Mountain Xpress 09.17.25

THE PATH FORWARD

PUBLISHER & EDITOR: Jeff Fobes

Helene

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Lake Lure’s beloved Flowering Bridge is gone, wiped out by Tropical Storm Helene. But the community isn’t backing down. Volunteers are reviving the gardens, and officials envision a striking new pedestrian bridge to reconnect Lake Lure and Chimney Rock.

ASSISTANT PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson

MANAGING EDITOR: Thomas Calder

EDITORS: Gina Smith

OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose

STAFF REPORTERS: Thomas Calder, Brionna Dallara, Justin McGuire, Brooke Randle, Gina Smith

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, Bill Kopp, Chloe Leiberman, Jessica Wakeman, Kay West, Jamie Zane

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Caleb Johnson

ADVERTISING, ART & DESIGN MANAGER: Susan Hutchinson

LEAD DESIGNER: Scott Southwick

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Tina Gaafary, Caleb Johnson, Olivia Urban

MARKETING ASSOCIATES: Emily Baughman, Sara Brecht, Dave Gayler

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES: Jeff Fobes, Mark Murphy, Scott Southwick

WEB: Brandon Tilley

BOOKKEEPER: Amie Fowler

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FRONT OFFICE: Caitlin Donovan, Lisa Watters

DISTRIBUTION: Susan Hutchinson, Kyle Ramser

DISTRIBUTION DRIVERS: Cass Kunst, Cindy Kunst, Henry Mitchell, Courtney Israel Nash, Joey Nash, Carl & Debbie Schweiger, Gary Selnick, Noah Tanner, Mark Woodyard

Support new performing arts venture

[Regarding “City of Asheville Signs Deal to Work With Private Company to Pursue Building a New Performing Arts Center Downtown,” Aug. 29, Asheville Watchdog via Xpress website:]

Downtown Asheville is coming back after Tropical Storm Helene and will continue to do so, but one big impediment to future growth is the lack of a top-quality performing arts center.

For that reason, I was glad to hear that the city government has finally begun the process to build one. This new center will provide another reason to visit downtown — for both tourists and local residents.

Performance centers of this magnitude have proved to be huge contributors to local businesses — hotels, restaurants, other performance venues and retail stores, among others.

We need to support this new venture!

— Jack Anderson Asheville

Public process needed on performing arts center

When I heard that the City of Asheville engaged the services of a partner to work on a public-private partnership to help the city investigate and possibly build and then operate a 2,500-seat performing arts center that would be located somewhere downtown, I wanted to respond.

My first thought was: I wonder if I can write a letter to the editor and be anonymous? Why would I want to do that? I’m a longtime government employee working in municipal government in Western North Carolina. We have an unwritten rule that local government employees generally withhold their opinions in written form in local media outlets because when government employees start talking about other governments,

it’s practically impossible to separate the employees’ personal thoughts from the government that employs them.

It should be noted that the Supreme Court has ruled that government employees enjoy First Amendment rights to free speech. Employees do not give up their free speech rights when they take a job working for the government.

Here are my thoughts, not about the performing arts center, but about large and expensive government projects that engage a private partner.

Here’s what I think is important to look for:

1. Rigorous community engagement to arrive at clear and easily understood ideas for what the project will be. It’s challenging to support a project if the scope of the project is not fully explained. This is especially true when the community has not been engaged with the development of the project. A private partner may be more interested in maximizing profits over sticking with the original intent of the proj-

CALLING ALL READERS

As our community prepares for the one-year anniversary of Tropical Storm Helene, we are asking readers to send us their reflections. If you are interested in sharing your thoughts to any of the following questions, please submit your 250-300 word response to tcalder@mountainx.com with the subject line: "Helene reflections.”

What steps should we as a community take to better prepare for the next natural disaster?

Is there a person in your life who continues to make a difference in our community post-Helene, but whose efforts are not on the public's radar?

Has Helene and the recovery process brought new meaning to your life or a new sense of purpose?

ect. A public-private partnership where the partner helps design the project, build the project and then run the project seems to me like a recipe for self-dealing.

2. A public process that is open and transparent, where any qualified partner has a chance to “throw their hat into the ring.” Rather than selecting a partner and then announcing the partner and the project, which comes as a surprise to the community. A public process does not guarantee that the project will come to fruition, but it shows that the government has done its due diligence regarding the project and the partner.

3. Governing body discussion and a vote in an open meeting to show transparency in the decision-making process. We call this letting the sunshine in because sunshine is a great disinfectant. The other serious issue with developers being selected with no public process under the “best in the business” banner is that maybe they are the absolute best and maybe they are full of hot air regarding this particular project. Your government should be in the business of proving ahead of time, beyond a reasonable doubt, that there isn’t any “funny business” going on around selecting a public-private partner. When

Word of the week

cipher (n.) a method of transforming a text in order to conceal its meaning; a message in code

This week’s selection comes courtesy of our Smart Bets coverage. Turn to Page 32 to find out why! X

the deal is struck in the darkness, the public is cheated out of this assurance. Governments are supposed to show their work, like you showed your work in math class. Suddenly arriving at the answer leads one to ask, “How did you really get there?” A request for proposals process that’s examined by the governing body in a public meeting provides that sunshine and that reassurance.

Am I in favor of a 2,500-seat performing arts complex located somewhere in downtown Asheville? I can’t say because I don’t have enough information about the process or the project. Am I in favor of selecting any public-private partner for any kind of project if the above three things are not followed? Absolutely not. — Name withheld Western North Carolina

Thumbs-up for new performing arts center

[Regarding “City of Asheville Signs Deal to Work With Private Company to Pursue Building a New Performing Arts Center Downtown,” Aug. 29, Asheville Watchdog via Xpress website:] Yes, we would love it! Please do it! — Jan Dooley Asheville

Have the vision to preserve city forest

I wish to invite the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, Asheville business leaders and philanthropists to join 15,000-plus of us in preserving a calm, cool, green forest with 100to 200-year-old trees towering overhead that is walkable to thousands of people, just 1 mile from downtown Asheville. This is currently UNC Asheville’s 45-acre urban forest. With that forest right here, there’s no need to get in our cars and drive 45-60 minutes fighting the traffic to get into nature.

Like what Julian Price’s vision and resources did for saving Asheville in the 1990s, we need visionaries to think big and to join us in permanently preserving this priceless, irreplaceable mature forest ecosystem that other cities would die for. Think of it this way: Manhattan comprises 23 square miles. The most hypercapitalist city in the world chooses to devote 843 acres to world-renowned Central Park. Eight hundred forty-three acres of its 23 square miles. That’s 6% of Manhattan.

Asheville is double that and comprises 45 square miles. Surely, “Tree City” Asheville could devote a mere 45 acres of an urban forest to its 45 square miles. According to the Trust for Public Land, only 3% of Asheville is devoted to parks. And many of them are unusable due to Tropical Storm Helene. Fifteen percent

CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON

is the national median of land in a city devoted to parks. Surprisingly, Raleigh, Charlotte and Atlanta all boast bigger tree canopy coverage than Asheville.

We believe the forest can be procured by a long-term lease or by purchase.

UNCA is only projecting an annual base rent starting at $1.7 million per year, beginning in 2030. That amount is certainly doable between city, county, TDA and private donor pledges.

And to those who might be proponents of stadiums financed by public dollars, we refer you to a 2022 meta-analysis that looked at 130 studies over 30 years. Conclusion No. 1: “Sports venues do not generate large positive effects on local economies.” This is science and data, not hype. Conclusion No. 2: Stadiums do not generate new revenue, but simply redirect entertainment spending.

Also, our already struggling local retailers don’t need competitors who are unburdened by limited property taxes.

We call on our leaders to have the vision to save this irreplaceable forest. We need our leaders to be imbued with the spirit of Julian Price and of Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed Central Park and the grounds of our Biltmore Estate. He strongly believed that “great public grounds for the free enjoyment of the people” should be set aside forever, guaranteeing its citizens “the pursuit of happiness.”

Civic and business leaders, make that your legacy, not another Anywhere

USA cookie-cutter retail/sports complex that can go many other places. Let’s put Asheville on the map once again for being visionary and unique by incorporating a walkable Appalachian forest into our city that all can enjoy for generations. Save the UNCA woods!

— Anne Walch Five Points neighborhood Asheville

City needs modern performing arts venue

[Regarding “City of Asheville Signs Deal to Work With Private Company to Pursue Building a New Performing Arts Center Downtown,” Aug. 29, Asheville Watchdog via Xpress website:]

This is the best news I have heard in Asheville in years. I only hope that we can actually get it done. We need a state-of-the-art facility that can bring things to our citizens and community that we have been missing (musicians, comedians, shows, etc.).

The Thomas Wolfe Auditorium is nearly 100 years old and is beyond its useful life and doesn’t have the room or infrastructure for modern events. This will be great for downtown businesses, restaurants and bars.

I can’t wait for this to be completed!

— Michael Andry Asheville X

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN

Helene left its mark on the Swannanoa Valley

BY BILL ALTORK

As of this writing, I am 78 years old and have lived in the Swannanoa Valley for 16 years. My wife, Su, and I live at the foot of a holler in Swannanoa. Just before COVID, I finished building us a cozy little home by the creek that runs right behind us.

I love nature. I become active when nature does the same. Tropical Storm Helene was such an event. I like the challenge of finding the right language for different events in life, so I wrote a memoir detailing the aftermath from Helene. What follows are my reflections a year later, along with two edited excerpts from that account.

WATER AND FURY IN MOTION

The visual changes and memories left by Helene one year later are still so profound that they continue to penetrate my being. When I stand in my backyard and listen to the gentle gurgle of the creek flowing by, it is still too easy for the memory of water and fury in motion to cloud that moment.

Just a few hundred feet through the woods is where a major landslide tore through the old 4-H camp, now Black Mountain Home for Children. From Day 1 of my memoir on Sept. 27:

Six of the bunkhouses and half of the dining hall had been torn apart and washed away. There was a swath 200 feet wide and a quarter-mile long up the side of the mountain where every tree and building was completely removed. Large trees, twisted lumber and tin roofing were piled 15 feet high along the edges of the flow. I was shocked! That is when I first realized the true force of the storm.

All too vividly, I remember staying up all night during the storm, listening to

the wind howling and a flooding rain of biblical proportions falling from the sky. Emergency broadcasts on my cellphone became more frequent. Chills ran down my spine when I heard: Emergency alert! Dam may breach! Get out now! Seek higher ground immediately! I sat alone in the dark with my imagination set on fire as to what was going on just a mile from my house, where the Swannanoa River was already raging.

I will always remember when I first walked into the flood zone. It was one day after Helene had passed, and my neighbors and I had chain-sawed our way out of the crisscross of fallen trees that had trapped us in our holler. There was an eerie stillness everywhere. A mental fog from the visual remains permeated in my perception of what I was witnessing. The entire flood zone looked like a nightmare portrait of destruction in suspended animation. People were walking around viewing the damage — some just lookers and some actual survivors.

From Day 2, Sept. 28, in my memoir: Cars and propane tanks and air conditioners were piled at random places in the woods. The river was still high and muddy, running swiftly, but well within its banks. To my right, there was a high-water mark on a hill about 20 feet above the road. Trees along the river were draped with the debris of shredded buildings and hundreds of miscellaneous items, some dangling high above my head in the branches.

Large sections of tin roofing were tightly bent around trees way overhead, their shape revealing the powerful force of fast-moving water.

COMING TOGETHER

One of the most valuable things I remember is how people of all walks of

“One of the most valuable things I remember is how people of all walks of life came together.”

life came together. Race, religion and personal beliefs were either set aside or used as part of the binding force of kindness and generosity that helped us to recover. Buzzing helicopters became a part of the skyline. In our little hamlet of Grovemont, members of our community gathered two or three days after the storm. They brought barbecue grills and the thawing meat from their freezers. We had a collective feast, and our spirits were high.

Within weeks, our town was swarming with all kinds of help. Trucks carrying earthmoving equipment arrived on the roads that were still open. Federal Emergency Management Agency stations were set up in parking lots where the mud had been plowed away. Community and church groups from all over the Eastern U.S. were setting up meal stations. I met people I would have never known. We shared our stories of danger, survival and gratitude toward one another.

A NEW LANDSCAPE

As with many locations throughout our region, the flood damage remains as it was just after the storm, only now it is covered with tall weeds, slowly becoming a new landscape. The wounded earth and former homesites lie still and silent underneath the façade of peaceful green.

Swannanoa looks skeletal compared to what it was before the storm. It is not the town it used to be and is not even close to whatever it will become. The river is wider, and the banks are still ravaged: raw and exposed, with debris embedded in the weed-covered silt and dried mud. On U.S. 70, our Main Street, half-collapsed buildings and piles of rubble still dominate the scene.

People say it will be anywhere from five to 10 years before we are completely finished rebuilding. It will not be a return to normal; it will never be the same. For some of us, we will return to the lifestyle we formerly lived. For some of us, we will make visits to the gravesites of those who did not survive the disaster. Some of us have moved away. For many of us, we have stayed and dug our feet back into the soil of our hometown, seeking to grow new roots and splice new beginnings onto the old ones.

I remember commenting to people with whom I crossed paths in the days after Helene, “Isn’t it amazing how, in an emergency, we can all come together to help one another without prejudice or inhibitions getting in the way!”

I heard someone respond, “Yeah, maybe we need a global disaster to awaken and reunite the people of the world!”

Though that remark seemed half in jest, there is always a light to be lit and support to be given. May we remember that.

Retiree Bill Altork enjoys writing, plus creating original mountain folk songs on guitar while living in harmony with nature and his wife, Su. X

BILL ALTORK

The path forward

Plans take root to rebuild the popular Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

BY JUSTIN M c GUIRE

Lake Lure lost a landmark. Now, it’s planning a comeback.

In August, the town demolished its iconic Lake Lure Flowering Bridge after engineers determined that severe damage from Tropical Storm Helene had left the century-old structure beyond repair.

But volunteers are already working to restore the colorful gardens that, starting in 2013, drew hundreds of thousands of visitors to the bridge annually. And long term, officials envision building a new pedestrian bridge — one that eventually could link the downtowns of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock, two Rutherford County towns that depend on tourism to fuel their economies.

“It was a huge source of pride, and it’s just crazy when you think you’ve got to start all over with everything that’s been there for almost 12 years,” says Kathy

Tanner, board chair for the nonprofit that maintains the bridge and gardens.

“But we are determined. We’re going to create survivor gardens, which will tell the story of what happened to our community. We’ll write the story and have it on a special plaque in that area.”

And she adds: “There has to be a new bridge.”

TOURIST DESTINATION

Built in 1925 over the Rocky Broad River, the neoclassical bridge served for decades as a main gateway to the Town of Lake Lure, first carrying automobile traffic and later adding a pedestrian walkway. It remained in use until the early 2000s, when the N.C. Department of Transportation slated it for demolition.

But community pushback led to a compromise: A new vehicular bridge would be constructed nearby, and the original would be preserved for pedes-

had eclectic artwork and other features, including commemorative bricks.

The Rainbow Bridge, a memorial site for pets, opened at the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge’s eastern end in 2022. It became a popular destination, with more than 2,000 tags and collars left by visitors to honor their deceased animals. It, too, was wiped out by Helene’s floodwaters.

Don Cason, executive director of the Rutherford County Tourism Development Authority, says the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge complemented other area attractions, notably Chimney Rock State Park and Lake Lure itself, a popular destination for swimming, boating and more. People coming into the visitor center frequently asked about the bridge and its surrounding gardens, he says.

“It was amazing what those volunteers did to put in new gardens and maintain and keep that going over the years,” Cason says.

The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge also served as a social space for locals, a place where people took wedding, prom and quinceañera pictures and had picnics. It was even the site of more than one marriage proposal.

But Tropical Storm Helene dealt a fatal blow to the bridge and swept away the gardens. The storm caused three rivers, including the Rocky Broad, to overflow and converge upstream near Chimney Rock and Lake Lure. The surge of water rushed through the narrow Hickory Nut Gorge.

“The water actually went over the bridge,” Reandeau recalls. “That’s how high it got.”

trian use. The town took ownership in 2010, and — inspired by The Bridge of Flowers in Massachusetts — a nonprofit formed in 2011 to bring the idea of the Flowering Bridge to life. It officially opened in October 2013 and quickly became a tourist attraction, bursting with dozens of flower and plant species as well as butterflies, ladybugs, grasshoppers and other insects.

