ARCHR, the Asheville Regional Coalition for Home Repair, is launching a summer campaign to raise $500,000 in five weeks beginning Monday, July 27. With a $500,000 leadership gift from Deerfield, the coalition aims to direct another $1 million toward post-Helene home repairs. ARCHR has helped more than 200 low-income households in Buncombe and Madison counties, with about 400 applicants still awaiting assistance. Learn more.
The Asheville Comedy Festival returns August 6–8 with more than 25 nationally touring comedians from across the United States. Now in its 18th year, the festival has become a respected showcase for emerging comedy talent, with alumni advancing to late-night shows, streaming specials and national tours. The event also includes industry workshops, networking opportunities and showcases designed to introduce audiences to rising performers. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
The Asheville Downtown Association will host a Member Mixer on August 3 from 4–6 p.m. at Revival Asheville focused on housing and urban development. Speakers Beth Silverman of Lotus Campaign and AJ Jackson of LEO Impact Capital will discuss homelessness, affordable housing, community development, finance and equitable investment. The session begins with housing trivia, includes real-world lessons and best practices, and ends with open Q&A. Learn more and register here.
The Asheville Film Festival returns Friday, August 21, through Sunday, August 23. The festival weekend includes a Friday matinée film block, short film screenings, a Saturday awards night gala and additional Sunday film blocks, with filmmaker Q&As following each block. The public may purchase tickets for individual screenings, workshops and the gala, with VIP All-Access Passes and day passes also available. Learn more and buy tickets and passes here.
The Asheville Tourists will host a Tourists Fitness series on the HomeTrust Park outfield with local studios ISI Elite Training, Rad Yoga and Pure Barre. The remaining 60-minute beginner sessions are scheduled for Saturday, August 8, and Saturday, September 26, 2026. Gates open at 7:30 a.m.; instruction runs from 8–9 a.m. Tickets are $25 per class. Learn more and register here.
Arts AVL invites artists of all disciplines to apply for the 2026-2027 Artist Support Grant from July 21 through August 17. Awards of $500 to $1,500 are available for artists in Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford and Transylvania counties. Funds may support new work, business operations, audience development, equipment, materials, training, travel or promotion. The regional grant is managed with partner arts councils across Region 17.Learn more and register here.
AVL Sounds Fest returns August 6-9, 2026, as a venue-based music festival across Asheville. Presented by Wicked Weed Brewing and Worthwhile Sounds, the four-day event will feature local, regional and national artists at more than 15 concert halls, clubs and outdoor venues, with wristbands providing access to more than 200 shows. A portion of ticket proceeds will support the WNC Long Haul Recovery and Resilience Fund. Learn more.
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is hosting a two-state summit August 25–27 at Biltmore in Asheville, NC, for residents and regional leaders from the 29-county Blue Ridge Parkway corridor. Attendees representing tourism, economic development, outdoor recreation, planning, nonprofits and communities will hear updates, discuss grant programs and next steps, and build connections to advance the Blue Ridge Rising Action Plan. Learn more and register here.
Blue Ridge Public Radio is hosting its 2026 BPR Summer Car Raffle, themed Driven by Generosity. The grand prize is a Subaru Crosstrek Sport SUV from Fred Anderson Subaru, donated by an anonymous supporter, with proceeds supporting BPR’s journalism, storytelling and music. Only 1,500 tickets will be sold. Entries by July 30 are also entered for an Early Bird Prize weekend stay at Trillium Resort. Learn more and enter here.
Buncombe County Social Work is collecting school supplies for students in the Western North Carolina foster care system, including 325 school-aged children in Buncombe County. Donations will support foster families and families involved with prevention services, with local distribution planned in August in partnership with Biltmore Church. Supplies will be accepted Wednesday, July 22, through Friday, July 31, at collection boxes located throughout the area.
The Land of Sky Regional Council is seeking Long Term Care Ombudsman volunteers to help resolve concerns raised by or on behalf of residents in long-term care facilities. Volunteers serve on county Nursing Home or Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committees, are appointed by County Commissioners and must live in the county where they serve. The role supports residents’ rights and helps connect concerns with appropriate follow-up.
The Laura Jane Musser Fund is offering Rural Initiative and Environmental Initiative grants. Rural Initiative applications are accepted September 1 through October 1, 2026, for communities of 10,000 or fewer, with planning grants up to $5,000 and implementation grants up to $25,000. Environmental Initiative applications are accepted September 8 through October 8, 2026, with planning grants up to $8,000 and implementation grants up to $35,000. Learn more and apply here.
Louise Bijesse is releasing a new book, Don’t Follow the Recipe, and will celebrate with live virtual launch events in July plus an in-person book signing and reception in Asheville. Local business owners, professionals and friends are invited to attend the signing on Wednesday, August 19, from 5–7 p.m. at The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville, NC 28803. Learn more and register here.
The Mars Landing Arts Center in Mars Hill will present Connecting to Place II: Blue Ridge Craft Trails Invitational 2026 from Friday, August 7, through Sunday, September 27, 2026. Curated by M. Anna Fariello, the exhibition features artists from the Blue Ridge Craft Trails working in clay, fiber, metal, paper and wood. The show includes new pieces, and artwork will be available for purchase. Learn more.
The Montford Park Players are producing The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay Street, in Asheville’s Montford District. Performances run August 7-29 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. The show is free, with premium seating available. Written by local playwright and actor Audrey Kopp, the play offers a new take on Baroness Orczy’s classic stories.
