OUR 29TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 29 NO. 51 JULY 19-25, 2023
RAIN OR SHINE
Firefly Gathering is the largest earth-skills happening in the country. This year’s event saw plenty of rain, but the weather did not prevent hundreds from taking outdoor classes focused on living in harmony with the earth and its inhabitants.
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CONTENTS FEATURES PAGE 20
COVER PHOTO Grace Sea Murdock COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick 4 LETTERS 4 CARTOON: MOLTON 5 CARTOON: BRENT BROWN 6 COMMENTARY 8 NEWS 12 GREEN ROUNDUP 14 COMMUNITY CALENDAR 18 WELLNESS 20 ARTS & CULTURE 34 CLUBLAND 38 FREEWILL ASTROLOGY 38 CLASSIFIEDS 39 NY TIMES CROSSWORD NEWS 10 SUMMER LEARNING Year-round schools remain rarity in WNC 30 years after they began WELLNESS 18 ASKING THE BIG QUESTIONS Maia Toll’s memoir recaps spiritual journey A&C 26 RHYTHM AND STREET Local buskers reflect on their city beats A&C 32 AROUND TOWN Pink Dog exhibit reflects on pandemic and its aftermath NEWS 8 WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE City tries to learn from holiday outages 26 Glendale Ave • 828.505.1108 regenerationstation.com TheRegenerationStation Open Daily! 10-6pm Best of WNC since 2014! 36,000 SQ. FT. OF ANTIQUES, UNIQUES & REPURPOSED RARITIES! Phil, Mike, and Delilah Junk Recyclers Team www.junkrecyclers.net 828.707.2407 Remove your junk in a green way! call us for all your junk removal needs! Greenest Junk Removal! Asheville’s oldest Junk Removal service, since 2009 Midcentury modern, vintage furniture and home goods
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Asheville’s obelisk, take two
I just read another bunch of letters [July 5, Xpress] discussing some sort of absolution for the destruction of the Vance Monument. I’m glad the conversation is ongoing, as I view the whole debacle as a dismal failure of our leadership’s imagination and governance by turning a lovely piece of civic architecture to rubble because of the nameplate stuck on it.
But the idea that to the original plaque, we should have added another plaque to explain our embarrassment at the name on the first plaque is just goofy, as though Vance and the column were one and the same, that Zeb was somehow inextricably bound with the granite, his sins (wicked and aplenty) intrinsically inseparable from the stone, and all we can think to do is either tear the thing down or dedicate it to our shame and guilt, letting him haunt us forever.
The obelisk wasn’t the problem. Vance was the problem.
The simple fact is that it was only so dedicated because somebody in City Hall signed a proclamation, and a work crew went across the square
and attached said nameplates to the shiny new spire. It would have taken no more effort to repeat the process.
(I’m certainly not saying we should erase Vance and his awful deeds from our memory. But we should
have booted him the hell off our most important civic edifice. An awesome structure like that needs to celebrate and liberate. Not wag a finger at us and trap a despicable old traitor within the rock where he can eternally infect our town square.)
So, dear city leaders, pen the decree, put the obelisk back up and summon the workers to remove the old plaques, grind them to gravel and affix some new ones. It’s not like we don’t have an abundance of deserving candidates: Isaac Dickson, Oscar Wong, Terry Bellamy, Emöke B’Racz, Bascom Lunsford, Floyd McKissick, Warren Haynes, world peace ... there’s a start. I know you can add some more. Pick one. Pick four, one per side. Attach. Then throw a big party on the square, reveal the new honoree(s), and we’ll sing and dance and celebrate our exorcism and reborn civic mojo.
To have destroyed a handsome landmark like ours because of some
foul graffiti on its base is a crime against our blessed city. Asheville is better than that. And we deserve the monument to prove it.
— Mark Wilson Asheville
WNC needs mix of technologies to get connected
For Buncombe County businesses and residents, access to high-speed internet is essential. But estimates show that there are more than 502,000 unserved and underserved locations across North Carolina, including in our area. The good news is that North Carolina will receive the fifth-highest allocation, more than $1.5 billion, from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program to expand broadband internet to areas across the state.
Officials now have important decisions to make about how that funding will be used to ensure all locations get connected to reliable and fast broadband. UScellular was the first wireless carrier to offer service in Western North Carolina and has dedicated the last 40 years to bringing connectivity to those who are topographically, financially and technically most difficult to cover. The most important lesson that we have learned is a mix of technologies is required.
We understand there are parts of North Carolina where fiber will be the right solution, mainly in urban areas, where the infrastructure and terrain make it easy and affordable to install. In many rural areas, 5G FWA (fixed wireless), using cellular technology to provide both home broadband and mobile connectivity, is best because one cell site can serve multiple locations without having to dig up long distances to avoid crop fields or hanging aerial fiber on unevenly spread poles over rocky terrain.
Importantly, these decisions aren’t an either/or between wireline or wireless, fiber or 5G FWA, urban or rural. When considering how to connect Western North Carolina residents, we all must think in terms of “and” instead of “or.” We urge officials to keep open the option to use all available, reliable solutions to get Western North Carolina connected as they take advantage of its allocated BEAD funding.
— Kristen Carter
JULY 19-25, 2023 MOUNTAINX.COM 4
Arden
Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com.
Editor’s note: Kristen Carter is the store manager for UScellular in Asheville.
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CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON
MOUNTAINX.COM JULY 19-25, 2023 5
CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN
The cultural divide
A Jew in Asheville
BY JERRY STERNBERG
There were three distinct cultures in the Asheville I grew up in, and describing the dynamics and relationships among them is difficult. I want to stress, however, that my purpose in writing this is not to be judgmental but to accurately portray the cultural landscape in which I was raised and, really, immersed.
There was the white Christian community, which seemed to have all the power and made the rules. The Black community, a substantial minority, seemed totally marginalized; and then there was the tiny Jewish community which, for some reason, appeared to be much larger and more influential than its actual numbers. In some circles, this caused great resentment and distrust.
In later years I realized that for the Jews, this was not exclusively a local phenomenon: There are glaring historical examples everywhere, from
ancient Babylon and Egypt to Spain and Germany.
STACKED DECK
Thanks to Jim Crow mandates, neighborhoods and schools were segregated. Most white children had little exposure to Black people except for the domestics and yard workers who came to their homes. Because my dad took me to work at his business on Depot Street, I had much more opportunity to interact with Black people than most of my peers.
Almost all of the employees were Black, the grandsons of slaves. Here in the South, they were deliberately kept in an intellectual vacuum, ensuring that they would remain a cheap source of unskilled labor. There was also a fear that educating Blacks might encourage them to demand better treatment and equal justice, which was dismissed as being “uppity.”
Few of them could read and write, and many couldn’t even count their change when they bought a drink or a pack of crackers at the service station on Depot Street. Accordingly, part of my job was to serve as the designated gofer. Quite often they would send me across the street to buy something because they knew I would bring back the correct change.
Some would ask me to read some bill or note they’d received or to write some response, explaining that they didn’t have their glasses with them. They certainly weren’t going to admit to this young boy that they couldn’t read or write.
Apart from a couple of preachers who would come around to ask my dad for help with their respective churches, I remember meeting only one well-educated Black person up until the time I left for college. Uncle Nelson, an older Black gentleman, had apparently moved to Asheville from somewhere up North and, despite his education, hired on as a truck driver for my dad — probably because during the Depression, it was the best-paying job he could get. His impeccable appearance and quietly dignified demeanor commanded the respect of everyone he worked with, Black or white.
My father sometimes took me with him on Sunday afternoons to visit Uncle Nelson, who cut a handsome figure with his shock of white hair and his
Sunday suit and tie. Aunt Bessie, his beautiful silver-haired wife, would graciously serve us sweet tea on the front porch of his small but immaculately kept house, which stood in stark contrast to the many squalid shacks in the area. Ostensibly, my dad went there to talk about the upcoming workweek, but I think the real reason for the visits was that even in the Jim Crow era, this Black man and white man truly enjoyed each other’s company.
THE CASTE SYSTEM
Of course, illiteracy was not confined to the Black population. I went to Navy boot camp in 1951. My fellow recruits were mostly very young men from farm families in Western North Carolina, mill workers from upstate South Carolina and coal miners from West Virginia. Almost all of them had grown up in challenging financial circumstances.
I was appointed the company’s “yeoman,” or secretary, because I was the only college graduate and I had typing experience. My job was to fill out endless forms and reports in our little office. I was constantly surprised to find that after mail call, several members of my company would quietly come to me and ask me to read their letters from home and help them write back. When I asked why some of the letters they brought me were typed instead of handwritten, they said it was common in those communities to have the rural postmaster write letters,
because many residents couldn’t read or write either.
I make this point because Jews have long recognized that knowledge and superior education, combined with a strong work ethic, create a kind of economic and political kryptonite that can neutralize the toxic effects of antisemitism. It’s the reason we’ve survived for over 4,000 years. I have traveled to many places in the world, and I have never met a Jewish person who wasn’t literate and fluent in one or more languages.
One of the most poignant Jewish traditions involves placing a drop of honey on the first page of a child’s first book for them to taste, signifying that learning is sweet. For us Jewish children, studying hard and coming home with top grades was our only option.
GIVING BACK
When I was growing up, Asheville’s Jewish community consisted of about 250 families in a general population of roughly 50,000. Some of those families had arrived here in the late 1800s and established themselves as successful merchants and professionals, overcoming a great deal of discrimination in hiring as well as the reluctance of many locals to patronize Jewish stores and businesses. Walking the streets of downtown Asheville back then, before the mall turned the central business district into a ghost town, it seemed that Jews owned at least 50% of the retail stores.
The Jewish community looked after its own, making every effort to find jobs and financial help for those in need so they wouldn’t be a burden on the general population. And because of their intellectual and cultural background, Jews were also leaders in local arts, drama and music. In addition, many worked as community volunteers and labored tirelessly in the area’s hospitals, particularly during the war years.
Local Jews were prominent in philanthropy as well. The community strongly supported both Jewish and Christian charities, including Black churches. At least five facilities at UNC Asheville are named after Jewish families whose generosity made those buildings possible. In all these ways, Jewish residents showed themselves to be valuable members of the broader Asheville community.
In the next installment in this series, we will examine the Jim Crow laws and Black employment.
Asheville native Jerry Sternberg, a longtime observer of the local scene, can be reached at jvsternberg@gmail. com. X
JULY 19-25, 2023 MOUNTAINX.COM 6
OPINION
JERRY STERNBERG
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“I have never met a Jewish person who wasn’t literate and fluent in one or more languages.”
MOUNTAINX.COM JULY 19-25, 2023 7
Water under the bridge
City tries to learn from holiday outages
BY CHASE DAVIS
cdavis@mountainx.com
While it has been over six months since the winter water outage that affected thousands of Asheville residents, several questions still linger over how such an incident could have occurred and how long the remedy will take. An independent review committee found that inadequate preparation for cold weather and a lack of training in crisis communication were the most critical missteps that amplified the effects of the outage.
The nine-member committee was formed in January to analyze the cause of the outage as well as to look at the city’s communications and emergency response. The committee concluded that the incident was largely preventable, in part because the Water Resources Department didn’t quite understand how the Asheville water system functions as a whole.
OUTAGES SOUTH AND WEST
Temperatures fell far below freezing from Dec. 23-26, a cold snap not seen since January 2014. The cold triggered a series of waterline breaks beginning Dec. 24, eventually leading to 27 breaks, many on larger distribution lines. Meanwhile, customers’ pipes burst on their sides of water meters, and the leaks sent water demand soaring. By Dec. 26, thousands of customers in the southern and western areas of Asheville had no water.
Even before the breaks, water demand was running about 28 million gallons, nearly 25% higher than average, likely because of holiday festivities. The breaks added to that demand, according to Ted Tyree, a water engineer with the Knoxville Utilities Board and a member of the review committee.
The water system’s rated capacity is 43.5 million gallons on paper, but the demand proved to be too much because of missteps both during the crisis and months before. As pipes were bursting throughout the city, the Water Resources Department had to shut down the Mills River plant, one of the system’s three water treatment facilities, on Dec. 24 because monitors detected particulate levels in drinking water that were close to the state’s regulatory limit. Staff members found the cause to be several clogged
chemical lines that purify the water. They also found that components of the filter system responsible for loose particle filtration were frozen and nonfunctioning. According to the report, all of these issues “necessitated time-consuming corrections.”
John Shaw, an engineer with over 25 years of experience in water distribution and a former Asheville resident, gave Xpress his thoughts on how the city handled the crisis.
“Why were those facilities not cold-protected to begin with?” Shaw asks. “There are several things that could have been done, from insulation to increasing the depth of the bury to changing the parent pipe material. This is nothing new and should have been part and parcel of their design.”
CUTTING OFF THE SOUTH
With the Mills River facility down, the water department ramped up the two remaining treatment plants in northeast Buncombe County near Black Mountain. However, they couldn’t keep up with demand and
maintain full pressure and service for the southern and western portions of the system.
On Dec. 26, Water Resources Department leaders decided to isolate most of the southern part of the water system to maintain pressure and service in the remaining portions. That meant even more people lost water service. At a press conference on Jan. 3, Mayor Esther Manheimer said that by cutting off service to the south, the city was able to prevent the whole system from going under a boil advisory.
“At some point, the decision was made to tie off the North Fork (facility) from the south because once Mills River came back online, if you didn’t tie it off, the whole system would have to go under a (boil water) advisory,” Manheimer said. “So, the decision to tie off the south was to basically preserve the rest of the city, so the rest of the city with the hospital system, everything, would not have to go under a boil water advisory.”
On Jan. 5, after being down for four days, the Mills River facility was slowly brought back online.
JULY 19-25, 2023 MOUNTAINX.COM 8
NEWS
Check out Xpress’ monthly gardening feature based on reader questions. Please send all gardening inquiries to gardening@mountainx.com Green thumbs & aspiring gardeners alike!
UNEXPECTED DEMAND: Independent Review Committee member Ted Tyree explains how numerous water breaks increased the demand for water throughout the city. Screen capture courtesy of the city of Asheville
AN ELUSIVE VALVE
Meanwhile, the Candler Knob storage tanks, which are responsible for holding and distributing water to the western portion of the system, were still not refilling as expected.
After several days of trying to find the problem, the water department determined that there must be a valve closed somewhere along the main transmission line that feeds the western storage tanks. After searching for less than an hour, crews found a closed 24-inch valve in the River Arts District on the east side of the French Broad River. The valve was immediately opened, at which time the Candler Knob tanks began to fill much more quickly, which expedited full service.
But staff had known there must have been a closed valve months earlier, according to consultant’s report. After a similar low water pressure incident the summer before, the department hired an environmental engineering consulting firm, Hazen, in January 2022. The only way Hazen could get the modeling to simulate what was occurring with the Candler Knob tanks during periods of high demand was to close a 24-inch valve. Based on that finding, Hazen strongly suspected a closed 24-inch valve existed in the River Arts District just east of the French Broad River. Water department staff members said they looked for a closed valve after Hazen’s report but couldn’t find it.
“Just to be clear, they were already aware of the closed valve,” Shaw said. “They chose to ignore their consultant and not to act.”
WISHFUL COMMUNICATIONS
As staff scrambled to restore water service, the Water Resources Department faced intense pressure from city officials to release a timeline to the public for restored water service. The report stated that “frustration over the inability to both resolve the situation, and properly communicate about it, led to direct pressure by the mayor to provide ‘best case’ information to the public over the significant objections of WRD and CAPE [Communications and Public Engagement] staff.”
Additionally, the report noted that there was “a strong insinuation” from the mayor that the jobs of people objecting to the rosy forecast were on the line. Behind the scenes, the water department had no idea when water would be restored but released a statement anyway that said that the department had the “goal” of renewing water services within 24-48 hours. Staff noted during the review that this was an “exceedingly optimistic goal.”
The committee found the unrealistic promise of service restoration to be the city’s most egregious communications misstep. The strenuous objections from WRD and CAPE staff should have superseded the mayor’s insistence that such a message be released to the public.
Kim “Dirt” Murphy, local farm manager and member of the Independent Review Committee, noted in her presentation to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners on June 20 that she believed that this series of miscommunications was primarily a result of an overall lack of emergency response communication training across the city.
“That is the tragedy in this. I think that if everyone involved, including elected officials, had emergency training, everyone could have stayed in their lanes, and this situation would have never happened, in my opinion,” Murphy said.
Another misstep was issuing an outage map. The city knew that, unlike power outage systems, its meter-reading technology couldn’t provide accurate, real-time outage information.
West Buncombe Fire Chief Dennis Fagnant noted major safety concerns that the lack of an accurate water outage map posed to his department.
“Fire chiefs like myself were using that map to determine what areas in our districts did or did not have water,” Fagnant said. “In this week there were five working fires that West Buncombe responded to, and there is a chance that myself or other fire chiefs would not have been prepared to respond because we didn’t have accurate information as to where we could pull water.”
NO IMMEDIATE FIXES
The committee presented 27 recommendations for the city, including an updated crisis communications plan, creating a Water Utility Advisory Panel and implementing the National Incident Management System. It also recommended that the city reevaluate the overall role of the department’s engineering division and hire a production engineer to oversee the dayto-day operations of the water utility.
City Manager Debra Campbell said the city is committed to making the changes but warned the public not to expect any immediate changes.
“I want to caution the community: It’s not going to happen overnight. There’s a lot in this report. And there’s a lot of budgetary considerations that need to be made,” said Campbell. “But we are committed.”
Campbell didn’t provide any cost estimates for implementing some or all of the recommendations. X
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Summer learning
Year-round schools remain rarity in WNC 30 years after they began
BY JUSTIN M c GUIRE
jmcguire@mountainx.com
In July 1991, educators from Asheville, Haywood County and other districts traveled to Hendersonville on a fact-finding mission. Bruce Drysdale Elementary and Hendersonville Middle had just become the first public schools in Western North Carolina to offer year-round schedules, and the officials wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
Bruce Drysdale Principal Noland Ramsey told the visiting educators about the nascent program and offered a prediction. “We already feel like — for teachers, parents and students — we may reach the day when we have to weigh the advantages of keeping the traditional year program,” he said, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times.
Ramsey’s sentiment was a common one at the time. Many viewed the traditional school calendar, with its 12-week summer break, as a relic of a bygone agrarian era that was out of step with modern life. And education experts believed a so-called yearround schedule — a quarterly system with shorter, periodic vacations and enrichment programs — would help stem learning loss students suffered over the long summer break.
And for a few years, it looked as if year-round school might indeed be the future of education.
Starting in 1993, schools in Asheville, Buncombe County and Haywood County experimented with the concept. Buncombe County tried a flex schedule at Black Mountain Primary and Elementary schools for a few years in the 1990s. Asheville’s Hall Fletcher Elementary operated year-round from 1993-98 and again from 2014-17. Haywood County’s Meadowbrook Elementary School had a year-round schedule for nearly two decades, from 1997 to 2016.
The programs proved popular with many parents, but the districts cited higher costs and logistical difficulties associated with operating two separate schedules as reasons for scrapping them. “Resources can be more efficiently managed when the whole district is on the same calendar,” says Asheville City Schools spokesman Dillon Huffman
And studies are inconclusive if yearround schools boost learning.
