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 12-1:30 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
Blue Ridge Community College will offer an Outdoor Leadership program to help participants turn interest in outdoor recreation into professional opportunities. Students receive classroom and hands-on training in outdoor leadership, risk management, wilderness safety, and navigation, plus business topics including marketing, contracts, and entrepreneurship, and a 16-hour job shadowing experience with industry professionals. Learn more.
Drip Sauna is opening a wood-fired sauna and cold plunge pop-up on the Seven Acres campus on November 15. Seven Acres is a new social club in Asheville, and it will host the pop-up on the lawn outside of their workspace. Sessions last 90 minutes and cost $35, or $25 for Seven Acres members, who get first access. Sessions are booked through Drip at drip-sauna.com. Bring a bathing suit and a towel. Learn more.
Eagle Market Streets Development Corporation is hosting an evening in support of Table & Mic, a studio with professional audio and video equipment for podcasting, video production, and intimate events. Its new 1,500+ square foot space is available for event, production, and content rentals for local entrepreneurs. Attendance helps amplify entrepreneurs’ voices and advance training, resources, and equitable economic development. The event is Thursday, November 12, 2026, 6:00 PM–9:00 PM, at the Governor’s Western Residence (NC), 45 Patton Mountain Road, Asheville, NC 28804. Business casual attire. Learn more.
Explore Asheville has released its 2026 Asheville Holiday Guide, highlighting traditions such as Christmas at Biltmore, Winter Lights at the North Carolina Arboretum, and the National Gingerbread House Competition at Omni Grove Park Inn & Spa, alongside new holiday experiences. Hallmark will premiere “A Grand Biltmore Christmas” on Saturday, Dec. 5. Filmed on location at Biltmore, the movie follows 2023’s “A Biltmore Christmas.” Learn more.
Highland Brewing Company is hosting several Cold Mountain release parties from November 13-15. Tickets are required to enter campus and purchase Cold Mountain Winter Ale; children 10 and under need no ticket. A $30 weekend pass covers Friday–Sunday, but more affordable day passes are available. Activities include live music, a free photo booth with prints, small-batch brews and merchandise. Sunday features Thirst for Good Community Partners. Admission will be free again on Monday, November 16, starting at noon. Learn more.
The Irene Wortham Center is holding the Irene’s Elves Toy Drive for children in its Early Learning Center, many of whom come from low-income homes and have disabilities. Companies may adopt one to three children or a whole classroom (6-10 kids). Toys, coats, and clothes are accepted from November 1 to December 11. Donations can be dropped off at 916 West Chapel Rd., Asheville, NC 28803, Monday through Friday, 9AM to 4PM. Friends, coworkers, or congregations may also join through a toy or coat drive. Learn more.
MANNA FoodBank invites corporate employees to Team Up for the Holidays, a multi-company service opportunity at its warehouse. Shifts are November 18, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. and 1–3 p.m., and December 15, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. and 1–3 p.m. Designed exclusively for corporate partners, the program supports Western North Carolina neighbors facing food insecurity while giving teams a morning or afternoon to serve together and build connections. Sign up by emailing oonderlinde@mannafoodbank.org.
Mars Hill University’s Weizenblatt Gallery presents Faces of Asheville: A Historical Retrospective Exhibit, featuring all 341 original portraits from Jenny Bowen’s 2007–2008 community portrait documentary project, November 4 through December 10, 2026. An opening reception is Friday, November 6, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. The exhibit includes historical ephemera and letters from participants; the collection is archived at Buncombe County Special Collections. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
The Museum of Costume Jewelry invites you to its annual Christmas Tree exhibit in the heart of downtown Asheville, featuring trees adorned entirely with rare, vintage, and brilliant costume jewelry. Exhibition dates: November 19, 2026–January 5, 2027. Hours: 11:00 AM–5:00 PM, closed Wednesdays. Location: 60 Haywood Street, Asheville, NC 28801.
The Readiness for Resiliency (R4R) Mitigation Grant program is currently accepting applications. It awards $5,000 grants to help small businesses reduce disaster risk. Eligible owners must complete a free Disaster Resilience course on Verizon’s Small Business Digital Ready platform. Funds may support projects such as power continuity, communications redundancy, flood and water intrusion, structural vulnerabilities, or critical equipment protection. Applications are due by November 15. Learn more.
The Small Business Administration is accepting award nominations for 2027 National Small Business Week. SBA’s North Carolina District Office will hold a virtual session on Monday, November 30th, from 1-2 p.m. Eastern Time on submitting a winning nomination package. Nominations are due by December 7 at 3pm ET; late and incomplete packages will not be accepted. National Small Business Week highlights outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and community members from all 50 states and U.S. territories. Learn more.
