Mountain Xpress 07.10.24

Local

KEEPING IT REELS

Comedian Cayla Clark’s popular sketch videos on Instagram Reels skewer Asheville’s least self-aware residents. If Clark hasn’t satirized your beloved subculture yet, just wait.

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Applause for spotlighting UNCA action

Local playwright Travis V. Lowe’s brilliantly written letter clearly illustrates key points about the proposed elimination of UNC Asheville’s drama program [“ Mourning Loss of UNCA Drama Program,” June 26 , Xpress].

Mr. Lowe’s education and professional experience render him uniquely qualified to address this issue in detail. I appreciate his willingness to poignantly highlight his point of view, one that is likely shared by thousands of arts enthusiasts within Western North Carolina and beyond.

— Lauri Bailey Asheville

Solutions to gun violence seem out of reach

In 2021, there was one person killed by a gun in Japan. The United States averages close to 50,000 gun-related deaths per year with over twice that number being shot but not dying. Over half of gun-related deaths in the United States are suicides.

The statistics for Asheville in the first six months of the year indicate that we have had at least three homicides involving a firearm and 20 additional individuals receiving gunshot wounds of varying levels of severity. There also have been suicides using a firearm, but that information is rarely publicized. The Asheville Police Department has been called over 200 times so far this year regarding shots fired.

There’s a very simple logic here. Japan has low death rates from

guns because guns are not allowed. Communities in the United States, including Asheville, have much higher death rates from gun violence because guns are allowed.

Currently, there are 400 million firearms in the hands of the public in the United States. In almost all cases, anybody who shoots somebody else or willfully shoots themselves should not be in possession of a firearm.

In a cost-benefit analysis, the data is quite clear. The costs to support the Second Amendment are far greater than the benefits. Guns don’t save lives; they take lives. That’s why the surgeon general of the United States has declared gun violence to be a public health issue. That public health issue plays itself out daily in Asheville and our surrounding communities. It is an issue that must be addressed.

Unfortunately, commonsense solutions seem to be out of reach. We continue to be very good at responding to gun violence. We are not very good at preventing gun violence. Under current interpretations of the Second Amendment, prevention of gun violence is basically impossible.

That is deeply troubling when the pragmatic solution has been demonstrated over and over by Japan and other countries. Sadly, our politicians and courts seem to have little interest in commonsense solutions. The carnage will continue.

— Richard Boyum Candler  X

Word of the week

cartography (n.) the science or art of making maps

Read more about a local cartographer on page 26. And see the ways in which several local groups are mapping out new trails in Western North Carolina on page 12.

CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON

Embracing GIMBY

Goodness in my backyard

BY ROBERT McGEE

“Goodness is the only investment that never fails.”

— Henry David Thoreau

There’s a great line in the classic film Citizen Kane where Mr. Bernstein, Kane’s loyal servant and confidant, remarks, “Well, it’s no trick to make a lot of money — if all you want is to make a lot of money.” The same might be said about housing.

If the movers and shakers of our fair city really wanted to “make a lot of housing,” it would be pretty straightforward, so long as everyone in our community was willing to make sacrifices and commit to a bold and sweeping plan.

First, we’d do to Asheville what New York did to the island of Manhattan back in the 1800s: create a new, progressive vision for a growing city. In Asheville’s case, that means bulldozing all the pretty but inefficient architecture and starting over with renamed streets and a numerical grid. Mixed-use development would rule the day, and no buildings under eight (or 18!) stories would be allowed.

Once we had maximized vertical potential (and our tax base) downtown, we’d move outward, transforming all available space (and gratuitous blue sky) above the single-story buildings along Merrimon (Ave. M), Patton (Ave. P) and Tunnel (Ave. T) into housing for full-time residents working in-person jobs. Cops, teachers, caregivers and librarians would be given first dibs on digs above Ingles grocery stores, restaurants, bars, dry cleaners, wig shops, yogurt emporiums and eternal wastelands such as Stein Mart, Kmart and our many vacant Pits of Despair.

On the shores of Beaver Lake, we’d house the formerly unhoused in stackable tiny homes; on the lake itself, in tiny houseboats. Urban forests would be repurposed to provide tiny tree houses for poets. “Best to get those unemployable dreamers out of sight!” our mayor of the moment might declare.

STARTING OVER

In short, this former Isolationist Burg would be transformed into a

City of Vision. Our cash-strapped university would be dissolved, its campus repurposed as a walkable/ bikeable Village of Youth offering abundant housing opportunities for reformed liberal arts types, so long as they agreed to ditch bookish fantasies and take up more useful trades like lawn care, plumbing, electrical work and the tending of tourists’ dogs.

Seely’s Castle, McCormick Field, the Governor’s Western Residence and other woefully underutilized structures would be replaced with multigenerational condos and a superfluity of “affordable” housing, whatever that might be. Neighborhoods including but not limited to Lake View Park, Grove Park and Reynolds Mountain, where multitudes of retirees are rumored to pad about in echoey mansions searching for misplaced pickleballs, would be replaced with nifty fourplex People Pods near bike lanes and public transport corridors.

Tepees and trailers would be strapped to the roof of the Grove Arcade! Skinny Homes would be replaced by Skinny Towers! Obsolete city buses would find new lives as portable loos.

In time, Montford and Biltmore Estate would be returned to the descendants of our equitable city’s original inhabitants, once our many consultants and committees had somehow managed to agree on just how far back we should go — and who, exactly, those “original inhabitants” actually were.

Open space that’s currently hoarded and squandered by The Rich and The Dead would not be spared. That is, all golf courses and graveyards situated near city services — a precious commodity that now sits empty, silently mocking Regular Folk — would be plowed under on the principle of many roofs for many heads.

Even the few wooded acres I occupy (and plan to conserve) might be enlisted in the cause. I could see the property supporting perhaps a dozen eco-friendly huts, so long as any and all future inhabitants signed covenants agreeing not to smoke, vape, bang bongos, let barking dogs run wild, engage me in morning chatter or con -

vert said honest structures into short-term rentals for boisterous bachelorettes.

LET’S GET REAL

And to those of you who constantly clamor for more and more housing at any cost : Be honest. Isn’t there at least one of the harebrained notions laid out above that you would oppose? Even those who favor green burials can probably anticipate the wrath of a pitchfork-wielding NIGBY (Not In Granny’s Bone Yard) when I show up at Riverside Cemetery to bulldoze O. Henry away.

In this lovely place where we live and breathe, and where so many others apparently would give anything to do likewise, it seems to me that the more we try to become Asheville for All, the more likely it is that we’ll no longer be Asheville at all. In my view, we have it all wrong to allow quality of life to get screwed without pushing back. Must we lie still and take it while some shady Floridian takes a wrecking ball to our sunshine and makes off with our forests and streams?

Like many people living in harmonious communities that are under constant assault, I don’t object to more neighbors per se — as long as the proper roads, sidewalks, tree buffers and infrastructure are in place before the first tree is cut, the first scoop of dirt moved, and as long as horrific decisions aren’t rushed and/or driven by panic or greed.

“Tepees and trailers would be strapped to the roof of the Grove Arcade!”

I don’t believe that longtime residents who live on narrow lanes without sidewalks are NIMBYs simply because they don’t want an aggressor’s “mountain village” shoehorned in at the end of their dead-end street when the monstrous proposal doesn’t even meet the municipality’s stated criteria for such developments. But how many cans must be kicked down how many potholey roads before people see that those routes risk becoming too jammed to be safely traversed?

And to all ye shortsighted “leaders” intent on approving car-centric monstrosities with no safe way to reach them, I say, “Give us jet packs or give us death!”

BEFORE THE WELL RUNS DRY

Residents of Haw Creek, South Slope, Richmond Hill and other established neighborhoods are wise to push for better, more thoughtful designs; more consideration for what and who is here now; more overall goodness in all of our backyards . Development can have irreversible long-term impacts on what is most people’s major life investment, on our families, our physical and mental well-being, on life itself. Residents aren’t NIMBYs if they strive for the best, pleasantest and safest communities they can create: They’re fools if they don’t.

So as we continue to make room for newcomers who may or may not turn out to be wonderful neighbors and friends, let’s remember to be thoughtful toward the neighbors and friends we have now. In civilized society, the peaceful enjoyment of one’s home is (or should be) the most valued commodity and widely held concern. And in our eagerness to satisfy the thundering cries to build more and more crap faster and faster to accommodate countless theoretical futures, let’s not be in such a rush to wipe out our goodness and destroy this wondrous place we call Home.

Robert McGee lives near some of the oldest oak trees in Asheville. His writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times , The Sun magazine, The Christian Science Monitor and other publications.  X

ROBERT MCGEE

Housing hunt

County makes progress toward affordability goals

BY GREG PARLIER

In 2019, Samantha Justice was a homeowner with a steady job. By the summer of 2021, she and her four children were living in a hotel room. A series of unfortunate events triggered by COVID-19related shutdowns had turned their lives upside down, and she didn’t know when or where she’d be able to find stable housing.

Justice had sold her home right before the pandemic hit, but she couldn’t find a new one to buy. Then she lost her job at A-B Tech and was eventually forced out of the house she’d been renting when its owners couldn’t keep up with the mortgage payments on all of their properties and needed to move into Justice’s rental themselves. Despite putting in long shifts as a medical assistant at an urgent care clinic and working early mornings at Sam’s Club, her savings were sapped. “It was absolutely devastating,” Justice says about the crisis that played out over less than two years.

She and her kids spent three months in that hotel room before being accepted for a two-bedroom unit at the Jasper Apartments, an affordable housing complex in Swannanoa. Built in 2022, it targets residents who make up to 60% of the area’s median income. Today, Justice has her job back at A-B Tech and, thanks in part to Jasper’s income-based rent control, is back on her feet financially.

HOME AT LAST: After a tumultuous couple of years, Samantha Justice, center, and her four children have found stable housing at the Jasper Apartments in Swannanoa. Also pictured, clockwise from left, are Isla, Nicko, Alex and Cesar. Photo courtesy of Justice

“I just did not realize how bad housing would get after 2020,” she reflects.

Justice’s story has become increasingly common around Buncombe County over the last decade. Amid a housing crisis that has seen costs continue to skyrocket as supply can’t keep up with the rising demand, many families are just one bad break away from becoming homeless.

In November 2020, the Dogwood Health Trust commissioned Bowen

National Research to conduct a housing needs assessment covering 18 Western North Carolina counties. As of 2020, the resulting report found, there were more than 2,200 Buncombe County households on waiting lists for below-market-rate rental housing. Of the more than 15,000 multifamily rental units surveyed, only 175 were vacant — and not all of those would qualify as affordable housing. To close the gap, the assessment concluded, the county needed more than 5,400

additional rental units reserved for households with incomes of up to 120% of the area median (which was $56,092 in 2020, according to the report).

Brownie Newman , chairman of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, says the housing situation is the community’s single biggest economic challenge. And after voters approved $30 million in general obligation bonds in 2022 to address the crisis, the county set some ambitious goals: Build 1,850 rental units for households making up to 80% of the area median income, including at least 200 units for households making up to 30% of the AMI. This fiscal year, which began July 1, will see the first allocation of those bond funds, supporting the county’s biggest investment yet in affordable housing. And for the first time in years, the commissioners are sounding an optimistic note.

At their June 18 meeting, Newman — who’s lived in the area since the early 1990s and has served on the board since 2012 — said, “The whole time I’ve been here, this is one of these issues where it seems like it just gets worse and worse every year. ... I think we are now recognizing that we have strategies that can really work, that that doesn’t have to be the case.”

BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

In 2019, the county established the Affordable Housing Committee, and after looking into what other local governments around the state were doing to address their shortages, committee members opted to follow the same playbook.

The strategy revolves around the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, established in 1986 as a way to encourage investors to support affordable

ATTAINING HOMEOWNERSHIP: Mountain Housing Opportunities has six homes still under construction in the Spring Garden development in Candler. Six other affordable homes are already complete, giving low-income Buncombe County residents the opportunity to buy a place of their own. Photo courtesy of Mountain Housing Opportunities

housing developments. In return for offering tenants affordable rents, typically for a period of 30 years, developers can sell tax credits generated through the program. In North Carolina alone, more than 109,000 affordable units were built or renovated between 1987 and 2022 using the credits, making this one of the biggest and strongest financing tools for creating and rehabilitating affordable homes in the state, according to the N.C. Housing Finance Agency.

The program has two tiers offering different percentages of the qualified project cost (not including land acquisition). Buncombe had already been using the 9% program, which works out to about a 70% subsidy, to create one 50- to 70-unit project per year, but that didn’t put a dent in the county’s housing shortfall. In addition, the quest for those credits is highly competitive, “with one award for every three or four applications,” the agency’s website notes.

The state agency also offers an unlimited number of 4% credits, which provide a roughly 30% subsidy. But they require more local funding to make them financially viable for developers, and until the 2022 bond referendum, there wasn’t enough money available to create a significant number of such projects. Although the county’s annual investment in affordable housing jumped from about $300,000 starting in 2004 to $2.3 million over the last five years,

that still fell far short of what was needed to support the 4% credits.

But with the 688 new affordable rental units the county has committed to adding this year, it’s already almost 60% of the way to the goal of 1,850 and will exceed the 200 units for households making up to 30% of AMI just two years into the program.

“If the county had just invested the bond funds without having a very focused strategy on supporting 4% LIHTC strategies, we could have easily committed the $30 mil-

lion of the bond funds and have a much smaller number of new units to show for it,” Newman points out.

HOUSE AND HOME

The insufficient number of affordable rental units is only part of the problem, however: Lowincome homebuyers also need help. For seven years, Danyelle Angel and her family lived in incomebased rental housing while unsuccessfully trying to buy a home.

AFFORDABLE: Of the 46 single-family homes built at Mountain Housing Opportunities’ Lillie Farm Cove development in Weaverville, 35 were sold below market rate. Photo courtesy of Mountain Housing Opportunities

“Paying for us to stay in those apartments was ... keeping us in poverty.”

— Habitat for Humanity homeowner Danyelle Angel

She spent a lot of time at food banks and crisis centers trying to come up with enough food for their four children while her husband, Logan Angel , worked at the Charles George Veterans Affairs Medical Center, she says. If they started making a little more money, they lost their food stamps, which meant spending even more time finding help with food and other bills. And when they were able to save some money, it was never enough. “You can’t get ahead a penny, and every penny you make feels like they’re just taking it. It’s a really awful cycle of being stuck,” Danyelle explains.

Finally, in 2020, they obtained an interest-free, fixed-rate mortgage through Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. And once they were established in their new house, the family was able to achieve some upward mobility.

“There’s a lot of mental stress that comes by and with poverty that you don’t realize it’s there until you are no longer in it,” she says.

Danyelle is now a community health worker with Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry, where she helps people who are in a position similar to hers get connected to the resources they need.

The Angels’ newfound independence has enabled the family to more than double its income over the last several years, and they may soon be above the poverty line, which Danyelle says seemed unthinkable just a few years ago. Owning a house also boosted their credit rating, allowing them to buy a car that doesn’t constantly need repairs.

“I really feel like this program is what got us out of poverty,” she says. “Paying for us to stay in those apartments was doing nothing besides keeping us in those apartments and keeping us in poverty.”

A HOME ONE OWNS

Local officials say they’d like to replicate the Angels’ success story, but for several reasons, creating

“Hundreds of units is still woefully insufficient when the need is thousands of units.”

— Geoffrey Barton, Mountain Housing Opportunities

homes that lower-income people can afford to buy is a lot harder than encouraging affordable rental developments, says Matt Cable , Buncombe County’s community development division manager.

First off, there is no comparable tax credit program for homeownership. Additionally, even when alternative funding is available, those projects tend to be undertaken by smaller local nonprofits such as Habitat or Mountain Housing Opportunities, rather than regional and national companies that can use federal tax credits to make projects viable, Cable explains. And finally, the rising cost of Buncombe County’s limited available land is a barrier for any developer.

Not surprisingly, then, the county is a lot further from achieving its goal of creating 400 units by 2030 that people at or below the area median income can afford to buy. With just nine such units being

built this fiscal year, another 276 are still needed.

For many county residents, the dream of homeownership is increasingly out of reach, creating a desperate situation, notes Geoffrey Barton , president and CEO of Mountain Housing Opportunities. He’s particularly excited about the nonprofit’s Spring Garden development in Candler. This year, partner families are working together to build a second set of six homes there, financed through a U.S. Department of Agriculture low-interest loan program, he says. The first six homes were completed in spring 2023.

At the same time, Barton and Cable both stress the importance of maintaining the existing affordable housing stock. Some longtime area residents are struggling to keep their homes in a livable condition, and if they had to sell them in their

current state, they wouldn’t have enough money to buy elsewhere.

Mountain Housing Opportunities is slated to complete 200 home repairs this year, notes Barton, which is double what it did five years ago. Meanwhile, once the county helps fund emergency repairs for the 161 homes it has scheduled this fiscal year, it will have surpassed its goal of doing 500 such interventions by 2030.

Commissioner Parker Sloan says the county should be spending even more on emergency repairs, which he calls “a really cheap way to maintain our housing stock and keep people in their homes.” He says he’s working on tracking down more funding to expand the program.

IF YOU BUILD IT ...

Despite the undeniable progress, the local leaders Xpress spoke with for this story all acknowledge that there’s more to do. “When we’re talking about affordable housing in Buncombe County, good progress and a scale of hundreds of units is still woefully insufficient when the need is thousands of units,” notes Barton.

But thanks to the tax credit programs, voters’ approval of the bond money and an increased focus on maintaining existing housing stock, many feel that the county may be close to getting ahead of the curve.

“My hope is that the city and county will commit to a sustained program of building 4% LIHTC projects over the next 10 years, with enough local funding that we can have a sustained development of around 300 new affordable units built every year,” says Newman. “If we do this, we can truly turn the corner on the housing affordability issue over the coming years. This

would likely require the city and county to both take bond referendums to the voters every two to four years.”

For his part, Sloan says he would support additional bond referendums. But Commissioner Amanda Edwards says she wants to ensure that the county has tangible success to show voters before seeking another referendum in 2026. She’s also focused on extending water and sewer infrastructure to more rural parts of the county, where people typically rely on wells and septic tanks, in hopes of encouraging developers to build more homes in those areas. That, she says, would increase the overall housing stock and perhaps help bring prices down.

In addition, the county is in the early stages of establishing developments with an affordable housing component on county-owned land on Ferry Road in South Asheville and on Coxe Avenue downtown. Those projects aren’t far enough along yet to be counted toward the county’s overall goals, but Newman, Sloan and Edwards all say they’re excited about their potential.

