Mountain Xpress 12.05.18 by Mountain Xpress

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

C O NT E NT S

STARTS ON PAGE 17 HOLIDAY MAGIC

Valentine’s

Need help getting in the holiday spirit? A stroll through WNC’s many specialty shops may jump-start the jolly. On the cover: National Gingerbread House Competition third-place teen winner Chloe Jennings’ creation. COVER PHOTO Courtesy of The Omni Grove Park Inn COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick

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10 DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY? Airbnb involvement could mark turning point in homestay discussion

32 CANNABINOMICS CBD business budding across WNC, nation

FOOD

40 NICHE MARKETS Food specialty shops thrive in Western North Carolina

A&E

36 DEEP ROOTED Local garden supply stores keep Asheville growing

46 PERSPECTIVE STUDIES Exhibition spotlights the work of local nonwhite artists

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17 TAXIDERMY TO TONSORIAL ARTISTRY 18 IT’S A DOG’S LIFE 20 THINK OUTSIDE THE (BIG) BOX 32 CANNABINOMICS 36 DEEP ROOTED 40 NICHE MARKETS 52 POP (UP) STARS 5 LETTERS 5 CARTOON: MOLTON 7 CARTOON: BRENT BROWN 8 COMMENTARY 10 NEWS 14 BUNCOMBE BEAT 17 ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES 24 COMMUNITY CALENDAR 29 GIVE!LOCAL EVENTS 32 WELLNESS 36 GREEN SCENE 40 FOOD 42 SMALL BITES 44 BEER SCOUT 46 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 56 SMART BETS 57 THEATER REVIEW 61 CLUBLAND 67 MOVIES 68 SCREEN SCENE 69 CLASSIFIEDS 70 FREEWILL ASTROLOGY 71 NY TIMES CROSSWORD

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OPINION

Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com. STA F F PUBLISHER: Jeff Fobes ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson MANAGING EDITOR: Virginia Daffron A&E EDITOR/WRITER: Alli Marshall FOOD EDITOR/WRITER: Gina Smith GREEN SCENE EDITOR/WRITER: Daniel Walton OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose

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Does Asheville’s Visitor Center reflect diversity? I commend Explore Asheville and LaZoom Tours owners Jim and Jennifer Lauzon for their work to “attract diverse visitors to a mostly white city” [“Change of Face: Working to Attract Diverse Visitors to a Mostly White City,” Nov. 14, Xpress]. Someone noticed? Explore Asheville CEO Stephanie Brown’s comments that the organization intends to consciously increase the diversity of the people it portrays and her caution on knowing when not to “use” the content, are likewise commendable. I applaud the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority’s recent financial support of the YMI Cultural Center and the Stephens-Lee Recreation Center. But does the Asheville Visitor Center reflect diversity? If you are white, let me suggest walking into the center and imagining that you are black. Do you see yourself in it? I recently walked around the whole area and found only one African-American face, and that was on one brochure, of what seemed like hundreds, for a county assistance agency. What does that say to a black resident or visitor? Or reverse it, and say you went to some other city as a white person and walked into their visitor center and saw only African-American faces on the walls and on the brochures of businesses, galleries, restaurants and tours. My guess is that you would turn around and walk out at not seeing yourself there and not feeling comfortable, just as I assume many black residents and visitors do here.

If you want to celebrate Asheville’s diversity, go around the block and take a photograph of the kids at the Tempie Avery Montford Center or drive down South French Broad to the Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center and photograph kids doing some incredible dance steps. Or drop by the Arthur R. Edington Education & Career Center and take some photos of the kids in the gym, or people working in the garden or in the kitchen. Blow those up and display on your walls. I would certainly feel more welcome. I believe that if the city hadn’t leveled Stephens-Lee, the high school that for over 60 years was the center of education, life and culture for the black community, and hadn’t eradicated much of Eagle and Valley streets, Stumptown cuddled up at the side of the Montford Historic District, and the large Southside area of homes, hotels, markets, theaters and other businesses, then residents would still have something to be proud of. And the city would have the “tourist destination” it’s trying so hard to re-create, instead of only historical markers of what used to be. — Zoe Rhine Weaverville Editor’s note: Xpress contacted the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and received the following response from Erin Leonard, the chamber’s director of communications: “The Asheville Visitor Center is part of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. Our staff and volunteers welcome more than 200,000 visitors each year and connect them to local companies and services. We provide opportunities for member

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OPI N I ON

Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com.

businesses and organizations to display their brochures or posters in the Visitor Center. We strive for our membership to represent a broad cross section of Asheville businesses. We appreciate this feedback and agree that creating a welcoming environment is important.”

Grateful that death sentence was lifted Though the death penalty has not yet been banned in North Carolina, thankfully it’s becoming a relic of our past. North Carolina juries have recommended only a single new death sentence in the past four years, and Buncombe County juries haven’t done so in 18 years. Furthermore, the state hasn’t carried out an execution since 2006. Thus, it might surprise you to know that North Carolina still has the sixthlargest death row population in the nation — 140 men and women — and that Buncombe County has the fourth-largest death row population in our state’s 100 counties — seven. Shamefully, of the 140 inmates now on death row, almost 55 percent are black, even though AfricanAmericans represent only 22 percent of the North Carolina population. More than 100 of North Carolina’s death row prisoners were sentenced in the 1990s, under wildly different laws, before DNA testing was routine and before protections for defendants with intellectual disabilities were considered. Furthermore, no indigent defense agency then existed, and poor defendants often got overworked pro bono attorneys, some with little experience in capital defense. Therefore, we should be grateful for the action of Buncombe County Superior Court Judge Alan Thornburg, who recently resentenced death row prisoner James Morgan, a black man, to life in prison without parole after hearing evidence that Morgan had had an

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inadequate defense and an unfair trial. Morgan, who suffered serious brain damage as a child, committed homicide and will spend the rest of his life incarcerated for having done so. However, the efforts of Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams to settle these old cases mean that death row inmates such as Morgan will no longer live under the threat of execution. In addition, Williams’ actions ensure that our county’s resources will be better spent on initiatives that improve public safety rather than continuing to fight the appeals of decades-old death sentences that are unlikely to ever be carried out. — Bruce Mulkey Asheville

Syringe exchanges save lives Regarding “To Fear or Not to Fear: A Little Understanding Can Go a Long Way in West Asheville,” by Shannon Spencer [Mountain Xpress, Nov. 21]: Dayton, Ohio, has reduced overdose deaths by 54 percent over the last 12 months. For the various reasons, see “The Treatment Gap: This City’s Overdose Deaths Have Plunged. Can Others Learn From It?” The New York Times, Nov. 25 [avl.mx/5g7]. Included: “(Police) Chief Biehl was fully supportive of the city’s decision to set up a syringe exchange in 2014. Research has consistently found that such programs, which allow people who inject drugs to trade dirty needles for clean ones, prevent deaths related to infections like HIV, hepatitis C and endocarditis.” Chief Biehl goes on to say that these various initiatives “are absolutely consistent with our public mission to save lives.” I applaud Shannon Spencer’s efforts to save lives. — Robert Counce Asheville

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C A R T O O N B Y B R E NT B R O W N

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

OPINION

No room for the inn BY JERRY STERNBERG The timing of the city’s proposed moratorium on building hotels in our city comes at a good time of the year. No problem if we have an overflow of tourists for this holiday season; these wayfaring strangers from lands far away can sleep in the manger. If the city permits it, we might start a cottage industry Airbnb for people who want to rent out their barns. The recent declaration by the mayor and two City Council members that they would turn down an Extended Stay Hotel on Biltmore Avenue — prompting the project’s withdrawal — was especially cruel. The city allowed the builder to go through all the expensive steps required to get total approval from all regulatory agencies, and then several Council members announced their intent to vote against it because, in their great wisdom, they have made the arbitrary decision that Asheville already has too many hotels.

I am reminded of a lady who served on the Planning and Zoning Commission about 30 or 40 years ago who announced that she would vote against the construction of a new Ingles store on New Leicester Highway because Asheville already had too many grocery stores. The second reason this was a callous decision is that this Extended Stay Hotel was a perfect fit, targeted toward those people who come here for inhospital treatment from the extensive region served by Mission Hospital. The families and caretakers for these patients are being deprived of a convenient accommodation that would allow them to give assistance and support to their family member or friend. I suppose our compassionate Council members never gave this a thought. I remember Asheville during the last part of the 20th century struggling and complaining that we were not bringing in enough tourists — and when they did come to town, they went to visit the Biltmore House, buy

The Gospel According to Jerry

JERRY STERNBERG a McDonald’s hamburger and a tank of gas, and moved on to Cherokee. The tourist business was so bad that the Grove Park Inn was only open six months a year, and eventually, almost all of the iconic downtown hotels closed down and were converted to residential units. Asheville was desperately casting about for an attraction to bring in tourists to stay overnight similar to the Cherokee outdoor theater. In the last few years, we taxpayers were sold on the fact that we should support the renovation and expansion of our civic center and our art museum as well as supporting numerous festivals. We passed a $74 million bond issue in 2016, part of which is for building greenways, supporting water activity facilities on the French Broad River and improving the River Arts District to accommodate the artists and the beer and restaurant culture. We built soccer fields and developed a very extensive park system and promoted the North Carolina Arboretum. We upgraded McCormick Field (even

our baseball team is called the Asheville Tourists). For decades, we have subsidized the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Coalition to attract new business. We were told all this public expense and sacrifice of taxpayers’ money would “put heads in beds.” Now we have built it, and they are coming. However, the mostly Facebook fools are screaming that we must stop all this development because we have great traffic congestion and downtown is so crowded, or else Asheville will lose all its character, and we will become more like Charlotte or Atlanta. I suspect that most of these whiners are Yankees and flatlanders who escaped some other hellhole and have contributed to our population growth. Now they are here are yelling, “Raise the drawbridge!” I wouldn’t be surprised if they ask Council for money to build a beautiful wall. The obvious economic naiveté on behalf of Council is mind-boggling. When downtown hotels are selling out during leaf-peeper season at $500 a night, it doesn’t take rocket science to realize that we do not have enough hotel beds. Council complains that hotels don’t pay living wages. Neither do half the employers in this city. I support a citywide minimum wage, but that issue is opposed by our anti-Asheville state legislature. In the meantime, the best way to increase wages is to create more jobs in our already-tight job market. Council overlooks that all this new tourist business supports and sustains thousands of small entrepreneurs,

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artists, craftspeople, restaurants and entertainment venues in the city that also pay taxes and are elevating themselves above the living wage. Council complains that they can’t afford the infrastructure to support all these tourists. Please tell me where the hell are all our increased taxes generated by real estate expansion going? I read the real estate transfers, and the dollars are enormous. This should be increasing property tax revenues significantly. The Council says to developers, “We don’t want your stinking hotels; we want you to build affordable housing.” I have been a longtime advocate for affordable housing (see my June 20 Xpress column, “An Unvarnished Look”), but Council has to understand that we have a capitalistic system and that developers can only build those projects that will show a profit after they have invested their own and borrowed money. If the project becomes a nonprofit, it will fail. Even if they try to invest in for-profit housing, they run into the powerful Coalition of Asheville Neighborhoods organization made up of 57 NIMBY neighborhoods and are quite often thwarted by their screaming opposition. Council must understand that we have very poor prospects for indus-

trial expansion, which normally produces higher wages, because there are almost no industrial buildings available and very little suitable land available for new buildings. I was born and have lived here longer than most of the population. I understand that the tourists visiting us cause some inconveniences, but I am thrilled when I walk downtown, especially at night, and throngs of people fill our streets and are having a wonderful time. If traffic is an issue for you, just look to the city politicians who have blocked our interstate improvements for the last 20 years and the City Council that is jamming up our streets with all their mindless multimodal imprudence. Let’s welcome our tourists to share the joys of our magnificent Western North Carolina area and realize they bring us prosperity and diversity and that many of the pleasures we enjoy here would not be affordable without the tourist dollars. Let’s not have to change the name of our baseball team to “The Asheville Obstructionists.” Asheville native Jerry Sternberg, a longtime observer of the local scene, can be reached at gospeljerry@aol.com. X

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NEWS

DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY? Airbnb involvement could mark turning point in homestay discussions BY DANIEL WALTON dwalton@mountainx.com Determining the final digit of pi, squaring the circle, finding the largest prime number: In mathematics, each of these quandaries represents an unsolvable problem. According to Phil Lenowitz, chair of Asheville’s Neighborhood Advisory Committee, that list should include figuring out a set of homestay regulations that work for everyone in the city. Several years of community discussions, Lenowitz says, have failed to resolve deep-seated divisions about how homeowners should be allowed to rent rooms on a short-term basis. “We have people who feel strongly that they’re terrible and they hurt the neighborhoods, and then we also hear from people who say, ‘This is my house, this is what I want to do with it, and I need the money to help pay my mortgage,’” he points out. “It’s not solvable to everybody’s satisfaction.” Until now, those conversations haven’t involved Airbnb, the San Francisco-based online lodging listing platform that is often referenced as a shorthand for the overall short-term rental industry. In its first known formal engagement with Asheville, the company sent two of its representatives to an Oct. 23 discussion of homestay policies sponsored by the Homestay Network, an informal local group

FEELS LIKE HOME: Asheville homestay hosts have formed a coalition and held the first of two planned meetings with Airbnb, the online short-term rental platform. Homestay advocates say the online home-sharing platform may be willing to share listing information with the city, which could ease enforcement of homestay regulations. Photo by Virginia Daffron representing over 600 legally permitted homestay hosts. The firm has also committed to another meeting of over 50 stakeholders on Tuesday, Dec. 11, which is slated to include attendees rep-

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resenting homestay, neighborhood, business, affordable housing, real estate and city government perspectives. Although Airbnb declined to make a representative available for an interview on the subject, the

company did provide a statement via email. “Our host community in Asheville has always been very active and engaged with the city about the importance of fair and reasonable

home sharing regulations — and how smart home sharing policy is economically and culturally beneficial to families, small businesses and neighborhoods overall,” Airbnb wrote. “We’re pleased to have the opportunity to join our hosts for this gathering and look forward to continuing to support our Asheville hosts as these conversations continue.” AT THE TABLE Airbnb’s engagement is critical, explains Asheville City Council member Vijay Kapoor, because access to its database would greatly simplify enforcement of homestay regulations and compliance among permit holders. The city’s Planning & Urban Design Department currently spends $30,000 per year on Host Compliance, a third-party vendor that searches for unlicensed homestays, and department director Todd Okolichany has characterized his staff’s enforcement efforts as “complaint-driven” instead of proactive. If Airbnb shared its data with the city, staff could directly crosscheck Asheville’s permitted homestays against those listed online and target any operating illegally. “That would be able to get to the heart of enforcement, as opposed to having to work around it,” says Kapoor, who attended the Oct. 23 meeting along with Council colleague Keith Young. Jackson Tierney, a homestay permit holder and organizer of the Homestay Network, says he had asked the city to begin datasharing negotiations with Airbnb in August 2017 but that previous efforts to contact the company, led by former City Attorney Robin Currin, were met with no response. When he reached out to Airbnb himself in early October this year, however, a representative contacted him within three days. While Tierney can’t explain this difference in Airbnb’s reaction, he says he was encouraged by the company’s willingness to collaborate with the Homestay Network. “They’re excited about rolling up their sleeves and working with us to enforce our current rules,” he says. “They do not have on their agenda to expand the current rules. They recognize that’s not politically correct at this point, so

HOST WITH THE MOST: Homestay permit holder Jackson Tierney says the city of Asheville should explore strategies to work with Airbnb and other online homesharing sites to improve enforcement of the city’s homestay ordinances. Photo courtesy of Tierney they just want to work to get better and enforceable rules, as we do.” Kapoor suggests that Airbnb’s recent rapid growth in the Asheville market may have brought the platform into the current talks. The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority estimates that Airbnb makes up roughly 75 percent of local homestay bookings and grew from 91,459 room nights in 2015 to 392,482 nights in 2017, representing about $53.8 million in revenue. “In the conversations we were having, we were citing examples of San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans,” Kapoor says. “Clearly, Airbnb would not have been there unless they understood the importance of Asheville to their business model.” COMMON GROUND Tierney acknowledges that previous efforts to resolve different perspectives on homestay regulations have often ended in frustration. But Airbnb’s involvement, he says, could spur “a bit of a reset” on how the rules are developed and enforced.

The Homestay Network, Tierney is quick to clarify, believes the city has gotten the regulations mostly right. “We are not changing any major fundamental building blocks of the rule. In general, we’re not there to expand the scope or contract it or change people’s roles,” he says. “Our main goal is to work with the city to improve compliance of existing homestay rules at a lower cost.” Under the city’s current Unified Development Ordinance, a homestay is defined as “a private, residentoccupied dwelling unit, with up to two guest rooms where overnight lodging accommodations are provided to transients for compensation and where the use is subordinate and incidental to the main residential use of the building.” Operators, who obtain an annual permit for the homestay, must live at the property as their primary residence and be present overnight anytime lodgers are occupying the guest rooms. However, Tierney does hope that bringing Airbnb into the conversation could lead to shifts in what he calls “small-p” policy, the tactics that city staff employ to enact the strategies set by City Council. The Homestay Network is particularly interested in revisiting a package of staff recommendations advanced by Council’s Planning & Economic Development Committee on Aug. 13, which include changes to the definition of a kitchen, additional standards on the use of bedrooms and stronger penalties for illegal operators. “As a group, we feel the city does not have a full appreciation of how we run our businesses and the ways that some permit holders are skirting the rules,” Tierney says. “We think we can come up with more effective ways of weeding out bad actors while respecting the rights of hosts that are trying very hard to be in compliance.” To that end, the Homestay Network’s meetings are being led by Cheri Torres, a homestay permit holder and professional facilitator. Through a process called appreciative inquiry, she explains, different stakeholders can come to realize that they share core values in their approach to difficult subjects. Those in attendance at the Oct. 23 meeting, says Torres, all expressed similar reasons for caring about homestay regulations. “There was this commonality across everybody that was there: neighborhood integ-

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NEWS rity, safety for guests and for residents, residents being able to gain from tourist dollars, relative ease of compliance and enforcement,” she recalls. Kapoor agrees that the discussion was more positive than others about homestays that he’s observed during his time on Council. “The approach had been, up to this point, perhaps somewhat antagonistic toward staff and all around,” he says. “I think this type of meeting was a chance to say, ‘Look, can we have more of a dialogue about this?’ — reserving one’s rights, of course, to push back.” TERMS OF DEBATE It remains to be seen if this consensus will hold with the addition of city staff, who declined Tierney’s invitation to the Oct. 23 discussion. Staff members are also on the guest list for the upcoming meeting on Dec. 11, but according to city spokesperson Polly McDaniel, none will attend. “The city would be happy to meet with Airbnb and any other parties if the topic is how we can better share

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

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information,” comments Assistant City Manager Cathy Ball. “The invitation we received from Mr. Tierney was a request to brainstorm policy recommendations for Council consideration around the definition of a homestay and how it should be enforced.” Tierney, however, believes that Airbnb’s involvement is a good reason for the city to re-evaluate both its technological tools and enforcement methods. “I don’t think it’s possible to separate the two,” he says. “We’re just trying to offer a glimpse beyond the horizon of some things that [staff] may not have considered or could not get in terms of having certain people, i.e., Airbnb and the other listing platforms, to the table.” City Council, Tierney continues, has signaled more of a willingness to take that broader perspective. The city’s Planning & Zoning Commission, he points out, has postponed its next consideration of the changes previously recommended by PED until Tuesday, Feb. 6. “For me, that was kind of a watershed moment, because they really did not have to do that,” Tierney says. “They at least want to explore and listen

and find out if they can build on [the process].” PLATFORM DIVING Any new actions on homestay enforcement may be contingent on homestay players other than Airbnb. If the company agrees to share data with the city, suggests longtime homestay opponent and architect Jane Mathews, unpermitted homestay operators may migrate to competing platforms such as Expedia or Booking.com that do not have such agreements. “A lot of the illegal homestays I’ve known about have been off the Airbnb radar screen,” Mathews says. “Getting Airbnb data may be helpful, but it’s really just the tip of an iceberg.” Tierney says that Airbnb has also expressed this concern and hopes to bring other platforms into the data-sharing conversation. He has contacted both Expedia and Booking.com with invitations to the Dec. 11 meeting, but representatives have yet to confirm their attendance. Asheville still has options if other rental sites remain uncooperative. A “fallback position” suggested by Airbnb, Tierney says, is a city ordinance allowing only platforms that share data to advertise homestays in the city. “If the others don’t play, then by definition, everybody who lists on those are illegal and cannot continue to do business within the city. Obviously, it’s a bit of a draconian step,” he explains. “We’d rather have them at the table, sharing their experiences with us and being part of a more comprehensive enforcement solution.” For now, the Homestay Network is focusing on a more diplomatic approach. “Airbnb really wants to work with us,” Torres believes. “They want to make this work for everybody, and they’re sincere about doing that.” Should this approach prove successful, Torres adds, it could provide a model for handling Asheville’s many other complex challenges. “What makes [a topic] contentious is when people view the city as trying to do something to them, as opposed to with them,” she says. “When the people are on board in helping to create some future state, they are happy to walk into that state.” X

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

BUNCOMBE BEAT

Asheville City Council explores new sales, food and beverage taxes Asheville may be Global Traveler’s Favorite Foodie City, as then-interim City Manager Cathy Ball pointed out at a City Council work session on Nov. 27. But when it comes paying for the streets, sidewalks and emergency personnel that culinary tourists and other nonresidents use, she said, Asheville’s citizens are too often stuck with the tab. “This is the struggle this community is having at this point in time,” Ball said. “You have this influx of nonresident population that we’re serving during the day, but the bulk of the cost of those services is being paid for by the property taxpayers.” To tip the financial balance in a fairer direction for those who live in the city, Ball proposed two new taxes for Council’s consideration. The first, authorized under a state law that allows local governments to levy a tax specifically to support “public transportation systems,” would add a quarter-cent to all purchases made in Buncombe

BALANCING ACT: Although Asheville’s nonresidents pay fewer taxes than do its citizens, they use many city services, leading City Council to consider new revenue sources. Graphic courtesy of the city of Asheville County. The second, a 1 percent tax on prepared foods and beverages bought in the city, could be used as general funds. Both taxes would require approval by voter referendum, projected to take place in 2020. The transit sales tax would have to gain support from the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, which has the power to request the referendum under state law. Ball explained that the city would partner with the county to update the recently completed Transit Master Plan, adding bus routes into outlying areas and improving the county’s Mountain Mobility service, which provides transit for people with disabilities. Ball noted that the higher sales tax would disproportionately affect lowincome residents, who spend a greater percentage of their income on basic needs, but she said it would benefit people with transportation barriers. According to a 2013 passenger survey conducted by the ETC Institute, 68 percent of Asheville’s bus riders make less than $20,000 per year. Asheville would need to go to the N.C. General Assembly for permission to hold a referendum on the prepared food and beverage tax. That enabling legislation would set limits on the money’s usage, but Ball gave as an example spending to promote “increased cleanliness in business districts that have a lot of restaurants,”

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

MOUNTAINX.COM

better public safety and improved sidewalk maintenance. Although Ball estimated that roughly half the proceeds of this tax would come from tourists, Council member Sheneika Smith asked about its impact on the working poor, whom she said often rely on prepared foods. The city’s proposed strategy of earmarking funds for food security, she said, was out of step with the reality for many low-income families. “I don’t think it really has as much to do with food security as it has to do with convenience, because people who are working all the time don’t have time to prepare their food,” Smith said. Ball responded that the plans are in the early stages, and the city would develop more detailed approaches with community partners. Also responding to equity concerns, Council members Julie Mayfield and Keith Young both suggested that the tax be adjusted to target only alcoholic beverages. “We have a lot of people who come here to drink beer — sorry to all of our brewery friends,” Mayfield said. Absent from Ball’s presentation was any proposal to lobby for changing the allocation of Buncombe County’s 6 percent room tax, which is administered by the quasi-governmental Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. According to state law, 75 percent of that money must be spent on marketing, while 25 percent goes to a Tourism Product Development Fund to pay for capital projects that increase area visitation. The decision to focus on strategies other than seeking a slice of the room tax pie, Ball told Xpress after the work session, was tied to a tentative agreement between the city and the BCTDA that would allocate $5 million from the TPDF annually for 10 years. The money could fund projects such as sidewalk improvements, renovations to the U.S. Cellular Center and downtown placemaking. Ball estimated that $1 million of TPDF money would still be available each year for projects by county government or community organizations. Council directed staff members to continue their exploration of the new taxes, but Mayor Esther Manheimer acknowledged that the measures would not be a perfect solution to the city’s revenue needs. “We don’t have a scalpel to try to tax visitors,” she said. “We’re limited in our tools, so we’re trying to find the tools that best reapportion the tax burden for folks living and visiting in Asheville.”

