville
A Midsummer Night's Dream
This play takes place in a mystical forest, where a group of fairies interfere with the romantic entanglements of four young lovers and a troupe of actors, creating both chaos and comedy.
FR (8/1), SA (8/2), 7:30pm, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St
Improvised Star Trek Adesto Theatre presents a completely made-up show in the style of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It is improvised using suggestions from the audience.
FR (8/1), SA (8/2), SU (8/3), 7:30pm, NC Stage Co., 15 Stage Ln
Reel Obscura Mondays
A free weekly movie night that will be serving up a curated mix of cult classics, hidden indie gems and unforgettable films.
MO (8/4), 7pm, Eda's Hide-a-Way, 1098 New Stock Rd, Weaverville
The Wham, Bam: Puppet Slam
An unforgettable variety of short puppet shows presented in different styles and intended for mature audiences.
MO (8/4), 8pm, Sly Grog Lounge, 271 Haywood St
Side Stories Live w/ Henry Zebrowski & Ed Larson
Dig into the latest true crime news and paranormal happenings, breaking down ookyspooky stories.
TH (8/7), 7pm, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave
MEETINGS & PROGRAMS
Docent Led Tours
See beautiful and interesting plants, delicious vegetables, native plants for beauty and pollinator interest.
WE (7/30), 10am, Buncombe County Cooperative Extension Center, 49 Mount Carmel Rd, Ste 102
Tarot Community Circle
Each week we will cover different topics, so every class will provide new information. Please bring a deck based on the system of the Rider Waite Smith tarot or a copy of the Rider Waite Smith Tarot.
WE (7/30), 6pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd
NSA-WNC Meeting
Professional keynote speakers, coaches, trainers, facilitators, and consultants who cover a broad range of topics, skills, & knowledge.
Echoes of the Valley: The History of Swannanoa LeAnne Johnson, Executive Director of the Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, presents a dynamic lecture tracing the sweeping history of Swannanoa from its early days to the present.
TH (7/31), 1pm, Assembly Room of Givens Highlands Farms, 15 North Commons Court, Black Mountain Asheville Spartan Social
If you're in town for the Spartan Race, enjoy a fun social time or try out some obstacles with fellow Spartans. This social will also feature music, vendors, and snacks.
FR (8/1), 5:30pm, Triumph OCR Training Center, 260 Rutledge Rd, Fletcher Tarot w/Cats
This 1-hour workshop will include a brief history of the tarot, and how to incorporate a one- and three-card pull for daily guidance.
FR (8/1), 5:30pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd
SVM Trails Less Traveled: Three Peaks Hike Venture on an exhilarating adventure as you conquer three of North Carolina’s 6,000-foot peaks in a single day.
SA (8/2), 9am, Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, 223 West State St, Black Mountain Water Aerobics
This water-based workout is perfect for anyone looking to stay active and socialize in a supportive and enjoyable environment.
SA (8/2), 10am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St
Chinese Wrestling: Shuai Jiao
It is a standing grappling style, meaning that although there are hip throws, leg sweeps
and hand techniques, like many other arts, there is no ground grappling.
SA (8/2), 4pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Realign Nervous System to Peace
Sound Bath
A sound bath can cleanse your soul, restore your balance, surround you with peace and tranquility and stimulate healing.
SU (8/3), 1:15pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way
Coloring w/Cats
Take 50 minutes for yourself and cuddle with the panthers, meet other cat-lovers, and color a beautiful picture of a cat from our adult coloring books.
SU (8/3), 2pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd
Push Hands
A two-person training routine practiced in internal Chinese martial arts such as baguazhang, xingyiquan and tai chi.
SU (8/3), 5:30pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Dharma & Discuss w/ David McKay
David will lead meditation and a conversation with the group on the Dharma, with many opportunities to ask questions, share insights, listen, and learn.
MO (8/4), 6:30pm, The Lodge at Quietude, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
IBN Biz Lunch: Asheville
All are invited to attend and promote their business, products, and services, and meet new referral contacts.
TU (8/5), noon, Suwana Asian Cuisine, 45 Tunnel Rd
Teen Mental Health First Aid
This free training equips teens with the tools to recognize when a friend might be struggling,
offer support, and connect peers to trusted adults.
TU (8/5), 3pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
First Tuesday w/AVL Meetup!
AVL Meetup is a local networking group geared toward movers and shakers in the real estate industry and beyond.
TU (8/5), 5pm, The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd Ste 10
Be Here Now: Mindfulness 101
This experiential introduction to mindfulness will help you explore grounded presence, deep relaxation, and inner clarity.
WE (8/6), 6:30pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way
Higher Deeper Love w/April E. Conner, RScP
April will lead a guided meditation, a rich spiritual discussion, and practical ways to remember love, even in the realness of living.
WE (8/6), 6:30pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way
First Wednesday w/ Big Asheville Science Salon
Each month, a bona fide expert takes attendees on a thrill ride of science awesomeness with a lively Q&A afterwards.
WE (8/6), 7pm, The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd Ste 10
WNC Sierra Club
Presents: Identifying & Replacing Invasive Plants
An informative and fun discussion with ecologist Bob Gale about how to identify and remove invasive plants, and how to replace them with native ones.
WE (8/6), 7pm, OLLI/ Reuter Center, UNCA, 300 Campus View Rd
Stewards Of Children Training w/Mountain Child
Stewards of Children is a comprehensive, evidence-based training program that provides adults with the practical tools they need to prevent, recognize, and respond to child sexual abuse.
Nancy Pheasant share traditional ways of building and sustaining community. See p24
TH (8/7), 7pm, Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lakeshore Dr, Weaverville
GAMES & CLUBS
Bingo Night w/Britton
A midweek break full of good drinks, loud laughs, and questionable luck, hosted by Britton.
WE (7/30), 7pm, Dssolvr, 63 N Lexington Ave
Level 256 Weekly
Pinball Tournament
This is a weekly group knockout pinball tournament. Food will be provided to players. All ages and skill levels are welcome.
SU (8/3), 5:30pm, Level 256 Classic Arcade Bar, 79 Coxe Ave
Ping Pong Tournament
Come by and shoot your shot against some of the best ping pong players in town. Free to enter and $50 bar tab to the winner.
MO (8/4), 6pm, Sovereign Kava, 268 Biltmore Ave
Music Bingo w/ Spencer
Free to play music bingo with Spencer and rotating food trucks.
TU (8/5), 6pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200
KID-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS
Family Story Time
A fun and interactive story time designed for children ages 18 months to 3 years.
TH (7/31, 8/7), MO (8/4), TU (8/5), 4pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave
Coloring w/Cats: Kiddie Edition
An artistic session with coloring books and markers for children ages 13 and under to relax by coloring as they pet cats to reduce stress and anxiety.
SA (8/2), 1pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd
Black Cat Tales: Story Time w/Cats
A special after-school workshop where families with children age 7 and under can relax and foster a love of reading while also socializing with the cats in the lounge.
TH (8/7), 4pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd
LOCAL MARKETS
RAD Farmers Market
Asheville’s only year-round weekly market, featuring 30+ vendors offering fresh produce, baked goods, handcrafted items, beverages, grab-and-go meals, and more. EBT and SNAP accepted.