“There just hasn’t been any rigorous research that has ever shown that year-round schools are [more] effective or that year-round schools help students have higher achievement scores,” explains Myra Watson, an assistant professor and director of teacher and professional education at Western Carolina University. “I think the whole theory of summer learning loss hasn’t really panned out. It kind of evens out because year-round schools are not extended calendar schools. Kids in year-round schools go to school the same amount of days as kids on a traditional school calendar.”
All schools in North Carolina are required to have at least 185 days of instruction.
So, 32 years after year-round education came to the mountains, the situation is back to where it was in 1991: Two schools in Hendersonville offer optional year-round schedules for about 780 students, while no other districts in Xpress’ coverage area have such programs. And even Bruce Drysdale abandoned the idea for more than a decade before reviving it in 2009.
Watson says a year-round schedule presents challenges for parents with more than one child.
“Typically, they’re elementary schools, and so it’s fine when a family’s first kid goes through,” says Watson, who taught at Meadowbrook Elementary when it was on a yearround schedule. “But then when that first kid goes to middle school or is in high school and you still have elementary-school-aged kids on a schedule that differs from the schedule of the rest of the family, it becomes a child care issue, [and] taking vacations as a family becomes more difficult.”
Middle schools and high schools are less likely to adopt flexible schedules for a variety of reasons, including the difficulty of students participating in sports whose seasons are geared to the state’s traditional calendar. Another problem, Watson says, is that many high schoolers these days take dual enrollment classes at local colleges.
LIFESTYLE CHOICE
Yet year-round school remains a niche option that tends to appeal most to more affluent parents.
Anthony Johnson is principal of Mountain Community School, a
JULY 19-25, 2023 MOUNTAINX.COM 10
NEWS
kindergarten-to-eighth-grade public charter school in Hendersonville that operates on a flex schedule. He thinks the popularity of summer camps is another reason year-round school has proved to be a hard sell to parents in Western North Carolina.
“I’m originally from Florida, and when I moved up here in 2015, I came to learn that the summer camps run the show in the mountains,” he says. “Because they often go so late into the summer, that’s a big reason why a lot of the traditional schools were sticking to their schedules. We do have some issues where a couple of our students start the school year off at summer camp.”
But despite logistical issues, Johnson is a proponent of year-round schooling. He spent more than a decade as an educator at schools running on traditional schedules before taking the Mountain Community job last year. He wasn’t sure what to expect at first, but now he says: “I can’t go back because of how great of a schedule it really is.”
Johnson says a break after nine weeks, when students and teachers are starting to get frazzled, allows everybody time to decompress. That’s not the case under a traditional calendar.
“Everything is just shut down. We’re quiet,” he says. “We’re still reaching out [to students] if we need to, but we’re at least able to breathe that sigh of relief.”
Watson says year-round programs tend to favor privileged parents who can easily provide transportation and arrange child care and have flexible schedules. When she taught at Canton’s Meadowbrook Elementary, which was year-round at the time, she says many of the parents worked blue-collar jobs at the town’s PactivEvergreen paper mill.
“Not everybody has flexibility to take a vacation at the end of September,” she points out. “Some people get one week of vacation a year or maybe no paid vacation at all.”
Watson likens year-round programs to charter schools, which she says similarly tend to benefit more affluent parents.
“It can be a great option for some people, but for a lot of people, it just doesn’t meet the needs of a truly free and public education that’s accessible to everyone,” she says.
MINDING THE GAP
Last week, 449 students returned to Bruce Drysdale, and 332 returned to Hendersonville Elementary to begin the 2023-24 school year. Bruce Drysdale serves students who live in the school’s downtown Hendersonville district but also operates a lottery-based Spanish dual
language program that is open to students from throughout the county.
Hendersonville Elementary, which has a STEM focus, is open to students living anywhere in the county. Parents must enter a lottery for a chance to enroll their children.
At both K-5 schools, transportation is provided only to students living in the Bruce Drysdale Elementary school district.
Shannon Marlowe, Henderson County’s assistant superintendent for instructional services, agrees with Watson that research about summer learning loss is not conclusive and can be contradictory. Still, she sees definite benefits to year-round learning.
“The ’summer slide’ can be observed by classroom teachers when [students] return to school and are reintroduced to learning prac-
tices and routines,” she says. “The learning may not actually be gone, but the less time students are out of their learning routines, the less time it takes to get back in the swing of things and to recall past learning.”
That sentiment is echoed by many parents and teachers at the two schools, which operate on a nine-week quarter system with breaks of about three weeks in between. And they say the schedule has other advantages.
“As a parent, I loved that my kids were at school learning pretty much all year with a short summer break to keep them engaged and not losing the information and knowledge they gained throughout the school year,” says Kim Wood, who had three children go through Hendersonville Elementary. “Also, with a shorter summer break, there is less time for them to become bored. You are not having to find camps [and] child care to keep them entertained.”
Shianne Bryan, who has a son at Hendersonville Elementary and a daughter entering Hendersonville High, says the shorter summer break can make vacation plans difficult. “But I feel like education is much more important than stuff like that. My youngest has a little bit more time to get back into school and get back into the groove of things without losing as much information.”
Susan Newman taught at both schools, and her daughter attended Bruce Drysdale.
“It stinks going back to school in July when everybody else is off,” she admits. “That part really was bad. But you go for nine weeks, and then you’re out in September for three weeks, and that’s an awesome time to be off. As a parent and a teacher, I loved that.”
Richard Cagle, a Bruce Drysdale teacher with two kids at the school, has similar thoughts.
“I can go on vacation when everybody else is in school, and there’s not all these crowds at Disney or Dollywood or wherever we’re going,” he says. “I can go in the middle of September.”
The schedule does have some drawbacks, particularly in the dead of summer, teachers and parents say.
“It was an adjustment when my kids returned from break in July,” Wood says. “Most of our neighbors go to a different school, so the struggle was with going back to an early bedtime and allowing time after school for any homework when the neighbors had more freedom.”
And Cagle says the weather in late July and early August can be a challenge, even in air-conditioned schools. “The only disadvantage is when it’s superhot. Fortunately, I’m in a portable unit, and I can control the air in my
X
MOUNTAINX.COM JULY 19-25, 2023 11
room.”
SUMMER SCHOOL: Bruce Drysdale Elementary is one of two Henderson County schools that operate on a year-round schedule. Photo courtesy of Henderson County Public Schools
BACK TO SCHOOL: Hendersonville’s Mountain Community School began operating as a K-8 public charter school in 1999. Photo courtesy of Mountain Community School
Ecusta Trail gains $46M in federal support
Two sizable grants from the U.S. government, announced within two weeks of each other, are set to make the Ecusta Trail a reality. The roughly 19-mile greenway along an unused rail line between Brevard and Hendersonville, first proposed in 2009, received about $46 million toward its estimated $53.5 million construction cost.
The first award, announced June 22, allocated about $24.6 million from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity Program. The second, awarded July 6, brings $21.4 million from the Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects Program. Both initiatives had been expanded as part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. “It is a true testament to the shared vision and commitment of all our partners that we received both grants,” said Brevard Mayor Maureen Copelof in a city press release about the grants. “I
look forward to moving ahead expeditiously to turn what has been the dream of this trail into the reality of a world-class regional trail system.”
The remainder of the Ecusta Trail’s costs will be covered by the N.C. Department of Transportation, the nonprofits Conserving Carolina and Friends of the Ecusta Trail, the Henderson and Transylvania county tourism boards and local municipalities. Construction is expected to begin this summer and conclude by 2028.
Local documentary
The epic sweep of Western North Carolina’s federal lands — over 1 million acres throughout Pisgah and Nantahala national forests — receives cinematic treatment in a new documentary by Asheville-based filmmaker Garrett Martin. The River Runs
On, which makes its local premiere at New Belgium Brewing Co. at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 20, explores questions about managing the land in light of the recently adopted Nantahala and Pisgah Forest Plan.
“It was the perfect opportunity to reflect on our relationship to nature and to use the plan as a meditation on our role as humans in the natural world,” says Martin in his director’s statement. “The film is a reflection of my love for this region of the world and a vision for how we can view our place within it.”
Local figures included in the documentary include Josh Kelly, public lands biologist with MountainTrue; Jennifer Pharr Davis, founder of Blue Ridge Hiking Co.; and Tommy Cabe, tribal forest resource specialist for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Several of those featured will hold a Q&A session for viewers after the July 20 screening.
Tickets and more information are available at avl.mx/ctw. Additional screenings are scheduled for Friday, Aug. 4, at Western Carolina University’s Highlands Biological Station, and Thursday, Sept. 28, at UNC Asheville; the film will be available for at-home screening on most major platforms by late September.
Seeking input
• The U.S. Forest Service has proposed new fees for mountain bikers and equestrians to help fund trail maintenance throughout WNC. A proposed fee of $5 per rider, or an annual pass of $30, would apply to the Jackrabbit Mountain Bike Trails near Haysville and many trails in the Pisgah Ranger District. Comment on the fees can be submitted through Tuesday, Aug. 22, online at avl.mx/ctz, by email at
JULY 19-25, 2023 MOUNTAINX.COM 12
NEWS GREEN ROUNDUP
SECURED LINK: Backers of the Ecusta Trail received about $46 million in federal support for the greenway that will eventually connect Brevard with Hendersonville along an unused rail line. Graphic courtesy of the city of Brevard
SM.FS.NFsNCFees@USDA.gov or by phone at 828-257-4256.
• Buncombe County is asking for guidance on “passive recreation lands,” or parks that feature low-impact activities such as hiking and natural playgrounds. The county hopes to fund such projects through the $30 million in open space bonds approved by voters last year. More information and an online survey are available at avl.mx/cu3.
• The city of Hendersonville is developing its first sustainability strategic plan. The document will shape the city’s approach to sustainability in the areas of energy, transportation, waste, land management and water, as well as offer recommendations for residents and businesses. More information is available at avl.mx/cu0; residents can weigh in by contacting Caitlyn Gendusa, the city’s public works superintendent for sustainability, at CGendusa@ hvlnc.gov or 828-697-7074.
Happy trails
• Hikers and mountain bikers can explore over 3 miles of new trail in Pisgah National Forest outside Old Fort thanks to the Catawba Vale Collaborative. The Bernard Mountain Trail, located near the popular Kitsuma Trail, features roughly 1,000 feet of elevation change, along with technical features and advanced sections for bikers. More information is available at avl.mx/ctr.
• Get Outside WNC, an initiative founded by West Henderson High School student Jenna Watson, is leading guided group hikes to raise funds for Brevard-based environmental education nonprofit Muddy Sneaker. The next two outings visit Triple and High Falls on Sunday, July 23, and Looking Glass Rock on Sunday, Aug. 6, both at 2 p.m. Tickets and more information are available at avl.mx/cty.
• The Blue Ridge Parkway removed the wreckage of a small plane that crashed near Waterrock Knob in 1983. In a press release announcing the move, parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout acknowledged that the wreck site had been popular among hikers. However, she said safety and conservation concerns had led the parkway to airlift the debris by helicopter.
Save the date
• The N.C. Arboretum welcomes James T. Costa, author and executive director of the Highlands Biological Station, at 6 p.m. Friday, July 21. Costa will discuss his latest book, Radical by Nature, which explores the life of Victorian naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace Registration and more information are available at avl.mx/ctu.
• The Creation Care Alliance holds a free guided excursion into Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 5. Participants will learn about the value of old-growth forests while taking time for prayer and spiritual practice. Registration and more information are available at avl.mx/cui.
• A ban on camping and fires at Max Patch, a popular grassy bald along the Appalachian Trail in Madison County, has been extended through June 2026. The measures, instituted in 2021, were set to expire this year. But according to an alert from the U.S. Forest Service, they were kept in place “to continue the great restoration work” at the site.
Community kudos
• Asheville-based nonprofit EcoForesters was named 2023’s Conservation Organization of the Year by the N.C. Wildlife Federation in honor of its forest stewardship efforts. Brandon Jones, who operates the Fontana Marina on Fontana Lake, was also named the organization’s Public Lands Conservationist of the Year for leading trash cleanup efforts in the area. Both local winners will be honored at the NCWF’s awards banquet in Cary on Saturday, Sept. 9.
• UNC Asheville has approved a Climate Action Plan that outlines paths for the school to achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. Developed with substantial input from students in UNCA’s Communicating Climate Change course, the plan includes steps such as on-campus composting and the installation of green roofs. The complete document is available at avl.mx/cu1.
• Several Asheville neighborhoods received support for environmen-
tal projects as part of the city’s Neighborhood Matching Grants program. Awards include $5,000 to Malvern Hills to improve the Hominy Creek Greenway, $5,000 to Haw Creek for a trailhead kiosk at Masters Park, and $4,250 to Kenilworth Forest for park improvements and pollinator-friendly plantings. The next round of grant applications opens in February, with more information available at avl.mx/ctt.
• The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy announced the protection of 64 acres on Twelve O’Clock Top, a mountain near Dutch Cove in Haywood County. The land sits on a wildlife corridor near the future Pisgah View State Park and will protect roughly a half-mile of stream.
• Carolina Flower, a 5-acre farm and florist in Walnut, opens for self-guided tours Aug. 5. The event is timed with the blooming of over 2,000 dahlias on the farm and a studio sale at the farm’s Marshall storefront. Tickets and more information are available at avl.mx/ctx.
• The Organic Growers School celebrates its 30th anniversary with the Sow & Grow Fest on Saturday, Sept. 30. The free event, taking place at the Smoky Park Supper Club from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., will feature a seed and plant share, family activities and other happenings in honor of the Asheville-based education nonprofit. More information is available at avl.mx/cu2.
— Daniel Walton X
MOUNTAINX.COM JULY 19-25, 2023 13
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SHOT FROM THE HEART: Asheville-based filmmaker Garrett Martin says his new documentary, The River Runs On, reflects his love and concern for Western North Carolina’s forests. Photo courtesy of Martin
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
JULY 19 - JULY 27, 2023
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 25
More info, page 30
More info, page 32-33
WELLNESS
Narcotics Anonymous
Meetings
Visit wncna.org/ basic-meeting for dates, times and locations.
Tai Chi for Balance
A gentle Tai Chi exercise class to help improve balance, mobility, and quality of life. All ages are welcome.
WE (7/19, 26), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Free Zumba Gold Fitness program that involves cardio and Latin-inspired dance. Free, but donations for the instructor are appreciated. For more information please call (828) 350-2058.
WE (7/19, 26), noon, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave
Tai Chi Fan
This class helps build balance and whole body awareness. All ages and ability levels welcome. Fans will be provided.
WE (7/19), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Tai Chi for Beginners
A great class for anyone interested in Tai Chi and building balance as well as body awareness.
TH (7/20, 27), MO (7/24), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Dharma & Discuss
People coming together in friendship to meditate, learn and discuss the Dharma. Beginners and experienced practitioners are welcome.
TH (7/20, 27), 7pm, Swannanoa Valley Friends Meetinghouse, 137 Center Ave, Black Mountain
Qigong for Health
Qigong is a part of traditional Chinese medicine that involves using exercises to optimize energy within the body, mind and spirit.
FR (7/21), 9am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Free Yoga
Free yoga session outdoors.
FR (7/21), 5pm, Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Ave
Yoga at the Rooftop Terrace: Creative Flow Series
A unique creative flow experience that combines the beauty of art with the power of mindful movement. All levels are welcome. Please bring your own mat.
SA (7/22), 9:30am, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Goat Yoga on the Farm
Move through your sun salutation in a wide open field as baby goats frolic nearby. Registration required.
SA (7/22), 10am, Round Mountain Creamery, 2203 Old Fort Rd, Black Mountain
Therapeutic Slow Flow Yoga
A blend of mediation, breathing and movement. All bodies, genders, and identities welcome. Bring your own mat.
SA (7/22), 10am, Mount Inspiration Apparel, 444 Haywood Rd, Ste 103
Yoga in the Park
Each class is unique, intertwining movement and breath, with a different focus of strength and release. All levels welcomed, but bring your own props and mat. Pre-register at avl.mx/9n6
SA (7/22), SU (7/23) 11am, 220 Amboy Rd
Magnetic Minds:
Depression & Bipolar
Support Group
Free weekly peer-led meeting for those living with depression, bipolar, and related mental health challenges. Email depressionbipolarasheville@gmail.com or call or text (828) 367-7660 for more info.
SA (7/22), 2pm, 1316
Ste C Parkwood Rd
Goat Yoga
A relaxing evening of yoga with lots of lovable baby goats. Everyone is welcome, no experience needed, suitable for all ages.
SA (7/22), 6pm, Ginger's Revenge Craft Brewery & Tasting Room, 829 Riverside Dr Wild Souls Authentic Movement Class
A conscious movement experience in a 100year old building with a community of women at all life stages.
SU (7/23), 9:30am, Dunn's Rock Community Center, 461 Connestee Rd, Brevard
Walking Meditation
A short walk with meditation instructions to reduce stress, anxiety and increase health and balance. Afterwards, there will be tea and snacks.
SU (7/23), 10am, Lake Tomahawk Park, 401 S Laurel Circle Dr Black Mountain
Summer Bend & Brew
An all-levels yoga experience with instructor Claudia Santos Strauss. No experience necessary, but bring your own mat.
SU (7/23), 10:30am, Hillman Beer, 78 Catawba Ave, Old Fort
Summer Flow w/Jamie
This class is designed to cool the body during the summer months. Expect a slow flow with long cool downs. Class is held outside. Bring a mat.
SU (7/23), 10:30am, One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd
Gentle Yoga for Queer & GNC Folks
This class is centered towards creating an affirming and inclusive space for queer and gender non-conforming individuals.
SU (7/23), 1:30pm, West Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd
Yoga in The Solarium
Flow through gentle Vinyasa and center yourself to the effects of sound bathing.
All experience levels welcome.
SU (7/23), 6pm, The Restoration Hotel Asheville, 68 Patton Ave
Metta & Meditation
In-person guided meditation focused on benevolence & loving kindness.This event is free to attend and open to beginners as well as experienced practioners.
MO (7/24), 7pm, Black Mountain Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain Zumba Mask and social distancing required. Registration not necessary. Por Favor usa tu cubre bocas antes de la clase.
TU (7/25), 6:30pm, St. James Episcopal Church, 424 W State St, Black Mountain
ART
Bailey Mountain Art Show
This show is a celebration and benefit of Bailey Mountain Preserve by local artists and community. Gallery open Monday through Friday, 10am, closed on Tuesday. Exhibition through Aug. 18. Mars Hill University, Weizenblatt Gallery, 79 Cascade St, Mars Hill Jacqueline Shatz & Margaret Thompson: Eidolon Features Jacqueline Shatz’s small sculptures of ambiguous and hybridized figures as well as Margaret Thompson’s paintings which are inspired by elements of the symbolist movement and magical realism. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 10am, and Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through July 23. Tyger Tyger Gallery, 191 Lyman St, Ste 144
Wildflower Drawing
Stephanie will guide you through step-by-step drawing and coloring techniques. There will be a handout of photographs of the flower to use as visual references. Each flower will be observed closely to learn more about their parts and unique characteristics.
WE (7/19), 10am, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain
Altruistic Genius: Buckminster Fuller’s Plans to Save the Planet
This exhibition brings the inventions and designs of R. Buckminster Fuller to Western North Carolina and introduces visitors to Fuller’s strategies for the sustainability of humans and the planet relating to housing, transportation, mathematics, and engineering. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through August 21.
Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Black Mountain College & Mexico Exhibition
The exhibition includes original visual works and sound installations by prominent contemporary Mexican artists alongside vintage works by BMC artists and relevant archival materials. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 11am, closed Sunday. Exhibition through September 9. Black Mountain College
Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St
Arts-N-Scraps
Bring your creativity and interest in craft. All the supplies will be provided for you.
TH (7/20), 5pm, The Burger Bar, 1 Craven St
Public Tour: Intersections in American Art Museum educators lead a tour of Intersections
Rachel Meginnes: Snapshot Opening Reception
A collection of deconstructed quilts and discarded textiles woven on a digital loom, utilizing images sourced from Rachel Meginnes’ surrounding environment.
FR (7/21), 6pm, Tracey Morgan Gallery, 188 Coxe Ave
Geometry of Nature
This show brings together 18 glass artists to create representations of the geometry of nature and its symmetry that both thrill and mystify artists, scientists, and laymen alike.
FR (7/21), SA (7/22), SU (7/23), 10am, North Carolina Glass Center, 140 Roberts St, Ste B
Monoprinting: Each Print is Unique
Friday, 10am. Exhibition through July 26.
Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain
Transient Bodies
This exhibition will expound upon the fragmented, damaged, and repaired body to demonstrate ideas of transience and resilience despite limitations, pain and trauma. Gallery open Monday through Friday, 9 am. Exhibition through August 30. Revolve, 821 Riverside Dr, Ste 179
Daily Craft Demonstrations
in American Art No reservations are required. The exhibition focuses on key aspects and strengths of the Museum’s holdings and provides a narrative framework within which visitors can interact with and experience works of art.
TH (7/20), 6pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Pulp Potential: Works in Handmade Paper
The works in this exhibition reveal the breadth of possibilities and unique qualities that exist when artists choose to employ and even create handmade paper. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed on Tuesday. Exhibition through July 14.
Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Opening Reception: No
Boundaries
A reception to celebrate the opening of the new August exhibit, No
Boundaries, Watercolors
Beyond the Lines. Experience the show, meet the artists and enjoy some light refreshments. This event is free and open to the public.
FR (7/21), 5pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain
The Art of Homage: New Works by Philip DeAngelo
Opening reception for Philip DeAngelo’s new work, The Art of Homage. The concept of homage is, in a sense, about connection to one's influences, inspirations, and experiences, and may reach back beyond one's lifetime, or overlap with contemporaries. Free and open to the public with light refreshments.
See p33 FR (7/21), 5pm, Philip DeAngelo Studio, 115 Roberts St
An introduction to creating monoprints. In this class, we will use printmaking tools to produce personal works of art. Each class is centered around a different monoprinting approach: gel plates, linocuts, and paper cut-outs. SA (7/22), 10am, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain
Rachel Meginnes: Snapshot Exhibition
A collection of deconstructed quilts and discarded textiles woven on a digital loom, utilizing images sourced from Rachel Meginnes’ surrounding environment. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through September 9.
Tracey Morgan Gallery, 188 Coxe Ave
Public Tour: The Art of Food Museum educators lead a tour of The Art of Food: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. This exhibition explores the many identities of food in daily life: whether a source of pleasure, a reason for gathering, a mass-produced commodity, or a reflection of social ideologies and divisions. No reservations are required.
SU (7/23), 2pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Art class w/Erika Busse
Erika Busse leads a class that will teach how to create unique monotype style prints using leaves and flowers. No art experience needed. All materials provided.
SU (7/23), 4pm, Ginger's Revenge Craft Brewery & Tasting Room, 829 Riverside Dr
Art from the Garden Exhibit
View the works created during the Garden Tour and mingle with the artists during the last leg of Art in Bloom's festivities. Gallery open Monday through
Two artists of different media will explain and demonstrate their craft with informative materials displayed at their booths, daily. These free and educational opportunities are open to the public. Daily, 10am.
Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Pkwy
The Art of Food: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation
This exhibition explores the many identities of food in daily life: whether a source of pleasure, a reason for gathering, a mass-produced commodity, or a reflection of social ideologies and divisions. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed on Tuesday. Exhibition through Oct. 22. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Rare Editions Exhibition: The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss
Visitors may explore and acquire works from Dr. Seuss’s best-known children’s books, as well as those from a mind-expanding collection based on decades of his private artwork, which Dr Seuss created at night for his own personal pleasure. For more details about the exhibit and art, please visit avl.mx/cup. See p33 TH (7/27), 10am, BlackBird Frame & Art, 365 Merrimon Ave
COMMUNITY MUSIC
Free Sound: Country Westerns & Gentleman Jesse
A collaborative concert series from Burial and Static Age Records, bringing inspiring live music to the Collier stage throughout the summer. This week features alternative country-rock acts. WE (7/19), 5pm, Burial Beer Co., 40 Collier Ave
The Songwriter Sessions w/Christina Chandler, Kristian Phillip Valentino & Charlie Wilkinson
An evening of original songs with local musicians Christina Chandler, Kristian Phillip Valentino and
JULY 19-25, 2023 MOUNTAINX.COM 14
NEW ORLEANS FUNK: Downtown After 5 returns this week with New Orleans funk group The Rumble, featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr., on Friday, July 21. This free monthly music series takes place 5-9 p.m. on North Lexington Avenue downtown. Photo by Katherine “Sunshine“ Johnson
Charlie Wilkinson.
WE (7/19), 7pm, The Brandy Bar, 504 7th Ave E, Hendersonville
Tina Malia
A prolific singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and sound engineer.
WE (7/19), 7:30pm, AyurPrana Listening Room, 312 Haywood Rd
Pritchard Park Songwriter Series
Each week will feature two songwriters from the community playing songs about life in the 21st century.
TH (7/20,27), 5:45pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St
Jazz Jam
An open jam session. Drop-ins are welcome so bring your instruments.
TH (7/20, 27), 7pm,
LEAF Global Arts, 19 Eagle St
Bloom Flower Farm Summer Concert Series
w/Craig Carothers
A summer concert series with songwriter and singer Craig Carothers from Nashville, TN. His music is blends a mixture of folk, rock, pop, jazz and more.
FR (7/21), 6pm, Bloom
WNC Flower Farm, 806 North Fork Rd, Black Mountain
Summer Music Series
w/Josh Rivera
FR (7/21), 6pm, Oak and Grist Distilling Company, 1556 Grovestone Rd, Black Mountain
Concert Series on the Creek: Dashboard Blue Free concert series for the community with classic beach pop and rock band Dashboard Blue providing the good times this week. These events are free with donations encouraged. Everyone is welcome.
There will be food trucks available on most nights.
FR (7/21), 7pm, Bridge Park Gazebo, 76 Railroad Ave, Sylva
Eliza Edens, Natalie Jane Hill & Hayes
Peebles
An evening of music with experimental folk-rock artist Eliza Edens, folk singer and songwriter Natalie Jane Hilland and Hayes Peebles.
FR (7/21), 7:30pm, Story
Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd
Girls Rock Asheville
Camp Showcase
A youth-centered intersectional organization dedicated to empowering girls, trans, and nonbinary youth across the gender spectrum through music collaboration and social justice education. 6 youth bands will be performing their brand new, original songs on stage for the first time.
SA (7/22), 5:30pm, Different Wrld, 701 Haywood Rd, Ste 101
WNC/Appalachian
Music Series Presents: A Honky Tonk Family Social
Put on your dancing
shoes or cowboy boots as Hearts Gone South performs live at the library. Free to attend. Beverages and light snacks will be provided.
SA (7/22), 4pm, Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Rd, Candler
The Catalinas
Even though they are most known for beach music, The Catalinas play a variety of music that suit all ages.
SA (7/22), 6pm, Point Lookout Vineyards, 408 Appleola Rd, Hendersonville Chamber Music Society of the Carolinas
In a series of twelve concerts during the month of July, CMS Carolinas is pleased to share exceptional classical music performances with a wide audience. Each week will feature different talented musicians.
SA (7/22), 7:30pm, Kittredge Theatre, Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Rd, Swannanoa
Mark's House Jam & Beggar's Banquet
Weekly Sunday pot luck and musician's jam with acoustic and plug in players. It's a family friendly community day so bring a dish to share.
SU (7/23), 3pm, Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr
Sirens of Hominy Series
A collaborative in-the-round, featuring a different set of Asheville songstresses every week. Hosted by CaroMia, genres ranging from soul, R&B, pop, jazz, to country.
TU (7/25), 6pm, FBO Hominy Creek, 230 Hominy Creek Rd
Outdoor Jazz Concert Series
A live jazz series featuring host, pianist, and composer, Michael Jefry Stevens. Musical guests will be accompanying Michael for an hour of live jazz outside on the side of the library. This program is free to attend and no registration is required.
TH (7/27), 6pm, Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Rd, Candler
LITERARY
Reading & Book
Signing w/Traci Sorell
A reading and book signing in the Museum
Store with Cherokee Nation citizen Traci Sorell. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is not required.
WE (7/19), 3pm, Museum of the Cherokee Indian, 589 Tsali Blvd, Cherokee
Joke Writing Workshop
Hosted by Disclaimer
Stand Up Lounge and moderated by Cody
Hughes, weekly. Bring 90 seconds of material that isn’t working.
WE (7/19, 26), 6:30pm, Asheville Music Hall, 31 Patton Ave
Swannanoa Valley Book Club: Escaping
Yesterday: Book One in Freedom’s Edge Trilogy Book club discussion of Escaping Yesterday: Book One in Freedom’s Edge Trilogy followed by an author presentation with Jill LaForge Jones.
TH (7/20), 10am, Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain
Lorna Goodison & Amy E. Elkins in Conversation
A lecture, poetry reading, and conversation with Lorna Goodison and Amy E. Elkins.
TH (7/20), 7pm, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St
Poetry Open Mic
Hendo
A poetry-centered open mic that welcomes all kinds of performers every Thursday night.
18+
TH (7/20, 27), 7:30pm, Shakedown Lounge, 706 Seventh Ave E, Hendersonville
Book Release
Celebration: Biltmore Industries & Tyron
Toy-Makers
A book release celebration for local author and historian Bruce E. Johnson, recipient of the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. Johnson’s new book, Biltmore Industries & Tryon Toy-Makers, is about the lives and works of Eleanor Vance and Charlotte Yale. See p25 SA (7/22), 1pm, Biltmore Industries Homespun Museum, 111 Grovewood Rd
Asheville Storyslam: Sweat
The Moth resumes their recurring monthly Asheville StorySLAM with this months theme, sweat. Prepare a
five-minute story about perspiration. For example, realizing you forgot to wear deodorant to the job interview.
MO (7/24), 7:30pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave
Teen Poetry Writing & Slam
Explore styles, work with prompts, flex your voice and share your prose. Unique lesson plans every Tuesday.
TU (7/25), 2pm, The Elephant Door, 126 Swannanoa River Rd
Poet Philip Shabazz
An evening of poetry readings with guest artist, Philip Shabazz, teaching artist and author of three poetry collections. Free and open to the public.
WE (7/26), 6pm, Bosu's Wine Shop, 138 Miller St, Waynesville Black Experience Book Club: Sister Outsider
The Black Experience Book Club reads books by Black authors about the many facets of the Black experience. This month’s pick is, Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde.
TH (7/27), 6:30pm, Noir Collective, 39 S Market St
THEATER & FILM
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella
This fresh and humorous musical version of the tale introduces new characters, even a sympathetic stepsister, additional Rodgers and Hammerstein songs and surprising magical elements.
TH (7/20, 27), FR (7/21), SA (7/22), 7:30pm, SU (7/23), 2pm, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville
Some Notes on Dating During Outbreak
After being quarantined to an empty dining room in a fancy restaurant, two strangers must decide whether to fight for their lives or simply enjoy the last night they may ever
have on earth.
TH (7/20, 27), FR (7/21), SA (7/22), 7:30pm, BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce St
Rock of Ages
This musical tells the story of a small-town girl, a city boy, and a rock‘n’roll romance on the Sunset Strip. This jukebox musical features all of your favorite ‘80s rock anthems and power ballads from bands including Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and more.
FR (7/21), SA (7/22)
7:30pm, SU (7/23), 3pm, Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S Washington St, Hendersonville
Everything is Rosie: A Tribute to Rosemary Clooney
This show features Wendy Jones and tells the story of Rosemary Clooney’s rise to top of the Billboard charts in the 50’s, her success in Hollywwod films, her mental breakdown and her return to the top of the jazz charts. SA (7/22), 8pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
Twelfth Night
A beloved Shakespearean masterpiece that combines mistaken identities, hilarious pranks and a touch of romance.
FR (7/21), SA (7/22), 7:30pm, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St
Fast & Loose: Femme/ Queer Comedy Workshop
A one day workshop led by Erin Terry, Marlene Thompson and Kelsey Rosen. Open to all femme and non-binary identifying people and all comedy levels. Ages 18+ SU (7/23), 1:30pm Catawba Brewing Co. South Slope Asheville, 32 Banks Ave
Tales of the MOB (Mothers of the Brides) Experience a troupe of local actors performing a montage of hysterically funny and endearing
tales from mothers of the brides as they bring to life the many notable moments in anticipation of the “big day”. SU (7/23), 2pm, Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lakeshore Dr, Weaverville Revolve Screens: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
A film screening of All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, an epic, emotional and interconnected story about internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin. Popcorn and drinks included with ticket cost, but you're welcome to bring your own snacks, beverages and pillows.
TH (7/27), 7:30pm, Revolve, 821 Riverside Dr, Ste 179
MEETINGS & PROGRAMS
Bikes ‘N Brews
A weekly group ride that takes in the views of Black Mountain and Old Fort and concludes at the WNC Outdoor Collective with your favorite beer or kombucha. WE (7/19, 26), 5:30pm, WNC Outdoor Collective, 110 Black Mountain Ave, Black Mountain
Competitive Duplicate Bridge Check bridgeweb.com/ avl for dates, times and special announcements. All are welcome.
WE (7/19, 26), FR (7/21), MO (7/24), noon, Congregation Beth Israel, 229 Murdock Ave
Free E-Bike Rental
A free one hour bike adventure to experience Asheville’s historic River Arts District, French Broad River Greenway, local breweries, restaurants and more.
WE (7/19, 26), 10am, Ace Bikes, 342 Depot St
Pritchard Park Series: Summer of Science
Southeasternpermaculture.org
MOUNTAINX.COM JULY 19-25, 2023 15
AUGUST 11TH - 13TH CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, TOE TALKS, FOOD AND CAMPING OPTIONS, FREE MARKET WITH BARTER AND TRADE PROGRAMS FOR KIDS
registar.sepg@gmail.com
HIGHLAND LAKE COVE
Explore hands on activities and experiments while we learn about the Science of Bubbles or the Science of Sound. Every other week we will play and learn together using a variety of tools, instruments, and toys.
WE (7/19, 26), 5:30pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St Workshop for Job
Seekers: Your Combination for Successful Employment
This free workshop will walk you through proven exercises so you can leave with a map to guide you to your successful employment.
WE (7/19), 7pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Farm to Fabric Summer Camp
Local Cloth's initiative to reach out to the youth in the area to spread the love of the arts is highlighted with the debut of this summer camp. Six fiber arts skills will be offered to learn in our Farm to Fabric class series. Pick your favorite classes or sign up for the whole series.
TH (7/20), TU (7/25),
WE (7/26), 9am, Local Cloth, 408 Depot St, Ste 100
Spanish Club
Spanish speakers of all ages and levels are welcome to join together for conversation to practice the language in a group setting.
WE (7/19, 26), 6pm, Black Mountain Brewing, 131 NC-9, Black Mountain
Butts & Boots: Line Dancing
Beginner line dance and two-step lessons, every Thursday. No partner or experience needed.
TH (7/20, 27), 6pm, Banks Ave., 32 Banks Ave
Kingfisher Summer Mountain Bike Race Series
A 6-week Summer Mountain Bike Race Series for fun and fitness. Bring your own bike and helmet.
50% of all Race Entry
Fee proceeds will be donated to IC Imagine to maintain their new Kingfisher Cross-country XC Trail.
TH (7/20, 27), 4pm, IC Imagine K-12 Public Charter School, 110 Champion Way
Planting Success: Trees & Shrubs
Horticulture Specialist and Associate Professor
Barbara Fair demonstrates proper planting techniques for trees and shrubs and how to recognize problems that may develop years later when trees are not planted correctly. Free presentation, but register at avl.mx/cuu
TH (7/20), 10am, Online Craft Archive Fellowship Virtual Program
This online program showcases the recently published research of the inaugural Craft Archive Fellows in Hyperallergic. Free and open to the public. Register at avl.mx/cts
TH (7/20), 1pm
Incredible Insects
Learn all about the many different insects that call WNC their home. This program is free but registration is required. Please stop by the Weaverville Library or call 250-6482 to reserve your space.
TH (7/20), 4pm, Weaverville Public Library, 41 N Main St, Weaverville
Kids & Teens Kung Fu
A class designed to teach high level Kung Fu with Sifu Aaron. 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 (7/20, 27), MO (7/24), TU (7/25), 4pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
InvestHER Asheville Chapter Kickoff Event
A community of like-minded women who believe in the power of real estate and upleveling your life and business. This group will be focused on education, action, and accountability.
TH (7/20), 5pm, Harmony AVL Media, 936 Tunnel Rd
Story/Arts Residency: The Memory Quilt Project (Sound)
This second iteration is an evening of art and stories inspired by the sense memories of sound. Participants are encouraged to contribute their own stories, memories, and sensory items to enrich the fabric of this community quilt-making project.
TH (7/20), 6:30pm, Story Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd
Swing Dance Lesson & Dance
Swing dancing lesson and dance, every
Thursday.
TH (7/20, 27), 7pm, Alley Cat Social Club, 797 Haywood Rd
Foot Walking Tours
Experience Asheville like an insider on this 2-hour walking tour. Explore the city’s rich history, stunning architecture, unique culture, and hidden gems only accessible by foot. For tickets, call (828) 337.3196.
FR (7/21), 10am, The Restoration Hotel
Asheville, 68 Patton Ave
Montford Gaming Night
A fun filled video game night perfect for ages 12 to 15. Free, but advance registration required since space is limited. Snacks and drinks provided.
FR (7/21), 6:30pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave
Electric Vehicles Workshop
An information-rich and adrenaline-infused transportation experience with experts to answer questions. This is a great opportunity to ask EV owners the pros and cons of their vehicles and to experience the instant torque and acceleration of EVs in the ride along portion. Free and open to the public.
SA (7/22), 9:30am, Waynesville First United Methodist Church, 566 S Haywood St, Waynesville
Life Stories from Old Flat Rock
Discover “Little Charleston” in the mountains and explore the lives and challenges of the men and women who helped to create the town with historian Alexia Jones Helsley. Free to attend, but registration is required. Register at avl.mx/cut
SA (7/22), 2pm, Online
Swannanoa Anime Club
The anime club discusses manga, create crafts and even try some fun snacks. For more information contact olivia.muse@ buncombecounty.org. SA (7/22), 2pm, Swannanoa Library, 101 West Charleston St, Swannanoa Save & Seal the Summer Learn preserving techniques from community experts and farmers at the brand new WNC FoodWorks Kitchen on the WNC Farmers Market. Space is limited, registration is required. See p30 SA (7/22), 9am, WNC Farmers Market, 570 Brevard Rd
Walking Tour of Historic Downtown
Black Mountain
Learn the history of Black Mountain and the Swannanoa Valley on this walking tour. Museum staff will lead attendees through historic State Street, Cherry Street and Black Mountain Ave, relaying the history of several buildings and discussing topics.