— Daniel Walton X

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The new building would include a basement-level parking garage, while parking for the other buildings would be provided at ground level in an area now used for parking behind the existing buildings. The other proposed hotel project sits just outside Biltmore Village at 62 Fairview Road. Developer RBH Acquisition LLC hopes to build a six-story, 170-room hotel with a 125-seat restaurant and meeting spaces. Council will also hear public comment on a proposed economic development incentive for Burial Beer Co. The grant would not exceed $30,000 and could spur $1.8 million in facility improvements and create 17 new jobs, according to a staff report (avl.mx/5g8).

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DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

MOUNTAINX.COM

It’s been nearly 20 years since the city of Asheville last increased its parking fines, but the days of the $10 parking ticket are rapidly coming to an end. As of Feb. 1, parking fines at metered and nonmetered spaces will increase to $20, and a second or subsequent violation within one 24-hour period will go from $20 to $40. Fines for parking in a loading zone will triple, from $10 to $30, and all other violations will rise from $10 to $20. The hourly rate for metered on-street parking remains $1.50 per hour. In a press release, the city said that, under the new fine structure, revenue from fines “could conceivably double” over the course of a year. X

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ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

From taxidermy to tonsorial artistry The city celebrates its specialty shops, 1890

SIGN OF SUCCESS: The 1890 city directory included a profile of J.H. Woody & Co. Its success was viewed as a symbol of Asheville’s continued prosperity. Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Collection, Pack Memorial Library, Asheville According to the 1890 city directory, Asheville’s population at that time stood at 11,913. This number represented a 350 percent increase of the city’s total population over the previous 10 years. (In 1880, consensus numbers totaled 2,610.) Once “unknown, inert and isolated,” Asheville became “one of the most popular and widely known cities of its size in the United States,” the directory claimed. “Truly this is the place for gods and divines to luxuriate within by enhancing their longevity in breathing pure air [and] feasting upon couches of delicious splendor[.]” Along with its health benefits and natural beauty, the 1890 directory also emphasized Asheville’s ripe financial opportunities. “Wealth, progress, success, power and riches all stand open and eager to be grafted and handed down to those of energy and ambition to win,” it claimed. The publication reported 22 manufactories in the area, employing 1,415 workers. Some of these operations included tobacco, ice, cigar, broom, shoe and bottling factories. There were also 200 mercantile stores, 18 lumber and manufacturing companies, and 16 woodwork-

ing establishments. Annual visitation numbers totaled 50,000. The directory also profiled several of Asheville’s businesses and shop owners. Some were relatively new to the area, while others were wellestablished names. All were presented as vital assets to the city’s continued growth and success, no matter how large or small the operation. Among the city’s newer arrivals was M. Ellick, “taxidermist and manufacturer of fancy fur goods[.]” Originally from Germany, Ellick’s shop was on North Main Street. Along with furs, his store contained “the finest line of … mounted heads, antlers and mineral specimens ever seen in the city.” Meanwhile, on North Court Square (present-day Pack Square), Miss N. LaBarbe ran the Modiste and Fine Millinery. A native of the state, LaBarbe arrived in Asheville in 1883. Her store’s continued success, the directory noted, reflected the important role that fashion played. “In this progressive age the beautiful has been made to join hands with nearly all that is practical and attractive in daily life, and in no sphere has the progress been more remarkable

than with reference to dress,” the directory stated. Farther down the road on South Main Street, J.H. Woody & Co. dealt in carriages. Operated by J.H. Woody and F. Stikeleather, the directory considered the company’s success emblematic of Asheville’s continued prosperity. Other businesses and owners highlighted in the 1890 directory included the Fitzpatrick Bros. (wallpaper and decorations), Idlewild Green Houses and Floral Gardens, Asheville Cigar Co., N.W. Girdwood (model steam laundry) and J.H. Woodcock (“prescriptionist and apothecary”). Perhaps the most detailed and intriguing profile is of W.H. Martin, “fashionable hair cutter and tonsorial artist.” The brief write-up includes a history of the profession, noting that several hundred years ago in England “the barbers’ calling included teeth drawing, and other dental service, nail paring, leeching, bleeding, cupping and various surgical services[.]” The profile goes on to report that inside Martin’s business, located on South Main Street: “The humblest citizen now enters a magnificent shop replete with mirrors and fragrant with perfumes, seats himself in an elegant chair, a sort of a plush throne, and for the trifling sum of 12 ½ cents has that hirsute hair of his, rough and grizzly and hairy as Calabaus, transformed into the smooth white and handsome phiz of a Nineteenth Century dude[.]” Collectively, these businesses and entrepreneurs were praised by the directory as proof of Asheville’s past, present and future glory. The publication proclaimed: “In every period of the city’s development these men of foresight, enterprise and liberality have stood with open purses ready to promote every scheme likely to contribute to the prosperity of Asheville, and it is to them the city owes its greatest debt. No means of judicious advertisement of Asheville’s greatness has ever been rejected or neglected by them, and prosperity has neither chilled their ardor or warped their judgment nor tightened their purse strings, and such men as we here have will soon quadruple the enumeration of our population to what it now stands, hence we proclaim her business men legion and her many attractions unfaltering.” Editor’s note: Peculiarities of spelling and punctuation are preserved from the original text. X

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

FEA T U RE S

by Kim Dinan

dinankim@gmail.com

IT’S A DOG’S LIFE Clearly, Ashevilleans love their pets. Take a roam around town and you’re likely to pass an independently owned pet shop, groomer, dog behaviorist or rescue organization somewhere along the line. But amid a landscape of big-box pet stores and online retailers, what’s business — and life — like for the folks who keep those beloved pet shops chugging along? “Business is good,” says Jenna Wilson, who owns Patton Avenue Pet Co.’s three outlets. “As Asheville grows and people are more educated on the importance of pet nutrition, it helps our business grow as well.” Wilson has been in the industry her entire working life — as a groomer, pet sitter and at doggy day care centers and rescue organizations. But when she moved to Asheville after college she had a tough time finding a job in the field, so she decided to strike out on her own. Wilson opened her first store in West Asheville in 2011 when she was just 24 years old. “I had no idea what I was doing, but I was very passionate,” she recalls. “I took my passion and realized there was a lot of need for it in the community.” Caroline Gunther, the owner of Hendersonville’s Wag! A Unique Pet Boutique, has a similar story. Back in 2008 she, too, was searching for employment. “There were no jobs in the equestrian industry,” she says. “It was basically banker or bartender. I decided to [open the shop] instead.” Asheville Pet Supply owner Mary Hourihan has been in the business a long time. “When we moved here in 1989, we had a lot of animals, and the only place to buy the good stuff was Pet Love at the mall,” she remembers. “Then we found this store, but it was really small and you had to order in advance. The lady who owned it had some health problems and put it up for sale. My husband and I were both retired and bought it as a hobby business in 1991. Then we became very successful, and we’ve really grown since then.” Jessica Kent used to shop at the Weaverville Pet Pantry before teaming up with her sister, Erin Kent, and other family members to buy it nearly three years ago. “I appre-

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

Business is booming at the region’s independently owned pet shops

SHOP TILL YOU DROP: Pets and people alike seem to feel at home at the Patton Avenue Pet Co., whose three locations in the Asheville area do a bustling business in premium pet food, toys and supplies. Photo by Sheryl Mann

MOUNTAINX.COM

ciated their model of healthy foods that don’t contain fillers,” she says. The sisters were inspired to buy the store after their mother died of cancer. In the wake of that loss, “We came together to work together,” says Kent. “Our mom was a nurse and passionate about pets.” SERVICE FIRST Ask any of the independently owned pet shops how they manage to compete with the big-box stores and you’ll get the same answer: It’s their level of service that sets them apart. “I have very knowledgeable employees,” says Hourihan. “We listen to our customers; we talk to them. We help them make the best decisions for their pets. We are not here to sell anything but to solve problems. I’ll be the first to tell you if you want to buy something but it isn’t what you need. No matter how expensive or how much money is involved, I’ll tell you if something else would be better.” It’s that kind of earned trust that has enabled local pet shops to thrive. “We have a relationship with people that come into the store,” says Gunther. “We have so many incredible regulars that are like friends now. One of the guys who works for me has a standing lunch date with

a customer on Friday afternoons,” she reveals. Those strong relationships with customers are an integral part of what makes local pet shops successful in a crowded market. “My sister and I are in the store every day listening to what people want,” says Kent. “We are meeting their pets, we are fitting them for harnesses, we are helping them decide what kind of food to feed. We know all of our customers’ pets. We are here getting to know our customers every day.” And although many of those beloved animals are dogs, these businesses also carry products aimed at other kinds of pets. Shop owners say that one reason they’re able to have such positive interactions is because they have the freedom and flexibility to ensure that they and their employees maintain a good work/life balance. “Making sure that staff are happy, enjoying their jobs and feeling supported in their work is very important to me,” says Gunther. “If staff aren’t happy, they can’t do their jobs well.” To that end, she makes sure that her four full-time employees have at least one day off per week that they can spend at home with their significant others. “If they aren’t happy at home, they can’t come to work and be present and engage with the customers,” notes Gunther.

DOGGONE GOOD PRODUCTS Shop owners also stress the importance of offering quality items as another way to set themselves apart from big-box stores. “We had a PetSmart open recently less than a mile away, and I saw no effect whatsoever,” says Gunther. “It didn’t do anything to us at all. We have completely different products than they carry. We have the same types of products, like grooming supplies and food, but there is very little to no overlap of the specific products that we carry.” Kent agrees, adding that the Weaverville Pet Pantry “carries products that not all of the national chains have.” Hourihan sounds a similar note. “We have a fabulous selection of high-quality products. One of my customers got a puppy from a breeder in California, and the breeder gave her the name of three foods that she thought were acceptable but also told her she’d never find them in a little town in North Carolina — but we had all three.” That commitment to quality, local shop owners say, runs right up the supply chain. “A lot of the companies we buy from are dedicated to supporting local and independent stores,” says Gunther. “They feel

their products need to be sold with support and information behind them. They want people to have the education piece, too.” Kent has also found that to be true. “A lot of pet food companies are looking out for small businesses like us. They’re aware of what internet sales can do to us. Many of them started out as family businesses too, so they have our interests in mind.” One might imagine that that kind of cozy relationship between vendors and shops could come with a cost, but local pet shop owners say that’s just not the case. “There is definitely a value perception in shopping at a big-box store versus an independent pet store,” Wilson concedes. “People think they are going to save money or get a better value, but what our customers realize is that that isn’t true: We are competitively priced.” HOW DO YOU SPELL COMMUNITY? But Asheville’s pet shops aren’t content to just keep pet owners supplied with high-quality prod-

ucts. They’re also involved in their community in other ways. “I am on the board of a local pet rescue,” says Wilson. “We work with groups from the ACLU to homeless charities and also donate,” she notes. Hourihan, meanwhile, tells a similar story, saying, “We work with a lot of charities and nonprofits and engage in community service.” And alongside their commitment to the community at large, these local owners are devoted to each other, too. “I appreciate and like the other independent stores in Western North Carolina,” says Gunther. “Sometimes a client from Asheville will come into the store, and when I find out where they’re from I’ll say, ‘Go to Patton Avenue Pet Co., because that is where you’re going to shop,’” she reveals. “I’ll guide and help them if they want, but they aren’t going to drive here all the time to get this stuff. You should shop your independent where you live and where you pay taxes,” she believes. “It’s nice to be in good company with those stores.” X

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

FEA T U RE S

leslie.boyd@gmail.com

by Leslie Boyd

THINK OUTSIDE THE (BIG) BOX From practical to crafty to offbeat, local retailers offer gift options in WNC If the malls and big-box stores sap your holiday spirit, there’s a fix for that: locally owned shops, many of which carry items from local artists and crafters that make perfect gifts. The region is full of small, independent retailers, where the only thing cookie-cutter is the display of, well, cookie cutters. Here are just a few, sprinkled around Western North Carolina. Several are in downtown business districts that boast plenty of other intriguing and unique local shops. AFFAIRS OF THE HEART Patricia Miller started this gift shop in historic downtown Waynesville in 1996. The store where she and her mother worked and sold their craft goods had closed, and

WINTER WONDERLAND: A small army of terra-cotta snowmen are just an example of the large array of garden art available at Bloomfield’s of Flat Rock. The family-owned business sells a wide variety of dishware, home decor and kitchen gadgets, as well as outdoor items. Photo by Leslie Boyd the two women wanted to continue in business on their own. “It seemed like we could have the best of both worlds — a place to do our crafts and sell them,” Miller says. The little shop with a few crafts became a store chock-full of items from crafters both local and distant. Its shelves hold ceramics, socks, greeting cards, candy, souvenirs, jewelry, knickknacks and more. Miller’s mother died a few years ago, and she rarely finds time to make things anymore, but she enjoys seeing and selling the work of others. She also enjoys hearing people talk about the items — whether they bring back memories for customers or make them think of a loved one. “We have a lot of fun here. We have a lot of beautiful things, but we like to have fun, too.” She points to two little rock stacks painted to look like melting snowmen. “Most people laugh when they see these. We sell a lot of them.” 120 N. Main St., Waynesville, 828-4520526, www.affairsoftheheartnc.com

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

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in recent years has branched out to home décor, candles, kitchen gadgets — including an extensive collection of gourmet cooking and grilling tools — cookware, a permanent Christmas shop on the second floor, home furnishings and a garden art and supply section outdoors. “Retail changes because what people want changes,” says Carol Bloomfield, daughter-in-law of the store’s founders and, with husband Peter, its current co-owner. The store sells less fine china now because it’s just not in demand. But it carries a wide array of Fiestaware in a dozen or more colors at discount prices. “People today want something simple and sturdy, not delicate china that they only use once or twice a year,” she says. “Fiestaware is that.” However, if you’re looking for traditional Spode Christmas china, Bloomfield’s has saved room for this ever-popular classic. 196 McMurray Road, Flat Rock, 828-693-3350, avl.mx/5fx

BLOOMFIELD’S OF FLAT ROCK

TOWN HARDWARE AND GENERAL STORE

Also known as the “Dish Barn,” this store started out specializing in china but

Town Hardware opened in 1929, selling hardware and medicines. Soon it start-

ed branching out into kitchen goods. Today, co-owner Beth Ballhaussen says the store is a bit of a reflection of her many interests. “Sometimes it’s hard to focus, and that’s OK here because there are so many different things to see,” she says. Beth and her husband, Peter Ballhaussen, bought the store in 2013, after Peter’s employer downsized. “Really, this store belongs to the community,” Beth says. “We’re just caretakers.” Town Hardware now has three rooms, two of them stocked with vintage toys, kitchen gadgets, souvenirs, small appliances, camping gear, greeting cards, skin products and more, and one room reserved for hardware. “We call that the Serious Room,” she says. “That makes it easier for someone who’s coming just for hardware.” For those too tired to shop, the store has a book nook on the second floor, complete with an adult’s and a child’s rocking chair. 103 W. State St., Black Mountain, 828-669-7723, www.townhardware.com MAGGIE B’S WINE & SPECIALTY STORE Elspeth and Andy Brown opened Maggie B’s in 2007 after Elspeth, a finedining chef, decided she would want more regular hours as they started their family. They named the store after their Labrador retriever. Two children and 11 years later, Elspeth says she doesn’t think she’s working fewer hours than she did as a chef, but the stress is less, and the hours are more in tune with family life. She also gets to share her love of good food and wine with her customers. “We carry a lot of local foods that you can use to build a wonderful gift basket,” she says. The store carries wine, beer, meats, cheeses and accessories, and it has a café serving salads, soups and sandwiches. Wine is available by the glass, and beer is on tap. Stop in for free wine and beer tastings 5-7:30 p.m. Fridays. 10C S. Main St., Weaverville, www.maggiebswine.com

OLD CIDER MILL AND APPLESOLUTELY GIFT SHOP John and Joann D’Ambra have owned the cider mill and gift shop for 15 years, bringing in the work of local crafters and artists to sell alongside local apples and cider. “People come in and say, ‘Oh, look, things not made in China,’” Joann D’Ambra says. “They appreciate the local arts and crafts.” All season long, up to 16 varieties of fresh apples — whatever’s in season — are out on a stand in front of the store. Varieties include Rome, Wolf River, Golden and Red Delicious, Fuji, Jonagold and Cameo. During apple season — pretty much from late July to November — visitors can see cider being made using the same equipment used when the store opened 42 years ago, from mashing to pressing to bottling, and then get a taste of fresh-made cider. The store also carries local jams, jellies, baked goods, relishes, honey and syrups. 33 Gerton Highway, Bat Cave, 828-625-1497, www.oldcidermill-nc.com

Lisa says. “We have them for different professions, for hobbies, for cartoons, for movies — or at least ones that aren’t licensed.” She adds that although the store does carry “Star Wars”-themed ornaments, it can’t carry “Star Trek” ornaments. “I have so much fun picking these out,” she says. The most popular place in the store is the dog wall, she says, and as she walks by, two women remark how happy they are to see a Chihuahua ornament. In fact, there are about a dozen different Chihuahua ornaments, not to mention retrievers, spaniels, collies … Also on the shelves: Nativities, snow globes, Harry Potter items and more. 488 Haywood Road, Dillsboro, 828-586-5391, avl.mx/5fy

YE OLDE CIDER MILL: Just off Gerton Highway in Bat Cave, the eclectic Old Cider Mill offers apples and cider alongside a variety of local crafts. Photo by Leslie Boyd NANCY TUT’S CHRISTMAS SHOP Mike and Lisa Potts love Christmas. So much so that when they heard the second owner of Nancy Tut’s Christmas Shop was thinking about retiring in 1994, they bought the store.

Located just off U.S. Route 441 in downtown Dillsboro, the store is in a 117-year-old house, and every wall in every room — and closet — is covered in ornaments. “We have an ornament for just about any interest you might have,”

LOCAL COLOR Paul and Pauline Hawkins started this store a few doors down the street from their current shop. They weren’t open long before they knew they’d need a little bigger space for all

CONTINUES ON PAGE 22

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

F EA TU R ES

Over 200 years ago, a seed was planted on a modest plot of rich, sun kissed land in Hominy Valley, North Carolina. Since then, many more seeds were planted and a farm was born in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Beyond the many fruits, herbs, fungi and flowers that flourish in this special place, a tradition of love for all things that grow has been passed down from one generation to the next. Our family continues to celebrate this tradition through our obsession for quality, hand crafted herbs, spices, teas and infused salts and sugars made from our ethically wildcrafted and lovingly cultivated seasonal harvests. Our constant curiosity and exploration for new local ingredients are what inspire our quest of quality, and passion for a well-seasoned table. Share in our adventure to discover new flavors that will excite your senses, expand your palette and inspire the culinary creations that feed your heart and soul. Fill your home with the flavors of the mountains and make your’s a well-seasoned table, from our home to yours.

TRADITION LIVES ON: Leon Morgan is keeping Saluda history alive at M.A. Pace General Store, which opened in 1899. Photo by Leslie Boyd the woodworking, jewelry, fiber arts, paintings, metal works, gourd art and consignment clothing. “It started with just a few local crafters, and now we have 120 people selling their things in here,” says Paul Hawkins. Most — about 100 — of the artists are local, but some items come in from Nepal and India. At the front of the store is a display of light-switch plates that operate using brightly colored wooden gears to move the light switch up and down. The same crafter makes tiny wooden gears into jewelry. A local crafter makes crocheted stuffed animals for the store because crocheting helps keep her arthritic hands nimble, she says, pointing to a purple and white horse. 36 S. Broad St., Brevard, 828-384-0684, avl.mx/5fz M.A. PACE GENERAL STORE

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M.A. Pace opened his hardware store more than a century ago, in 1899. The business stayed in the Pace family for three generations. In 2011, the Morgan family — another bunch of Saluda natives with connections to the Paces — took over the store, with fourth- and fifth-generation members of the family working there; a playpen has been put up behind the cash register for a sixth generation. The proprietor today is Leon Morgan, great-grandnephew of the original owner, who delights in offering tours of the store and the history of the little town told in newspaper clippings and photographs on the walls. Autographed photos of the town’s two celebrities, character actor Pat Hingle and Bill Hayes, longtime star of the daytime drama, “Days of Our Lives,” are posted near the cash register.

The store carries hardware and farm and garden equipment alongside oldfashioned kitchen gadgets, cast-iron cookware, soaps, braided rugs and crockery pots and bowls. Morgan has collected several antique soft drink coolers, which are in use in the store. “It’s a little step back in time when you come in here,” Morgan says. 60 E. Main St., Saluda, 828-749-2401, avl.mx/5g0 L.O.F.T. OF ASHEVILLE (LOST OBJECTS, FOUND TREASURES) When Katie Skinner opened this eclectic gift shop in 1996, downtown wasn’t the hip place it is today. “This was not the best neighborhood,” says store employee Ellie Schreiner. “But everything just kind of grew up around us.” Today, L.O.F.T. boasts a reputation as one of the quirkiest gift stores in downtown Asheville. It is not a place for the easily offended — the slogans on some of its items use profanity — but for people seeking offbeat gifts, this is a good place to find them. The store is stocked with books both silly and serious, magnets, flags, puzzles, jewelry, clothing and more on two floors. Shoppers will find Ruth Bader Ginsburg Empowermints (a tin of breath mints), Christmas ornaments in the shape of a stick of butter, T-shirts, Crazy Cat Lady Action Figures and boxer shorts with “Bad Ass” printed across the back. “We all keep our eyes open for fun things for the store,” Schreiner says. “We don’t want to have things other places have.” The store also sells its wares online. 53 Broadway, Asheville, 828-259-9303, www.loftofasheville.com X

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DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

COMMUNITY CALENDAR DEC. 5 - 13, 2018

CALENDAR GUIDELINES For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 251-1333, ext. 137. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 251-1333, ext. 320.

=❄ • SU (12/9), 1pm Proceeds from this social gathering to watch the Cleveland Browns play football benefit local charities. Free to attend. Held at The Social, 1078 Tunnel Road

ANIMALS

❄ ASHEVILLE OUTLETS 800 Brevard Rd, Asheville • TH (12/6), 5-8pm - Dog and cat photos with Santa. Free to attend. • TH (12/13), 5-8pm Dog and cat photos with Santa. Free to attend.