“We hosted probably between 180,000 to 200,000 visitors a year, from all over the country and internationally, bringing a lot of economic revenue into both Chimney Rock and Lake Lure,” says Linda Reandeau, marketing chair of the nonprofit.

The Flowering Bridge featured more than 30 themed gardens maintained by volunteers, including the River’s Edge Dog Garden and Mr. McGregor’s Children’s Garden, a tribute to Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit books. The gardens were connected by shaded footpaths and

The floodwaters carried large amounts of debris, including trees, limbs and other material that slammed into the bridge. The arches beneath the structure became clogged and pressure on the aging concrete increased rapidly. In the days after the storm, the bridge was covered in wreckage with its surface barely visible in some places.

In May, volunteers and officials got word the bridge would need to come down. “It was like someone close to you had been diagnosed with a terminal illness,” says Reandeau, who has volunteered since moving to the area in 2020. “We were just waiting for the end to happen.”

‘BELIEVE IN TOMORROW’

For months, volunteers have focused on salvaging plants and reimagining what’s next. The team was able to dig up surviving perennials and shrubs, which will be used to create the survivor gardens on either side of where the bridge once stood, Tanner says. Volunteers were even able to plant pansies in the late fall.

“I’ve had people come up to me and say, ‘Thank you for putting color back in the community,’” Tanner says.

A five-member task force redesigned the west-end garden near the education center, aiming to begin planting in October. The plan includes a new Mr. McGregor’s Children’s Garden, rose garden, pollinator garden and a new Rainbow Bridge.

The east-end gardens, on the Lake Lure side of where the bridge stood, should see new plantings soon as nearby utility work wraps up. Other plans include reopening the site’s education center and adding seasonal displays. The parking lot must also be rebuilt.

“We’re excited,” Tanner says. “Our theme this year has been ‘To garden is to believe in tomorrow.’ That’s what we’re doing.”

The TDA’s Cason certainly has his eye on tomorrow.

The broader Chimney Rock and Lake Lure area has seen a 30%-40% drop in occupancy tax revenue year to year, a key indicator of tourism decline, Cason says. But he believes a rebuilt and expanded Lake Lure Flowering Bridge can play a big part in long-term economic recovery.

The goal is to build a continuous walkway extending from Chimney Rock Village into the Town of Lake Lure, and potentially as far as Bat Cave in Henderson County, using the flower-

ing garden and a new pedestrian bridge as a central hub. The vision is outlined in the Chimney Rock Recovery Action Plan (RaiseTheRock.com).

“I think it could be a beautiful connector,” Cason explains. “If we’re able to create a walking path all the way along the river, the garden becomes a focal point. It’s not just a destination but part of a bigger experience.”

But, Cason emphasizes, the completion of such a plan is likely to be five to 10 years out and will be heavily dependent on funding, landowner coordination and infrastructure improvements.

The nonprofit relies on donations and fundraising. Its members are already asking folks to pitch in to help revive the destination for generations to come. And the Community Fund of Henderson County has set up a Disaster Recovery for Lake Lure and Chimney Rock Fund that people can donate to.

Government funding and grants also will be needed to pay for the ambitious recovery plans.

“I’m confident that our rebuild is going to go well, but it’s going to take a lot of work and a lot of time to be able to pull that off,” Cason says. “I’m just praying that we are able to find the funds to keep everything going.”X

What comes next?

BY BRIONNA DALLARA

bdallara@mountainx.com

In the summer of 2020, the City of Asheville and Buncombe County took a historic step by passing a resolution in support of community reparations for Black Asheville residents.

At the center of the process was the formation of the Community Reparations Commission (CRC) — a 25-member group tasked with making short- and long-term recommendations for how the nearly $4 million in allocated reparations funds from the city and county would be invested in the Black community.

Fast-forward to the present, and the commission is drawing to a close with 39 recommendations in tow as well as a final report — including an audit outlining the harms done to the Black community, supporting data and personal stories and reflections from those directly impacted. But how the commission's recommendations will be implemented remains uncertain.

Two days after the commission's Sept. 2 final presentation to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter to Buncombe County and the City of Asheville threatening to investigate the matter.

“To the extent these recommendations are formally adopted, you are now on notice that my office stands ready to investigate and enforce violations of federal civil rights laws to the fullest extent possible,” wrote Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Justice.

In an email to Xpress addressing Dhillon’s statement, Buncombe County’s spokesperson Kassi Day noted that there are future actions related to reparations scheduled for commissioners at this time. The county, Day wrote, “has been and

Now on the federal government’s radar, the fate of reparations remains uncertain

WHAT’S NEXT? After three years and a legion of obstacles, the Community Reparations Commission has completed its final presentations to Asheville and Buncombe County. Pictured, from left, are CRC members Norma Baynes, Renata Conyers, Bobbette Mays, Kim Jones and Dwayne Richardson. Photo courtesy of Buncombe County

will always follow the letter of the law and will continue to comply with all federal anti-discrimination regulations.”

She continued, “It appears no response was requested from the County, and we want the community to know that Buncombe County Government understands the oversight and monitoring of these recommendations as we strive to meet the needs of everyone in our community.”

For Asheville City Attorney Brad Branham, the letter is nothing new.

“Just like with anything, we have a legal set of regulations, state statutes, federal laws that we always have to ensure that we remain compliant with. And that's the same case here. This is just a more complex subject matter, simply because it’s never been done before,” Branham says.

DELAYS AND DEFINITIONS

From the start, the pressure of serving as a national example — combined with the task of retracing generations of harm through data collection and developing recommendations — was a heavy lift for the 25-member commission.

“You get this cross-pollination of community activists and community organizers and community members who had been in Asheville for decades and were sitting down at the same table,” says Dwight Mullen, CRC member and former chair.

Asheville natives, including CRC Vice Chair Bobbette Mays, witnessed firsthand impacts of urban renewal on her childhood neighborhood, Stumptown, a once-thriving Black community southwest of Montford. Much of the area’s 30 acres were directly impacted by the construction of Interstate 240. Other Black community hubs, such as The

Block, a vibrant residential and commercial district in downtown Asheville, were drastically transformed as well.

“When I was a little girl, my father took me up on The Block every Saturday to get a haircut,” Mays recalls. “He talked to his friends, and there’d be kids there [too]. You could get things, and you felt safe. … To see all of that gone, to see it moved away, it's hard.”

According to the final report, the commission’s initial project timeline was slated for 20 months, from September 2021 to April 2023, but after the initial recommendations were approved in February 2023 by the CRC, membership dropped to 13, largely due to city and county appointees leaving after recommendation work had wrapped up. The group faced several more subsequent delays — including changes in leadership roles, challenges created by Tropical Storm Helene and the Trump administration's ongoing opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

The first hurdle in the reparations process, however, was grappling with the complex forms in which reparations can take.

DEFINING REPARATIONS

According to the CRC’s final report, reparations have been pursued globally to address historical injustices, particularly those rooted in slavery, colonization and genocide. Reparations took concrete form in Germany through payments to Holocaust survivors and their descendants, while post-apartheid South Africa established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which included both financial and symbolic reparations.

On a smaller scale, U.S. cities and institutions have begun implementing reparations independently. For

example, Evanston, Ill., (the first city to approve reparations back in 2019) launched a housing equity program, and universities such as Georgetown and Princeton Theological Seminary have initiated efforts to acknowledge and address their historical ties to slavery.

The CRC’s final report states: “Structural racism in the United States has deep roots, beginning with the colonization of Indigenous lands and the transatlantic slave trade.” Jim Crow laws, redlining and segregated education, the report continues, “perpetuated racial inequity.” Furthermore, federal policies such as “the GI Bill and urban renewal disproportionately excluded Black Americans from homeownership, wealth-building, and quality education.”

Locally, the report states, “urban renewal initiatives displaced hundreds of Black families and businesses from neighborhoods like East End and Southside under the guise of modernization. These projects decimated generational wealth and fractured thriving Black communities.”

These past harms to the area’s Black community, notes Branham, is what the legal system is built to protect.

“If you smack somebody with your car, they've got the right to sue you,” he says. “You have these abilities throughout your life, and we have the obligations to do the same. So, there's situations where we can take action to essentially remediate past harms, including past discrimination.”

To thoroughly identify these past harms, the commission was divided into five impact focus areas (IFA) working groups: criminal justice, education, housing, economic development, and health and wellness. The groups analyzed information within their assigned focus areas and reported key findings — including community feedback and data analysis — to the full commission.

The Cease Harm Comprehensive Audit, released in April 2024, resulted in 108 recommendations. According to the final report, the purpose of the audit was to identify “how local government policies and practices have caused and continue to cause harm to Black and African American residents in Asheville and Buncombe County.”

The commission ultimately reviewed and approved 39 recommendations in May 2024, ranging from specific policy changes — such as evaluating, creating and implementing procedures that effectively address racial disparities within the criminal justice system — to internship and mentorship programs aimed at professional development and job placement for Black youths.

Some recommendations also call for broader structural changes, with a focus on Black communities. For example, the report's health and wellness section includes a recommendation to “establish a health care subsidy fund to provide comprehensive, multigenerational direct primary care access.”

In the economic development section, recommendations include grants for legacy neighborhoods and public housing communities in Buncombe County.

KEY LEGAL QUESTIONS

Since the CRC launched, Branham says, the city has considered the legal frameworks established to prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.

“It’s always been the intention of the city to act within the law. It's also important to say that we’ve advised the commission throughout their process about what some of these applicable laws are, but we never stopped them from making recommendations they felt they wanted to make,” Branham says. Mullen says the commission debated whether to use race-neutral language, but ultimately decided against it.

“This is not just public policy. This is reparations in public policy, and they're

“Just

that we always have to ensure that

remain compliant with.”

— Brad Branham, Asheville City Attorney

directed by and at African Americans. And that’s what we stuck with,” Mullen says. “By looking at the outcomes, Black folk tend to be on the downside of every public policy area.”

Branham explains that while legal protections against discrimination are firmly established, local governments still have room to apply those laws thoughtfully when making decisions about how to allocate resources. For example, if the city’s decision to build a park in a neighborhood that is 90% African American is based on a reasonable, data-driven analysis — such as identifying areas most in need of green space or underserved by city services — then it is a legally sound action.

The key legal question, Branham notes, is whether a decision is made in a way that actively discriminates against a group or whether it is a lawful effort to address broader community needs. He contrasts this with the history of urban renewal, which, while legal at the time,

NOW HIRING

disproportionately harmed Black residents in Asheville well into the 1980s.

This history illustrates how legally sanctioned policies can still result in lasting harm to specific communities. As such, Branham poses the question: If the government played a role in causing that harm, doesn’t it also have a role in repairing it?

The City of Asheville invested $2.1 million in 2022, with a commitment of at least $500,000 annually going forward. Similarly, Buncombe County seeded the project with $2 million in 2022, with an additional $500,000 annually, plus 2% increases each year. However, this past fiscal year, the county cut its annual allocation due to financial constraints caused by Tropical Storm Helene. Future allocations will be assessed at the beginning of the fiscal year, says Noreal Armstrong, Buncombe County chief equity and human rights officer. Regardless of current funding, CRC Chair Dewana Little and Branham

both say, if all recommendations were implemented by the city and county, there isn’t enough money to fulfill them.

“It’s going to take a real investment and continued investment into the solutions,” Little says.

For this reason, the CRC included in its recommendations the formation of a nonprofit that will be able to accept donations and carry out the remaining recommendations.

“It’s not over,” says Armstrong. "There's still more work to be done, but [the commission] completed their charge, and I think that’s awesome that they can say we were charged with the task, and we got it done.”

The dissolution of the CRC will take place at the Tuesday, Oct. 14, Council meeting. The final recommendations are now within the hands of city and county officials, who will review and determine future implementations.

“The City of Asheville appreciates the work of the commission. With their final recommendations made, staff will continue working closely with our legal team to identify those recommendations within the city’s purview,” wrote Kim Miller, city communication specialist, in a statement to Xpress

This story was supported by the Fund for Investigative Reporting and Editing. X

Cash flow

BY KATIE MYERS

news@bpr.org

Tropical Storm Helene last year washed out sewer pipes, overflowed septic systems and washed water treatment plants into rivers all over. Much of this infrastructure was old, and extreme rainfall caused by climate change poses new risks. A new tranche of funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could help communities fix this expensive damage — including, for the first time, septic systems.

This $337 million in new funding, announced Sept. 3, is being paid to the state to repair Western North Carolina

water and sewer systems damaged by Helene — and help communities prepare for future disasters.

The newly established Decentralized Clean Water Safe Revolving Fund also awarded North Carolina over $22 million to improve the resilience of septic systems and assess and connect homes served by septic systems to centralized wastewater systems.

This follows $409 million appropriated in July for drinking water infrastructure improvements. The funding was appropriated by the American Relief Act, which Congress passed in December.

The funds will be administered through the state’s Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund and could help communities harden their water and sewer systems for the future, said

Brian Smith, deputy director for the agency’s water division.

“This funding is intended to go to the next level to build more resilient projects,” Smith said.

Hot Springs Mayor Abby Norton said the town had already applied for $5 million from the fund for drinking water and $5 million for wastewater.

Damage was extensive, and water systems with Helene damage are still springing leaks. In Hot Springs, water tanks lost their backup generator right after the storm. Months later, the town found the storm had exposed a buried waterline, making it vulnerable to further damage. Even worse is the sewer situation.

The federal EPA funding could go to backup generators for water systems, repair water lines and move treatment plants entirely.

Smith said new plans for increasingly severe storms are needed.

“Most utilities make plans for the 100-year storm,” Smith said. “That’s what they are designed to do in terms of how stormwater is managed through urban areas. And we’ve seen storms that exceed 500-year rainfall events.”

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between BPR and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization. X

“Wastewater was and still is our largest damage expense,” said Norton. The river took out multiple sewer lines and flooded the wastewater treatment plant and destroyed septic systems. Because the town originally installed these septic systems, the town is on the hook to fix five of them.

REPAIR NEED: Water totes piled up after Tropical Storm Helene washed away water treatment plants. Now, $337 million in new funding from the Environmental Protection Agency will help repair Western North Carolina's water and sewer systems damaged by the storm. Photo by Katie Myers of Blue Ridge Public Radio

While the iron’s hot Haw Creek prepares for wildfire season

BY DANIELLE AROSTEGUI

danielle.arostegui@gmail.com

Wildfire season is nearly upon us. September is National Preparedness Month, and this year Haw Creek is taking wildfire preparedness seriously.

On Sept. 4, neighborhood residents filled the public meeting room of the East Asheville Public Library, where local wildfire experts led the group through a series of exercises intended to elicit the community’s hopes, fears and assets when it comes to wildfire preparedness.

The meeting was timely. Asheville has a split fire season, meaning that the risk of wildfires is elevated at two times during the year, spring and fall. These are the periods when conditions are ripe for fires to start and spread due to factors such as low humidity and abundant fuel in the form of dry vegetation. Fall fire season typically ramps up in late September.

But the Sept. 4 meeting was not just a lecture on fire safety — although the speakers list was chock-full of current and former firefighters and local risk mitigation experts. It was also a community exercise intended to engage residents in the neighborhood’s broader efforts to become a certified Firewise USA community.

The national Firewise USA program provides a collaborative framework to help communities get organized and take action to reduce their wildfire risks. Any community that meets a set of voluntary criteria on an annual basis and retains an “In Good Standing Status” may identify itself as being a Firewise site. The program is administered by The National Fire Protection Association and is co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.

Since 2019, over a million residents across 42 states have collectively undertaken the voluntary requirements to become certified under the program. Nearby examples include Montreat and Creston near Black Mountain and the Drovers Road Preserve in Fairview. Haw Creek is trying to become the first community in Asheville to receive the certification.

EMPOWERING LOCAL RESIDENTS

On Sept. 4, neighbors heard from experts like Jen Gustafson, a community fire adaptation professional at Wooden Eye Resource Management, about the risks presented by wildfires and how Haw Creek can tackle them in order to become a fire-adapted community.

The process, Gustafson said, is not about eliminating fires. “It’s about learning to live with fire in a way that keeps us safe.”

In our changing climate, wildfires are occurring with increasing frequency and magnitude. While it’s impossible — and even counterproductive — to eliminate fires entirely, taking preventive measures to mitigate risk can go a long way toward helping to protect your home, neighborhood and loved ones, experts say.