WE (7/30, 8/6), 3pm, New Belgium Brewing Co., 21 Craven St Leicester Farmers Market
A community-led farmers market local produce, cheese, meats, honey, strawberries, asparagus, rhubarb, ramps, a variety of plants and more. Every Wednesday through October.
WE (7/30, 8/6), 3pm, Leicester Community Center, 2979 New Leicester Hwy, Leicester
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. Open year-round.
WE (7/30, 8/6), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr Weaverville
Enka-Candler Farmer’s Market
flowers, and more.
TH (7/31), 3pm, Biltmore Park Town Square, Town Square Blvd
Flower Market
Pick up freshly cut farm flower bunches and seasonal goodies directly from the farm. This is a self-serve flower stand at Bloom WNC.
TH (7/31, 8/7), 9am, Bloom WNC Flower Farm, 806 North Fork Rd, Black Mountain
East Asheville Tailgate Market
Featuring over 25 vendors selling meat, seafood, produce, flowers, bread, eggs, baked goods, fruit, herbs, sweet treats, tamales, and more. Every Friday through Nov. 21.
FR (8/1), 3pm, Groce United Methodist Church, 954 Tunnel Rd
Dark Market: Asheville’s Lammas Celebrate all that summer has given us with a curation of 55+ of the best artists, makers, and curators in the South East.
FR (8/1), 5:30pm, The Meadow at Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200
Mills River Farm Market
This market offers local food, live music, kids' activities, cooking demos, and a welcoming community. Browse fresh produce and pasture-raised meats to homemade breads, fresh flowers, and artisan goods.
SA (8/2), 8am, Mills River Elementary School, 94 Schoolhouse Rd, Mills River
North Asheville Tailgate Market
Browse from over 70 vendors that will be offering sustainably produced produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, breads, honey, plants, prepared foods, crafts and more.
SA (8/2), 8amt, UNC Asheville Lot P28
Asheville City Market
Mars Hill Farmers & Artisans Market
A producer-only tailgate market located on the campus of Mars Hill University on College Street. Offering fresh local produce, herbs, cheeses, meats, eggs, baked goods, honey, body care and more. Every Saturday through Oct. 26.
SA (8/2), 10am, College St, Mars Hill
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
Junk-O-Rama Vintage Market
Browse vintage clothing vendors, local crafters, antiques and more.
SU (8/3), noon, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd
Meadow Market
This vibrant outdoor market features a curated selection of local makers and artisans. Browse a delightful array of one-of-a-kind textiles, handcrafted jewelry, beautiful pottery, and more.
SU (8/3), 1pm, The Meadow at Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200 West Asheville Tailgate Market
This market features an array of goods including fruits, vegetables, baked goods, bread, eggs, cheese, plants, specialty items, locally made art and crafts and more. Every Tuesday through November.
TU (8/5), 3:30pm, 718 Haywood Rd
FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS
Friends of the Black Mountain Library
Annual Gathering
FR (8/1), 5pm, Resurrection Studios Collective, 160 Broadway St
Mars Hill First Fridays
Celebrate First Fridays with live music, a vendor village, a kids corner, art, food, gifts and more.
FR (8/1), 5pm, Downtown Mars Hill, Mars Hill
Where the Waters Fell: Stories of Loss, Persistence & Becoming
A photographic reflection capturing the spaces and faces reshaped by flooding and the quiet power of community resilience after Hurricane Helene. This exhibit opening will feature live music, food, healing spaces, and a community panel discussion.
FR (8/1), 5pm, First Congregational Church, 20 Oak St
3rd Annual Appalachian Mountain Health Fair
A free, family-friendly event designed to support your health while bringing the community together. It will offer free back-toschool physicals, school supplies, lunch, health screenings and more.
SA (8/2), 11am, Appalachian Mountain Health - Asheville, 77 McDowell St
Leo Pool Party w/DJ
This pool party in collaboration with ALOFT will feature live music from a DJ and astrology readings with Auburn Lily.
SA (8/2), 1pm, One World Brewing W, 520 Haywood Rd
High August Swashbuckle
Prepare to set sail on an all-day voyage of grog swilling, plank walking and imagination. It will feature live music from The Pubsters, life size pirate ship for photos. a costume contest, drinks, and more.
print Project and Land of Sky Regional Council of Governments and their efforts to serve WNC. The event will feature short remarks from local leaders, recovery organizations and live music performances.
TH (7/31), 5:30pm, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., 100 Sierra Nevada Way, Mills River
Pageant: A Very Fake Pageant Fundraiser for SeekHealing
An evening of faux drag pageantry where the audience chooses the winner. Proceeds from the evening will benefit SeekHealing.
TH (7/31), 7pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200
This is Lit: Trivia Fundraiser
This award-winning trivia event is guaranteed to be a blast, while raising money to send books to readers behind bars.
TH (7/31), 7pm, Olde London Rd English Pub, 270 Depot St
A Mid-Summer Night White Party
This party celebrating 5 years of community, healing and youth power is presented by Umoja HWJ collective and HOPE 4 the Future. Your support helps provide healing, creativity and empowerment for youth all year long.
FR (8/1), 6pm, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave
Blue Ridge Drag Bingo: Beach Bingo Fundraiser
Grab your flip-flops and your fiercest beachwear—it’s time to bingo by the boardwalk. Proceeds will benefit Hendersonville Pride.
FR (8/1), 7pm, Hilltop Event Center, 21 Restaurant Court
WE (7/30, 8/6), 10:30am, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain
Baby Storytime
A lively language enrichment story time designed for children ages 4 to 18 months.
TH (7/31, 8/7), 10:30am, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain
Kids & Teens
Xing Yi Learn complete systems of Xing Yi, Baguazhang, and Taiji, including weapons and sparring as optional classes.
A grand selection of local foods and crafts, everything from produce to pickles, baked goods to body care, and even educational resources. Every Thursday through October 31.
TH (7/31, 8/7), 3:30pm, A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler
Biltmore Park Farmers Market
This market features fresh seasonal produce, delicious homemade pastries, premium meats and seafood, beautiful vibrant
A producer-only market featuring local food products, including fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread, pastries, and other artisan products. Every Saturday through December.
SA (8/2), 9am, 52 N Market St
Black Mountain Tailgate Market
A seasonal community event featuring organic and sustainably grown produce, plants, cut flowers, herbs, local raised meats, seafood, breads, pastries, cheeses, eggs and locally handcrafted items. Every Saturday through Nov. 22.
SA (8/2), 9am, 130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
It will feature free music by the Possum Creek Band along with light refreshments provided by the Friends of the Black Mountain Library.
WE (7/30), 5pm, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain
Period Nirvana's Grand Opening
This opening showcases thoughtfully curated menstrual care products and a museum exhibit featuring 100 years of period technology. It will feature light refreshments and goodie bags for attendees.
FR (8/1), 11am, Period Nirvana, 315 Haywood Rd, Unit 113
First Fridays
This series features open studios and exhibitions of over 60 plus artists, local musicians as well as beer and wine.
SA (8/2), 2pm, The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd Ste 10
National Night Out: Shiloh
A national movement dedicated to building safer and stronger neighborhoods. Get ready for an evening packed with positive experiences, fun games, great music, delicious food, and authentic fellowship.