ASHEVILLE SISTER CITIES 828-782-8025, ashevillesistercities.org, ashevillesistercities@ gmail.com • SA (12/8), 7-11pm Proceeds from "Global Glitz," event with cash bar, silent auction, door prizes, live music from WestSound and refreshments benefit Asheville Sister Cities. $60/$50

BENEFITS Some events from this section may be found in the Give!Local calendar on p. 29 ASHEVILLE BROWNS BACKERS CLUB 828-658-4149, ashevillebbw@gmail.com

advance. Held at The Foundry Hotel, 51 South Market St.

❄ ELIADA 828-254-5356, eliada.org, info@eliada.org • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS until (12/16) - Proceeds from Let it Be, Christmas, contemporary Nativity story benefit Eliada Homes. Fri.-Sun.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2:30pm. $10. Held at Biltmore United Methodist Church, 376 Hendersonville Road

❄ FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UCC OF HENDERSONVILLE 1735 5th Ave. W., Hendersonville, 828-692-8630, fcchendersonville.org • SA (12/8), 2-4pm - Proceeds from this holiday cookie and baked goods sale benefit First Congregational UCC of Hendersonville. Free to attend. ❄ HANUKKAH 8K jcc-asheville.org • SU (12/9), 8:30am Proceeds from this 8K running race benefit the Asheville JCC Shalom Children's Center. Event includes a free kids race. $40/$35 advance. Held

at Jewish Community Center, 236 Charlotte St.

❄ HENDERSONVILLE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION 828-697-3088, hendersonvillehpc.org • SU (12/9), 1-4pm Proceeds of the Holiday Historic Inn Tour and Cookie Caper benefit the Hendersonville Historic Preservation Commission. Tour includes 1898 Waverly Inn, Echo Mountain Inn, Brightwaters Guesthouse, The Henderson and Mill House Lodge. Information: 828-6973010 or info@ hendersonvillehpc. org. $20. Held at Historic Downtown Hendersonville, 145 5th Ave E, Hendersonville ❄ HISTORIC JOHNSON FARM 3346 Haywood Road, Hendersonville, 828-891-6585, historicjohnsonfarm.org • SA (12/8), 2-6pm - Proceeds from this Christmas event featuring tours, visits with Santa, children's crafts, wagon rides, live music and refreshments benefit the preservation and operation of Historic Johnson Farm. $5/$3 children.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Christmas Eve Worship Services

MONDAY DECEMBER 24, 2018

✦ 5:00 p.m. Family Worship with Candlelight

All are invited for this intergenerational worship. All children who attend are invited to participate in part of the service. The Passing of the Christmas light at the conclusion of the service reminds us of Christ, the light of the world.

✦ 9:00 p.m. Special Prelude Music

Special music provided by the Adult Chancel Choir and a variety of music offerings.

✦ 9:30 p.m. Worship Service with Communion The Christmas story, from prophecy to nativity, is shared in scripture and song, followed by Communion. Candle light is passed to remind us to share Christ, the light of the world.

✦ = CHILDCARE PROVIDED

40 CHURCH STREET, ASHEVILLE, NC • 828-253-1431 24

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

MOUNTAINX.COM

CAROLINA SPECIAL: After 53 years of running from Charleston to Asheville and beyond, the passenger train Carolina Special made its final run up the Saluda Grade 50 years ago on Dec. 5, 1968. To commemorate this occasion, the Saluda Historic Depot invites everyone to a drop-in reception at the depot on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 6-7:30 p.m. Speakers and special guests include Bill Schafer, Raymond “Bo” Brown and Carolyn Weisbecker. Free to attend. Photo of Carolina Special by Howard Fogg, courtesy of the Fishburne family. (p. 25) ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 743 Haywood Road, 828-575-2737, isisasheville.com/ • WE (12/5), 8:30-11pm - Proceeds from "Feed the Need" show featuring CaroMia Tiller, Leeda Lyric Jones, Jack Victor Music, Stephanie Morgan, David Earl Tomlinson, Ashley Heath, Juan Holladay and Stevie Lee Combs benefit MANNA FoodBank. $15. MAMA MAISHA facebook.vom/ mamamaisha • FR (12/7), 7-10pm Proceeds from the Mama Maisha Fundraiser with a silent auction and live music by Leeda Lyric Jones benefit Mama Maisha. Tickets: mamamaisha. ejoinme.org/2018. $12. Held at One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Road

❄ MONTFORD HOLIDAY TOUR OF HOMES 828-280-1576, montfordtour.com • SA (12/8), 1-5pm Proceeds benefit Youth programs at the Montford Recreation Center, new bus shelters and beautification projects on Montford Ave., Spring Montford Music and Arts Festival and security on Halloween. $25. Held at Asheville Visitors Center, 36 Montford Ave. ROOTS FOUNDATION rootsfound.org • TH (12/6), 6-8:30pm Proceeds from this French bistro buffet with drink and dessert benefit The Roots Foundation. $48. Held at Creperie Bouchon, 62 N. Lexington Ave.

THEATER AT WCU 828-227-2479, bardoartscenter.wcu.edu • SU (12/9), 7:30pm Donations at the Western Carolina University’s 2019 BFA Musical Theatre Senior Showcase benefit a trip for the seniors to perform for agents and producers in New York. Admission by donation. Held at Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville

❄ WESTERN CAROLINA RESCUE MINISTRIES 828-254-1529, westerncarolinarescue.org • TH (12/6), 6:30pm Proceeds benefit Western Carolina Rescue Ministries. Includes silent auction, dinner, live auction and Christmas music. $50. Held at Crowne Plaza Resort, 1 Resort Drive ❄ WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN 105 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain, 828-669-0816, whitehorseblackmountain. com/ • TH (12/6), 7pm Donations at "Box 4 Beer," food donation event with live music by Many a Ship and refreshements by Pisgah Brewing benefit Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry. Free/ Bring a box of donated food to receive a drink ticket. • TH (12/13), 7:30pm Proceeds from "Americana Resistance" benefit concert featuring live music by Mary Gauthier, Greg Brown, RB Morris, Jaimee Harris and Malcolm Harris benefit CIMA, organization that works for equity and justice for immigrants and marginalized people. $25/$22 advance.

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY ASHEVILLE SCORE COUNSELORS TO SMALL BUSINESS 828-271-4786, ashevillescore.org • SA (12/8), 9am-noon - "All You Need to Know About Website Development Fall 2018," seminar. Registration required: conta. cc/2JvyFp7. Free. Held at A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Road, Candler ATTIC SALT THEATRE The Mills at Riverside, 2002 Riverside Drive, Suite 42-O • MO (12/10), 6:308:30pm - AdClub WNC meeting with presentation by character expert and animator Pat Giles. $20/$5 members/$5 students. Toy donations accepted for The Saint Nicholas Project. FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER 850 Blue Ridge Road, Unit A-13, Black Mountain, 828357-9009, floodgallery.org • THURSDAYS, 11am-5pm - "Jelly at the Flood," coworking event to meet up with like-minded people to exchange help, ideas and advice. Free to attend. LENOIR RHYNE CENTER FOR GRADUATE STUDIES 36 Montford Ave., 828-778-1874 • TH (12/6), 8:30-10:30am - "Five Donor Love Languages," presentation by Tammy Zonker about fundraising. Sponsored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals of WNC. Registration required:

conta.cc/2Tt4obH. $15/$10 members. MOUNTAIN BIZWORKS 828-253-2834, mountainbizworks.org • WE (12/13), 5:30pm - Information session for businesses interested in the the 2019 ScaleUp WNC program. Information: ScaleUpWNC. com. Free to attend. Held at HatchWorks, 45 S. French Broad Ave.

CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS A BETTER WORLD 5PM THURSDAYS (PD.) 103.7 WPVM-FM and wpvmfm.org. • December 6: Robin Myer from Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC • December 13: District Attorney Todd Williams. Dr. Blake Fagan from MAHEC. The opioid crisis. • December 20: Dr. Raymond Moody, author of Life after Life. Near death experiences and life after life. betterworldradioshow@ gmail.com CLASS AT VILLAGERS (PD.) • Making Culinary & Holiday Spiced Ghee: Sunday, December 9. 5:308pm. $20. • Making Your Own Fire Cider Blends: Wednesday, December 12. 6:30-8pm. $15. Registration/information: www.forvillagers.com EMPYREAN ARTS CLASSES (PD.) Weekly drop in classes: Pole Spineography Thursdays

7:45pm. Sultry Pole Wednesdays 7:30pm. Aerial Conditioning Thursdays 1:00pm. Aerial Yoga Fridays 12:00pm. Handstands Tuesdays 6:00pm and Thursdays 6:30pm. EMPYREANARTS.ORG • 828.782.3321 FREE MINDFUL SELFCOMPASSION CLASS (PD.) Mindful Self-Compassion introductory class on Monday 12/17, 6:30-8:30 PM at Le Coeur, 602A Haywood Rd 28806. No registration required. Scientifically-validated training. www.mindfulselfcompassionasheville.com 828-761-1776 NAVIGATING FARM LABOR (PD.) The Organic Growers School is hosting Navigating Farm Labor, a workshop on how to structure labor on a small farm through the eyes of established regional farmers. Monday, December 10th, 2018 3-8pm in Alexander, NC Register: organicgrowersschool. org/farmers/navigatingfarm-labor/ AMERICAN LEGION POST NC 77 216 4th Ave. W, Hendersonville • 2nd THURSDAYS, noon - Korean War Veterans Chapter 314, general meeting. Free. ASHEVILLE CHESS CLUB 828-779-0319, vincentvanjoe@gmail.com • WEDNESDAYS, 6:30pm - Sets provided. All ages and skill levels welcome. Beginners lessons available. Free. Held at North Asheville Recreation

Center, 37 E. Larchmont Road ASHEVILLE NEWCOMERS CLUB ashevillenewcomersclub. com • 2nd MONDAYS, 9:30am - Monthly meeting for women new to Asheville. Free to attend. ASHEVILLE ROTARY CLUB rotaryasheville.org • THURSDAYS, noon1:30pm - General meeting. Free. Held at Renaissance Asheville Hotel, 31 Woodfin St. ASHEVILLE TAROT CIRCLE meetup.com/ Asheville-Tarot-Circle/ • 2nd SUNDAYS, noon General meeting. Free to attend. Held at Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Road ASHEVILLE WOMEN IN BLACK main.nc.us/wib • 1st FRIDAYS, 5pm Monthly peace vigil. Free. Held at Vance Monument, 1 Pack Square

❄ BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • TUESDAYS until (12/18), 2-6pm - "Tape & Take Tuesdays," event to wrap Christmas presents. Tape, scissors, large tables, music and cookies provided. Bring your own wrapping paper. Free. Held at Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain

FIFTH SEASON ASHEVILLE MARKET 4 South Tunnel Road, 828-412-3200, fifthseasongardening. com/stores/ashevillemarket • TU (12/11), 10am NC Natural Products Association and WNC Medicinal Herb Growers Club present: The Art and Science of Pressed Plant Voucher Preparation. $20. I CHING STUDY GROUP • MO (12/10), 3pm - I Ching study and sharing group meeting. Information: 828-6760844. Free to attend. Held at Panera Bread, 1843 Hendersonville Road LEICESTER COMMUNITY CENTER 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester, 828-774-3000, facebook.com/Leicester. Community.Center • 2nd TUESDAYS, 7pm - Public board meeting. Free. ONTRACK WNC 50 S. French Broad Ave., 828-255-5166, ontrackwnc.org • TH (12/6), 5:30-7pm "Understanding Credit. Get it. Keep it. Improve it." Seminar. Registration required. Free. • TH (12/13), noon1:30pm - "Understanding Credit. Get it. Keep it. Improve it." Seminar. Registration required. Free. • TH (12/13), 5:307pm - "Budgeting and Debt," class. Registration required. Free. ORGANIC GROWERS SCHOOL 828-552-4979, organicgrowersschool.org

• MO (12/10), 3-8pm Workshop showcasing ways to structure labor on a small farm. $40. Held at Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy's Community Farm, 180 Mag Sluder Road, Alexander

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PUBLIC EVENTS AT WCU 828-227-7397, bardoartscenter.edu • 2nd MONDAYS, 7pm - Western North Carolina Civil War Round Table, club meeting. Social meeting at 6:30pm. Free. Held at H.F. Robinson Administration Building, Cullowhee

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Some events from this section may be found in the Give!Local calendar on p. 29 BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • TU (12/11), 6pm "Driving to Net 0: Stories of Hope for a CarbonFree Future," presentation

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VIVA LA RESISTANCE: Proceeds from Americana Resistance: A Benefit Concert for Compañeros Inmigrantes de las Montañas en Acción will help CIMA to continue to protect immigrant communities from anti-immigrant policies and oppression. CIMA connects, strengthens and organizes communities to take action for immigrant rights in Western North Carolina. The concert featuring a lineup of Americana artists — Mary Gauthier, Greg Brown, Malcolm Holcombe and RB Morris — takes place Thursday, Dec. 13, at 7:30 p.m. at White Horse Black Mountain. The benefit also includes a silent auction of goods and services from a number of local businesses. $22/$25 at the door. For more information, visit avl. mx/5g2. Photo courtesy of Autumn Greenfield (p. 24)

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DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

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by Professor Dave Erb regarding electric vehicles, solar power, and living sustainably. Free. Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave.

❄ WNC SIERRA CLUB 828-683-2176, wenoca.org • TH (12/6), 6:30-9pm Annual holiday potluck party with environmental recognition ceremony for companies and individuals. Free/Bring a dish to share. Held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place

FARM & GARDEN HENDERSON COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION OFFICE 828-697-4891 • MO (12/10), 6:30pm - "Planting for Birds, Bees and Butterflies," workshop. Registration required. $25. Held at Henderson County Cooperative Extension Office, 100 Jackson Park Rd, Hendersonville ORGANIC GROWERS SCHOOL 828-552-4979, organicgrowersschool.org • MO (12/10), 3-8pm "Navigate Farm Labor," workshop. Registration required. $40. Held at Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy's Community Farm, 180 Mag Sluder Road, Alexander PLEB URBAN WINERY 289 Lyman St., 828-785-5335, pleburbanwinery.com/ • WE (12/12), 8:30am4:30pm - Grape grow-

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FESTIVALS

❄ THIS SATURDAY • MONTFORD HOLIDAY TOUR OF HOMES (PD.) December 8, 1-5pm. 23rd Annual tour of Homes in Montford, Asheville's most historic neighborhood. • Festive historic homes and home-baked treats. • Tickets: $25 (Cash or checks only) at Asheville Visitors Center Gift Shop, 36 Montford Avenue, December 1-8. Info: (847) 212-0295 or montfordtour.com ❄ BILL MOORE COMMUNITY PARK 85 Howard Gap Road, Fletcher • SA (12/8), 2:30-7:30pm - "Christmas in the Park," with ice-skating, live music, food vendors and visits with Santa Claus. Free/ Food donations accepted. ❄ NC ARBORETUM WINTER LIGHTS 828-665-2492, ncwinterlights.com • Through MO (12/31), 6-10pm - "Winter Lights," outdoor holiday lights exhibition. $18/$12 children under 12/Free children under 4. Held at NC Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way ❄ PUBLIC EVENTS AT WCU 828-227-7397, bardoartscenter.edu • WE (12/5) & TH (12/6) “Holidays at the University Center,” event featuring an ice rink, sledding hill, train ride and photos with

Santa. Information: dca. wcu.edu. $15. Held at The WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee

❄ SHELTON HOUSE 49 Shelton St., Waynesville, sheltonhouse.org • SU (12/9), 4-7pm - "Old Fashioned Christmas and Grand Illumination," event with Christmas caroling, house tours, visits with Santa, reading of The Night Before Christmas and refreshments. Free. GOVERNMENT & POLITICS BLUE RIDGE REPUBLICAN WOMEN’S CLUB facebook.com/BRRWC • 2nd THURSDAYS, 6pm - General meeting. Free to attend. Held at Gondolier Restaurant, 1360 Tunnel Road. BUNCOMBE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC HEADQUARTERS 951 Old Fairview Road, 828-274-4482 • 2nd MONDAYS, 6:308:30pm - Progressive Democrats of Buncombe, monthly meeting. Free. CITY OF ASHEVILLE 828-251-1122, ashevillenc.gov • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 5pm - Citizens-Police Advisory Committee meeting. Free. Meets in the 1st Floor Conference Room. Held at Public Works Building, 161 S. Charlotte St. • TU (12/11), 5pm Asheville City Council public hearing. Free. Held

at Asheville City Hall, 70 Court Plaza HENDERSONVILLE CITY OPERATIONS CENTER 305 Williams St., Hendersonville • WE (12/5), 6pm - Public input meeting regarding the need for expanded broadband service. Free. INDIVISIBLE COMMON GROUND-WNC Indivisible-sylva.com • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 6:30-8pm -General meeting. Free. Held at St. David's Episcopal Church, 286 Forest Hills Road, Sylva

Registration required: 253-3227 ext. 124. $4 per student. ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE 35 E. Walnut St., 828-2541320, ashevilletheatre.org • SA (12/8), 2pm - Holidays Around the World, theater production for kids by Bright Star Touring Theatre. $7. BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library

• WE (12/5), 4pm "Heroes Unlimited," role playing game for middle and high schoolers. Registration required. Free. Held at Fairview Library, 1 Taylor Road, Fairview • FR (12/7), 4-5:30pm Block printing workshop for teens. Registration required. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • 2nd SATURDAYS, 1-4pm & LAST WEDNESDAYS, 4-6pm - Teen Dungeons and Dragons for ages 12 and up. Registration required: 828-250-4720.

Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • MONDAYS, 10:30am - Spanish story time for children of all ages. Free. Held at Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Road, Candler • TU (12/11), 10:30am "Kidding Around Yoga," yoga class for children aged 3-6. Registration required. Free. Held at Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Road, Candler

❄ FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE DOWNTOWN 125 S. Main St., Hendersonville, 828-693-0731, flatrockplayhouse.org • THURSDAYS through SUNDAYS (12/6) until (12/16) - Junie B. Jones in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, production based on the best selling book for children. Thurs.-Sat.: 7pm. Sat. & Sun.: 2pm. $30/$16 students.

PROGRESSIVE WOMEN OF HENDERSONVILLE pwhendo.org • FRIDAYS, 4-7pm Postcard writing to government representatives. Postcards, stamps, addresses, pens and tips are provided. Free to attend. Held at Sanctuary Brewing Company, 147 1st Ave., Hendersonville

KIDS APPLE VALLEY MODEL RAILROAD & MUSEUM 650 Maple St, Hendersonville, AVMRC.com • WEDNESDAYS, 1-3pm & SATURDAYS, 10am2pm - Open house featuring operating model trains and historic memorabilia. Free.

We tranform donated cars into working wheels for working families!

ASHEVILLE ART MUSEUM 175 Biltmore Ave., 828253-3227 • 2nd TUESDAYS, 11am12:30pm - Homeschool program for grades 1-4.

Working Wheels

At this moment, I’m cleaning my house for the holidays! Holiday Special: One quick clean for just $90 (limited offer expires December 20) * minimum 3 hours – larger homes may require longer “I didn’t realize how having my house cleaned on a bi-weekly basis would change my life. I’m a busy working mom of two, and it really makes me feel so good when I come home to a clean house.” — Paige Hills

Give us a call to set up a cleaning today! (828) 620-0672. Open Mon-Sat: 8am-5pm. flyingsquirrelcleaningcompany.com

These organizations choose the program participants: • • • • • • •

ABCCM’s Steadfast House AHA’s Self-Sufficiency Program Community Action Opportunities Green Opportunities Habitat for Humanity Helpmate Homeward Bound

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Mary Benson House Nurse Family Partnership OnTrack Our Voice Re-Entry Council of Buncombe County • YWCA

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WorkingWheelsWNC.org • (828) 633-6888 MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

C O MMUNITY C ALE NDAR FLETCHER LIBRARY 120 Library Road, Fletcher, 828-687-1218, library.hendersoncountync.org • WEDNESDAYS, 10:30am - Family story time. Free. MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 828-254-6734, malaprops.com • SA (12/8), 1pm Children's book author, Debra Frasier presents fun literacy activities and New Year's intention setting for children. Free to attend. • WEDNESDAYS, 10am - Miss Malaprop's Story Time for ages 3-9. Free to attend. SWANNANOA VALLEY MUSEUM 223 W State St., Black Mountain, 828-669-9566, history.swannanoavalleymuseum.org • 2nd & 4th SATURDAYS, 2-4pm - Historically oriented crafts and activities for children. Free to attend. THE CENTER FOR ART AND SPIRIT AT ST. GEORGE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 1 School Road, 828-258-0211 • THURSDAYS until (12/27), 4-5pm - Kids yoga and art class integrating themes of peace. For ages three and up. Co-sponsored by Creative Peacemakers. Free for children from low-income families. Information: ashevillekidsyogaandart.com. $10-$25. THE HOP 640 Merrimon Ave., Suite 103, 828-254-2224, thehopicecreamcafe. com • TU (12/8), 2-3pm Jarrett Rutland presents his children's book, Chilly Da Vinci. Free to attend.

OUTDOORS CHIMNEY ROCK STATE PARK (PD.) Enjoy breathtaking views of Lake Lure, trails for all levels of hikers, an Animal Discovery Den and 404-foot waterfall. Plan your adventure at chimneyrockpark.com BUNCOMBE COUNTY RECREATION SERVICES buncombecounty.org/ Governing/Depts/ Parks/ • SA (12/8), 10am-1pm - Moderate, four-mile hike at Alexander Mountain Bike Park. Registration and location: hike.buncombeoutdoors.org. Free.

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

MOUNTAINX.COM

ELISHA MITCHELL AUDUBON SOCIETY emasnc.org • SA (12/8), 9-11am Bird walk. Free. Meet in the Administration Building parking lot on Glover Street Held at Jackson Park, 801 Glover St., Hendersonville FRIENDS OF THE SMOKIES 828-452-0720, friendsofthesmokies. org, outreach.nc@ friendsofthesmokies.org • SA (12/11) - Easy, fourmile hike on Kephart Prong Trail. Register online. $35 nonmembers/$20 members. PISGAH CHAPTER OF TROUT UNLIMITED pisgahchaptertu.org/ New-Meetinginformation.html • 2nd THURSDAYS, 7pm - General meeting and presentations. Free to attend. Held at Ecusta Brewing, 49 Pisgah Highway, Suite 3, Pisgah Forest SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. 100 Sierra Nevada Way, Mills River • TH (12/6), 7pm Backcountry Film Festival, produced by Winter Wildlands Alliance, featuring nine short films about winter, adventure, youth outdoors and ski culture. $12/$10 advance.

PARENTING BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF WNC 828-253-1470, bbbswnc.org • TH (12/5), noon Information session for single parents with children ages 6-14 interested in learning more about connecting children with a mentor. Free. Held at Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC, 50 S. French Broad Ave., Ste. #213.

PUBLIC LECTURES BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • FR (12/7), 6pm Historian Dan Pierce presents his book, Hazel Creek: The Life and Death of an Iconic Mountain Community. Free. Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave.

SENIORS HARVEST HOUSE 205 Kenilworth Road, 828-350-2051

GIVING GAMES

November-December Campaign

Make a gift, get local goodies All donors who give during Big Give Week (Dec. 1-8) will be entered in a drawing for a

new bike!