Gustafson shared a graphic of a wheel depicting the different wedges that contribute to building a fire-adapted community. Key to Haw Creek’s risk management plan are three of these wedges: partnerships and community engagement, resident mitigation, and safety and evacuation.

Partnerships, like the ones the Haw Creek Community Association (HCCA) has forged with the City Asheville, the Asheville Fire Department and local experts such as Gustafson, can help communities get access to the knowledge and expertise needed to identify risks and strategies for mitigation. Similarly, opportunities for community engagement, such as the Sept. 4 workshop, empower residents to get involved.

Resident mitigation involves activities such as home hardening, debris and vegetation removal and the creation of “defensible zones” that are free of combustible material around homes — all of which help to prevent the ignition and spread of wildfires.

Safety and evacuation involve creating and disseminating evacuation plans and incident management strategies so that neighbors know what to do and

where to go if there is a situation that requires evacuation. “Evacuation planning is essential,” Gustafson said.

For each of these three wedges, Gustafson said, it’s helpful to think through what steps can be taken to mitigate risks before, during and after a fire event. For more wildfire preparedness tips, follow the Asheville Fire Department on social media.

CLIMATE MIGRANTS

According to Haw Creek resident Doug Baughman, who is leading the neighborhood’s fire preparedness efforts, the initiative came about from a conversation among neighbors with personal experience with fires.

“We have a number of folks that have moved to Haw Creek that I would consider climate migrants,” Baughman told me. These individuals, many of whom moved here from fire-prone states like California and Texas, first raised concerns about fire safety in the Haw Creek valley in the wake of the historic 2016 fire season.

Two years later, the City of Asheville’s 2018 Climate Resilience Report indicated that the majority of Haw Creek was at moderate risk of wildfire as a result of its sloped topography, proximity to forested areas along Town Mountain Road and the Blue Ridge Parkway, as well as the limited number of exits from the valley. Tropical Storm Helene further fueled concerns by exacerbating the amount of dead and drying vegetation available.

In response to these concerns, the HCCA put together a grant request to the City of Asheville’s Neighborhood Matching Grants program, which helps

Asheville’s neighborhood-based organizations fund various improvement projects by providing a dollar-for-dollar matching grant of up to $5,000. The HCCA was awarded the full $5,000 to conduct a Firewise risk assessment and develop a mitigation strategy for Haw Creek.

From there, the HCCA created a committee of neighbors, including Baughman, to shepherd the program and brought on a number of fire mitigation consultants to provide educational outreach and conduct an initial risk assessment of the valley. The Sept. 4 meeting included the preliminary results of this assessment, which featured an evaluation of the valley’s landscape, topography, housing density, housing materials and road access.

Moving forward, there will be a series of recommendations for mitigating the identified risks at the community level, which may include activities such as debris and vegetation removal, the creation of neighborhood fire ambassadors, development of incident management strategies and further education and collaboration. The HCCA is also anticipating providing an option for individual families to have their homes and landscapes assessed for fire risks, with the eventual goal of achieving Firewise certification for the community.

Former U.S. Forest Service firefighter Riva Duncan, who is serving as a volunteer consultant for the neighborhood, said that she hopes Haw Creek is just the beginning of the wave: “My hope is that other communities look at what Haw Creek is doing here and decide they want to do this, too.”

PROFESSIONAL INSIGHTS: Jen Gustafson, a community fire adaptation professional at Wooden Eye Resource Management, recently spoke with members of Haw Creek about how to become a fire-adapted community. Photo by Danielle Arostegui

Keep it fresh

BY BROOKE RANDLE

For Asheville native and river enthusiast Jon Stamper, his current role with MountainTrue is deeply personal.

In August, the local nonprofit secured $10 million in funding from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) to launch its River Debris Cleanup Program. The initiative, which runs through December 2026, has allowed MountainTrue to hire and train 80 crew members to clean debris from waterways, coordinate volunteers and build on efforts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and others.

Stamper, a Marine Corps veteran, is leading the project's debris cleanup crew. “I just felt the need to be a part of the cleanup and restoration effort … and to be part of everything coming together at this moment to get this mission completed,” he says.

Unlike the large-scale contractors who cleared cars, porches and downed structures in the storm's aftermath, Stamper describes his team as “more of a scalpel” than a chain saw, handpicking debris, removing plastics and working in smaller tributaries that were overlooked.

The project will also put local people to work. “We started by hiring a lot of

raft guides, fishing guides and folks from other skill sets as well,” says Stamper. “We have so many folks who lost their jobs as a result of the storm, and they’re motivated and dedicated to this work.”

BUILDING THE TEAM

Fellow team member Megan Huske’s passion for the natural world draws upon her sense of place. Huske grew up in Mills River and majored in ecology and environmental biology at UNC Asheville.

“That basically just kind of took me down the road of really wanting to make a difference in the area that I grew up in.”

Her work as a wildlife technician eventually took her as far as Nevada, but it was her home mountains that pulled her back. “Honestly, the job was amazing, but it solidified my interest in working in Western North Carolina,” she explains. “You just have a sense of understanding and appreciation for the land and everything that inhabits it where you grow up. I just understand it.”

So when her former colleague Stamper called about the new cleanup program through MountainTrue, she didn’t hesitate.

Now she’s leading one of the most crucial pieces of the 18-month initiative: hiring. Huske spends her days inter-

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: “My connection to the river definitely kind of altered the course of my life,” says Jon Stamper. “It got me headed in the right direction, got me kind of straightened out.” Now, Stamper’s helping lead the 18-month charge on cleaning up debris from local waterways as part of MountainTrue’s ongoing post-Helene recovery effort. Photo courtesy of MountainTrue

viewing applicants, prioritizing locals who not only know the land but also lost work in the storm’s aftermath. “It’s really impactful for me to be in the position of hiring someone who lost their whole life in a storm,” she says.

Interest has been especially high in Asheville, Swannanoa and Boone, where rosters filled quickly. Rural areas, she notes, have been harder to reach.

Huske says what excites her most is the variety of skills people are bringing to the program. “Of course, there are going to be a lot of raft guides. But [there are] also people that have worked in landscaping, construction, trail work — those skills are so useful too. And then there are people with environmental science backgrounds, which I really appreciate,” she says. “To me, it doesn’t so much matter what your background is. It matters about what your purpose

is. Everyone went through this storm, and everyone’s part matters.”

‘IT’S NOT SUPERHERO WORK’

For Liz McGuirl, a former hair salon manager in downtown Asheville, Helene changed everything. Like so many, McGuirl’s employment was on hold in the immediate aftermath of the storm, as businesses temporarily closed due to the extensive damage to the city's water system.

Strapping on her boots, McGuirl says she began volunteering through wellness checks with Buncombe County before joining her first cleanup in early October.

“Just seeing the amount of people that showed up to support the cause and to help restore our rivers was really moving,” she says. “Everybody coming together and being able to lean on one another and

Whistleblower Run, Prayer from Asheville, NC to Washington DC up BlueRidge Parkway

Communion America AwakenThe Dawn.com event on the National Mall, DC

Reformation Day, last Friday’s Silent Circles around city halls & world capitols. Jesus Forgiveness Parties with Holy Ghost Treats. 9/28 - 10/9-31: 10/9 - 12: 10/31:

“I think a big part of the recovery process is people seeing how beautiful these rivers are.”

— Jon Stamper, river cleanup coordinator with MountainTrue

share their stories of what they had been through was really powerful.”

McGuirl, who once turned to waterfalls to heal from personal loss and has visited more than 300 falls across the region, sees cleanup as a form of collective therapy. “When I woke up one morning after Helene, all of my healing spaces were choked with trash and debris,” she remembers. “So every time I went to any of my favorite waterfalls … it didn’t feel healing anymore. It felt sad and heavy. And so for me, I think a large reason why I do what I do is because I desperately want my healing spaces back.”

McGuirl stresses that the effort isn’t extraordinary; it’s simply locals caring for their home. “What my initial pilot crew did and what these crews are about to do, it’s not superhero work,” she says. “Yes, there’s a lot of skill and expertise and things that go into it, but we are just regular locals who love these spaces and want to give back.”

THE LONG HAUL

That is certainly the case for Hot Springs native Kiana Crosby, who says the French Broad River isn't just a natural asset, it's a way of life.

Born and raised in Madison County, Crosby's father was a raft guide before he opened Bluff Mountain Outfitters. “So I’ve been on the river my whole life,” Crosby says.

Her earliest memory of being on the water dates back to when she was 3, when her dad rowed her to a friend’s birthday party downstream of Hot Springs. “I didn’t even know to fall in love with [the river] then, because it was just home,” Crosby explains. “It was just what my world looked like.”

Though she once thought she’d avoid guiding “because it’s what everybody was doing,” a summer job during college changed everything. Working roughly seven years as a raft guide deepened her respect for the river and its power.

That respect took on new weight after Tropical Storm Helene. Since the storm, she has worked nonstop on numerous river cleanup projects throughout Madison County. Today, she’s back on the water full time as part of MountainTrue’s 18-month cleanup program.

Still, the work weighs heavily. “Right now I’m exhausted,” Crosby admits. “We have all this new energy coming in with hiring all these people, but it feels like it’s just been dragging on for so long.”

Success, for her, has to be measured in small victories. “This spring, we worked on one stretch [of river] to the point that commercial rafting was possible again,” Crosby says. “That meant all my friends who make their living on the water still got to have their jobs back. To me, that shows that we are already successful.”

Stamper echoes this sentiment, adding that the project isn’t just about restoring rivers, it’s also about helping people heal. “It became apparent that this is really cathartic for people to get out and take back a little bit of control over what has been such a devastating event,” he says.

Looking ahead, Stamper knows the work won’t end in 18 months. Stabilizing banks, restoring habitats and building environmental resilience will take years. But his message is simple. “We’re going to be at this until all of the work is done. And I think a big part of the recovery process is people seeing how beautiful these rivers are,” he says. “Hopefully there’s a new appreciation for them after we’ve seen them so damaged.” X

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.

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 (9/17, 24), 10:15am, YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave

Tai Chi Fan

The Fan forms include movements from Yang, Chen and Sun styles of Tai Chi.

WE (9/17, 24), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

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 (9/17, 24), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109 Nia Dance Nia is a sensory-based movement practice that draws from martial arts, dance arts and healing arts.

TH (9/18), 9:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

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

TH (9/18. 25), MO (9/22), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109 Chen Tai Chi

Chen style is known for its spiral movements and fajin, or issuing power.

TH (9/18, 25), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Intro to the Fitness Center

This program is designed to jump start your fitness routine.

TH (9/18), 1pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Yoga Hike

A moderate one mile hike up to the summit of a scenic mountain top plus an hour of yoga for all levels.

FR (9/19), 9am, Bearwallow Mountain Trail, 4899 Bearwallow Mountain Rd, Hendersonville Free Community Zumba Gold

The class design introduces easy-to-follow

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

STREAM CLEANUP: On Saturday, Sept. 20, the City of Hendersonville’s Stormwater Division, in partnership with Asheville GreenWorks, invites community members to help protect and restore local waterways following Tropical Storm Helene by participating in a stream cleanup. This volunteer opportunity will begin at 10 a.m., and volunteers will spend a few hours paddling down Mud Creek in Hendersonville and picking up trash. Photo courtesy of the City of Hendersonville

Zumba choreography that focuses on balance, range of motion, and coordination.

FR (9/19), 10am, YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave

Intermediate Tai Chi Yang 24

This is the Tai Chi that most people envision when they think of Tai Chi.

FR (9/19), 10:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Teen Fitness Group workouts are fun and challenging, with modifications available for different levels to maximize workouts safely.

FR (9/19), 6pm, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

Sunset Sound Bath Immerse in the soothing sounds of crystal bowls, gongs, didgeridoo, handpans, and more.

FR (9/19), 7:30pm, HapBe Valley Equine and Wellness Farm, 1 Noahs Vly, Leicester

The Professor's Tai Chi This class is a step up from the beginners class and is a great class for those who have studied Yang 37.

SA (9/20), 8:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Yoga in the Park All-level friendly yoga classes based on Hatha & Vinyasa traditions.

SA (9/20), SU (9/21), 11am, West Asheville Park, 198 Vermont Ave

Free Community Qi

Gong

Qi Gong improves balance and coordination, enhances physical and emotional energy, and promotes an experience of well-being.

SA (9/20), 11:30am, YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave

Barn Yoga

Community Yoga class with Fairview-based yogi Mary Beth, who teaches a gentle and vinyasa flow.

SU (9/21), 10am, Hickory Nut Gap Farm, 57 Sugar Hollow Rd, Fairview

Sunday Morning Meditation Group

The Sunday Morning Meditation Group will gather for a combination of silent sitting and walking meditation.

SU (9/21), 10am, The Lodge at Quietude, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Free Community Athletic Conditioning Combining strength training, HIIT, plyometrics, kickboxing and step, this class offers a diverse, challenging training experience.

MO (9/22), 8am, YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave

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 (9/22), 10am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Free Community Yoga (Level 2)

A full body movement series to get you poised for an energized day.

TU (9/23), 8:45am, YWCA of Asheville, 185

S French Broad Ave

Qigong for Health & Resilience

This class is an opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to learn traditional Qigong exercises.

TU (9/23), 9am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109 Chair Aerobics

Workout

A well rounded workout that helps reduce the risk of falling, alleviates

joint pain, increases flexibility and range of motion.

TU (9/23), noon, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

Baguazhang Level 1

It is considered a very advanced style of Kung Fu with its complex use of geometry and physics.

TU (9/23), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Training w/Tre for Teens This teen exercise program will help you begin your fitness journey. Pushups, burpees and sit ups are part of the fun.

TU (9/23), 6:15pm, free, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave, Community Yoga & Mindfulness

Free monthly event with Inspired Change Yoga that will lead

you into a morning of breathwork, meditation and yoga.

WE (9/24), 10:30am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Thursday Evening Sound Baths These sound bath sessions focus on nervous system regulation, energetic balance, and seasonal, lunar, and solar alignment.

TH (9/25), 7pm, Ritual Skin and Wellness, 802 Fairview Rd building 3000 Ste 11

SUPPORT GROUPS

Virtual Listening Circle

This free virtual listening circle offers a judgement-free, trauma-informed spaced to gather, reset and reflect-together. Register at avl.mx/f18. WE (9/17, 24), noon, Online

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 (9/17, 24), 6pm, Online

Marijuana Anonymous

Whether you’re exploring sobriety, new to recovery, or have been on this path for a while, you are welcome here.

TH (9/18, 25), 6:30pm, American Legion Post #2, 851 Haywood Rd

Nicotine Anonymous

People share their experience, strength and hope to stop using nicotine. You don’t need to be stopped, just have a desire to attend.

TH (9/18, 25), 4:30pm, Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 1 Kenilworth Knolls Unit 4

Mad Hatter’s Collective: Hearing Voices Network

A group collective that gathers to talk about encounters with visual, tactile, sensational, or fringe experiences with life and the interaction of energy.

TH (9/18, 25), 6pm, 12 Baskets Cafe, 610 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 (9/20), 2pm, First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St

Atheist Meetup

This little Atheist group invites anyone who doesn’t believe in religions to come chat with like-minded people.

SU (9/21), 10am, Earth Fare, 66 Westgate Parkway

Connecting Conversations

Explore conversations built around curiosity, understanding, and openness to develop

stronger connections, to be heard, and to empathize with different viewpoints.

MO (9/22), 12:45pm, Peri Social House, 406 W State St, Black Mountain

DANCE

Open-Level Adult Contemporary Dance (Ages 16+)

Rediscover your love of movement in this drop-in Adult Contemporary class. Blend modern, lyrical, and jazz elements in a supportive, body-positive environment.

WE (9/17), 5:30pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

Latin Night Wednesday w/DJ Mtn Vibez

A Latin dance social featuring salsa, bachata, merengue, cumbia, and reggaeton with dance lessons for all skill levels.

WE (9/17, 24), 8pm, One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd Country Line Dancing w/Kristey

Featuring beginner and advanced classes that’s open to everyone. This event is hosted by Kristey.

WE (9/17, 24), 6pm, Eda’s Hide-a-Way, 1098 New Stock Rd, Weaverville

BMCA Dance: Kids in Motion 2

This class focuses on growing the foundations needed for many dance techniques, including contemporary, ballet, jazz, and lyrical.