SA (7/22), 2pm, Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, 223 W State St, Black Mountain
American’s First Kaolin Clay: The Cherokee Wedgwood Connection
This free program will focus on the history of early clay and mica mining in Western North Carolina near present-day Franklin and the pursuit of kaolin by Charleston planter Thomas Griffiths. Attendees will learn about this kaolin material and the mine in Macon County where it was excavated. See p33 SA (7/22), 2:30pm, Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Western Office, 176 Riceville Rd
Groove at the Grove 10 tables of games including cards, board games, billiards, and more. If you have any questions, contact Grove Street Community Center at (828) 359-2062. SA (7/22), 3pm, Grove St Community Center, 36 Grove St
Interactive Murder Mystery: Murder at the Luau
This is an interactive Murder Mystery party where you'll be assigned a specific character to come dressed as and you’ll interact with the other guests in character. There are limited tickets to this event, for ages 21 and up. SA (7/22), 7pm, Ginger's Revenge S Slope Lounge, 32 Banks Ave Ladies Sunday Cycles
This is a non drop ride, we have cue sheets via Ride with GPS, and there are options to either do the whole ride or head back when needed. Routes will be posted on the Ride My GPS app under WNC Outdoor Collective. SU (7/23), 7:30am, WNC Outdoor Collective, 110 Black Mountain Ave, Black Mountain
JULY 19-25, 2023 MOUNTAINX.COM 16
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Weekly Sunday Scrabble Club
Tournament-style scrabble. All levels of play.
SU (7/23), 12:15pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave
Game Day: Perspective Café
Traditional game day with board and card games as well as refreshments from the Perspective Cafe.
SU (7/23), 2pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Imagination Monday
Giant building blocks, tunnels and fun games await on a special day of open play geared for ages 1-5 years-old. No advance registration or sign up required, adults must accompany children the entire time.
MO (7/24), 10am, Hummingbird Park, 97 Starnes Ave
Blood Drive
This blood drive is our way of giving staff, colleagues and neighbors an opportunity to help save lives. Blood is a perishable product that can only come from volunteer blood donors.
MO (7/24), 11am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Sew Co./Rite of Passage Factory Tour
On this 30 minute micro-tour, learn about sustainable and transparent business practices and hear about production processes and client collaborations. Preregister at avl.mx/cec
MO (7/24), 11am, Rite of Passage Clothing & Sew Co, 240 Clingman Ave Ext Chess Club
Open to all ages and any skill set. There will be a few boards available, but folks are welcome to bring their own as well.
MO (7/24), 4pm, Black Mountain Brewing, 131 NC-9, Black Mountain
Black Men Mondays
A local group that has stepped up in the community to advocate for and mentor students through academic intervention. Kids 7+ are welcome to join.
MO (7/24), 7pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Ikebana Internationa
Asheville: Green Plant Materials
This program will focus on the use of green plant materials. For this demonstration, Susan Cano, a master in the Sogetsu School of ikebana, will create arrangements with a focus on the diversities in green shades.
TU (7/25), 10:30am, Folk Art Center, 382 Blue Ridge Pkwy
Let's Get Messy Intentionally messy classes to help your child explore their 5 senses and develop creativity. Be sure to dress prepared for you and your little one to get messy. This week's class will focus cloud dough.
TU (7/25), 4pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave
Pritchard Park Summer
Series: Hoop & Flow Arts
Jam
Asheville Hoops provides jammin’ tunes, demo props for all to use and a positive event that promotes movement, creativity, dance and fun.
TU (7/25), 6pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St
Homemade Health & Wellness Series w/ Ashley English
A class series focusing on homemade health and wellness items with author, teacher, and homesteader, Ashley English. This weeks topic is Home Canning 101. Class is free to attend, but call (828) 250-4758 to register.
WE (7/26), 6pm, Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Rd, Candler
Intro to Ballroom
Dance
Explore the world of Latin and Ballroom dancing with such styles as swing, salsa, foxtrot, rumba, merengue, and more.
WE (7/26), 6pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain
The Learning Garden
Presents: Fresh Indigo
Learn about growing and collecting indigo for your dye garden, and enjoy a hands-on experience dying with fresh indigo. Attendance is limited and registration is required.
TH (7/27), 10am, Buncombe County
Cooperative Ext Center, 49 Mount Carmel Rd, Ste 102
Diabetes & Your Vision
Learn how to balance your plate to help keep blood sugar levels in range and help slow the progression of diabetes and the degeneration of your vision.
TH (7/27), 12:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Story/Arts Residency: The Memory Quilt
Project (Sight & Touch)
This final iteration of The Memory Quilt Project is an evening of art and stories inspired by the sense memories of sight and touch
Participants are encouraged to contribute their own stories, memories, and sensory items to enrich the fabric of this community quilt-making
project.
TH (7/27), 6:30pm, Story Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd
LOCAL MARKETS
Wednesday Farmers Market
Discover a vibrant marketplace filled with local vendors offering fresh produce and handmade goodies.
WE (7/19, 26), 2pm, The Railyard Black Mountain, 141 Richardson Ave, Black Mountain
Etowah Lions Club Farmers Market Fresh produce, honey, sweets, flowers, plant starts and locally crafted wares. Stop by to chat with vendors, the Lions club, and enjoy the fruits of their labors. Every Wednesday through Oct. 25.
WE (7/19, 26), 3pm, Etowah Lions Club, 447 Etowah School Rd, Hendersonville
Leicester Farmers Market Farmers Market with over 30 vendors.
Locally grown and sourced selection of meats, produce, eggs, plants and flowers, baked goods, cheese, honey, sauces, crafts, art, and more. Every Wednesday through Oct. 25.
WE (7/19, 26), 3pm, Leicester Community Center, 2979 New Leicester Hwy, Leicester
RAD Farmers Market
Providing year-round access to fresh local foods, with 25-30 vendors selling a variety of wares. Handicap parking available in the Smoky Park lot, free public parking available along Riverside Drive. Also accessible by foot, bike, or rollerblade via the Wilma Dykeman Greenway.
WE (7/19, 26), 3pm, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr 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, fire cider, coffee, pickles, body care, eclectic handmade goodies, and garden and landscaping plants.
Open year round.
WE (7/19, 26), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr, Weaverville
Biltmore Park Farmers Market
A wide array of farm-fresh seasonal produce, eggs, honey, locally-grown flowers, artisan baked goods, foraged mushrooms, handmade soaps, and more from local farmers, specialty food producers, and crafters. Every Thursday through Aug. 17.
TH (7/20, 27), 3pm, Biltmore Park Town Square, Town Square Blvd.
Enka-Candler Tailgate Market
A grand selection of local foods and crafts, everything from produce to pickles, baked goods to body care, with a hefty helping of made-to-order meals from our food trucks.
Every Thursday through Oct.
TH (7/20, 27), 3pm, A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler
Flat Rock Farmers Market
A diverse group of local produce and fruit farmers, craft-food makers, bread bakers, wild crafters, art-crafters, and merrymakers.
Every Thursday through Oct. 26.
TH (7/20, 27), 3pm, Pinecrest ARP Church, 1790 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock
Pack Square Artisan Market
This market will showcase local handcrafted goods in the heart of downtown Asheville.
Every Friday through Oct. 27.
FR (7/21), 1pm, 1 South Pack Square Park Saluda Tailgate Market with over a dozen vendors this agriculture-only market features an assortment of homegrown produce, meat, and eggs within a 25 mile radius.
FR (7/21), 4:30pm, W Main St, Saluda
Henderson County Tailgate Market
Seasonal fruits, fresh mushrooms, vegetables, local honey, meat, eggs, garden plant starts, perennials and much more. Every Saturday through Oct. 28.
SA (7/22), 8am, 100 N King St, Hendersonville
Hendersonville Farmers Market
A vibrant community gathering space with produce, meat, eggs, baked goods, coffee, crafts, food trucks, live music, kids' activities and more. Every Saturday through Oct. 28.
SA (7/22), 8am, 650 Maple St, Hendersonville
North Asheville
Tailgate Market
The oldest Saturday morning market in WNC, since 1980. Over 60 rotating vendors offer fresh Appalachian grown produce, meats, cheeses and eggs - with a variety of baked goods, value added foods, and unique craft items. Weekly through Dec. 16.
SA (7/22), 8am, 3300
University Heights
Asheville City Market
Local food products, including fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread,
pastries, and other artisan products. Weekly through Dec. 17.
SA (7/22), 9am, 52 N Market St
Black Mountain
Tailgate Market
Featuring organic and sustainably grown produce, plants, cut flowers, herbs, locally raised meats, seafood, breads, pastries, cheeses, eggs and local arts and handcrafted items. Every Saturday through Nov. 18.
SA (7/22), 9am, 130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
Asheville Vintage Market
Vintage clothing market featuring over 30 vendors.
SA (7/22), 11am, Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Ave
Emote's Big Gay Art Market
Over 10 amazing artists to browse cute, beautiful and fun queer art from.
SA (7/22), 11am, Different Wrld, 701 Haywood Rd, Ste 101 Makers Market
Featuring a different combination of weekly vendors alongside resident studio artists.
SA (7/22), noon, The Elephant Door, 126 Swannanoa River Rd
Solarium Summer Market
Browse from local artisans at this first ever Solarium Summer Market.
SA (7/22), 2pm, The Restoration Hotel Asheville, 68 Patton Ave Night Markets
Discover handcrafted wonders, artisanal delights and treasures at this community market with local vendors and makers.
SA (7/22), 5pm, The Railyard Black Mountain, 141 Richardson Ave, Black Mountain
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.
570 Brevard Rd
Meadow Market
Browse goods and gifts from local makers and artisans with different vendors every week, you’ll find specialty items. Shop for handmade jewelry, housewares, vintage goods, and crafts.
SU (7/23), 1pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200
Outdoor Music & Market w/Chalwa
Outdoor music with reggae group Chalwa and 16 local vendors, artists and makers providing affirmation cards, tarot readings, art prints, fire cider, dog treats, cbd products, bookmarks, soy candles, teas, paintings,
tapestries, pottery and more.
SU (7/23), 1pm, French Broad River Brewery, 101 Fairview Rd
Asheville Industry Market
Featuring around 25 local craft service industry workers with live music from Dirty Bird and other local artists. This event will also be raising funds for Homeward Bound.
MO (7/24), 3pm, Ben's Tune Up, 195 Hilliard Ave
FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS
Friends of the Black Mountain Library
Annual Gathering w/ The Upbeats Ukelele Band
An evening of music with the Upbeats Ukulele Band who will perform and debut an original Black Mountain song video. Everyone is invited and admission is free.
WE (7/19), 5:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd
Rhythm & Brews Concert Series: The Stooges Brass Band Free outdoor shows with a variety of established acts as well as up-and-coming artists from around the nation. This week, New Orleans brass band The Stooges will be performing alongside Cajun act Zydeco Ya Ya.
TH (7/20), 5:30pm, Downtown Hendersonville S Main St, Hendersonville
Park Rhythms Summer Concert Series w/ LYRIC
This year’s series features artists from across the nation. The series will also include several artists from North Carolina, along with a few local favorites. This week, vocalist, songwriter, musician and DJ, Lyric will be providing the music.
TH (7/20), 7pm, Black Mountain Veterans Park, 10 Veterans Park Dr Black Mountain Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands
Over 200 juried artisans of the Southern Highland Craft Guild will fill both the concourse and arena levels of the venue. Visitors are invited to explore a variety of fine American craft ranging from contemporary to traditional works of clay, wood, metal, glass, fiber, natural materials, paper, leather, mixed media, and jewelry. Plus enjoy 11 musical acts throughout the weekend. See p32 TH (7/20), FR (7/21), SA (7/22), SU (7/23), 10am, Harrah's Cherokee Center, 87 Haywood St
Downtown After 5 w/ The Rumble & Funk’n Around Monthly music series with different artists performing every month in downtown, Asheville. This month, New Orleans funk group
The Rumble featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. will be taking the downtown stage.
Ashevilled-based band Funk'n Around will also be performing.
FR (7/21), 5pm, Downtown After 5, 100 Block N Lexington Ave
Shindig on the Green
Bring a blanket, chair, dancing shoes, and family for this dose of regional music, dance and storytelling. With Bear's Smokehouse BBQ food truck and The Hop Ice Cream onsite. No pets or alcohol. SA (7/22), 7pm, Pack Square Park, 121 College St
Groovin' on Grovemont Summer Concert Series
w/Mama & the Ruckus
A free outdoor concert series benefiting The Friends of the Swannanoa Library and the Swannanoa Community Council. Blues and soul band Mama and the Ruckus is providing the music this week. Bring a blanket or lawn chair, and come enjoy this family-friendly evening.
TU (7/25), 6pm, Grovemont Park, 101 West Charleston Ave , Swannanoa
Park Rhythms Summer Concert Series w/Jake
Xerxes Fussell
This year’s series features artists from across the nation. The series will also include several artists from North Carolina, along with a few local favorites. This week, folk pop singer Jake Xerses Fussell will providing the music.
TH (7/27), 7pm, Black Mountain Veterans Park, 10 Veterans Park Dr, Black Mountain
BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING
Fundraiser w/In
PlainSight & Ramin
This is a fundraiser show to raise funds for Ramin's older brother. Donations can be made through Gofundme, eventbrite or directly at the show.
WE (7/19), 7pm, One Stop at Asheville Music Hall, 55 College St
Top Surgery Benefit
For August w/Drag & Burlesque
A benefit for top surgery benefit for a local community member with drag performances and a burlesque show.
18+
WE (7/19), 8pm, The Odd, 1045 Haywood Rd
Dine w/Divas: Drag Dinner Show Fundraiser
This fundraiser for Beloved Asheville prom-
ises to dazzle attendees with an extraordinary lineup of drag queen celebrity impersonators.
TH (7/20), 7pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200
Summer Soiree Fundraiser
Indulge in a variety of cuisines from different parts of the world. It's an explosion of flavors paired with live music, culturally-inspired rooms and a silent auction featuring unique items and experiences.
TH (7/20), 7pm, Folkmoot Friendship Center, 112 Virginia Ave, Waynesville
A 27 Fantasy Show
This 90's theme show is a benefit with all proceeds going to Ventrigue. It'll be a night of burlesque, drag comedy acts and music.
TH (7/20), 10pm, 27 Club, 180 Patton Ave
American Red Cross Mobile Blood Dr Asheville Outlets is teaming up with the American Red Cross to host a mobile blood drive. Donors are asked to register in advance by visiting avl.mx/8u7 and entering sponsor code AshevilleOutlets.
FR (7/21), 11am, Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Rd
Beer Flight: A Drag
Queen Bar Crawl Experience Asheville's one-of-a-kind Drag Queen bar crawl, a unique fundraiser supporting local non-profit organizations. The onemile trip will be on foot. The tickets include the tour, beverages along the route and other perks. Visit avl.mx/ct7 for dates and times.
FR (7/21), 5pm, Highland Brewing Downtown Taproom, 56 Patton Ave Night Flight 2023
A 4.5-mile race in East Asheville that takes runners through the Asheville Golf Course, the Beverly Hills neighborhood and past the WNC Nature Center before finishing back at Highland Brewing Co. 100% of race proceeds go to the development of greenways in Asheville and Buncombe County through Connect Buncombe. Register at avl.mx/cum. SA (7/22), 7pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200
Triple & High Falls Group Hike to Support WNC Conservation
These hikes are specifically raising money for Muddy Sneakers, an organization founded in Brevard that exposes children to nature through outdoor education.
SU (7/23), 2pm, DuPont State Recreational Forest, Entrance: 1400 Staton Rd, Cedar Mountain
MOUNTAINX.COM JULY 19-25, 2023 17
ASHEVILLE
Asking the big questions
Maia Toll’s memoir recaps spiritual journey
BY JESSICA WAKEMAN
jwakeman@mountainx.com
A full shelf of the library could be devoted to memoirs about breaking from religious beliefs. Rarer are the memoirs about a slow-burning spiritual awakening and its integration into the author’s life. Such is Letting Magic In: A Memoir of Becoming by Maia Toll Letting Magic In is a coming-of-age story about Toll’s connection to the Earth, her intuition and the unseen realm that may surround us all. “I wanted to show the slow ebb and flow of moving from one place to the other, questioning and doubting, stepping forward and back and forward and back,” Toll, an Asheville resident of nine years, tells Xpress
The memoir begins with Toll in Brooklyn in the late 1990s, working as a teacher at a private school, and her eventual move upstate to Beacon and then Cold Spring, N.Y. It concludes with the author uprooting her life, selling her house and antiques, and relocating to Ireland in 2003 to study under an herbalist and self-described witch. She relied on the eight journals she wrote during the period her memoir covers.
“What exactly is magic?” Toll writes in the introduction. After further deliberation on the page, the author concludes that magic “points to a gnawing craving for a connection that includes, but also stretches beyond, the human realm.”
AUTHORIAL AMBITION
Letting Magic In is one of several books written by Toll, and it’s the first to turn so personal.
THE BIG QUESTION: “What’s our purpose beyond the daily doings of life?” asks Maia Toll, author of Letting Magic In: A Memoir of Becoming. This question “is part of the human psyche,” she says. Cover image courtesy of Running Press. Photo by Emily Nichols
Authorship came as a pleasant surprise for Toll, who tells Xpress she had “long since given up the dream of being an author.” (She also co-owns Herbiary, a shop in downtown Asheville, with her partner, Andrew Celwyn.) “By the time you hit your 40s, you figure it’s not going to happen,” she says of publishing books.
Toll began writing what eventually became Letting Magic In in 2016 at a writing retreat. But a different book
Blissful Chiropractic
Experience
sold to a publishing house first: In 2018, she published a guide called The Illustrated Herbiary: Guidance and Rituals from 36 Bewitching Botanicals, which is illustrated by Kate O’Hara
Subsequent books address rituals with crystals, animals, witchcraft, magic and dream interpretation. Toll also created numerous other merchandise: jigsaw puzzles, oracle card decks, guided journals and a wall calendar inspired by her work.
Toll continued working on a memoir amid the success of her other books. She reread her journals, and “a wall full of sticky notes with scenes that I thought were important” offered guidance, she says. She secured a book deal in 2022.
A SPIRITUAL QUEST
Toll was raised in a Jewish family but came to identify as an atheist. Some of her skepticism of organized religion arose at a family seder when a guest referenced the phrase “never again” in relation to the Holocaust. Vowing that genocide would never again occur did not sit right with Toll, when at the
JULY 19-25, 2023 MOUNTAINX.COM 18
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time, America was involved in a war in Kosovo.
She also felt unsatisfied by the recitation of traditional prayers (the Mourner’s Kaddish) after the death of loved ones. Prayer seemed to console others during their grief, but she looked at what she felt was a bigger picture. She experienced loss akin to seasons changing in the natural world surrounding her, and she identified this experience as spiritual.