(Gift Certificate from Motion Makers Bicycle Shop for $600)

$1,963 $5,743

$620

$4,283 $5,428 $7,305

$10,288

WNC (other locations) $5,190 NC (other locations) $522 US (outside NC) $758

019

Give $20 or more to Give!Local nonprofits and receive vouchers for:

$49,259 given as of Dec. 2, 2018

• One order of chips and salsa from The Cantina at Historic Biltmore Village • A pint glass from Highland Brewing Co.

• 4-pack of Zuma Gold Cookies

• One snack bag of popcorn from Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn

• Kiddie scoop of ice cream from The Hop Ice Cream Cafe

• A taco from Sonora Cocina Mexicana

• A slice of pizza from Mellow Mushroom • A cup of coffee from Izzy’s Coffee • A cup of coffee from Bomba • A seasonal tea blend from Alchemy • Free admission for one child to the Asheville Museum of Science

YOUR

HERE

DESIGN

from Recover Brands

• A small scoop of ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream 2018-2019

2018-2

k er B o o Vouch Voucher Book

YOUR

$1,000 of T-shirts!

$4,628

$2,531

• A slice of pizza from Barley’s Taproom

The nonprofit with the most donations (of $20 or more in any seven-day window) will win

• A pint glass from Upcountry Brewing Co. • One classified ad from Mountain Xpress • PLUS: discounts, BOGOs and “free with purchase” offers from: • Baked Pie Company • Asheville Detours • Copper Crown • High Five Coffee

NONPROFIT EVENTS DEC. 5-13 This week the Community Calendar is highlighting events that are sponsored by nonprofits that are participating in the Give!Local campaign. The campaign is raising money for 30 worthy local nonprofits that make a big difference where we live. These events are wonderful examples of some of the great work that these nonprofits do within our communities! BENEFITS FARM BURGER DOWNTOWN 10 Patton Ave., 828348-8540, farmburger. com/asheville-nc/ • Through WE (12/12) - Cash or toy donations accepted for Irene Wortham Center. THE OMNI GROVE PARK INN 290 Macon Ave., 828252-2711 • Through FR (1/4) Proceeds from parking fees from the annual National Gingerbread Competition exhibition benefit United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, American Legion Baseball Post #70, Meals on Wheels of Asheville and Buncombe County, Asheville City Schools Foundation,

Homeward Bound, Horizons at CDS, Buncombe Partnership for Children and Camp Watia Camper Scholarship Fund. Contact for schedule: 888-444-OMNI. Free to attend with $20 parking fee per car.

ECO MOUNTAINTRUE 828-258-8737, mountaintrue.org • 2nd WEDNESDAYS, 6-7:30pm - Environmental issues and actions meeting. Free. Held at The Wedge at Foundation, 5 Foundy St.

SUPPORT GROUPS OUR VOICE 35 Woodfin St., 828252-0562, ourvoicenc. org

• Ongoing drop-in group for female identified survivors of sexual violence.

Registration required: tours@homewardboundwnc.org or 828785-9840. Free.

VOLUNTEERING 12 BASKETS CAFE 610 Haywood Road, 828-231-4169, ashevillepovertyinitiative.org • TUESDAYS 10:30am - Volunteer orientation. HOMEWARD BOUND OF WNC 218 Patton Ave., 828258-1695, homewardboundwnc.org • THURSDAYS, 11am, 2nd TUESDAYS, 5:30pm & 3rd WEDNESDAYS, 8:30am - “Welcome Home Tour,” tours to find out how Homeward Bound is working to end homelessness and how the public can help.

For more volunteering opportunities visit mountainx.com/ volunteering

WELLNESS BUNCOMBE COUNTY SPECIAL OLYMPICS 828-250-4260 • WEDNESDAYS, 3-4pm - Adaptive crossfit classes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Free. Held at South Slope CrossFit, 217 Coxe Ave., Suite B

Learn about and give to 40 great local nonprofits at givelocalguide.org MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

C OMMU N IT Y CA L EN D AR

• TUESDAYS, 2:30pm "Focus on Flexibility," exercise class focused on balance, breathing and body alignment. Information: 828-299-4844. Free. JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES OF WNC, INC. 828-253-2900, jfswnc.org • TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS, 11am-2pm - The Asheville Elder Club Group Respite program for individuals with memory challenges and people of all faiths. Registration required:

by Deborah Robertson

828-253-2900. $30. Held at Jewish Family Services of WNC, 2 Doctors Park, Suite E • WEDNESDAYS, 11am2pm - The Hendersonville Elder Club for individuals with memory challenges and people of all faiths. Registration required: 828-253-2900. $30. Held at Agudas Israel Congregation, 505 Glasgow Lane Hendersonville

SPIRITUALITY ASTRO-COUNSELING (PD.) Licensed counselor and accredited professional astrologer uses your chart when counseling for additional insight into yourself, your relationships and life directions. Stellar Counseling Services. Christy Gunther, MA, LPC. (828) 258-3229.

Send your event listings to calendar@mountainx.com DE-STRESS, GET HAPPY & CONNECT! (PD.) Mindfulness Meditation at the Asheville Insight Meditation Center. Group Meditation: Weekly on Thursdays at 7pm & Sundays at 10am. ashevillemeditation.com, info@ashevillemeditation. com. LEARN TO MEDITATE (PD.) Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation class at Asheville Insight Meditation Center, 1st

& 3rd Mondays of each month at 7pm – 8:30pm. ashevillemeditation.com, info@ashevillemeditation. com. LOOK FOR THE DOORWAY TO SPIRITUAL FREEDOM (PD.) Sing HU, the most beautiful prayer, and open your heart to balance, inner peace, Divine love, and spiritual self-discovery. Love is Love, and you are that. HU is the Sound of Soul. Spiritual discussion follows.

Sponsored by ECKANKAR. Date: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 11am. Eckankar Center of Asheville, 797 Haywood Rd. (“Cork and Craft” building, lower level), Asheville NC 28806, 828254-6775. (free event). www.eckankar-nc.org

❄ ASHEVILLE

BUNCOMBE COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES 828-259-5300, abccm.org • TH (12/6) until SU (12/9) - Return to Bethlehem, interactive nativity theatri-

NCDOT TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING ON DECEMBER 13 FOR PROPOSED INTERCHANGE AT I-40/BLUE RIDGE ROAD (S.R. 2500) WITH THE WIDENING OF BLUE RIDGE ROAD FROM JUST SOUTH OF I-40 TO U.S. 70 AND A ROUNDABOUT AT BLUE RIDGE ROAD AND N.C. 9 IN BUNCOMBE COUNTY

STIP Project No. I-4409 The N.C. Department of Transportation proposes to convert I-40 / Blue Ridge Road (S.R. 2500) grade-separation to an Interchange, widen Blue Ridge Road from just south of the new interchange north to U.S. 70, and construct a roundabout at the intersection of Blue Ridge Road and N.C. 9. A public meeting will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13 at the Lakeview Clubhouse at Lake Tomahawk Park located at 401 Laurel Circle Drive in Black Mountain. The purpose of this meeting is to inform the public of the project and gather input on the proposed design. As information becomes available, it may be viewed online at the NCDOT Public Meeting Webpage: https://www.ncdot.gov/news/public-meetings. The public may attend at any time during the public meeting hours, as no formal presentation will be made. NCDOT representatives will be available to answer questions and receive comments. The comments and information received will be taken into consideration as work on the project develops. The opportunity to submit written comments will be provided at the meeting or can be done via phone, email, or mail by January 11, 2019. For additional information, contact Michael Clark, NCDOT Division 13 Project Engineer at, 55 Orange Street, Asheville, NC 28801, (828) 251-6171 or, mgclark@ncdot.gov. NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who wish to participate in this workshop. Anyone requiring special services should contact Tony Gallagher, Environmental Analysis Unit, at 1598 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1598, by phone (919) 707-6069 or by e-mail at magallagher@ncdot.gov as early as possible so that arrangements can be made. Persons who do not speak English, or have a limited ability to read, speak or understand English, may receive interpretive services upon request prior to the meeting by calling 1-800-481-6494. Aquellas personas no hablan inglés, o tienen limitaciones para leer, hablar o entender inglés, podrían recibir servicios de interpretación si los solicitan antes de la reunión llamando al 1-800-481-6494. 30

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

MOUNTAINX.COM

cal production. Thurs & Fri.: 6-8:30pm. Sat.: 2-8:30pm. Sun.: 2-6pm. Free. Held at Groce United Methodist Church, 954 Tunnel Road CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING ASHEVILLE 2 Science Mind Way, 828-253-2325, cslasheville.org • 1st FRIDAYS, 7pm - "Dreaming a New Dream," meditation to explore peace and compassion. Free.

❄ FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF ASHEVILLE 5 Oak St., 828-252-4781, fbca.net • WE (12/12) through WE (12/19) - Multichurch event with more than 250 nativity sets from 60 countries. Includes music and lectures. See website for schedule: ashevillenativity.org. Free to attend.

❄ FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UCC OF HENDERSONVILLE 1735 5th Ave. W., Hendersonville, 828-692-8630, fcchendersonville.org • WE (12/7), 7pm - Advent service of contemplative worship for all faith traditions. Free. GROCE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 954 Tunnel Road, 828-298-6195, groceumc.org • 2nd & 4th MONDAYS, 6:308:30pm - A Course in Miracles, study group. Information: 828-7125472. Free. TAIZE 828-254-5193 • 1st FRIDAYS, 7-8pm - Taize, interfaith meditative candlelight prayer meetup with song, silence and scripture. Free. Held at St. Eugene's Catholic Church, 72 Culver St. THE CENTER FOR ART AND SPIRIT AT ST. GEORGE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 1 School Road, 828-258-0211 • TUESDAYS 7-8:30pm - Mountain Mindfulness Sangha. Admission by donation. URBAN DHARMA 828-225-6422, udharmanc.com/ • THURSDAYS, 7:309pm - Open Sangha night. Free. Held at Urban Dharma, 77 Walnut St.

VOLUNTEERING Some events from this section may be found in the Give!Local calendar on p. 29 MAKE A DIFFERENCE - BE A MENTOR! (PD.) As a mentor with Journeymen, you make a profound impact in the lives of teenage boys as they journey toward becoming men of integrity. We offer group mentoring and rites of passage to boys ages 12-17 and are enrolling qualified adult male mentors now. Will you answer the call? Learn more: journeymenasheville@gmail. com or 828-230-7353. TUTOR ADULTS IN NEED WITH THE LITERACY COUNCIL (PD.) Give someone another chance to learn. Provide reading, writing, and/or English language tutoring and change a life forever. Volunteer orientation 12/13(5:30pm) or 1/7(5:30pm) RSVP: volunteers@litcouncil. com. Learn more: www.litcouncil.com. BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • TU (12/11), 4pm - Event for those interested in volunteering with the Friends of the Library to gift wrap the books for the Holiday Giving Tree. Free. Held at Fairview Library, 1 Taylor Road, Fairview STITCHES OF LOVE 828-575-9195 • 2nd MONDAYS, 7-9pm - Volunteer to stitch or crochet handmade articles for local charities. All skill levels welcome. Held at New Hope Presbyterian Church, 3070 Sweeten Creek Road WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AIDS PROJECT 828-252-7489, wncap.org • 2nd & 4th SATURDAYS, 10amnoon - Volunteer to deliver food boxes to homebound people living with HIV/AIDS. Registration: 828252-7489 ext.315 or wncapvolunteer@ wncap.org. For more volunteering opportunities visit mountainx.com/ volunteering

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DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

WELLNESS

CANNABINOMICS CBD business budding across WNC, nation

BEST BUDS: Frances Tacy, co-owner with her husband, Jeff Tacy, of Franny’s Farm in Leicester, has had a busy year. She harvested her first full hemp crop and launched two retail stores that offer products made from CBD extracted from her own plants. Photo courtesy of Tacy

BY CASS HERRINGTON cassherrington@gmail.com Cannabidiol, or CBD, seems to be everywhere these days. In Asheville, neon signs flash in storefront windows: “We have CBD.” Gift shops sell CBD-fortified soaps and moisturizers, and some local spots serve the substance up in food and cocktails. CBD is the naturally occurring chemical found in hemp — the nonpsychoactive cousin of marijuana — that manufacturers are heralding as a “miracle” for ailments ranging from anxiety to insomnia. Businesses in North Carolina and across the country are cashing in on its acclaim. “CBD isn’t a secret thing that you have to hide in the garage. People put it on their pizza, people bathe with it, people put it in their drinks,” says Seth Connelly, operations manager at Blue Ridge Hemp Co. “Cannabis is a plant that can help us live our best 32

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

MOUNTAINX.COM

lives, and it’s accessible. We just have to be OK with it being there.” Connelly also co-owns Garden Party, a lifestyle boutique on Haywood Street. In November, the store hosted a CBD-infused pizza party. Garden Party co-owner and creative director Tarleton Walmsley says they’re hoping to normalize cannabis. “Owning a small business is a form of activism,” Walmsley says. “There’s a lot of potential for this business to grow as a community, and that’s what’s exciting to me.” LAWFUL ORDERS Use and sale of CBD is legal in 45 states, including North Carolina, as long as its THC content doesn’t exceed 0.3 percent. Under federal law, the substance is still considered illegal, but that doesn’t seem to be deterring growers and business owners from expanding their investment and development of CBD and CBD products. Blue Ridge Hemp recently

opened a dispensary on Lexington Avenue that sells the CBD flower and pre-rolled joints. “You can go downtown and take a rip,” Connelly says. “It’s just about being upfront. We’re not doing anything shady. It’s just business.” Walmsey adds that, if businesses like Blue Ridge Hemp or Garden Party uprooted and moved to a state where marijuana is legal, people in those states wouldn’t bat an eye. “We wouldn’t really stand out.” Which begs the question: Are CBD businesses laying down the tracks, preparing for an expansion into legal marijuana? The answer depends on whom you ask. Connelly says that’s the long game for Blue Ridge Hemp. “We’re trying to make moves to run it like a real cannabis company, like in California,” Connelly says. “So when it does change at a federal level, we’re ready.”

THOUSANDS OF USES Franny’s Farm, another Ashevillebased hemp company, just opened its second dispensary. Owner Frances Tacy says if medical or recreational marijuana became legal in North Carolina, she’d add marijuana products to her retail offerings, but she would continue focusing her energy on growing hemp. “CBD is what I like to use. It has thousands of uses that marijuana will never be used for,” Tacy says. “I’ve seen it help people, and that’s who I want to continue to serve.” In 2018, North Carolina’s first full hemp growing season, it’s been a lucrative business for Franny’s Farm, too. Tacy says she planted two quarter-acre plots, as well as a small demonstration garden that included 50 additional plants. After September’s harvest, the crop yielded about 1,000 pounds of hemp flower. Tacy says she anticipates this year’s sales will exceed $1 million. “We’ve gone from one employee — me — to putting money into about 160 different people’s wallets,” she says. Franny’s Farm is several businesses rolled into one, including agritourism, special events, farming, distribution and retail. The hemp company grows and makes its products, essentially securing its own supply chain. Even in states where recreational marijuana is legal, some companies are strictly sticking to CBD. HEALTH WITHOUT THE HIGH One Colorado-based company, High Plateau Pharmaceuticals, is even looking to expand its CBD product manufacturing to the East Coast. CEO

Robert Mussen says despite the legalization of recreational marijuana in his state, he’s focused on selling and marketing products strictly containing CBD, like tinctures and creams. “It has all the health of marijuana, without the high,” Mussen says. Mussen says since he started his company four years ago, business has grown threefold. High Plateau Pharmaceuticals plans on opening an East Coast facility in South Carolina next year, he says, and hopes to expand into WNC sometime after that. “I got into the market four years ago, and it was crickets. It has slowly gotten busier, especially this year, but it’s still the tip of the iceberg,” Mussen says. There’s still plenty of room for the budding industry to expand, particularly in the Southeast, says High Plateau’s communications director, Tom Crosby. “North Carolina is a fairly conservative state, and there’s still that aura hanging over it that CBD and marijuana are a bad thing,” Crosby says. “We need to get beyond that and see that people are actually feeling better taking it and healing, in many respects.” BURDEN OF PROOF But claims about CBD and its purported health benefits are largely anecdotal. Some preliminary studies involving mice have shown links between CBD intake and a reduction in symptoms of anxiety disorders and inflammation. Some of the strongest clinical research on human patients focuses on rare childhood epilepsy

CONTINUES ON PAGE 34

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WELLN ESS syndromes. A 2017 report found that patients given CBD oil saw a 40 percent reduction in seizures, compared to 17 percent in patients who received a placebo (avl.mx/5g1). The study’s authors concluded: “These are exciting times for research in cannabinoids. After almost four millennia of their documented medical use in the treatment of seizure disorders, we are very close to obtaining conclusive evidence of their efficacy in some severe epilepsy syndromes. The era of evidence-based prescription of a cannabis product is within our sight.” Industry experts, business owners and lawmakers who support CBD seem to agree that more research needs to be done. While manufacturers and users of CBD and cannabis products report drastic improvements in certain health conditions, none of the claims have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “A good immediate step would be a comprehensive study done by state agencies, like the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services,” Rep. Brian Turner, D-Buncombe, says. Turner is one of the founding members of the so-called “Cannabis

Caucus,” a cohort of state lawmakers who support the legalization of medical marijuana. Last year, he was a co-sponsor of House Bill 185, which would decriminalize the purchase or possession of “an adequate supply” of cannabis for a qualified patient or their caregiver. Along with two other bills related to medical marijuana, HB 185 remains in committee for the foreseeable future. Turner says given the state legislature’s conservative majority, legalization of medical marijuana “isn’t even on the horizon at this point.” Instead, he says, he’s focused on legislation that would support the CBD and hemp economy in North Carolina, including growers and manufacturers. “As we go back into session [at the end of January], we’ll be looking at things like the regulatory framework, whether it’s adequate or too burdensome,” Turner says. BETTER ALTERNATIVE? Turner says he’d also support a study on medical cannabis, particularly as an alternative to opioids.

That seems to be a major selling point for CBD users. Cannabidiol interacts with receptors in the brain that play a role in controlling physiological responses like pain, mood and inflammation. As patients become more aware of the risks of controlled substances such as opioids and stimulants, they’re increasingly turning to alternative remedies for relief. For one Ashevillean, CBD is a godsend. “It’s impacted my life. I really cannot explain how grateful I am for CBD,” Grace says. Xpress is using a pseudonym to identify Grace because she fears losing her job at a rehab center. The smallest trace of THC in a drug screening could result in her termination. “I’m definitely worried, but at the end of the day, the health benefits that I receive from CBD outweigh my job,” she says. “I know that sounds crazy and unrealistic, but it’s true. If I would have to make a career change, then that’s what I would have to do at this point.” Like many of the patients she sees, Grace has struggled with addiction. Altogether, she’s been in recovery for nine years. She relapsed for four months, but has stayed clean for the past two years. Grace is emphatic: Her daily CBD regimen has been instru-

mental to her success in managing pain and anxiety. The supplement boosts her sense of well-being. “I don’t feel the need to take benzos for anxiety or stimulants for my ADHD,” she says. Most of the clients she sees are struggling with addiction to opioid painkillers and benzodiazepines, like Xanax and Ativan. Grace says she believes CBD could benefit the patients at the clinic, but she can’t advise them to try it. “I’ve even seen clients get put out of treatment centers for testing positive for THC, while they say they’ve only taken CBD,” she says. “There’s no way to rule out someone who’s smoking marijuana illegally versus someone who’s taking a full-spectrum CBD oil that’s legal.” Grace has been taking CBD oil for the past two years at the insistence of her mother. She experimented with different brands and potencies until she found what works well for her body. She estimates she spends about $50 — the typical cost of a bottle — every four to five days. “This stuff works,” Grace says. “Maybe not for everyone. I’m not saying it can cure everybody’s ailment, but it can make a huge impact and a huge difference.” X

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=❄ WELLNESS Some events from this section may be found in the Give!Local calendar on p. 29

❄ GREAT

STOCKING STUFFER IDEA (PD.) Gift Certificates available for Yoga and Ballroom Dance Lessons at WAVE Studios. Contact: info@waveasheville. com or call 828-5750905 Studio info at waveasheville.com SHOJI SPA & LODGE • 7 DAYS A WEEK (PD.) Private Japanese-style outdoor hot tubs, cold plunge, sauna and lodging. 8 minutes from town. Bring a friend to escape and renew! Best massages in Asheville! 828-299-0999. shojiretreats.com

SOUND HEALING • SATURDAY • SUNDAY (PD.) Every Saturday, 11am and Sundays, 12 noon. Experience deep relaxation with crystal bowls, gongs, didgeridoo and other peaceful instruments. • Donation suggested. At Skinny Beats Sound Shop, 4 Eagle Street. skinnybeatsdrums.com ASHEVILLE FUNCTIONAL FORUM rowan.l@icloud.com • 2nd MONDAYS, 6:30-8:30pm - Meetup for practitioners and patients of integrative and functional medicine to share and learn. Information: rowan.l@icloud.com. Free to attend. Held at EarthFare - Westgate, 66 Westgate Parkway GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 1245 6th Ave W, Hendersonville,

828-693-4890, gracelutherannc.com • TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS, 9am Walking exercise class. Free. HAYWOOD COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 157 Paragon Parkway, Clyde • TU (12/11), noon-2pm - Naloxone training. Registration: jsharp@ nchrc.org. Free. RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES redcrosswnc.org • WE (12/5), 10am2:30pm - Appointments & info: 800-RED-CROSS. Held at State Employees' Credit Union, 111 Smokey Park Highway • FR (12/7), 9am-1:30pm - Appointments & info: 800-RED-CROSS. Held at Ingles Oteen, 1141 Tunnel Road • FR (12/7), noon-4:30pm - Appointments & info: 800-RED-CROSS. Held at The DoubleTree Hotel, 115 Hendersonville Road • SU (12/9), 8:30am12:30pm - Appointments & info: 800-RED-CROSS. Held at Central United Methodist Church, 27 Church St.

• TH (12/13), 10am2:30pm - Appointments & info: 800-RED-CROSS. Held at Industries for the Blind, 240 Sardis Road TAOIST TAI CHI SOCIETY taoist.org/usa/locations/ asheville • WEDNESDAYS, 3-4:30pm - Beginner tai chi class and information session for the class series. First class is free. Held at Town and Mountain Training Center, 261 Asheland Ave. THE CENTER FOR ART AND SPIRIT AT ST. GEORGE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 1 School Road, 828-258-0211 • WEDNESDAYS, 3:305pm & 6:30-8pm - Open mindfulness meditation. Admission by donation. THE MEDITATION CENTER 894 E. Main St., Sylva, 828-356-1105, meditate-wnc.org • 2nd WEDNESDAYS, 6-8pm - "Inner Guidance from an Open Heart," class with meditation and discussion. $10.