TH (9/18), 3:45pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

Being Seen: A Retrospective

A solo retrospective from Constance Schrader that will feature seven pieces that will echo aspects of her relationship to the art of dance from childhood through various opportunities and challenges.

TH (9/18), 7:30pm, Dr Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St

Family Zumba

Get ready to dance, laugh, and get active together. This upbeat, easy-to-follow workout is perfect for all ages and fitness levels.

SU (9/21), 11:15am, Asheville YMCA, 30 Woodfin St

Line Dancing

Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or a beginner, this class promises not only a fun workout but also a celebration of movement.

SU (9/21), 3:15pm, Black Mountain YMCA, 25 Jane Jacobs Rd Black Mountain

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 (9/22), 7:30pm, A-B Tech, 340 Victoria Rd

Open-Level Adult Ballet Class (Ages 16+)

Whether you’re a first-timer or returning to the barre, this class offers physical and emotional benefits through timeless technique.

WE (9/24), 6:30pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

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 (9/25), noon, World Dance Asheville, 1269 Tunnel Rd, Ste F BMCA Dance: Contemporary 3 (Ages 13 - 16)

This class fuses contemporary, modern, lyrical, and jazz styles for diverse dance knowledge.

TH (9/25), 6:45pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

ART

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

Janice Geller: Inner Worlds

An intimate glimpse into artist Janice Geller’s inner life of vivid dreams, inner figures, imaginary portals, hidden recesses of the body and the sumptuous allure of nature. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 10am, and Sunday, noon. Exhibition runs through Sept. 21.

Pink Dog Gallery, 348 Depot St, Asheville

Returning to the Ridge: Blue Ridge Craft Trails Invitational

The exhibit brings together the exceptional talents of 33 artists featured on the Blue Ridge Craft Trails, showcasing the vibrant artistic landscape of Western North Carolina. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 10am. Exhibition through Sept. 28.

Mars Landing Galleries, 37 Library St, Mars Hill Points in Space: Performance

This exhibition will feature visual and timebased artworks that echo BMC’s innovative spirit from 1933 to 1957. BMC was a nexus of avant-garde activity, fostering innovation through collaboration and experiential learning. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through Jan. 10, 2026. Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

Lasting Legacies: Architecture in Asheville by Richard Sharp Smith, Albert Heath Carrier & Douglas D. Ellington

Lasting Legacies shines a spotlight on the contributions of two of the city’s most prominent architectural firms to Asheville’s built environment and artistic spirit in the early decades of the 20th century. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through Jan. 18, 2026.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Couples Paint Night Enjoy a relaxing date night with painting and scrumptious refreshments.

FR (9/19), 6pm, Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton 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

Jillian Marie Browning: Catch & Release

Warren Wilson’s Art and Craft Department is excited to host an exhibition featuring larger than life cyanotypes and installations by interdisciplinary artist, Jillian Marie Browning. Gallery open Monday through Friday, 10am and Saturday, 1pm. Exhibition through Oct. 3. Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Rd, Swannanoa

Elizabeth Alexander: From the Book of Time Alexander recontextualizes objects traditionally associated with domesticity such as wallpaper, upholstered furniture, and porcelain ware, probing at the societal,

historical, and personal meanings embedded within. Gallery open Wednesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through Sept. 27. Tracey Morgan Gallery, 22 London Rd

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

Modern Bestiary: Creatures from the Collection

This exhibition explores the artistic legacy of the medieval bestiary through a selection of animals and fantastic beasts from the Museum’s Collection. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through March 15, 2026. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

COMMUNITY MUSIC

The Age of Aquarius: POSI Musical Variety Show

International performers and recording artists Armand and Angelina bring you an unforgettable evening of music, humor, passion, and love. FR (9/19), 7pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way

Sirens of 1970's Blues & Rock: Celebrating the Music of Bonnie, Etta, Linda, Irma & More

The ruby throated Blues Chanteuse, Peggy Ratusz invite our members to celebrate the music of some of her biggest female Blues & Rock influences from the 1970’s.

ONE

Helene Events

Reception for Asheville Zine Fest

Asheville Zine Fest celebrates a zine made specially for the commemoration of Hurricane Helene. This reception for zine artists will also feature an exhibit of Photos from Helene.

SA (9/20), 5pm, free, Little Animals Space, 31 Carolina Ln

City of Hendersonville Stream Cleanup

The City of Hendersonville’s Stormwater Division, in partnership with Asheville Greenworks, invites community members to help protect and restore our local waterways following Hurricane Helene by participating in a Stream Cleanup.

SA (9/20), 10am, Mud Creek, Hendersonville

Still Here Fest

Still Here Fest is a celebration of the resilience of the Western North Carolina community. Ten of the very best bands our region has to offer will be performing over two day. All proceeds will be donated to Beloved Asheville.

SA (9/20), 8pm, Fleetwood’s, 496 Haywood Rd

A Year of Healing: A Gathering for Grounding, Wellness & Community One Year After Helene

This gathering for grounding, wellness and community will feature house blended herbal teas, 10 minute massages, access to the salt caves, candle lighting and more.

TU (9/23), 11am, Asheville Salt Cave, 16 N Liberty St

The Heart of the Mountains

An evening of stories and conversations about how we’ve helped one another, what we’ve lost, and what we’ve learned as our region continues to recover from

Hurricane Helene.

WE (9/24), 5:30pm, UNC Asheville Highsmith Student Union, 1 University Heights

From Helene to Here w/Root Cause Farm

A community celebration honoring the growth, grit, and generosity that took root after Helene. It will feature music, stories, and craft cocktails.

TH (9/25), 5pm, Cultivated Cocktails Distillery and Tavern, 161 Charlotte Hwy Marquee Take II: Grand Reopening Celebration

The evening begins with a community ceremony honoring the volunteers and neighbors who made this milestone possible. More than 250 local artists will take part in a symbolic procession returning their work to the renewed space.

TH (9/25), 6pm, Marquee Asheville, 36 Foundy St

Swannanoa Valley Museum & Echoes of the Forest Presentation on Helene Recovery

Discover how salvaged Helene-fallen trees are being transformed by local artists and woodworkers into unique works of art. TH (9/25), 6pm, Givens Highland Farms, 200 Tabernacle Rd, Black Mountain

AVL Strong Weekend

One year after Hurricane Helene tore through our lives, we come together as a community to reflect, remember, and give thanks. The evening features music, local food, tributes and community connection. $1 from every pour or bottle sold of AVL Strong will be donated to the Always Asheville Fund.

TH (9/25), 4pm, The Meadow at Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200

FR (9/19), 7:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Momenta Quartet’s Tribute to Stefan Wolpe & John Cage

Momenta Quartet

pays tribute to the groundbreaking musical legacy of Black Mountain College with a program of modernist works by its two most iconic American composers: Stefan Wolpe and John Cage.

SA (9/20), 1pm, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

PERSPECTIVES Artist

Talk: Stereolab

The band will discuss their performance practice and how the legacy of Black Mountain College – including the work of John Cage, Merce Cunningham, and David Tudor – informs their experimental approach.

SA (9/20), 1pm, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

An Evening of Music & Poetry w/Seth Kauffman & Clint Bowman

Local musician Seth Kauffman will be joining Black Mountain poet, Clint Bowman for an evening of music and poetry.

SA (9/20), 5pm, Oak and Grist Distilling Co., 1556 Grovestone Rd, Black Mountain

Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light w/Eric Koskinen

Fresh off a first place win at the 2025 Telluride Bluegrass Band contest, Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light have been captivating audiences throughout the northeast and beyond.

SA (9/20), 6pm, Rare Bird Farm, 91 Duckett Top Tower Rd, Hot Springs

Blair Crimmins & The Hookers

Blair Crimmins and The Hookers bring the magic of 1920s ragtime and Dixieland jazz to

life with a touch of rock and roll.

SA (9/20), 7:30pm, Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S Washington St, Hendersonville

Kat Williams Presents: Motown In Yo' Town

Featuring music from Emmy-nominated artist, finalist on America’s

Got Talent and Asheville’s Jazz and Blues Diva, Kat sings her heart out with a voice that will not quit.

SA (9/20), 7:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Asheville Symphony

Masterworks 1: Eroica

Experience Beethoven’s Third Piano

Concerto with piano legend Emanuel Ax, Beethoven’s Heroic Symphony, and a stirring new commission by Asheville Symphony musician Amber Ferenz honoring the heroes who led us through our darkest hour.

SA (9/20), 8pm, First Baptist Church, 5 Oak St

WNC Pagan Choir: Fall Season

A community choir open to all voices in which everyone sings together to celebrate the magic of the natural world, inspired by folk and pagan traditions of Northwestern Europe.

SU (9/21), 3pm, Weaverville Yoga, 3 Florida Ave, Weaverville

Asheville Jazz Orchestra Big Band Night

The AJO can be heard throughout WNC performing in formal concert settings, on stage at clubs and grooving hard at swing dances.

SU (9/21), 7:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Cello Mania

The program includes exciting and passionate works by Paganini, Martinu, Piatti, and Chopin with South African cellist Jacques-

Pierre Malan and pianist

Daniel Weiser.

TH (9/25), 6:30pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS

Crafting Your Business Plan: Marketing (Part 2)

Attendees will learn how to understand the market for your business—from your customer to your competition, to your own unique value proposition. Register at avl.mx/f2v.

WE (9/17), 10am, Online

Simplify Your Move: A Comprehensive Workshop for Seniors & Their Families

This event, held at the East Asheville Public Library, will provide guidance from professionals on a variety of topics to help make your next transition smooth and stress-free.

WE (9/17), 10:30am, East Asheville Public Library, 3 Avon Rd

Simply Charmed: Drop In Workshop

Choose from more than 60 styles of metal stamps and a variety of jewelers hammers to complete your charm.

WE (9/17), 11am, Ignite Jewelry Studios, 84 Walnut St

Crafting Your Business Plan: Financials (Part 3)

A business plan is a key tool for making your business successful to identify where you excel, where you need to adjust, and where you need support. Register at avl.mx/f2w.

TH (9/18), 10am, Online

Intro to Archery for Adults

Archers learn the basics such as range safety and proper shooting using techniques according to the USA Archery.

TH (9/18), 10:30am, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Native American Flute

Playshop w/Armand & Angelina

For centuries, people have been enchanted by the hypnotic sounds of these gentle, easyto-play instruments. No experience needed.

SU (9/21), 12:30pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way Dealing w/Debt It’s never too late to face your money and make a plan to manage, pay down, or resolve personal debt.

MO (9/22), 3:30pm, OnTrack WNC, 50 S French Broad Ave

Intro to Golf

Whether you’re a beginner or looking to improve your swing, this is a great opportunity for all ages to learn the game at the most beautiful golf courses in the area.

WE (9/24), 1pm, Multiple Locatons, Citywide

Access to Capital

Whether you’re a start-up or interested in growing your business, this workshop is here to guide you through the process to secure a business loan. Register at avl.mx/f3a.

TH (9/25), 11am, Online

Fall Flames: A Soda Candle Making Series

Pour your own custom candle in a Devil’s Foot Soda can. Each session features different scents.

TH (9/25), 4pm, The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd Ste 10

Cooking the Mediterranean Way for Brain Health

Over four weeks, you’ll learn how to prepare quick, healthy meals—everything from hearty stews and vibrant veggie dishes to nutritious desserts.

TH (9/25), 5:30pm, Madison County Cooperative Extension Office, 258 Carolina Ln Marshall

LITERARY

Poetry Open Mic

This open mic welcomes any form of artistic expression from poetry to improv theatre to music to dance.

WE (9/17, 24), 8:30pm, Sovereign Kava, 268 Biltmore Av

Asheville StorySLAM: Themeless

Cook up a five-minute story about the beauty and occasional chaos of saying, Come on in Early mornings, late nights, clopening, or back-to-back doubles.

TH (9/18), 7:30pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave

Juniper Bends Fall Reading

Juniper Bends returns with our fall event, celebrating the Autumn Equinox. It will feature an evening of poetry, fiction, CNF, and music.

FR (9/19), 7pm, Story Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd

Punch Bucket Literary Festival: Opening Night Rapid Reading & Music

Punch Bucket Lit kicks of their 2nd annual literary festival with a rapid reading by featured authors.

FR (9/19), 7pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave

The Magic of Conversations

Linda-Marie Barrett, author of Creating a Salon, will be in conversation with Firestorm collective member and book club host Esmé Joy to discuss the importance of creating spaces for meaningful conversation.

SA (9/20), 3pm, Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd

Vishwas R. Gaitonde Book Launch

Celebrate the release of Vishwas R. Gaitonde's debut story collection, On Earth as It Is in Heaven. Selected by David Heska Wanbli

Weiden as the winner of The Orison Fiction Prize.

SU (9/21), 5pm, Malaprop's Bookstore and Cafe, 55 Haywood St

THEATER & FILM

Bike-In Cinema

A bike-in movie on the lawn, presented by Asheville on Bikes and New Belgium Brewing. This week features the movie Encanto.

TH (9/18), 7pm, New Belgium Brewing Co., 21 Craven St

The Marvelous Wonderettes

A musical trip down memory lane to the 1958 Springfield High School prom where we meet The Wonderettes.

The show follows their lives and loves from prom night to their 10-year reunion.

TH (9/18), FR (9/19),

SA (9/20), SU (9/21), 7:30pm, Tryon Little Theater, 516 S Trade St, Tryon

King Lear

After attempting to divide his kingdom amongst his three daughters, Lear embarks on a ruinous and regenerative path that leads through political strife, familial tempests, and the nature of human condition, eventually plumbing the depths of madness, cruelty, and unassailable loyalty.

FR (9/19), SA (9/20), SU (9/21), 7:30pm, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St

Forks After Dark: Twilight Saga Viewing Party

Grab some snacks, get comfy, and watch the saga unfold with friends. Vampires, werewolves, and all the drama make for the perfect Friday night hangout.

FR (9/19), 5:30pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Miss Julie

The plot of the drama revolves around the titular Countess of a large estate in Sweden and her dangerous flirtation with her father’s valet, John.

FR (9/19), SA (9/20), 7:30pm, SU (9/21), 2:30pm, Attic Salt Theatre, The Mills at Riverside, 2002 Riverside Dr, Ste 42-O

Yasmina Reza: Art

A translation of a French-language play, Art is set in Paris and revolves around a discussion between three friends, Serge, Marc and Yvan.

FR (9/19), SA (9/20), 7:30pm, SU (9/21), 2pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

What's My Lyric?

10 local theater, improv and performance artists from WNC will take your ad libbed suggestions for lyrics and put them into your favorite 80s songs. Dress up in your favorite 80s attire. SU (9/21), 6pm, Urban Orchard, 24 Buxton Ave Community Improv Jam

Misfit Improv group leads a jam where everybody gets a chance to play. All are welcome from newbies to vets.

TH (9/25), 7pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

The Times of Our Lives: Personal Stories from the Heart

Four local storytellers share their personal experiences that will make you both laugh and cry, just like life. Free with donations.

TH (9/25), 7pm, Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lakeshore Dr, Weaverville

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS

We Are the Ones

An open discussion group about the power of love that explores and draws from powerful teachings of Science of Mind and the heartfelt message of Karen Drucker's song, We Are the Ones.

WE (9/17), 3pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way

Southside Cyber Wednesday

Dive into the exciting world of e-sports and gaming with friends and neighbors with two powerful PlayStation 5 consoles.

WE (9/17), 6pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Mindful Stretching

Take a pause from chaos and reconnect with your body through this program designed to gently release tension, improve flexibility, and calm the nervous system through guided sessions.

WE (9/17), 6:15pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Facilitation Lab Asheville w/Joran Oppelt & Voltage Control Practice facilitation, get feedback, and leave with fresh insights, confidence, and skills in a fun, hands-on, supportive space.

WE (9/17), 6:30pm, Self Help Credit Union Building, 34 Wall St, Ste 307A-B

What the Heck Are You Saying to Yourself?

Learn about destructive power of negative self-beliefs and how you can transform them with Gin Oman, RScP.

WE (9/17), 6:30pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way

Reconnecting Through Hard Times

In this 1-hour virtual training you’ll gain an understanding of how hard times affect us all, and what to do or say for others when it matters most. Register at avl.mx/f0s.