In the meantime, though, the problem remains palpable for most county residents of modest means. Justice, the single mom who’s finally feeling stable in her Swannanoa apartment, says the hardest part of her journey was watching her teenage son cope with the embarrassment of coming home to a hotel for three months before she was approved for the income-based housing.

“You’re used to providing your children with their own home, their own room, their own fencedin yard. And when you go from that to where I was, it’s tough,” she says. “I could see the look in his eyes, like … we deserve better than this.”  X

The path ahead

Asheville Unpaved learns from community pushback

BY PATRICK MORAN

pmoran@mountainx.com

Three nonprofit organizations want Asheville residents to hit the dirt.

The Asheville Unpaved Alliance, composed of Connect Buncombe, the Pisgah area chapter of SORBA (Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association) and Asheville on Bikes, is rolling ahead with a plan called AVL Unpaved.

The initiative will connect parts of the city via two multiuse natural surface pathways, a project that could be the beginning of a network of trails, says Mike Sule , executive director of Asheville on Bikes, which he founded in 2006.

“The whole idea of the AVL Unpaved initiative is to be able to connect from the existing built environment into pockets of the natural world that would serve as recreational facilities, but would also have a transportation value as well,” Sule says.

AVL Unpaved kicked into gear in October 2022, when Asheville City Council adopted the GAP Plan, which updates and combines the City’s Greenway Master Plan (G), Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan (A) and Pedestrian Master Plan (P) in one comprehensive document. The plan identified natural-surface trails as one strategy to improve Asheville’s active transportation network, connecting existing greenways, streets, city transit hubs and parking facilities.

“These are mostly multiuse trails, meaning that they are not exclusive to people riding bicycles,” Sule adds. “These are walking trails, running trails and hiking trails. It often lands in people’s minds that we’re building these exclusive bike trails. And that’s just not the case.”

While the initial plan called for three pathways, the idea of a trail running close to existing homes in the South French Broad neighborhood did not sit well with its residents. And their public outcry over the proposed Bacoate Branch Trail, which would have connected Aston Park and the River Arts District, resulted in an unexpected roadblock for the alliance.

BEFORE THE BACKLASH

Prior to neighborhood pushback, the alliance focused on the perceived benefits that a series of pathways would bring to the city’s residents. A system of multiuse trails could foster an increased sense of community and equity, says Alex Smith, vice president of Connect Buncombe.

“I look at it as a way [that] these spaces are being cleaned up through public activation, a little more public eye on those lands,” says Smith, a recreation and environmental planner at the Asheville planning and design firm Equinox.

“[It’s] kind of like communities …

taking ownership of these lands that are around them.”

Since the trails will be made of dirt or crushed stone, they are faster and cheaper to build than paved pathways — 35 times cheaper to build than greenways, according to AVL Unpaved’s website.

Fueled by a $188,355 grant in 2022 from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, the alliance hired Elevated Trail Design to draft a proposal for a phase one plan.

When it came to picking locations for the pilot trails, the City of Asheville and the alliance were looking for contiguous, forested pieces of publicly owned land that

would be conducive to natural-surface trails, Natalie Narburgh , Pisgah area SORBA executive director, writes in response to an Xpress email. The proposal came up with five locations, but the group narrowed it down to three.

“Out of those five, it seemed [through] working with the communities adjacent to the properties, that three were ready to go and would be the most feasible to move forward,” Sule says.

The initial proposal would have extended about 4.8 miles: 2.33 miles for French Broad River West; 1.6 miles for Azalea Park in East Asheville; and roughly .9 miles for Bacoate Branch Trail.

Asheville owns the Azalea Park land and has a long-term lease on the French Broad River area, while Bacoate Branch Trail land belongs to Asheville City Schools. Proximity of the trails to improve connectivity to greenways and bike lanes was also considered, as well as neighborhood approval.

Asheville Unpaved posted a public survey last fall to gather community feedback on anticipated trail usage and attributes while the City of Asheville hosted community sessions with residents and businesses whose properties are adjacent to project areas. Subsequent public meetings, however, revealed that concerns from some Black residents may not have been heard.

HITTING A ROADBLOCK

For Sule, the path ahead seemed clear. Speaking at the Asheville City Board of Education’s June 3 meeting, he urged the board to grant an easement to the City of Asheville on Asheville Middle School property to build Bacoate Branch Trail.

Part of the path, which would have run behind four houses on Charles Street, was slated to be used by the public as well as an after-school bicycle club led by Sule.

TRAILBLAZER: Asheville on Bike’s Mike Sule is spearheading a plan to build multiuse trails within the city. Photo by Anthony Bellemare

FLAGGING WALK: AVL Unpaved volunteers plot the route for one of two proposed trails. Photo by Steve Barker of Icon Media

Neighbor Sharlen Mayfield , who is Black, said she felt no one was listening to neighbors who opposed the unpaved pathway during the June 3 meeting.

“Informed by 12 years of doing this, we know differently,” Sule said. Nine neighborhood residents had already sent a letter to the school board opposing the project, citing concerns over crime, drug use and increased vehicle traffic.

Charles Street resident Lilian Childress , who also attended the June 3 meeting, said that AVL Unpaved’s proposed trail would become a “crisis zone.” Childress and her neighbors said that unhoused people and drug users had already been seen congregating in the forest near the proposed path.

Mayfield and her neighbors also said Black people would not use the proposed trail. Sule disagreed.

“Are there historical barriers to access? Have Black people historically not been invited to participate? Absolutely. I’m not arguing against that. Our job is to remove those barriers and create the access point so that all people, the next generation specifically, have the opportunity to participate,” he said.

Sule’s dismissive response to neighbors’ concerns backfired.

Spurred by the perception that Sule was insinuating that he knew better than Black people what Black people wanted, members of that community came to the following Board of Education meeting on June 10 to speak out about Sule’s plan.

Sule apologized publicly for his disrespect and for disregarding the community’s concerns.

“I appreciate and thank the community leaders who’ve held me to account and helped me see my exertion of privilege and its potential to perpetuate harm and legacy to neighborhoods,” Sule said.

He asked the board to remove his proposal from its June 10 meeting. With that, the Bacoate Branch Trail was dead.

GETTING BACK ON TRACK

“Initially, we had a lot of community support for that project,” Sule says about the experience. “I think as it started to get nearer toward actually getting funded and approved in an easement, some [people] came up and opposed that project.”

Summer is here, and Xpress’ monthly gardening feature is fl ourishing based on reader questions. Please send all gardening inquiries to gardening@mountainx.com

Sule says he was shortsighted in not really listening to what the opposition had to say about the trail.

“I was really focused, hyperfocused, on providing a trail system for the students in our after-school bicycle program,” he adds.

The lesson learned from the contentious meeting, Smith says, is for the alliance and the City of Asheville to continue to listen to the people who will be affected by the trails.

The alliance shifted focus on forging ahead with the two other proposed pathways. The city has already received permission from Duke Energy to construct the French Broad River West Trail on Duke-owned property.

Asheville City Council scheduled a vote for Tuesday, July 23, on a natural-surface trail use agreement, which could pave the way ahead for the plan.

“City Council has to approve the partnership between the AVL Unpaved Alliance and the city to build on these public facilities,” Sule says.

“The use agreement is a contract that lays out the terms of the partnership, such as the scope of work and each party’s responsibilities, the length of the agreement (in years), and any other details the city will require for the AVL Unpaved Alliance to build on the public property,” writes Lucy Crown , City of Asheville transportation planning manager, replying to an Xpress email.

The agreement applies only to the two proposed trails.

While the coalition is working with the city to obtain rights of

way, the costs are being covered by the nonprofits. “No city funds are being used for the construction of the AVL Unpaved projects and the three years of maintenance and management of the trails,” writes Crown.  X

TWO PATHS: Connect Buncombe’s Alex Smith shows plans for two proposed natural-surface trails. Photo by Claire Sheehy

YWCA acknowledges financial woes, closes pool

The Asheville chapter of the YWCA, which provides programs and services that aim to eliminate racism, empower women, nurture children and promote health, announced in a June 17 press release that it was facing a $650,000 deficit as it begins its next fiscal year and that it needed to make “difficult decisions to ensure the long-term sustainability of our programs and services.”

The release cited the lingering economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, shifts in funding priorities and the need for facility repairs as reasons for the shortfall. “We have reassessed our financial strategies, continue to explore alternative funding sources and optimize our operations. We remain steadfast in our commitment to our mission and the community we serve, and we are asking for your support to help us overcome these obstacles,” the press release said.

The YWCA has been a culturally significant part of Asheville history and the city’s role in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1956, two years after Brown v. Board of Education, former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt agreed to speak in Western North Carolina — but only if she could address a racially mixed audience. The venue for Roosevelt’s talk was the Asheville YWCA. In 1968, the Asheville branch became the first officially integrated YWCA in the south. The organization’s pool also was the site of the first racially integrated swimming classes in Asheville.

As part of the announcement last month, the YWCA said it would temporarily close the organization’s nearly 50-year-old pool for maintenance and repairs.

“The YWCA pool has been a pillar of our community, providing vital swimming education and recreational opportunities to all, regardless of financial or physical barriers,” Diana Sierra, CEO of the YWCA of Asheville, said in the release. “We understand the significant impact this closure will have, and we are committed to reopening a stronger facility. This temporary pause is necessary to make critical repairs and secure the future of our aquatics program.”

For more information or to make a donation, visit avl.mx/dvg.

Teacher’s pet

The Henderson County-based Blue Ridge Humane Society is waiving pet adoption fees for first responders and education professionals. Fees are also waived for veterans and those participating in the organization’s seniors for seniors program. First responders are defined as firefighters, law enforcement personnel, medical personnel, utility workers and public health professionals. Education professionals include teachers and administrators who are working in both public and private schools. Proof of employment or a volunteer card is needed to receive the discount. More information is at avl.mx/dvc.

Mills River hires new town manager

Following a nationwide search, the Mills River Town Council has selected Matthew McKirahan to be the next town manager. McKirahan earned a master’s of public administration from UNC Chapel Hill and most recently worked as the organizational performance director for the Village of Pinehurst. He also has extensive experience in communications and marketing from his

time working at the UNC School of Government. McKirahan will begin work Monday, July 29.

Tools for Schools event Aug. 6

Asheville-based nonprofit Eblen Charities, in partnership with Ingles Markets, will hold its 16th annual Tools for Schools Drive on Tuesday, Aug. 6. The event, at Ingles Markets at 151 Smokey Park Highway from 6 a.m.-7 p.m., aims to collect new and used backpacks, binders, rulers, safety scissors, glue sticks and other school supplies. All funds and donated school supplies will be given away to support students, teachers and schools in the Asheville City and Buncombe County school systems for the 2024-25 school year. Eblen Charities will distribute the school supplies on Wednesday, Aug. 14, at 23 Hamilton St., Asheville, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on a first-come, firstserved basis. More information is at avl.mx/dve.

Fenton Lebeck to lead housing organization

Hendersonville-based affordable housing nonprofit Housing Assistance Corp. announced Margaret Fenton

Lebeck as the organization’s executive director, effective July 1. Fenton Lebeck has more than 10 years of professional experience in the nonprofit/nongovernment organization sector, including working as the executive director for Love Light + Melody and manager and chief of staff for the global ministries of the United Methodist Church.

Asheville Design District

The Asheville Design District will celebrate its second anniversary Saturday, July 20. The event will take place at 121 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville, and include a variety of food trucks, live music and a market hosted by Marchè and Atelier Maison & Co. that will feature numerous vendors showcasing unique products. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. with an outdoor yoga practice hosted by Yoga Nut. The event is free and open to the public. Pets are welcome. More information is at avl.mx/dvd.

Cultivate Climbing opens new gym

Cultivate Climbing is holding an event Thursday, July 11, to unveil a new bouldering-focused gym in Asheville’s Foundy Street development. This event, which begins at 6 p.m. at 173 Amboy Road, will reveal the opening night for the 13,000-square-foot facility, which will feature 15-foot bouldering walls built by Walltopia, a fitness and weight room, a cafe and gear shop. Murals and street art from the former skatepark have been preserved to illustrate the area’s cultural heritage. Attendees can participate in a Q&A with founders and team members and get a look at the new space through a virtual walk-through. Cultivate also plans to make its first public announcement about its third location coming to downtown Asheville, which will feature free yoga for members, hot/cold therapy, advanced training walls and robust weight and cardio areas.

Hendersonville awarded AARP grant

The City of Hendersonville has been selected among more than 3,300 applications for a $15,000 AARP Community Challenge grant, which funds innovative, quick-action projects in areas such

BREAKING BARRIERS: The YWCA’s pool was the site of the first racially integrated swimming classes in Asheville. Photo courtesy of the YWCA

as public places, housing, transportation, digital connectivity, community resilience and more. Hendersonville is one of only 343 recipients chosen for this grant.

The city plans to use the grant to advance its 2017 bicycle plan by installing shared lane markings (sharrows) connecting key destinations, as well as five bicycle racks and two bicycle repair stations placed at various locations in the city. The project’s installation is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Sound of success

Quality Musical Systems held a luncheon last month to celebrate its 40th anniversary. The business makes speaker cabinets for professional stadiums, arenas, high schools, amusement parks, theaters and high-end home theaters. Owner and founder Dan Wilson recognized past and current employees and the community. According to a press release, Wilson began building and selling his own QMS line of speakers at local flea markets. Today, the

business at 204 Dogwood Road in Candler has expanded to a 40,000-square-foot warehouse.

“QMS is a small-town big deal that no one really knows about but everyone at some point has experienced our product,” says QMS representative Jennifer Messer . “We are the behind-the-scenes silent partner, but our speakers make a lot of noise throughout the world.”

More information is at avl.mx/prya.

Our VOICE seeks board members

Our VOICE, an Asheville-based organization dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual violence and human trafficking, is seeking new board members from Buncombe, McDowell and Transylvania counties. Previous board experience is not required. Applications will be accepted through Friday, July 19, with board service to begin in October. For more information or to apply, visit avl.mx/dvh.

— Brooke Randle  X

Sediment is the most common pollutant found in NC waterways

Keeping it Reels

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN

The typical profile of a Hollywood starlet goes like this: She meets a journalist at a restaurant that sells a $32 salad. The starlet nibbles on said salad, and she gives coyly evasive answers about her love life. If the journalist asks about any potentially messy subject — her drinking, perhaps, or an ex — her publicist sharply interjects: That’s off limits . Somewhere in this profile, especially if it is written by a man, is a description of the starlet’s body.

But this is Asheville, not Hollywood, and so Blind Date Live comedian Cayla Clark meets with a journalist at Dobra Tea West and orders the cheese plate. She won’t allow the journalist to pay, as it’s the most expensive thing on the menu; she brings home what she doesn’t finish in a doggie bag.

Clark is disarming and forthcoming about dating, careers, her alcohol use disorder, rehab and mental health. She’s sharp, witty and talented at acting. And — here’s that description of the starlet’s body — she has extraordinarily expressive eyes that she puts to use in sketches on Instagram Reels where she punches up, down and sideways at Asheville life.

Often in these Reels, Clark plays a character named Amanda Rosequartz Didgeridoo Johnson, who is blissfully unaware of her own obnoxiousness. Other caricatures Clark portrays share this trait — from the Asheville slam poet to the local healing coach. Then there’s the veterinarian who tells her clients, “I’m not a vet in

Cayla Clark’s quest to make fun of everyone in Asheville

LICENSE AND REGISTRATION, PLEASE: Local comedian Cayla Clark, who is not an actual cop, poses alongside an Asheville Police Department vehicle at Pritchard Park. Photo by Caleb Johnson

the traditional sense — I’m a very empathetic toucher.” Or the mom of a toddler who claims that she’s “cured his ADHD with local honey and affirming spankings.” Or the teacher whose students are pre-K — that is, preketamine. Or the Asheville cop whose field sobriety test involves the warrior 2 pose.

Clark’s Instagram Reels typically garner hundreds of comments and thousands of views (with at

least two videos hitting over a million views). She’s a veritable homegrown celebrity. “We can’t go anywhere now without somebody talking to her,” says her boyfriend, cameraman and occasional co-star, Ryan Gordon .

“She has her ear to the ground and her finger on the pulse when it comes to people and subcultures, especially in Asheville,” adds Cellarest Beer Project co-founder Harrison Fahrer , who co-starred with Clark (and her creepy babydoll Tristan) in her “Brewery Mom” video. “She’s actively helping us take ourselves less seriously.”

‘WE NEED TO FILM THIS RIGHT NOW’

Clark didn’t set out to skewer Asheville in her comedy.

In fact, she moved from Oregon in January 2021 because she wanted to be within driving distance of a man she’d fallen for who lived in Charleston, S.C. That relationship didn’t last, which Clark says was due, in part, to her excessive drinking. But she stayed in Asheville.

By 2022, Clark became active in recovery from alcohol use disorder. The process reawakened old passions, including acting and playing matchmaker. About a year ago, she launched Blind Date Live with Donnie Rex Bishop , a local videographer, and the pair began producing with George Awad and Paul Dixon of Double Dip Productions. The premise is simple: Clark prescreens singles and sets six of them up on a blind date — onstage, in front of a live studio audience.

To promote the show, Clark created the Instagram account @blinddateliveavl. But she also began to use the page “as a platform to do sketch comedy that was more Asheville-specific,” she explains. “And then when that started gaining traction, I was like, ‘OK, this is my niche now’ — and I kind of ran with that.”

It’s a niche she’s gone all in on: Since posting “POV: You’re on a Date with Someone ‘From Asheville’” in December, she has created over 60 Reels.

Clark says she generates most of the ideas for sketches, although

some viewers have pitched concepts that she later develops. A majority of her videos hinge on one main joke that she riffs off of, unscripted. Typically, she’ll film, edit and post on the same day.

“I’ll just think of something and I’ll be like, ‘OK, we need to film this right now,’” she explains. Her urgency, at times, can overwhelm Gordon, who often films the skit or plays the straight man. Clark notes that he’s told her, “‘You act like we’re both gonna die if we don’t film it, like, immediately.’ Which is true.”

With Clark’s popularity comes some scrutiny. Her “Brewery Mom” sketch — in which she played a mother whose toddler (Tristan the babydoll) terrorizes Cellarest while her character enjoys IPAs — ruffled some feathers. “It’s like a day care, but it’s free, and there’s beer!” Clark declares in a husky, self-satisfied drawl. While many commenters on Instagram called the video hilarious — and some bar and restaurant employees chimed in to say her depiction of a distracted, drinking parent was accurate — others accused the skit of mom-shaming.