Psychologist Dr. Cabot Young

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DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

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ABUNDANCE ON OFFER: Asheville’s Fifth Season Gardening counters the area’s limited outdoor growing season with products for indoor gardening and other DIY pursuits. Photo by Wells Henderson, courtesy of Fifth Season Gardening

BY KIM DINAN dinankim@gmail.com There’s a movement underfoot in Asheville — literally. The city’s garden suppliers say that, over the past several years, they’ve seen their customers become more concerned and knowledgeable about what goes into their ground. That’s been good news for these purveyors of plants and the know-how needed to make them thrive. Chris Smith, marketing and communications manager at Sow True Seed, says his company’s customers have increasingly embraced a backto-the-land ethos since the business opened in 2009. The store specializes in seed-starting supplies and has over 500 varieties of seeds on display. “There’s a lot of interest in seed saving, open-pollinated and heirloom seed varieties, and the knowledge and skills to grow them,” he says. 36

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

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Gardeners have also embraced more holistic approaches to the land such as permaculture, which seeks to create sustainably productive systems that don’t rely on external additions such as fertilizers. “Today, we see agriculture as an ecosystem, not just as inputs and outputs. People care more about farming the soil and having vegetables as a byproduct instead of just trying to get the vegetables,” says Smith. “Our customers find our store because they are trying to learn about how to grow their own healthy food,” says Grigg Sheffield, owner of L.O.T.U.S Urban Farm and Garden Supply. His shop specializes in hydroponics — growing plants without soil — and aquaponics, a format of growing that marries hydroponics with aquaculture, the farming of fish. L.O.T.U.S. is also a full-service feed store. Sheffield opened his shop six years ago and says that the biggest trend he sees is a more educated, curious and knowledgeable

consumer base. “There’s a big move towards understanding what’s in your food and how it’s grown,” he says. Kristin Weeks, co-owner and managing partner of Asheville’s Fifth Season Gardening, says that her customers also recognize the importance of growing their own food, whether they have a small backyard garden or a microfarm. “As Asheville has grown, we are seeing more people leave their homes in metropolitan areas and retire here,” she says. “Customers tell me they just needed more space where they could grow their own food. Being able to garden and grow adds value to their lives,” Weeks says. CONQUERING THE CALENDAR One obvious struggle for garden supply retailers is that the outdoor growing season has a start and end date, and the cold months of winter can be hard to endure. But retailers are finding a way around the

slow season by catering to indoor gardeners, holding classes in their shops and selling products that are useful at any time of year. “If you take any one of our departments, it is very seasonal in nature,” says Weeks. “By having all of these departments, we can capture the whole year.” Fifth Season Gardening was founded back in 1999 as Asheville Agriculture Systems, with a focus on products for indoor gardening. Today, the company still carries hydroponic and aquaponics equipment, as well as supplies to support beer, wine and mead production; cheese making, canning, preserving and kombucha. The store also carries tropical varieties and houseplants, pottery, yard art and home decor. “We consider it everything you need for the 21st-century DIYer and backyard homesteader,” says Weeks. The business’s biggest area of growth, says Weeks, comes from a product line not dependent on the seasonal cycle: tropical plants. “People are incorporating them into the decor and recognizing the happiness quotient when it comes to

having plants in offices and homes,” she explains. Sheffield notes that indoor growing is also key to the L.O.T.U.S. business model. “Hydroponics and aquaponics are large trends because they are more sustainable, in the sense that they can use less water and pesticides and can be grown year-round,” he says. “That allows people to have more control of their food supply instead of having to buy Florida or California produce.” And Sow True Seed’s recent move to Haywood Street has given the business four times more retail space than its original location on Church Street. “That has allowed us to become much more than a seed store and move into [being] a garden supply store,” says Smith. FOOD FOR THOUGHT These local garden retailers point out that education is critical to both the success of their stores and the

CONTINUES ON PAGE 38

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INSIDE JOB: Grigg Sheffield, owner of L.O.T.U.S. Urban Farm and Garden Supply, specializes in techniques such as hydroponics that allow people to grow food indoors throughout the year. Photo courtesy of Sheffield

MOUNTAINX.COM

success that their customers have in the garden. Back in 2015, Fifth Season Gardening moved into a new location by the Asheville Mall to place a greater emphasis on educating customers. “The whole reason we moved into a 15,000-square-foot building is because we wanted to have space for education,” says Weeks. “Education is integral to what we offer.” Her business offers classes throughout the year, some led by staff and others by experts from the community. Weeks says customers are hungry for the knowledge: “The feedback we are getting is people just want more,” she explains. Education is a focus for Sow True Seed in the coming year as well. “We’ve always had an ongoing tea, biscuits and gardening monthly workshop series,” says Smith. “But going into 2019, we are going to expand our workshop series dramatically and offer many more classes,” he says, including more sections on seed saving. L.O.T.U.S. also regularly holds classes on hydroponics and aqua-

HARVEST OF KNOWLEDGE: Gardening education classes, such as this workshop on saving corn seed, make up a key part of Sow True Seed’s business. Photo by Chris Smith, courtesy of Sow True Seed ponics, and Sheffield does commercial consulting for larger-scale projects. Educated consumers, he says, move the market forward and encourage the development of indoor growing technology. GIFT OF GROWTH Although the outdoor gardening season has passed for now, Asheville’s garden suppliers are ready with a host of fun and creative gift ideas to please those with a green thumb. “We are creating kits using supplies we already sell,” says Weeks. “For example, we have air plants and air plant hangers — that’s a great $10 gift for your teacher.” Fifth Season also sells kombucha kits, terrarium kits, fermentation starter kits, orchid kits, bonsai

kits and fairy garden supplies for little gardeners. “Everybody comes in and wants a gift for the gardener in their life,” says Sheffield with L.O.T.U.S. “It’s hard to do that when you are rolling into winter. Indoor gardening gifts like small hydroponics setups and lighting systems allow that gardener to continue to have fun year-round.” And Sow True Seed has created 23 different themed garden collections this holiday season. “These are our normal seed packets and a planting guide collated into beautiful tins,” says Smith. “You can do anything from a tea garden to a medicinal plant or pollinator garden, a rainbow vegetable garden or a salsa garden,” Smith adds. “If you want to give a gift, why not say, ‘Hey, start a garden?’” X

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DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

FOOD

NICHE MARKETS Asheville is fertile ground for growing specialty food shops BY GRETA KENT-STOLL gretakentstoll@gmail.com

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853 Merrimon Ave. North AVL thescarletbee.com | 828-552-3838

Asheville’s burgeoning food scene and small-business culture have paved the way for original endeavors when it comes to boutique and specialty food shops. “Asheville is a little bit of a magical place,” says Ginger Frank, owner and founder of Poppy Popcorn. “People can dream things, and it becomes reality.” Success in business came quickly if not easily for Frank. Just four years ago, she was recently divorced with small children to care for at home. “I was in survival mode,” she says. A shortage of professional opportunities in Asheville provided motivation for entrepreneurship. “I put everything that I possibly had into this business, and I was willing to take the risk. If I can do this, anyone can do it,” Frank says. “I

CHIPPING IN: Gourmet Chip Co. co-owner and founder Neala Steury moved to Asheville from Los Angeles to start her handmade potato chip business based on her own craving for a shop that carried salty snacks. Photo by Peter Montague

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did not start with money in my pocket. I don’t have a big bank account anywhere. It’s just hard work and treating people well. When you treat people well and surround yourself with good people, good things come back to you.” Since it launched in 2014, Poppy Popcorn has blossomed into an expanding business with 40 employees and retail locations in both Asheville and Black Mountain. Poppy’s products can be found in every state, at about 1,500 retail locations across the country. In addition to its retail and wholesale markets, Poppy’s business model also includes event catering and fundraising and corporate gift programs. Frank, who has a background in retail and merchandising, says popcorn has served as a vehicle for building a creative, successful local business that will also hopefully generate more good local jobs. She acknowledges that Asheville’s culture and economy have

both pros and cons, including a rising cost of living. But the negatives are balanced by the city’s gracious, supportive community, she says, where “people are rooting for each other.” Frank also cites the appeal of Asheville as a brand in and of itself. Poppy’s Asheville Mix popcorn, a blend of salted caramel and white cheddar, is popular with customers across the country, she notes, leading her to believe that consumers are drawn to anything Asheville. PJ Jackson, one of the owners of The Chop Shop Butchery, agrees with Frank that Asheville offers fertile soil in which small businesses can flourish. Like Frank, he uses the word “magical” to describe the dream-to-reality culture that Asheville has the potential to provide. “It feels a little fairy-tale, to be honest with you,” Jackson reflects. “Maybe it’s a little Euro, part of the Ashevillean lifestyle.”

POP STAR: Ginger Frank launched Poppy Popcorn in 2014 as a recently divorced mom with small children to support. Poppy now has 40 employees and two retail locations. Pictured, from left, are Brooklyn Rowland, Caleb Wright and LeeAnn Taylor. Photo by Rachael McIntosh about 75 percent of the 60-180 customers who stop by each day. Downtown’s Gourmet Chip Co. is the brainchild of co-owner Neala Steury, who moved to Western North Carolina from

Los Angeles in 2010 with the plan to open a small food business in Asheville inspired by her own desire for a snack shop that offered salty and savory flavors rather than sweet ones. “I came up with it because I wanted it

— a version of one of those fancy yogurt shops but on chips,” she says. All of Steury’s recipes are original. Rather than consulting with a chef, she develops flavors that appeal to her own tastes, an approach that has made the business successful since it opened in 2011. The shop’s best-seller by far, says Steury, are the Parisian chips, which feature white truffle spritz, rosemary, thyme and goat cheese. She’s also partial to the Buffalo chips, which are flavored with her original Buffalo sauce, blue cheese and cracked black pepper. Steury did her research before deciding to open her business in Asheville, ultimately choosing the mountain city because of its adventurous palate and booming tourism industry. “The food culture of Asheville struck me as so open,” she observes. Recent statistics agree with Steury’s assessment. According to data from the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, 28 out of 83 total grocery stores in Asheville are considered specialty food shops. Furthermore, food and drinking places are among the top five industries in Asheville as reported by the Chamber of Commerce, with accommodations and food services coming in third in terms of job supply. X

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However, like Poppy Popcorn, The Chop Shop, located on North Charlotte Street near downtown, has survived due to more than a little elbow grease. Since taking over ownership of the business three years ago, Jackson has emphasized top-notch customer service as well as community education. The shop regularly offers butchery classes to the public, such as a poultry/turkey butchery class in preparation for Thanksgiving and a DIY sausage and beer class. Staff training and personalized customer service are also important to Jackson. He knows Chop Shop customers are looking for connection and quality. “People don’t walk into a wine shop and ask what’s on sale,” he says, adding that The Chop Shop customers appreciate knowing where their meat comes from. Farmers are paid directly, and Jackson is proud of the fact that he has never haggled with a farmer over the price of meat. Jackson also sees owner involvement as another key to success. Customers like seeing his whole family working at the shop, he says, and he reports that his staff members know

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FOOD

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The Hop heads to Black Mountain

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The Hop, an ice cream maker and destination in Asheville since 1978, will open a Black Mountain outpost on Friday, Dec. 7. The business, which has a shop on Merrimon Avenue and two on Haywood Road, will move into the space that for years has been occupied by Sweet! on Cherry Street. Ashley and Greg Garrison, who bought The Hop Ice Cream in 2008, have been supplying ice cream to the Black Mountain candy store for four years, and when the store owners Sydney and Walt McDougald decided to leave the shop, the Garrisons chose to take the space. “The wonderful owners, Sydney and Walt, have been truly fantastic to work with and have worked extremely hard to create and build a great business. And when they decided it was time to retire and be with family, there really was no better outcome for everyone involved than for The Hop to take over,” Greg Garrison says on The Hop’s Facebook page. “Ashley and I are extremely grateful to have gotten to know Sydney and Walt over the years and are excited to have the opportunity to continue their amazing work in the community of Black Mountain.” The Hop’s grand opening party in Black Mountain is Friday, Dec. 7 — the same day as Black Mountain’s Holly Jolly holiday celebration. The Hop in Black Mountain is at 114 Cherry St.

French fundraiser for Roots Foundation

Sunday Brunch 11 - 2:30 $5 mimosa / $15 carafe $7 bloody mary 828.505.7531 coppercrownavl.com 42

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La Fête, a new private party place downtown, will host a French bistro buffet on Thursday, Dec. 6, to raise funds for The Roots Foundation. The buffet, which includes drinks and dessert, will be prepared by La Fête’s owner, chef Michel Baudouin. The nonprofit arm of Roots Hummus, The Roots Foundation is a local nonprofit that connects curricula to the outdoors and empowers teachers to engage students in relevant problem-solving. It currently works at Vance Elementary, Verner Early Learning Center and Montford North Star Academy. The French bistro buffet fundraiser will be 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at La Fête, 62 N. Lexington Ave. Tickets are $48 and available at avl.mx/5fn.

HOPPING TO A NEW SPOT: Greg and Ashley Garrison, right, will open The Hop in Black Mountain on Dec. 7, taking over the Sweet! on Cherry Street candy store that was owned by Sydney and Walt McDougald, left. Photo courtesy of The Hop

One World Brewing supports Mama Maisha Finger food from Farm Burger will be featured at One World Brewing West on Friday, Dec. 7, when the brewery holds a fundraiser for Mama Maisha, a local nonprofit that works to decrease the number of women dying from pregnancy-related complications in resource-limited places. The event, from 7-10 p.m., will combine the beers at One World Brewing West with Farm Burger’s regular and sweet potato chips (served with creamy carrot dip and caramelized onion dip), as well as Farm Burger’s homemade hummus, fresh veggies and flatbread. All proceeds will support Mama Maisha, founded by Asheville residents Drs. Reta Graham and Jeff Graham in affiliation with local and regional nongovernmental services. One World Brewing West is at 520 Haywood Road. For details on Mama Maisha, visit mamamaisha.org.

Christmas shopping at Hickory Nut Gap Farm Hickory Nut Gap Farm in Fairview will hold a holiday market 11 a.m.4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, featuring local food makers, artisans and crafters. There will be a bonfire, s’mores,

drinks, food samples and more. The farm will also offer a 10 percent discount on sample bags for its community supported agriculture program during the free event. Hickory Nut Gap Farm is at 57 Sugar Hollow Road.

Big beards and hard cider Got a beard that can’t be beat? Like hard cider? Then you (and your friends) are ideal candidates to attend the Winter BeardFest on Saturday, Dec. 8, at Bold Rock Mills River. Hosted by Bearded Villains Western North Carolina and Bold Rock Mills River, BeardFest will be a day of beards, hard cider, prizes and more. There will be a food truck and live music by the Bearded Hunnies. Register for any of the seven categories of the beard competition (preregister for $7 at avl.mx/5fm; register at the event for $10). All proceeds will benefit a local charity. Beards, real and fake, will be judged at 7 p.m., and winners will receive a prize. The event is free and open to all. Winter BeardFest happens noon-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at Bold Rock Mills River, 72 School House Road, Mills River.

Dinner, ugly sweaters and a whodunit Up for a murder mystery? Put on your best ugly Christmas sweater and come to the Monte Vista Hotel in Black Mountain on Sunday, Dec. 9, for dinner, dessert and a killer mystery. Staged in festive collaboration with the Watermark Theatre Collective and Milton’s, the restaurant at the hotel, the interactive show will band guests and characters together to determine who the mystery killer is. There will also be an ugly sweater competition. Choices for the main course are braised beef short rib with butternut grits and grilled broccoli and roasted butternut squash with pumpkin seed granola, carrot purée, sage and a housemade farmers cheese. The Murder Mystery Dinner Experience happens at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, at the Monte Vista Hotel, 308 W. State St. Tickets are $55 and available at avl.mx/5fo.

Homegrown for the Holidays at UpCountry Brewing UpCountry Brewing Co. celebrates its second birthday on Saturday, Dec. 15, into the wee hours of Sunday, Dec. 16, with its second Homegrown for the

Holidays. The party will feature drinks, food and live music (including some holiday tunes) by Ashley Heath, Riyen Roots and Eleanor Underhill. The music starts at 2 p.m. Homegrown for the Holidays happens noon Saturday, Dec. 15, until 2 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, at UpCountry Brewing Co., 1042 Haywood Road.

Health insurance for small hospitality businesses Of interest to workers and supporters of Asheville’s restaurant scene is the health plan now being offered by the N.C. Restaurant & Lodging Association. The Restaurant & Hospitality Association Benefit Trust allows hotels, restaurants, bars and other small hospitality businesses with between two and 99 full-time employees to buy group health coverage typically available only to large employers. The RHA Benefit Trust is available exclusively to small restaurant and hotel employer members of the National Restaurant Association and its state partners, including NCRLA. It is insured and serviced by UnitedHealthcare. To learn more and/or request a rate for employees, visit restauranthealthcare. org/products/health.

Name, dates for new culinary festival On Nov. 28, the board of directors of a new Asheville culinary festival announced that the event’s official name will be Chow Chow: An Asheville Culinary Event. Scheduled to take place Sept. 12-15, 2019, the festival will “highlight Asheville’s creative table through meaningful events, immersive experiences and charitable programs that connect people to the many hands, makers and diverse culinary collaborators who nourish, nurture and create in this vibrant corner of Appalachia. Grand tasting events, chef demonstrations and hands-on experiences will connect participants to the stories behind Asheville’s creative, inclusive approach to preparing and sharing meals,” says a press release from festival director Angel Postell. Organizers are seeking input from the public on possible programming and participants. Ideas, which should be “uniquely Asheville, with a collaborative element including local makers and an educational component,” can be submitted through Friday, Dec. 7, at avl.mx/5g6 or directly to Postell at angel@sipindipity.com. X

Brunch Buffet Pop-Up at Rezaz

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828.277.1510 Historic Biltmore Village MOUNTAINX.COM

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BEER SCOUT

FOOD

by Edwin Arnaudin | earnaudin@mountainx.com

And then there were two When Hops & Vines was purchased by Lila Stokes in May and converted to Cork & Craft, the decision was made to change course from the previous ownership and no longer carry homebrewing supplies. “We would have loved to keep it, but we wanted to add a wine lounge in the back of the store, and being able to carry both wasn’t an option,” Stokes says. “We certainly appreciate the craft of homebrewing. We have a lot of friends that do it. … But the 5-pound bags of barley and such took up a lot of room, as well as the bins of yeast and the larger tools used to homebrew. So it was pretty much a decision to add the wine and beer lounge that we wanted to add or keep the homebrew section.” Stokes now refers homebrew customers to the two remaining shops in town with that focus: Asheville Brewers Supply and Fifth Season Gardening Co. The shrinking number of options suggests everything from a lack of interest in the hobby to the decreasing economic viability of running such an operation, which may come as a surprise considering the recent craft beer boom and Asheville’s status as an East Coast beer mecca. “As a whole, the national trend is really on the downslope. Over the last four years it’s been shrinking, and the No. 1 reason it seems to be happening that way is the prevalence of breweries,” says Tedd Clevenger, owner of Asheville Brewers Supply. “Pretty much, you can go to any gas station and at least find some sort of craft option, even in the middle of nowhere. Obviously, that didn’t use to be the case. To get anything craft or world-beer style, you’d have to make it yourself.” It’s that same ubiquity, however, that makes Clevenger think homebrewing will gradually regain its popularity. With plenty of mediocre beer being sold for premium prices, he sees cost as a strong driving factor with which the commercial beer industry will soon have to contend. “Craft beer is getting very expensive,” he says. “It’s amazing how much the price points have come up in the last, even, three years. I think that can potentially sway people to get back into the hobby if they had

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

Asheville’s homebrew shops adjust to life in Beer City

PROFESSIONAL AMATEUR: Tedd Clevenger, owner of Asheville Brewers Supply, says homebrewing has become less popular on a national level over the past four years, largely due to the growing number of commercial breweries. However, he believes that the rising cost of craft beer will gradually bring people back to the hobby. Photo by Edwin Arnaudin

MOUNTAINX.COM

previously gotten out or in coming to the hobby.” Chris Mills, instructor and brew department lead at Fifth Season, feels that the growth of Asheville breweries has actually increased the number of homebrewers but agrees with Clevenger that taproom tabs are part of the motivation to get creative on the domestic front. “They go out, they find something they really, really like, and they go, ‘Damn, I want to make that!’ And they don’t want to spend $6 a pint out at the bar to get that beer, so you can make it for half the price or less,” Mills says. Having a thriving local professional industry also carries plenty of perks for the stores. Former Asheville Brewers Supply customers have gone on to open Bhramari Brewing Co., Whistle Hop Brewing Co., Eurisko Beer Co. as well as nearby Mills River Brewery, Ecusta Brewing Co. (Pisgah Forest) and Hickory Nut Gorge Brewery (Chimney Rock). Clevenger says he does business with pretty much every brewery in town, including providing supplies for certain operations. “We’re able to wholesale for some of the smaller ones and get them pricing

on things that would otherwise require them to order a pallet,” he says. Clevenger and Kristin Weeks, store manager at Fifth Season, identify the influx of local commercial clients as a perk of working in Beer City. Clevenger has also seen an uptick in beer tourists who take time away from their brewery visits to pick up locally produced supplies, namely products from Riverbend Malt House, which he says are increasingly requested by out-of-town customers. Both shops also pull orders from beyond Western North Carolina through online sales. Weeks notes that Fifth Season’s website inventory comes with the benefit of the store not having to stock everything it carries, and orders of those items can typically be on-site or shipped out within days. The online presence of independent establishments also resonates with the DIY aesthetic of people who make their own craft beverages, and either no longer have a local homebrew shop or refuse to do business with Midwest Brewing Supplies and Northern Brewer, both of which are owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev.