TU (8/5), 5:30pm, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd
BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING
Amplify Appalachia w/Couch & Members of The Steep Canyon Rangers Proceeds from this event to benefit Foot-
Disney-Themed Drag Brunch Fairytales take the stage and guests will be swept into a world of sparkle and song with performances. Proceeds will benefit Pisgah Legal Services. SA (8/2), 11am, Banks Ave., 32 Banks Ave
Community Blood Dr w/American Red Cross Those who come to give blood, with a registered email, get a gift. There is a blood shortage so consider donating. MO (8/4), 9am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Low-Cost Community Neuter Clinic
Please schedule and pay for your appointment prior to showing up. Appointments and additional services can be scheduled at avl.mx/dlq.
TH (8/7), 9am, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd
ARTS & CULTURE
Wear the heart is
A fresh take on a classic event and a new grassroots runway show alter the fabric of Asheville's fashion scene
BY GINA SMITH
gsmith@mountainx.com
Though Asheville is often called the Paris of the South, it doesn’t claim to be an international hub of haute couture. But even with its funky, outdoorsy vibe, the city has a homegrown, eclectic fashion scene that pushes beyond hippie dresses and hiking boots.
Local designers and boutique owners specialize in everything from fantastical costume pieces and upcycled streetwear to classic couture looks. And like other sectors, the city’s fashion industry is constantly evolving along with the cultural and economic landscapes.
In April, the area’s sole produced fashion event, Color Me Goodwill, rolled out a major conceptual transformation in response to impacts from Tropical Storm Helene. And this summer, a rising designer looks to the future of local fashion with an ambitious new runway show, En Vogue AVL
TRUE COLORS
Six months after Helene, many Asheville businesses still had not reopened and some long-running community events had hit the pause button to regroup from the disaster. But a decade after its 2015 debut, organizers of Goodwill of Northwest North Carolina’s annual Color Me Goodwill fashion event decided the show would go on with a standing room-only affair on April 4 at The Orange Peel.
Currently the city’s only produced, annually occurring fashion exhibition, Color Me Goodwill was originally conceived as a design competition and branding event to promote Goodwill Industries, explains event director Leanna Echeverri, also a former competitor who won the challenge in 2018 and 2019.
In previous years, six or seven local designers would create runway collections based on a chosen color using items sourced from local Goodwill stores to compete for prizes awarded by judges and the audience. Each designer would partner with a Goodwill client or staff member to help share the story of the nonprofit’s impact on the Asheville community.
The 2025 edition received a makeover, including a fresh name — Color Me Asheville (CMA) — and a reimag-
UPCYCLED ART: Designer Stina Andersen repurposed old medical scrubs to create this backdrop and outfit, modeled by Veda Sands, for the Color Me Asheville fashion show in April. The annual event was reinvented this year with a noncompetitive, community focus. Photo by Caleb Johnson
ined, noncompetitive concept aimed at raising money for the nonprofit BeLoved Asheville.
The show featured collections from seven local designers — House of Sconiers, Stina Andersen, McKinney Gough Design, The Three Graces, Valentina da Costa, MPP McFabricators and Sheila Thibodeaux — with looks that captured and told the story of Asheville's wide range of styles.
Purple sequins and satin, upcycled patchwork skirts, striped and polka-dotted burlesque ensembles, otherworldly river spirit and tree costumes and a 1960s-style miniskirt covered in rubber baby-bottle nipples shared the stage.
The evening also included moving videos of the designers sharing their Helene experiences, eliciting thunderous applause and audible weeping from the audience. The event raised $20,000 for BeLoved’s Helene recovery efforts and served as a poignant postdisaster reunion for local fashion creatives, models and fans.
“It had a different emotional component this year,” Echeverri told Xpress after the show in April. “I just am so excited that we were able to raise that money and give back to the commu-
nity and create an event where lots of people that hadn't seen each other since the storm were there and telling their stories. … People were standing up, holding hands and embracing each other; that’s kind of what I wanted to happen, that communal thing.”
EBB AND FLOW
A few years ago, says Echeverri, Asheville fashion professionals and fans had more than just one opportunity each year to come together. She recalls erstwhile annual events, such as Planned Parenthood’s Condom Couture, Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival’s fashion revue, Asheville Community Theatre’s Costume Drama and even an Asheville Fashion Week that happened in 2015 and 2016. Andersen, who opened her first atelier in Phil Mechanic Studios in 2007, launched her mobile fashion truck, ARTeries by Stina, in 2015 and operates a brick-and-mortar shop on Sweeten Creek Road, also remembers a more active scene in years past. She reminisces about recurring events coordinated by a group of designers called the Asheville
Fashion Conspiracy and regular exhibitions organized for several years by The Costume Shoppe owner Susan Sertain
“I think everyone just got really busy,” says Andersen of the decline in activity. “It was easier back in the early aughts to do more stuff for free. I think a lot of designers now are just selling online and not really concerned about showing in Asheville, because it’s not a fashion center.”
Echeverri sees the recent ebb in fashion events as cyclical. “I don’t think there’s any shortage of designers,” she says. “There are always new people coming into this.” She points to the active Asheville Model Network Facebook group, which has more than 4,400 members, and occasional “Fash Mob” events, like a well-attended networking session held at The Montford Rooftop Bar in April.
Echeverri notes that Asheville’s fashion community has a different flavor from other cities in the Southeast. When she moved to Asheville from Miami 11 years ago as a designer doing upcycled styles, it was exactly what she was looking for.
“I literally found my audience when I got here,” she says. “One of the things that brought me to Asheville was that acceptance of that kind of expression, people not batting an eye no matter what you were wearing.”
Andersen also remembers that free-spirited aesthetic. “It used to be called ‘Halloween Town,’” she says. “It wouldn’t be abnormal to see somebody dressed full-on — like on a Tuesday afternoon, not a Friday night — in a costume.”
PRICED OUT
Sheila Thibodeaux, a four-time Color Me Goodwill design participant and winner of the 2024 judges’ and audience awards, fully embraces the “Halloween Town” spirit with her love of artistic costumes. For her recent CMA collection — her chosen color was brown — she created not only the aforementioned baby-bottle nipple minidress, but also an elaborate conceptual outfit designed to capture the mud and destruction of Tropical Storm Helene.
A designer in Asheville for more than 20 years and the former owner of now-closed downtown vintage boutique Sugar Britches, Thibodeaux told Xpress in April that, while she feels Asheville’s fashion scene has become somewhat less endearingly weird with the growth of tourism, tourists are necessary for the survival of fashion storefronts. “There aren’t enough local customers to support selling [fashion],” she says.
Sugar Britches, which was across from the Grove Arcade on Page Avenue, never reopened after Helene due to a combination of water damage to the building (which destroyed much of her high-end inventory) plus the financial
strain of the poststorm shutdown and loss of tourist traffic. She considered reopening the shop in a new space, but it was too cost prohibitive.
“The commercial real estate properties in downtown Asheville have doubled their prices,” she says. “It was of the utmost importance that I sell my clothing to tourists, because there aren’t enough local customers to support a business selling [fashion]. Ninety percent of my customers were tourists.”
The high price of rent also presents a barrier for up-and-coming Asheville designer and 2025 CMA participant Genitta “Gee Gee” Sconiers of House of Sconiers. But the Asheville native says she’s OK with seeing the city’s fashion aesthetic start to skew a little less costumey.