TH (9/, 25), noon, Online

Swannanoa Valley Museum Haunted History Tour of Downtown Black Mountain Visitors will learn about the humorous, haunting and harrowing history of the Swannanoa Valley while being visited by some of its most famous spirits. FR (9/19), 7pm, Swan-

nanoa Valley Museum & History Center, 223 W State St, Black Mountain Tours of St. John in the Wilderness

The guided tours of the church and churchyard (cemetery) are led by church docents. Learn about their history with lead docent Polly Morrice.

SA (9/20), 11am, The Episcopal Church of St John in the Wilderness, 1895 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock

Safeguarding Your Genealogy: Protecting and Preserving Before It’s Too Late Barbara will discuss strategies for digitizing and backing up family records, creating a Genealogy Grab-and-Go Bag for emergencies, appointing a Genealogy Guardian and more. Register at avl.mx/9ey.

SA (9/20), 2pm, Online Craft Class for Older Adults

This delightful series guides participants to create charming fall decorations including leaf garlands and pumpkin centerpieces.

MO (9/22), 1pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave, Tech Time w/Becca Becca guides you through the ever-changing digital world, one topic at a time to explore the latest technology and apps that make everyday tasks easier.

TU (9/23), 3pm, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

City of Asheville Pool Design Open House

This may be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring a new pool to West Asheville, so seize that power and think about the features and activities you and future community members want to enjoy.

TU (9/23), 5pm, W Asheville Park, 198 Vermont Ave

Docent Led Tours

See beautiful and interesting plants, delicious vegetables, native plants for beauty and pollinator interest.

WE (9/24), 10am, Buncombe County Cooperative Extension Center, 49 Mount Carmel Rd, Ste 102

IBN Biz Lunch: West Asheville

All are invited to attend and promote their business, products, and services, and meet new referral contacts.

WE (9/24), noon, Yao, 153 Smoky Park Hwy

RSAA's Lunch N' Learn Series

An engaging lunch N' Learn exploring the power of Black resilience, self-determination, and care in the ongoing fight for equity

Lunch & Learn

KNOWLEDGE IS ON THE MENU THURS., OCTOBER 23RD • 11AM-1PM

Reimagining retirement has never been easier. Come enjoy a presentation about Givens Gerber Park: a more affordable rental retirement option (55+) and enjoy lunch on us. Monthly fees are all-inclusive based on income. RSVP required.

and liberation.

WE (9/24), 12:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

MBSR Fall Course Info Session

A systematic and rigorous 8-week course designed to help you take better care of yourself by understanding the mind-body connection.

WE (9/24), 6pm, Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 Church St

Southside Cyber

Wednesday

Dive into the exciting world of e-sports and gaming with friends and neighbors with two powerful PlayStation 5 consoles.

WE (9/24), 6pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Tarot Community Circle

Each week we will cover different topics, so every class will provide new information. Bring a deck based on the system of the Rider Waite Smith tarot.

WE (9/24), 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.

TH (9/25), 10am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

IBN Biz Lunch: Woodfin

All are invited to attend and promote their business, products, and services, and meet new referral contacts.

TH (9/25), noon, The Village Porch, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 113

GAMES & CLUBS

Asheville Board Game Club Meet-Up

Featuring a wide variety of tabletop games—from light party games to deep strategy favorites.

WE (9/17, 24), 5:30pm, Well Played, 162 Coxe Ave, Ste 101

Senior Games Track & Field Club

Practice sprints, starts, and jumps or just get some exercise around the city’s brand new track.

TH (9/18), 1pm, Memorial Stadium

Cornhole Tournament

Toss like a boss, throw like a pro, grab a sac and a partner, and let the games begin.

FR (9/19), 2pm, Grove St Community Center, 36 Grove St, Labor Strike Game Night

In this social deception game, players take on the role of striking miners during the coal wars. But beware!

Some of your fellows are secretly agents of the company.

FR (9/19), 6pm, Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd

Mothership: Sci-fi

Horror RPG

Explore derelict spacecraft, unravel ancient mysteries, and confront grotesque alien entities. Work together to solve intricate puzzles, scavenge vital resources, and make crucial decisions that determine your fates.

SA (9/20), 12:30pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Bid Whist

Make bids, call trumps, and win the tricks every Saturday with your community.

SA (9/20), 1pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Weekly Sunday Scrabble!

If you like Wordle, Boggle, Words with Friends or Scrabble online, this club may be a good fit for you.

SU (9/21), 1:30pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Afternoon Bocce League

Players of all ages can compete with friends and family to roll, learn, and claim victory in this new league.

MO (9/22), 2pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson 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 (9/22), 6pm, Sovereign Kava, 268 Biltmore Ave

Pool Night

Every Monday night with a $5 buy in. Must be signed up by 7 p.m. MO (9/22), 6:30pm, Eda’s Hide-a-Way, 1098 New Stock Rd, Weaverville

Music Bingo w/ Spencer

Bring your friends to Taproom Tuesdays featuring Music Bingo with Spencer and rotating food trucks.

TU (9/23), 6pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy #200

Neighborhood Strollers Walking Club

Socialize and get moving on the paved outdoor loop around the park at Crump Shiloh Center.

TU (9/23), 6pm, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

Neighborhood Strollers Walking Club Meet at Crump Shiloh Center and head to

local neighborhoods to connect with each other while walking and enjoying a change of scenery.

WE (9/24), 10am, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

KID-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS

Tiny Tykes Play Dates

Open play for toddlers to explore bikes, balls, inflatables, and climbing structures.

WE (9/17), 10am, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Little Kids Kung Fu (Ages 5-7)

This class builds a solid foundation through playing Kung Fu games while building HandEye-Foot coordination as well as listening skills.

WE (9/17), 3pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Family Story Time

A fun and interactive story time designed for children ages 18 months to 3 years.

WE (9/17, 24), 10:30am, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain

Baby Storytime

A lively language enrichment story time designed for children ages 4 to 18 months.

TH (9/18, 25), 10:30am, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain

Toddler Takeover Bring your toddler out to local parks on Thursday mornings in September for fun themed activities to stimulate creativity and motor skills.

TH (9/18), 10:30am, Malvern Hills Park, 75 Rumbough Pl

APR Afterschool

Discovery Den

Featuring mix of cooking, pottery, music, digital arts, STEM, and more for kids to explore their creativity, learn new skills, and make friends in a lively and engaging environment.

TH (9/18, 25), 2:30pm, Grove St Community Center, 36 Grove St

Tiny Tykes

Offering a variety of activities during playtime for toddlers to explore different aspects of learning while having fun.

FR (9/19), 10am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

School’s Out Park

Days School’s out or early dismissal? Head to your local park for seasonal arts and craft activities.

FR (9/19), 1pm, Jake Rusher Park, 160 Sycamore Dr, Arden

Petite Picassos

Designed to spark imagination and foster a love of art in young children through engaging activities, toddlers explore different art techniques and materials.

MO (9/22), 10am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Dr. Grant Gym Rats

A fun and active P.E. program specifically for homeschooled students.

MO (9/22), 11:45am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Tiny Tykes Obstacle Course

Bring your bike and helmet and enjoy a fun morning exploring a pint size bike course.

TU (9/23), 10am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Toddler Takeover

Bring your toddler out to local parks on Thursday mornings in September for fun themed activities to stimulate creativity and motor skills.

TH (9/25), 10:30am, West Asheville Park, 198 Vermont Ave Kids & Teens Xing Yi Learn complete systems of Xing Yi, Baguazhang, and Taiji, including weapons and sparring as optional classes.

TH (9/25), 4pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

LOCAL MARKETS

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 (9/17, 24), 3pm, Leicester Community Center, 2979 New Leicester Hwy, Leicester

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 (9/17, 24), 3pm, AB Tech, 24 Fernihurst Dr

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 (9/17, 24), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr Weaverville 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 (9/18), 9am, Bloom

WNC Flower Farm, 806 N Fork Rd, Black Mountain

Enka-Candler Farmer’s Market

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 (9/18, 25), 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 flowers, and more.

TH (9/18, 25), 3pm, Biltmore Park Town Square, Town Square Blvd

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 (9/19), 3pm, Groce United Methodist Church, 954 Tunnel Rd

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 (9/20), 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 (9/20), 8am, , 275 Edgewood Rd

Asheville City Market

A producer-only market featuring local food products, including

fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread, pastries, and other artisan products. Every Saturday through December.

SA (9/20), 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 (9/20), 9am, 130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Swannanoa Farmers Market

This market will feature farm-fresh produce, local honey, eggs, baked goods, and delicious eats. You'll also find handmade jewelry, artwork, fiber crafts, wooden utensils, yard art, apothecary essentials, and more.

SA (9/20), 9am, 216 Whitson Ave, 216 Whitson Ave, Swannanoa

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 (9/20), 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

Honky Tonk Flea

Discover unique antique treasures, vintage gems, and handmade goods while listening to the best honky tonk vinyls.

SU (9/21), 11am, Eda's Hide-a-Way, 1098 New Stock Rd, Weaverville Junk-O-Rama Vintage Market

Browse vintage clothing vendors, local crafters, antiques and more.

SU (9/21), noon, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd

Magical Market

Stock up on magical supplies in the shop, browse the market of local vendors, pet some panthers in the cat lounge, and finish your day off with an intuitive

reading.

SU (9/21), noon, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 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 (9/21), 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 (9/23), 3:30pm, West Asheville Tailgate Market, 718 Haywood Rd

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS

WNCCHS Hiring Open House

Explore open positions, connect with the team, and take the first step toward a rewarding career in community health care. Interviews and same-day offers available for select roles.

TH (9/18), 4pm, Minnie Jones Health Center, 257 Biltmore Ave

Rhythm & Brews Concert Series w/ Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast

These free outdoor shows will bring all the excitement downtown on the third Thursday of each month, complete with craft beverages, food trucks, vendors and a fun-filled Kids Zone. Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast will be bringing their powerhouse soul rock sound.

TH (9/18), 5;30pm, Downtown Hendersonville South Main St

M.A.G.M.A. Land of the Sky Gem Show

The gem show will feature 20 indoor vendors and 20 outdoor vendors with everything from affordable treasures to the finest gems and minerals in the Southeast. Browse minerals, crystals, handcrafted jewelry, fossils, artifacts and more.

FR (9/19), SA (9/20), 9am, SU (9/21), 10am, Land of Sky Shrine Club, 39 Spring Cove Rd, Swannanoa 1st Annual WNC Recovery Rally

This event brings all of WNC together for break stigma, uplift voices, connect resources and highlight recovery in WNC. It will feature live music, food trucks, inspiring

speakers, resource booths and more.

FR (9/19), 1pm, 1 South Pack Square Park

Girl’s Night Out: Sex & The City Cosmo Release Party

Whether you’re a Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, or Charlotte, it’s time to dress up, drink Cosmos, and toast to friendship, fashion, and fabulousness.

FR (9/19), 7pm, The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd Ste 10

WNC Run/Walk for Autism Family-friendly event featuring 5K Run/Walk, one-mile fun run, music, a children's play area, and vendor fair.

SA (9/20), 8am, Bill Moore Community Park, 85 Howard Gap Rd, Fletcher Healing Arts Festival

This festival will feature how music, film, storytelling, and the healing arts initiates recovery, resilience, and renewal. Visit avl.mx/f38 for the full list of programs.

SA (9/20), SU (9/21), MO (9/22), TU (9/23), WE (9/24), TH (9/25), 8:30am, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Asheville Radio Museum 5th Annual Vintage Radio Market

The museum and vendors from near and far will offer many kinds of restored and restorable vintage radios, parts, accessories and books.

SA (9/20), 9am, A-B Tech Campus, 16 Fernihurst Dr Weaverville's Art in Autumn Stroll down Main Street and discover over 100 juried artists and craftspeople showcasing fine art, unique handmade goods, and creative treasures.

SA (9/20), 10am, Main Street Weaverville, 1 South Main St, Weaverville Clawtoberfest

A day packed with festive fun, delicious food, and unforgettable entertainment at Highland’s Annual Clawtoberfest. Stop by for German eats, Oktoberfest games, live music, and a craft market.

SA (9/20), 11am, The Meadow at Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200 Mountain Mayhem Renaissance Festival

First annual renaissance festival that will feature full contact medieval combat, live music, dusk fire spinning show, vendors, turkey legs and fair food from Toasted and Sauced and more.

SA (9/20), 11:30am, Mills River Brewing Co., 336 Banner Farm Rd, Mills River

ASAP's 2025 Farm Tour

ASAP's annual Farm Tour is a chance to experience how food is grown and raised through guided tours, demonstrations, and tastings.

SA (9/20), noon, ASAP Office, 306 West Haywood St

Bilbo's Birthday Party: A Hobbit Party

Celebrate Bilbo Baggins' 135th Birthday with a full-on Hobbit Party. It will feature a Ren Faire Market, live music to keep the merriment going, a true Hobbit feast, birthday cake and more.

SA (9/20), noon, The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd Ste 10

Antique Car Show

As part of the opening weekend of the exhibition Lasting Legacies, see a collection of automobiles that would have roamed the city’s streets during the early decades of the 20th century.

SA (9/20), 1pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Dog Pawty & Adoption Day

Asheville Parks & Recreation and Mountain Pet Rescue host a special pawty featuring refreshments, music, visiting neighbors and their four-legged friends.

SA (9/20), 1pm, Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton St

Oktoberfest w/Reedy River String Band

From September through October, enjoy steins, pretzels, and plenty of polka-inspired fun while the bands keep the party going.

SA (9/20), 2pm, Wicked Weed Brewing, 91 Biltmore Ave

Oktoberfest w/Todd Cecil & Dirt Yard Choir

From September through October, enjoy steins, pretzels, and plenty of polka-inspired fun while the bands keep the party going.

SA (9/20), 2pm, The Funkatorium, 147 Coxe Ave

International Day of Peace: Act Now for a Peaceful World

The Asheville Art Museum and students from Asheville School celebrates the International Day of Peace with activities to inform, involve, and inspire the community in moving towards peace.

SU (9/21), 11:30am, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

The Asheville Business Summit

This summit is a place for entrepreneurs, innovators and change-makers to gather, learn, grow and lead with purpose. It aims to meet challenges, rebuild stronger post-crisis, and shape the future of business

in our mountain region and beyond.

TU (9/23), 9am, Wortham Center For The Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave

2025 WNC Seed & Plant Swap

Find seeds, plants, and related products for swap or purchase, and enjoy demonstrations and workshops, inspiring story shares, and plenty of opportunities to learn.

TH (9/25), 3pm, Stephen's Lee Community Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave No Water, No Beer

Learn more about the value of clean water and some of the amazing things local utilities and non-profit organizations are doing to ensure water quality is maintained.

TH (9/25), 5pm, Burial Beer Co. Forestry Camp Taproom, 10 Shady Oak Dr

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING

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 (9/18), 9am, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Beer & Hymns w/Kris Bartman Beer and Hymns brings people together to raise a glass and a voice while raising funds for organizations that change the world. This show will benefit Black Mountain Counseling Center.

MO (9/22), 7pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Save UNCA Woods Benefit Show

This show is a benefit for Friends of the Woods, a group of concerned citizens, students, UNCA faculty, neighbors, and more who are committed to the preservation of this precious urban forest. It will feature music Leah Song Project, Wild Root and David Earl Tomlinson.

MO (9/22), 7pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave WILD Social

This social will feature special guest appearance from local meadowscape business, Patchwork Meadows. Plus, a portion of food and drink sales will support our Swannanoa Valley WILD.

TH (9/25), 6pm, Terra Nova Beer Co - Swannanoa, 204 Whitson Ave, Swannanoa

Sound decisions

New radio documentary chronicles lessons learned from Helene

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

earnaudin@mountainx.com

David Weintraub thought he was done making documentaries. But like a far more benevolent Michael Corleone, just when he thought he was out, Tropical Storm Helene pulled him back in.

Noting that nonprofit filmmaking is “a labor of love,” the executive director of the Flat Rock-based Center for Cultural Preservation is also up front about it being an exhausting process. To remain solvent, he’d been handling everything from the camera work to the editing as well as fundraising and marketing himself.

“I knew I needed some time off to reflect on where I was needed next,” Weintraub says. “But as Helene unfolded, tens of thousands began viewing the old videos I created about the Great Flood of 1916 [in his 2016 documentary Come Hell or High Water]. Hundreds commented that they realized that Helene was not a one-off but an ongoing pattern here in the mountains. It was clear people really wanted to better understand this history and how they could be better prepared.”

