AmeriHealth Caritas NC is hosting a facilitated workshop on reflection, inquiry and organizational learning on October 20th from 5:30PM–7PM at the AmeriHealth Caritas Wellness & Opportunity Center, 216 Asheland Avenue, Asheville. Robert V. Sylvester, founder of OMLIGN, will lead dialogue examining how assumptions and differing perspectives influence problem-solving and organizational performance. Participants will explore how reflection can expand understanding and reveal possibilities that may be missed when moving directly from problem to solution. Learn more and register here.
ananda hair studio presents a one-night, 1960s-inspired evening of art, fashion, music, and philanthropy on Sunday, October 18, from 5:00–9:00 p.m. at its Merrimon Avenue studio in Asheville, NC. The immersive event will feature a live hair and fashion show, vintage shopping, local artists, makers, musicians, and stylists. Proceeds support Asheville GreenWorks and the River Arts District Artists. Guests are encouraged to wear 1960s-inspired attire. Learn more and register here.
The Asheville Downtown Improvement District and Lunchbox Live are bringing live music to Wall Street Plaza in Downtown Asheville daily from October 1 to November 20, 2026, from 12 to 1:30 p.m. Tables and chairs are provided. Participating Downtown restaurants offer lunch specials under $15, including Flour Cafe, El Tesoro, Slava Bakery, and Asheville Forager. Visitors may purchase lunch, find a seat on the plaza, and stay for a live set. Learn more
Asheville Yards is hosting an outdoor mini golf pop-up throughout October in downtown Asheville, with food from Asheville Brewing. Rounds cost $10 Tuesday–Friday and $12 Saturday–Sunday. Hours are 4–9 p.m. Tuesday–Friday and 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; last entry is 30 minutes before closing. Local carpenter and mini-golf specialist Justin Kaiser handcrafted the entire course for families, dates and groups of friends. Learn more.
Blue Ridge Community College will host the free, in-person Blue Ridge Business Outlook Summit Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Blue Ridge Conference Hall. Registration is required. Doors open at 8 a.m., with coffee from Dog-Eared Coffee Bar; the welcome and keynote begin at 8:30 a.m. Vision Henderson County Executive Director Gary Heisey will connect national trends with Henderson and Transylvania county data to inform 2027 business planning. Learn more
The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area will host the free Feed & Seed Fall Sessions at 7 p.m., featuring five-piece bluegrass band Backline on Oct. 17 and Western North Carolina-based six-piece bluegrass and Americana band Upstream Rebellion on Nov. 14. Presented through Blue Ridge Music Trails with the Jazz Foundation of America, the series continues a Hurricane Helene recovery partnership that creates paid opportunities for musicians and brings audiences to a regional music venue. Learn more.
The Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains presents the free, self-guided WNC Parade of Homes across greater Asheville and Hendersonville, including Brevard, Black Mountain, Fairview, Marshall, and other mountain communities. Over two weekends, visitors may tour new and remodeled homes spanning diverse styles, locations, and price points. Virtual tours launch next week and remain available year-round, highlighting creative floor plans, mountain-modern finishes, historic renovations, and innovative communities such as West Asheville’s Terra Futura Regenerative Neighborhood. Learn more
Cúrate Chef and Co-Founder Katie Button celebrates her new cookbook, ‘Spanish Accent: American Home Recipes with a Spanish Touch,’ at Cúrate Bar de Tapas on Monday, October 26. The Asheville launch of her national tour runs from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM and includes a cocktail reception, light bites inspired by the book, celebratory bubbles, and a cash bar. Guests may purchase an advance copy, meet Katie, and have the book signed.Learn more
Eblen Charities will hold its 13th annual Winter Coat Giveaway Tuesday, October 20, and Wednesday, October 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 23 Hamilton Street in Asheville. Free new and gently used coats, scarves, mittens, hats, and other winter essentials are available to anyone in need, with no registration required. Items are distributed first-come, first-served, supported by the April Coat Drive with WLOS, Two Men and a Truck, and Carolina Furniture Concepts. Learn more
Hollywood Feed has launched the Hollywood Feed World Elite Mastercard® nationwide with personalized finance partner Sunbit. The card is available to eligible customers at all 175+ Hollywood Feed locations and online. Cardholders receive 20% off their first Hollywood Feed purchase, earn 5% back in Hollywood Feed rewards on purchases made wherever Mastercard is accepted during the first year, and continue earning 5% back on Hollywood Feed purchases. Learn more
Mission Health hospitals will host the annual “Crush the Crisis” prescription drug take back day Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, coinciding with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. All six Mission Health hospitals will offer safe, anonymous medication disposal to reduce misuse. The event is part of HCA Healthcare’s eighth annual national campaign; since 2019, HCA Healthcare has helped dispose of more than 108,500 pounds of unused or expired medication. Learn more
Montford Park Players presents The Hope of Oz at Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay Street, in Asheville’s historic Montford District. Performances run October 2-24 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free, with premium seating available. Local playwright Will Storrs sets this Halloween production in Oz a decade after Dorothy defeated the Witch of the West, amid war, witches, revolutionaries, and the Wizard’s spies. Learn more.