Clark takes the criticism in stride, noting most viewers understand the videos are “clearly satire.” And she herself has some woo-woo qualities that are skewered in her Reels: She owns a rose quartz, among other crystals, and six or seven tarot decks.

And of course, she’s originally from California. “The only real hate [I get from commenters] is people saying, ‘Go back to where you came from,’” she says.

PINT-SIZED BADASS

Clark was born in Goleta, Calif., adjacent to Santa Barbara. At age 3, she told her parents she wanted to be an actor, and a year later, they got her an agent. Clark booked a Little Caesars commercial and was “hooked,” she says. Throughout her childhood in the early 1990s, Clark appeared in nationwide commercials for Corn Pops, McDonald’s, Corn Flakes and Honda.

“That was the beginning of my addiction to that kind of attention,” Clark says.

She recalls being 7 years old “when one of the big kids on the playground came up to me and was like, ‘You’re cool, I saw you on a McDonald’s commercial!’” She contorts her face to look like a pintsized badass, agreeing with his

assessment. “And I was like, ‘Yeah! I’m a cool kid!’” Then she laughs.

During high school, Clark performed improv, and one of her last entertainment industry projects was a pilot for a TV show called “Improv High.” She doesn’t remember what network it had been geared toward but calls it “silly” — “a cross between ‘Wild ’N Out’ and ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’” She chuckles. “There’s a clear reason it didn’t get picked up.”

Around that same time, Clark took a playwriting class. She fell in love and went on to study the form at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her late teen and college years were also when she began drinking heavily. “When my drinking really picked up, that’s kind of when everything else fell by the wayside,” she says.

A couple of years after graduating college, Clark moved to Delray Beach, Fla., for rehab — “the treatment capital of the country,” she jokes. Clark describes the city as being filled with young people attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings amid the backdrop of a “dark underbelly” — that is, overdoses and deaths from substance use disorders.

“I did healing and growing in that time period, but it also was traumatic in some ways,” Clark says. “I had so many friends pass

away from opioid overdoses. I had never been exposed to that before.”

After rehab, Clark made her way to Bend, Ore., where she worked as a newspaper reporter for a couple of years. Although she loved parts of being a journalist, she says she eventually left the field because of the structure.

“I don’t like rules,” she says. “I like making mine up.”

She also admits she was in a “bad mental space,” which eventually led to her meeting a man and moving across the country to be closer to him. “I was impulsive — probably still am, but much less so,” she says.

When she first arrived to Asheville, Clark knew no one. During that time, she also struggled with alcohol. “I just could not stay sober,” she says.

In 2022, she became active in recovery again, and one year ago, she began dating Gordon. “Now I’m in, for the first time ever, a healthy, functional relationship,” she says. “For a while, I thought I’m just undateable.” She pauses. “Turns out, I might be,” she laughs. “Just kidding.”

MAKE ME A MATCH

In addition to her Instagram success, Clark is still nurturing Blind Date Live. The next show is

Saturday, Aug. 24, 7 p.m., at The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave.

The matchmaking aspect of producing the show, Clark says, is an enormous amount of work. She sorts through Asheville’s singles to find three potentially compatible matches. “There’s definitely a yenta in me,” she says, crediting her nana for an interest in romance and rom-coms.

Clark is proud that many Blind Date Live couples have gone on several dates (beyond the first one that happens onstage), and one couple who matched in June 2023 are still together.

And because she loves it, Clark also does a little offstage matchmaking on the side — “just for free, like as a service to the community,” she says.

This summer also marks another milestone the comedian and social media star is proud to share: Clark will collect her two-year chip for alcohol recovery on Wednesday, Aug. 14.

Editor’s note: Cayla Clark previously worked at Xpress and remains a contributor to the paper’s monthly comedy feature “Best Medicine.”  X

THINGS GET META: During the reporting of this story, Cayla Clark, featured, pitched the idea to shoot one of her sketches at Xpress’ offices. The video about community journalism can be viewed at avl.mx/dvj. At left is Xpress reporter Pat Moran. Photo by Thomas Calder

The adoptee

BY KIESA KAY

“I didn’t look, walk or talk like anyone in my family so I made myself up,” says local author, activist and entrepreneur Valerie Naiman .

Raised by adoptive parents, Naiman spent years piecing together the story behind her biological family. In her book, Mystic Masquerade: An Adoptee’s Search for Truth , which came out last year, the author takes readers on her journey of familial and self-discovery.

“My birth mother put a fake name for herself on my birth certificate and a fake address for where she was living,” Naiman explains. “Excavating the truth about my stolen identity led me into a deep dive about the truth of humanity’s identity. I consider myself to be a serial truth seeker.”

The book includes Naiman’s travels from the Amazon jungle to the streets of India, Europe, Thailand, Bali and beyond. In the 1980s, she landed in Asheville, where she co-founded the Earthhaven Ecovillage and later launched a series of businesses. By then, she was already actively searching for her biological family.

“Finding my birth parents seemed as insurmountable as knowing where humanity came from,” she says. After multiple DNA tests, she continues, “I turned to psychics and detectives. Wading through a muck of secrets, lies and falsified documents, I finally found my mother when she was 94 years old.”

Xpress caught up with Naiman to dig more into her new book and the

Local author shares her tale of finding her biological family

DECADES LATER: “Finding my birth parents seemed as insurmountable as knowing where humanity came from,” says author Valerie Naiman, who found her mother when the woman was 94 years old. Photo courtesy of Naiman

many twists and turns she experienced throughout her life’s journey.

Editor’s note: This interview has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

Xpress: How many years did you spend looking for your biological family, and what was the drive behind that exploration?

Naiman: I began my search in 1972, when my adoptive parents passed. My drive was a deep desire to know who birthed me. After years of nondigital research, I got three DNA tests, which created more confusion. It was only four years ago when I hit bingo.

half-sisters who rejected me and two brothers who invited me into their lives. My father was 6 feet under when I reached his tombstone, and it read, “I did it my way.” My biggest joy was meeting my mother and being able to see her for four years before she passed Christmas night.

How has meeting other adoptees helped you, and how does sharing your story help others?

Writing my book, Mystic Masquerade , connected me with the awesome supportive community of adoptees. Hosting adoptee support groups in Asheville connected many of us locally. Some of us had never talked to other adoptees before. I realized how much trauma is involved in being separated from one’s mother. I also finally understood where my coping mechanisms came from around bonding, relationships and control.

How has this discovery helped you understand who you are?

Finding my birth mother, even though I had to remain a secret to her family, was astonishing. Recognizing myself in her mannerisms, speech and laughter provided me with a startling mirror. When she let me meet my siblings, by posing [me] as a photographer for a party she threw, the looking glass exploded. Recognizing myself in others gave me a rich understanding of how I got to be the me that I created without them.

Why did you have to pose as a photographer?

My mother agreed to meet me only if I kept her secret. After six months of pleading with her, she agreed to let me meet ‘her’ family — my biological family — if I told no one. She threw a party, and they all came, and I posed as a photographer. Right before my biological mother passed away, I called her and she screamed, “This is my daughter.” I said I thought I was a secret, and she said, “There’s no time for secrets anymore.” I didn’t say anything to her family myself until after she passed.

How do you feel now about your biological family and their response to you?

I felt victorious to find them beyond all odds. At the same time, it was a mixed bag. I found two

Connecting with other adoptees is an immense aid to healing the trauma. Most adoptees feel unwanted, unloved. I was shocked to discover that the suicide rate of adoptees is four times greater than the suicide rate of nonadoptees. The narrative around adoption unfortunately is geared to the multibillion-dollar business of marketing and selling children. The child, of course, has no say and is only expected to be grateful. We need and deserve to know who we are. A growing number of adoptees are advocating to change the narrative.

Can you speak more to that narrative?

The narrative is that adoptive parents can get a clean-slate child to mold and form as they like, but it doesn’t work that way. There are billions of dollars spent on advertising for people to adopt a child, that so many children need adoption, and what a good thing it is for a child. If they put a quarter of those funds spent promoting adoption into supporting the women who get pregnant, there would be fewer emotional problems. Everyone knows you don’t even remove a puppy from its mothers for two months, but many adoptees get pulled from their biological mothers at birth.

Sharing my story helps people understand adoption in a more realistic way. More than half of Americans have personal experience with adoption, not including the millions in foster care. I believe it’s vital to know the truth about adoption from the most affected person in the process — the adoptee.  X

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

JULY 10 - JULY 18, 2024

For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, opt. 1.



Online-only events

 Feature, page 26

 More info, page 30

 More info, page 32-33

 More info, page 34

WELLNESS

Tai Chi for Balance

A gentle Tai Chi exercise class to help improve balance, mobility, and quality of life. All ages are welcome.

WE (7/10, 17), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Tai Chi Fan

This class helps build balance and whole body awareness. All ages and ability levels welcome. Fans will be provided.

WE (7/10, 17), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Gentle Yoga for Seniors

A yoga class geared to seniors offering gentle stretching and strengthening through accessible yoga poses and modifications.

WE (7/10, 17), 2:30pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Weekly Zumba Classes

Free in-person Zumba classes. No registration required.

TH (7/11, 18), TU (7/16), 6:30pm, St. James Episcopal Church, 424 W State St, Black Mountain

Nia Dance Fitness

A sensory-based movement practice that draws from martial arts, dance arts and healing arts.

TH (7/11, 18), TU (7/16), 10:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Chen Style Tai Chi

The original style of Tai Chi known for its continual spiraling movements and great health benefits.

TH (7/11, 18), MO (7/15), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Yoga for Everyone

A free-in person yoga class for all ages and abilities that is led by alternating teachers. Bring your own mat and water bottle. Registration required.

SA (7/13), 9:30am, Black Mountain Presbyterian, 117 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Adult Water Aerobics

Gentle water aerobics

to improve cardio fitness, build strength, boost mood, and ease joint pain. Free for ages 60 and up.

SA (7/13), 10am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Yoga in the Park Yoga class alongside the French Broad River, based on Hatha and Vinyasa traditions and led by certified yoga instructors. All experience levels welcome.

SA (7/13), SU (7/14) 11am, 220 Amboy Rd

Sunday Morning Meditation Group Gathering for a combination of silent sitting and walking meditation, facilitated by Worth Bodie.

SU (7/14), 10am, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Yoga Taco Mosa Donation based yoga with Clare Desmelik. Bring your mat, a water bottle and an open heart.

SU (7/14), 10am, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave

Summer Cooling Yoga w/Jamie Knox

Our practice slows down in the summer to focus on stretching, calming, and cooling the body. We still include strength building but more emphasis is placed on internal calm. No need to pre-register. Walk-ins welcome.

SU (7/14), 10:30am, One World Brewing W, 520 Haywood Rd

Qigong Class w/Allen

Gentle movements that will improve your balance and increase your flow of life force energy. All levels and ages welcome.

TU (7/16), 10am, Asia House Asheville, 119 Coxe Ave

A JOLLY DRAG SHOW AND FUNDRAISER:

The Hideaway in Asheville hosts Christmas in July, a festive drag brunch and fundraiser, on Sunday, July 14, starting at 11 a.m. This jolly jubilee promises electrifying performances from talented drag performers, all while raising funds for Western North Carolina AIDS Project’s Merry & Bright gift program. Image courtesy of Asheville Drag Brunch

Qigong for Health

A part of traditional Chinese medicine that involves using exercises to optimize energy within the body, mind and spirit.

FR (7/12), 9am, TU (7/16), 2:30pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

SUPPORT GROUPS

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 (7/13), 2pm, 1316 Ste C Parkwood Rd

Wild Souls Authentic Movement

A supportive, relaxed, welcoming environment for an expressive movement class designed to help you get unstuck, enjoy cardio movement, boost immune health, dissolve anxiety and celebrate community.

SU (7/14), 9:30am, Dunn’s Rock Community Center, 461 Connestee Rd, Brevard

Asheville Kirtan

These ancient mantras, chanted in Sanskrit, help to connect us to our hearts- invoking feelings of well-being, meditation, and joy.

TU (7/16), 7pm, Weaving Rainbows, 62 Wall St

DANCE

Tango Tuesdays

Tango lessons and social with instructors

Mary Morgan and Mike Eblen. No partner required, and no experience needed for the beginners class.

TU (7/16), 6pm, Urban Orchard Cider Co. SSlope, 24 Buxton Ave

ART

Counter/Balance: Gifts of John & Robyn Horn

A presentation of important examples of contemporary American craft, including woodworking, metalsmithing, fiber and pottery by renowned American artists. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through July. 29, 2024.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Robert Chapman Turner: Artist, Teacher, Explorer

The exhibition will include work by some of Turner’s students and colleagues as well as work by contemporary ceramic artists whose work fits within the context of the show. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through Sept. 7.

Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

Western North Carolina Glass: Selections from the Collection

A variety of techniques and a willingness to push boundaries of American glass art can be seen in this selection of works. Gallery open

daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through September 16.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Aaron Fields: Hidden Colors

This art exhibition presents a story about the perfect summer day in the mountains through the use of mostly acrylic paint, paint markers and spray paint. Gallery open daily, 11am. Exhibition through Sept. 1. Marquee Asheville, 36 Foundy St

Artists in Residence Open Studio & Panel Discussion

This summer Artists in Residence Justin Archer, Nava Lubelski, C Marquez, and Luis A. Sahagun invite you to see what they have been creating during this open studio and panel discussion. TH (7/11), 5pm, Center for Craft, 67 Broadway

Honoring Nature: Early Southern Appalachian Landscape Painting

This exhibition explores the sublime natural landscapes of the Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina and Tennessee. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through Oct. 21. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Shifting Perceptions: Photographs from the Collection

A selection of photographs presented in a trio of sections, each featuring seemingly opposing forces: Natural/Unnatural, Together/Apart, and Inside/ Out. Gallery open daily,

latest art work. Gallery open daily, 11am. Exhibition through July 31.

Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave

Third Thursday Open Studio Social

An opportunity for artists to network, share ideas, and create together with extended gallery hours.

TH (7/18), 5pm, Foundation Studios, 27 Foundy St

Adult Studio: Painting Places from Imagination

In this three-week course you will be guided through painting abstract landscapes on canvas.

TH (7/18), 6pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

COMMUNITY MUSIC

11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through September 23.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Lakisha Blount: When We See Us Opening Reception

The artist, Lakisha Blount, will be in attendance, as well as the curator of the exhibition, Tyger Tyger owner and artist Mira Gerard. Light refreshments will be served.

FR (7/12), 6pm, Tyger Tyger Gallery, 191 Lyman St, Ste 144

Lakisha Blount: When We See Us

This new solo exhibition honors the essence of Blount's experiences and generational stories of Black mountain life in Appalachia through her figurative oil paintings. Gallery open Wednesday through Saturday, 10am, and Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through Aug. 10.

Tyger Tyger Gallery, 191 Lyman St, Ste 144

Adult Studio: Exploring Dualities w/ Photography

Through a series of weekly assignments, contemplate the themes and create photos that investigate the distinctions, contradictions, and intersections of these dualities.

SA (7/13), noon, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Michael Francis Reagan: The Last Mapmaker Opening Reception

An exhibition of handpainted maps by artist Michael Francis Reagan, an internationally recognized artist. See p26

SA (7/13), 2pm, Grovewood Village, 111 Grovewood Rd

Summer 1-On-1 Pottery Lessons

Private lessons offering individuals 30 minute classes. Walk-ins will be welcome, schedule permitting.

SA (7/13), SU (7/14), 11am, Odyssey Clayworks, 236 Clingman Ave

Daily Craft Demonstrations

Two artists of different media will explain and demonstrate their craft with informative materials displayed at their booths. These free and educational opportunities are open to the public. Open daily, 10am. Demonstrations run through Dec. 31. Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Pkwy

The New Salon: A Contemporary View

A modern take on the prestigious tradition of the Parisian Salon with the diversity and innovation of today’s art world. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through Aug. 19. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Gail Drozd: Mystery in the Mist Embark on a journey of discovery with a captivating exploration of nature's mysteries through Gail Drozd's

2024 Swannanoa Gathering Summer Concerts: Traditional Song Week Concert II Concert II features sea chanteys with Chris Koldewey, Irish singer Cathie Ryan, choir leader Saro Lynch-Thomason, freedom song activist Reggie Harris, mountain singer Josh Goforth, gospel blues singer Rev. Robert Jones and song leader Matt Watroba. WE (7/10), 7:30pm, Kittredge Theatre, Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Rd, Swannanoa Wings & Strings: Hill Climbers This music series at at the Sweeten Creek location will feature local bluegrass-style bands every week.

TH (7/11), 6:30pm, Rocky's Hot Chicken Shack S, 3749 Sweeten Creek Rd, Arden Park Rhythms Concert Series w/Queen Bee & the Honeylovers This series features many talented artists from across the east coast with Queen Bee and the Honeylovers providing the tunes this week.

TH (7/11), 7pm, Black Mountain Veterans Park, 10 Veterans Park Dr Black Mountain Summer Radiance: The Jasper & Opal Quartet Enjoy a liberated listening experience with works from Dvorak, Bloch, Wiancko and Mendelssohn, among others.

TH (7/11), 7:30pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave Concert Series on the Creek: Tuxedo Junction Free concert series for the community with Tuxedo Junction performing your favorite hits of classic rock, country, pop and more. These events

are free with donations encouraged. Everyone is welcome. There will be food trucks available on most nights.

FR (7/12), 7pm, Bridge Park Gazebo, 76 Railroad Ave, Sylva

The Sanctuary Series: Nicholas Edward Williams w/Hannah Kaminer

This concert brings Nicholas Edward Williams a musician based in Chattanooga. This event will also benefit Junior Appalachian Musicians. See p34

FR (7/12), 7pm, Central United Methodist Church, 27 Church St

Summer Event Series: Open Jam Night

An open jam night hosted by The Pot Stirred and local band, East Ritual. Stop by and listen or sign up top show off your musical talents. Free and open to the public.

FR (7/12), 7pm, Canopy Gallery in Art Garden, 191 Lyman St, Ste 316,

Sunsets: Electric Garden Day Parties

Experience the eclectic vibes of a music festival through the vibrant energy of the sunset, exotic entertainment, food, drinks and music curated from AVL's

top DJs, every Sunday in July.

SA (7/13), 3pm, Haiku AVL, 26 Sweeten Creek Rd

Sal Landers Party Rx Sal brings her inimitable brand of groovy rock’n roll to the stage with an infectious energy and passion that swaggers and captivates.