The result is “From Helene and Back — Nature’s Wakeup Call,” a onehour radio documentary that debuts on WNCW 88.7 FM on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 9 p.m. — mere days before the oneyear anniversary of the storm’s arrival.

AUDIO OR VISUAL?

Since Weintraub has been studying major floods in the Southern Appalachians for 20 years, he realized he was well-suited to tell this story and give some context to Western North Carolina’s collective Helene experience. But he first had to suppress his instinct to tell visual stories — which proved easy once the area's internet service was restored and images of flooding and destruction dominated TV and social media.

“Seeing how many sacred places were lost and noting the tragedy that our region endured, the last thing I wanted to do is interfere with first responders doing their job, and it made me sick seeing the destruction,” he says. “My first impulse is usually to pick up a camera — or five. But I couldn’t do it. Nor could I imagine searching for people who lost everything and then sticking a camera in their face so I could ‘get the story.’”

Contemptuous of disaster tourism or telling stories on the backs of those most in need — “That’s voyeurism, not storytelling,” he says — Weintraub instead watched and listened, trying to help his neighbors the best he could while waiting for the mud to clear. As 2024 wound down, he realized that an all-audio project was the proper way to approach this natural disaster without inundating survivors with visual trauma. He then put the word out that he was collecting stories about people’s Helene experiences.

“Between hearing back from storm survivors and recontacting interviewees from my 1916 flood film, I started to build an archive of flood stories,” Weintraub says. “Predictably, people whose families went through the Great Flood of 1916 did OK in Helene. Most were inconvenienced by the storm, but few were in harm’s way because they learned well that nature’s fury takes its toll worse in floodplains and slopes with a long history of debris flows. They were prepared to weather the storm and stay out of vulnerable areas.”

Because Weintraub depended upon survivors to reach out to him, he didn’t experience resistance from interviewees. And since there are many knowledgeable experts who understand Helene was a weather pattern that happens every 20-30 years here, he reached out to meteorologists, landslide and flood experts, emergency managers, policymakers and Cherokee elders.

“What I was definitely not going to do was to contact people cold and force them to relive their trauma,” he says. “The folks I interviewed, survivors and experts alike, were not only not hesitant to talk, they wanted to tell their story. They wanted people to better understand what their friends and neighbors went through and what we could learn from this storm.”

So numerous were the epiphanies that came from these interviews that Weintraub wishes he had eight hours to use, rather than merely a 60-minute radio program. From Cherokee elder Davy Arch, he learned the long view of storms and tragedies the tribe faced going back 13,000 years — “Which really put Helene in context,” Weintraub says. And from a disaster response nurse, he learned the importance of self-care and being present for others.

Landslide and flood experts taught the documentarian that storms like Helene have been ever-present in WNC throughout recorded history and that geologists have found evidence of them for millions of years. Lastly, from survivors, he learned that sometimes it takes a disaster to understand whom you can truly count on — and that sometimes reliability comes from sources that you least expect.

BROADCAST NEWS

In finding a local radio partner for “From Helene and Back,” Weintraub teamed back up with WNCW. He previously worked with the station’s former music director Kim Clark to adapt Come Hell or High Water as a radio documentary. And several years ago, Weintraub adapted A Great American Tapestry, his film about Appalachian music history, to radio on WNCW

“When I approached Joe Kendrick, WNCW’s director of programming,

about the idea of a Helene radio doc, WNCW was very excited to partner on this project,” he says. “I appreciate their desire to connect music to contemporary issues, so it was a match made in heaven.”

As the broadcast date and Helene anniversary near, Weintraub is especially mindful of humanity’s penchant for ignoring history and allowing it to repeat itself. He and many other area residents vividly remember the destruction that hurricanes Frances and Ivan brought to the Asheville area in 2004 and how it didn’t take long for real estate signs to go back up and for people to rebuild in the same spots where floods and landslides occurred.

“We have short memories, and the real estate industry plays on that to convince us that all of this is just ‘old history,’” he says. “And of course, there are always new people who move here who don’t take the time to learn from their neighbors because we’re all too focused on looking at our screens to realize that there’s such a wealth of information right next door. I made this radio documentary because Helene is still fresh in our minds, and I’m hopeful that this time we won’t forget and move on.”

Weintraub will certainly not forget — but after “From Helene and Back,” is he ready to move on from documentaries? He says that had he been asked about his plans six months ago, he’d have said he’s done.

“But documentary filmmaking is about truth telling. Despite having so many sources of content out there, much of it is noise and distraction that does little to put our world into context. That’s what the documentarian does,” he says. “I’m definitely taking a break from filmmaking, but I can’t say I’ve hung up my camera forever. There are still so many stories to tell.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/ap5. X

REAL TALK: David Weintraub, left, interviews Cherokee elder Davy Arch for the radio documentary "From Helene and Back – Nature’s Wakeup Call." Photo by Rachel Quinn

Voicing concerns

Asheville restaurant and farm leaders talk recovery needs

BY BRIONNA DALLARA

bdallara@mountainx.com

With the one-year milestone of Tropical Storm Helene approaching, local restaurant industry leaders gathered for a roundtable discussion at The Market Place restaurant on Sept. 5 to share firsthand accounts of insurance disputes, lingering impacts of lost revenue from the storm and concerns about the area’s changing foodscape.

National culinary arts nonprofit the James Beard Foundation organized the event to help connect local restaurants and farms with policymakers as part of the foundation’s Climate Solutions for Restaurant Survival campaign. The effort mobilizes chefs and hospitality leaders across the country to push for policies that protect small businesses from climate disasters and

support long-term sustainability for the restaurant industry.

ECONOMIC LOSSES

Across Western North Carolina, 96% of small businesses were affected by Helene, with $188 million in reported losses, according to Mountain BizWorks’ 2025 Local Business Impact survey, When the data was released in July, 86% still reported earning less than before the storm.

Economic harm accounts for 20% — a total of $12 billion — of total Helene damages. And the vast majority of the economic impact is from loss of revenue, said Alex Campbell, a public policy analyst at the N.C. Budget and Tax Center who focuses on climate-related spending.

Yet less than 5% of the total state funding allocated for Helene recovery has benefited small businesses to address that lost revenue, Campbell said, adding that the greatest needs for small businesses are grants and forgivable loans.

Since Helene, Dogwood Health Trust, the Duke Endowment and the State of North Carolina have distributed $55 million in recovery grants to more than 2,000 businesses in WNC. Scott Elliot, deputy director for engagement at the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC), said N.C. Gov. Josh Stein’s office is working to include more small-business grants in the state budget.

In Stein’s 2025-26 budget proposal, he recommends expanding Dogwood Health Trust Partnership’s forgivable loan program with loan amounts up to $75,000 each and increasing Helene Business Recovery Grants to as much as $100,000.

Elliot also said plans for economic and commercial district revitalization are baked into Stein’s Helene Action Plan, which outlines how to spend $1.4 billion in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) relief funds.

Both Campbell and Elliot noted that passage of a new state budget — which would include additional Helene relief funds — has been held up by the N.C. General Assembly. They encouraged attendees to call their senators about the delay.

INSURANCE WOES

Chef Eric Gabrynowicz, senior vice president of culinary and beverage for

MORE SUPPORT: Scott Elliot, deputy director of engagement at the Governor's Recovery Office for WNC, recently told a room of local restaurant industry leaders that the governor’s office is advocating for more small-business grants and forgivable loans. Photo by Brionna Dallara

Tupelo Honey, voiced frustration and concern about dealing with insurance companies. After Helene, he said, his business received less than 30% of the insurance payout he believed the restaurant’s coverage should have provided.

“In a time of trauma, which that was, the amount of fighting that we had to do to advocate for us was unbelievably time-consuming,” Gabrynowicz recalled.

Elliot responded that the governor’s office is advocating for state-level policy change to help support businesses with insurance claims in the wake of disasters. He also noted that the governor’s office can provide businesses with documentation of infrastructure interruptions such as road closures.

The office encourages business owners to contact the N.C. Department of Insurance for help when insurance companies put up unnecessary roadblocks, Elliott added.

Vanesssa Salamo, co-owner of Corner Kitchen in Biltmore Village and a member of the Historic Biltmore Village Association, asked about the possibility of creating a national business interruption insurance program, similar to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program.

“As our climate gets warmer, it just would make sense to have something like that go through the private insurance companies,” Salamo said.

GROW NC adviser and former N.C. Secretary of Commerce Sharon Decker responded that discussions are happening at the national and state levels about forming such a program.

SUPPORTING AGRICULTURE

William Dissen, owner of The Market Place restaurant, said Asheville has long been a utopia for eating local,

with vibrant, interconnected restaurant and farming communities. But that landscape has shifted significantly in the year since Helene.

“I’m wondering if there are ways that the government also can indirectly help restaurants by helping support local farms [survive] the losses they’ve endured in the last year,” Dissen said.

Decker highlighted the work of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP), which helps create and expand markets for local food in WNC. Since April, the organization has worked to distribute nearly $200 million in financial assistance to area farmers through its Ag Disaster Crop Loss Program. The N.C. General Assembly will also dole out $25 million for its Ag Disaster Crop Loss Program, Decker said.

But some WNC farms have yet to receive any relief, said Jamie Ager, owner of Hickory Nut Gap Farm and a candidate for the N.C. 11th Congressional District seat. He asked why the process is taking so long.

Decker had no answer for him but noted that public dollars funneled into a private entity that orchestrates a grant program seems to be the quickest way to send out relief funds.

As for individuals, the best way to help both restaurants and farmers in WNC is to “put your money where your fork is,” said Dissen. The chef told Xpress that this summer was the slowest The Market Place has had since he bought it from founder Mark Rosenstein in 2009. (The restaurant opened in 1979.)

“Get to your local farmers market, go support a local bakery, find an artisan producer making cheese or fermented products or value-added products, sauces and condiments,” Dissen said. “Go eat at a restaurant like The Market Place. Those choices affect the local economy and the people who live here in the community.” X

Capable of anything

BY BILL KOPP

bill@musoscribe.com

Ben Folds has always enjoyed defying expectations. The band he led for many years, Ben Folds Five, was a trio, not a quintet. And while the Winston-Salem native is no comedy act, a sense of humor informs his emotionally rich, supremely melodic works, music he once characterized as “punk rock for sissies.”

Having conquered multiple musical forms and media, these days he seamlessly blends his rock sensibilities with orchestral accompaniment. Joined by the Asheville Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Darko Butorac, Folds comes to the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium on Friday, Oct. 10.

Folds’ artistry has long extended beyond alt-rock. An enthusiastic collaborator, he has worked with Amanda Palmer, Nick Hornby, William Shatner and others. He has composed for soundtracks, including the brand-new Peanuts special, Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical He has ventured into acting and served as a judge on an NBC talent competition, “The Sing-Off.” He hosted a podcast, and he’s a published author (2019’s A Dream About Lightning Bugs: A Life of Music and Cheap Lessons).

In 2005, Folds began a series of collaborations with symphony orchestras in Australia and the U.S. His 2015 Concerto for Piano and Orchestra took the top spot on two Billboard charts. The success of those ventures led him further into that world. In 2019, he took on the role of artistic adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) at Washington, D.C.’s, Kennedy Center. But early in his second term as president, Donald Trump purged the Kennedy Center board, replacing them with like-minded acolytes.

Folds immediately resigned his position with the NSO. If he had stayed on, he explains, “I was going to have to be a pawn and stand behind [Trump] while he talks.” Moreover, Folds says he believes that Trump’s close involvement would discourage quality artists from performing at the Kennedy Center.

REIMAGINING CLASSICS

Prior to his departure, Folds released Ben Folds Live with the

Ben Folds meets the Asheville Symphony Orchestra

National Symphony Orchestra. The album is drawn from two autumn 2024 performances at the Kennedy Center. The 14-track album features reimagined arrangements of classics from Folds’ catalog plus new works written for orchestra.

For Folds, there’s no line between the two forms. “It’s all part of the same thing,” he says.

Folds has heard that some listeners prefer the new, orchestral versions of songs like “Still Fighting It,” originally written and recorded for his solo debut, 2001’s Rockin’ the Suburbs. He calls it “a great surprise.”

As music director for the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, Butorac will be conducting when Folds joins them onstage on Oct. 10. It won’t be the first time the two men have worked together.

“Coming out of the pandemic, Ben was about to tour with some newer pieces that he had written,” Butorac recalls. “I was music director of the Tallahassee Symphony at that time, and we were the first orchestra on the tour. It was such a treat!”

Performing with an orchestra is freeing for Folds, but perhaps not in the way one might expect. “I’ve played with so many orchestras that I now know not to play everything,” he says.

That sometimes catches his collaborators off guard. “A lot of times the conductor asks for more of my piano in his hot spot [monitor speaker],” Folds explains. “I’m sitting there going, ‘Dude, I’m not even playing! You can turn it up if you want to.’”

ROLLING WITH THE CURVEBALLS

Spontaneity can figure into the orchestral performances. Folds recalls a recent performance of the song “Kristine from the 7th Grade.” One part of his score calls for the cellists to play staccato: short, detached notes with silence between them. “But they all decided to bow it, to play it legato (smooth, continuous notes),” Folds says. “Suddenly, I had to interpret the next line differently than I would have. And I don’t mind those kind of curveballs.”

Butorac feels the same way. “The opportunity for improvisation — as we would find in popular music — is not always present” in an orchestral context, he concedes. “But individual expression takes place within the parameters that are on the page. So even with the most scripted perfor-

mance material, the individuality of the musicians comes through.”

While readily acknowledging Folds’ compositional skills, Butorac says that in his view, “Ben’s biggest genius is [in] his lyrics. His words are touching; they connect with audiences on a deep, personal level.” And that connection affects the orchestral musicians onstage, too.

“For all these songs that we do with him, the music is tied into the lyric,” he says. “And it supports the lyric. That’s where the expression is geared.”

Making Live with the National Symphony Orchestra was an exciting endeavor for Folds. “We had two [nights] to do everything,” he says, emphasizing that most modern postproduction “fixes” aren’t possible on orchestral recordings. “It holds your feet to the fire of being in the moment.”

Folds believes that there’s a wisdom greater than a musician’s studio editing skills. In performance, “if there’s a bad moment, the next moment recovers, and that tells a story. It’s pretty cool.”

Popular thinking often holds that rock musicians are edgy while orchestral players are comparatively stiff and uptight. Folds isn’t having it. “With an orchestra, you're trying to get 80 people on the same page,” he explains. “It’s the most rough-and-tumble music you’ll ever see played!” X

WHAT Ben Folds with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra WHERE Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, 87 Haywood St., avl.mx/f2b WHEN Friday, Oct. 10, 8 p.m. $56.50 +

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE: Ben Folds has moved beyond the confines of alt-rock, combining his compositional skills with orchestral arrangements. He performs with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra on Oct. 10. Photo by Alysse Gafkjen

modern vegan cuisine, biodynamic wine, local beer, and cocktails in an intimate setting with a seasonal patio. reservations recommended with first-come bar seating 828-258-7500

165 merrimon avenue plantisfood.com

233 S Liberty St pulpandsprout.com (828) 412-5701 visit our breakfast/ lunch sibling restaurant

Survival of the friendliest

Zillacoah’s return highlights humanity's ability to cooperate, coordinate, collaborate

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. Want to read about their last visit? Rye Knot? Visit avl.mx/eyh.

As the crew assembled at Zillicoah Beer Co., hugs and high-fives abounded. The vibe was something akin to soldiers’ return from war: joyous, celebratory, victorious, yet also achingly aware of those who didn’t make it. Feelings bubbled up as big, beautiful and dangerous as the French Broad River — currently quiet — flowing beside us.

The brewery launched on Riverside Drive in October 2017. Its proximity to the river proved devastating during Tropical Storm Helene. Zillicoah reopened in late August, nearly a year after the storm hit. A few weeks later, the Year in Beer crew stopped by.

My mind was stewing on evolution and the way it’s too often couched in deadly phrases like “survival of the fittest.” Images may come to mind of predators versus prey and alphas versus omegas — what Alfred Lord Tennyson refers to as “nature, red in tooth and claw.” But that’s only a sliver of the scientific story. In truth, evolution, especially that of our own species, is far more about cooperation than competition.