Mountain Bizworks invites the community to Mountain Raise, an evening featuring five Western North Carolina food and beverage entrepreneurs. Each founder receives five minutes to share their story, plans, and specific needs for capital, connections, customers, and community support. Attendees can hear pitches, meet founders, and make connections inspired by a community barn raising. Early-Bird Tickets are $25 through Wednesday, Oct. 14, then $30 until sold out.Learn more
NCWorks will host a free remote-work career workshop Thursday, October 29, from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at the ACNC Wellness & Opportunity Center, 216 Asheland Avenue, using the lower parking lot entrance. The webinar covers credible remote jobs, networking, remote-focused resumes, and work-from-home readiness. Recruiters will discuss opportunities and applications from 12–1 p.m. Attendees must create a free NCWorks account at www.ncworks.gov before the workshop. Learn more and register here.
The Pisgah Conservancy is hosting the 2026 Pisgah Project Bike Raffle, with all proceeds benefiting the organization. The featured bike includes a hand-built steel Hall Pass frame from REEB Cycles, a Cane Creek Cycling Components HELM suspension fork and eeWing Titanium cranks, an Industry Nine carbon wheelset, and premium partner components. Entries are $30 each and available from 7 a.m. EDT Wednesday, September 23, 2026, through 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Learn more and enter here.
Pisgah Legal Services will welcome Brian Goldstone as keynote speaker for the 15th Annual Justice Forum on Thursday, October 22, at 7 p.m. at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Harrah’s Cherokee Center, in downtown Asheville. The free event requires registration and examines housing insecurity, poverty, and economic inequality through There is No Place for Us. Goldstone studied at Duke University and Columbia University; the book received honors from the Pulitzer Prize, Los Angeles Times, Carnegie Medal, The New York Times, and The Atlantic. Learn more and register here.
Southern Highland Craft Guild is hosting the 79th annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands October 15-18, 2026, from 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. For 93 years, the Guild has supported juried Appalachian artisans through marketing, education, shared resources, and craft conservation. The fair will feature more than 100 juried artists, live demonstrations, and music. Learn more
Tourists Signature Events will host a free BOO Ridge Halloween Movie Night on Friday, October 23, 2026, at HomeTrust Park. Gates open at 6 p.m. for the BOO Ridge Trail, with local businesses distributing candy until 7 p.m. An on-field screening of Disney’s 1993 Hocus Pocus begins at 6:30 p.m. and runs 96 minutes. Select concessions will remain available for purchase through 7:45 p.m. Learn more.
UNC Asheville’s Department of Art & Art History is welcoming internationally exhibited sculptor Ledelle Moe as an Artist-in-Residence at Owen Hall. A public opening reception is scheduled for 4–6 p.m., October 16, at the Owen Hall Sculpture Garden and Window Gallery, also opening “In the Round: 3rd Biennial Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition.” During her two-week residency, Moe will lead workshops, work with students, and create a new installation. Seven competition works will remain displayed for two years. Learn more.
The WNC Seed & Plant Swap will take place Tuesday, October 20, from 4–7 p.m. at Stephens-Lee Community Center. The free gathering includes songs and storytelling by William Ritter, seed-saving information from Utopian Seed Project and the Appalachian Growers Seed Collective, an Edible Forest tour with Bountiful Cities, and local sustainability organizations. Attendees may bring seeds, houseplant cuttings, or divided perennials, but sharing materials is not required to participate or take items to grow. Learn more.
The Womyn Rising Celebration will take place Saturday, Oct. 17, from 2–7 p.m. at Hellbender, featuring more than 40 womyn-led artisan vendors, local food and beverages, children’s activities, and an Arete relaxation area. Soul-roots artist Abby Bryant and her band will perform two sets, with Sunnie Rae opening. Community groups will participate, and a limited merchandise collection by local artist Erika Busse will benefit Our VOICE, an Asheville nonprofit serving survivors in Buncombe County. Learn more.
New & Noteworthy
AttainmentNC, a two-year county-based model developed by myFutureNC, has selected Burke County to strengthen connections among education, workforce, and employers. Local K-12 schools, higher education institutions, workforce organizations, employers, economic development partners, and community groups will build on existing systems to improve education-to-workforce pathways. The work may include career planning, Career and Technical Education, dual enrollment, internships, apprenticeships, work-based learning, and financial-aid navigation, led locally by Laura Parnell of The Industrial Commons and Work in Burke. Learn more.
Buncombe County is launching Keep Buncombe Beautiful, a roadside litter-removal initiative with the North Carolina Department of Transportation for secondary roads in unincorporated areas. Two contracted sweeps will divide the county into North and South zones, each covering about 1,000 shoulder miles. The fall sweep begins October 5, 2026, in Sandy Mush and continues about four weeks, concluding in mid-November. The spring sweep begins in Swannanoa and focuses on southern Buncombe County. Learn more.