SA (7/13), 8pm, Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr

Mark's House Jam & Sunday Potluck

Bring a potluck dish to share with an amazing community of local musicians from around the globe. Please note that this isn't an open mic.

SU (7/14), 3pm, Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr

Sunday on the River Series: Katie Oates

An outdoor concert on the French Broad River with multi-genre Katie Oates and special guest Owen Walsh.

SU (7/14), 4pm, Olivette Riverside Community and Farm, 1069 Olivette Rd

Pickin' In The Park

Enjoy performances by local singer-songwriters in an intimate and relaxed setting. Experience the rich musical heritage of Asheville

as talented musicians share their stories and songs.

MO (7/15), 6pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St

Local Live Monday: Jay Brown Jay Brown hosts a showcase featuring a variety of talented local musicians.

MO (7/15), 7pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Dark City Songwriter Round

The Dark City Song Swap takes place once a month and focuses on the art and craft of singer-songwriters. This week's featured artists are Hunter Begley and Charles Walker.

WE (7/17), 7pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Park Rhythms Concert Series w/Tyler Ramsey

This series features many talented artists from across the east coast with Tyler Ramsey providing the tunes this week.

TH (7/18), 7pm, Black Mountain Veterans Park, 10 Veterans Park Dr Black Mountain

COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS

Innerdance: Altered States of Consciousness w/Soundscapes & Energy Work

A healing journey into altered states of consciousness as we flow through brain wave states with soundscapes & energy work.

WE (7/10), 6pm, The Horse Shoe Farm, 155 Horse Shoe Farm Dr, Hendersonville

Marketing Your Business Online Without a Website

Marketing strategist

Sarah Benoit will share the best practices and steps for developing a digital communications ecosystem that is affordable and positions you for success in the future. Register at avl.mx/pry8.

TH (7/11), 10am, Online

Brew & Taste Workshop

Learn with a Specialty Coffee Association certified brewer about coffee brewing science using only locally roasted coffees.

TH (7/11, 18), FR (7/12), SA (7/13), SU

(7/14), 9:30am, Coffee

Curious Workshops, 45 South French Broad Ave

A Presentation on Shop Fixtures & Jigs Learn hacks to improve your woodworking skills from an experienced woodwork, Neil King, as he shares his shop fixtures and jigs to ensure perfect results every time.

SA (7/13), 9:30am, Trinity View Retirement Community, 2533 Hendersonville Rd, Arden

Intro to Papermaking w/Kudzu

Papermaker Jessika Raisor will teach you how to turn kudzu into functional handmade paper. Fun for kids of all ages and families.

SU (7/14), 10am, Asheville Botanical Gardens, 151 WT Weaver Blvd.

LITERARY

Donna Washington: Storyteller Internationally renowned Storyteller, Donna Washington, graces us with tales for all ages.

SA (7/13), 2pm, Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain

Julia Nunnaly Duncan: Author Meet & Greet Award-winning WNC author and frequent contributor to Smoky Mountain Living will be showcasing her newest books, When Time Was Suspended and All We Have Loved.

SA (7/13), 10:30am, Bramblewood Shop, 111 Chery St, Black Mountain

God & Liberation

We'll be reading books by Black, Womanist, Mujerista, Latino, Palestinian, Indigenous, LGBQIA+, and disabled authors to deconstruct what we've been taught about who God is and build something new.

MO (7/15), 7pm, St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 10 N Liberty St

Poetry Night w/Dark City Poets Society

Everyone is welcome to share a few poems or just listen. Sign-ups to share will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of the event.

TU (7/16), 6pm, Oak and Grist Distilling Co., 1556 Grovestone Rd, Black Mountain

Wise Words Open Mic Welcoming beginners and fellow artists to a creative space to express ourselves poetically.

TU (7/16), 6pm, Dr Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St

Asheville Storyslam: Temptation

Prepare a five-minute story about willpower. Tell us of your iron or paper thin resolve.

Battles with fidelity, smoking, loving, shopping or all of the above.

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

THEATER & FILM

Deep Listening: The Story of Pauline Oliveros

A screening of Deep Listening, a new documentary film project on the life and work of American icon Pauline Oliveros. This Screening is free and open to all.

TH (7/11), 7pm, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

Romeo & Juilet

Featuring the most authentic, ridiculous, compelling, romantic, surprising, and possibly even death-defying version of the tale told to date.

FR (7/12), SA (7/13), TH (7/18), 7:30pm, SU (7/14), 2:30pm, NC Stage Co., 15 Stage Ln Xanadu

A Tony award nominated musical based on the Universal Picture which starred Olivia Newton-John about following your dreams despite the limitations others set for you.

TH (7/11) FR (7/12), SA (7/13), SU (7/14), 7:30pm, BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce St Footloose

Featuring the exhilarating story of a teenager who challenges the oppressive ban on dancing in a small town, sparking a revolution of youthful rebellion and self-expression.

TH (7/11, 18), FR (7/12), SA (7/13), 7:30pm, SU (7/14), 2pm, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville

Joseph Reed Hayes: A Slow Ride

Three generations of women taking a Sunday ride, with the humor, affection and near-demented discord of family in close proximity for more than ten minutes. See p30 FR (7/12), SA (7/13), SU (7/14), 7:30pm, Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E Walnut St Movies in the Park: Guardians of the Galaxy

A free family-friendly movie night on a massive outdoor screen held outside for all community members. Bring blankets and lawn chairs to participate in this fun summer tradition. This week's movie feature is Guardian of the Galaxy FR (7/12), 8pm, Pack Square Park, 80 Court Plaza

Montford Park Players: Henry IV 1 & 2

King Henry IV worries about the future of the kingdom in the hands

of his clever but unruly son, Prince Hal. A plot to take back the throne brews with the brash and brave Henry Percy. FR (7/12), SA (7/13), SU (7/14), 7:30pm, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St

Scuttlebutt

A monthly improv comedy show inspired by guest storytellers and audience suggestions with a talented and dynamic cast of Scuttlebutt players who will create the scenes. FR (7/12), 9:30pm, LaZoom Room, 76 Biltmore Ave

The Winter's Tale

A jealous king, an exiled princess, a living statue, and a whole bunch of bears. Shakespeare’s tragically comedic and comically tragic “The Winter’s Tale” debut on the Moppets stage. FR (7/12), SA (7/13), SU (7/14), 5pm, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St

Film Screening: Our Movement Starts Here

Directors John Rash and Melanie Ho present their documentary film about 1982 protests in Warren County, NC that lead to the birth of the environmental justice movement. This free screening will be followed by a Q&A. SA (7/13), 6pm, Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd

Disability Revolution: A Film Screening

A free screening of Crip Camp, a documentary about the groundbreaking summer camp for teens with disabilities that inspired alumni to join the radical disability rights movement. SU (7/14), 3pm, Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Rd

Legally Blonde: The Musical

America’s favorite blonde, Elle Woods, is ready to prove who’s in charge in this fabulously fun, award-winning musical based on the adored movie. See p30 TH (7/18), 7:30pm, Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S Washington St, Hendersonville Voice Commands

A dark comedy that follows three interlocking stories. Each piece dives deeper into the murky waters of our current situation, our second guessing, our sure-footedness, and our frailty. See p30 TH (7/18), 7:30pm, BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce St

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS

Brainy Brews: French Broad River Edition

Learn more about the state of the French Broad River and

MountainTrue's current initiatives to improve the health of our local river. A percentage of proceeds from the “Stream of Conscience” beer will benefit the work of MountainTrue. WE (7/10), 6pm, The RAD Brew Co., 13 Mystery St Heritage & Hope: Moonshine in the Swannanoa Valley Discover why this region became a hotspot for illegal distilling, uncover unique local methods, and meet some of the colorful characters who shaped this clandestine trade.

TH (7/11), 6pm, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain Pigeon Community Conversations w/ Storytellers Series This curated series will showcase award-winning storytellers from WNC 's African American, Latinx, and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian communities. This week features Marsha Almodovar, a mixed-medium painter that uses her art to highlight social justice issues.

TH (7/11), 6pm, Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center, 450 Pigeon St, Waynesville Dharma Talk: Paul Linn Meditation followed by a dharma talk with Paul Linn teaching  Buddhist principles that can be applied to daily life. Beginners and experienced practitioners are welcome.

TH (7/11), 6:30pm, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Nerd Nite Asheville A monthly gathering hosted in over 100 cities around the globe. Each month, a rotating cast of knowledgeable characters talk about a topic they are uniquely educated in.

TH (7/11), 7pm, The River Arts District Brewing Co., 13 Mystery St Hemlocks & Water Hike

This educational hemlock hike is about 2 miles total round-trip, and is considered moderate terrain. The route will wind eventually to Slate Rock Creek Falls. SA (7/13), 9am, Slate Rock Trail, Horse Shoe Valley History Explorer Hike: Ridgecrest The Museum leads you on a moderate 3-mile Ridgecrest hike takes participants along the Point Lookout Trail to a stunning overlook of the valley.

SA (7/13), 9am, Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, 223 W State St, Black Mountain

Pollinators & Pests

Gardening Series:

Landscaping w/WNC Native Plants

Discover how incorporating plant natives into your outdoor spaces benefits the environment and enhances a garden and your well-being by creating resilient, beautiful, and low-maintenance landscapes.

SA (7/13), 10am, Reems Creek Nursery, 76 Monticello Rd, Weaverville

Soil Health, Human Health

An afternoon immersion in soil science for the home gardener and how that translates to deeper nourishment for plants, humans, and the ecosystem.

SA (7/13), 1pm, Earthaven Ecovillage, 5 Consensus Circle, Black Mountain

Potluck & Meet w/ Rachel Hunt

Madison County Democratic Women’s annual community potluck and meet with Rachel Hunt, candidate for NC Lieutenant Governor.

SA (7/13), 4pm, Broyhill Chapel, 338 Cascade St, Mars Hill

Sunday Celebration

A Sunday celebration for the spiritual community.

SU (7/14), 11am, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way

Rainbow Color Bash

Bring two white clothing items to tie dye with other creative folks.

MO (7/15), 2pm, Grove St Community Center, 36 Grove St

Vino & Vulvas: Neurodivergent Spicy Time

From communication styles to sensory issues to distractions to rejection sensitivity, there are so many aspects of neurodivergence that can affect our sexual selves and our relationships.

MO (7/15), 7pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave

Kung Fu: Baguazhang

It is the martial arts style that Airbending from the show Avatar: The Last Airbender was based on.

TU (7/16), 1pm and 5:30pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Hoop & Flow Arts Jam

Whether you're a seasoned hooper or a beginner, this vibrant event invites everyone to dance, spin, and groove to the music in a welcoming and energetic atmosphere.

TU (7/16), 5:30pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St

NSA-WNC Meeting

Featuring professional keynote speakers, coaches, trainers, facilitators, and consultants

who cover a broad range of topics, skills, and knowledge.

TH (7/18), 10am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Av

Walton Street Park Picnic

Enjoy music, crafts, games, dancing, and more. Registration is required in order to plan food and activities.

TH (7/18), 11am, Walton Street Park, 570 Walton St

Dharma & Discuss

Meditation instructions will be given during a sitting which will last 15 to 20 mins. This will be followed by a talk and an opportunity to ask Roger questions afterwards.

TH (7/18), 6:30pm, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

GAMES & CLUBS

Bingo on Grove Street

A fun and friendly game of bingo in the community.

FR (7/12), 10:30am, Grove St Community Center, 36 Grove St

Downtown Asheville Treasure Hunt

Use your treasure map to follow clues, solve puzzles, and crack codes on this unique walking scavenger hunt through Downtown Asheville.

SA (7/13), SU (7/14), 5pm, Dssolvr, 63 N Lexington Ave

Weekly Sunday Scrabble

Weekly scrabble play where you’ll be paired with players of your skill level. All scrabble gear provided.

SU (7/14), 1:30pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Music Bingo

Test your music knowledge from the 80’s and 90’s as well as 4 different music themes and 2 possible winners per theme.

TU (7/16), 6:30pm, Asheville Brewing Co., 77 Coxe Ave

KID-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS

Asheville Museum’s Summer of Science

This family-friendly event promises to engage and entertain all ages with hands-on experiments and demonstrations.

WE (7/10, 17), 5pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St

Kids & Teens Kung Fu Learn fighting skills as well as conflict resolution and mindfulness. First class is free to see if it’s a good fit for you.

TH (7/11, 18), MO (7/15), TU (7/16), 4pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Family Paint Night

A family-friendly painting session where everything needed to create a masterpiece is provided. Creativity and all ages are encouraged to attend, but this night is not instruction-led.

FR (7/12), 5:30pm, Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton St

Splashing Sprouts

Whether they’re dipping their toes in for the first time or confidently splashing, this promises enriching and memorable water adventures for toddlers.

Free for children ages 2 through 5 with a parent or guardian.

SA (7/13), 4pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Salt Therapy: Family Sessions

Salt Therapy sessions for all ages that can help mental clarity, immune system boosting, respiratory relief and even skin conditions.

SU (7/14), 10am, Asheville Salt Cave, 16 N Liberty St

Summer Splash Dive into a world of water-themed activities and beat the heat with an array of aquatic adventures. Free and open to all ages.

TH (7/14, 18), 11am, Malvern Hills Park, 75 Rumbough Pl

Imagination Monday

Children can enjoy giant building blocks, tunnels, and fun games on this special day of open play geared for ages 1-5 years-old. No advance registration required, adults must accompany children the entire time.

MO (7/15), 10am, Jake Rusher Park, 160 Sycamore Dr, Arden

LOCAL MARKETS

Weaverville Tailgate Market

A selection of fresh, locally grown produce, grass fed beef, pork, chicken, rabbit, eggs, cheese, sweet and savory baked goods, artisan bread, body care, eclectic handmade goodies, garden and landscaping plants. Open year round.

WE (7/10, 17), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr Weaverville

Etowah Lions Farmers Market

An array of farm-fresh local produce that features lettuce, collards, kale, mushrooms as well as local artisans, herbal products, plant starts, prepackaged meals and more. Every Wednesday through October.

WE (7/10, 17), 3pm, Etowah Lions Club, 447 Etowah School Rd, Hendersonville

RAD Farmers Market

Providing year-round access to fresh local foods from over 30 local vendors offering fresh produce, baked goods, pastured meats, cheeses, raw honey, and more. Located right on the Greenway, the market is safely accessible by bike, foot, or rollerblade.

WE (7/10, 17), 3pm, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr 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 (7/11, 18), 3:30pm,

A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler

East Asheville Tailgate Market

Featuring locally grown vegetables, fruits, wild foraged mushrooms, ready made food, handmade body care, bread, pastries, meat, eggs, and more to the East Asheville community since 2007. Every Friday through Nov. 22.

FR (7/12), 3pm, 954 Tunnel Rd

Pack Square Artisan Market

Featuring local handcrafted goods in the heart of downtown Asheville. Browse unique products and meet the folks that produce them. Every Friday through Oct. 25.

FR (7/12), 3pm, 1 South Pack Square Park

Henderson County Tailgate Market

Featuring Henderson County's finest produce, hand crafts, plant starts, vegetables, Sourwood honey, baked goods, fresh eggs, mushrooms, sausage and more. Every Saturday through Oct.

SA (7/13), 8am, 100 N King St, Hendersonville North Asheville Tailgate Market

The oldest Saturday morning market in WNC, since 1980. Over 60 rotating vendors providing a full range of local, sustainably produced produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, breads, plants and unique crafts.

SA (7/13), 8am, 3300 University Heights

Asheville City Market

Featuring local food products, including fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread, pastries, and other artisan products. Every Saturday through December 21.

SA (7/13), 9am, 52 N Market St

Black Mountain Saturday Tailgate Market

Featuring organic and sustainably grown

produce, plants, cut flowers, herbs, locally raised meats, seafood, breads, pastries, cheeses, eggs and locally handcrafted items.

SA (7/13), 9am, 130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Asheville Glass Market

A seasonal open air market hosted focusing exclusively on regional glass artists. It will feature over 40 local glass artists.

SA (7/13), 10am, Level 42 Gallery & Studio, 47 Foundy St

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 (7/13), 10am, College St, Mars Hill

WNC Farmers Market

High quality fruits and vegetables, mountain crafts, jams, jellies, preserves, sourwood honey, and other farm fresh items. Open daily 8am, year-round.

SU (7/14), 8am, 570 Brevard Rd

Junk-O-Rama

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

SU (7/14), 11am, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd

West Asheville Tailgate Market

Featuring an array of goods including fruits, vegetables, baked goods, bread, eggs, cheese, milk, poultry, and fish to locally made specialty items such as natural beauty products, herbal medicine and locally made art and crafts. Every Tuesday through November 26.

TU (7/16), 3:30pm, 718 Haywood Rd

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS

Fringe Summer Nights

Pop up performances by Fringe favorites

Skysail Theater, Cayla Clark and Justin Evans. All donations go to the artists.

WE (7/10), 6pm, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd

Factory Store Grand Re-Opening Diamond Brand Gear is thrilled to announce the grand re-opening of their historic factory outlet store this summer. Experience a unique behind-the-scenes look into the craft gear-making process. FR (7/12), 1pm, Diamond Brand Gear Factory, 145 Cane Creek Industrial Park Rd, Fletcher

Black Mountain Blues

A three-day music festival across multiple venues in Black Mountain with a curated lineup of talented artists that aim to deliver an authentic blues experience. Listen to the genre that has rooted many popular genres of music such as R&B, jazz, hip-hop and rap. See p34 FR (7/12), SA (7/13), SU (7/14), 2pm, Multiple Venues, Black Mountain

Land of the Sky Burlesque Festival: Geektastic

A celebration of geek and pop culture featuring burlesque and variety acts from all over the world. Come dressed in your best cosplay and geek out with us.

FR (7/12), 8pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave

Shiloh July Celebration

Shiloh Community Association's annual festival includes family-friendly games and activities, food, and more.

SA (7/13), 1pm, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

Land of the Sky Burlesque Festival: Just A Peek Celebrate Just a Peak, The Pinnacle of Burlesque with world renowned headliner Ginger Valentine. SA (7/13), 8pm, Diana Wortham Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave

Land of the Sky Burlesque Festival: Burlesque Brunch

Enjoy a dazzling brunch experience to close out Land of the Sky Festival weekend.  A feast for the senses, where laughter, glamour and titillating performances collide.