“I think that we are all on a spiritual quest,” Toll explains to Xpress. “Some of us do it in a more extroverted, outward way. And some of us are doing it in a more inward way. But we’re all wondering why the hell we’re here. What’s our purpose beyond the daily doings of life?” That fundamental question, she says, “is part of the human psyche.”
Toll sought to write her memoir in such a way that readers would identify with her journey. And as a relatable protagonist, she had to demonstrate how her spiritual quest played out in real life.
Letting Magic In encapsulates experiences that will be familiar to many young women: navigating workplace cliques, forging deep friendships, dating and breaking up with men and women, buying and selling her first home, marathon Buffy viewings. One experience became imbued with more political meaning after she penned the memoir: an abortion she had during her 20s.
Toll wants readers to understand how the decision affected her both physically and psychologically. But ending an unwanted pregnancy was “a component in the spiritual journey,” too, she explains.
The abortion also reframed how she experienced her body within the grander scale of life’s seasons, and it also empowered a reliance on her intuition to guide important life choices. She writes of the abortion, “There is something sacred in knowing your own rhythms, under-
standing which seasons are for creation and which for letting go, and in allowing the necessary dieback that will, after a fallow time, produce healthier life.”
Toll says including her abortion in her memoir was important, especially once she realized the book would be published (June 2023) after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade (June 2022). She wanted to show how terminating that pregnancy enabled her to move to Ireland and eventually pursue her writing career.
“On a purely practical level … if I had a baby … I would have lived an entirely different life,” she says.
‘THE MUNDANE AND THE MYSTIC’
Her arc in Letting Magic In, Toll says, is learning to “hold both spaces, the mundane and the mystic, simultaneously.” Recognizing that both of these elements are essential to life is essential for balance.
During her own spiritual journey in Letting the Magic In, she learns to ask questions and be open to answers beyond scientifically proven facts, but also not to lean too far into the mystical interpretation of life. For example, one amusing scene in the book has Toll staring at a candle and half-seriously trying to light its wick using only her mind. (Spoiler alert: She couldn’t.)
Without experiencing any mysticism in life, Toll believes humans develop a void that needs to be filled. “That emptiness can get filled with things that are less fulfilling,” she says. “Ultimately, I think if you live with that emptiness for too long, we start to call that depression.”
So, the mundane and the mystic — together — is her answer. “One is not more real than the other,” she says. “But I don’t think you can have one without the other.” X
MOUNTAINX.COM JULY 19-25, 2023 19
Rain or shine
BY STORMS REBACK
stormsreback@gmail.com
When the 100-degree weather that typically smothers Texas in July and August arrived in May last year, my wife, son and I pulled up stakes and moved to Asheville. Ever since, I’ve been consumed with learning more skills that might free me from my dependence on the electrical grid and the global food supply chain. So, when I heard about the Firefly Gathering, I scrambled for ways to attend this year’s event, which ran June 20-25.
The weather forecast was bleak. There was a high chance of rain the four days I planned to be there. But that didn’t faze me as much as the prospect of bringing my 9-year-old son. Given my wife’s hectic work schedule, there was no way I was making it to Firefly unless I brought him with me.
Why the anxiety? Many people would rely on labels and acronyms to describe my son, but his personality is more nuanced than that. The closest I can come is to say that his feelings lie as close to the skin as possible and any little thing can inspire a flood of big emotions, whether it be joy or anger. To forestall any negative incidents, someone needs to keep an eye on him at all times (unless he’s on his iPad, in which case his behavior is disturbingly easy to predict).
Given the weather, my son’s needs and my own emotional volatility, I arrived at this year’s Firefly Gathering on June 20 plagued by a nagging question: Would my son and I enjoy the experience, or was it going to be a total sh*tshow?
‘SUMMER CAMP FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY’
Firefly Gathering is the largest earth-skills happening in the country. Held at Deerfields, the 940-acre retreat center in the Mills River area, the annual event transforms a quiet mountain hollow into a
A father and son’s soaked journey through the 2023 Firefly Gathering
self-sufficient village where people come to laugh, cry, dance, listen and take classes that focus on living in harmony with the earth and its inhabitants.
After Wednesday’s morning circle, the daily meeting in which announcements are made and wisdom dispensed, my son and I walked to the Youth Village, where kids ages 3-17 are invited to hang out while their parents attend workshops.
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Firefly wasn’t always this kid-friendly. Soon after Natalie Bogwalker and Kaleb Wallace held the first get-together at Old Coggins Farm in 2007, the event began to earn a party reputation. Unlike the other big earth-skills gatherings in the Southeast, including the Earthskills Rendezvous and the Florida Earthskills Gathering, Firefly offered nighttime entertainment, and drinking was common.
Youth programming became more prominent once some of the gathering’s instructors, regular attendees and organizers began having kids. In 2015, Bogwalker approached Marissa Percoco, Firefly’s current executive director who was an instructor at the time, and asked her if she could make the annual
event more family-friendly. A mother of four home-schooled children, Percoco thrived in her new role, creating Firefly’s Youth Village as well as the system guiding it, which remains in place today.
“When you can come as an adult and drop your child off at a wonderful kids program and go take classes, that’s a game changer,” Percoco told me several days after the festival had ended. “It’s like summer camp for the whole family.”
In theory, the Youth Village sounded great to me. But over the years, I’d received enough phone calls about my son from aggrieved teachers, principals and camp counselors that I still had my doubts. After talking to Brooke Holdren and Katie Costanzo, who were looking after my
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ARTS & CULTURE
BEST OF WNC Results publish 8/30 & 9/6
SINGING IN THE RAIN: Bad weather did not discourage those attending this year’s Firefly Gathering. One attendee, photographed here, rejoices in the rain. Photo by Emma Robinson
son’s age group, I relaxed enough to leave him and attend Luke Cannon’s tree identification class, which I’d signed up for the night before.
I caught up with the group on a trail in the forest in time to hear Cannon talk about the tulip poplar, sweet birch and sourwood trees. I was delighted I’d discovered a great local teacher and promised myself I’d take classes with him at Astounding Earth in the future.
When I left my son in the Youth Village that afternoon for my subsequent workshop, there was a new set of instructors, which renewed my anxiety. But as I turned to go, my son was already happily playing chess with another kid, allowing me to attend Barron Brown’s timber framing class. Brown has taught at Firefly ever since its inception and looks the part of the elder statesman. His white beard hangs lower than his armpits.
Brown presented timber framing as an environmentally friendly and beautiful alternative to “the tyranny of 4-by-8 sheets of plywood and drywall.” As he and his assistant, Andrew Vice, showed us how to make a “bent,” I fell in love with the idea of building a timber-frame structure.
My reverie was punctured, though, when I spotted my son’s chess partner strolling down the road. I hurried back to the Youth Village with grim visions in my head. But when I arrived, I found my son cooking potatoes over the fire with an almost manic glee with another kid he’d just met.
BEYOND EARTH SKILLS
Recognized as a driving force within the Firefly organization, Percoco was named a co-coordinator (along with Chloe Tipton) in 2018. While Tipton dealt with a health issue the following year, Percoco took over as executive director and began implementing her vision of Firefly, transforming it into a more inclusive gathering.
“We redirected some of the focus,” she told me during our conversation after this year’s gathering. “Earth skills are still central, but social healing and community building are just as important.”
Percoco says she has gone to great lengths to make the event welcoming to a much wider range of people.
Signs of that effort could be seen throughout the event. All the speakers who introduced themselves during the morning circles included their pronouns, and “they/them” was as common as anything else. In the “neighborhood” section of the gathering, which Percoco described as a cluster of “special spaces to be able to retreat to,” there was not only a “moon” (women’s) and “sun” (men’s)
camp but also a “star” (LGBTQIA+) and “culture” (people of color) camp. And many of the keynote speakers and evening entertainers came from the latter two communities.
As a queer woman, Percoco explained how personal and vital inclusivity is for her. “What I saw happening at other events and at Firefly was folks from the global majority or LGBTQIA folks coming and being like, ‘I don’t have peers here. I don’t have people that look and feel like me.’ And eventually, those people don’t come back.”
Percoco’s progressivism isn’t universally beloved. She’s lost some friends who’ve told her some variation of “Do you really think this is an earth-skills gathering anymore? This isn’t what earth skills is about.”
Her response? “It is now.”
“As much pushback as I get from people who fear we’re taking something away from them,” she told me, “it’s minor compared to the gratitude I receive from people who are seeking to have access to these things.”
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CONTINUES ON PAGE 22
GATHER AROUND: Marissa Percoco, executive director of Firefly Gathering, speaks at one of the event’s morning circles. Photo by Emma Robinson
To make the event accessible to even more people, Firefly has a robust work-trade program as well as an equity fund, and there’s never a cap on attendance. Firefly typically attracts 1,000 people but maintains an infrastructure that would allow for many more. This policy hasn’t been kind to the nonprofit organization’s bottom line lately — last year’s event lost $12,000 and thanks to the monsoonlike rains, this year’s event seems likely to do the same — but the hope is that as the gathering continues to grow, it will start to bring in more money.
Percoco understands how transformational Firefly can be for people struggling to make ends meet. “People come to my place [a tiny house on a farm in Barnardsville surrounded by gardens], and they’re like, ‘Oh my God, how do you do this?’ It doesn’t cost a lot to do what I do because I’ve learned things, and I want that for people who need it the most. By keeping Firefly larger, it’s an opportunity for people who haven’t had access to these kinds of events to get access.”
As I made my way around this year’s gathering and talked to people from all walks of life, I patted myself on the back for bringing my son to such an amazing event, but I also worried that if he couldn’t fit in at Firefly, where everyone is invited and embraced, he was going to have a really hard time fitting in anywhere.
MAGICAL MOMENTS
In my son’s defense, there are plenty of reasons for his anxiety. I talk about climate change so often that “carbon footprint” and “sea-level rise” have become a regular part of his vocabulary. I can also be prone to bad dad moments, such as when I discovered that I’d only packed him one shirt for Firefly — and that one got soaked pretty early.
Oh, yeah, the weather. If my son and I hadn’t enjoyed ourselves at this year’s gathering, it would have been easy to blame the 8 inches of rain that hit Deerfields that week. It rained so much that whenever it briefly receded to a drizzle, it almost felt as if the sun had come out. By the third day, people started referring to the event as “Rainfly,” and the joke never failed to get a laugh.
Remarkably, though, not a single person I met at Firefly complained about the weather, and many went out of their way to help others because of the trying conditions. For example, two young women from Wilmington helped my son and me load our gear onto the shuttle that ferried us to the campground during a downpour.
That was just one of many magical moments we enjoyed at this year’s gathering. Another occurred right after my son and I had finished eating some tacos made with quinoa tortillas from The Garden food truck. We were looking for a place to discard our trash when a woman, taking the “Leave no trace” philosophy to a beautiful extreme, swooped in and insisted on reusing our forks.
Yet another occurred after our Thursday lunch, when I decided to skip the afternoon classes and roam Deerfields with my son instead. At a site known as “the farm,” we met Barnardsville-based farmer Amanda Coxe and her small herd of goats. My son latched onto Coxe’s daughter, who led us to Jeff Gottlieb’s trade
blanket in a tent close to the pavilion. The trade blanket is a reenactment of the way fur trappers and Native Americans used to barter. When it’s your turn, you place the items you’re looking to trade in the center of the blanket, and everyone gets a chance to bid on them by adding their own possessions into the mix. In one of the more exciting exchanges, we watched a little boy trade a small jar of honey and a beeswax candle for a beaver’s foot and the scapula of a deer because, the boy admitted, “I want to paddle my sister with the bone.”
The last magical moment I enjoyed, the one I’ll look back on with the most fondness, occurred after Thursday’s dinner, when my son and I went to see what was happening at the pavilion. A folk band was playing, but thanks to a brief respite from the rain, a bunch of people began hanging out in the adjacent field, practically giddy.
Suddenly, a game of tag broke out, with about 30 adults treating a handful of kids to the time of their lives. I recognized a few faces. There was Katie Costanzo, one of the instructors from the Youth Village, and instructor Elijah Strongheart, whose tracking class I’d taken and loved. Many of the kids I’d also seen time and again at the Youth Village.
And then I spotted him. There in the middle of the scrum, running and laughing with his shoes kicked off and his hair flying behind him, was my son. X
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YOU’RE IT: Children and adults play a game of tag during this year’s gathering. Photo by Storms Reback
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Crafting a legacy
BY JUSTIN M c GUIRE
jmcguire@mountainx.com
Far from household names within their lifetimes, Eleanor Vance and Charlotte Yale would likely have been shocked to discover people were interested in their story more than 60 years after their deaths.
“They would just roll over in their graves in Tryon if they knew that you and I were having this conversation, talking about their private lives and their personal lives and what they accomplished,” says local author Bruce E. Johnson, whose new book focuses on the pair. “They never once thought that that would ever be the case. They just never sought any attention for themselves.”
But Johnson says Vance’s and Yale’s impact in Asheville and Tryon in the early half of the 20th century is worth remembering. The two taught generations of young people in Western North Carolina practical skills like woodcarving and weaving. But their impact went beyond that.
“They often said, ‘We’re not training woodworkers, we’re training good citizens,’” the author explains. “They saw value in teaching these young men and women that there was a life outside of the textile mills.”
Johnson recounts their story in Biltmore Industries & Tryon ToyMakers: The Lives and Works of Eleanor Vance and Charlotte Yale, a book 10 years in the making.
The Biltmore Industries Homespun Museum in Grovewood Village will host a book release party from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, July 22.
‘WITH EDITH’S ENCOURAGEMENT’
Vance (1869-1954) and Yale (18701958) met in 1899 while studying at Chicago Bible College, now known as Moody Bible Institute. Or maybe it was earlier — the two gave multiple conflicting accounts of where and when they met, Johnson says.
In any case, they ended up in Asheville in 1901 after spending a year in Florida. Along with Eleanor’s elderly mother, the pair moved into a new house in fast-growing Biltmore Village, the company town created by George Vanderbilt for workers at the nearby Biltmore Estate.
There they met Edith Vanderbilt, who was interested in improving the lives of the people who worked for her husband, Johnson says.
Book explores lives and works of Eleanor Vance and Charlotte Yale
dolls and other toys], so these are very unique,” Johnson says. “There’s no sense that these things were stamped out by a machine.”
In 1943, the pair retired and lived out their remaining years in Tryon.
TELLING THE TALE
Johnson worked on the book intermittently over the last decade or so, traveling to Cincinnati, Chicago and other places to dig through dusty archives. But putting together the pair’s story proved challenging because Vance and, especially Yale, never sought public recognition in their lifetimes.
“Quiet, meek Charlotte is always in the background,” Johnson says. “And there are big gaps in her life when she just never told anybody where she was or what she was doing. She never acknowledged her parents or her childhood or her early training. The first 30 years of her life are still a bit of a mystery.”
“With Edith’s encouragement, and George paying their salaries, Eleanor and Charlotte came upon the idea of starting what became Biltmore Industries in 1905,” he says. “It was during the Arts and Crafts era, when manual arts training schools were becoming popular, and so the idea was that they were going to train young men and young women to become woodworkers and woodcarvers and weavers there in Biltmore Village.”
Yale acted as business manager while Vance, who was an accomplished woodcarver, taught young people how to construct and carve walnut serving trays, bookends, bowls, picture frames, hearth brushes, fireplace bellows and more. They also taught young women how to weave wool homespun cloth.
The endeavor was an experiment that likely never turned a profit, Johnson says, an indication of the selfless spirit that motivated Vance and Yale.
“One of the things I find remarkable is that Eleanor trained for 10 years and was recognized as one of the finest woodcarvers to come out of Cincinnati, and yet she never sold a single piece of her own work,” Johnson says. “She took everything that she had learned and taught it to these young men and women, and she put herself second to everybody else her entire life.”
Many of the handcarved items created and sold at Biltmore Industries are collectors’ items today.
“The pieces are scattered all across the country, because a lot of that stuff went home with tourists who
went back to California, went back to Florida or wherever,” Johnson says. “They were of such good quality that anybody who picks one up knows it’s something special.”
George Vanderbilt died in 1914, prompting the two to leave Biltmore Industries the following year. “They realized the writing on the wall that Edith was eventually going to have to sell Biltmore Industries, which she did in 1917 to Fred Seely of the Grove Park Inn,” Johnson says.
HEADED TO TRYON
Still in their 40s and not ready to retire, Vance and Yale decided to move to Tryon, which was then home to numerous artists, writers and intellectuals.
They founded Tryon Toy-Makers and Wood-Carvers and again began teaching young men and women how to carve walnut bowls, frames, bookends and the like, along with colorful wooden toys. Over nearly three decades, the company became nationally known and created hundreds of carved items and hand-painted toys that are now collectors’ items.
One of the most popular toys, Johnson says, was the mountain home set, which included a log cabin, a mountain family, animals, a wagon and more. The company also produced Noah’s Ark, scenes from fairy tales, toy horses, spinning tops and dolls.
“The children were allowed to put different expressions on the faces [of
And the two didn’t leave behind private letters, journals or diaries, Johnson continues, creating even more gaps. Fortunately, he was able to find financial records, drawings and other documents from the companies they ran.
“I would switch gears from biography to history depending on what information I was able to uncover,” he says. “When I hit those periods where I have no idea what was going on with their personal lives, I would write about the things that they produced and taught these young men and women to produce.”
And that worked out for the best, the author says, because the pair’s lasting legacy is the hundreds of young people who passed through their doors.
“They didn’t all become woodcarvers, and that was never the intent,” he says. “But they probably left there as better citizens ... than had they not been trained by Vance and Yale.” X
WHAT
Book release party for Bruce Johnson’s Biltmore Industries & Tryon Toy-Makers WHERE
Biltmore Industries Homespun Museum in Grovewood Villlage, 111 Grovewood Road
WHEN
Saturday, July 22, 1-4p.m., avl.mx/cuk
MOUNTAINX.COM JULY 19-25, 2023 25
LOCAL HISTORY: Bruce Johnson’s new book tells the story of Eleanor Vance, Charlotte Yale and the WNC companies they founded. Photo courtesy of the author
LITERATURE ARTS & CULTURE
Rhythm and street
BY JASON CHEN
jc.jchen@gmail.com
Take a walk in downtown Asheville, and you’re bound to hear a cacophony of sounds — from firetruck sirens racing down College Street to enthusiastic riders cheering loudly on the Amazing Pubcycle as they pedal through the city’s main thoroughfares.
Amid the din, melodies ring from buskers stationed at popular spots on Haywood Street, Pack Sqaure and Pritchard Park. Many of these performers have been staples in the area for years, others are more recent arrivals.
Xpress chatted with a few of these musicians to learn more about the thrills and pitfalls of the art form, as well as the economic realities that come with performing on the street.
A NOTEBOOK AND A PIECE OF BAMBOO
Odds are good that pedestrians around Pritchard Park will at some point hear Adrian Byington howling and banging his djembe drums to an eclectic mix of funk, jazz and rock ’n’ roll standards. With his frizzy, long hair and tie-dye shirt, he represents the bohemian, mountainous spirit that many associate with Asheville.
Granted, Byington is originally from Winston-Salem, where he says a chance encounter in his hometown led him to busking at the age of 16.
“I was just walking in Winston one day, and I saw this guy named Julian, and he was playing guitar,” Byington remembers.