Hear me out. I’ll talk about the beer in a minute. Humans are essentially a mostly hairless ape with no clear offensive or defensive capabilities. No horns, stingers or pinchers. No scales, shells or quills.

What we do have is the ability to cooperate, to coordinate, to collaborate. That’s what’s allowed our weird little species to survive and thrive for the last 300,000 years — through ice ages, famines and pandemics. And it’s still what keeps us afloat.

We’re coming up on the anniversary of Tropical Storm Helene, which calls to mind the utter devastation that struck our community: the lives and livelihoods taken from us; the lack of power, water and communication; the terror of all major roads in and out of town being closed; the distrust caused by the sad souls who looted and hoarded; the pit-in-the-stomach feeling when

YEAR BINEER

STRONGER TOGETHER: During the Year in Beer crew's recent visit to Ziilicoah Beer Co.’s taproom, about two-thirds of the beers were collaborations with other local breweries. Pictured is bartender Johnny Rico. Photo by Christopher Arbor

witnessing what has appropriately been identified as a geological event.

But that’s not the whole story. Many people know the trauma responses of fight or flight. Recent studies have also illuminated two more: freeze and friend. And — my goodness, folks — we leaned heavily into that last one during Helene, coming together in beautiful and unexpected ways.

People who lived next door to one another for years met for the first time as they removed trees from their driveways. Local businesses became distribution centers. Strangers came in from out of town with supplies and strong backs. Many people were at their best when times were at their worst.

In community, the losses are felt collectively. By my count, at least four breweries have shuttered due to Helene — either due to direct damage or economic fallout. Each absence hurts us all.

Conversely, in community, gains are achieved collectively. Looking over the tap list at Zillicoah, two-thirds of the beers are collaborations with old friends: Burial Beer Co., Terra Nova Beer Co., Diatribe Brewing Co., Black Mountain Brewing, Riverside Rhapsody Beer Co. and The River Arts District Brewing Co. They’re not competitors. They’re collaborators. They came together to take care of one of their own.

My friends, floodwaters don’t discriminate, but a high tide can still lift us all. 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.

• Sept. 17: Appalachian Mountain Brewery Taproom and Kitchen in Mills River

• Sept. 24: The Bier Garden Brewery on Haywood Street downtown. X

Keep the heat

Ideas for preserving WNC’s fall chile harvest

BY ASHLEY ENGLISH

A key ingredient in many Southern dishes — owing to the fact that they thrive in the heat and humidity of the region — hot peppers imbue dishes with spice and pizzazz. For the sake of ease, most hot peppers are referred to as chile peppers or chiles, whereas the sweeter, mild types are often called bell peppers; they are also referred to by their colors: green, red, yellow, purple, chocolate or orange.

Whether grown by commercial operations or home gardeners, pretty much all types of peppers can be cultivated in the Southeast. Stop by any Western North Carolina farmers or tailgate market this time of year, and chances are, you’ll find whatever pepper it is you seek.

Here I share instructions for making dried hot peppers (in a decidedly low-fi, ambient manner), then for rendering those dried peppers into hot pepper vinegar. There’s also a recipe for using fresh chiles to make hot pepper jelly.

Tuck dried peppers into any soup when you feel a cold coming on, pop out the seeds and sprinkle them over pizza, crumble the seeds into lasagna or use them any time you see a need for some spice and fruity, citrusy intensity. A bit of hot pepper jelly topping cream cheese spread on a cracker is a Southern delicacy. Consider also using it as a burger topping, glaze for roasted chicken or in a vinaigrette.

Remember to wear rubber gloves when working with hot peppers, and be sure to avoid touching your eyes!

Dried hot peppers

Makes: Amount varies

You will need:

• Any variety and any amount of hot peppers

To prepare:

• Begin by inspecting each pepper. Discard peppers with any mushy or visibly spoiled spots, white spots or diseased spots.

• Remove and discard or compost the peppers’ stems. Wash the peppers in warm water and dry thoroughly with a kitchen cloth.

• Place a metal cooling rack over a rimmed baking pan. Arrange the peppers in a single layer and set the pan in a dry, warm, sunny area.

• Leave to dry for several weeks, flipping the peppers regularly and removing any showing signs of spoilage or softening. On days when the weather permits, place the pan outdoors.

• Once the peppers become dry but are still a bit pliant, like a raisin or dried apricot, transfer to an airtight, lidded container. Store at room temperature out of direct sunlight and use ideally within a year.

Hot pepper vinegar

Makes: 1 pint

You will need:

• Dried hot peppers

• ½ cup to 1 cup apple cider vinegar

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

To prepare:

• Fill the pint jar with dried hot peppers.

• Bring the vinegar and salt to a boil in a small pot over high heat. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

• Pour the vinegar over the peppers. Once the vinegar has fully cooled to room temperature, cover the jar with a lid. Store at room temperature out of direct sunlight.

• For the next three weeks, give the jar a gentle shake daily. At the end of the infusing time, strain off the hot peppers. Transfer the vinegar to a narrow-neck glass bottle and cap it with a bar pour spout for easy pouring. Use within 6 months.

Hot pepper jelly

Makes: 4 half-pints

You will need:

• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

HOMEMADE LIVING

• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped

• 1 cup white vinegar

• ½ cup water

• 4 cups sugar

• One 3-ounce pouch liquid pectin

To prepare:

• Place the bell, jalapeno and poblano peppers into a food processor and process until the peppers are in fine bits.

• Transfer the peppers to a small pan, add the vinegar and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain off the liquid from the solids. Discard or compost the solids. Pour the liquid into a jelly bag suspended over a bowl. Leave the liquid to strain for one hour.

• About 20 minutes before the end of the straining time, fill a canner or large stockpot with water, place 4 half-pint jars inside and set over medium-high heat. Bring just to the boiling point.

• When the draining time is complete, using the back of a spoon, press the pepper bits in the jelly bag to remove any remaining liquid. Discard or compost the solid pepper bits. Place the strained liquid and sugar in a medium pan. Bring to a boil and then stir in the pectin. Return the mixture to a boil, stirring to fully combine. Boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly.

• Using a jar lifter, remove the hot jars from the canner and place on top of a kitchen cloth on the counter. With the help of a canning funnel, pack the pepper jelly into the jars, reserving ¼-inch headspace.

• Use a spatula or wooden chopstick to remove any trapped air bubbles

PICK A PEPPER: Chiles of all kinds are prolific in Asheville-area gardens and tailgate markets this time of year. Photo by Glenn English

around the interior circumference of the jars. Wipe the rims clean with a damp cloth. Place on the lids and screw bands, tightening only until fingertip-tight.

• Again using a jar lifter, slowly place the filled jars into the canner. Be sure that the jars are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil, and then process for 10 minutes, starting the timer once the water is at a full, rolling boil. Adjust for altitude as needed.

• Carefully remove the jars from the canner, using either the canning rack handles or a jar lifter. Set the hot jars onto a dry kitchen cloth. Listen for the jars to seal, remove the screw bands, dry and store them, then leave the jars to cool on the counter until fully at room temperature. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp cloth once fully cooled.

• Label and date, then store in a cool, dry area, such as a pantry or cabinet. Consume ideally within one year. X

by Edwin Arnaudin |

‘Be the Lifeline’ Jeremy B. Jones

The federal government’s defunding of The Corporation for Public Broadcasting was a major blow to PBS, NPR and its affiliates — including downtown Asheville’s own Blue Ridge Public Radio (BPR), which will lose $330,000 a year — 9% of its annual revenue — as a result of the cuts.

In an effort to build sustainable financial support and replace income lost from the defunding, BPR launched the “Be the Lifeline” fundraising campaign on Sept. 2.

And on Sunday, Sept. 28, at Highland Brewing Co.’s Event Center, there will be an official kickoff event with music from BJ Leiderman and Friends. The locally based composer and musician’s theme music is heard on BPR programs, including “Morning Edition,” “Weekend Edition,” “Marketplace” and “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!”

Tickets are $25 per person and children 12 and under get in free. To learn more, visit avl.mx/f2x. X

Sufferin’ Fools

The local country-rock quartet Sufferin' Fools describe their second EP, Forest for the Trees, as “tunes about real folks’ ups and downs.”

The tracks were primarily written in the months leading up to Tropical Storm Helene. But the recording sessions took place in the aftermath of the storm at drummer Pete Schreiner’s home studio in Leicester. The time together gave the band members a needed escape and helped them heal from the trauma. “Musicians' feelings can’t help but come out through sound waves,” Schreiner

says in a press release. “We were lucky to have a place to channel our emotions.”

With insightful lyrics from singer/ guitarist Cameron Thomas and intoxicating instrumentation from Schreiner, lead guitarist Andrew Wagley and bassist Christopher Bartel (who replaced former member Brad Pope), Sufferin’ Fools will celebrate the new collection with an EP release show on Friday, Sept. 26, 8-10 p.m. at Eda’s Hide-a-Way in Weaverville.

Tickets are $10. To learn more, visit avl.mx/f2y. X

Hendersonville-based author Jeremy B. Jones’ great-great-great-great grandfather William Thomas Prestwood died in 1859. Over a century later, a box of the farmer’s hand-sewn notebooks — all written in code — were discovered in rural Wadesboro. Deciphered by a retired National Security Agency cryptanalyst, the diaries reveal the detailed day-to-day existence of an everyman who lived an extraordinary life, crossing paths with future famous folks, romancing many women and engaging with science and literature.

In Jones’ new book, Cipher: Decoding My Ancestor’s Scandalous Secret Diaries, the writer gives his ancestor

‘Had

In the wake of tragedy, poets are often best equipped to process grief and help others in their recovery efforts through the power of the written word. Such is the case with Redhawk Publications’ new anthology Had I a Dove: Appalachian Poets on the Helene Floods, which features work by 80 authors responding to the devastation of Tropical Storm Helene in memory of the natural disaster’s one-year anniversary.

Envisioned and edited by High Country poet laureate Hilda Downer, the selected works confront loss, resilience and the enduring spirit of Appalachian people. Ranging from hopeful to elegiac, this collection seeks to serve as a testament to nature’s power and humanity’s ability to endure and rebuild. Proceeds from sales of the book will be donated to Helene relief efforts that provide both art and tangible aid to individuals most affected by the storm. To learn more, visit avl.mx/f2z  X

a biography while also chronicling his own life alongside the unusual arc of this bygone forefather, discovering numerous curious and disturbing details about his family and himself along the way.

A launch event will be held for Cipher on Sunday, Sept. 21, 6-8 p.m., at Trailside Brewing Co. In support of their colleague, award-winning authors such as Tessa Fontaine, Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle and Andrew Clark will read from awkward teenage diary entries, share embarrassing love letters and recount humiliating stories. The event is free to attend. To learn more, visit avl.mx/f30. X

Sufferin' Fools. Photo by Michael Vee

I a Dove’

BJ Leiderman.

Photo by Jennifer Cole

Jeremy Jones. Author photo by Mark Leet

Photo courtesy of Redhawk Publications

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

12 BONES SMOKEHOUSE & BREWING

Trivia w/King Trivia, 7pm

ASHEVILLE YARDS

Turnstile w/Mannequinn

Pussy, Speed & Jane

Remover (punk, hyperpop, edm), 6pm

CAMDEN'S COFFEE

HOUSE

Open Mic Night, 7pm

ELUVIUM BREWERY

The Candleers (country), 5:30pm

EULOGY

Carcass (death-metal), 8pm

FOOTHILLS GRANGE

Trivia Night, 6:30pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

Saylor Brothers Jamgrass Wednesdays, 6:30pm

GALACTIC PIZZA

Fast Eddie's Trivia, 6:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

PISGAH BREWING

CO.

Acoustic Wednesday w/ Sammy Morris, 6pm

SLY GROG LOUNGE

Weird Wednesday Open Jam, 7pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Sold Out: Gouge Away, Fliora & Tombstone Poetry (punk, noisepop, hardcore), 8:45pm

THE GREY EAGLE

John Mark McMillan & Citizens (alt-rock, punk), 7:30pm

THE MULE

Jazz Trio & Wine Wednesdays, 6pm

THE ODD

Terraoke Karaoke Takeover, 9pm

THE ONE STOP AT

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

• Trivia Night, 7pm

• Parker & Friends (multi-genre), 10pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Bonny Light Horseman w/Angela Autumn (folk, country), 8pm

THIRD ROOM

LaMP (funk, rock), 8pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Open Mic Night, 6pm

URBAN ORCHARD

Wayward Trivia, 6:30pm

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Butcher Brown w/Sam Fribush Organ Trio (jazz, rock, funk), 8pm

BLOSSOM ON MAIN

Suzy & the Gents Jam

BOTANIST & BARREL

TASTING BAR + BOTTLE SHOP

Stand Up Comedy Night, 6:30pm

CROW & QUILL

Lock, Stock & Teardrops (country), 8pm

EDA RHYNE

DISTILLERY & TASTING ROOM

The Gilded Palace of Metamodern Sounds, 6pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY

Bless Your Heart Trivia w/Harmon, 7pm

EULOGY

House & Home w/Troubled Minds (alt-rock, emo, pop), 8pm

FITZ AND THE WOLFE

Meschiya Lake (Gypsy-jazz), 6:30pm

FLEETWOOD'S

Shared Walls, Bombay

Gasoline & Yawni (punk, surf, indie), 9pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

Jerry's Dead Thursdays (Grateful Dead & JGB tribute), 6pm

GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Blue Ridge Pride Open Mic, 6pm

GREEN MAN BREWERY

Thursday Night Trivia, 7pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7pm

LEVELLER BREWING CO.

Old Time Jam, 6pm MAD CO. BREW HOUSE

Jim Hampton (country), 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Scenic Radio (Southern-rock, country, funk), 7:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Braelyn Grooms (country), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

• Flamenco Appalachia, 6pm

• Fee Fi Phaux Fish (Phish tribute), 8pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Displace (funk), 7:30pm SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/DJ Franco Nino, 9pm

STATIC AGE LOFT

Auto-Tune Karaoke w/

Who Gave This B*tch A Mic, 10pm

STATIC AGE

RECORDS

Public Circuit, Star

CLUBLAND

THE SUNSET TREE RETURNS: Pisgah Brewing Co. hosts indie folk band the Mountain Goats on Saturday, Sept. 20, starting at 8 p.m. The Mountain Goats recently announced a 20th anniversary reissue of their 2005 fan-favorite album, The Sunset Tree. Photo courtesy of Jillian Clark

THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

The Shady Recruits (R&B, soul, rock), 9pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Allen Stone w/Forrest Day (soul, R&B, indie), 8pm

THIRD ROOM

Gene Farris w/ Aiden Rolfe, Holotek, Jericho & Hack (dance, electronic), 10pm

TWIN WILLOWS

The Candleers (country), 6pm

WICKED WEED

BREWING

Pete Townsend (acoustic), 5pm

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

12 BONES

SMOKEHOUSE & BREWING

Stand Up Comedy w/ Next Stop Comedy, 7pm

ALL DAY DARLING

Leo Johnson (jazz), 6pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Steve Kelly w/Datrian Johnson, Doug Mcelvy & Friends (Americana, funk, R&B), 9pm

COFFEE, ART, MUSIC

TYPE PLACE

Open Mic, 6pm

CORK & KEG

The Uptown Hillbillies (honky-tonk, country), 8pm

CROW & QUILL

Sparrow & Her Wingmen (jazz, swing), 8pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY

40,20,10's (Americana, alt-country), 8pm

EULOGY

Ethan Regan: I Almost Graduated Tour (alt, indie), 7pm

FITZ AND THE WOLFE Dirty Bird (rock, pop), 7:30pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

The Horse You Rode On (funk), 6pm

GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Life Like Water Duo (Americana, folk), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Kraken's Release (Polka, Celtic, folk-punk), 8:30pm

LEVELLER BREWING

CO.

Elsa Howell & Amelia Empson (bluegrass, folk, indie), 7:15pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Double Love & The Trouble (rock, soul), 7pm

THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

• Lenny Pettinelli (multigenre), 6pm

• DJ Sylik (multi-genre), 10pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Hazlett w/Caity Krone (alt, pop), 8pm

THE STATION BLACK

MOUNTAIN

Mr Jimmy (blues), 5pm

THIRD ROOM

We Touch Grass Presents: Asheville Anime Rave, 9pm

TURGA BREWING

The Candleers (country), 5:30pm

LOBSTER TRAP

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

MAD CO. BREW HOUSE

The Salty Moondogs (rock, R&B, country), 6pm

NEW BELGIUM

BREWING CO.