SU (7/14), 11am, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave

Asheville Urban Garden Tour & Tasting w/ Bountiful Cities

Spend an afternoon learning how ten Asheville urban gardens are contributing by providing food for their communities and increasing climate resilience. There will be free garden tours, demonstrations, and activities. To sample food and beverages at all 10 gardens, tickets are available for purchase.

See p32-33

SU (7/14), 1pm, Lucy S. Herring Elementary School, 98 Sulphur Springs Rd

Iron Moon Metal & Art Fest

This metal and arts festival features Black Tusk, Royal Thunder, WitchPit, Cosmic Reaper and other talented artists. SU (7/14), 3pm, Eulogy, 10 Buxton Ave

2024 Rhythm & Brews:

The Fritz w/The Big Hungry

Free outdoor shows with a variety of established acts as well as up-and-coming artists from around the

region. This week, The Fritz bring their blend of funk, rock and soul to the stage alongside blues-rock band The Big Hungry.

TH (7/18), 5:30pm, Downtown Hendersonville S Main St

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING

JAM: Hendersonville Hoe-Down Fundraiser

The evening will be full of old-timey music, square dancing, a cake walk, BBQ within the scenic mountain views. All proceeds from this event will go directly to help benefit the students at the Junior Appalachian Musicians of Henderson County.

SA (7/13), 6pm, Sky Top Orchard, 1193 Pinnacle Mountain Rd, Flat Rock

Dancing Through The Decades w/DJ Deacon

A dance party where you can dress in your favorite decade's attire. All of the proceeds will be donated to the YWCA of Asheville.

SA (7/13), 9pm, Asheville Music Hall, 31 Patton Ave

Christmas in July: A Drag Brunch

Prepare to deck the halls with Asheville’s gingerbread goddesses

as they deliver an hour of electrifying performances that will leave you feeling frosty and fabulous. Proceeds of this event will benefit the WNCAP's Merry and Bright gift program.

SU (7/14), 11am, The Hideaway, 49 Broadway St

Bastille Day

Annual Bastille Day celebration and fundraiser that features a special art auction, an exciting raffle prized, hors d’oeuvres, wine and more. All proceeds will support ASCI programming and Saumur Committee projects. See p33

SU (7/14), 2pm, Quench, 60 North Merrimon Ave, Ste 105

Dine w/Divas Disco Dinner

A night of extraordinary drag entertainment that honors the spirit of self-expression and the magic of the disco era. Proceeds will benefit Arms Around ASD.

TH (7/18), 7pm, Hi-Wire Brewing Big Top, 2A Huntsman Pl

WELLNESS

All in The many tells of problem gambling

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN

jwakeman@mountainx.com

Josh Hampton began gambling in 2010 with scratch-off lottery tickets and electronic slot machines. But he pinpoints 2019 as when he “really started to have a problem.” That’s when he began playing on the “fish tables” at game rooms in his hometown of Hickory.

“Fish tables” are table-sized video games where players shoot at a fish, and every hit increases their winnings. “The gaming element gives the illusion that it is skill-based, when it’s not,” Hampton says. In playing the fish tables, he had succumbed to “the gambler’s fallacy,” which he describes as “when someone believes that past events have an effect on the outcome of future events, when they are random occurrences.”

One percent of Americans have a gambling disorder, according to Yale Medicine. While Hampton hasn’t been diagnosed with gambling disorder himself, he says when he came to Asheville in 2022 to pursue substance use disorder (SUD) recovery, he realized the impact gambling was having on his life.

Now Hampton is helping others like him. In November, he became problem gambling program coordinator for Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness. The nonprofit is primarily known for providing peer support to individuals who experience SUD and mental health challenges. But it also has peer support available for the N.C. Problem Gambling Helpline and therefore recognizes the connection between problem gambling, SUDs and mental health. Sunrise’s emergent problem gambling program seeks to provide

TURNING THE TABLES: In November, Josh Hampton became the coordinator of the problem gambling program at Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness. Photo courtesy of Jodi Ford

education and increase awareness so more people can understand the condition and learn that recovery is possible, Hampton says.

Hampton spoke with Xpress about the symptoms of problem gambling, new legislation in North Carolina legalizing mobile sports betting and a new Gamblers Anonymous support group beginning soon in Asheville.

This interview has been condensed for length and edited for clarity.

Xpress: What constitutes problem gambling?

Hampton: Problem gambling is not defined by how much is won or lost. It’s defined by the way it is affecting your life — vocational, educational, family, social responsibilities.

It is a continuum. [It ranges from] the casual social gambler to harmful involvement, to somebody that could be clinically diagnosed as having gambling disorder. It’s a wide range.

And there’s no one-size-fits-all. Just because there’s a couple points on that continuum doesn’t mean those are the only points somebody can fit into.

You say problem gambling isn’t defined by how much money is won or lost. So someone could be gambling successfully — in the sense that they’re winning money — and still be a problem gambler?

If somebody’s gambling every day, that does not mean that they have a problem — again, it’s how the gambling causes problems in any area of their life. Serious social gamblers, they may go to the casino every weekend. It’s their main form of entertainment, but it’s just that they still look at it as entertainment and it’s not a way to make money.

What are some of the symptoms of problem gambling?

Financial difficulties — losing money or going into debt. People can have problems at work — loss of a job, they may miss the promotion, they may be slacking off at work, because they’re focused on that casino that’s in their pocket. Or maybe [they’re] not even actually gambling, but they could be daydreaming. That is one of the signs that gambling is a problem: when you are unable to stop thinking about gambling, even when you’re not.

[Problem gambling] can cause relationship problems. There may be arguments at home because somebody is spending too much money or they’re hiding things. They seem to be really secretive. Money may have come out of the bank account, and they don’t have a way to account for it. Maybe [they’re] not paying enough attention or being present in their role in the family because of gambling. Not all, but a good percentage of problem gamblers will commit a crime to further their gambling. Most of the time, it’s like white-collar financial crimes: theft, embezzlement, writing bad checks or opening a credit card up in somebody else’s name. But there are people who resort to committing other criminal acts of prostitution, selling drugs and armed robbery. Those things have been known to be gambling-motivated.

I understand that you’re a peer support and not a clinician in addiction medicine. But can you explain what you see as a difference between problem gambling and, for example, a substance use disorder or an alcohol use disorder?

The one thing that I find is the most unique to gambling disorder is that a problem gambler — and I’m going to say “we,” because I had a problem gambling, so I can identify with this — we often think that we can gamble our way out of having a problem with gambling. And I never once thought when I used substances that I was going to go do some more

dope and that was going to help me further my recovery. I knew that for recovery to take place for me, I had to quit using drugs.

But with gambling — and I relate to this personally — I hated the fact that I gambled so much money, but I honestly believed that as long as I was able to win back a certain amount, I could walk away and not look back. Oftentimes what happens — and it did with me — is that when you get to that certain amount, you’re unable to walk away, and it goes right back in the game.

In March, mobile betting on college, pro and Olympic-style sports became legal in North Carolina for anyone 21 and older. What are your thoughts on that?

You could already go to the casino and bet on sports [but it was not legal to do outside of casinos]. … I feel like there will be a large group of people that would not have had any involvement with online sports betting strictly because it was not legal. Now that it has been made legal, people [may] see it as socially acceptable or [won’t] feel like they’re risking anything by being involved with it.

Sunrise is starting up an in-person Gamblers Anonymous (GA) support group. Tell me more about that. It is a 12-step similar to Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous in the way that it’s set up. But we don’t have any in-person GA meetings here. … I think the closest one in North Carolina is in Charlotte. So a lot of the [people who struggle with problem gambling] that live locally that I’ve supported were really interested in going to something. … I’m excited to get this support group up and running at Sunrise Drop-In Center because I know it’s something that’s much needed and requested.

What do you wish the general public knew about gambling?

There’s still a lot of stigma [about problem gambling]. Through providing awareness education, maybe we can shine a light on the fact that problem gambling is very similar to substance use and alcohol use disorder. It’s not always that somebody has the ability to stop once they start.

Sunrise’s Problem Gambling Support Group starts 9:30-11 a.m., Tuesday, July 30, at Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness, 209 Tunnel Road. For more information, call 828-552-3858. X

Business-toBusiness

ARTS & CULTURE

Creative rebirths balm. and Yarn release new albums

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

Like many musical projects, balm. emerged out of necessity and a bit of ingenuity.

In 2019, Asheville-based artist Rachel Waterhouse was touring across North America, billing shows as solo versions of her indie rock band Sister Ivy. Her sets consisted of a mix of traditional singer-songwriter tunes and others that made use of her Loop Station, a piece of hardware that allows her to repeat vocal and instrumental sounds to create an alluring sonic effect.

All was going well until she broke her dominant right hand at Burning Man.

“I still had some shows booked up in Oregon, so I went to Oregon with a cast on my hand and played exclusively Loop Station sets with just my left hand,” she says. “That’s when it really clicked that I could do just a Loop Station project and really focus on these repeated phrases, build an atmospheric vibe and then taper it back off.”

On that tour and in its aftermath, Waterhouse “started to feel the project just keep inching its way away from the Sister Ivy material.” Wanting to honor the decidedly different sound with a name antithetical to that of her other project — a term of endearment for poison ivy — she chose the name balm.

The solo project’s debut album, how is your heart? , was released in June, the result of three years of work. Waterhouse wrote and produced the collection of six vocally lush songs, each of which clocks in at an average of six minutes.

Listening to their methodical, measured builds, the longer-than-usual timeline feels appropriate.

“I did it all on my own budget, and so everything was very slow moving,” she says. “I didn’t assign any deadlines to myself — which, in hindsight, maybe I could have.”

Pulling Waterhouse in this distinct sonic direction is the appeal of doing everything on her own and not being beholden to collaborators’ schedules for rehearsals. While the solo endeavor places all of the pressure on her, she finds the repetition of a loop oddly soothing.

And rather than getting caught up in theoretical queries that drive her Sister Ivy decisions — ranging from how she approaches solos to when she implements time signature changes — she’s able to explore more energetic notions.

“How much can I really sink into the emotion of this song? How much can I let go right now? How much can I emote? How much can I feel? How much can I ask my audience members to feel into their own parallel experiences?” she says. “It becomes kind of a transcendent thing where it’s not as much about the theory anymore. It’s almost a therapeutic practice.”

The responses she’s heard from those who’ve experienced balm.’s songs live suggests that her looped creations have stirred similar emotions in listeners. That mutually beneficial exchange makes sense, considering that Waterhouse purged a great deal of heartbreak and feelings of loss and depression in the lyrics of how is your heart?

“It’s very vulnerable, and when you can connect with audiences from a place of vulnerability, you can entice them to be vulnerable as well with themselves,” she says. “And I think that’s a good exercise for all of us — stripping away

the facades we put on ourselves and just being raw sometimes is superhelpful.”

While Waterhouse is excited to see where balm. will go and strives to write about more optimistic things moving forward, Sister Ivy is still very much active. In mid-June, the band launched an Indiegogo campaign for its second album, Be Your Own Hero , whose vibe is tilting in a largely positive direction, thanks in part to the catharsis she’s experiencing through her solo project.

“I’ve been very ‘sad girl makes sad music’ for a long time,” Waterhouse says. “There is a bit of the hopeful starting to come out, and there is a bit of the outward-looking. I think that my focus has been changing, finally, from dealing with my own problems and being very internally focused to looking out and really wanting to call in a better world.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/dv5.

TEAMWORK/DREAM WORK

Listening to Yarn’s rollocking new album, Born, Blessed, Grateful & Alive , you wouldn’t know that, not that long ago, frontman Blake Christiana thought his group may

UNCHARTED TERRITORY: For their latest albums, balm.’s Rachel Waterhouse, left, and Yarn found creative inspiration through new means. balm. photo by Libby Gamble; Yarn photo by Bob Adamek

be permanently tangled and not worth unraveling.

“I was mad at my own band — but it was nobody in the band,” he says. “I was probably just pissed about myself.”

Formed in 2007, the prolific alt-country outfit put out over 10 albums in a dozen years, including the two-volume singles collection, Lucky 13 . But toward the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was time for a change.

“I just started getting tired of what was happening with us,” says Christiana, who splits his time between Brevard and Raleigh. “We were on the road, and it felt like a hamster wheel kind of a thing — that clich é about the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. And that’s just what I was doing.”

Looking to break out of his rut, Christiana booked a solo show with a goal of performing mostly new songs and recording it as a live album. He set his sights on The Down Home in Johnson City, Tenn., where one of his musical heroes, Townes Van Zandt , cut an album in 1985. That the venue opened in 1976 — the year Christiana was born — also felt like a sign that his destiny awaited within its walls.

“I just found all these little coincidences,” he says.

Short on material, Christiana began writing frantically and rediscovered his love for the craft. And though he originally envisioned performing alone with his acoustic guitar, he began imagining additional parts and wound up assembling a band consisting of Big Daddy Love guitarist Joey Recchio , original Steel Wheels bassist Brian Dickell , organist Bill Stevens and backing vocalist Heather Hannah

As a warmup for The Down Home gig, the musicians converged at an Airbnb in Roanoke, Va., spent two days drinking and practicing, then played a show at a venue called The Spot on Kirk. Among the selected songs were “Something’s Gotta Change,” “Play Freebird” and “Wake Up,” which would make their way onto Born, Blessed, Grateful & Alive . Christiana describes that performance as a turning point. “It sounded great, it was so fun and the rooms were full — they’re small rooms, mind you. I’m no Taylor Swift , but it’s good enough for me,” he recalls. “The gratitude exceeded my expectations without a doubt, and I felt alive again.”

Still unsure what to do with Yarn, which had a few tour dates to finish, Christiana parted ways with his longtime guitarist, Rod Hohl , and recruited friends who are frontmen in their own bands — including Recchio, Joel Timmons (Sol Driven Train) and Mike Sivilli (Dangermuffin) — to join him along with Yarn’s drummer Robert Bonhomme and bassist Rick Bugel for the remaining gigs.

The joy they experienced at those revolving-guest shows convinced Christiana and his rhythm section to record the new songs for a proper studio album. Having connected with keyboardist/ producer Damian Calcagne at a benefit show, Christiana began making trips to his new friend’s New Jersey studio for a few days of tracking each time. Returning to North Carolina in the interim, his renewed passion produced even more songs — enough for Born, Blessed, Grateful & Alive and another forthcoming LP.

Joined by Hannah, Calcagne and Sivilli, as well as Mike Robinson (Railroad Earth), Andy Falco (Infamous Stringdusters), Johnny Grubb (Railroad Earth) and Elliott Peck (Midnight North), Yarn’s remaining trio fleshed out songs such as album standout “Heart So Hard,” featuring a rip-roaring Telecaster solo from Falco, and “I Want You,” whose cadence resembles any number of John Prine classics.

“Over the last 2 1/2 years, it’s just been a hundred miles an hour, but a stress-free hundred miles an hour and an exciting hundred miles an hour,” Christiana says. “I’m happy again, and I’m trying to evolve as a human.”

Spending as much time as possible in Transylvania County likewise helps him wind down from what he calls the “overly socialized” nature of tour life. Christiana’s wife, Mandy , is from Brevard, and being there helps him connect with his roots in a special way.

“I grew up in Schenectady, N.Y., and in the summertime we’d go up to Lake George in the Adirondacks. That was probably my first inspiration into music, because my dad would sit around the campfire with his buddies and play old country tunes and old rock ’n’ roll tunes,” he says. “And being in Brevard, it kind of has that feel. There’s no natural lakes — it’s just the mountains here. But it’s definitely a creatively inspiring location.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/dv6.  X

Map it out

BY LUCAS BRITT

lbritt@unca.edu

Local artist Michael Francis Reagan is a member of a small and dwindling group of cartographers. Just don’t call him that.

“I think of myself as a map artist,” he says. “My goal is to create a work of art, first and foremost, and then second is to render an accurate delineation of geography.”

On Saturday, July 13, 2-5 p.m., Grovewood Village will host the opening of Reagan’s latest exhibit, The Last Mapmaker . The show, which features works from across the internationally recognized artist’s career, will run through Sunday, Sept. 15.

“The maps in this Grovewood exhibit are maps that I’ve held back in my own private collection. I felt it was time to offer them to the public and to collectors,” says Reagan, whose creations have appeared in publications such as The New Yorker , Harper’s Magazine , National Geographic and others. “[It] is a sweeping retrospective of my maps showing many places and events in the world and in different styles over the years.”

TIME AND PLACE

Reagan cites travel as a key inspiration behind his passion for mapmaking. Born into a military family, he’s lived around the world, including stints in Japan, Germany and the south of Spain.

“My earliest memories are from the age of 5 of the mountainous seacoast of southern Japan, where

New solo exhibit celebrates the art of cartography

HAND-DRAWN: “My goal is to create a work of art, first and foremost, and then second is to render an accurate delineation of geography,” says artist Michael Francis Reagan. Photo by Christine Reagan

I was taught to draw and paint by a Japanese artist,” he says. “Also, I have memories of looking for hours and hours at the maps in National Geographic magazines and dreaming of those faraway places.”

After serving in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, Reagan settled for a period in San Francisco. He then went on a “three-year drift of the Pacific and the Caribbean islands,” he notes. Reagan worked odd jobs wherever

he could during this period and eventually joined the Peace Corps. He was stationed in Ivory Coast, where he met his wife, Christine . The couple relocated to Western North Carolina in the early 2000s.

In addition to mapping the many places he’s visited or called home, Reagan is also inspired by history. Over his career, he’s created dozens of maps focusing on areas in which wars or battles were fought — from the Civil War to the recent U.S. war in Afghanistan. Reagan highlights each map with defining characteristics unique to the area and period in which the battle took place.

These particular projects, he says, “help educate people on the horrors of those wars.” In doing so, he adds, he hopes the message can deter future wars.

OLD-SCHOOL ARTIST

These days, Reagan says he’s creating fewer maps, focusing instead on oil paintings of landscapes and seascapes for many art galleries, including his solo exhibition, Falling , hosted by Grovewood

Village earlier this month. But Reagan still admires the form and worries about the influence technology has had on the medium.

“All my maps are hand-painted and hand-lettered, watercolor and ink,” he says. “I’ve never used computers to enhance or construct my maps in any way at all, nor will I ever. I’m an old-school artist, a dinosaur, and happy to be one. In my opinion, computers and AI are in the process of destroying not only art but civilization itself.”

He continues, “I’m content with the human hand — with all its flaws and faults and humanness — brushes and paints and canvas and paper.”

For his upcoming exhibit, Reagan says he hopes viewers walk away more informed.