Buncombe County announced Josh Edwards as Assistant County Manager beginning Nov. 2. Edwards will oversee Access and Human Affairs, the City/County ID Bureau, Communications & Public Engagement, Emergency Services, Permits & Inspections, Planning, and Public Safety Communications (911). He brings more than 19 years of city and county government experience, most recently as York County, SC, County Manager, where he supported the county’s first organizational values and strategic plan and helped advance major road and interchange projects.
The Buncombe County Board of Education appointed Dr. Jennifer Reed superintendent of Buncombe County Schools after a four-month search. Reed, interim superintendent since Sept. 1 following Dr. Rob Jackson’s retirement, was sworn in September 24, 2026, by Judge Robin L. Merrell. A lifelong county resident and Enka High School graduate, she becomes the district’s 23rd superintendent and second woman in the role after Ethel Terrell, who served from 1919-1921. Learn more.
Duke Energy awarded a $15,000 grant to the Asheville Fire Department for 20 wildfire shelters that can protect firefighters if overtaken by fire. Tropical Storm Helene, which struck Western North Carolina Sept. 27, 2024, left an estimated 800,000 acres of downed trees and debris, increasing wildfire risk and access challenges. The shelters withstand temperatures up to 1,500 degrees, according to Adam Johnson, Duke Energy’s manager of Wildfire Management. Learn more.
Explore Asheville has published its 2026 Fall Festivals and Events guide, covering events and activities from September through November 2026. The guide highlights autumn experiences across the Blue Ridge, including music, makers, longstanding traditions, and newer community celebrations. Travelers visiting outside that period can consult Explore Asheville’s separate seasonal event roundups for Spring, Summer, Holiday, and Winter. Learn more.
Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority hosted their annual meeting for hundreds of local business leaders and community members, providing an update on Asheville and Buncombe County’s travel and hospitality industry. This year, national tourism economist Adam Sacks presented the 2025 Economic Impact of Visitors to Asheville and Buncombe County: $2.6 billion in visitor spending, more than $900 million in local tourism-generated income, $225 million in state and local taxes, and one in seven Buncombe County jobs supported by travel and hospitality. The 6% occupancy tax also invested $11.2 million in local nonprofit and municipal projects through the LIFT Fund. Learn more.
Highland Brewing‘s new in-house pizzeria, Oscar’s Pizza, will soon debut at the East Asheville brewery campus, 12 Old Charlotte Highway. Named for late founder Oscar Wong, it will offer a limited menu Nov. 13-15 during the 30th Anniversary Cold Mountain weekend, then open with regular hours and a full menu during Thanksgiving week in November. A grand opening follows in December. The menu features thin, crispy New Haven-style pizza, salads, and shareables designed to pair with Highland beers. Learn more.
MANNA FoodBank partnered with Asheville-based Pisgah Energy to design, develop, and install rooftop solar arrays at MANNA’s Mills River office and warehouse. The two systems total 514 kWdc, with 864 SEG 595W panels and four SolarEdge inverters, and are expected to generate more than 643,000 kWh of emissions-free energy annually. They should offset about 403 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year while reducing operating costs to support MANNA’s hunger-relief mission across Western North Carolina and the Qualla Boundary. Learn more.
UNC Asheville established AVL Scholars, a merit-based scholarship for Buncombe County public high school students, including Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools students. Beginning with incoming first-year students in Fall 2027, the scholarship covers full tuition and mandatory fees for eligible students with a weighted high school GPA of 3.3 or higher. The award represents minimum savings of $7,628 per student annually and supports students seeking to build their futures in their home community. Learn more.
UNC Health Appalachian announced that Anne-Corrine Beaver, MD, FACS, received the Commission on Cancer Cancer Liaison Program Award for Outstanding Performance. The award honors Cancer Liaison Physicians who demonstrate exceptional leadership as physician quality leaders. Working with the cancer committee, Dr. Beaver evaluates program performance, uses data to identify improvement opportunities, and helps ensure the program meets Commission on Cancer standards while advancing care quality for patients and communities. Learn more.
The Western North Carolina Nature Center earned its sixth accreditation from The Association of Zoos and Aquariums after a comprehensive evaluation. Continuously accredited since 1999, the Center meets rigorous AZA standards for animal wellbeing, care and management, education, conservation, veterinary care, safety, governance, and other operations. Fewer than 10 percent of zoos and aquariums worldwide earn AZA accreditation, and the WNC Nature Center is one of eight accredited facilities in North Carolina. Learn more.
The YMCA of Western North Carolina named Laura Lawrence Executive Director of the Reuter Family YMCA, effective October 5. Lawrence brings more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit management, education, operations, fundraising, organizational culture, and team development. Most recently, she served as Board President and Acting Executive Director of the Asheville Archery Training Center. Her YMCA background spans childhood swim lessons through aquatics leadership, including support for the Reuter Family YMCA’s aquatics program. Learn more.