Inspired, Byington offered to provide percussions to the musician’s set. The only problem was he didn’t have his kit. Nevertheless, Julian accepted Byington as a bandmate. That day, he hammered away on a notebook and piece of bamboo. Later, he brought his actual kit into the mix.
“We would split the tips,” Byington continues. With the money earned, he adds, he eventually purchased two djembes.
Nearly 20 years later, he’s still at it.
According to Byington, who has been busking in Asheville since 2010, the scene was once so lucrative that he supported himself solely on the tips earned from his music. Nowadays, he has to pick up occasional jobs in kitchens or bars to pay the bills.
Local buskers reflect on their city beats
indie tunes such as Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love.”
An avid songwriter, Clifton’s composed more than 700 original pieces. Busking, he notes, is a way to promote his material as well as share the spiritual messages these songs express. His street performances, along with paid gigs, are Clifton’s sole source of income. He notes the money he earns has allowed him to support himself and his wife, who is currently caring for her father, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
“I have gigs booked out through October,” he says.
The locations themselves, he adds, vary from farmers markets to breweries, as well as at wedding receptions at the Biltmore and the Omni Grove Park Inn.
And with around 120,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, Clifton is slowly taking off online. Nevertheless, he continues to busk. “Honestly for practice,” he says.
For Clifton, establishing good relationships with other buskers and business owners is key. “It gets hard sometimes because you’re playing on the street and you don’t always realize that you’re outplaying somebody,” he explains.
Nevertheless, Byington says he remains committed to busking because it gives him a strong sense of identity and purpose.
“It makes people happy, and that’s the main reason why I do it,” he adds. “To see people smile.”
SPIRITUAL MESSAGES
Like Byington, Jimmy Clifton also stumbled into the busking life. Raised in Hendersonville, the Christian singer-songwriter, began performing his music on the streets of his hometown in 2016.
“I didn’t really do it for tips or anything,” he explains. “But then someone gave me a dollar, and I was like, ‘OK, maybe I should do this.’”
Last year, Clifton redirected his attention to downtown Asheville, where he often finds bigger crowds. Most days, locals and tourists alike can spot him either set up adjacent to Urban Outfitters on Haywood Street or near Chai Pani on Battery Park Avenue. His set includes a mix of old hymns, original Christian-themed material and more mainstream
With his fourth album, There’s Proof of God but Time Is Short, released on Spotify on June 30, passersby are likely to hear new material throughout his set. And if things go Clifton’s way, they may also absorb some of his songs’ spiritual messaging as well.
BUSINESS MINDSET
No matter how talented or optimistic a busker might be, sometimes his earnings can trickle to a halt during the colder months when there are fewer tourists in town. For some buskers, such as Timothy Kelley, an Ashevillebased fiddler, the slower season is the main reason for hitting the road.
The solo artist says he’s managed a full-time career as a busker by living in his van and traveling to warmer locations when necessary. Austin, Texas, and St. Petersburg, Fla., are among the cities he frequents.
When speaking to Kelley his excitement is apparent — not just about the music he plays but about the lifestyle itself. And he is quick to offer advice for making it work as a roaming busker.
“You have to have a business-oriented mindset,” he explains. “You’re
putting on a concert for people in the street, and the more you do that, the better you get at it. To me, the perfect business model for a musician is to put your case out in the street and see what you can get gratuity-wise.”
At the heart of his philosophy for success is authenticity.
“When somebody walks by, you probably have just about 15 seconds at most to try to tug on their heart strings or make them feel something or whatever. Being a busker makes you as authentic as possible, because you have to feel that in order for them to be able to feel it. You have to feel it within yourself.”
Such a nomadic and adventurous life can wear him down sometimes. Kelley has run out of gas before in Wyoming, and he has stayed up penniless before in a park in Florida. However, he has managed to cultivate an optimism that continues to drive him.
“Always put your best foot forward,” he says. “Go into the street as happy as possible, even if your mind isn’t in the right place. Because sometimes you get done, and by then, your mind is in the right place. Music is like therapy in a lot of ways.” X
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ARTS & CULTURE
RECENT ARRIVAL: Jimmy Clifton has been busking in Asheville for about a year. Photo by Lily Faulkner
DRUM ROLL: Since 2010, Adrian Byington has been howling and banging his djembe drums in Asheville. Photo by Eternity Jade
MUSIC
MOUNTAINX.COM JULY 19-25, 2023 27
by Edwin Arnaudin | earnaudin@mountainx.com
Insiders assess the local art scene
Aaron Ybarra is a Leicesterbased actor whose credits include Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective, Asheville Community Theatre and other area companies.
Xpress : Is there an upcoming theater event/production happening in Asheville that you’re looking forward to seeing?
Ybarra: I’m really looking forward to seeing Montford Park Players’ The Tempest , running Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout September. Director Dwight Chiles absolutely wowed the audience with their production of Much Ado About Nothing last year.
Outside of theater, what other upcoming local arts happening intrigues you?
Also bright and beaming on my radar is Enter the Garden , showing at the Wortham Center for the Arts on Nov. 18. I’m a sucker for aerial arts, and the 13th Hour Dance Company delivered sizzling and stellar work in their previous shows at Hi-Wire Brewing. I’m pumped to see them bring it in this new venue.
What current project are you working on that you’re especially excited about?
Currently, I’m working on Twelfth Night, which debuted June 23, at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheater, and runs through Saturday, July 22. Director Fable Day leads a phenomenal cast of LGBTQIA2S+ persons into a wonderful, queer pirate-y romp.
Becky Stone is a Fairview-based storyteller who also performs at a number of Chautauqua festivals, portraying various historical figures.
Xpress: Is there an upcoming storytelling event happening in Asheville that you’re looking forward to seeing?
Stone: On Wednesday, Aug. 3, the Weaverville Community Center is hosting another storytelling concert produced by Chuck Fink — a fine teller of personal tales himself who has pulled together several concerts of tellers over the last few years. He brings together the best in the region, and the audiences are wonderful. They only ask for donations, so everyone has access to these concerts. You get to hear four tellers, and he doesn’t ask you to be a part of the concert unless you have something to offer. You’ll come away excited by what you hear.
Outside of storytelling, what other upcoming local arts happening intrigues you?
I love music, and when I get the chance, I try to take advantage of the music series offered in the area. There are two chamber music series that never fail to entice and entertain: the Chamber Music Society of the Carolinas [which has Saturday performances July 8, 15, 22 and 29 at Warren Wilson College’s Kittredge Theater] and the Asheville Chamber Music Series [a five-concert season, which begins in October]. I love chamber music because I can hear the different voices of the instruments, how each instrument contributes to the piece and the artistry of the instrumentalist. All music is thrilling, but I especially enjoy the intimacy of chamber music.
What current project are you working on that you’re especially excited about?
I am taking on a new Chautauqua character, Mary Fields. She was the first African American woman to be a star route carrier in this country. She was born into slavery, but after emancipation, life led her to Cascade, Mont., where she died in 1914. She was a part of the settling of the frontier, and researching Fields is going to lead me to a close examination of the African Americans who lived in the Wild West and made significant contributions — Black settlers, male and female; Black cowboys; Black entrepreneurs; Black sheriffs and marshals; Black wranglers. Oh, the stories that are waiting to be told!
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X
X
THEATER STORYTELLING
Aaron Ybarra. Photo courtesy of the artist
Becky Stone. Photo by Araya Hansen
FOUR OF A KIND EATS & DRINKS ASHEVILLE-AREA GUIDE 2023 Pick up your print copy today in boxes everywhere! NEW EDITION
Elizabeth Brim is a blacksmith and sculptor who teaches at the Penland School of Craft.
Xpress: Is there an upcoming blacksmithing event happening in the Asheville area that you’re looking forward to seeing?
Brim: Fire on the Mountain Blacksmithing Festival in Spruce Pine is a highlight of my year and is well worth marking on your calendar, even though it’s not until the last Saturday in April. There will be demonstrations by renowned metal artists and hands-on opportunities for people who want to try forming hot steel with a hammer. There will be forging competitions the public can vote on and a blacksmith’s art exhibit in the Spruce Pine Arts Council Gallery. Because it’s a festival, there are lots of food and fun activities for people of all ages. It gets better each year and is free for everyone.
Outside of blacksmithing, what other upcoming local arts happening intrigues you?
When classes are running at the Penland School of Craft during summer and into fall, there are artist presentations almost every evening. Anyone can come see and hear artists talk about their work. Every other Thursday, there’s an auction of artwork to benefit the scholarship program. The Penland Gallery has outstanding exhibits and also wonderful pieces to buy and enjoy at home.
What current project are you working on that you’re especially excited about?
I’m finishing an inflated steel pillow that Penland School has commissioned. The pillow will have names of the numerous instructors who have been selected to be honored annually as the Outstanding Artist Educator. This year, I have the honor of adding my name as well. X
Marley Carroll is a Weavervillebased DJ and producer.
Xpress : Is there an upcoming music event happening in Asheville that you’re looking forward to seeing?
Carroll: Unknown Mortal Orchestra at The Orange Peel on Tuesday, Oct. 17. UMO has that rhythmically conscious indie pocket that you hear in bands like Khruangbin, and I’ve been a fan of theirs for a long time. I first heard their music in the early 2010s when I was regularly visiting Portland, Ore., where they are based, and it was everywhere — the soundtrack to many significant experiences from that time in my life. Their new record, V, is fantastic, and I love creating new memories around a beloved band instead of relegating them to a nostalgia trip.
Outside of music, what other upcoming local arts happening intrigues you?
Asheville Art Museum’s The Art of Food exhibition is up through Oct. 22. My partner and I are AAM members and visit a few times a year. The Whitney Museum Vantage Points photography exhibition [which ran December 2020-March 2021] was a recent highlight for me, and I found it massively inspiring. The Art of Food features work from some big names like Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns , but I’m mainly interested in checking out the contemporary artists to discover some new work.
What current project are you working on that you’re especially excited about?
I have some new music in progress that will be a follow-up to Voices, a record I put out last year that was manufactured by Citizen Vinyl and featured art by Anna Bryant, a local printmaker and designer. Voices was centered on the nostalgia and heartache of missing raving and dance music during [the COVID-19 pandemic] lockdown, but these new tracks have a darker valence, exploring feelings of regret, what-ifs and loss. It’s day-after-therave music.
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Elizabeth Brim. Photo by Nick King
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Marley Carroll. Photo by Nicole McConville
What’s new in food
The Village Food Truck Park opens in Fletcher
Bob Turner wanted to create an oasis of food trucks in what many Fletcher residents and workers considered a food desert. So, he decided to buy the abandoned car wash near the corner of Old Airport and Cane Creek Roads and turn it into The Village Food Truck Park.
The park, the first in Fletcher and one of very few in Western North Carolina, had its grand opening on July 7, featuring burgers from Brevard’s Smash NC and German comfort fare from Hendersonville’s Haus Heidelberg on Wheels. Local classic rock and blues band Livewire performed.
Tucked among industrial warehouses and plants, with a view of the Bearwallow Highlands mountain range to the east, the venue will serve the weekday lunchtime crowd. Turner says Fletcher has “lots of office and warehouse workers [with] nowhere to grab a quick bite to eat for lunch.”
The park will also provide much-needed operations space for food truck owners.
Turner refurbished the former car wash, which was suffering from vandalism, into a one-stop shop for food trucks. It provides a commercial space for trucks to prepare, cook, store, vend and dump — all requirements for a permit. He says he’s “overwhelmed by the positive feedback from the food truck community.
“I’m a firm believer in the importance of small business and local food. Giving chefs and food truck operators a place that they can call home, a food hub in a community of other chefs and operators — that is very exciting to me. But I’m most excited to be part of the dream that these young entrepreneurs are following. Opening a brick-andmortar restaurant is very risky and can cost millions of dollars, and most banks are very hesitant about loaning money for a restaurant. The food truck can give chefs a chance to follow their dreams at a greatly reduced startup cost. We hope to provide the necessary infrastructure to support those dreams.”
The food truck park is open MondayFriday, 11 a.m.-2 pm., with plans to expand to dinner and weekends depending on demand. Two trucks will be on-site daily, with different trucks rotating throughout the week.
“The big dream and goal is to have several food truck choices in one place so that Mom, Dad and the kids can each get whatever type of food they want in an outdoor, community space,” says Turner.
“The food truck business is a grassroots, food-to-the-people movement, and I think it’s pretty cool to be part of that.”
The Village Food Truck Park is at 25 Fletcher Commercial Drive, Fletcher. For more information, visit avl.mx/cub.
‘Putting up’ summer
“Putting up,” or canning and preserving, the summer harvest for access during long winter months has been a tradition born out of necessity in the mountains for generations.
On Saturday, July 22, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., the WNC Farmers Market will hold its first “Save and Seal the Summer” session at the new on-site WNC FoodWorks kitchen. Community experts and farmers will present preserving techniques at the free event.
“The live demonstrations from community experts focus on teaching
people the ways of preserving food that our grandparents used, which seem to have been lost to many people with the rise of convenience when it comes to food,” says Ellerslie McCue, marketing coordinator for the market. “[Preserving] has been the way of life in Appalachia until the last 30 or so years, and it’s amazing to see people becoming more interested in learning and implementing this lifestyle into their lives today.”
Topics covered will include beekeeping, heirloom tomatoes (including presentation and tasting), food waste, quick pickling, canning basics and making hot sauce.
There will also be a session on the new WNC FoodWorks facility, which is slated to open later this summer. Owned and operated by the Center for Agriculture and Food Entrepreneurship, it includes a shared-use commissary kitchen and a small-business training and educational center.
“This is a dream partnership because both groups share a passion for the local food system here in WNC and can work together to connect farmers with food entrepreneurs. Then the market can also help provide them with avenues to sell their finished products,” says McCue.
“’Save and Seal the Summer,’” she adds, “is designed to connect [attendees] with community educators in a personal setting that allows you to ask questions and feel more comfortable about doing these practices at home. The learning doesn’t stop at this event
JULY 19-25, 2023 MOUNTAINX.COM 30
ARTS & CULTURE
TRUCKIN’: Bob Turner opened The Village Food Truck Park to provide a commercial kitchen for food truck owners and lunchtime options for Fletcher residents, workers and visitors. Photo by Andy Hall
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The WNC Farmers Market is at 570 Brevard Road. For more information and to register, visit avl.mx/cud.
The avenue home
New Avenue M executive chef Jennifer Cole has cooked in kitchens from the Deep South to Europe and New York City. But her Western North Carolina roots and passion for the region’s culinary traditions, taught to her by her grandmother, have brought her back home.
Cole worked with notable chefs Susan Spicer at Bayona in New Orleans and Jean Paul Vinay in Europe. She was named “Best Female Chef” in Madrid by El Pais, during her time as executive chef at Ene. Upon returning to the States, Cole became the chef and owner of La Mujer Gala in Brooklyn and helped to open the Upper West Side’s famed Taberna. During this time, she took part in a cooking competition on the Food Network’s “Chopped” — and won.
Avenue M co-owner Ralph Lonow says he interviewed many candidates for executive chef but was immediately drawn to Cole’s presence and personality.
“We set up a tasting, and as soon as we tasted her first course of mushroom croquettes, we knew she was a front-runner,” he says. “Once we learned about her knowledge and love of wine, we were ready to hire her.”
Lonow says the new, seasonal menu has been evolving since Cole was hired in May and depends on what local farmers are growing. Current items include Cole Family Farm Baby Kale Salad with bacon and blue cheese dressing, and Hickory Nut Gap Beef Cheeks with sweet potato purée and braised local turnips.
Cole moved back to Western North Carolina to take over her family farm in Haywood County with her brothers. She says she is excited to share her travels through cooking but is glad to be back where it all began.
“I’m so happy to be home in the mountains of my youth and close to family,” she says. “If I’m not in the kitchen, you’ll find me in my garden or hiking through these beautiful mountains.”
Avenue M is at 791 Merrimon Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/91w.
Four footlongs
The Four Feet to Hell hot dog eating contest returns to DSSOLVR brewery on Wednesday, July 19, at 7 p.m.
Competitors will vie for who can devour four foot-long hot dogs
custom-made by The Chop Shop Butchery in six minutes and 66 seconds. The person who finishes first will be declared the winner and will receive a personalized championship belt, a place on the venue’s Wall of Flames and other prizes. There will also be prizes for second and third place.
“The contest idea came to us on a work retreat, where a staff member boastfully stated he could easily eat 10 hot dogs,” says Will Craddock, “vibe lord” at DSSOLVR. “No one thought it would be possible, so we had a staff hot dog eating contest. We then decided to make it a fun event, and it was a huge success. Our patio was overflowing with people, and you had to fight to even see what was happening.”
There will also be a hot dog pop-up on the day of the competition, and the brewery’s Four Feet to Hell Northern German-Style Pilsner will be available on draft during the week of the event.
Tickets to the event are $5, with proceeds going to MANNA FoodBank.
DSSOLVR is at 63 N. Lexington Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/cuf.
With a little help from my friends
A national support group for food and beverage professionals struggling with addiction, Ben’s Friends, has relaunched its weekly meetings in Asheville.
The meetings, which began July 10, will take place at Rabbit Hole at Sunny Point Café in West Asheville every Monday, 10-11 a.m.
“The chapter welcomes anyone who has found, or is struggling to find, sobriety while working in the food and beverage industry,” according to a press release.
The organization was founded by Charleston, S.C., restaurateurs Steve Palmer and Mickey Bakst in honor of Ben Murray, a chef who struggled with alcoholism and took his own life.
“With alcohol and drugs ravishing the food and beverage community, Ben’s Friends provides a safe shelter for those restaurant employees seeking sobriety, and we are happy to be back in Asheville,” says Bakst in an email exchange with Xpress “Having others in the industry who understand the unique stresses and pressures of restaurant life creates a strong connection for the suffering addict. Ben’s Friends is here to help anyone in the F&B industry find a path to a better life.”
Rabbit Hole at Sunny Point Café is at 9 State St. For more information, visit avl.mx/8ps.
— Andy Hall X
MOUNTAINX.COM JULY 19-25, 2023 31
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Around Town
Pink Dog exhibit reflects on pandemic and its aftermath
Asheville’s Paul Saenger didn’t set out to create a series of paintings about COVID-19 and its effects on the world around him. It just kind of happened.
“I took classes for drawing and painting for a year before the pandemic shut things down,” explains Saenger, who retired as an orthopedist in 2019. “Equipped with those fundamentals, I began experimenting with cardboard before advancing to canvases. I found myself painting mostly people, perhaps because of my career and its focus on human anatomy. I painted to create an expression of my sense of this world.”
He ended up creating paintings like “American Hubris,” an homage to Grant Wood’s classic “American Gothic,” complete with a masked woman and a CNN chyron reeling off COVID-19 death numbers.
“Monumental” depicts the Washington Monument as a vaccine-filled syringe.
People, Politics and the Pandemic, an exhibit of 57 of Saenger’s paintings, will be on display from Friday, July 21-Sunday, Aug. 20, at Pink Dog Gallery. An opening reception will be Friday, July 21, 5-7 p.m.
“What I think people may get out of this show is a chance to reflect on the historic events we all shared over the past few years,” he says.
As the pandemic went on, Saenger says, he grew increasingly concerned about what he saw as a lack of effective leadership and the failure of the public to take the crisis seriously. That led him to create portraits in an effort to populate his life with people he no longer saw because of pandemic-related shutdowns and his own retirement.