“Homebrewers are still rather averse to supporting those companies, so they’re looking for shops like ours,” Clevenger says. Business from around the U.S. certainly helps, as does catering to a community with a diverse interest in fermentation that’s grown to include people making wine, cider, cheese, kombucha, bread and mead — the latter of which Weeks and Clevenger has seen grow significantly as more residents become beekeepers. But the stores’ lifeblood remains local amateur beer makers. Keeping experienced homebrewers supplied with raw goods, replacement parts and new items is a major part of each’s business, but educating new and emerging craftspeople is also a key component. “We definitely cater to beginner brewers,” Weeks says. “We hope they feel welcome to come in and get what they need for their first batch without feeling intimidated.” Fifth Season accomplishes that goal through its flagship class, in which participants make 5 gallons of the beer of their choosing on the store’s brewing systems. Asheville Brewers Supply offers a free beginner class each month, where students use malt extracts and some grain, going through the entire brewing process to collaboratively produce a beer. The store also has an advanced class that brews an all-grain beer, and both operations host the occasional kegging workshop for homebrewers who want to take the next step beyond bottling. “Of course, we’re a seven-days-aweek resource, too,” Clevenger says. “People can come in or call and ask a million questions, and we’re here to answer them and provide guidance. It’s what we do. We’re not just a retail store. It’s like half our job.” And lest one think that the Asheville homebrew supply business is a malicious cutthroat community, consistent with the supportive, encouraging attitude of their local brewing industry colleagues, Clevenger, Weeks and Mills are likewise invested in seeing each other’s stores succeed. “If we don’t have something, I’ll send them over to Tedd,” Weeks says. “We work together. A couple of times a month, there’s that phone call, like, ‘Hey, I only have three of these. Do you have five?’ ‘Yeah, send them over.’” X

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PERSPECTIVE STUDIES

Exhibition spotlights the work of local nonwhite artists

BY ALLI MARSHALL amarshall@mountainx.com While she was working on a mural (“Zolas Embrace”) at Pink Dog Creative, Asheville native and multidisciplinary artist Jenny Pickens got to talking with painter Joseph Pearson “about the changes through Asheville, the obstacles we’ve been through and what we’ve seen through the years,” she says. “It took me back to some old ideas.” That conversation led Pickens to join the roster of artists featured in Asheville Through Brown Eyes, an exhibition curated by Pearson and focusing on the work of artists of color based in and around Asheville. The show opens Friday, Dec. 7, in the Asheville Area Art Council’s Thom Robinson and Ray Griffin Exhibition Space. “There are not a lot of black artists around here, and if there are, nobody knows about them,” says Pickens. A

INSPIRATION EVERYWHERE: Jenny Pickens, whose work will be included in the exhibition Asheville Through Brown Eyes, is a muralist and crafter as well as a painter. “I’m still using my hands,” she says about shifting her focus from the canvas to her sought-after dolls. “I’m making [the ideas] come alive in a 3-D sense.” Pictured, “Sweet Grass by the Water” by Pickens

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CONTINENTALLOUNGE AVL. COM 46

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

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self-taught creative who discovered the joy of making art as a young person (“That was my therapy … my escape from all the crazy things at home,” she reveals), Pickens — who is also a doll maker and a regular vendor at The Big Crafty — became serious about art in high school when others began to take notice of her skills. But despite roots in Asheville, it was a challenge for her to find footing in the local art scene. “From my experience, in the beginning, they looked more for a background,” such as formal training or a resume of prestigious shows, Pickens says of gallerists and curators. But as new waves of makers relocated to the

area, “there are so many varieties of art, so many mediums, so now it’s more welcoming and more open to different people, as well as people who live here.” Pearson is a transplant. As he shares in the notes for Asheville Through Brown Eyes, “I, like many people we have met since moving to Asheville 2 1/2 years ago, asked the same question, ‘Where are the black people?’ … I have seen many different races and ethnic people, so my conclusion is that the diversity is here [but] a lack of integration of that diversity into mainstream Asheville is what I perceive as lacking.” “Black artists and the mainstream art scene in general have always had some

distance between them,” Pearson explains. “I don’t know if the black artists that I know [in Asheville] are making an effort or interested in being part of the ‘mainstream’ art scene here. … [But] I have not seen as tight a rein by the ‘gatekeepers’ on black artists [in Asheville] as I’ve seen in other places.” To increase opportunities and visibility, Pearson submitted a proposal to the local arts council. Asheville Through Brown Eyes is the latest in a number of exhibitions — including A Contemporary Response to Our Changing Environment at the Pink Dog Gallery and Trigger Warning at the YMI Cultural Center — that Pearson has curated around controversial topics and involving artists from diverse backgrounds. Along with Pearson and Pickens, Valeria Watson, Noël Jefferson, James Love, Viola Spells and Cleaster Cotton will be represented in the upcoming show. Cotton’s solo exhibit, Winged Narratives: A Social Study, a collection described as “whimsical caricatures of birds with body language depicting their relationship to each other and their place in time and space,” will hang in the arts council’s Lounge Gallery, Friday, Dec. 7, to Friday, Jan. 25, with an opening concurrent with that of Asheville Through Brown Eyes. Jefferson, who lives in Hendersonville, will exhibit a number of pieces in acrylic, mixed media and encaustic wax. A photographer, filmmaker and screenwriter (she teaches the subject at Blue Ridge Community College), Jefferson began to study painting when she relocated from New York City because she found fewer opportunities to show photography in local galleries. Though Jefferson considers herself to be one of the least experienced painters in Asheville Through Brown Eyes, she’s already placed work in exhibitions such as Nasty Women (which benefited Planned Parenthood), where she sold four pieces within the first 40 minutes of the opening. “Most of the time, my paintings show faces unexpectedly,” she says. Her teacher told her, “Just let your inner self out” — advice Jefferson took to heart: “I don’t judge myself and I don’t expect others to judge me.”

Some of Jefferson’s pieces incorporate her photography; others juxtapose images, such as groups of boys from African tribes and groups of boys from urban U.S. neighborhoods. Her canvases are bold and graphic with textures incorporated by using various instruments. “It’s intuitive,” Jefferson says. “As an expressionist, abstract artist, [my] art is coming from my spirit. Oftentimes my palette is my mind, and my paintbrush is my soul, and I just let it flow, as I’m directed, spiritually.” Jefferson exhibited with Pearson at The BLOCK off Biltmore and, through that connection, was invited to take part in Asheville Through Brown Eyes. “The artists were selected based on their interest in the theme and their willingness to present their own unique point of view based on their experiences,” says Pearson. “The Church Hat,” his contribution to the show, “is a traditional headdress for black women of a certain age. Because it’s such an important tradition and historic part of our culture, I wanted to pay tribute to all black women through this icon.” Pickens plans to show three or four paintings “of my ideas of my childhood growing up here and what Asheville meant to me,” she says. “I’m glad

someone is actually doing this [group exhibition], and we need more of it. By having these shows, other people are coming in, networking and [saying], ‘Let’s do another.’” As for the exhibition’s title, Pearson makes an important note. One of the show’s artists reminded him that not all black people have brown eyes. “To which I replied, ‘This is true,’” he says. “But enough of us do to allow me to make a generalization that I believe everyone can identify with.” X

WHAT Asheville Through Brown Eyes WHERE Thom Robinson and Ray Griffin Exhibition Space in the Refinery Creator Space 207 Coxe Ave. ashevillearts.com WHEN Opening Friday, Dec. 7, 5-8 p.m. with an artist talk at 6:30 p.m. Exhibition remains on view through Friday, Jan. 11

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

A& E

by Bill Kopp

bill@musoscribe.com

Potters’ SUPPORTING THE HABIT(AT)

Holiday

Warren Haynes Christmas Jam marks its 30th anniversary

Pop -Up SAT., DEC. 8, 2018 10AM-4PM CLUB ELEVEN 11 GROVE ST., AVL

OTHER ARTISTS INCLUDE: Julia Mann Anita Walling Prayer Pots Patricia Robertson/Sally Lesesne Studios Jillian Wolf Wolfsong Ceramics Duffy Z. Baum Handmade Pottery by Duffy Amy Waller Pottery Barbara Hebert Table For Two Jan Cothran Pottery Kyle Cramer Ceramics Cindy Douglass Stardust Pottery David Westmeier Raku, Bakersville Ellen Johnson Pottery Tyler-James Anderson Moon Hand Pottery Michael Hamlin Hamlin Ceramics Margie Bach MA Bach Art Judy Muncy JK Muncy Pottery Lindsay Bostic Pottery Nich Daunis/Sara Ballek Pottery Bonnie Belkin The Chattering Potter 48

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

EXTENDED JAM: In celebration of its 30th anniversary, this year’s Warren Haynes Christmas Jam expands to two nights. “This will only be the third time we’ve done that,” Haynes says. Performers on the all-star roster include, clockwise from top left, saxophonist Ron Holloway, singer and multi-instrumentalist Grace Potter, Haynes’ band, Gov’t Mule; and Foo Fighters founder Dave Grohl. Holloway’s photo courtesy of the musician, Potter’s photo by Josh Reed, Gov’t Mule’s photo courtesy of Press Here Publicity and Grohl’s photo by Andrew Stuart

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Near the end of the 1980s, Asheville-raised guitarist Warren Haynes organized an informal musical get-together. Conceived as an opportunity for touring and journeymen musicians to congregate during the holidays — the one time each year when many of them returned home — the Christmas Jam eventually evolved into something much grander. The Warren Haynes Christmas Jam, benefiting the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, celebrates its 30th anni-

versary this year and takes place Friday, Dec. 7, and Saturday, Dec. 8, at the U.S. Cellular Center. The earliest Christmas Jams were held at long-gone bar 45 Cherry (now the site of a parking lot for AT&T employees). Haynes makes it clear that the original goals for the event were quite modest. “It was never thought of like, ‘Oh, we’ll do it the next year or the year after,’” he says. A bit of money was raised for various nonprofits at those first

jams, but all aspects of the event were decidedly informal. The Christmas Jam quickly grew in scope and popularity, eventually moving to Be Here Now, a slightly larger downtown venue. But soon that club, too, was insufficient. “The dressing room was so tiny that there wasn’t even enough room for the musicians performing, much less anyone else,” Haynes recalls with a laugh. “That’s it,” Haynes’ wife, Stefani Scamardo, told him. “We’re going

EMPYREAN ARTS to change this and make it more of a national event. Let’s move it to a bigger place and rethink what it is.” By 1994, the local Habitat nonprofit was selected as beneficiary of the event’s proceeds. For Haynes, it was an easy decision. “One of the many things that I love about [Habitat] is that you see what’s being done,” he says. “You see where your money’s going, and you see the progress that’s being made.” Held at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium for a few years, the jam moved to the larger Civic Center (since renamed the U.S. Cellular Center) in 2001. Drawing upon Haynes’ ever-growing roster of musical friends and associates, the Christmas Jam team assembles a bill of top-quality performers for each year’s event. Lining up the artists is an ongoing effort. “I start making phone calls as early as April or May,” Haynes says. This year’s two-night lineup includes Haynes’ band, Gov’t Mule, performing a Pink Floyd space-rock tribute called Dark Side of the Mule, Dave Grohl and friends staging the multi-instrumentalist’s progressive rock epic “Play,” and more than a dozen other acts, including singer and multi-instrumentalist Grace Potter, Mike Gordon of Phish, blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa, saxophonist Ron Holloway and Jim James of My Morning Jacket. As in previous years, Christmas Jam by Day — a satellite series of shows — will feature a roster of local and regional acts. The money raised is put to good use locally. Ariane Kjellquist, Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity’s communications director, says that the jam is the nonprofit’s largest annual contributor, raising more than $2.3 million to date. “If you look at that figure over all these years, divided by the $55,000 sponsorship cost of a home, it comes out to over 40 houses a year that are attributed to the Christmas Jam,” she says. Haynes takes an active role beyond organizing the jam; he’s met with many of the people who have benefited from Habitat’s programs aimed at making a dent in the disparity between local wages and housing costs. “I was always very aware of how important Habitat’s mission is, but when I started meeting the families, it made it more personal,” he says. “And it’s very humbling.” In addition to funding homebuilding, Christmas Jam proceeds go toward infrastructure and

development costs for communities. Hudson Hills — named after Haynes’ and Scarmado’s son — is the most recent Habitat development completed with help from the annual festival. “The Christmas Jam doesn’t just build houses,” Kjellquist emphasizes. “It also helps us build entire neighborhoods.” The public is invited to a short speaking program — where Haynes will be in attendance — on Thursday, Dec. 6, at 3 p.m. at 1 Curry Court in Candler. The locate is the site of Habitat’s newest neighborhood. And since 2007, another event centered on the jam has provided a means for volunteers to help support Habitat’s work: “Before the Jam, Lend a Hand” takes place at Habitat’s construction and home repair sites in Arden, and at the organization’s ReStore in Biltmore Village. Kjellquist estimates that the volunteer initiative will draw 120 participants this year. Those taking part “share a common interest in music, and they’ve integrated volunteerism into their overall Christmas Jam experience,” she says. But the centerpiece of the fundraising initiative is the annual concert. To commemorate the jam’s 30th anniversary, this year’s festival will be spread across two nights at the U.S. Cellular Center. “This will only be the third time we’ve done that,” Haynes says. “Each year, we try to figure out ways of making it more special, more fun, more of a destination event,” says Haynes. “We also get better at keeping expenses down and raising more money for Habitat.” X

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WHAT Warren Haynes Presents: Christmas Jam 30 WHERE U.S. Cellular Center 87 Haywood St. xmasjam.com WHEN Friday, Dec. 7, and Saturday, Dec. 8 6:45 p.m., $80 each night (Saturday single tickets sold out)

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

A&E

by Edwin Arnaudin

earnaudin@mountainx.com

ALL-STAR AWARENESS In a June 2015 interview with Xpress, Penrose-based Americana artist Dave Desmelik reflected on his oldest son Holmes’ intense health struggles over the past year. “I’m certainly thinking about him and what’s going on with his brain tumor and pediatric brain cancer and all this stuff, 24/7,” he said. “It definitely affects me in writing. Sometimes it’s more of a feeling than lyrical stuff.” Two years later, after witnessing Holmes go through the long protocol of chemotherapy and numerous hospital visits, Desmelik felt the time was right to convey his wide-ranging thoughts on these experiences through song. Using just guitar and vocals, he sat down in his garage late at night over the course of nearly three months and, in his words, “let it take its natural course.” From such basic roots, Desmelik’s creations have blossomed into the sonically rich, star-studded Army of Love (Childhood Battles), which receives a record release show on Sunday, Dec. 9, at The Grey Eagle. The 11-track collection features such notable Western North Carolina musicians as Amanda Anne Platt (The Honeycutters), Mike Ashworth and Mike Guggino (Steep Canyon Rangers), Andrew Scotchie, Jane Kramer and Shannon Whitworth, all singing compositions that the writer himself knew weren’t for him to vocally share. “I would probably break down in tears and crawl to the corner of the stage in the fetal position and suck my thumb if I was the one to go sing these in public,” Desmelik says. Along with attempting to remain artistically creative and fresh, 13 albums into his solo career, Desmelik wanted to involve a range of people to help raise awareness about pediatric illness through more channels. Every dollar from album sales and tickets to the record release show (which includes a copy of the CD) will be given to a trio of charities that have aided the Desmeliks and other families through similar battles: the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, Angel Flight Soars and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central & Western North Carolina. None of the songs on Army of Love were written with a particular artist in mind, but once they were done, Desmelik carefully considered who would pair best with each track. He says the bluesy “Ring That Bell,” which references the important musical action that cancer patients take to signify the

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

Dave Desmelik and an Army of Love share a benefit album at The Grey Eagle

BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ARMS: To make the collaborative album Army of Love (Childhood Battles), Dave Desmelik invited some of his talented musical friends to record at his Penrose home studio and share a meal with his family. Clockwise from top left is Desmelik with Derrick Gardner; Aaron Woody Wood; Shannon Whitworth; Adithi Sethi-Brown and Jay Brown; Melissa Hyman with Holmes and Vincent Desmelik; and Amanda Anne Platt with the Desmelik men. Photos by Clare Desmelik

MOUNTAINX.COM

end of a chemo or radiation protocol — and includes audio of Holmes’ joyful chimes at Mission Health — seemed like a good fit for the “kind of bluesy” Laura Blackley. Then there’s “Chemo,” a raw, powerful tune that felt natural for the “pretty intense” Aaron Woody Wood, whom Desmelik says “almost commands you to listen to him when he’s singing.” For each collaboration, Desmelik sent the artist his guitar-and-vocals recording and a lyric sheet. His instructions were to listen, sing along and make it theirs while staying true to the song. When they were ready to record, he scheduled a time for them to come to his house, lay down the track and have their favorite meal with his family. Desmelik provided all the instrumentation — ranging from drums to banjo to Hammond M3 organ — but was otherwise fairly hands-off in the studio. “They looked to me some, but I also wanted to give them the freedom to do what they do because they’re pros, all of them,” he says. “They don’t need some silly person like me telling them how to sing a song. Follow the bare bones of the song and make it what it’s going to be through your voice.”

Desmelik was riding in his car sometime in the early stages of recording when the phrase “Army of Love” popped into his head. At the next intersection, he jotted the words on a notepad and it soon became what he and his wife, Clare, started calling everyone involved in the project. “It made sense,” Desmelik says. “It really incorporates not just the musicians, but anyone and everyone who’s ... trying to do good things and be a positive force in these odd times we live in.” Other standout members include Echo Mountain Recording studio manager Jessica Tomasin, who arranged for Stephen Smith of Soundsmiths Mastering to donate his mastering expertise to the album, which Desmelik feels “elevated the sound to another level.” There’s also Grey Eagle owners Sarah and Russ Keith, who were among the first people to visit the Desmeliks in the hospital when Holmes was born, and Woody Platt and John Felty of Mountain Song Productions, the show’s promotional partner. Platt wanted to help after his Ranger bandmates Ashworth and Guggino played the mixdown version of

their contribution, “Youthful Days,” on the band’s tour bus. All of the guest artists will perform at the album release show. Desmelik will be part of the house band with Josh Gibbs (lap steel guitar), Andy Gibbon (bass guitar), Derrick Gardner (keys) and Ashworth (drums). Representatives from each beneficiary nonprofit will also be in attendance. As for Holmes, he’s currently in fourth grade, and his tumor has been stable for a little over two years. As Desmelik reports, “He’s doing great.” X

WHO Dave Desmelik with an Army of Love WHERE The Grey Eagle 185 Clingman Ave. thegreyeagle.com WHEN Sunday, Dec. 9, 7:30 p.m. $25 standing/$40 seated/$75 VIP

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

A&E

by Ali Mangkang

alimangkang@gmail.com

POP (UP) STARS Sarah Jane Oiler is one of several organizers promoting pop-up markets in and around Asheville this holiday season. The Weaverville-based artist, who creates wire-crafted bonsai trees under the business name Bean’s Bonsai, envisioned this year’s Winter in the Weave event when a popular Weaverville storefront became vacant. Oiler knew the building’s owner and asked him if she could host a pop-up market in the space while it was in transition. “He agreed,” she joked, “after I explained to him what a pop-up market was.” The brick-and-mortar shop is the standard of commerce: A space with a street address where shoppers can peruse wares. But that model isn’t for everyone. There are overhead costs to consider, such as rent and utilities, and for the owner of a small or microbusiness — say, an indie-crafter — sometimes a virtual shop at an online platform such as Etsy makes more sense than ponying up for an in-real-life storefront. But even that low-overhead model isn’t always a perfect fit, such as when micro-business owners are planning to do big business around the holidays. Enter the pop-up shop, a short-term locale, often run like a market or craft fair, where indie sellers can present their products in a brick-and-mortar space. Pop-ups can take place at an existing business (such as the Holiday Mingle and Jingle, hosted by The Grey Eagle), at a rented space (such as The Show & Tell Holiday Pop Up Shop, held at the

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

Curated holiday markets offer gift-buying alternatives door to Winter in the Weave, will be offering drink and food specials. Winter in the Weave is presented Thursday, Dec. 6, 5-9 p.m. at 115 N. Main St., Weaverville. Curious about other holiday markets? Check out these pop-ups planned around Asheville.

NOW YOU SEE IT: The vendors taking part in this year’s Good Tidings ethical popup shop are committed to sourcing handmade, ethically produced goods from international partners. Shop for textiles and homewares, jewelry, coffee and more at this pop-up and many others of various themes and specialties around the Asheville area. Image courtesy of the Fair Goods Collaborative

MOUNTAINX.COM

Masonic Temple) or, as in the case of Winter in the Weave, at an empty storefront with the permission of the building’s owner. The motivation to try a pop-up format was an easy call for Oiler, who has participated in her share of formal art events. “Artists put a lot of money into doing shows this time of year,” she says. “I wanted to have an event where artists could participate for a lower entry fee, as well as

provide unique holiday shopping in one stop.” And in a small community like Weaverville, word spreads fast. Oiler estimates that more than 13,000 people have seen the Thursday, Dec. 6, market promoted on social media and throughout the community. She also emphasizes that vendors will be present during Winter in the Weave to encourage shoppers to “get to know where your local goods are coming from.” Oiler teamed up with business owner Mari Fox (Shecology) and jewelry artist Alli Winston (Beads of Change Asheville) to find the right mix of participants. The trio quickly recruited a group of local makers offering a range of handmade goods such as pottery, body-care items, paintings, bags, jewelry and more. The market gets a lively boost from musical performances as well as on-demand screenprinting from Grift Town Goods. Shoppers can also enter a raffle for a gift basket filled with items from participating vendors. Creperie and Café, located next

• The Show & Tell Holiday Pop Up Shop is described as “a handmade and vintage shopping experience” by event organizers Stephanie Mergelsberg and Sally Hudson. The two fill the third floor of the Asheville Masonic Temple, 80 Broadway, with vintage gifts and apparel, as well as unique new items such as food gifts, toys, art, homewares and accessories from more than 125 local, independent vendors. Complimentary gift wrapping service is also available with all tips going to Homeward Bound. Open daily through Wednesday, Dec. 19, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. showandtellpopupshop.com • During the annual Sip & Shop at Grovewood Gallery, 111 Grovewood Road, visitors can drop in for complimentary refreshments while perusing the gallery’s collection of Americanmade crafts. The gallery is hosting a number of artist demos, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., and will offer a 10 percent discount on merchandise during the two-day event, Friday and Saturday, Dec. 7 and 8, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. grovewood.com • The Potters Holiday Pop-Up showcases the work of more than 20 local potters. Along with holiday gifts and functional wares will be the work of featured artist Mac McCusker, an instructor at Odyssey Clayworks, who was named a 2018 Emerging Artist by Ceramics Monthly. “While McCusker’s functional pottery often incorporates serious social commentary made more palatable by humor, his main focus is on narrative sculpture,” says a press release. “His current work focuses on prejudices about transgender and nonbinary individuals, as well as issues challenging the larger LGBTQIA community.” The show is slated

FINDERS, KEEPERS: Kitsch and craft are equally revered at The Show & Tell Holiday Pop Up Shop, which features food gifts, toys, art, homewares and other items from more than 125 local vendors. Photo courtesy of Show & Tell for Saturday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Club Eleven, 11 Grove St. â&#x20AC;˘ Purchase handmade goods from members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild during the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Holiday Makers Sale. A variety of gift items will be offered, including ceramics, fine

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jewelry, handwoven and dyed wearables, glass art, hand-bound journals and kitchen goods, all available at special discounted prices from dozens of participating artists. Saturday, Dec. 8,

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DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

A &E

MARKET SHARE: “I wanted to have an event where artists could participate for a lower entry fee, as well as provide unique holiday shopping in one stop,” says Sarah Jane Oiler of the idea behind this year’s Winter in the Weave. Oiler also creates wire-crafted bonsai trees, pictured. Photo courtesy of Bean’s Bonsai 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Folk Art Center, Milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. craftguild.org • Too good for a one-off, the Firestorm Holiday Craft Pop-up Series runs three dates: Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 15 and 16, and Saturdays Dec. 22, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. each day. The annual event gives “a platform to emerging artists and offered holiday shoppers an opportunity to find something affordable and unique,” according to a press release, and a portion of sales “underwrite social movement space and the co-operative’s grassroots community programming in 2019.” Artists include Abacus Corvus Artwork (prints, postcards, magnets, etc.), Sticks & Stones Craft Collective (ceramics and handwoven pieces), and Madeline Owen, whose work reflects “the relationship between humans and nature.” Held at Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Road. firestorm.coop • Crafty vendors fill The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave., with holiday cheer at the second annual Holiday Mingle and Jingle popup market, where goods range

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

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from ceramics and wood to jewelry and visual art. Saturday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. thegreyeagle.com • Head to Hendersonville’s Sanctuary Brewing Co., 147 First Ave. E., for one-stop shopping and giving. Bazaar festivities feature live music, food, drink specials and an array of gift options from featured vendors Julian Creek Artworks, Knits by April, Moochie Designs, Kaleidoscope Studios, Tickle My Whiskers, Vickie Burick Photography, Silver Swan Designs and Art For Animals. Local nonprofits and event organizers Sweet Bear Rescue Farm and Asheville Vegan Society will be on hand to share information about their organizations, and Sanctuary Brewing will be collecting coats and blankets for those in need. There’s also a chance to have a photo snapped with Santa during this inaugural pop-up. Saturday, Dec. 8, 2-6 p.m. avl.mx/5fk • A newly formed RAD-South group, composed of studios and businesses along Lyman and Foundy streets, is hosting a holiday market during the RAD Second Saturday Studio Stroll on Dec. 8, 10 a.m.-