In some ways, Sconiers’ story is a dream come true — she remembers a time decades ago living in public housing when she aspired to be a model and designer. Now a fashion student at Appalachian State University, she ended up achieving both goals, including modeling and designing in multiple Color Me Goodwill and Color Me Asheville shows. With the ultimate objective of launching a luxury apparel brand or specializing in custom design, she says the city’s lack of high-fashion runway events makes it challenging to bring attention to her work. And because of high rent prices, having her own storefront and design space in Asheville is beyond her reach. “In this climate after Helene, it’s not really feasible; the rent is astronomical,” she says.
And as a Black designer, she says she’s aware of racial disparities in opportunity. “I don’t really know any other African American designers in Asheville, and we already don’t have much representation in the art space,” she says. “The people who do art who are Black are not recognized, we’re not seen. We just kind of fall by the wayside. It’s really hard.”
EN VOGUE AVL
Sconiers envisions an Asheville fashion scene that’s more inviting to designers of color and can maintain its Halloween Town vibe while also welcoming and supporting more couture-focused creatives, businesses and events. In an effort to make that vision a reality, she has undertaken the grassroots invention of a new runway event — En Vogue AVL.
Debuting 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at The Venue downtown, En Vogue AVL — taglined “Couture in the Clouds” — will include a preshow, red-carpet gallery event showcasing local artwork and runway shows featuring collections, both high-fashion and funky, from Asheville and beyond. A postshow meet-and-greet will allow guests to view the clothing up close and talk with designers. At press time, 10 designers had registered to participate.
“Asheville has such a big art community, but within the art community, fashion has gotten lost, and we’re not represented as much as we should be in the creative scene,” says Sconiers. “This is a way for the textile creatives — which is wearable art — to be able to showcase their art.”
Sconiers is handling every aspect of event coordination herself while working and attending classes at Appalachian State. “It means a lot of early mornings and late nights,” she says.
She is actively seeking financial and in-kind sponsorships, models, hair and makeup artists and other participants to help make En Vogue AVL happen.
Sconiers refers to the debut En Vogue AVL as “Volume 1,” as she is working to turn the effort into a nonprofit with the aim of making it a twice-yearly event — fall and early spring — like New York Fashion Week and other major fashion weeks in cities around the globe.
“Once we become a nonprofit, I want to be able to give a portion of the proceeds to a student who is going into fashion design to help them, or an emerging artist who needs money to get their brand off the ground,” she says.
“And we’re especially here to empower the Black, brown and underrepresentated creatives. We empower, we don’t exclude.”
Tickets to En Vogue AVL start at $33.37 per person and are available at avl.mx/eyw. To learn more or participate in the event, follow En Vogue AVL on Instagram at avl.mx/eyx. X
ASHEVILLE STYLE: Local fashion designer Genitta "Gee Gee" Sconiers is the founder and organizer of En Vogue AVL, a new runway event debuting in September. Photo by Chad Truitt
Squash season
BY ASHLEY ENGLISH
We’re squarely in high summer. The dog days are upon us (officially July 3-Aug.11), which means summer squashes are flowing, and I’m thinking about my mom.
She passed in 2023, but before that, each summer Mom regularly made a simple dish of either yellow crookneck squash or zucchini sliced into rounds, coupled with a chopped onion, sautéed, then slowly reduced in a generous pool of butter until softened and creamy. She’d sprinkle in a healthy dose of salt, and serve it as a side dish, usually alongside chicken legs or ground beef patties and maybe a salad.
Today I’m sharing two of my go-to recipes for making short work of these abundant crops. Enjoy my lemon-lime
zucchini snacking cake at breakfast, as a teatime treat or for dessert. Flawless on its own, try adorning it with blackberries, sliced peaches or a scoop of lemon or raspberry sorbet.
It also freezes quite well. Simply wrap the cake in wax paper or parchment, then seal in a resealable freezer bag. Aim to eat it within four to six months, allowing the cake to thaw in the refrigerator for one day before consuming.
The zucchini fridge pickles preserve the harvest for future meals and are ideal accompaniments to all the summertime greats, including hot dogs, burgers, salads and more.
Lemon-lime zucchini snacking cake
Makes: One 9-inch cake
You will need:
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Zest of one lemon
• Zest of one lime
• 2 cups shredded zucchini, packed
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
To prepare:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or coat a 9-inch round baking pan with cooking spray. Cut a circle
BON APPETIT: "Enjoy my lemon-lime zucchini snacking cake at breakfast, as a teatime treat or for dessert," writes Ashley English, in her latest column. "Flawless on its own, try adorning it with blackberries, sliced peaches or a scoop of lemon or raspberry sorbet."
Photo by Glenn English
of parchment paper and press it into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
• Place the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, olive oil, vanilla extract and lemon and lime zests in a large bowl. Whisk until fully combined and pale in color, about two minutes.
• Fold in the zucchini with a spatula until it is well incorporated into the batter.
• Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and nutmeg. Whisk until all of the ingredients are fully combined, tapping the whisk on the edge of the bowl to remove batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap it gently along the kitchen counter to remove any trapped air bubbles and to evenly distribute the batter.
• Bake until golden brown on top and a cake tester, wooden skewer
or knife tip inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes.
• Set the cake aside to cool for about 15 minutes. Then flip it onto a plate, remove the parchment circle and flip it back onto another plate. Serve in wedges.
Zucchini fridge pickles
Makes: 4 pint jars or 2 quart jars
You will need:
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled and slightly bruised
• 4 medium zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
• 2 1/2 cups distilled white or apple cider vinegar*
• 2 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (white, cane or coconut sugar)
• 2 tablespoons pickling or kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon fennel seed
• 1 tablespoon cumin seed
• 1 tablespoon coriander seed
• 1 tablespoon mustard seed (brown or yellow)
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoon whole cloves
*While both vinegars will impart the same overall finished flavor, note that apple cider vinegar will make the brine a bit more cloudy and opaque.
To prepare:
• Wash either four wide-mouth pint jars or two wide-mouth quart jars in hot water. Place either two bruised garlic cloves in each jar if using pints or four garlic cloves in each jar if using quarts. Set aside.
• Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and spices in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the brine to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for five minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool slightly, for about 10-15 minutes.
20% off the administrative fee for Goodland floor plan 1-bedroom apartment with walk-in shower
• Divide the sliced zucchini rounds evenly between the jars. Pour the brine over the zucchini. Leave the jars to cool on the counter for about one hour. Cover each jar with a lid and transfer to the refrigerator.
• Your pickles will need at least 24 hours to absorb the flavors of the spices. For the most robust-tasting pickles, allow to infuse for one week, at which point the flavor will be considerably more pronounced. If you can’t wait that long, wait at least three days.
• Zucchini fridge pickles will keep for three to four weeks in the refrigerator once opened. If left unopened (i.e., if no one takes any pickles out of the jar), they can last up to two months. X
BY CHRISTOPHER ARBOR
yearinbeerasheville@gmail.com
On Jan. 1, Christopher Arbor and his friends pledged to visit one Asheville brewery each week for all of 2025 in the order that they opened, then share the experience with Mountain Xpress readers. To read about their recent quest to All Sevens Brewing, visit avl.mx/eyh.
We broke our own rules — again. On July 3, TRVE Brewing Co. founder Nick Nunns announced on social media that he planned to close the heavy metal-themed brewery at 255 Short Coxe Ave. As he put it, “It’s the right time to send this thing off into the lake trailed by a fiery arrow.”