“That the owners of Pink Dog Creative, Hedy Fischer and Randy Shull, invited me to put together an exhibition of this work for public display comes as a welcome surprise,” he says.
Pink Dog Gallery, 348 Depot St. in the River Arts District, is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-4 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit avl.mx/a0b.
Craft-alachian
“Heigh Ho Come to the Fair” was printed on the poster for the first craft fair presented by the Southern Highlands Craft Guild. The year was 1948.
This year, the 76th Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands will take place Thursday, July 20-Sunday, July 23,
10 a.m.-5 p.m., at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville.
Over 100 regional artists, makers and craftspeople will display and sell their works throughout the two-tiered arena, including pottery, sculpture, furniture, tapestry, apparel, mixed media, jewelry and more. Crafts rooted in Appalachian traditions will be featured alongside contemporary works, with live interactive demonstrations occurring throughout the event.
“This edition of the fair is filled with many heirloom-quality works of fine craft that offer long-term enjoyment for those who appreciate well-made, highly skilled crafts,” says Janet Wiseman, director of education for the guild. “For a first-time fairgoer, I would say: Take your time, hone your eye to the difference between machine-made items and those made by highly talented artists.” By developing such discernment, she says, visitors can choose works for their home “that stand the tests of time and trends ... and gifts for loved ones that they can cherish and pass on to the next generation.”
Local musicians, including Carol Rifkin, Split Rail Bluegrass and Buncombe Turnpike, will perform traditional and bluegrass mountain music on the downstairs stage. A special storytelling session of Jack Tales told by Ashton Woody will take place at 10:15 a.m. Sunday.
“I’m excited about the music schedule,” says Wiseman. “The fair has offered live music since the first fair in 1948 where Jean Ritchie, the ’songbird of the Cumberlands,’ was featured. This fair we are featuring mentors and students, with young talents such as local teen banjo sensation Bayla Davis, who will be playing with the Buncombe County Junior Appalachian Musicians Ambassadors.
“There’s an incredible amount of work and planning that goes into any event or festival of this magnitude,” she adds. “Everyone needs to have the experience of coordinating an event to understand the amount of dedication and cooperation involved. Luckily, the [guild] has always had people who step up and do the work.
We are proud of our craft fair and the high-quality work of our members.”
Admission is $10 for adults, free for children younger than 12.
Harrah’s Cherokee Center is at 87 Haywood St. For more information, visit avl.mx/77o.
JULY 19-25, 2023 MOUNTAINX.COM 32
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Oh, the places you’ll go
For the first time, the art of Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, will be on display in Asheville.
Rare Editions Exhibition: A rare selection of works from The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss will be on exhibit at BlackBird Frame & Art from Thursday, July 27-Saturday, July 29.
“Experiencing this collection will expand upon what most people know about Dr. Seuss,” says Mike Hardin, managing director of The Art of Dr. Seuss Collection. “It showcases not only his book illustrations, but also his ’secret art,’ which he painted at night for relaxation and as a reflection of the world around him, as he saw it.”
Shared in conjunction with Roswell, Ga.’s Ann Jackson Gallery, the selection will include works from Dr. Seuss’ best known children’s books, as well as those from his private artwork. The pieces are limited editions that have been adapted and reproduced from Geisel’s original drawings, paintings and sculptures and are authorized by his estate.
Exhibition hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and until 5 p.m. on Saturday.
BlackBird Frame & Art is at 365 Merrimon Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/prxf.
Paying homage through art
An Asheville-based artist is paying homage to his inspirations, including
Theodor Geisel, in an exhibition from Friday, July 21-Saturday, July 29.
Philip DeAngelo’s exhibition at his studio in the River Arts District will open with a free public reception Friday, 5-8 p.m.
“I have had this show concept in mind for a while, so I’m really glad time and circumstance have allowed me to finally delve into it — it has been a really invigorating and fun experience to embrace the challenge of homage,” says DeAngelo.
Other influences in DeAngelo’s art include Norman Rockwell, Roy Lichtenstein and Mark Rothko
“I think it’s important and useful to take a look at our influences as artists,” he says. “I hope, of course, that the public enjoys the new works, and I also hope that it [encourages] artists and art lovers to think about what inspires them and how they navigate that balance while developing their own unique visual presence as creators or collectors.”
Philip DeAngelo Studio, open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m-4 p.m., is at 115 Roberts St. For more information, visit avl.mx/bjf.
A Cherokee connection to Wedgwood
A free program hosted by the Western Office of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources will focus on the history of early clay and mica mining in Western North Carolina.
On Saturday, July 22, 2:30-3:30 p.m., Alexander S. Glover Jr., a geologist
and the recognized authority on the Spruce Pine Mining District, will present “America’s First Kaolin: The Wedgwood/Cherokee Connection.”
The presentation will feature a discussion on the history of clay and mica mining near present-day Franklin, as well as kaolin mining in Macon County.
According to a press release, “When Georgia potter Andrew Duche first made porcelain in 1739 from clay found in the Cherokee region of the North Carolina mountains, his art inspired others, including English potter Josiah Wedgwood, who commissioned Griffiths to obtain this ’Cherokee clay,’ or kaolin. Charleston planter Thomas Griffiths endured many hardships on his journey but delivered a five-ton shipment to Wedgwood in England in 1769.”
The exhibit Waking Rip Van Winkle: Gold, Mineral & Gem Mining in Western North Carolina will be open before and after the program.
To reserve a seat contact Angela Jervis at 828-250-3101 or email angela. jervis@ncdcr.gov.
The Western Office of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is at 176 Riceville Road. For more information, visit avl.mx/cug.
Community service recognition
The Edward Buncombe chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution has named nonprofits Arts for Life and Asheville Quilt Guild as recipients of its Community Service Awards.
“The Community Service Awards are presented to individuals or organizations who are doing outstanding and often unrecognized volunteer work to improve and enhance life in their communities,” says Laurie Calkins, chapter Community Service Awards Committee chair.
Arts for Life, which provides support to pediatric patients and their families through arts education and engagement, was recognized for its annual work with more than 7,000 families across North Carolina. The organization is based in Asheville, with additional locations in Charlotte and Winston-Salem.
“They offer all types of visual art lessons, including photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, music and creative writing lessons, all at no cost to families,” according to a press release distributed by the chapter. “Our chapter feels that Arts for Life inspires a sick child and us all to look beyond the immediate.”
The Asheville Quilt Guild creates and donates hundreds of quilts to community members in need annually, as well as provides education on quilting as an art form, working with organizations such as Eliada Home, Project Linus and Western Correctional Center for Women. “We feel the quilts the guild makes for display represent the true beauty of human creativity, and the quilts they give are true gifts of love,” according to the same press release.
“The Edward Buncombe chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is one of 11 DAR chapters in Western North Carolina,” says Calkins. “The DAR is dedicated to promoting historic preservation, education, and patriotism.”
For more information on the Edward Buncombe Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, visit avl.mx/cuh. — Andy Hall X with additional reporting from Justin McGuire.
MOVIE REVIEWS
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — DEAD RECKONING PART ONE: Remember when this series was fun and not hours and hours of tedious mayhem? Grade: C — Edwin Arnaudin
MOUNTAINX.COM JULY 19-25, 2023 33
COVID CREATIONS: Paintings by Paul Saenger, including “American Hubris,” center, and “Monumental” will be part of the Pink Dog Gallery’s exhibit People, Politics and the Pandemic. Photos courtesy of Saenger
Find full reviews and local film info at ashevillemovies.com ashevillemovies.substack.com
WEDNESDAY, JULY 19
12 BONES BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm
27 CLUB
Videodrome: Heatwave (synth dance party), 10pm
ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL
Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm
BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING
Jay Brown (roots, blues, jazz), 6pm
FLEETWOOD'S Totally 80's Wednesday Night Dance Party, 9pm
FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY
Bluegrass Jam w/The Saylor Brothers, 6:30pm
HIGHLAND BREWING CO.
Songwriter Series w/ Matt Smith, 6pm
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Jam, 5pm
LA TAPA LOUNGE Bike Night w/Connor Hunt (Appalachian, country), 6pm
OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.
FBVMA: Mountain Music Jam, 6pm
ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Latin Night w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8:30pm
SALVAGE STATION
Gideon (metalcore), 7pm
SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic, 8pm
THE GREY EAGLE
Patio: Sara Jean Kelley (Americana, pop, country), 5:30pm
TWIN LEAF BREWERY
Wednesday Open Mic, 5:30pm
THURSDAY, JULY 20
AMAZING PUBCYCLE
The Office Trivia Night, 6pm
ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR
The MGB's (acoustic), 8pm
B-SIDES LOFT
Man on Man & Cooling Prongs (alternative, electro-rock), 9pm
BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE
Mike Kenton & Jim Tanner (jazz), 5:30pm
BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING
Dan Signor (multiple genres), 6pm
CROW & QUILL
Cyndi Lou & The Want To (honky-tonk), 8pm
DIFFERENT WRLD
They Came From the Woods (techno, house), 8pm
FRENCH BROAD
RIVER BREWERY
Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm
FROG LEVEL BREWERY Muddy Guthrie (Americana, rock, blues), 6pm
GREEN MAN BREWERY
Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm
HIGHLAND BREWING
DOWNTOWN
TAPROOM Not Rocket Science Trivia, 6pm
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB
Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7:30pm
OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.
Rhythm & Brews
Afterparty w/Kid Billy (Americana, blues, ragtime), 8pm
ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Electro Lust (funk, electronic, Latin), 9pm
PULP Stand Up Comedy w/ Petey Smith McDowell, 8pm
PISGAH BREWING CO.
Bobby Miller & The Virgina Dare Devils (acoustic), 6:30pm
JULY 19-25, 2023 MOUNTAINX.COM 34
CLUBLAND
PUNK-GRASS WAVE: On Friday, July 21, punk-grass duo Belliza will be joined by metal bands Rising Regime and Helen’s Bridge at the 27 Club for a high-powered night of live music. The show starts at 9 p.m. Photo by Kenna Elizabeth
For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4.
SALVAGE STATION
Led Zeppelin 2 (Led Zeppelin tribute), 8pm
STATIC AGE RECORDS
Casual Hex, Lunar
Creature, Spiral Prone, Tulpas & Haugr (punk, post-punk), 9pm
THE DFR LOUNGE
Steve Simon & The Kings of Jazz (Latin, jazz), 7pm
THE GREY EAGLE
• Patio: Miami Gold (rock'n'roll), 5:30pm
• Big Freedia (Southern-rap, bounce), 8pm
THE ODD
L.M.I & Loss of Consciousness (hardcore punk), 8pm
THE OUTPOST
Orange Moon (Erykah Badu tribute), 7pm
THE ROOT BAR
Kendra & Friends (multiple genres), 6pm
URBAN ORCHARD
Trivia Thursday, 7pm
URBAN ORCHARD
CIDER CO. SOUTH
SLOPE
Social Bachata, 8:30pm
WNC OUTDOOR
COLLECTIVE Trivia, 6:30pm
WICKED WEED BREWING
Beer & Loathing (rock), 5pm
WRONG WAY RIVER
LODGE & CABINS
Modelface Presents
Comedy: Kelsey Rosen, 7pm
FRIDAY, JULY 21
27 CLUB
Bellizia, Rising Regime & Helen’s Bridge (punkgrass, thrash, metal), 9pm
ASHEVILLE GUITAR
BAR
Mr Jimmy's Friday Night Blues, 7:30pm
ASHEVILLE MUSIC
HALL
Buddhagraph Spaceship (rock, funk, Americana), 10:30pm
B-SIDES LOFT
Klypi, LiNE, Buddy Crime & Jessi Slaughter (electronic, techno, hyper-pop), 9pm
BEN'S TUNE UP
EK Balam (reggaeton, hip-hop), 8pm
BIER GARDEN
Pleasure Chest (blues, soul, rock), 8pm
BLACK MOUNTAIN
BREWING
Cuberow (soul, indie), 6pm
BOTANIST & BARREL
TASTING BAR + BOTTLE SHOP
Frances Eliza (jazz, indie-folk, pop), 6pm
BURGER BAR
Burger Bar Comedy Show, 7pm
CATAWBA BREWING
CO. SOUTH SLOPE
ASHEVILLE
• Comedy at Catawba:
Adam Cayton-Holland (early show), 7pm
• Comedy at Catawba: Adam Cayton-Holland (late show), 9:30pm
CORK & KEG
The Old Chevrolette Set (country, honkytonk), 8pm
DIFFERENT WRLD
Makeup Girl, Paper Pills & Hi Helens (indie, rock, pop), 8pm
FBO HOMINY CREEK
Muddy Guthrie (Americana, rock, blues), 6pm
FLEETWOOD'S
Knives & Daggers, Candy Coffins & The Mystery Plan (indie, shoegaze), 9pm
GINGER'S REVENGE
CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM
Austin Miller (Americana), 6pm
HIGHLAND BREWING
DOWNTOWN
TAPROOM
Drag Music Bingo w/ Divine the Bearded Lady, 7pm
JACK OF THE WOOD
PUB
• Honky-Tonk Fridays w/Jackson Grimm, 4pm
• Josh Bennett Band (Southern rock, folk, bluegrass), 9pm
LA TAPA LOUNGE
Open Mic Night w/ Hamza, 8pm
OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.
Circuit Breakers (rock'n'roll), 8pm
ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC
HALL
Muskrat Flats (Americana), 10pm
ONE WORLD BREWING
5J Barrow Friday Nights (folk), 8pm
ONE WORLD BREWING WEST
The Free Flow Band (funk), 9pm
RABBIT RABBIT
Silent Disco: Black Light Party, 8pm
SALVAGE STATION
Greensky Bluegrass w/
Big Something (bluegrass, rock), 5:30pm
SHILOH & GAINES
The Grateful Family Band (Grateful Dead tribute), 9pm
SOVEREIGN KAVA
Flint Blade (reggae, jazz), 9pm
THE GREY EAGLE
• Patio: Cynthia
McDermott (R&B, jazz, bossa nova), 6pm
• Pony Bradshaw (Americana, country, folk), 9pm
THE MEADOW AT
MOUNTAINX.COM JULY 19-25, 2023 35
HIGHLAND BREWING CO.
jazz), 7pm
ODD Kuh-Leeb,
Bonsai
Dome (experi-
noise), 9pm THE ORANGE PEEL Zoso (Led Zeppelin Tribute), 8pm
OPEN DAILY • 828.505.8118 • 268 Biltmore Ave • Asheville, NC ASHEVILLEKAVA.COM SUN: Aaron “Woody” Wood & Friends 7pm MON: Ping-Pong Tournament 7pm TUE: Open Jam w/ house band the Lactones 8pm WED: Poetry Open Mic AVL 8:30pm/8pm signup 7/27: Stand Up Comedy hosted by Justin Blackburn, 8pm 7/21: Flint Blade & Samara Jade, 9pm Jambient / Philosopholk 7/22: Nature Looms & Disco Goddess, 9pm Electronic
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THE OUTPOST Krave Amiko (indie, alt-pop), 7pm
THE RAD BREW CO. Boukou Groove (soul, funk), 7pm
THE SOCIAL LOUNGE
Rooftop Dance Party
w/DJ Lil Meow Meow, 11pm
URBAN ORCHARD
Cider Celts (Celtic, folk, old-time), 6pm
WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT
The Hillclimbers (Appalachian, bluegrass), 7pm
WHITE HORSE BLACK
MOUNTAIN
Hiroya Tsukamoto (folk, jazz), 8pm
SATURDAY, JULY 22
27 CLUB
Moon Medallion, Silver
Doors & Guy Roswel (garage, psych, rock), 8pm
ASHEVILLE CLUB
Mr Jimmy (blues), 7pm
ASHEVILLE GUITAR
BAR
Doss Church & the Unholy Noise (soul, Americana), 8pm
ASHEVILLE MUSIC
HALL Guavatron (funktronica), 10:30pm
BATTERY PARK BOOK
EXCHANGE
Dinah's Daydream (jazz), 5:30pm
BEN'S TUNE UP
Jaze Uries (house, electronic), 8pm
BLACK MOUNTAIN
BREWING
Stephen Evans (folk, rock), 6pm
BOLD ROCK
ASHEVILLE
Muddy Guthrie (Americana, rock, blues), 7pm
CORK & KEG
Parrish Ellis, Cory
Seznec & Steve Trismen (country, African-American blues, blugrass), 8pm
CROW & QUILL
Doc Docherty (magic), 8pm
DSSOLVR
Don't Tell Comedy: Downtown Asheville, 10pm
FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER
The ART of Comedy, 7pm
FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON Comedy Hypnosis w/ Jon Dee, 8pm
FRENCH BROAD
RIVER BREWERY
Strange Rangers (funk, jazz, pop), 7pm
GINGER'S REVENGE
Eyes Up Here Comedy, 8pm
GINGER'S REVENGE
SOUTH SLOPE
LOUNGE
The Realtorz (multiple genres), 4pm
HIGHLAND BREWING
DOWNTOWN
TAPROOM
Ashley Heath (Americana, blues, rock'n'roll), 7pm
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB
• Nobody's Darling String Band, 4pm
• Stonehen & The Muckers (rock, Irish), 9pm
LA TAPA LOUNGE
Karaoke Night, 9pm
OKLAWAHA
BREWING CO.
Abbey Elmore Band (indie-rock, pop), 8pm
ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL
AJEVA (funk, rock), 10pm
ONE WORLD BREWING WEST
• Urban Soil (Americana, rock'n'roll, soul), 3pm
• Invitational Blues Showcase, 8pm
PISGAH BREWING
CO.
Phuncle Sam (Grateful Dead Tribute), 6pm
RABBIT RABBIT
Silent Disco: EDM Night, 9pm
SALVAGE STATION
Greensky Bluegrass w/ Big Something (bluegrass, rock), 5:30pm
SHILOH & GAINES
Stetson's Stink Bug
Bourbon Band (country, Americana), 9pm
SOVEREIGN KAVA
Nature Looms & Disco Goddess (multiple genres), 9pm
STATIC AGE RECORDS
Wastoid & Sayurblaires (alternative, harsh noise, cyber punk), 9pm
THE BURGER BAR Best Worst Karaoke, 9pm
THE GREY EAGLE
• Patio: The Whiskey Charmers (Americana, rock), 6pm
• Casey's Movie Trivia: The Return, 8pm
THE ODD Party Foul Drag: Saturday Night Tease, 8pm
THE ORANGE PEEL Rumours (Fleetwood Mac tribute), 8pm
JULY 19-25, 2023 MOUNTAINX.COM 36
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CLUBLAND
WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT
Livin’ on the Ledge Series w/Phantom Pantone, 2pm
SUNDAY, JULY 23
ASHEVILLE BEAUTY
ACADEMY
Sunday Hustle Dance Party, 9pm
CATAWBA BREWING
CO. SOUTH SLOPE
ASHEVILLE
Comedy at Catawba: Reena Calm, 6pm
CUMMING’S COVE
GOLF & COUNTRY
CLUB
Geriatric Jukebox (oldies), 5:30pm
DIFFERENT WRLD
Tyrie Young, Wize Dev & Sxvxnt (hip hop, rap), 7pm
FRENCH BROAD
RIVER BREWERY
Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 3pm
HIGHLAND
DOWNTOWN TAPROOM
Mr Jimmy Duo (blues), 1pm
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB
• Bluegrass Brunch, 1pm
• Traditional Irish Jam, 3:30pm
OKLAWAHA
BREWING CO.