“I’m proudest of my maps that help educate people in some way, whether it be in wildlife or earth conservation or expanding people’s understanding of different cultures,” he says.

Grovewood Village is at 111 Grovewood Road. For more information, visit avl.mx/dvb.  X

The Floyd factor

Local arts leaders of color reflect on post-2020 equity advancements

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

Four years have now passed since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

In the days that followed his May 25 demise at the hands of Minneapolis police, the Black Lives Matter movement staged protests across the country and around the world, calling for reform and racial equity across numerous public and private sectors. Fueled by the uncertainty and introspection sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses, organizations and government entities pledged their allyship, promising to improve their racial equity practices to more accurately reflect the community at large.

These groups included arts organizations, both national and those based in Buncombe County. Xpress is checking in with local arts leaders of color to gauge the state of Asheville’s arts world as it relates to issues of equity and inclusion since summer 2020.

SPROUTING SEEDS

Reggie Tidwell , owner of Curve Theory, an Asheville-based graphic design, branding and photography firm, notes that being a commercial artist shields him from some of the struggles that arts makers experience. But he’s still sympathetic to his creative peers’ plights and has accepted roles on various local committees and commissions to try and help improve their situations.

Among these was an endeavor by ArtsAVL that, responding to what Tidwell calls an “epidemic” of local artists getting priced out of the area, formed the Arts Coalition in 2021 to drive policy in a dozen key focus areas. Each focus area is represented by a leadership team member who meets with ArtsAVL staff every month.

Tidwell, the Professional & Business Services chair, views the formation of the ArtsAVL Directory in March 2023 as one tangible action in response to the nonprofit’s pledge for greater equity efforts. “Somebody that’s looking for an artist, a maker, a commercial artist [or] an illustrator can go into this

directory, be able to tap into a whole community of creative folks and find local people to do the work or be able to commission for work, which is awesome,” he says.

“I think that’s the accessibility that we didn’t have in 2020. I’m seeing a lot of those things play out now that I know were promises — or at the very least, conversations that were happening around the pandemic.”

Since Floyd’s murder, Tidwell has noticed that creatives of color have been more sought after, including commercial artists like himself. He says he gets more calls randomly from employers specifically looking for a photographer or a designer of color.

“Within the last couple of years, that has been sort of a steady

increase, which I think is most people trying to be more equitable with their resources,” Tidwell says. “And I think that’s not just an organizational thing but something that I’m seeing communitywide.”

Tidwell has also witnessed an encouraging trend with art galleries, both locally and nationally: some that didn’t prioritize equity before 2020 are beginning to feature creators of color. This shift is not only smart from a community-building standpoint, he says, but a business one as well.

“Equity and inclusion is top of mind for so many companies because they’re realizing that not being equitable and inclusive actually hurts their bottom line. Consumers are choosing companies that are sensible and that actually

have a dedication to racial diversity and gender diversity,” Tidwell says.

“I think gone are the days where we’re supporting these all-white, all-male businesses. You see that and you’re just kind of like, ‘You know, I think this isn’t the most forward-thinking company. I would much rather go with someone else.’”

MODEL BEHAVIOR

While equity efforts by whiteled organizations are important, Black-led arts groups have also felt inspired to expand and improve their work over the past four years.

Zakiya Bell-Rogers , chair of Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective’s board of directors and the facilitator of the theater company’s post-show talkbacks, points to the theater company’s 369 Monologue and Short Play Festival, which concluded its second yearly edition on June 23, as one example of creating space for Black artists to express themselves.

According to Bell-Rogers, 369 focuses on hearing the voices of different people with an emphasis on accepting them for who they are and what they do.

“And it’s not a forced acceptance. It is a true acceptance,” she says. “If you are gay, straight, trans — whatever you are on that spectrum, you should be happy and celebrated how you feel you want to be celebrated. And if you are a person of color, you should be able to use your authentic voice and not be looked at as the token of whatever race you are.”

The sentiment of doing the work yourself aligns with the ethos of Davaion “Spaceman Jones” Bristol . The multifaceted Asheville chef and hip-hop artist co-founded Urban Combat Wrestling with Marcus “Mook” Cunningham in 2019.

“We’re kind of a reverse of the situation that it usually is: We’re two Black guys that run a company that is mostly white,” Bristol says. “A lot of people think about allBlack businesses and this and that, but we’re all human beings, right? So, I think that what we’re doing is kind of a model of how everybody can work together and everybody can get what they want.”

Bristol adds that UCW doesn’t purposely try to hire exclusively Black talent to make a statement. Instead, it employs its fans and “people we vibe with,” prioritizing group cohesion and talent.

“We try to concentrate on racial equity, but I think that sometimes in the mix of looking for racial equi-

LIFT EVERY VOICE: Zakiya Bell-Rogers, center, performs with Naimah Coleman, left, and Kirby Gibson in Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective’s February production of The Glorious World of Crowns Kinks and Curls. Photo by Eli Cunningham

ty, we forget good, commonsense things that work for humans,” he says. “Sometimes, in the search for equality, the accountability is left way on the other side. And if the two don’t meet, it won’t connect.”

Regarding initiatives from other local arts groups, Bell-Rogers applauds the equity efforts of some organizations over the past few years but has concerns about performers not being paid for their work.

“I think whenever there’s a push, everybody wants to be on the right side of history. But what people don’t understand is being on the right side of history comes with work,” Bell-Rogers says. “It’s not just putting your name down. It actually comes with work and labor and follow-through, so I think that’s where a lot of folks have fallen short.”

She notes that change occurs at different rates, but is most sustainable when an arts organization replaces a negative habit with a positive one.

“You’ve got to actively go out and seek Black plays and Black voices, and you have to pay people for their time,” she says. “If you’re receiving money for anything that you’re producing, you need to compensate those people who are making those things come off that page.”

For Bristol, finding opportunities in hip-hop is a challenge, both as a solo artist and in his duo Spaceman Jones & The Motherships with Cliff B. “MOTHER HOOD” Worsham . Since 2020, hip-hop-friendly venues The Mothlight and New Mountain closed, and The Boiler Room largely stopped programming rap shows. But Eulogy, The Odd and Sly Grog Lounge have picked up the slack.

“It’s different people doing events that include people from minority communities or minority genres of music — but it’s not more people,” he says. “There’s always some opportunities, but it’s not as widespread.”

PROGRESS POTENTIAL

Bell-Rogers, Tidwell and Bristol acknowledge that plenty of work still needs to be done in arts equity and are generally optimistic that positive change will continue to occur. Nevertheless, obstacles abound — even from those who’ve already made some significant gains.

“In society, people tend to rest on their laurels after they’ve made a little bit of progress. Once you do a little bit, it’s easy to start to get kind of comfortable,” Tidwell says.

ASK AROUND: Since 2020, Asheville-based commercial artist Reggie Tidwell says he’s received more calls from employers specifically looking to work with an artist of color. Photo by Gabe Swinney

“But I feel like there are a lot more companies that should be taking the time to really look at their makeup and see if it looks the way it should. Does it represent our community? Is it equitable? If somebody is looking at your company, are they going to have that feelgood feeling? And if you ask that question yourself and the answer is ‘no,’ then there’s obviously still a lot of work that needs to be done.”

Bell-Rogers feels that the local arts community remains split between groups that prioritize equity “because it’s the right thing to do” and those who don’t change their practices because inaction is easier. She adds that providing individuals with opportunities to experience an unfamiliar art form creates new lovers of that culture, benefiting the organization long-term.

“And so you have those people who will continue to [expand their audience],” she says. “And then you have those who are just comfortable with the ones that they have.”

However change arises, Bristol is adamant that handouts are not the solution.

“It never works. You can drive around housing projects and see the result of handing people sh*t,” he says. “I think it’s got to be based more on self-reliance than handouts. I think a lot of the racial equity community is kind of looking for a handout, and that ain’t gonna work. We’ve got to be accountable for what we’re doing and operate in a way that makes sense.”

Bristol adds that there’s a long way to go to achieve true equity and counteract inherent bias and racism in institutions. Tidwell is also playing the long game, but his patience may be about to pay off on one particular project.

In 2022, while Tidwell was on the City of Asheville’s Public Art and Culture Commission, he and his fellow committee members were walking around downtown, taking stock of potential sites for future installations. Pausing at the Jackson Building, a colleague noted how much foot traffic Pack Square Park receives and how few of these pedestrians make their way down to — or even know about — The Block, Asheville’s historically Black business district, located a mere block away.

Aware that prolific Black mason James Vester Miller worked on the Jackson Building and numerous other nearby structures in the early 20th century, inspiration struck Tidwell, and he proposed a huge mural of Miller for the wall of the parking deck next to the rear entrance of the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. Expanding on this idea, Tidwell suggested having Black artists paint additional images on the parking deck pillars depicting the history of The Block. As people follow the visual story down the side of the the deck, they end up on The Block to see its newly remodeled YMI Cultural Center, Noir Collective art shop and other neighborhood cornerstones.

“I feel like something like that needs to happen — not just there but other areas in town,” Tidwell says. “You’ve got all these great things happening down there, and there’s such a disconnect. I think for that business community of color, it would be really nice if they could get this nice flow of traffic down there.”

CONSISTENT FLOW:

Davaion “Spaceman Jones” Bristol says opportunities for local hip-hop artists remain fairly unchanged since 2020. Photo by Mike Holmes

The idea was met with enthusiastic approval by the other commission members. In Tidwell’s words, the plan “had steam for a little bit, and then it just fizzled out,” but in late May of this year, it resurfaced to an ambiguous extent in an announcement about the city’s Boosting the Block project, which includes plans for the construction of a physical gateway and cultural corridor between Pack Square and The Block. (Learn more at avl.mx/dui)

“I love that this project is happening,” Tidwell says. “There does not seem to be any mention of a mural specifically on the side of the parking deck along that corridor, but hopefully that will get rolled into this project — or, at the very least, some kind of visual way-finding that makes it irresistible to head down that corridor to The Block.”  X

Playbill picks July local theater highlights

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

If you’re a fan of local theater, Western North Carolina offers plenty of options. Below are some highlights of productions hitting stages across the region.

DOUBLE DIP

Renovations to 35below, Asheville Community Theatre’s downstairs black box space, are complete, and the room is again playing host to productions — its first since March 2020.

The latest offerings are two new works by playwright Joseph Reed Hayes, starting with Slow Ride, about a fateful Sunday bus trip for a hippie grandmother (played by Laura Berry) with her conservative daughter (Jen Russ) and goth granddaughter (Susan Hudson). It runs Friday, July 12-Sunday, July 21, followed less than a week later by Destination Moon, which centers on young terminal patient Truly (Evan Brooks) coming to terms with the news that her longtime illness is now in remission. This more experimental work, featuring original music from Ashevillebased artist Teso McDonald, runs Friday, July 26-Sunday, Aug. 4.

Hayes, who also serves as the shows’ producer and director, notes that the two plays may seem totally different, but themes of managing the pain, fear and joy of being human are consistent across both works.

“I like writing plays for intimate spaces, with minimal sets and props, where the audience participates fully in the creation of theater,” he says.

“A sort of magic occurs when our imaginations transform a bunch of random chairs into a city bus or a hospital room or a tiny radio studio. I love it when the audience can see the character’s eyes, can hear their indrawn breath, can experience the art as it happens.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/dut.

WILLKOMMEN!

Of all the shows to grace Flat Rock Playhouse over the years, Cabaret has not yet been one of them. That all changes this month when the Broadway classic from composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb hits the stage Friday, July 12-Saturday, Aug. 3

Set in 1930 Berlin, the production hops between the Kit Kat Club — where the charismatic Emcee (Joseph Medeiros) and lead songstress Sally Bowles (FRP artistic director and frequent show director Lisa K. Bryant) hold court — and the intersecting lives of boardinghouse inhabitants as Adolf Hitler’s totalitarian regime takes hold in Germany.

“Cabaret has been casting a spell and sounding an alarm since it first hit Broadway, and if our first week of rehearsals are any indication, this is going to be one of the most powerful productions I’ve ever been part of,” says director/choreographer Chase Brock. “Don’t miss it.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/dus.

’WE’RE BOTH GEMINI VEGETARIANS’

Want to feel extra fabulous? Legally Blonde the Musical has its Western North Carolina premiere at Hendersonville Theatre, running Thursday, July 18-Sunday, Aug. 4.

True to its 2001 source material film, the musical follows sorority girl Elle Woods (played by Morgan Miller) as she shakes up Harvard Law School with her fashion-forward, Bel Air ways.

“To me, Legally Blonde is not just about female empowerment. It’s about peeling back the layers of our lives to find the diamond that has been there from the beginning,” says director Heather Fender. “Elle Woods is not just ’finding herself’; she is finally showing the world who she has always been.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/dur.

TECHNOLOGICAL PERILS

Facing the allure and dangers of artificial intelligence head-on, local theater company The Cardboard Sea, in association with The Sublime Theater, presents Voice Commands for six shows Thursday, July 18-Saturday, July 27, at the BeBe Theater. Written by Jeff Donnelly and directed by Todd Weakley, the dark comedy’s three interlocking stories explore how humans lean into AI and the ways it proves unreliable. The production stars Kristi DeVille, Charlie Holt, Eddie Yoffee and Iliana Hernandez

“This piece isn’t interested in the discussion around AI becoming sentient or robots taking over the world,” Donnelly says. “This is more about how technology is filling voids in our lives that other people used to fill and acting as a coping tool in ways very few of us could have imagined even 10 years ago.”

Weakley adds that he’s excited to work with The Cardboard Sea again and praises the distinct “freedom and wildness” present in the rehearsal room.

“Our process is unconventional but lucrative. We trust each other to take leaps into the unknown,” he says. “With Voice Commands, a yearlong discussion has delivered a script that provokes and challenges. Our production will be unlike any other in all the best ways.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/duq. X

SECOND-HALF WONDERS: July marks the most prolific month yet for local theater companies. Photo by iStock

What’s new in food

On June 15, Regina’s restaurant celebrated its one-year anniversary with a pop-up dinner. But the party really started the last week of June when co-founder Lisa Wagner bought out one of the West Asheville restaurant’s three other co-owners, Mike Piroli, and brought chef Kat Fitzgerald on as a partner. (Taylor Godleski remains on the ownership team and Carolyn Roy, co-owner of Biscuit Head, came on as an investor in 2023.)

“The sisters are doing it for themselves,” says Wagner. “We are in the house every day, making all the decisions and putting that female energy to work, totally on brand for Regina’s. The ladies get things done.”

Along with the new leadership, the kitschy-swanky restaurant, subtitled “Comfort Classics,” is also making changes to its operating hours and service plus adding a new dinner menu.

Since opening June 1, 2023, then experiencing kitchen and ownership upheaval just three weeks later with the abrupt departure of co-founder and then-executive chef Elliott Moss, Regina’s has been serving seven days a week, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., with occasional dinner pop-ups last fall and winter.

The dog-friendly patio — which Wagner describes as “your Florida grandma’s pool patio minus the pool” — opened this spring.

At the end of June, Wagner announced that Regina’s is now open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and closed Monday and Tuesday. “We did a test run with dinner in November and December to see what our regulars wanted and would pay for,” Wagner explains. “We decided the time for change was when change was happening.”

What hasn’t altered is Fitzgerald’s occupancy of the kitchen; she has been on board since opening and took the reins after Moss’ exit. Before moving to Asheville last year, she was chef and co-owner of Rising Son in Atlanta, a popular Avondale Estates neighborhood breakfast spot. She got her start in the food and beverage industry making all-natural craft sodas.

In creating Regina’s all-day breakfast and lunch menus last summer, Fitzgerald says she dug into personal memories, such as going to Waffle House for breakfast with her grandfather on Sundays after church. “We always had the Scattered, Smothered

a business partner in late June. Pictures of the women’s mothers are prominently displayed inside the West Asheville restaurant.

and Covered [hash browns], and our pork loin hash is kind of my tribute to that,” she says.

The shakshuka, on the other hand, incorporates one of her favorite vegetables. “I love eating sweet potatoes with anything with a Mediterranean or Turkish influence, so my shakshuka builds on a roasted sweet potato covered with a red pepper-tomato sauce, zhug [Middle Eastern hot sauce], feta and eggs to order,” says Fitzgerald.

The new dinner menu is a work in progress, but a few things guests can expect to find are North Carolina trout, local Black Trumpet Farm mushrooms, a triple-stack Bordelaise burger, aji verde chicken thighs with purple potato bravas and a bounty of summer produce from Fitzgerald’s garden. “I have 25 tomato plants starting to pop,” she says happily.

“It has not been the most straightforward path to get here, but like anything in life, you learn from the

stumbles,” Wagner observes. “Kat and I have fought hard for Regina’s, to make it a happy place, and we are really proud of what our team has accomplished.”

Regina’s is at 1400 Patton Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/drm. Local chefs who would like to do evening pop-ups at Regina’s can contact Wagner at info@reginaswestside.com.

Tour focuses on urban gardens

With its third annual Urban Garden Tour & Tasting on Sunday, July 14, local urban agriculture nonprofit Bountiful Cities invites the public to explore 10 thriving community gardens hiding in plain sight. “The biggest feedback we got from people who attended the first Urban Garden Tour in 2022 was, ‘I’ve been walking by this place for years and had no idea what it was or that it was here,’” says

FRESH TAKE: Regina’s co-owner Lisa Wagner, left, brought executive chef Kat Fitzgerald, right, on board as

Photo by Caleb Johnson

Cathy Cleary, outreach coordinator for Bountiful Cities.

The tour’s primary goal is to highlight how much fresh food production can happen in an urban setting. “The gardens on the tour have an incredible and significant impact on the community,” she explains. “Since our founding in 2000, Bountiful Cities has been in relationship with them.”

Through Bountiful Cities’ FEAST program, the organization keeps its hands in the dirt at local elementary school gardens, including the ones at Lucy S. Herring and Hall Fletcher schools, featured on the tour. Other gardens on the tour are tended by neighborhood residents, nonprofits and businesses. “Some of the most marginalized communities among us have some of the most vibrant and productive community gardens,” Cleary notes, citing Southside Community Farm, Shiloh Community Garden and the Burton Street Peace Gardens.

Representatives from local nonprofits, such as RiverLink and Food Connection, will be on hand at the gardens. And for those who buy tasting tickets, each garden will feature a station offering bites and sips from local businesses, including Sunny Point Café, The Hop Handcrafted Ice Cream, Cúrate, Cucina 24, Contrada, Sugar & Snow Gelato, Devil’s Foot Beverage Co. and more.