TRVE was one of the newest breweries in town, so we weren’t planning on visiting until the end of the year. But we flipped our schedule and rushed over before it shuttered on July 12.
If you never had the chance to stop by TRVE, you missed out on a singular experience. Entering on the ground floor, we stepped into an all-black stairwell — but what it lacked in lighting, it made up for with pounding metal music. We climbed into a dimly lit taproom in which everything was painted black, from the tables to the walls to the clothes being worn by most of the customers. Depending on who you are, dear reader, that environment may well sound like hell. But if you’re the target demographic, hell may be your natural habitat. A comment I saw on social media referred to a sign in the bathroom that read, “Employees must carve Satan into their arms before returning to work.”
Personally, it’s not my scene. But there’s something deeply satisfying to me about seeing people in a place that they love deeply, and most of the customers there were clearly right at home. Pardon a weird parallel: I’m not a regular at drag shows or football games, but just the same, I love that people love them. Everyone deserves a space to call their own.
Standing in line for a beer in my earth-toned Carhartts and Chacos, I was clearly out of place. I didn’t know much about the brewery — not even how to pronounce its name. (I learned that it’s just “true” but uses an old-school Latin “u.”) The couple behind me looked more at home. The guy was wearing a TRVE T-shirt, the woman was wearing a hat from 12 Bones Smokehouse. While I’m
REST IN PEACE: The crew found tasty beer and a favorite gathering spot for local metal fans at the recently closed TRVE Brewing Co.
normally a painfully shy introvert, I struck up a conversation.
As it turns out, they weren’t just fans of 12 Bones; they were the owners — Bryan and Angela King. I invited them to join our table, and they graciously accepted. I told the Kings about our yearlong endeavor and that we’d be visiting their brewhouse soon. I also asked them about TRVE.
“I thought it was cool that there were people in suits rubbing elbows next to pierced and tattooed metalheads in a dark and brooding environment,” Bryan said. “At the end of the day, a shared interest in great beer in a unique setting brought in folks from all walks of life.”
And the beer? My goodness. Bryan was right. It really was great — flavor profiles that were as unique and intense as the setting. I grabbed a bunch of cans to take home.
In the announcement about TRVE’s closing, Nunns wrote, “No man is a failure who has friends.” Mighty TRVE. Raise a glass.
Come join us on another adventure. We gather at 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays. You can email me at yearinbeerasheville@gmail.com or just show up.
What becomes clear after sitting down with local poet Brit Washburn is that she is passionate about learning and always maintains space for being curious. She has studied creative writing at The New School in New York and Goddard College’s low-residency program. Additionally, she studied Eastern religions at the University of Hawaii and is working toward a Master of Fine Arts in poetry at Virginia Tech. Her latest collection of poetry, What Is Given, reflects on the pandemic and loss, while offering readers the tools to navigate such tumult. Winter walks around frozen lakes, reading in bed, floral-scented pastries and family memories act as a meditative blanket that dares readers to find the beauty in their own lives.
Below is her poem "Truth and Reconciliation" from the collection, followed by a conversation with the poet about her latest publication.
TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION
We packed a picnic, drove south along the Blue Ridge Parkway to Mount Pisgah, found a table in dappled shade, laid it with a runner made from the curtains she and my father had hung in their first apartment in Detroit, circa 1968.
Cloth napkins, mason jars, China plates—yet we ate dill pickles and sandwiches,
ALWAYS SEEKING: "I'm very much an amateur naturalist and one of the fun parts of being a poet is getting to do lots of research in order to figure out what things are called in order to have the vocabulary to name them," says poet Brit Washburn. "The struggle to find the language to express something is what we're up to as writers." Photo courtesy of Washburn
potato chips and dip, as if we were still girls, speaking of whether or not we believed in anything anymore, if there was any such thing as an incontrovertible truth, what we might have done differently, if it might have made a difference—
There was a white oleander in the background, thunder in the distance. I said that, for me, it wasn’t about belief so much as acting as though certain things were so.
Such as: it couldn’t have been otherwise. Such as: some things are beyond our control. If only to forgive one another; if only to disburden ourselves.
Xpress: I wanted to ask you about the book being broken into three parts, “What Is Given,” “What Is Taken” and “What Is Left.” Could you speak about the structure and your motivation behind titling them this way?
Washburn: I have a very trusted first reader that I've known now for over 30
years. When we're working on collections or even individual poems, we'll exchange manuscripts and pull lines or phrases as potential titles. I like the ambiguity of those phrases, “What Is Given,” “What Is Taken,” “What Is Left.” They can be statements or questions. In terms of the title of the book itself, What Is Given can be read in terms of “What is taken for granted?” Those were like poems to me, riddles to consider, but not really answers in and of themselves.
There were a few poems about quarantine in 2020 or took place during that time. I’ve noticed a lot of media not giving any attention to that period. I don't know if everyone wants to forget that it ever happened or if people go to TV and film to escape, but what made you write those?
Most of my poems have an immediacy about them. And so in March and April and May and June of 2020, I was writing about my days and our lives then. I also think that, as with any sort of cultural phenomenon or trend, anything that has that urgency or peak focus, we experience it almost as a trend. Then it is sort of over before it starts. I think that we're experiencing this in Western North Carolina now around Helene, that it was so significant for so many of us that it's almost rendered insignificant. Like we have nothing to say that hasn't already been said, and it has a lot of potential to be clichéd. I feel this way about COVID and that period.
I noticed a few recurring topics, themes, and images, and one that I found interesting was how in the poem “They Have Names” you talk about the importance of saying the names of flowers. In the poem “Saturday, Mid-Spring and Rain,” the narrator ends the poem reading a field guide. Could you talk about the importance of names?
With respect to the poem “They have Names,” 2020 was also a period
of recognizing George Floyd’s murder and acknowledging the Black Lives Matter movement and the fact that the victims are not nameless. They’re humans with names, and I think names confer dignity. I think that's equally important with respect to the nonhuman world, the natural world. I’m very much an amateur naturalist, and one of the fun parts of being a poet is getting to do lots of research in order to figure out what things are called in order to have the vocabulary to name them. The struggle to find the language to express something is what we're up to as writers.
As I was reading What Is Given, I really enjoyed that your poems slowed down and sat in moments of everyday life that could be fleeting or glossed over. It felt like we were meditating in those moments while they were occurring. Can you share how you get yourself to slow down and take in those moments?
On some level, I feel like that's what all poetry does or aspires to do. Arrest our attention and arrest a moment. For me, the gateway is almost always reading. I very rarely sit down to write. I sit down to read and then become compelled to write because reading other poems or other essays provokes that state of consciousness. All our daily tasks can become a form of meditation if we tune our attention in that way. It seems to be becoming harder because media and devices are the antithesis of that slow, focused, meditative attention. So, I try to avoid all of these things as often as possible. I think it's as much about what we don't do as what we do. What you're left with is meditative attention, which is, in an ideal world, sort of the default. It's all part of our natural state. It's not something that you have to work to achieve so much as something you have to clear the way for.
Do you incorporate that process of slowing down into your practices of teaching or parenting?