High Sierra (acoustic), 3pm
ONE WORLD BREWING WEST
Sunday Jazz Jam, 1:30pm
PISGAH BREWING CO.
Pisgah Sunday Jam, 6:30pm
RABBIT RABBIT
Kid Hop Hooray (dance party), 12pm
SOVEREIGN KAVA
Aaron Woody Wood (Appalachia, soul, Americana), 7pm
THE GREY EAGLE
Tony Furtado (Americana, roots), 8pm
THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.
Mood Ring (R&B, hiphop, soul), 2pm
THE ODD
Drag King Night, 8pm
PLĒB URBAN WINERY
Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 4pm
MONDAY, JULY 24
27 CLUB
Karaoke Monday, 10pm
5 WALNUT WINE BAR
CaroMia, Rahm, Daniel Iannuci & Jaze Uries (soul, R&B, folk), 8pm
DSSOLVR
Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm
GREEN MAN BREWERY
Traditonal Old Time Jam, 5:30pm
HAYWOOD COUNTRY CLUB
Taylor Martin's Open Mic Mondays, 6:30pm
HIGHLAND BREWING CO.
Totally Rad Trivia w/ Mitch Fortune, 6pm
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB
Quizzo! Pub Trivia w/ Jason Mencer, 7:30pm
NOBLE CIDER
DOWNTOWN Freshen Up Comedy
Open Mic, 6:30pm
OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.
It Takes All Kinds Open Mic Nights, 7pm
ONE WORLD BREWING
Open Mic Downtown, 8pm
ONE WORLD BREWING WEST
Mashup Mondays w/
The JLloyd Mashup Band, 8pm
SILVERADOS Buckcherry w/Lost in Silence (rock), 7pm
STATIC AGE RECORDS
Styrofoam Winos, Gold
Light & Sinai Vessel (indie folk, rock), 9pm
THE JOINT NEXT DOOR
Mr Jimmy & Friends (blues), 7pm
THE MONTE VISTA HOTEL
Music Mondays, 5pm
THE ORANGE PEEL
Steel Panther w/BRKN
Love (metal), 8pm
THE RAD BREW CO. Trivia w/Billy, 7pm
TUESDAY, JULY 25
CATAWBA BREWING CO. SOUTH SLOPE
ASHEVILLE
Comedy at Catawba: Kelly Collette & Blake
Hammond, 7pm
FLEETWOOD'S
Tuesday Night Karaoke Dance Party, 9pm
FRENCH BROAD
RIVER BREWERY
Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm
OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.
Team Trivia, 7pm
ONE WORLD BREWING WEST
The Grateful Family Band Tuesdays (Grateful Dead tribute), 6pm
SOVEREIGN KAVA
Weekly Open Jam
hosted by Chris Cooper & Friends, 6:30pm
STATIC AGE RECORDS
Gus Baldwin & the
Sketch w/DEAA (psych rock, noise, experimental), 9pm
THE BURGER BAR C U Next Tuesday Trivia, 9pm
THE GREY EAGLE
Laid Black Country
Picker w/Grayson
Jenkin & Eric Bolander (country, honky-tonk, Appalachian), 8pm
THE ODD
Open Mic Comedy, 8pm
TWIN LEAF BREWERY
Tuesday Night Trivia, 7pm
WHITE HORSE BLACK
MOUNTAIN
White Horse Open Mic, 7pm
WEDNESDAY, JULY 26
12 BONES BREWERY
Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm
ASHEVILLE MUSIC
HALL
Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm
BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING
Jay Brown (roots, blues, jazz), 6pm
DIFFERENT WRLD
Queer Comedy Party w/Karen Felix, 8pm
FLEETWOOD'S
Totally 80's Wednesday Night Dance Party, 9pm
FRENCH BROAD
RIVER BREWERY
Bluegrass Jam w/The Saylor Brothers, 6:30pm
HIGHLAND BREWING CO.
Songwriter Series w/ Matt Smith, 6pm
JACK OF THE WOOD
PUB
Old Time Jam, 5pm
LA TAPA LOUNGE
Bike Night w/Connor Hunt (Appalachian, country), 6pm
OKLAWAHA
BREWING CO.
FBVMA: Mountain Music Jam, 6pm
ONE WORLD BREWING WEST
Latin Night w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8:30pm
SOVEREIGN KAVA
Poetry Open Mic, 8pm
THE ODD
Jaguardini, Juniper Willow & Nesting Doll (goth, electronic, synth), 8pm
TWIN LEAF BREWERY
Wednesday Open Mic, 5:30pm
WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish Music Circle, 7pm
THURSDAY, JULY 27
27 CLUB
Asylum 213, Followship, The Welcoming & Lady Kabela (post-punk, rock), 8pm
ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR
The Tallboys (rock, reggae), 8pm
BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE
Mike Kenton & Jim Tanner (jazz), 5:30pm
BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING
Hunter Begley (alt-country, folk), 6pm
CROW & QUILL
Firecracker Jazz Band, 8pm
DIFFERENT WRLD
Mindvac, Powder Horns & Roamck (punk, noise rock, metal), 7pm
FLEETWOOD'S Wynton Existing & Hex Wizard (psych, rock), 9pm
FRENCH BROAD
RIVER BREWERY
Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm
GREEN MAN BREWERY
Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm
HIGHLAND BREWING
DOWNTOWN
TAPROOM
Not Rocket Science Trivia, 6pm
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB
Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7:30pm
OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.
5J Barrow (folk, soul), 7pm
ONE WORLD BREWING
Jason Hazinski (blues, soul), 8pm
ONE WORLD BREWING WEST
The Ruckus w/Kathryn
O'Shea & Reggie Headen (blues), 8pm
PISGAH BREWING CO.
Rebekah Todd (soul, rock), 6:30pm
SOVEREIGN KAVA
Stand Up Comedy w/ Justin Blackburn, 8pm
STATIC AGE RECORDS
Pons, Tombstone Poetry & Chupakabra (indie rock, alternative, noise), 9pm
THE DFR LOUNGE
Steve Simon & The Kings of Jazz (Latin, jazz), 7pm
THE GREY EAGLE
• Patio: Dani Kerr & The Skeleton Krew (rock'n'roll, blues, funk), 5:30pm
• The NTH Power (funk, soul, rock), 8pm
THE ODD Brujas Del Sol, Horseburner & Rocky Mtn Roller (metal, rock), 8pm
THE ORANGE PEEL
Rory Scovel, 7pm
THE OUTPOST
J.M. Clifford (folk, bluegrass), 7pm
THE ROOT BAR
Kendra & Friends (multiple genres), 6pm
URBAN ORCHARD
Trivia Thursday, 7pm
URBAN ORCHARD CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE Social Bachata, 8:30pm
WNC OUTDOOR COLLECTIVE Trivia, 6:30pm
WICKED WEED BREWING
The Hillclimbers (Appalachian, bluegrass), 6pm
Open
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FREEWILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your deep psyche will soon well up with extra creativity and fertility. I hope you will eagerly tap into these gifts. You should assume that you will be more imaginative and ingenious than usual. You will have an enhanced ability to solve problems with vigor and flair. In what areas of your life would you love to gently erupt with a burst of reinvention? Which of your habits might benefit from being cheerfully disrupted? Give yourself permission to change whatever bores you.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): My teacher Paul Foster Case said the color yellow is midway between warm, exciting red and cool, calming blue. “Yellow has an equilibrating influence,” he wrote. “It stimulates the finer functions of the brain, is of assistance in developing alertness and discrimination, and helps to establish emotional balance.”
According to my astrological analysis, Taurus, you should emphasize this hue in the coming days. If you call on yellow to help strengthen the qualities Case describes, you will place yourself in sweet alignment with cosmic rhythms.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Because I enjoy joking with you, I am slightly tempted right now to give you one of the following nicknames: Fidgety, Twitch, Jittery, Quivers, or Shakes. But I will take a more serious tack. Let’s instead see if we can influence you to slow down, stabilize your rhythm, get really steady and secure, and stand strong in your foundational power spot. Would you consider adopting any of the following nicknames? Anchor, Unshakeable, Sturdy, Rock Solid, Staunch, Steadfast, Resolute.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): The sometimes overly clever author Oscar Wilde said, “When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers.” I reject that warped view of reality and assure you it will have no bearing on your life in the coming weeks. If you formulate your prayers with care and discernment, they will lead you to rewards, not problems. Maybe not the exact rewards you imagined, but still close to your hopes and helpful in the next chapter of your life story. (P.S.: No sloppy, lazy, careless prayers, please. Be precise and clear.)
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo theologian Bernard McGinn defines mysticism as “the consciousness of the immediate presence of God.” In other words, people having a mystic experience are filled with a visceral sensation of the divine intelligence. It’s not just an idea or concept; it’s a deeply felt communion infused with intimate tenderness. You Leos will be more likely than usual to have such contact in the coming weeks — if you want it. If you don’t want it, or don’t believe it’s real, or don’t think it’s possible, well, then, you can of course resist it. But why not give it a whirl? There’s nothing to lose, and it could be fun.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Here’s a parable for you. Once upon a time, there was a woman who could read the future in the night sky. She regarded the planets and stars as her divine informants. On one moonless evening, she took a walk down a dirt road near her home. It was so dark she could barely see two feet ahead of her. Oops! She should have brought a flashlight. Lost in wonder, she gazed up at the heavenly bodies, watching and listening for revelations they might have for her. Then one of the lights, the planet Saturn, whispered, “Stop and look down, friend.” The woman turned her eyes from the sky to the ground just in time to find she was two strides away from stepping into a deep, muddy hole. What’s the moral of the tale? Here are some possibilities. 1. Sometimes the heights provide useful information about the depths. 2. Soaring visions may help you tune in to practical details. 3. To become aware of important facts you’ve overlooked in your daily rhythm, consult your higher mind.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A Libran writer I know received many rejection notices when
he launched his career. I was amazed at how undaunted he was. In fact, he was the opposite of undaunted. He taped copies of his rejection notices to his bedroom wall. Seeing the evidence of his failures motivated him. It drove him to improve his writing and churn out even more articles. It fueled his search for a wider array of publications that might host his work. During the fourth year of this approach, luck and fate turned in his favor. Within the next eight months, 12 of his pieces appeared in print. My muses tell me, Libra, that you need to hear this story right now.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The cartoon character Bart Simpson is one of the stars of The Simpsons animated TV show. According to him, “Life is a paradox. You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.” While that principle may sometimes be true, I believe you will be exempt from it in the coming weeks. In fact, I suspect you will be as free as it’s possible for a human to be of grueling contradictions, frustrating oppositions, clashing truths, and paralyzing contraries. There’s a good chance you will also outwit and avoid annoying incongruities and silly arguments. Congratulations in advance, Scorpio! Take full advantage of this phase of simple clarity.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The dragon has appeared in the myths and legends of many cultures. Europe, China and Mesoamerica are just a few places where the fire-breathing flying reptiles have fascinated the human imagination. In some traditions, they are dangerous and predatory. In China, though, they have been harbingers of good fortune and symbols of great power. Emperors claimed the dragon as their special emblem. In assigning the dragon to be your soul creature, Sagittarius, I am drawing from Chinese lore. What would you like to accomplish that would benefit from you having access to fierce, dynamic, indomitable energy? Call on the dragon for help and power.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “There is a world of people who will love you for who you are,” writes author Cheryl Strayed. “A whole, vibrant, f***ed-up, happy, conflicted, joyous and depressed mass of people.” In the coming months, one of your prime tasks is to specialize in communing with these folks. Make it your intention to surround yourself more and more with interesting, imperfect, ever-changing life-lovers who appreciate you for exactly who you are — and who inspire you to grow more and more into the full idiosyncratic glory of your authentic self.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): What psychic or prophet is most popular with A-list celebrities? I can assure you it’s not me. Few of my millions of readers are world-famous. What about the planet’s most scientifically accurate astrologer? Who might that be? It ain’t me. I don’t regard astrology as a science, and I mistrust those who say it is. In my view, astrology is a mythopoetic language and psychospiritual system that nurtures our souls and helps liberate us from our conditioning. We shouldn’t try to get “scientifically accurate” information from it. Now I encourage you to do what I just did, Aquarius. Have fun telling people who you are not, what you don’t believe in and which goals you aren’t interested in pursuing.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): To come up with your astrological reports, I study the positions of the sun, moon and planets in relation to your sign. That’s the technical part of the work, the framework within which I unleash my intuition and imagination. To augment this work, I meditate and pray, asking higher powers to guide me in providing useful information for you. I often consult books written by my favorite astrology writers. (Currently reading Steven Forrest’s The Elements Series.) I also ask my deep mind to slip me info that might not be accounted for by traditional factors. How about you, Pisces? How do you do the work that you love and care about? Now is a good time to take inventory and make necessary adjustments.
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REAL ESTATE HOMES FOR SALE
ORGANIC GROWERS
SCHOOL SEEKS CONFER-
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& STUDIO FOR SALE PENLAND SCHOOL OF CRAFT/ ROAN MTN AREA 10 ACRES
Timber frame house, studio & guest cottage for sale 1450 sq ft, 2 b 2 1/2 ba 10 acres, potential Airbnb, mountain views, Bakersville /Penland / Roan Mnt area, ata36did@ yahoo.com
RENTALS
HOMES FOR RENT
NEWLY RENOVATED HOUSE
FOR RENT - 3 BR/2BA
Available now in Oakley area. Rent- $2,400 /month. First & last months, security deposit, rental application, & reference check. If interested, please contact (828) 545-2068 for more information.
EMPLOYMENT
GENERAL
EXPERIENCED PET STYLIST
NEEDED Shampoodles Salon's Woodfin location is in need of an experienced pet groomer. Scissoring skills a must. Please have excellent customer service skills and work well with others. Shampoodles offers paid vacations as well as retirement. 828707-4620 shampoodlessalon@ gmail.com
PET BATHER/GROOMER'S ASSISTANT NEEDED
Shampoodles Salon, Woodfin location is in need of a Pet Bather/Groomer's Assistant. No experience needed. Great starting position if you're interested in learning how to groom! 16/hr 828-707-4620 shampoodlessalon@gmail.com
PROFESSIONAL/ MANAGEMENT
CONTROLLER FOR HIRE
Full-time Pay: $65,000.00$80,000.00 per year. Work Location: Remote. laura@ streamlinepublishing.com streamlinepublishing.com/ 561-767-8560
ENCE COORDINATOR
The Conference Coordinator is responsible for the planning & execution of OGS’s Annual Spring Conference. This project management role involves managing team members, vendors, exhibitors, attendees, etc. This is a year-round position with seasonal fluctuations in time requirements. Visit organicgrowersschool.org/ get-involved to apply.
ORGANIC GROWERS SCHOOL SEEKS PROGRAM COORDINATOR
This full-time, hourly position collaborates with the Program Director and other OGS staff and is responsible for program administration, planning, facilitation, delivery, and support of OGS programs and services.
SERVICES
AUDIO/VIDEO
DISH TV SPECIAL $64.99 for 190 Channels + $14.95
High Speed Internet. Free installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Promo Expires 1/21/23. 1-866-566-1815. (AAN CAN)
HOME IMPROVEMENT
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WNC CLEANING, SERVING ALL OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA Insured. Reliable. 20+ Years of Experience. Eco-Friendly, Naturally Based Products. FREE Quotes. 828-707-5191 WNCZenCleaning@gmail.com Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram @WNCZenCleaning.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Be one of the first 50 callers and save $1,500!
Call 844-514-0123 for a free in-home consultation. (AAN CAN)
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Threatened with foreclosure?
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Let us help! Call the Homeowner Relief Line to speak with a mortgage specialist. 855-721-3269. (AAN CAN)
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CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
BUILD YOUR OWN ACOUSTIC GUITAR
Build your very own D18 style dreadnaught guitar. Class will cover complete construction, top tuning, scalloped bracing, neck shaping, installing and dressing frets, guitar setup and inlay. Week long or weekly class dates. $2,150 all materials included. 828-228-7440 www.ashevilleguitarbuilding.com
EXPERT STRINGED INSTRUMENT REPAIRS
Contact Asheville Guitar Building for expert instrument repair and restorations. Ken Bailey has over 30 years experience working with many different types of instruments. 828-228-7440 Consultations are free. www.ashevilleguitarbuilding.com
MIND, BODY, SPIRIT
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DOWN
1 Taste, as a lollipop
2 Jack London’s “Martin ___”
3 Major fashion magazine
4 Insist no more
5 Barefoot, say
6 Setting for “Make Way for Ducklings”
7 National airline of Poland
8 Bygone Apple messaging app
9 Louise’s partner of film
10 Get out of Dodge, say 11 Reverberated 12
to Brutus
13 Scraped (by)
19 Goes here and there like a butterfly
32 “Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men ___ it”: Shaw
33 Possessive type?
34 Japanese watchmaker
37 Mosaic piece
40 President pro ___
42 State of confusion
45 More mature
47 Prefix that means one-billionth
50 Often a river runs through it
52 Annual award presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
54 ___ Irwin a.k.a. the Crocodile Hunter
56 Ski lift
57 Alan with six Emmys
58 A block or so away, say
59 Hearts or darts
60 Maravich in the Basketball Hall of Fame
61 Sonata, e.g.
62 Roberts dubbed “America’s favorite novelist” by The New Yorker 63 Working in a mess, for short 65 Go off course
MOUNTAINX.COM JULY 19-25, 2023 39 ACROSS
Not a good look
Not together anymore 10 Not doing anything 14 Not doing anything 15 Not the good stuff
Not have
Not one’s landline number 18 Not yet decided 20 Not up for a proposal? 22 Not yet proven 23 Not having scored, in soccer 24 “Not something I needed to know,” in a text 25 Not ones to miss 30 Not on the same page 35 “Not ___ million years!” 36 Not a liability 38 Not your average shopping trip 39 “Not safe for work” stuff 41 Not showy 43 Not entirely: Prefix 44 Not a fan 46 Not playing it safe 48 “Not too shabby!” 49 Not getting enough iron 51 “Not exactly …” 53 Not, in France 55 Not yet two years old 56 Not the main point 60 Not for a fee 64 Not seeing clearly 66 Not in the dark about 67 Not know from ___ 68 Not perfectly round 69 Not participate openly on social media 70 Not well done 71 Not so old 72 [Not much time to lose!]
1
5
16
17
“Behold!,”
Collins
Emasculate
in a pan, maybe
“Cómo ___?”
mattress
Missions, informally
21 Alaska senator Murkowski 25 “Supernatural” actor
26
27 Prepare
28
29 Major
maker 31
edited
Will Shortz | No. 0614 | PUZZLE BY JENNIFER HOELZER THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE
TO
PUZZLE
IT EM PL EA AM EN KA LE LA ND S CI AO BE LL A AS CO T BR EA KI NG ST OR Y C ARA T ST EM RE X LE AK ED FO OT AG E UR I RA N AT E B ONO BO S ET VO IL A PI N IP A RO B ST RE AM IN GL IV E AD E DO RM EA SE L CU RR EN T EVE NT S DE BU G PRA CT IC AL CL IN G OS LO NANA SA GS PE EN ON YX
by
ANSWER
PREVIOUS NY TIMES
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