Saylor Brothers (bluegrass), 5:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Raphael Graves Band (rock, soul), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Thompson Newkirk (Southern-pop, rock), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

The Get Right Band (psych, alt-rock), 9pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Fee Fi Phaux Fish (Phish tribute), 8pm

SHAKEY'S 2000s Karaoke w/DJ Franco Nino, 10pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Vinyl Night (multigenre), 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Patio: Blue Cactus (honky-tonk, folk, alt-country), 5:30pm

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

27 CLUB

Crhomarama, Screwedends, Egocide.HC & Munrow (metal, rock, hardcore), 9pm

ALL DAY DARLING

Brent Riddle (jazz), 6pm

ASHEVILLE CLUB

Mr Jimmy (blues), 6pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Kind Hearted Strangers & the Wilson Springs Hotel (rock'n'roll), 9pm

BATTERY PARK BOOK

EXCHANGE

Dinah's Daydream (jazz), 5:30pm

CORK & KEG

Jean Bertrand & Amy Scher (Cajun), 8pm

CROW & QUILL

Firecracker Jazz Band (jazz), 8pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY

John Howie Jr & The Rosewood Bluff w/ Hearts Gone South (country), 8pm

EULOGY

Teen Mortgage: Devil

Ultrasonic Tour punk, surf-rock, pop), 7pm

Anise & Headringer (shoegaze, indie, noisepop), 8:45pm

Session (Latin, jazz), 7pm

THE MULE Latin Night w/WAILERÎ, 6:30am

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

Big Fur (Southern-rock, country, bluegrass), 6pm

GINGER'S REVENGE

Modelface Comedy

Presents: Gluten-Free Comedy, 8pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Nobody’s Darling String Band, 4pm

• Resonant Rogues (Appalachian, folk, Americana), 8:30pm

OKLAWAHA

BREWING CO.

• Austin & Amanda (blues, Americana), 2pm

• The Big Hungry (funk, rock, folk), 8pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING

The Donovan Twins (Americana, folk-rock), 7pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST

• Franklin's Kite (rock), 4pm

• Fairlight & the Magick (rock, soul, funk), 8pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

The Mountain Goats (indie, folk), 8pm

SHAKEY'S Trash Talk Queer Dance Party & Drag Show, 10pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Candler Rice (country, folk), 9pm

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO.

Alex Krug Combo (psych, dream-rock, folk), 2pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: East Coast Dirt (psych-rock), 3pm

• Joe Pug (folk), 8pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

• Lagerhosen (German), 1pm

• Displace (pop, jazz, funk), 6pm

THE ODD Party Foul Drag, 8pm

THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

• Melissa McKinney (blues, rock), 6pm

• Funkwondo (funk, psych), 10pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Sold Out: Stereolab w/ Memorials (alt, pop, rock), 8pm

THIRD ROOM

The Surreal Sirkus Presents: Aquanox w/Tigress, Ixnee & Purriestess (dance, electronic), 8pm

SUNDAY,

SEPTEMBER 21

ASHEVILLE YARDS

Father John Misty w/ Cut Worms (indie, folk, pop), 7pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY

Open Mic Night, 7pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 3pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Bluegrass Brunch w/ The Bluegrass Brunch Boys, 12pm

• Traditional Irish Music Session, 3:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Crystal Fountains (bluegrass), 3pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST

• Suns of Stars Sunday Residency (bluegrass), 2pm

• One Love Sundays w/ Dub Kartel (reggae), 7pm

PARISH HALL OF ST. JOHN IN THE WILDERNESS

Friends of Music & the Arts Presents: Amber Joy Koeppen, 4pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Sunday Jam: Spiro & Friends, 6:30pm

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO.

Sold Out: Trombone Shorty & New Orleans Avenue (jazz), 6pm

SLY GROG LOUNGE

Open Mic w/Mike Andersen, 6:30pm THE GREY EAGLE

• Burlesque Brunch, 12pm

• Bywater Call (soul, rock), 8pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Love Bubble (pop), 2pm

THE MULE

JeoPARTY: A Jeopardy Inspired Trivia Tournament, 7pm THE ODD

Destroy All Music w/ Jimbo, 1pm

THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Shakedown Sunday's, 8pm

THE RAD BREW CO. RAD Comedy w/Ryan Brown & Friends, 7pm

THIRD ROOM

Phish Watch Party w/DJ Camaro, 6pm VOWL Freshen Up Comedy Open Mic, 7pm

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

27 CLUB

27 Club Karaoke, 10pm

WEDNESDAYS 7:00PM

FLEETWOOD'S Best Ever Karaoke, 9pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

Alex Bazemore & Friends (bluegrass), 6pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Trivia Night w/Two Bald Guys & A Mic, 6pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING

Open Mic Downtown, 6:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Mashup Mondays w/ JLloyd, 8pm

STATIC AGE LOFT

Hot Seat Comedy w/C.J. Green, 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Mr. Jimmy & Friends (Blues), 7pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Deafheaven w/Harm's Way & I Promised the World (punk, metal), 8pm

THIRD ROOM

Grateful Dead Mondaze w/Clouds of Delusion, 7pm

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

ARCHETYPE BREWING

Trivia Tuesdays w/Party Grampa, 6:30pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Lightning Bolt w/Kill Alters (rock), 8pm

ASHEVILLE YARDS

Lucy Dacus (indie-rock, indie-folk), 7pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

LOOKOUT BREWING CO.

Team Trivia, 6:30pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST

The Grateful Family Band Tuesdays (Grateful Dead tribute), 6pm

SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday w/DJ Mad Mike, 10pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Open Jam, 8pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Emily How, Convalescent & Trust Blinks. (indie-rock), 8:45pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Frankie & the Witch Fingers w/Population II (psych-punk, psychrock), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

The Lads AVL (rock, blues), 6pm

THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

• Early Tuesday Jam, 7pm

• Uncle Lenny's Krazy Karaoke, 10pm

THE ORANGE PEEL G Fllip w/Chinchilla (pop, R&B), 8pm

THIRD ROOM Open Decks, 8pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

White Horse's Open Mic, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

12 BONES

SMOKEHOUSE & BREWING

Trivia w/King Trivia, 7pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Disclaimer Comedy Weekly Showcase, 8pm

CAMDEN'S COFFEE HOUSE

Open Mic Night, 7pm

ELUVIUM BREWERY

The Candleers (country), 5:30pm

FOOTHILLS GRANGE Trivia Night, 6:30pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

Saylor Brothers Jamgrass Wednesdays, 6:30pm

GALACTIC PIZZA

Fast Eddie's Trivia, 6:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Life Like Water (folk, Americana), 6pm

SHAKEY'S SSIN w/DJ Ragga Massive, 10pm

SLY GROG LOUNGE Weird Wednesday Open Jam, 7pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Lefty Carmean & Friends (Americana, folk), 7pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Well-Crafted Music Series: Steve Okonski w/Kevin Williams & Evan Martin (multigenre), 6pm

THE MULE Jazz Trio & Wine Wednesdays, 6pm

THE ODD Terraoke Karaoke Takeover, 9pm

THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

• Trivia Night, 7pm

• John Colby Elswick & Friends (multi-genre), 10pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Brooks Nielsen (alt-indie), 8pm

THIRD ROOM

Disclaimer Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 9:30pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic Night, 6pm

URBAN ORCHARD Wayward Trivia, 6:30pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

• Irish Session, 5pm

• White Horse Bad Ass Blues Jam, 7:30pm

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

CROW & QUILL

Drayton & The Dreamboats (jazz, rock’n’roll), 8pm

EDA RHYNE DISTILLERY & TASTING ROOM

The Gilded Palace of Metamodern Sounds, 6pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY

Bless Your Heart Trivia w/Harmon, 7pm FITZ AND THE WOLFE Meschiya Lake (Gypsy-jazz), 6:30pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Jerry's Dead Thursdays (Grateful Dead & JGB tribute), 6pm

GREEN MAN BREWERY Thursday Night Trivia, 7pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Kid Billy (funk, soul, Americana), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING Curious Strange (folk), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Fee Fi Phaux Fish (Phish tribute), 8pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Atomic Crumb (rock), 7:30pm

SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/Franco Nino, 9pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Stand Up Comedy for Your Health, 8pm STATIC AGE LOFT Auto-Tune Karaoke w/ Who Gave This B*tch A Mic, 10pm

THE GREY EAGLE Patio: Jack Marion & Kai Crowe-Getty (country, rock), 5:30pm THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Big Little Quintent (soul, funk), 9pm

THE RAD BREW CO. RAD Comedy w/Matt Cobos, 7pm TWIN WILLOWS The Candleers (country), 6pm

WICKED WEED BREWING Owen Walsh (acoustic), 5pm

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Hindu goddess Durga rides a tiger and carries weapons in her ten hands, including a sword, axe, and thunderbolt. Yet she wears a pleasant smile. Her mandate to aid the triumph of good over evil is not fueled by hate but by luminous clarity and loving ferocity. I suggest you adopt her attitude, Aries. Can you imagine yourself as a storm of joy and benevolence? Will you work to bring more justice and fairness into the situations you engage with? I imagine you speaking complex and rugged truths with warmth and charm. I see you summoning a generous flair as you help people climb up out of their sadness and suffering. If all goes well, you will magnetize others to participate in shared visions of delight and dignity.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Born under the sign of Taurus, Maya Deren first expressed her extravagant creative urges as a writer, poet, photographer, clothes designer, and dancer. But then she made a radical change, embarking on a new path as experimental filmmaker. She said she had “finally found a glove that fits.” Her movies were highly influential among the avant-garde in the 1940s and 1950s. I bring Deren to your attention, Taurus, because I suspect that in the coming months, you, too, will find a glove that fits. And it all starts soon.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In medieval times, alchemists believed mercury was a sacred substance and divine intermediary. They knew that it’s the only metal that’s liquid at room temperature. This quality, along with its silvery sheen (why it’s called "quicksilver"), made it seem like a bridge between solid and liquid, earth and water, heaven and earth, life and death. I nominate mercury as your power object, Gemini. You’re extra well-suited to navigate liminal zones and transitional states. You may be the only person in your circle who can navigate paradox and speak in riddles and still make sense. It’s not just cleverness. It’s wisdom wrapped in whimsy. So please offer your in-between insights freely. PS: You have another superpower, too: You can activate dormant understandings in both other people’s hearts and your own.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In the western Pacific Ocean, there’s a species of octopus that builds its lair from coconut shells. The creature gathers together husks, dragging them across the seafloor, and fits them together. According to scientists, this use of tools by an invertebrate is unique. Let’s make the coconut octopus your power creature for now, Cancerian. You will have extra power to forge a new sanctuary or renovate an existing one, either metaphorically or literally. You will be wise to draw on what’s nearby and readily available, maybe even using unusual or unexpected building materials.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I invite you to contemplate the meaning of the phrase “invisible architecture.” My dream told me it will be a theme for you in the coming weeks. What does it mean? What does it entail? Here are my thoughts: Structures are taking shape within you that may not yet be visible from the outside. Bridges are forming between once-disconnected parts of your psyche and life. You may not need to do much except consent to the slow emergence of these new semi-amazing expressions of integrity. Be patient and take notes. Intuitions arriving soon may be blueprints for future greatness. Here’s the kicker: You’re not just building for yourself. You’re working on behalf of your soul-kin, too.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A supple clarity is crystallizing within you. Congratulations! It’s not a brittle or rigid certainty, but a knack for limber discernment. I predict you will have an extra potent gift for knowing what truly matters, even amidst chaos or complication. As this superpower reaches full ripeness, you can aid the process by clearing out clutter and refining your foundational values. Make these words your magic spells: quintessence, core,

crux, gist, lifeblood, root. PS: Be alert for divine messages in seemingly mundane circumstances.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The ancient Mesopotamian goddess Inanna was called “the Queen of Heaven.” Her domains were politics, divine law, love, and fertility. She was a powerhouse. One chapter of her mythic story tells of her descent into the underworld. She was stripped of everything—clothes, titles, weapons—before she could be reborn. Why did she do it? Scholars say she was on a quest for greater knowledge and an expansion of her authority. And she was successful! I propose we make her your guide and companion in the coming weeks, Libra. You are at the tail-end of your own descent. The stripping is almost complete. Soon you will feel the first tremors of return—not loud, not triumphant, but sure. I have faith that your adventures will make you stronger and wiser, as Inanna’s did for her.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In ancient Rome, the dye called Tyrian purple was used exclusively for garments worn by royalty and top officials. It had a humble origin: murex snails. Their glands yielded a pale liquid that darkened into an aristocratic violet only after sun, air, and time worked upon it. I’m predicting you will be the beneficiary of comparable alchemical transformations in the coming weeks. A modest curiosity could lead to a major breakthrough. A passing fancy might ripen into a rich blessing. Seemingly nondescript encounters may evolve into precious connections.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Bees can see ultraviolet patterns in flowers that are invisible to humans. These "nectar guides" direct bees to the flower’s nectar and pollen, functioning like landing strips. Let’s apply these fun facts as metaphors for your life, Sagittarius. I suspect that life is offering you subtle yet radiant cues leading you to sources you will be glad to connect with. To be fully alert for them, you may need to shift and expand the ways you use your five senses. The universe is in a sense flirting with you, sending you clues through dream-logic and nonrational phenomena. Follow the shimmering glimmers.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): At the height of her powers, Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut declared, “I have restored what had been ruined. I have raised up what had dissolved.” You now have a similar gift at your disposal, Capricorn. If you harness it, you will gain an enhanced capacity to unify what has been scattered, to reforge what was broken, and to resurrect neglected dreams. To fulfill this potential, you must believe in your own sovereignty—not as a form of domination, but of devotion. Start with your own world. Make beauty where there was noise. Evoke dignity where there was confusion.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the high Himalayas, there’s a flower called *Saussurea obvallata*—the Brahma Kamal. It blooms only at night and for a short time, releasing a scent that legend says can heal grief. This will be your flower of power for the coming weeks, Aquarius. It signifies that a rare and time-sensitive gift will be available, and that you must be alert to gather it in. My advice: Don’t schedule every waking hour. Leave space for mystery to arrive unannounced. You could receive a visitation, an inspiration, or a fleeting insight that can change everything. It may assuage and even heal sadness, confusion, aimlessness, or demoralization.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The human heart beats 100,000 times per day, 35 million times per year, and 2.5 billion times in an average lifetime. It’s the most reliable “machine” ever created, working continuously and mostly without special maintenance for decades. Although you Pisceans aren’t renowned for your stability and steadiness, I predict that in the coming weeks, you will be as staunch, constant, and secure as a human heart. What do you plan to do with this grace period? What marvels can you accomplish?

ANNOUNCEMENT LET IT BE KNOWN TO ALL PEOPLE OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

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HOME IMPROVEMENT

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ACROSS

1 ___ Bradham, inventor of Pepsi

6 Skewer

10 Cook in hot water 14 Frank account? 15 Father’s sister 16 “Casablanca” heroine

17 Acclaimed 2004 science fiction work by David Mitchell made into a 2012 film 19 Excess 20 Floor models 21 Floor

22 1959 Broadway drama by Lorraine Hansberry, with “A”

26 Dearest pal

27 Sounds at a fireworks show

28 Remove from a clothesline, say

29 Beach blanket?

31 Black Friday offering

35 Preceder of Jan.

36 2006 romantic fantasy novel by Stephenie Meyer

39 With 43-Across, playful marine mammal

40 Playful marine mammal

42 Pros who may care for playful marine mammals

43 See 39-Across 45 “Ah, gotcha” 47 Workers who sometimes carry flashlights

48 Newbery Medal-winning 1989 novel for children by Lois Lowry 53 Standard option in a popular rideshare app 54 Warn 55 Covid-19, in slang

56 Message from a pilot ... or what 17-, 22-, 36and 48-Across each is?

61 Type of word banned in North American competitive Scrabble in 2020

White House staffer

Shower scrubber

Online crafts shop

Equipment in “Top Chef”

Spirits

Org. encouraging flu shots

Blossoms-to-be

“Too ___” (2024 #1 Hozier hit)

Tsp. or tbsp.

Intentionally

Used, as a chair

Politician Gabbard

___ winds