I try to. I think these practices can be applied in all contexts. When I was teaching young children, I placed a very strong emphasis on nervous system regulation. Everyone needs to be comfortable, fed, rested and connected. It's the hierarchy of needs in order to be in a position to be creative, intellectually engaged, or to learn. As we all know, if we're in pain, panic, starving or exhausted, we're not in a position to think, reflect or extend compassion. We’re in survival mode. I think the first step in nourishing children, whether they're ours, students or ourselves, is just to tend to the body. Make sure it's safe and then everything can extend from there. X
The insider’s guide
of Bric Friesland
Photocourtesy
by Gina Smith | gsmith@mountainx.com
On the Horizon
Several new spots are getting close to opening in Asheville. Below are a few updates — look for more details soon.
On July 13, longtime Asheville chef Bric Friesland launched a new food truck, Bric’s Original Dip & Roll, with a concept focused on Chicagostyle Italian beef sandwiches and all-beef Chicago dogs. The menu also features house-made potato chips with sport pepper pico sauce; a vegetarian portobello mushroom Italiano sandwich and ricotta cream cannoli dip with waffle cone chips.
“I decided to follow my passion and dream after [Tropical Storm] Helene due to a reevaluation of what was most important to me,” says Friesland. “After Helene, small businesses took such a major hit, and many of them won’t return. I want to be a part of the new foundation for our community to build upon.
To learn more, follow Bric’s Dip & Roll on Instagram at avl.mx/ez1. X
Food Truck Boot Camp
Dreaming of starting your own restaurant on wheels?
Registration is open for Food Truck Boot Camp, a hands-on training for aspiring food truck owners, to be held Thursday-Sunday, Nov. 17-20, in Cherokee. A collaborative effort of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Division of Commerce and the New Mexico-based Street Food Institute, the boot camp will address menu design, marketing strategies, financial planning, regulatory compliance and much more, according to a press release. The course is designed for entrepreneurs at any stage in their business. Space is limited. Cost is $200 for non-EBCI Tribal members, $150 for EBCI Tribal members. For more information, contact Laura Lauffer at 828-359-6936. Space is limited. To register, visit avl.mx/eiu. X
Easy Tiger: Brothers Kyle and Carter James — the team behind Flour Café — are partnering with chef Gordon Gibbs and cocktail/front-of-house expert Ashley Williams to open Easy Tiger sports bar and restaurant. The concept is slated to launch in September at 125 S. Lexington Ave., the former home of Storm Rhum Bar, according to a press release. The restaurant will offer late-night and weekend brunch menus with a core lineup of burgers, chicken sandwiches and tenders, fried mushrooms, onion rings, chopped salads and a falafel burger. Visit avl.mx/ez2 to learn more.
Piccolina: Austin, Texas, transplants Elana and Nathan Pearlman are close to launching their Neapolitan pizza restaurant, Piccolina. “We are hoping for a mid- to early September opening date,” they told Xpress in an email. “We are awaiting our pizza oven and a stove, which has created a slight pause in our work at the moment.” The business will be in the Aura Arts building space at 375 Depot St., where Gypsy Queen Cuisine was set to open Black Sandwich Co. before it was flooded and wiped out by Tropical Storm Helene. Follow Piccolina on Instagram at avl.mx/ez5.
Chorizo: Chef Hector Diaz, owner of downtown restaurants Modesto, Bomba and Salsas, is bringing back Chorizo, a Latin concept that operated for nearly a decade in the Grove Arcade before it shuttered in 2016. The restaurant will reopen in its previous space at 1 Page Ave., the former home of Baba Nahm before its recent move to Biltmore Avenue. Chorizo spokesperson Valerie Leeper says Diaz anticipates a late August launch. Look for updates in a future issue. X
Getting buggy with it
BY KAY WEST
kwest@mountainx.com
You say suh-KAY-da, I say suh-KAH-da.
According to well-known Asheville forager Alan Muskat, this has been a very good year for cicadas. That depends, of course, on your perspective. “If your goal is to collect a lot of cicadas because they won’t be back for 17 years, it was great,” he says.
Not so great if you had planned an outdoor wedding in May or June, when cicada Brood XIV hatched in Western North Carolina to buzz around dive-bombing picnics and Little League baseball games.
But if it’s been a while, say 17 years — or never — since you had sauté ed cicadas in your pasta or deep-fried crispy critters on top of ice cream, you’re in for a treat. On Sunday, Aug. 24, 5-7 p.m., Fairview resident Lauren Steiner will host a dinner in her backyard featuring six courses of small plates by renowned local chefs featuring the annoying and prolific insect.
The native New Yorker/Los Angeles transplant, journalist, social activist and philanthropist got the idea when she saw Muskat post a plea on Facebook in early May seeking — and willing to pay for — cicadas.
“We had never met, but I followed him on Facebook to see what he was foraging,” Steiner says. “The area behind Reynolds High School where I walk my dog, Bernie, had swarms and swarms of them. I messaged him to see if he would be up for meeting me there.”
Muskat arrived with his foraging bucket that hangs from his neck — leaving his hands free to pluck mushrooms, raspberries and other wild edibles. Steiner brought Bernie and her phone and recorded a video interview with him about cicadas for her YouTube program, The Robust Opposition.
She posted it on multiple pages, and it ended up with nearly 8,000 views. When someone commented with an image of a cicada pizza, Steiner had her eureka moment.
“I have hosted several gatherings that combined food, drink, discussion and fundraising,” Steiner explains; previous guests included environmentalist Bill McKibbon of Green Built Alliance and Ali Casparian of Bounty & Soul. “I suggested to Alan that we do one. I
would plan it, and he would provide the cicadas and help recruit some of the chefs.”
The recipient of the Aug. 24 event will be Vecinos, a nonprofit that is part of a network of community health programs providing mobile medical services to farmworkers in WNC — particularly Spanish speakers.
Muskat foraged about 7 gallons of cicadas himself, which he transferred from his gathering bag to containers in a freezer. “They just go to sleep,” he explains.
Each chef/chef team will receive about 1 gallon, though Muskat is very cognizant of preserving some for his personal stash. “They have to last me 17 years!” he says with a laugh.
Participating chefs are Luis Martinez (Taqueria Rosita and Foothills Watershed); Eric Morris (Foothills Local Meats); Graham House and Sean McMullen (Luminosa); David Toporek and Erin O’Keefe (soon-to-open Finest Deli); Mallory Foster (The Rhu); and Jessica Weisman (Found Ice Cream).
Weisman is no stranger to foraged ingredients; Found, which she launched in 2022 with Brian Larkin , bases its recipes on wild foods (flavors include spicebush, black walnut, paw paw sherbert and pine mint chocolate chip). But she admits she has been a bit stymied by the cicada challenge.
“I’ve never tasted or made ice cream with cicadas before, but I did some research that says roasted or toasted cicadas taste a little like peanuts,” she says. “I’m thinking of maybe using them with my newest flavor of green sassafras, Virginia pine and sourwood, to kind of mimic the trees they’re found in.”
Layla and Justin Neuroth of Farmese Asheville will create a specialty cocktail for the event. Beer will be donated by New Belgium Brewing, wine by Botanist and Barrel and nonalcoholic options by Devil’s Foot Beverage Co. Musician/ guitarist Andy Jurik will perform, and Steiner will conduct and record a live interview with Marianne Martinez , CEO of Vecinos.