UNC Asheville’s Department of History and Mars Hill University’s Liston B. Ramsey Center for Appalachian Studies invite you to “Stories of ASCORE: Lessons in Courage, Desegregation, and Community Activism,” two panel discussions with Drs. Patterson and Simmons and other ASCORE members. The first is at 6 p.m., Tuesday, November 10, 2026, in the Blue Ridge Room, Highsmith Union, UNC Asheville. The second is at 5 p.m., Thursday, November 12, 2026, in the Tony & Terry Floyd Conference Center in the Campus Center at Mars Hill University, featuring Dr. Simmons, Annette Coleman, and Elizabeth Colton. Learn more.
United Way Asheville and Buncombe County is hosting a WeCare event at The Mule at Devil’s Foot on Tuesday, November 17th, 4:30–6:30 PM. Participants will pack care kits for youth in the nine Community Schools, meet like-minded community members, and support a local small business partner while sampling sweets. Spots are limited; RSVP today by emailing Sydney Cole, Resource Development Manager.
The Western Women’s Business Center’s Holiday Pop-Up Shop returns to the Asheville Mall this December, giving small business owners, from handmade crafts to baked goods to professional services, a chance to showcase products, connect with new customers, and gain holiday-season visibility. The 2026 Holiday Pop-Up Shop takes place Saturday, December 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Asheville Mall. Learn more.
The Whale in West Asheville is hosting its yearly Olde Whale Fair, a day of medieval magic and merriment, on the 14th of November. Visitors can enjoy vendors with treasures, oddities, jewelry, tarot and more, plus entertainment from the Montford Park Players. Attendees are encouraged to wear their “finest garb” — especially if it is appropriate to the Middle Ages. Learn more.
New & Noteworthy
All Souls Counseling Center (ASCC) named The Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina its 2026 Pam Penland Mental Health Champion at a fall gathering on Oct. 20. The Rev. Kelsey Davis and The Rev. Canon Augusta Anderson accepted. Since Hurricane Helene in 2024, ASCC and the Diocese have partnered to bring mental health care to storm-ravaged rural communities, with therapists embedded in Bat Cave and Burnsville through a Diocesan grant. It was the sixth award and the first given to an organization, presented at the Green Ribbon Society event at Trinity Episcopal Church in Asheville.
Asheville City Council members unanimously approved a reimbursement agreement of more than $664,000 with the N.C. Department of Transportation at their Oct. 27 meeting, covering the city’s share of betterments between Interstate 40 and Haywood Road, including interchanges at Brevard Road and Amboy Road. NCDOT will cover the rest. As presented by transportation director Ashley Haire, the I-26 Connector work includes greenway connections from Fairfax Avenue and Virginia Avenue to the French Broad River Greenway, a new Brevard Road–Amboy Road segment, and multi-use paths or sidewalks on Shelburne, Brevard, and Amboy Roads. Learn more.
The Asheville Habitat ReStore recently announced the winners of its 15th annual ReStore ReUse Contest. Public voting on the ReUse Contest webpage decided category winners, while a panel of ReStore volunteers selected Best in Show, judging replicability, design and execution quality, clarity of description, and photo quality. Winners received a gift certificate to the Habitat ReStore. This year’s 53 entries showed the possibilities of giving discarded materials a new purpose. Learn more.
The Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains (BABRM) has announced the winners of the 2026 WNC STARS Awards, recognizing builders, remodelers, designers, trade professionals, and associates. Honors were presented at BABRM’s Annual Awards Gala on October 22. Modeled after the North Carolina Home Builders Association’s (NCHBA) statewide STARS Awards, the program celebrates achievements from new homes and renovations to interior design, marketing, and individual accomplishments. Local winners advance to the 2027 NCHBA STARS Awards to represent Western North Carolina. Learn more.
Carolina Village is planning its next major expansion as demand for retirement living grows in Henderson County, with a waiting list of more than 1,000 prospective households. The addition would add 60 residences to its current 370 independent-living residences (235 apartments and 135 cottages), along with a multipurpose gathering space, gym and wellness area, rooftop terrace, and covered parking. Construction begins in mid-2027 and will take about two years, with opening anticipated in 2029. State analysis projects over 32% of the county will be 60 or older by 2030. Learn more.
The City of Asheville is replacing the aging municipal pool in Malvern Hills Park with a new, code-compliant aquatic facility. Construction begins before the end of 2026, with opening planned for the 2028 summer season. Neighbors may notice site preparation, heavy equipment traffic, security fencing, and noise from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, per the City of Asheville Noise Ordinance. The playground, picnic shelter, parking lot, and sports courts should remain open; portions of the walking loop will close, with further closures announced through signage and the project page. Learn more.
The City of Asheville also announced that Rafael Baptista has been selected as an Assistant City Manager, with his first day of service on Nov. 30, 2026. Baptista brings more than 10 years of local government experience, including more than six years of executive-level service with Buncombe County, where he is Director of Strategy & Innovation. There he led development of the County’s 2030 Strategic Plan, established a countywide performance management framework, and oversaw an internal consulting function delivering more than 175 projects annually. Learn more.