The tour runs 1-6 p.m. and is free to attend. Tasting tickets are $40 per person and include drinks and food at each garden stop plus a free drink and snack at the after-party, which starts at 6 p.m. at The Odd at 1045 Haywood Road, featuring live music and door prizes. Tasting ticket pickup is at West Asheville Park, 198 Vermont Ave.

For more information, to register and to buy tasting tickets, visit avl.mx/duu.

Ultimate Ice Cream becomes

The Mad Dipper

Longtime locals driving past or parking at 1070 Tunnel Road in East Asheville or 195 Charlotte St. in North Asheville may do a double take when they see signs for The Mad Dipper in place of the ones that marked Ultimate Ice Cream’s two locations since 2005 and 2009, respectively.

Last November, Lucia and Kevin Barnes sold the two shops to Deanna and Bob Williamson, who kept the Ultimate name until their signage arrived and was installed in May. The Barneses still make Ultimate Ice Cream in their East Asheville production kitchen and maintain a local and regional wholesale clien-

tele, including restaurants such as Bouchon, RendezVous, Modesto and Creekside Taphouse.

“Lucia and I felt like it was time for a change,” Kevin says. They initially put the business on the market in January 2020, then took it off when the COVID-19 pandemic happened. Last fall, they again listed Ultimate on an online sales platform, and Bob Williamson, a Fairview accounting firm owner, saw the ad. Prompted by memories of his college job at a scratch-made ice cream and candy shop in Cherokee, he jumped at the opportunity.

“Looking back, that was probably the best job I ever had,” he says. “It was fun, creative and made people happy.”

The Williamsons took possession of the business on Nov. 15 and started dipping Nov. 16. They have kept Ultimate’s flavors and added some of their own — all made in the Tunnel Road store. The shop always has salted caramel and Belgian dark chocolate in the case and offers house-made waffle cones.

Ultimate’s commercial kitchen operation, Kevin says, has gone from 32 employees to just him and his oldest son, Gabe Barnes. The memories, he says, are sweet.

“I still have lunch with kids who worked for us when they were 16 and are adults now, with careers,” he says. “I was in the grocery store the other day, and a woman came up and told me Ultimate did the ice cream for her daughter’s wedding years before and thanked me for all the times their family went to our shops. Ultimate Ice Cream created relationships, and we are so grateful for that.”

The Mad Dipper is at 1070 Tunnel Road and 195 Charlotte St. For more information, visit avl.mx/duy.

Bastille Day event at new wine bistro

The annual celebration of Bastille Day — or Fête Nationale, as it is known in France — hosted by Asheville Sister Cities Saumur Committee and Metro Wines will take place 2-4 p.m. Sunday, July 14, at Quench!, the new Woodfin wine bistro from MetroWines and chef Sam Etheridge. In addition to hors d’oeuvres from Etheridge, there will be pours of wines from Saumur in France’s Loire Valley plus an auction of original ceramics and other objets d’art and a raffle of a Saumurthemed prize donated by local artist Adrien Meierovitch

Quench! is at 60 N. Merrimon Ave. in Reynolds Village. For more information and tickets, visit avl.mx/duv.

Local chefs cook at Heritage Fire Tour

Getting fired isn’t the ideal outcome for most workers, but it’s the goal of the 20 local chefs participating in the annual nationwide Heritage Fire Tour, which lands and lights up at The Horse Shoe Farm in Hendersonville on Sunday, July 14. Among the flame throwers are Jargon’s Ryan Kline, Bun Intended’s Erica Glaubitz, Asheville Proper’s Jason Sweeney, Chestnut’s Ashley Helms, Bargello’s Tyler Slade and Hey Chickadee’s Meagan Hayes. The event showcases meat from heritage-breed livestock and heirloom produce cooked over a live fire of the chef’s choice.

General admission tickets are $125 and grant access from 4:15-7 p.m. with unlimited food, spirits, wine, beer and live entertainment; VIP tickets are $175 and allow admission at 3:30 p.m. The event is for ages 21 and older.

The Horse Shoe Farm is at 155 Horse Shoe Farm Drive, Hendersonville. For more information and tickets, visit avl.mx/dux.

— Kay West X

Around Town

Inaugural Black Mountain Blues festival takes center stage

The inaugural Black Mountain Blues music festival will debut the weekend of Friday, July 12-Sunday, July 14, at several Black Mountain venues.

Downtown Black Mountain will host the festival in collaboration with LEAF Global Arts and White Horse Black Mountain. Headlining artists include Sugaray Rayford , Corey Harris , Bob Margolin , Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’ Blues, Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen and many more. Black Mountain Blues will present Piper & the Hard Times, the International Blues Challenge Best Band winner for 2024.

“Blues is the heartbeat of modern music, and this festival is our tribute to true blues,” says Zach Hinkle , director of operations at White Horse Black Mountain.

Stages will be set up at The Railyard, The Bush Farmhouse, Foothills Grange, White Horse Black Mountain, the Monte Vista Hotel, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, Goldfinch and the Town Pump Tavern. A curated Food, Arts & Wellness Market downtown will also be part of the experience.

The festival will kick off with a pre-party at White Horse Black Mountain, where festivalgoers can pick up their wristbands and listen to Tressa’s All Star Blues Band. Then at 2 p.m., the venue will host a VIP event featuring fusion blues musician Corey Harris , followed by Aaron “Woody” Wood at the Town Pump and an electro blues dance party at the White Horse with DJ5

Saturday’s events will start at The Bush Farmhouse with rising 16-year-old star Kiersi Joli and will end with a late-night jam at White Horse Black Mountain. Sunday’s lineup will begin with gospel-influenced Reggie Headen , followed by Datrian Johnson & The Family Tree. The festival will culminate that evening with an after-party blues jam at Pisgah Brewing Co., hosted by Spiro Nicolopoulos

“We’re thrilled to bring a powerhouse lineup of both iconic stars and emerging artists to eight venues right here in Black Mountain,” Hinkle says. “The event will showcase the breadth and depth of blues music, and we hope it will be the

beginning of a resurgence of blues in the region.”

Weekend passes are $80. VIP pass options are $180 and include VIP Lounge access, artist meet-andgreets, and more. Children younger than 10 may attend for free, and discounted tickets are available for ages 10-17. The White Horse is at 105 Montreat Road, Black Mountain. The full lineup and more information can be found at avl.mx/dv8.

Musical sanctuary

The third Sanctuary Series musical performance will take place at Central United Methodist Church of Asheville on Friday, July 12, 7 p.m.

The quarterly series, which debuted in 2023, consists of musical performances curated by local songwriter Jane Kramer as a way to create community beyond the church’s congregation and to celebrate live music for a good cause. The July concert will feature Chattanooga, Tenn.-based multi-instrumentalist, storyteller and host of the syndicated podcast “American Songcatcher” Nicholas Edward Williams , with an opening set from Asheville singer-songwriter Hannah Kaminer .

Ticket sales from this performance will support the Transylvania County chapter of Junior Appalachian Musicians, a nonprofit that supports communities in teaching children to play and dance to old-time and bluegrass music.

“While I chose the nonprofit beneficiary for our very first concert in the series that I also performed in, I find it powerful to allow the featured artist to choose an organization whose work is meaningful to them,” says Kramer. “Nicholas Edward Williams chose JAM due to his connection to teaching and preserving the traditional music of our region as a music historian, storyteller and ‘song catcher,’ and he has done some lovely collaborating over the years with Owen Grooms , the Transylvania County chapter organizer for JAM. Owen and some JAM students will perform in the show as well.”

LET THE FESTIVITIES BEGIN: For three days, music fans can expect a wide range of sounds and styles at the inaugural Black Mountain Blues festival. Among the performers are, clockwise from top left, Corey Harris, Sugaray Rayford, Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen and Melody Angel. Photos courtesy of Black Mountain Blues

Tickets to the performance are $25.

Central United Methodist Church of Asheville is at 27 Church St. For more information, visit avl.mx/dv7.

From schoolhouse to State House

Two Buncombe County students have their artwork displayed in the N.C. State House, according to a press release.

The student artwork was selected by the N.C. State Educators Conference to be part of the General Assembly Youth Art Exhibit. The exhibit consists of two pieces of art from each region in the state, to be displayed in the state house for one year. All art was created by students in K-12 who have a teacher who is a member of the N.C. Art Education Association.

A piece called CityScape by Haw Creek Elementary fourth grader Vivian Hoffman was selected to be part of the exhibition, as was an untitled painting of a classic car by Lucy Ingram , an eighth grader

at Valley Springs Middle School. Hoffman was invited to Raleigh alongside her family and her art teacher, Mary Hunnicutt , Haw Creek Principal Christen Davidson , and the members of the Buncombe County legislative delegation.

“It was an amazing and interesting experience to see the other students’ artwork and be honored like that,” says Hoffman in the release. “I really enjoyed meeting Sen. [Julie] Mayfield and Rep. [Eric] Ager .” Hoffman was also given a special tour of the Senate floor alongside Mayfield, learning about the history of women in state government, including Lillian Exum Clement , the first woman elected to the N.C. General Assembly in 1920.

Principal Davidson says she felt encouraged by the legislators’ respect for artistic education in North Carolina and hopes that the artwork will serve as a reminder over the next year.

The N.C. State House is at 16 W. Jones St., Raleigh. For more information about the collection, visit avl.mx/dv9.

New novel charts

North Carolina

Green Forest, Red Earth, Blue Sea , a three-part novel set in North Carolina, will be released by Koehler Books on Friday, July 19.

The novel is composed of three novellas released together as a single book. Author Jim Gulledge describes the first novella in his series, A Poor Man’s Supper , originally released in 2017, as a “mountain ballad in prose.” Set in Saluda, it was included in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection of Appalachian State University and the N.C. Collection of UNC Chapel Hill, two collections aimed at preserving North Carolina’s literary and cultural heritage.

“A year or so after the publication of the [first] novella, I was lying in bed one morning and realized there was a second part set in the Piedmont,” says Gulledge. “About 10 minutes later I realized to my dismay that there was a third part set on the coast. Dismay because writing is hard work and finding a publisher is a nightmare.”

The second portion, titled Peachland , takes place in Anson County of the Piedmont region and reimagines a happier conclusion to the true story of Gulledge’s great-uncle, who fought in World War I and survived, only to drown in a small pond on the family property.

The third novella, set in coastal North Carolina, takes place in the 1970s and offers a conclusion that takes readers through each region of the state. “What I’m doing is trying to go from the mountains to the sea,” Gulledge says in a press release. “That’s a big thing for North Carolinians. We see our state as three zones: mountains, piedmont and coastal plain. My hope is that the final novel will drive that idea home in a memorable fashion.”

Gulledge is a member of the N.C. Writers’ Network. He retired from a 36-year career as Pfeiffer University’s Ddrector of academic support services and assistant professor of development studies.

For more information, visit avl.mx/dud.

Celebrating 77 years of craft

The

Thursday, July 18-Sunday, July 21, and Thursday, Oct. 17-Sunday, Oct. 20, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Since 1948, the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands has brought hundreds of artists, makers and craftspeople together to show off the traditional processes of their work. The event will feature both Appalachian traditions and contemporary work in pottery, sculpture, furniture, tapestry, apparel, mixed media, jewelry and more. Visitors will experience the evolution of American craft traditions such as hammering iron into fireplace tools and harvesting splints of white oak to weave a basket. Interactive demonstrations are aimed at education and keeping crafts alive and relevant during modern times.

The theme of the fair is “the process of craft, often lost in a highly mechanized and digital world,” according to the press release. The Southern Highland Craft Guild will raffle off a piece from one of the exhibitors with all proceeds going toward its educational mission. Throughout the weekends, regional musicians will perform on the downstairs stage.

The Southern Highlands Craft Guild is a nonprofit whose membership is jury-selected in a rigorous process to maintain quality standards of craft throughout the Appalachian region. Membership to the SHCG is open to craftspeople, makers and artists living in the mountain counties of nine states from Maryland to Alabama. This year, for the first time, applicants can purchase a booth to sell and have their work juried at the fair.

Harrah’s Cherokee Center –Asheville is at 87 Haywood St. For more information, visit avl.mx/dva.

— Oby Arnold  X

MOVIE REVIEWS

MAXXXINE: Writer/director Ti West’s laborious trilogy mercifully concludes with this sloppy 1985set chapter. Grade: C-minus — Edwin Arnaudin

INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SPACE

food. music. beer. community... and maybe a train or two.

Wed, July 10, 7pm Dan ' s Jam - Open Bluegrass Jam

Every Wednesday! Come jam with us – all levels are welcome.

Thurs, July 11, 7PM: Broken Sound

Soulful songs & psychedelic improv

Fri - Sun, July 12-14: Black Mountain Blues Festival

Presented by LEAF & White Horse Black Mountain. 3 days of Blues at multiple venues. Tickets: blackmountainblues.org. The RailYard schedule is below.

SATURDAY:

FRIDAY:

Piper & the Hard Times 3-4pm Kelli Baker w/Noé Socha 5-6pm Melissa McKinney 7-8pm Corey Harris 8:30-10pm

The Southern Groove Machine 11:30am-12:30pm

CFG & The Family

1:30-2:45pm

SUNDAY:

LEAF Lights 11-11:30am

Whitney Mongé W/Ben Balmer 12:30-1:45pm

Mama & The Ruckus 3:45-5pm

Aristotle Jones 6:15-7:30pm Sugaray Rayford 8:30-10pm

Lazybirds 2:45-3:45pm Women to the Front Blues Band 4:45-6pm

Details, food menus and more at railyardblkmtn.com

live music + 15 screens of sports + full bar + tasty eats + ice cream sammies + fun for the family open til 11 pm | kitchen closes 10 pm on fri and sat

141 RICHARDSON BLVD - BLACK MOUNTAIN

Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands will be held at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville from

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO.

Trivia Trivia!, 6:30pm

BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA

Trivia Night w/PartyGrampa, 7pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER

BREWERY

Saylor Brothers & Friends (jamgrass), 6pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Well-Crafted Music w/ Jon Stickley, Travis Book &Matt Smith, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Bluegrass Jam w/Derek McCoy & Friends, 6pm

ONE STOP AT

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Eli Kahn (lo-fi), 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Latin Night Wednesday w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8pm

SHAKEY'S

Sexy Service Industry Night, 10pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Trivia Wednesdays, 7pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Felt Out, Splash Blade & Ho Oh (pop, experimental), 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE Roamck (rock), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Moonshine State (Americana, country), 7pm

THE ODD

Terraoke Karaoke Takeover, 9pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Sold Out: Joe Pera (comedy), 8pm

THE RAILYARD BLACK MOUNTAIN

Dan's Jam (bluegrass), 7pm

VOWL

SpinKick (punk, rock, hardcore), 7pm

THURSDAY, JULY 11

BATTERY PARK BOOK

EXCHANGE

Mike Kenton & Jim Tanner (jazz), 5:30pm

CITIZEN VINYL

Suzie Brown & Scot Sax (folk-pop), 7pm

CROW & QUILL

Honey Music Collective (jazz), 8pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY Karaoke, 8pm

EULOGY

Acid Jo w/Yawni, Bad Ties & Puppychain (psych-punk, noise-pop, electronic), 9pm

FALLOUT ART SPACE

Open Mic Night, 7pm

FLEETWOOD'S

The Ruff'tons, The 91's & Player vs Player (punk), 9pm

FOLKMOOT

FRIENDSHIP CENTER

Folkmoot Summer

Soirée, 7pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER

BREWERY

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

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7pm

LAZOOM ROOM BAR & GORILLA

Modelface Comedy Presents: Dwight Simmons, 8:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Andrew Wakefield (bluegrass, folk, Americana), 4pm

CLUBLAND

ROCK ’N’ ROLL LIKE AN ARMADILLO: On Thursday, July 18, Asheville Music Hall hosts a new all-star jam band, Space Armadillo, starting at 8 p.m. This special rock project includes longtime Phish lyricist Steve Pollak (aka the Dude of Life) with Runaway Gin’s Andy Greenberg. Photo courtesy of Lori Sky

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Marcus White & Friends (multi-genre), 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Sage Christie (folk), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

WEST

Fee Fi Phaux Fish (multigenre), 8pm

PULP

Dirty Bird & Detective Blind (indie-rock, altrock), 8:30pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Saylor Brothers (bluegrass), 6:30pm

SALVAGE STATION

Hawthorne Heights w/ Anberlin, Armor For Sleep, Emery & This Wild Life (emo, post-hardcore, alt-rock), 6:30pm

SHAKEY'S

Karaoke w/DJ Franco, 9pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Karaoke Night, 8pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Django & Jenga Jazz Jam, 7pm

STATIC AGE LOFT

Karaoke Night, 10pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Picture Rather Muted & Xambuca (multi-genre), 9pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Rich Nelson Band (rock'n'roll), 7pm

THE ODD

Deviled Cookie Nightmare w/Cookie Tongue (cabaret-music), 9pm

THE OUTPOST Will Overman (country, Americana), 7:30pm

WICKED WEED

BREWING

Owen Walsh (folk), 6pm

FRIDAY, JULY 12

27 CLUB

Nacht Musik w/DJ Vandora, Neckroft, DJ AlienHex Friend (industrial, post-punk, death-rock), 9pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR

BAR

Mr Jimmy's Friday Night Blues, 8pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

The Bieber Party (dance party), 9pm

CATAWBA BREWING CO. SOUTH SLOPE

ASHEVILLE

• Comedy at Catawba: Mia Jackson, 7pm

• Comedy from the Future, 9pm

CORK & KEG

One Leg Up w/D'Jango Jazz (jazz, swing, Latin), 8pm

CROW & QUILL

Drayton & The Dreamboats (vintage-jazz, rock'n'roll), 8pm

EULOGY

Snõõper w/Mutant Strain (punk), 7pm

FLEETWOOD'S

Weight Shift, The Magpie & 4th Horse (stoner-metal, rock'n'roll), 8pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER

BREWERY

Tommy Prine (rock), 8pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

DOWNTOWN

TAPROOM

Elefante (jazz, funk), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Heidi Burson (soul, jazz), 9pm

MAD CO. BREW

HOUSE

Wayne Buckner (Southern-rock, Americana, country), 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Mama Roux (soul, jazz, funk), 8pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Virginia Man w/Tae Lewis (folk, rock'n'roll, gospel), 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Chris McGinnis (Americana, folk, country), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

WEST

Ska City (Ska), 8pm

RABBIT RABBIT Silent Disco: DJ Camaro, 9pm

SALVAGE STATION

Electro Lust (funk, electronic, Latin), 8pm

SHAKEY'S

• Friday Late Nights w/ DJ Ek Balam, 12am

• Big Blue Jams Band (mult-genre), 9pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Caged Affair (alt-rock, punk), 9pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Bakantez & Champagne Mirrors (experimental, electronic, industrial), 9pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

The Project (R&B, rock), 7pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Random Animals (indiesoul), 7pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Gimme Gimme Disco, 8pm

THE OUTPOST Souljam’s Dead Spread Peaches (tribute band), 7:30pm

URBAN ORCHARD CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE Sandunga Latin Night w/ DJ Carmona, 9pm

WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT Roots & Dore (blues, soul, roots), 7pm

WICKED WEED WEST Stephen Evans (folk, rock), 5pm

SATURDAY, JULY 13

27 CLUB

John Kirby Jr & The New Seniors, Sweet Meteor of Death, The Discs & Dirty Holly (power-pop, rock, punk-rock), 9pm

ASHEVILLE CLUB

Mr Jimmy (blues), 6pm

BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah's Daydream (jazz), 6pm

BLUE RIDGE BEER HUB

8Trk Cadillac (blues, rock, pop), 5pm

CATAWBA BREWING CO. SOUTH SLOPE ASHEVILLE

• Comedy at Catawba: Mia Jackson, 7pm • Secret Saturday Late Nite Comedy Showcase, 9pm

CORK & KEG

Soul Blue Rocks (soul, blues, R&B), 8pm

CROW & QUILL

Raspbaddy Cabaret Cordial, 8pm

EULOGY

• Cola w/Devon Welsh (alt-indie), 7pm

• Open Hearts w/DJ LC Tamagotchi, 11pm

FLEETWOOD'S

Paprika, Bad Guru & Ever After (indie), 9pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

DOWNTOWN

TAPROOM

Wild Heart Fiddle (acoustic), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

• Saturday Music

Matinee w/Jackson Grimm, 12pm

• Nobody’s Darling String Band, 4pm

• 81 Drifters (bluegrass, Americana, blues), 9pm

LAZOOM ROOM

Karaoke w/KJ Beanspice, 8:30pm

MAD CO. BREW HOUSE

Stand-up Comedy Night, 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

High Flying Criminals (funk, soul), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Jerry's Dead Solo Elecric (Grateful Dead tribute), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

• Sugar Bomb (jazz, indie), 3pm

• Muddy Guthrie & Friends (rock, Americana), 8pm

SALVAGE STATION

Moody Good w/Murkury & Sum.Simpl (dance, electronic), 9pm

SHAKEY'S

Boot Scoot & Boogie, 10pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Commander Voodoo (funk, R&B), 9pm

SIERRA NEVADA

BREWING CO.