8 p.m. Dozens of studio artists inside Riverview Station, 191 Lyman St., and along Foundy Street, offer artist demos and workshops, as well as a scavenger hunt and holiday specials. Pleb Urban Winery hosts a postmarket party beginning at 8 p.m. thevillagepotters.com • Fair Goods Collaborative, a business group founded by womenled small businesses in Asheville, presents Good Tidings: An Ethical Pop Up Shop this holiday season at WARE, 31 College St. Focused on fair-trade gifts, each group member is dedicated to sourcing handmade, ethically produced goods from international partners. Shop for textiles and homewares, jewelry, coffee and more weekdays (except Tuesday), 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., and weekends, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., through Friday, Dec. 28. fairgoodscollaborative.com • The East Asheville Tailgate Market offers produce, meat, crafts, jewelry, clothing and more. “Support your local artisans and farmers this holiday season while

enjoying live music and community,” says the Facebook invite for the event, held at the Groce United Methodist Church, 954 Tunnel Road, on Friday, Dec. 14, 3:30-7 p.m. avl.mx/5fd • • The fourth annual Holiday Craft Bazaar takes over two floors of the Asheville Music Hall, 31 Patton Ave., on Saturday, Dec. 15, 11 a.m.6 p.m. Local vendors include Well Seasoned Table (herbs, spices, salts and sugars), Honey Creek Pottery, Sabai Sabai (fashion), Indigo Brown (handmade leatherware) and more. Music from the Doug McElvy String Ensemble, Phuncle Sam and buskers, as well as a bloody mary bar and kids area (not together, mind you) are also part of the festivities. Free entry. ashevillemusichall.com • The Mothlight, 701 Haywood Road, hosts the West Asheville Tailgate Market’s indoor holiday iteration. “Buy your weekly groceries and pick up locally made holiday gifts from your favorite West Asheville Tailgate Market vendor,” suggest organizers. “There will be music and beverages.” Tuesdays through Dec. 18, 2:30-6 p.m. avl.mx/5ff

• As part of its annual holiday skills share event, Living Web Farms, 176 Kimzey Road, Mills River, holds a Holiday Craft Fair Blitz. The fair is so named because it runs for only two hours during which “anyone from the public can shop from local artists in attendance,” according to a press release. The blitz is Saturday, Dec. 8, 3:30-5:30 p.m. “Parking is encouraged at the Naturally Grown Project at 75 Bryson Road in Mills River, along with 176 Kimzey Road (where the farm entrance is located), and carpooling from the Mills River Ingles is encouraged.” livingwebfarms.org • The Asheville Area Arts Council and Open Hearts Art Center team up for a Holiday Market and Open House. Meet artists in their studios at the Refinery Creator Space and take part in activities led by Majik Studios, Asheville Makers Group, Local Cloth and the arts council. Held on Saturday, Dec. 8, noon-5 p.m. at 207 Coxe Ave. ashevillearts.com Additional reporting by Alli Marshall X

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

SMART BETS

A&E

by Edwin Arnaudin | Send your arts news to ae@mountainx.com

Krish Mohan

An Appalachian Christmas Carol What if Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was set on the grounds of the Vance Birthplace in Weaverville with Zebulon Vance in place of Ebenezer Scrooge? That’s the premise of An Appalachian Christmas Carol — produced by local theater company The American Myth Center — in which the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future lead the former North Carolina governor in an exploration of the life of Venus, an enslaved woman who lived on the property. On Thursday, Dec. 6; Friday, Dec. 7; and Saturday, Dec. 8, dramatized tours of the historic site run every 30 minutes starting at 5:30 p.m., with the last tour leaving at 8 p.m. $5 adults/$2 children ages 18 and younger/free for children ages 5 and younger. Call 828-645-6706 to reserve a spot. nchistoricsites.org/vance. Photo courtesy of Aaron Snook

Indian stand-up comedian Krish Mohan’s acclaimed new show, Empathy On Sale, won the Audience Choice Award at the 2018 Pittsburgh Fringe Festival, but not everyone is on board with his use of humor to address the current state of the political divide. “As many accolades as this show has received, it’s also received some backlash, like 115 people walking out in Cumberland, Md., threats of violence and even deportation,” he says. “Regardless, this show addresses how to get everyone involved in the fight.” Mohan is also the host, writer and creator of the weekly satirical web series “Fork Full of Noodles,” which focuses on sociopolitical issues. He also hosts the “Taboo Table Talk” podcast, where he chats with guests about sociopolitical issues. Mohan brings his latest stand-up show to Fleetwood’s on Saturday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. $5 advance/$7 day of show. fleetwoodsonhaywood.com. Photo courtesy of the comedian

JD McPherson Since recording SOCKS in the spring, JD McPherson has told some friends and associates of its pending release, then witnessed their faces go from excited to disappointed when he reveals that it’s a Christmas album. “I have to explain to them how incredibly proud I am of it, and how I rate it as an actual album, as opposed to some kind of stopgap or cash grab,” he says in a press release. “It’s 11 original songs. I think it’s some of my very best lyrical work.” The collection sports such titles as “Ugly Sweater Blues,” “Santa’s Got a Mean Machine” and “Hey Skinny Santa!” McPherson says recording them was the most fun he and his band have had in a studio together. The five-piece brings its Rock ’n’ Roll Christmas Tour to The Grey Eagle on Saturday, Dec. 8, at 9 p.m. Nashville-based Eddie Angel’s Guitar Party opens. $17 advance/$20 day of show. thegreyeagle.com. Photo by Joshua Black Wilkins

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

MOUNTAINX.COM

The Nutcracker Now in its 48th season of production at the Asheville Ballet, The Nutcracker continues to delight audiences of all ages each holiday season. Directed by Ann Dunn, the cast includes the principal dancers of the professional company, members of the Western North Carolina community and students of the company’s academy and other area studios. The latest edition of the show features new choreography and a new firebird doll that will entertain heroine Clara. Jaime Thompson returns as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Daniel Johnson will again play her Cavalier. Performances take place at Diana Wortham Theatre on Friday, Dec. 7, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 8, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 9, at 2:30 p.m. $15-50. dwtheatre.com. Photo by Michael Krout

THEATER REVIEW by Patricia Furnish | drpatriqua@yahoo.com

‘The Lion in Winter’ by Brevard Little Theatre a piece to mark their next move. Every conversation between them is a maneuver, a strategy meant to indicate that genuine feelings of love are weakness, and likely all statements are meant to advance the game. In one masterful scene, the king and queen descend the stairs from the castle and present themselves to the public. With their regal, smiling faces in place for the crowd, they trade barbs while also keeping up appearances so that no one really knows the rot at the core. The show’s energy hinges on the acting chops of Memolo and Hamilton to convey tenderness, passion, guile and charm. They are surrounded by a strong cast, which emphasizes the structure of the play around the power couple. The candor of the production, especially in regard to the sex lives of the queen, king, mistress Alais (Rachel Adams) and

Prince Philip (Miles Rice), reminds the audience that all kinds of trysts and love affairs occurred in the past and today. The visage from afar may seem to be the heterosexual norm, but the truth is much more nuanced and reflective of reality. X

WHAT The Lion in Winter WHERE Brevard Little Theatre American Legion Hall 55 E. Jordan St. Brevard thebrevardlittletheatre.org WHEN Through Sunday, Dec. 16. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Sundays at 3 p.m. $6-$18

WAR WOUNDS: Kai Elijah Hamilton, left, and Jennifer Memolo star as Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine in the award-winning play The Lion in Winter, onstage at Brevard Little Theatre. Photo by Steve Rose Holiday family get-togethers can often be fraught. Even the English monarchy has a rough yuletide, what with the plots to murder, stage a coup, annul a marriage, marry the mistress and imprison the sons — at least according to the dramatic comedy The Lion in Winter, staged by Brevard Little Theatre through Sunday, Dec. 16. For the Plantagenet family in 1183 England, led by Henry II (portrayed by actor and Xpress contributor Kai Elijah Hamilton), the political is personal. They fight incessantly over who should inherit the throne once the king dies. He’s a worrisome 50-ish years old, which means he may have little time left to choose his male heir and keep his kingdom intact. His wife, the smart and politically savvy Eleanor of Aquitaine (Jennifer Memolo), knows the king better than anyone. The queen plots to thwart the king’s plans for succession and develops her own vision of who should rule: her favorite son, the menacing warrior, Richard (Garren Orr). Director Jonathan Forrester describes The Lion in Winter as “a

brilliantly written comedy/drama that is often compared in tone to Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County.” The crackling chemistry between Memolo and Hamilton, as they trade barbs and affectionate embraces, captures the love-hate relationship of their characters. Henry, never faithful, always putting his passions for others and his love of power above all other considerations, grudgingly reveals a respect for his formidable opponent: his wife. Eleanor has her own plans and, just like her husband, manipulates her sons in order to ensure that the most capable, yet ruthless, of her male offspring inherits the throne. The set design is marked by two levels — the upper castle rooms and the lower wine cellar. The castle rooms are arranged to highlight the interplay between warmth and darkness: warm hearth in the center, glowing torches on the walls, lights on a tree and a chessboard in a corner. Once in a while, Henry or Eleanor glides over to the board and picks up

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DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

A & E CALENDAR ❄ CENTER FOR CRAFT 67 Broadway, 828-785-1357, craftcreativitydesign. org/ • FR (12/7), 5-8pm & SA (12/8), 10am-4pm - Holiday pop-up featuring 24 artists from the Penland School of Crafts. Free to attend. ❄ CLUB ELEVEN ON GROVE 11 Grove St., 828-505-1612 • SA (12/8), 10am4pm - Holiday pop-up featuring 20-plus, local potters. Free to attend.

FIDDLE ME THIS: Under maestro Milton Crotts, the Blue Ridge Orchestra presents BRO Revels! 2018, a holiday concert featuring traditional music duo Newberry & Verch on banjo and fiddle. Also showcased with the Blue Ridge Orchestra’s Chamber Strings are Asheville musicians Franklin Keel, Megan McConnell, Alex Watson, Ryan Kijanka and dancer/vocalist Rebecca O’Quinn. This year’s show integrates Newberry & Verch’s “music of the season, from the Ottaway Valley to the Ozarks” with festive tunes that run the gamut from blues and ballads to Vivaldi and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Folk songs and traditional carols will also be presented in this start to the winter holiday season. Two shows on Sunday, Dec. 9 at 1 and 3:30 p.m. will be held at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway. $25/$15 students and Friends of BRO. For more information, visit blueridgeorchestra.org. Photo of Joe Newberry and April Verch courtesy of Blue Ridge Orchestra. (p. 59)

=❄ ART

❄ MAKE YOUR OWN UKRAINIAN EGG ORNAMENT (PD.) Pysanky ornament workshops in the River Arts District throughout December. AshevilleStudioA.com • (828) 423-6459 • AvlStudioA@gmail.com for signup + more info. BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE MUSEUM & ARTS CENTER 120 College St., 828-350-8484, blackmountaincollege. org • SA (12/8), noon4pm - Celebrate Jacob Lawrence’s art and life with tours, poetry, hands-on activities and an exhibition of artworks by 5th graders. Free to attend.

❄ BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • SA (12/8), 2-3:30pm "Create Your Own Gift Boxes," crafting event. Free. Held at Skyland/ South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road • TU (12/11) & TU (12/18), 5-7pm 58

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Drawing class for adults. Materials supplied. Registration required. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • TH (12/13), 4pm - Ceramic holiday ornament making event. Registration required. Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville FOLKMOOT USA 828-452-2997, folkmootusa.org • 2nd SATURDAYS, 6-9pm - Second Saturday Market featuring vendors, live music, dance lessons, food and beverages. Free to attend/$10-$15 for dinner/$5 per dance lesson. Held at Folkmoot Friendship Center, 112 Virginia Ave., Waynesville GROVEWOOD GALLERY 111 Grovewood Road, 828-253-7651, grovewood.com • SA (12/8), 11am-4pm Charlie Patricolo demonstrates doll making. Free to attend.

❄ LIVING WEB FARMS 828-891-4497, livingwebfarms.org

• SA (12/8), 1:30-7pm Fourth annual "Make It Don't Buy It Holiday Skill Share," craft-making event. $15. Held at Living Web Farms, 176 Kimzey Road, Mills River MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 828-2546734, malaprops.com • TU (12/11), noon - Discussion Bound Book Club: Looking at Mindfulness: Twenty-five Paintings to Change the Way You Live by Christophe Andre. Hosted by the Asheville Art Museum. Free to attend. ODYSSEY COOPERATIVE ART GALLERY 238 Clingman Ave., 828-285-9700, facebook.com/ odysseycoopgallery • 2nd SATURDAYS, 11am5pm - "Second Saturday Celebration," event with food, music and artist demonstrations. Free to attend. PHILIP DEANGELO STUDIO 115 Roberts St. • SA (12/8), 4-6:30pm - 10 year anniversary openhouse party. Free to attend. UPSTAIRS ARTSPACE 828-859-2828, upstairsartspace.org • SA (12/8), 6-10pm - 40th anniversary 70s and 80s themed gala with a live DJ, photo booth, hors d'oeuvres, and silent auc-

tion. Costumes encouraged. $40. Held at Upstairs Artspace, 49 S. Trade St., Tryon

ART/CRAFT STROLLS & FAIRS FRANCES DOMINGUES ART OPENING RECEPTION (PD.) Frances Domingues is an abstract found object artist working with vintage industrial metal as canvas, layering acrylic, mixed media and oxidation. Dec. 6, 6:00 PM District Wine Bar, 37 Paynes Way, Asheville

❄ SHOW & TELL HOLIDAY POP UP SHOP (PD.) 11/30-12/19, 10am-8pm @ AVL MASONIC TEMPLE. A gift for everyone on your list! Shop local/indie craft, design, and vintage. Opening party 12/1, 6-9pm w/ Bhramari beer, live music, fairy hair, and face paint. showandtellpopupshop. com • 80 Broadway St. 28801. ❄ ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 828-258-0710, ashevillearts.com • SA (12/8), noon-5pm Holiday market and open house in collaboration with Open Hearts Art Space. Free to attend. Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave.

❄ CRUCIBLE GLASSWORKS 60 Clarks Chapel Road, Weaverville, 828-645-5660, crucibleglassworks. com • SA (12/8), 10am5pm - "20th Annual Ornament Extravaganza" with glassblowing demos, snacks and music. Free to attend. DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE FIRST FRIDAY ART WALKS downtownashevilleartdistrict.org • 1st FRIDAYS, 5-8pm - First Friday Art Walks with more than 25 galleries within a half mile radius in historic downtown Asheville. Free to attend. Held at Downtown Asheville, Biltmore Ave./College St.

❄ EAST ASHEVILLE HOLIDAY TAILGATE MARKET facebook.com/ EastAshevilleTailgate Market • FR (12/14), 3:307pm - Locally sourced crafts, value-added products, meat, produce, live music and more. Free to attend. Held at Groce United Methodist Church, 954 Tunnel Road ❄ FRENCH BROAD RIVER GARDEN CLUB FOUNDATION ANNUAL CHRISTMAS GREENS MARKET fbrgcf.org • SA (12/8), 9am2pm - Proceeds from the French Broad River Garden Club Foundation annual Christmas greens market with wreaths, roping, fir trees, handcrafted wooden bowls and toys, cutting boards, nutcrackers, ornaments, potted plants and baked goods benefit the French Broad River Garden Club Foundation. Free to attend. Held at Clem’s Cabin, 1000 Hendersonville Road

❄ HAYWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE Regional High Technology Center, 112 Industrial Park Drive, Waynesville, 828-258-8737 • TH (12/6), 4-6pm & FR (12/7), 9am-5pm - Professional crafts programs holiday craft sale. Free to attend. Held in the Mary Cornwell Gallery of the Creative Arts Building. ❄ LAKE JUNALUSKA CONFERENCE & RETREAT CENTER 91 North Lakeshore Drive Lake Junaluska, 828-452-2881, lakejunaluska.com • SA (12/8), 9am-4pm Appalachian Christmas Craft Show featuring Appalachian craft artists with profits going toward charitable organizations. Free to attend. ❄ LIVING WEB FARMS 828-891-4497, livingwebfarms.org • SA (12/8), 3:305:30pm - Holiday craft fair featuring candles, salves, handmade books, metal art, culinary treats and herbal concoctions. Free to attend. Held at Living Web Farms, 176 Kimzey Road, Mills River ❄ MARSHALL CONTAINER CO. 10 South Main St., Marshall, 803-727-4807 • MO (12/10) through SA (12/22) - "Object Expression" holiday art and craft pop up shop including textiles, woodwork, prints and jewelry. Contact for times. Free to attend. ❄ OWEN MIDDLE HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR owenmiddlecraftfair. weebly.com • SA (12/8), 10am-4pm - 15th annual juried holiday craft fair. Free to attend. Held at Owen Middle School, 730 Old US Highway 70, Swannanoa RIVER ARTS DISTRICT STUDIO STROLL Depot St. • 2nd SATURDAYS, 10am-8pm - Gallery walks along a milelong cluster of working artist studios, galleries and eateries with live demonstrations, live music and wine tastings. Free trolley rides available every hour. Free to attend.

❄ RIVERVIEW STATION 191 Lyman St., riverviewartists.com • SA (12/8), 10am-8pm - RAD-South Holiday Market features more

than 75 artists from Riverview Station, Lyman and Foundy Sts. Second Saturday free trolley runs 10-4. After party at pleb urban winery. Free to attend.

❄ SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY 147 1st Ave., Hendersonville, 828-595-9956, sanctuarybrewco.com/ • SA (12/8), 2-6pm Holiday bazaar with local vendors and live music. Event benefits Sweet Bear Rescue Farm and Asheville Vegan Society. Free to attend/Blanket and coat donations accepted. ❄ SOUTHERN HIGHLAND CRAFT GUILD 828-298-7928, craftguild.org • SA (12/1) & SA (12/8), 10am-4pm - Annual holiday show with over 70 members. Free to attend. Held at Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway AUDITIONS & CALL TO ARTISTS CENTER FOR CRAFT 828-785-1357, craftcreativitydesign.org, info@ craftcreativitydesign.org • Through FR (2/8) Applications accepted for 2020 Curatorial Fellowships. See website for guidelines.

DANCE LEARN TO DANCE! (PD.) Ballroom • Swing • Waltz • Salsa • Wedding • TwoStep • Special Events. Lessons, Workshops, Classes and Dance Events in Asheville. Certified instructor. Contact Richard for information: 828-333-0715. naturalrichard@mac.com • www.DanceForLife.net

❄ ASHEVILLE BALLET 828-252-4761, ashevilleballet.com • FRIDAY through SUNDAY (11/7) until (11/9) - The Nutcracker, ballet. Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm. Sat. & Sun.: 2:30pm. $15-$50. Held at Diana Wortham Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave. ❄ BALLET CONSERVATORY OF ASHEVILLE 828-255-5777, balletconservatoryofasheville.com • TH (12/13) & FR (12/14), 4:30pm & 7:30pm - The Nutcracker, ballet. $16-$30. Held at Diana Wortham Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave.

MONDAY NIGHT CONTRA DANCE 828-712-0115, oldfarmersball.com • MONDAYS, 7:3010:30pm - Community contra dance. $7. Held at The Center for Art and Spirit at St. George's Episcopal Church, 1 School Road

at Fletcher United Methodist Church, 50 Library Road, Fletcher • TU (12/11), 2pm Handbell Christmas concert. Ticket distribution begins at 1pm. Free. Held at Henderson County Public Library, 301 N. Washington St., Hendersonville

OLD FARMER'S BALL oldfarmersball.com • 2nd SUNDAYS, 3-5pm - Family contra/square dances for families with children ages 6-12. All ages welcome. Free. Held at Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Road

CONGREGATION BETH HATEPHILA 43 N. Liberty St., 828-253-4911, bethhatephila.org • SU (12/9), 4pm - Free Planet Radio, album release concert and sound meditation. Tickets: bit.ly/2TY4QPy. $20-$45.

THEATER AT WCU 828-227-2479, bardoartscenter.wcu.edu • THURSDAY through SATURDAY (12/6) until (12/8), 7:30pm - Light Chasers, dance production from the WCU School of Stage and Screen. $20/$10 students. Held at Western Carolina University Hoey Auditorium, 176 Central Dr, Cullowhee • SU (12/9) 3pm - Don Quixote, pre-recorded film of the performance by the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow. $15/$5 students. Held at The WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee

MUSIC AFRICAN DRUM LESSONS AT SKINNY BEATS DRUM SHOP (PD.) Wednesdays 6pm. Billy Zanski teaches a fun approach to connecting with your inner rhythm. Drop-ins welcome. • Drums provided. $15/ class. (828) 768-2826. www.skinnybeatsdrums. com

❄ ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE 35 E. Walnut St., 828-254-1320, ashevilletheatre.org • TH (12/6), 7:30pm - "A Very Vintage Christmas," holiday musical revue by Tim Shelton. $35. ❄ BLUE RIDGE ORCHESTRA blueridgeorchestra.com • SU (12/9), 1pm & 3:30pm - BRO Revels! 2018, a concert by Blue Ridge Orchestra Chamber Strings with banjo-fiddle duo, Newberry & Verch. $25/$15 Orchestra Friends and students. Held at Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway ❄ BLUE RIDGE RINGERS HANDBELL ENSEMBLE blueridgeringers.tripod. com, blueridgeringers@ gmail.com • FR (12/7), 7pm Handbell Christmas concert. Free. Held

❄ DEERFIELD EPISCOPAL RETIREMENT HOME 1617 Hendersonville Road, 828-274-1531 • WE (12/5), 4pm Asheville Flute Choir holiday concert. Free. Held in St. Giles Chapel ❄ FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE 2661 Highway 225, Flat Rock, 828-693-0731, flatrockplayhouse.org • WEDNESDAYS through SUNDAYS until (12/22) - "A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas," production featuring holiday music and dance. Wed., Thurs., Sat. & Sun.: 2pm. Wed. & Thurs.: 7:30pm. Fri. & Sat.: 8pm. $22 and up. ❄ FLETCHER COMMUNITY CHORUS 828-651-9436, fletchercommunitychorus.com • TH (12/13), 7pm - "Sing We Now of Christmas," concert. Admission by donation. Held at Fletcher United Methodist Church, 50 Library Road, Fletcher

❄ LAKE JUNALUSKA SINGERS 828-454-6681, lakejunaluska.com/ singers • SA (12/8), 7:30pm Carols with audience participation, Appalachian Christmas songs and readings by members of the 16-voice ensemble. $18 and up. Held at Stuart Auditorium, 20 Chapel Drive, Lake Junaluska ❄ MUSIC AT MARS HILL mhu.edu • FR (12/7), 6pm - "Holly and the Ivy," holiday community sing with Suzannah Park. Free. Held at The Ramsey Center in Renfro Library, 100 Athletic St., Mars Hill MUSIC AT WCU 828-227-2479, bardoartscenter.wcu.edu • TH (12/6), 7pm - OldTime and Bluegrass Series: Concert featuring traditional musicians Sarah Elizabeth Burkey and Erich Overhultz. Free. Held at MadStone Cafe & Catching Light Books, 732 Centennial Drive, Suite 5, Cullowhee

❄ OLLI AT UNCA 828-251-6140, olliasheville.com • MO (12/10), 7pm UNC Asheville’s Reuter Center Singers holiday concert. Free. Held at UNC-Asheville Reuter Center, 1 Campus View Road ❄ PUBSING 828-254-1114 • 2nd SUNDAYS, 4-6pm - Gospel jam and sing-along. Free to attend. Held at Habitat Tavern & Commons, 174 Broadway

HENDERSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 301 N. Washington St., Hendersonville, 828-6974725 • TH (12/13), 2pm - "Side by side" singing for healthy aging and those with memory loss and/or Parkinson's. Free.