The City of Asheville and the AVL Unpaved Alliance have opened the Azalea Park AVL Unpaved Trail to the public following a post-construction walkthrough on Thursday, October 22. A trailhead kiosk and wayfinding signage are still to come. The trailhead is left of the fishing pond, reached from the parking area at 395 Azalea Rd E, 28805. The natural-surface, multi-use trail is 1.13 miles round trip with 158 feet of elevation gain, open to walking, hiking, running, and biking. No public drinking water is available. Learn more.
The City of Asheville and Commonwealth Golf Partners, operators of Asheville Municipal Golf Course (Muni), announced the course is now certified as an Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary, following community participation in Audubon International’s BioBlitz over the past two summers. The certification recognizes 18 months of efforts, including a soil sensor system that cut annual water use per hole by 50%, a 2025 fertilizer plan that reduced fertilizer needs by nearly 20%, and invasive species removal with native plant reintroduction, supporting rebuilding from Helene.
The Henderson County Aging Coalition (HCAC) has completed the Henderson County Aging Plan for 2026–2029 and is moving into its next phase: bringing community partners and residents together to turn shared priorities into coordinated action. With nearly one in three residents age 65 or older, the county faces a demographic shift affecting housing, transportation, healthcare, workforce availability, family caregiving, and community infrastructure. The plan, developed collaboratively by the coalition, provides a framework for addressing the opportunities and challenges of an aging population. Learn more.
Homeward Bound of Western North Carolina is expanding its participation in Asheville-Buncombe’s Code Purple Initiative this winter, increasing emergency shelter capacity from 20 beds last year to 90. Code Purple provides overnight shelter during dangerous winter weather. Trained staff and volunteers will operate the program at the Salvation Army building rather than the AHOPE Day Center, serving single men, couples, and individuals with pets. From November through April, Homeward Bound expects to provide about 7,200 bed stays for more than 150 unique individuals. Learn more.
Mountain BizWorks has been named a 2026 Neighborhood Builders® honoree by Bank of America for its work supporting emerging small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs in Western North Carolina. The Asheville nonprofit will receive a $100,000 grant over two years, leadership training for its executive director and an emerging leader, and access to a national network of nonprofit peers. The funding comes as Hurricane Helene recovery continues and will strengthen programming focused on low- and moderate-income business owners. Learn more.
South College Asheville has two Physician Assistant (PA) students, Abigail Hettinger and Makaela Morris, earning competitive placement in the North Carolina Medical Society Foundation (NCMSF) Academy for Future Healthcare Leaders (FHL), a six-month development program. They will participate in the program session in Raleigh in 2026-27, joining live workshops with students from various healthcare professions to learn leadership skills, including leading teams, interdisciplinary communication, and professional development.
UNC Asheville Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Ryan Steed, Ph.D., has been selected as a 2026 Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar by the Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation, which each year selects eight faculty within the first 12 years of their academic careers. The award includes an unrestricted $75,000 research grant. Steed plans to sustain his research and invest in computational and automation tools for student training. His work with students examines the mechanism and inhibition of bacterial energy metabolism, centered on ATP synthase. Learn more.
Waypoint Adventure has received the 2026 President’s Award from the National Association of State Park Directors for expanding outdoor recreation opportunities for people with disabilities. The award was presented during the Friends of North Carolina State Parks Conference, held Oct. 23-25 at Haw River State Park. Adam Combs, director of Waypoint Adventure North Carolina, accepted it from Brian Strong, director of North Carolina State Parks; Deputy Director Ryan Carlson was also recognized. Waypoint expanded into North Carolina in 2023 and began adaptive programs with North Carolina State Parks in 2024. Learn more.
The Western North Carolina Colorectal Cancer Screening Initiative (WNC CRCSI), housed within the Western Carolina Medical Society (WCMS), has been selected as a 2027 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) HANDS Distinguished Impact Award recipient, recognizing work creating lasting change in digestive health. The program provides colorectal cancer screening to average-risk, uninsured, low-income patients ages 45 to 75 in sixteen WNC counties. It is run jointly by Digestive HealthPartners and WCMS, partnering with community health centers, safety net clinics, primary care offices, and Project Access.
The Western North Carolina VA Health Care System’s primary care clinical pharmacy program has earned the Clinical Pharmacy PACT Platinum Practice Designation, a national recognition for excellence in primary care pharmacy services. The designation recognizes programs that integrate clinical pharmacists into Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACTs) to help Veterans manage medications and overall health. The system earned it after a three-round evaluation including surveys, data review, and an interview with facility leaders and staff, considering clinical pharmacist practitioners’ direct patient care time and adherence to national standards. Learn more.
Community Feedback
Buncombe County’s One Book, One Buncombe program has opened a survey about its selections for 2027 and beyond. Your input will help influence the community-wide reads that they select. The program’s committee does note that it gives special consideration to living authors with a local or regional connection to Buncombe County, North Carolina or the Southern Appalachians. Learn more.