Christopher Jamison (Americana, folk), 2pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Dayowulf (Afro-beats), 8pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Bullseye, HAMS & Bills Garage (rock), 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

The Steel Wheels (folk), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

The Midnight Aces (Blues), 7pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Jelly Ellington (blues, rock'n'roll), 6pm

THE ODD Party Foul Drag, 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

The Broken Hearts (Tom Petty tribute), 8pm

THE OUTPOST

Asheville River Day w/Lua

Flora (beach-folk), 5pm

WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT

DJ Rexx Step, 7pm

SUNDAY, JULY 14

27 CLUB

Tears For The Dying, More Is Not Enough & XOR (dark-sythwave, post-punk, goth), 9pm

ARCHETYPE BREWING

Sunday Funday w/DJs, 1pm

CATAWBA BREWING CO. SOUTH SLOPE ASHEVILLE

Comedy at Catawba:

Brad Sativa, 6:30pm

CORK & KEG

Jack Devereux & Nic

Gareiss (Appalachian, old-time), 7pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 3pm

GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Jazz Sunday's, 2pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Bluegrass Brunch w/ Bluegrass Brunch Boys, 12pm

• Traditional Irish Jam, 3:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Junior Ranger & Charley Horse (punk, bluegrass, blues), 3pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Ghost in the Graveyard (rock'n'roll), 9pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Dan Signor (rock, soul), 4pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

One Love Sundays (reggae), 6pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Pisgah Sunday Jam, 6pm

S&W MARKET

Mr Jimmy (blues), 1pm

SALVAGE STATION

Rumours ATL (Fleetwood Mac tribute), 7:30pm

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO.

Pretty Little Goat (bluegrass, Appalachian, old-time), 2pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Cosmic Appalachian Soul Sundays, 7pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Snuki, On the Block & Scaretactic (punk, hardcore), 9pm

TACO BOY BILTMORE PARK

Acoustic Sunday Brunch, 12pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Souljam (R&B, soul, funk), 2pm

MONDAY, JULY 15

27 CLUB

Monday Karaoke, 9pm

FLEETWOOD'S Best Ever Karaoke w/KJ Chels, 9pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Let Me Guess Trivia, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Quizzo! Pub Trivia w/ Jason Mencer, 7:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING

CO.

Takes All Kinds Open Mic Nights, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING Open Mic Night, 7:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Mashup Mondays w/ JLloyd, 8pm

SALVAGE STATION Bumpin Uglies (reggae), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Mr Jimmy & Friends (blues), 7pm

THE RIVER ARTS

DISTRICT BREWING CO. Trivia w/Billy, 7pm

TUESDAY, JULY 16

27 CLUB

Seven Year Witch, Cadence & Satellite Dog (rock), 8pm

ARCHETYPE BREWING

Trivia Tuesday, 6:30pm

FLEETWOOD'S Heroes & Villains Dance Party, 7pm

FUNKATORIUM

Trivia w/Billy, 12am

LOOKOUT BREWING

CO.

Team Trivia Tuesday's, 6:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Team Trivia, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

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

SHAKEY'S 3rd Bootys w/DJ Ek Balam, 9pm

SHILOH & GAINES Open Mic, 7pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Tuesday Night Open Jam, 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

The Lads (rock, blues), 6pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Open Mic, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO.

Trivia Trivia!, 6:30pm

BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Trivia Night w/PartyGrampa, 7pm

BLUE RIDGE BEER HUB

8Trk Cadillac (blues, rock, pop), 5pm

EULOGY

Wolves in the Taproom: Black Metal Night, 7pm

FLEETWOOD'S Search and Destroy Punk & Indie Karaoke, 9pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

Saylor Brothers & Friends (jamgrass), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Bluegrass Jam w/Derek McCoy & Friends, 6pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Captain Woody & His Mates (multi-genre), 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Latin Night Wednesday w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8pm PULP

The Blackout Diaries, 7pm

SHAKEY'S Sexy Service Industry Night, 10pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Trivia Wednesdays, 7pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS Pollute, DShk & Gamma Razor (hardcore-punk, metal), 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Banned From Utopia w/ The Paul Green Rock Academy (Frank Zappa tribute), 7:30pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Rod Sphere (soul, rock), 7pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Well-Crafted Music w/ Rick Cooper, Zach Smith & Matt Smith, 6pm

THE ODD

Leather Lung, Bonedozer & Old Dead Gods (stoner-doom, metal, rock'n'roll), 9pm

THE OUTPOST Outpost: Bluegrass Jam w/Sam Wharton, 6pm

THE RAILYARD BLACK MOUNTAIN Dan's Jam (bluegrass), 7pm

VOWL

SpinKick (punk, rock, hardcore), 7pm

THURSDAY, JULY 18

27 CLUB

HeartBreak Club Presents: Circus of Freaks

Burlesque & Variety Show, 9pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Space Armadillo w/The Dude of Life (rock, funk), 8pm

CROW & QUILL

Russ Wilson & The Kings of Jazz, 8pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY Karaoke, 8pm

EULOGY

Collapse Fest w/ Blood Handsome, Healng, Joyfriend, Jeff in Leather & Cold Choir (electronic, darkwave, industrial-dance), 8pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

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

GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Blue Ridge Pride Open Mic, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7pm

LAZOOM ROOM BAR & GORILLA

Modelface Comedy

Presents: David Louis, 8:30pm

MAD CO. BREW HOUSE

Sufferin' Fools (country, soul, pop), 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Kid Billy (Americana, blues, indie-folk), 7pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Mike Dillon & Punkadelick w/Brian Haas & Brendan Bull (rock, jazz, punk), 9pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Fancy Marie (rock, blues, Americana), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Fee Fi Phaux Fish (multigenre), 8pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Brushfire Stankgrass (bluegrass), 6:30pm

RABBIT RABBIT

Andrew Bird & Nickel

Creek (indie-rock, folk), 6pm

SHAKEY'S

• Comedy Showcase w/ Hilliary Begley, 8pm

• Karaoke w/DJ Franco, 9pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Karaoke Night, 8pm

STATIC AGE LOFT Karaoke Night, 10pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Company Swing (blues, jazz, swing), 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

Detective Blind (indierock), 7:30pm

WICKED WEED BREWING

Beer & Loathing (rock), 6pm

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY BY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): I trust that your intuition has been guiding you to slow down and disappear from the frenzied, agitated bustle that everyone seems addicted to. I hope you have afforded yourself the luxury and privilege of exulting in the thrill of doing absolutely nothing. Have you been taking long breaks to gaze lovingly up at the sky and listen to music that moves you to tears? Have you been studying the children and animals in your life to learn more about how to thrive on non-goal-oriented fun? Have you given your imagination permission to fantasize with abandon about wild possibilities? Homework: Name three more ways to fuel your self-renewal.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Actor Carrie Fisher put a strong priority on being both amusing and amused. For her, almost everything that happened was tolerable, even welcome, as long as it was entertaining. She said, “If my life wasn’t funny, it would just be true, and that’s unacceptable.” I recommend you experiment with those principles, Taurus. Be resourceful as you make your life as humorously interesting as possible. If you do, life will conspire to assist you in being extra amused and amusing.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): As you charge into the upcoming period of self-reinvention, don’t abandon and forget about your past completely. Some of your old emotional baggage might prove useful and soulful. A few of your challenging memories may serve as robust motivators. On the other hand, it will be healthy to leave behind as much oppressive baggage and as many burdensome memories as possible. You are launching the next chapter of your life story! Travel as lightly as you can.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Even though you and I were both born under the sign of Cancer the Crab, I have a taboo against advising you to be like me. I love my life, but I’m not so naïve or arrogant as to think that what has worked for me will also work for you. Now, however, I will make a temporary exception to my policy. Amazingly, the astrological omens suggest you will flourish in the coming weeks by being at least somewhat like me. Therefore, I invite you to experiment with being kind and sensitive, but also cheerfully irreverent and tenderly wild. Be on the lookout for marvels and miracles, but treasure critical thinking and rational analysis. Don’t take things too personally or too seriously, and regard the whole world as a holy gift. Be gratefully and humbly in awe as you tune into how beautiful and wonderful you are.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Over 3,700 years ago, a craftsperson living in what’s now Israel fashioned a comb from an elephant’s tusk. It was a luxury item with two sides, one used to smooth hair tangles and the other to remove lice. On the handle of the ivory tool is an inscription: “May this tusk root out the lice of the hair and the beard.” This is the oldest known sentence ever written in Canaanite, a language that created the world’s first alphabet. In some ways, then, this comb is a precious object. It is unspeakably ancient evidence of a major human innovation. In another way, it’s mundane and prosaic. I’m nominating the comb to be a symbol for your story in the coming weeks: a blend of monumental and ordinary. Drama may emerge from the routine. Breakthroughs may happen in the midst of everyday matters.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Some astrologers assert that Virgos are modest, humble and reluctant to shine. But a Virgo New Yorker named Ashrita Furman provides contrary evidence. His main activity in life is to break records. He holds the Guinness world record for having broken the most Guinness world records. His first came in 1979, when he did 27,000 jumping jacks. Since then, he has set hundreds of records, including the fastest time running on stilts, the longest time juggling objects underwater and the most times jumping rope on a pogo stick. I propose to make him your spirit creature for the coming weeks. What acts of bold self-expression are you ready to make, Virgo? What records are you primed to break?

ROB BREZSNY

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran author Diane Ackerman says, “We can’t enchant the world, which makes its own magic; but we can enchant ourselves by paying deep attention.” I’m telling you this, dear Libra, because you now have exceptional power to pay deep attention and behold far more than usual of the world’s magic. It’s the Season of Enchantment for you. I invite you to be daring and imaginative as you probe for the delightful amazements that are often hidden just below the surface of things. Imagine you have the superpower of X-ray vision.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): If I’m reading the astrological omens correctly, you are in the midst of major expansion. You are reaching further, opening wider and dreaming bigger. You are exploring frontiers, entertaining novel possibilities and daring to transcend your limitations and expectations. And I am cheering you on as you grow beyond your previous boundaries. One bit of advice: Some people in your life may find it challenging to follow you freely into your new territory. They may be afraid you’re leaving them behind, or they may not be able to adjust as fast as you wish. I suggest you give them some slack. Allow them to take the time they need to get accustomed to your growth.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian actor Jeff Bridges has wise words for you to heed: “If you wait to get all the information you think you need before you act, you’ll never act because there’s an infinite amount of information out there.” I think this advice is especially apropos for you right now. Why? Because you will thrive on making strong, crisp decisions and undertaking strong, crisp actions. The time for pondering possibilities must give way to implementing possibilities.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): People may be attracted to you in the coming weeks because they unconsciously or not-so-unconsciously want to be influenced, stirred up and even changed by your presence. They hope you will be the catalyst or medicine they need. Or maybe they want you to provide them with help they haven’t been able to give themselves or get anywhere else. Please be aware that this may not always be a smooth and simple exchange. Some folks might be demanding. Others may absorb and integrate your effects in ways that are different from your intentions. But I still think it’s worthwhile for you to offer your best efforts. You could be a force for healing and benevolence.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Sometimes when gifts arrive in our lives, they are not recognized as gifts. We may even mistake them for obstacles. In a worst-case scenario, we reject and refuse them. I am keen on helping you avoid this behavior in the coming weeks, Aquarius. In the oracle you’re now reading, I hope to convince you to expand your definition of what gifts look like. I will also ask you to widen the range of where you search for gifts and to enlarge your expectations of what blessings you deserve. Now please meditate on the following riddles: 1. a shadow that reveals the hidden light; 2. a twist that heals; 3. a secret that no longer wants to be secret; 4. a shy ally who will reward your encouragement; 5. a boon that’s barely buried and just needs you to scrape away the deceptive surface.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Lake Baikal in Russia is the world’s deepest, oldest and largest lake by volume. It contains over 22 percent of the fresh surface water on the planet. I propose we make this natural marvel your prime symbol for the next 11 months. At your best, you, too, will be deep, fresh and enduring. And like Lake Baikal, you will be exceptionally clear. (Its underwater visibility reaches 120 feet.) P.S.: Thousands

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RENTALS

APARTMENTS FOR RENT

APARTMENT FOR RENT

Lower level 1 bed 1 bath apartment East of Asheville near Warren Wilson College. Owner shares laundry room. $1050/month, plus $150 for utilities. Includes heat, A/C, and Wi-Fi. 828-545-0043

EMPLOYMENT

GENERAL

CHURCH MUSICIAN St. Luke's Episcopal Church seeks applicants for Parish Musician to begin September 1. Organists and pianists are encouraged to apply. Review the full job description at https://www.stlukesavl. org/staff

FIELD INSTRUCTOR WITH MOMENTUM YOUNG ADULT Momentum is hiring mentors to help facilitate their campus-based adventure therapy program for young adults ages 18-25! Learn more at growatmomentum.com/ employment

UNITED WAY IS HIRING FOR A COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATOR AT ASHEVILLE HIGH/ SILSA If you love building and maintaining relationships, organizing and collaborating with various groups, and know how to “get things done,” we want to hear

from you! Full job description: unitedwayabc.org/ employment-opportunities Deadline to apply is 8/5/24.

UNITED WAY SEEKS A DIRECTOR OF MAJOR GIFTS If you're an effective communicator and relationship builder passionate about equity-centered philanthropy and have a proven track record of driving major gift support for a nonprofit organization, we want to hear from you! View the full job description at unitedwayabc. org/employment-opportunities. Deadline to apply is 8/5/24.

XCHANGE

GENERAL MERCHANDISE

JAMES MARTIN PLATFORM SERIES 36 Beautifully modern, brushed brass bathroom vanity mirror by James Martin designs. New in box. Retails for $750. Two available. $375 each. 954.868.4642

YARD SALES

PALLET CONTENTS SALE 73 Sloan Road Franklin NC. Fri and Sat 8-4, Sun 12-3.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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1 Ponied up

5 Grain husks

10 Elev.

13 Where to find one’s U.C.L., as suggested by its first letter

14 Feeling that can be caused by the final three letters of this answer

15 Afore

16 One who might object to the phrase “around the globe”

18 Judo rank

19 “Obsequy” and “exequy” are fancy terms for these rites

20 Stoops (to)

22 Anger

23 It starts with janeiro

24 Suffix with centior milli-

25 Maker of squishy balls

27 Easy-to-carry weapons

32 ___ Cruces, N.M.

35 Call on the high seas

36 Muffin morsel, maybe

37 State of order that this puzzle fails to achieve?

40 Org. that specifically prohibits bowling pins and pool cues

42 Word with shot or shine

43 It holds a lot back

44 Collection of fine threads

47 Cultivate

51 Sub

52 ___ Lingus

55 One of 17 in Monopoly: Abbr.

56 Oxymoronicsounding pain relief brand

59 Their drawers might contain drawers

61 Net supporter 62 Unlikely sailors 64 Gossip, in slang 65 Wears away

Seasonal vaccine

State that’s nearly 90% forested

Fresh 69 River where Achilles took a dip

1 Bird also called a “sea parrot” 2 Draw 3 More silly 4 Inadvisable time to talk about one’s ex 5 Tennis star Alcaraz 6 Simple shelters

Volcanic debris 8 Social media display 9 Cost to ride 10 Natural property line 11 She might

Philip of “Kung Fu”

Brew that might be “double dryhopped,” for short

Company at the center of the murder in “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”

Candy bar with a toffee center

Proprietor of cheeses and butters

Gorilla gorilla, e.g.

Play-___

Fourth-mostproduced grain worldwide (after corn, wheat and rice) 48 Hardest to find, perhaps

Too

Bygone kingdom of ancient Britain

Weighty birds

Deprive (of)

Flamenco cries

Figure skater Lipinski

59 Takes something as a plus?

60 Head of the Egyptian god Thoth

63 Some survey responses

Photography