Tickets are $150, including food and beverages, and are available at avl.mx/eyq. Seating is limited. The address in Fairview will be provided upon purchase of tickets. X
Asheville chefs showcase cicadas as food for upcoming fundraising dinner
FORAGED FEAST: Lauren Steiner, center, is pictured in a spot overlooking her backyard, where she will host the upcoming cicada fundraising dinner. Also pictured are forager Alan Muskat, right, and Vecinos CEO Marianne Martinez. Photo by Chad Truitt
SMART BETS
by Edwin Arnaudin
Dear God
Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective was all set for the world premiere of Lisa Langford’s play Dear God on Oct. 3, but Mother Nature had other ideas. After considerable post-Tropical Storm Helene regrouping — during which the theater company staged a live digital performance ("Ti[r]ed"-Black Women) and held its annual 369 Monologue and Short Play Festival — the show must and will go on, kicking off Thursday, Aug. 7, in the Tina McGuire Theatre at Wortham Center for the Performing Arts.
Set in what a press release describes as the “not too close, not too distant future,” Dear God follows the Rev. Vonnie Braxton (Donna Marie) as aliens arrive on Earth and upend her life. Different Strokes Managing Artistic Director Stephanie Hickling Beckman directs, and the cast is rounded out by Chesney Goodson and Lupé Perez. The show runs Thursdays-Saturdays through Aug.
Nancy Pheasant
According to Jim Stokely, president of the Wilma Dykeman Legacy, the previous two times that Nancy Pheasant spoke at the Weaverville Community Center, the 150-capacity room was packed. An enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Pheasant lives in the Wolftown community of the Qualla Boundary in Cherokee and visited Weaverville in November 2024 and early April 2025 to check in on the state of the local community in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene.
23 at 7:30 p.m., and there will be a special matinee performance on Sunday, Aug. 24, at 3 p.m. Tickets are $22.50. To learn more, visit avl.mx/eyu. X
Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band
Change is inevitable — even for one of Asheville’s most beloved musical acts. Longtime members Mary “Mama Funk” Frances (vocals/keys) and Lee “Insta-Funk” Allen (drums) as well as saxophonist Jonathan Cole have amicably parted ways with the band to focus on their new funk/fusion project, ElectroLust. But their departure has opened the door for the return of original members Josh Phillips (vocals/guitar/percussion) and Greg “Gregbob” Hollowell (saxophones), plus new addition Patrick Armitage on drums.
“This doesn’t mean the end to collaborations between all of us,” says founding member JP Miller (guitar) in a press release. “Be on the lookout for special guest sit-in performances of some of the band’s (and fans’) favorite tunes at select shows.”
The new-look Booty Band has its first performance on Friday, Aug. 8, at Third Room. Atlanta-based folk rockers Ain’t Sisters get the night started at 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 day of show. To learn more, visit avl.mx/eyt X
The storyteller and historian’s third speaking engagement in that same spot is slated for Thursday, Aug. 7, 7-8:30 p.m. Titled “Building and Rebuilding Community,” the presentation aims to put post-Helene recovery in perspective by exploring the challenges that the Cherokee community in North Carolina
encountered in the mid-1800s after the Trail of Tears. Free to attend, but registration is required. To register and learn more, visit avl.mx/eyy X
Our Living Record
For its latest exhibition, Southern Equality Studios — the art program of The Campaign for Southern Equality — presents a collection of photography, sculpture, projection, ephemera and participatory archival interactive installations from Southern LGBTQ+ community members and allies at Revolve Gallery. Titled Our Living Record, the show seeks to preserve queer memory in the face of cultural erasure.
“Queer and trans histories are often fragmented or excluded from dominant narratives,” says curator Liz Williams. “Our Living Record
asks, ‘What happens when we tell our stories ourselves — through our photos, our letters, our zines, our everyday rituals?’ This exhibition is a gathering of those fragments. A way to say, ‘We were here, we are here, and we will sustain and remain.’” Featured artists include Cara Steinbuchel , Lenny Kyriakoulis , Kass Patterson, Daniel Simone, Crain Cutler, Eduardo Moraes de Oliveira Barbosa, Amanda Simons, Lindsay Jones, Jeannie Regan and more. The exhibition opened July 10 and will be on display through Monday, Sept. 1. Free to attend. To learn more, visit avl.mx/asl X
Photo of Nancy Pheasant courtesy of Qualla Arts and Crafts
Pictured from left, the cast of Dear God includes Donna Marie, Lupé Perez and Chesney Goodson. Photo by Shelby Taylor
Photo of Cara Steinbuchel by Liz Williams
Photo of Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band courtesy of the artists
CLUBLAND
RENAISSANCE MUSIC MAN: On Thursday, Aug. 7, seasoned professional musician Russ Wilson and the Kings of Jazz perform at The Crow and Quill, starting at 8 p.m. Listeners can expect the sounds of a 1920s jazz ensemble. Photo courtesy of David Soltysik
STATIC AGE RECORDS
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30
12 BONES
SMOKEBOUSE & BREWING
Trivia w/King Trivia, 7pm
27 CLUB
The Ruff'tons, Board of Directors, Rockabilly Roy & the Kopy Kats (pop, punk, rock), 9pm
ARIES (March 21-April 19): For many bamboo species, nothing visible happens for years after the seeds are sowed. Beneath the surface, though, the plants are developing an extensive underground root system. This is referred to as the “sleep” or “creep” phase. Once the preparatory work is finished, the above-ground growth explodes, adding as much as three feet of stalk per day. Dear Aries, I sense you have been following a similar pattern. Soon you will launch a phase of vigorous evolution and expansion. It might feel unsettling at first, but I predict you will come to adore it.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You are very close to uncovering interesting information about yourself — some new, some forgotten. But you will have to be brave and strategic to actually find it. If you manage to pull off this demanding-but-not-impossible trick, a series of breakthroughs may stream your way. Like what? Here are the possibilities. 1. A distorted self-image will fade. 2. An adversary’s hex will dissolve. 3. An inhibition will subside, freeing you to unite with a fun asset. 4. You will knock down a barrier that has been so insidious you didn’t know how strong it was.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In medieval music, “organum” refers to passages that feature two voices. One is sung in long, sustained notes and the other performs intricate, faster-moving melodic lines above it. This is an apt metaphor for the roles I invite you to take on in the coming weeks, Gemini: both the drone and the melody. One way to do it is to hold steady in one realm as you improvise in another. Another is to offer your allies doses of stability and inspirational dreams. Welcome the duality! You are capable of both deep-rooted rhythm and visionary risk; both fortifying truth and playful fun.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian author Ernest Hemingway had a reputation for bravado, but he was adept at wielding the protective, self-nourishing skills your sign is renowned for. He was sensitive about his works-in-progress, refusing to discuss unfinished stories. He understood that raw creative energy needed to be sheltered from kibitzing until it could stand on its own. "The first draft of anything is shit," he said, but he also knew that defending the right to write that mediocre first draft was essential for him to thrive. Hemingway's ability to channel his emotional vulnerability into moving prose came from establishing firm boundaries around his generative process. I recommend you do all that good stuff in the coming weeks, dear Cancerian.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In ancient China and ancient Greece, the lion was not the king of beasts, but the guardian of gates. The threshold keeper. The one who asked, “Are you ready?” Now is a good time to bring this aspect of Leonine symbolism to your attention. You may soon feel a surge of leadership radiance, but not necessarily the stage-commanding kind. It will be more like priest and priestess energy. Gatekeeper presence. People and situations in your orbit are on the verge of transformation, and you can be a midwife to their transitions — not by fixing or moralizing, but by witnessing. So I invite you to hold space. Ask potent questions. Be the steady presence ready to serve as a catalyst.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The love-fakers and promise-breakers and delusion-makers are no fun, but I think you will ultimately be grateful they helped you clarify your goals. The reverse healers and idea-stealers and greedy feelers are perilous to your peace of mind in the short run, but eventually they will motivate you to create more rigorous protections for your heart, health, and stability. In conclusion, Virgo, it's one of those odd times when people with less than pure intentions and high integrity can be valuable teachers.
(Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
ROB BREZSNY
It stores over a million seed varieties from all over the world, serving as a safeguard for biodiversity. In accordance with astrological omens, Libra, I invite you to imagine yourself as resembling a seed vault. What valuable capacities are you saving up for the future? Are there treasures you contain that will ensure your long-term stability and security? Which of your potentials need to get extra nurturing? Bonus: Now is a good time to consider whether you should activate any of these promises.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): There’s a myth in Gnostic traditions that Sophia, the Goddess of Divine Wisdom, split herself apart and dispersed into the material world. She became embedded in every stone, plant and drop of blood. And she’s still here, murmuring truth from within every part of the material world. In Sophia’s spirit, Scorpio, here is your message: Wisdom isn’t elsewhere. It’s embedded in your body; in your grief; in the wood grain of your table and the ache behind your eyes. More than ever, you have a mandate to celebrate this gift. So for now, refrain from thinking that spirituality is about transcendence and ascendance. Instead, greet the sacred in the dust and mud. Listen for Sophia in the ordinary. She speaks in sighs and sparks, not sermons.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): When I do tours to promote the books I write, the range of encounters can be wide. On one trip, over 300 people came to see me at a bookstore in New York City. They listened raptly, posed interesting questions, and bought 71 books. In Atlanta three days later, I was greeted by nine semi-interested people at a small store in a strip mall. They purchased three books. But I gave equal amounts of energy at both gigs. The crowd in Atlanta got my best, as did the audience in New York. I invite you to regard me as a role model, Sagittarius. Proceed as if every experience deserves your brightest offerings. Express yourself with panache no matter what the surroundings are.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In ancient Egyptian cosmology, "ka" is the vital essence and the double of a person that lives on after death. But it also walks beside you while you live. It drinks, eats and dreams. It is both you and more than you. Dear Capricorn, I invite you to tune in to your "ka" in the coming days and any other spiritual presences that serve you and nourish you. Be alert for visitations from past selves, forgotten longings and future visions that feel eerily familiar.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "Dear Rob Brezsny: I wonder what you are like in person. Sometimes I get a Gen X vibe, like you wear vintage t-shirts from obscure bands, are skeptical but not cynical and remember life before the internet, but are tech savvy. Other times, you seem like a weird time-traveler visiting us from 2088. It's confusing! Are you trying to be a mystery? When's your next public appearance? I want to meet you. — Aquarian Explorer." Dear Aquarian: I'm glad I'm a riddle to you. As long as I avoid being enmeshed in people's expectations and projections, I maintain my freedom to be my authentic self, even as I continually reinvent my authentic self. By the way, I recommend you adopt my attitude in the coming weeks.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In Norse mythology, the god Odin plucked out one of his eyes and hung himself upside down from the World Tree for nine days. Why would he do such a thing? The ancient stories tell us this act of self-sacrifice earned him the right to learn the secret of the runes, which held the key to magic, fate and wisdom. You don’t need to make a sacrifice anywhere near that dramatic, Pisces. But I do suspect you are primed for a comparable process. What discomfort are you willing to endure for the sake of revelation? What illusions must you give up to see more clearly? I dare you to engage in an inner realignment that brings metamorphosis, but not martyrdom.
MARKETPLACE
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REAL ESTATE AUCTIONS
MASSIVE GOLF COURSE LIQUIDATION AUCTION Friday, August 1st at 10am Johnson Properties 48 Progressive Pkwy Angier, NC www.johnsonproperties.com (NC Press)
REAL ESTATE SERVICES
REAL ESTATE BUSINESS
BROKER Just sold: child care center. South Asheville area. Financed by an SBA loan. Under contract: Kitchen & bath construction company. Financed by an SBA loan. WANT TO BUY OR SELL A BUSINESS? Please contact me
Rick Maerkle 30 years selling small businesses. Asheville Business Brokers 828-9891858 Rickmaerkle21@aol.com
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HOME IMPROVEMENT
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LIBRA
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HIRING?
edited by Will Shortz
ACROSS
1 Besmirch
4 Sound of a bass drum
9 “Challenge accepted!”
14 TV newswoman Cabrera
15 Drive back
16 Like avaricious eyes
17 Historic agreement of 1215
19 Wear on earth?
20 “Through the fog it came” in Part I of Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”
21 Big name in Dadaism
22 Lets borrow
23 “Dream a Little Dream of Me” singer of 1968, familiarly
27 What silken tofu may replace in vegan recipes
28 Frog’s friend in an easy-reader classic
30 Ethnic group of Rwanda
31 California ___ (abstaining from everything but cannabis, say)
34 Formally forces out
36 Onomatopoetic breakfast trio
39 Facility for outpatients
40 Yorkshire metropolis
41 Delay deciding, informally
42 Olympic blade
44 Olympic “blade”
47 907, for a high one
49 Bit of gear for Vermeer
53 Bad bug
54 2008 romantic drama starring Joaquin Phoenix and Gwyneth Paltrow
56 Concern for an Allied ship
58 Incentive to stay indoors on a sweltering day, informally … or a hint to four squares in this puzzle
59 “Cheers” in Chiapas
60 Bird-related
61 Simu ___, portrayer of Rival Ken in “Barbie”
62 “Ergo …”
63 Flashy fish
64 A person’s soul mate, with “the” DOWN
1 Tex-Mex treat
2 Like a clock with hands
3 Miscellaneous collection
4 Expansive parcels
5 Love, in emoji-speak
6 Tool for removing a tree stump
7 M.L.B. team that retired Strawberry’s #18
8 Substance in stars and neon signs
9 Flanged girder
10 Healthful snack brand
11 Home to the Museum of the Portuguese Language
12 “That’s unexpected …”
13 Bill promoting science education
18 One of the Bobbsey twins, in children’s literature
24 Top-selling musical artist of the 2010s
25 Part of a dance
26 Questionable, in modern lingo 29 Source of prophecy 31 Popular stocking stuffer?
32 Nail polish brand with a MillenniYUM shade
33 Quietly added to a thread
35 Marked, in a way 36 Legato notation, in music
37 Tripled, then tripled again
38 “Don’t let up. You’ve got this!”
39 Tax prep pro
43 Acquisition that may solve a mouse problem
44 Opera with a baritone Iago
45 “Quickest way to Harlem,” in song
46 Former stray, often
48 Get the edge over
50 Rite place at the rite time?
51 ___ Doone (cookie brand)
52 First lady of Italy?
55 “___ got some difficult days ahead”: Martin Luther King Jr. 56 Team for gymnasts Biles and Chiles 57 Blacklist