Mountain BizWorks has opened applications for the Catalyst Building Resiliency Micro-Grant Program, supporting early-stage entrepreneurs and small business owners facing barriers to traditional capital in Western North Carolina. Applications are accepted through Monday, August 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Micro-grants begin at $1,000 and may support marketing, equipment, supplies, technology, software, operational improvements or professional coaching. Learn more and apply here.
New & Noteworthy
AdventHealth Hendersonville and AdventHealth Polk earned the 2026 Leapfrog Full Transparency Badge from The Leapfrog Group. The recognition is awarded to hospitals that complete, affirm and submit all sections of the annual Leapfrog Hospital Survey. The voluntary survey evaluates safety, quality and efficiency using standardized measures and makes results public. The badge indicates openness in reporting, not a separate safety grade or specific score.
AdventHealth North Carolina has earned an Age-Friendly Health System — Excellence in System-wide Spread recognition from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. The recognition includes AdventHealth Hendersonville, AdventHealth Polk and related AdventHealth Medical Group practices in North Carolina. The approach uses the 4Ms Framework: What Matters, Medication, Mind and Mobility, helping care teams align treatment with patient goals, medication safety, cognitive and emotional well-being and safe movement. Learn more.
Carolina West Urgent Care has opened a location at 90 E. Main Street, Suite 2, in downtown Sylva. The clinic celebrated with a ribbon cutting and tours on July 23, 2026. It provides walk-in, non-emergency medical services for families, workers and visitors, including treatment for minor illnesses and injuries, on-site X-rays, lab testing, physicals and employer health services. Learn more.
Fletcher Mayor Preston Blakely was one of 22 leaders selected to join NewDEAL, a national network of state and local elected leaders focused on expanding opportunity and economic growth. Blakely, the only North Carolina leader chosen, was recognized for work related to transparency, criminal justice reform, zoning reform, economic revitalization and voting rights. He has served as Fletcher’s mayor since 2021. Learn more.
MANNA FoodBank has received more than $9 million in statewide funding for North Carolina’s seven major food banks. The investment will help purchase and distribute North Carolina-produced agricultural products to people facing food insecurity. In Western North Carolina, MANNA reports more than 220,000 monthly visits across its partner network, schools and community distribution programs, serving 16 counties and the Qualla Boundary during ongoing regional recovery.
NC IDEA announced second-quarter 2026 investment activity by the NC Tweener Fund, Powered by NC IDEA. The fund invested $475,000 across 12 companies, including eight new investments and four follow-on investments. NC IDEA’s five-year, $4 million commitment is helping the fund expand beyond its Triangle roots and support high-growth startups statewide, including companies in Charlotte, Wilmington and Western North Carolina. Learn more.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced that the flyover ramp connecting eastbound Patton Avenue to Westgate Parkway will permanently close Sunday, August 2, for the I-26 Connector project. Westgate businesses will remain accessible by a marked detour using I-240 West/I-26 East, the Haywood Road exit and Exit 3B. The project is intended to improve safety, reduce congestion and modernize the interchange system. Learn more.
South College has expanded its Competency-Based Education programs with a BSN-to-DNP pathway for registered nurses seeking a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. Available in August 2026, the online program allows working professionals with a BSN and RN license to advance by demonstrating content mastery. Students may progress at their own pace, spending less time on familiar material and more time on complex topics. Learn more.
Tanger Outlets Asheville is expanding its retail mix with JD Sports — now open — and Starbucks, expected to open in mid-August. JD Sports occupies a 5,000-square-foot space near American Eagle and Aerie, offering sports fashion, footwear and accessories. Starbucks will open a 1,400-square-foot café next to Bath & Body Works and the Food Court, adding coffee, beverages, pastries and grab-and-go items. Learn more.
The UNC Asheville Millennial Campus Development Advisory Committee has released recommendations for future development of the university’s Millennial Campus properties after a five-month planning process involving about 2,700 stakeholders. The committee reviewed stakeholder input, surveys, environmental and market analysis, peer models and five development concepts. It identified three Millennial Campus properties with potential to support UNC Asheville’s long-term research, teaching, service, economic development and sustainability goals. Learn more.
The University of North Carolina Asheville announced that Chemistry and Biochemistry professors Amanda Wolfe, Ph.D., and Ryan Steed, Ph.D., received a $505,350 NIH Academic Research Enhancement Award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The three-year project will study how bacterial energy production can be targeted for antibiotic development against bacteria often linked to hospital-acquired infections. The award includes a $97,500 subaward to collaborator Vince Rotello, Ph.D.
The YMCA of Western North Carolina is launching the region’s first high school girls NFL FLAG football league. Open to girls ages 14–17, the league supports skill development, teamwork, sportsmanship and competition in a safe environment. The program is offered in partnership with NFL FLAG, the nation’s largest youth flag football organization, as the sport prepares for its Olympic debut in 2028. Learn more.
Community Input
The City of Asheville would like public feedback on The Biltmore Village Infrastructure Recovery Project, which seeks to restore public assets damaged by Tropical Storm Helene. The City is emphasizing that community input is a vital component of this design process. Learn more and submit feedback here. The survey will remain open until August 11, 2026. Learn more and submit feedback here.
The One Book, One Buncombe planning committee is looking for feedback on its next great read. They would specifically like help not only selecting the next book but also in understanding what gets readers excited about the program. Please note that the committee gives special consideration to living authors with a local or regional connection to Buncombe County, North Carolina or the Southern Appalachians. Learn more and submit feedback here.