RAINBOW COMMUNITY CENTER 60 State St. • FR (12/7), 7:30pm & SA (12/8), 3pm - "Lead with Love," 75-member choral concert featuring Peggy Ratusz and Kathryn O'Shea. $20/$10 for children under 12.

❄ HENDERSONVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 828-697-5884, hendersonvillesymphony. org • SA (12/8), 3pm & 7:30pm - Concert featuring holiday movie classics. $40 adults/$10 students. Held at Bo Thomas Auditorium, Blue Ridge Community College Hendersonville • SA (12/8), 7:30pm - "Holidays At The Movies," symphony concert featuring holiday movie music. $10. Held at Blue Ridge Community College, 180 W Campus Drive, Flat Rock

❄ STUART AUDITORIUM AT LAKE JUNALUSKA 20 Chapel Drive, Lake Junaluska • FR (12/7), 7:30pm - Regional choirs, orchestra and the Lake Junaluska Singers perform selections from Handel's Messiah. $18 and up. ❄ THE RAMSEY CENTER IN RENFRO LIBRARY 100 Athletic St., Mars Hill • FR (12/7), 6-8pm "Holly and the Ivy," community sing to learn a variety of holiday songs. Free. MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

A& E CA LEN DA R

❄ TRANSYLVANIA CHORAL SOCIETY transylvaniachoralsociety. org • TH (12/13), 7:30pm - Christmas concert featuring Vivaldi's Gloria and Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Messe de Minuit pour Noel. $10. Held at Porter Center at Brevard College, 1 Brevard College Drive, Brevard TRYON FINE ARTS CENTER 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon NC, 828-859-8322, tryonarts.org • SA (12/8), 7:30pm - Darin and Brooke Aldridge with John Cowan, bluegrass concert. $25/$35 premium. UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF ASHEVILLE 1 Edwin Place, 828-2546001, uuasheville.org • SU (12/9), 7pm Friction Farm, modernfolk concert. WOMANSONG OF ASHEVILLE womansong.org • FR (12/7), 7:30pm & SA (12/8), 3pm - "Lead with Love," 75-member choral concert featuring Peggy Ratusz and Kathryn O'Shea. $20/$10 for children under 12. Held at Rainbow Community Center, 60 State St.

SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD ASHEVILLE WRITERS' SOCIAL allimarshall@bellsouth.net • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 6-7:30pm - NC Writer's Network group meeting and networking. Free to attend. Held at Battery Park Book Exchange, 1 Page Ave., #101

❄ BUNCOMBE

COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • WE (12/5), 3pm Weaverville Afternoon Book Club: Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro. Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville • FR (11/7), 3pm Weaverville Afternoon Book Club: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville • TU (12/11), noon Book Club and holiday party: Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand. Free. Held at Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester • WE (12/12), 4-5pm Creative writing group open to adults and teens 15 and older. Free. Held at Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

GALLERY DIRECTORY

by Deborah Robertson

• TH (12/13), 7pm Family-friendly Word Storytelling Series with David Joe Miller presents holiday stories with Kathy Gordon and Roy Harris. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St.

STUART AUDITORIUM AT LAKE JUNALUSKA 20 Chapel Drive, Lake Junaluska • SA (12/8), 2pm - Ballad singer, storyteller and musician, Sheila Kay Adams, performs. $18 and up.

FIRESTORM BOOKS & COFFEE 610 Haywood Road, 828255-8115, firestorm.coop • SA (12/8), 1pm - R. Bentz Kirby presents his poetry book, Dream Work. Free to attend.

THE COFFEE BAR ON WHITE 317 White St., Hendersonville • SA (12/8), 10:30am Renee Kumor presents her book, There’s No Explaining Love. Free to attend.

FLETCHER LIBRARY 120 Library Road, Fletcher, 828-687-1218, library.hendersoncountync.org • 2nd THURSDAYS, 10:30am - Book Club. Free. • 2nd THURSDAYS, 1:30pm - Writers' Guild. Free. HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS 174 Broadway, habitatbrewing.com • WE (12/5), 7:30pm WORD Series: Annual holiday show featuring singer-songwriter and storyteller, Michael Reno Harrell. $16. LITERARY EVENTS AT UNCA unca.edu • WE (12/5), 6pm - Reading by UNC Asheville's 2018 Ramsey Library Community Author, Alli Marshall with accompaniment by singer-songwriter Heather Taylor. Refreshments at 5:30 pm. Free. Held at UNC Asheville - Ramsey Library, 1 University Heights MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 828-254-6734, malaprops.com • WE (12/5), 7pm Malaprop's Book Club: WAR by Sebastian Junger. Free to attend. • SA (12/8), 7pm Quincy Troupe presents their book, Miles and Me. Free to attend. • MO (12/10), 7pm Mystery Book Club: Rest You Merry (Peter Shandy Mysteries #1) by Charlotte MacLeod. Free to attend. • TU (12/11), 6pm - Laura E. Wolfson presents her collection, For Single Mothers Working As Train Conductors, in conversation with Elizabeth Kostova. Free to attend. NEW DIMENSIONS TOASTMASTERS 828-329-4190 • THURSDAYS, noon1pm - General meeting. Information: 828-3294190. Free to attend. Held at Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, 33 Meadow Road

THEATER

❄ 35BELOW 35 E. Walnut St., 828-254-1320, ashevilletheatre.org • FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS until (12/8), 7:30pm - Left-Behind Reflection, production from WinniesChild. $20. • WEDNESDAYS through SUNDAYS (12/12) until (12/16) - The Santaland Diaries, comedy. Wed.-Sat.: 7:30pm. Fri. & Sat.: 9:30pm. Sun.: 2:30pm. $18.

❄ ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE 35 E. Walnut St., 828-254-1320, ashevilletheatre.org • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS until (12/16) Snowbound. Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2:30pm. $26/$12 children. ❄ ATTIC SALT THEATRE COMPANY 828-505-2926 • THURSDAYS through SUNDAYS (12/6) until (12/16) - Blue Window, by Craig Lucas. Thurs.Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2:30pm. $20. Held at Attic Salt Theatre, The Mills at Riverside, 2002 Riverside Drive, Suite 42-O

• WEDNESDAYS through SUNDAYS until (12/16) - It's a Wonderful Life. Wed.-Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2pm. SA (12/1) & SA (12/8), 2pm. $17 and up. • WEDNESDAYS through SUNDAYS (12/12) until (12/30) - The Twelve Dates of Christmas, holiday tragicomedy. Wed.-Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2pm. Additional Saturday matinees on Dec. 22 & 29, 2:30pm. $17-$38.

❄ SOUTHERN

APPALACHIAN REPERTORY THEATRE 828-689-1239, sartplays.org • THURSDAYS through SUNDAYS (12/6) until (12/23) - Smoke on the Mountain: Sanders Family Christmas, a bluegrass, gospel musical. Thurs.-Sat.: 7:30pm. Sat. & Sun. at 2:30pm. $25/$18 students. Held at Owens Theatre, Mars Hill University, 44 College St., Mars Hill

❄ THE MAGNETIC THEATRE 375 Depot St., 828-239-9250 • THURSDAYS through SATURDAYS until (12/15), 7:30pm - 25th annual Bernstein Family Christmas Spectacular. Fri. & Sat. (12/6) until SA (12/15) includes at 10pm. performance. $25. THEATER AT WCU 828-227-2479, bardoartscenter.wcu.edu • SU (12/9), 7:30pm - Donations at the Western Carolina University’s 2019 BFA Musical Theatre Senior Showcase benefit a trip for the seniors to perform for agents and producers in New York. Admission by donation. Held at Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville

❄ BREVARD LITTLE THEATRE 55 E. Jordan St., Brevard, 828-884-2587, TheBrevard LittleTheatre. org • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS until (12/16) The Lion in Winter. Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 3pm. $18/$12 student/$6 children.

❄ TRYON LITTLE THEATER 516 S. Trade St., Tryon NC, 828-859-2466, tltinfo.org • FRIDAY through SUNDAY (12/7) until (12/9) - A Christmas Memory is a one man show based on a play by Truman Capote. Fri.-Sat. 7:30pm. Sun. 3pm. $25.

❄ HENDERSONVILLE

❄ VANCE

COMMUNITY THEATRE 229 S. Washington St., Hendersonville, 828-692-1082, hendersonvillelittletheater.org • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS (11/30) until (12/16) - Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical. Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2pm. $26.

❄ NC STAGE COMPANY 15 Stage Lane, 828-239-0263

MOUNTAINX.COM

BIRTHPLACE 911 Reems Creek Road, Weaverville, 838-645-6706, nchistoricsites.org/vance • THURSDAY through SATURDAY (12/6) until (12/8) - A Christmas Carol, toy and shadow theatre production by the American Myth Center. Tours run every 30-minutes starting at 5:30pm with the last tour at 8pm. Registration required: 828-645-6706. $5/$2 children/Free under 6 years.

AMERICAN FOLK ART AND FRAMING 64 Biltmore Ave., 828-281-2134, amerifolk.com • Through MO (12/31) - 2018 Holiday Wish List Celebration, group exhibition of folk art. ART AT BREVARD COLLEGE 828-884-8188, brevard.edu/art • Through FR (12/7) - Eternity Is Written In Our Hearts, exhibition of photography and video by Janelle VanderKelen. Held in the Spiers Gallery at Brevard College, 1 Brevard College Drive, Brevard ART AT MARS HILL UNIVERSITY mhu.edu • Through FR (12/14) Night Wings, exhibition of multi-media art by David Hopes. Held at Weizenblatt Art Gallery at Mars Hill University, 79 Cascade St, Mars Hill ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 828-258-0710, ashevillearts.com • FR (12/7) through FR (1/11) - Asheville Through Brown Eyes, group exhibition curated by Joseph Pearson. Reception: Friday, Dec. 7, 5-8pm. Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave. ASHEVILLE GALLERY OF ART 82 Patton Ave., 828-251-5796, ashevillegallery-of-art.com • Through MO (12/31) Energy and Life, exhibition featuring the paintings of Sun Sohovich and Kari Swanson. Reception: Friday, Dec. 7, 5-8pm. BLUE SPIRAL 1 38 Biltmore Ave., 828-251-0202, bluespiral1.com • Through FR (12/7) From Sea to Shining Sea: The Decay of America, exhibition of works from four photographers. CARLTON EDWARDS ARCHITECTS 103 Broadway St., 828-274-7554, carlton-edwards.com

• FR (12/7), 5-8pm "Shifting Paradigms," pop-up art exhibit and reception featuring Mark Bettis, Jacqui Fehl and Brian Boggs Chairmakers. GROVEWOOD GALLERY 111 Grovewood Road, 828-253-7651, grovewood.com • Through MO (12/31) Eat, Drink & Be Merry, curated showcase of table settings for holiday entertaining. HAYWOOD COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL 86 N Main St., Waynesville, 828-452-0593, haywoodarts.org/ • Through SA (12/22) It’s a Small, Small Work features 60 artists and 200 works. • SA (12/8), 10am-1pm - Jewelry making demonstration with Toni Carroll. • SA (12/8), 6-8pm Demonstration of handcrafted home accessories by Caryl Brt. MOMENTUM ON BROADWAY 52 Broadway St., 828-505-8550, momentumgallery.com • Though TH (12/13) - Casey Roberts: Cyanotype Paintings, exhibition. • Though TH (12/13) - Small Works, Big Impact, annual curated collection of paintings, sculpture and mixed media. MORA CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY 9 Walnut St., 828-575-2294, moracollection.com • SA (12/1) through MO (12/31) - Exhibition of jewelry by Stacey Lane. Reception: Friday, Dec. 7, 5-8pm. PINK DOG CREATIVE 348 Depot St., pinkdog-creative.com • Through SU (12/30) Al Dente, exhibition of photography by Clay Harmon. POSANA CAFE 1 Biltmore Ave., 828-505-3969 • WE (12/5) through TH (2/28) - Eyes, group painting exhibition

curated by Constance Vlahoulis. Reception: Wednesday, Dec. 5, 6-8pm. SOUTHERN HIGHLAND CRAFT GUILD 828-298-7928, craftguild.org • Through TU (2/5) The Golden Fleece, group exhibition featuring more than 20 handmade ensembles in women's fashion. Held at Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway THE ASHEVILLE SCHOOL 360 Asheville School Road, 828-254-6345, ashevilleschool.org • Through FR (12/14) Eccentric Archetypes, exhibition of mixedmedia portraits by Patti Anastasi. Held in the Walker Arts Center's John M. Crawford Art Gallery THE TRYON DEPOT ROOM 22 Depot St., Tryon, 828-859-7001, tryondepotroom.com • Through FR (12/14) - Exhibition of paintings by Rich Nelson. Reception: Friday, Dec. 14, 5-8pm. TRACEY MORGAN GALLERY 188 Coxe Ave, TraceyMorganGallery. com • Through SA (12/22) - Altering Nature: Pictures of a Changing Environment, group photography exhibition covering a range of techniques and media. TRACKSIDE STUDIOS & GALLERY 375 Depot St., 828-545-2904, facebook.com/ TracksideStudios375/ • Through SU (12/30) - Toys, group show featuring paintings of toys. Reception: Saturday, Dec. 8, 4-7pm. TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 349 S. Caldwell St., Brevard, 828-884-2787, tcarts.org • Through FR (12/21) Appalachian Art: Past to Present, group exhibition.

TRANSYLVANIA HERITAGE MUSEUM 189 W Main St., Brevard, 828-884-2347, transylvaniaheritage.org • Through SA (12/22) - Aluminum Tree and Aesthetically Challenged Seasonal Ornament Museum and Research Center (ATOM) Exhibition. WEST END BAKERY 757 Haywood Road, 828-252-9378, westendbakery.com • Through SU (12/30) Exhibition of paintings by Joshua Weinstein and Rena Lindstrom. WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY, FINE ART MUSEUM 199 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee, wcu.edu/ bardo-arts-center/ fine-art-museum/ • Through (5/3) Defining America, exhibition in a variety of media. • Through SA (12/8) - Bachelor of Fine Arts students of WCU Portfolio Exhibition. Reception: Thursday, Dec. 6, 5-7pm. • Through FR (12/7) - Glass Catalyst: Littleton's Legacy in Contemporary Sculpture featuring contemporary glass artists. • Through FR (12/7) - You and I, mixed media works by Julie Buffalohead. WOOLWORTH WALK 25 Haywood St., 828-254-9234 • Through MO (12/31) - Exhibition of the paintings of Scott Mills. Reception: Friday, Dec. 7, 5-7pm. ZAPOW! 150 Coxe Ave., Suite 101, 828-575-2024, zapow.net • Through SU (1/20) Reclaiming Masculinity, group exhibition. • FR (12/7) through SU (1/6) - Surreal Zoology, exhibition of illustrations by Jake LaGory. Reception: Friday, Dec. 14, 7-9pm. Contact the galleries for hours and admission fees

CLUBLAND

GET TOGETHER: Jimmy Vivino and Bob Margolin are on their Blues & Guitar Conspiracy Tour, promising “two guitars [and] 200 stories.” Margolin recently released a selftitled album including nine songs he learned from friends and old band mates such as Johnny Winter, Jimmy Rogers and Muddy Waters. Vivino spent 25 years as the music director of “Late Night with Conan O’ Brien” and leading Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band. The duo’s fully seated show takes place at The Grey Eagle Tuesday, Dec. 11, at 8 p.m. Locals Roots & Dore open. $17 advance/ $25 day of show. thegreyeagle. com. Photo by Max Res

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis (African folk music), 8:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Open Mic hosted by Billy Owens, 7:00PM BYWATER Open Can of Jam (blues, jazz open jam), 8:00PM CORK & KEG 3 Cool Cats (rock n' roll dance party), 7:30PM CROW & QUILL Asheville Jazz Sessions, 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Western Wednesdays w/ Classic Honky-Tonk Bands, 9:00PM FLEETWOOD'S Machine Girl, 99 Jakes, Spitgod & Alex Brown, 8:00PM HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Michael Reno Harrell's Annual Holiday Show (storytelling), 7:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Feed the Need Benefit for Manna FoodBank, 8:30PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Jam, 5:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Cigar Brothers, 6:30PM

NANTAHALA BREWING - ASHEVILLE OUTPOST Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7:00PM NOBLE KAVA Poetry Open Mic w/ Caleb Beissert (7:30pm sign up), 8:00PM ODDITORIUM Nova One, Brief Awakening, Cora Hill (Indie), 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Sexy Tunes w/ DJ's Zeus & Franco, 10:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Disclaimer Lounge Comedy Open Mic, 9:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: Latin Dance Party ft. DJ Victor (Bachata, salsa, merengue), 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL The Franklin School of Innovation Benefit Concert, 7:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Prohibition Repeal Day Party w/ Hot Point Trio (jazz), 5:30PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR Dave Desmelik, 7:00PM SALVAGE STATION Open Mic, 7:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY French Broad Valley Music Association Mountain Music Jam, 6:00PM

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night hosted by Jason DeCristofaro, 6:30PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Asheville's Most Wanted Funk Bandits: Kazz & Unk, 8:00PM THE GOLDEN FLEECE The Tune Shepherds (Scottish music), 7:00PM THE GREY EAGLE Mike Farris & The Fortunate Few w/ Adam Wakefield, 7:00PM Warren G. w/ April B. & the Cool, Colston, 10:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE The Low Keys (jazz folk), 9:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Nervous Dupre w/ Wume & Twin Star, 9:30PM TOWN PUMP Open Mic Night, 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Blues & Soul Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Jazz Night: Maddy Winer, 7:30PM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Pleasure Chest (blues, rock, soul), 8:00PM AMBROSE WEST Jarvis Jenkins Band (Allman Brothers tribute), 9:00PM

ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE Tim Shelton's 'A Very Vintage Christmas', 7:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Will Ray & The Space Cooties, 7:30PM BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Alien Music Club (jazz), 9:00PM BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Bluegrass Jam w/ The Big Deal Band, 8:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Ionize, 7:00PM BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Geoff Happel, 6:00PM BYWATER Open Mic w/ John Duncan, 7:00PM CROW & QUILL Carolina Catskins (gritty ragtime jazz), 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Old Gold w/ DJ Jasper (rock 'n soul vinyl), 10:00PM FLEETWOOD'S Slugly, Aloes, Oariana, 8:00PM FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER True Home Open Mic (6pm sign-up), 6:30PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY The Patrick Dodd Trio, 6:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Sarah Peacock, 7:00PM

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

C LUBLAND JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam, 7:00PM LAZY DIAMOND 80's Invasion w/ DJ Chubberbird (80s dance party), 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Hank Bones, 6:30PM

COMING SOON WED 12/5 7:00PM–CAROLINE COTTER 8:30PM–FEED THE NEED- MANNA FOODBANK BENEFIT

THU 12/6 7:00PM–SARAH PEACOCK

FRI 12/7 7:00PM–SARAH POTENZA

SUN 12/9 5:30PM–CLAUDIA NYGAARD 7:30PM–JOE JENCKS & SI KAHN IN CONCERT

TUE 12/11 7:30PM–TUESDAY BLUEGRASS SESSIONS HOSTED BY THE DARREN NICHOLSON BAND

WED 12/12 7:00PM–JACOB JOHNSON’S

ALMOST ACOUSTIC CHRISTMAS 8:30PM–STATE BIRDS WITH SIPE, SEAL, FOUNTAIN, & LOPES

THU 12/13 7:00PM–FOREST BAILEY 8:30PM–ITALIAN NIGHT W/ MIKE GUGGINO & BARRETT SMITH

FRI 12/14 7:00PM–WEST KING STRING BAND

SAT 12/15 6:30PM–THE NOUVEAUX HONKIES 8:00PM–NEWSONG MUSIC SONGWRITING & PERFORMANCE COMPETITION

SUN 12/16 5:30PM–PRETTY LITTLE GOAT

TUE 12/18 7:30PM–TUES. BLUEGRASS SESSIONS- THE HONEY CHASERS

WED 12/19 7:00PM–HANNAH KAMINER AND JP PARSONS

THU 12/20 7:00PM–CELTIC CHRISTMAS WITH THE REEL SISTERS 7:00PM–BRIAN ASHLEY JONES (DUO W/ PERCUSSIONIST PATRICK STACEY)

SAT 12/22 7:00PM–HIGHBEAMS 9PM–THE ZUZU WELSH BAND W/ THE PAM TAYLOR DUO

SUN 12/23 7:00PM–RUSS WILSON’S “HAVE YOURSELF A SWINGIN’ LITTLE CHRISTMAS”

THU 12/27 7:00PM–CHRISTIE LENEE

FRI 12/28

MOUNTAINX.COM

OWL BAKERY Thursday Night Jazz, 7:30PM ODDITORIUM Abhora from Dragula Season 2 (18+), 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/ Franco, 10:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Balkun Brothers, 10:00PM

TIMO'S HOUSE BRRRZDAY w/ Rema Kings Movement, 9:00PM TOWN PUMP Stephen Evans, 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Paula Hanke & The Jam (blues, rock'n roll), 9:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Anya Hinkle Americana Evenings Residency, 7:00PM WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY HOEY AUDITORIUM Light Chasers, 7:30PM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7

ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: Chris Jamison Trio (Americana), 9:00PM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR Paula Hanke & The Jam (blues, funk), 9:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: West Side Funk Jam, 9:00PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Vince Junior Band, 8:00PM

PACK'S TAVERN Hope Griffin Duo (acoustic rock), 8:00PM

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Warren Haynes Xmas Jam by Day, 12:00PM Enter the Earth 17th Annual Xmas Party & Benefit w/ Slim Wednesday w/ Jojo Hermann of WSP, Kalu & The Electric Joint , Unihorns, 9:30PM

PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR Mercer & Johnson, 7:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY The Big Deal Band, 8:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Vaden Landers, 7:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Strange Foliage, Her Pilots, Sane Voids & BAD TIES, 8:00PM SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Nitrograss, 7:00PM STRAIGHTAWAY CAFE Open Mic, 7:00PM

BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Hot Club of Asheville, 5:30PM BEN'S TUNE UP Throwback dance Party w/ DJ Kilby, 10:00PM BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Holly Jolly w/ The Big Deal Band (bluegrass), 7:30PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Acoustic Swing, 7:00PM CAPELLA ON 9@THE AC HOTEL Phantom Pantone, 9:00PM

ISISASHEVILLE.COM DINNER MENU TIL 9:30PM LATE NIGHT MENU TIL 12AM

THE BARRELHOUSE Trivia Night, 7:00PM

CORK & KEG The Gypsy Swingers, 8:30PM

THE GREY EAGLE WHY? Plays Alopecia w/ Lala Lala, 9:00PM

CROW & QUILL Vendetta Creme (cabaret music), 9:00PM

TUES-SUN 5PM-until 743 HAYWOOD RD 828-575-2737

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

NOBLE KAVA Grateful Dead Night feat. members of Phuncle Sam & Ton of Hay, 8:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT Frankie Cosmos w/ Stef Chura & Shy Boys, 9:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Latin Dance Party w/ Borinquen Sublime, 7:00PM

7:00PM–EJ JONES AND FRANCES CUNNINGHAM 9:00PM–DANGERMUFFIN AND FIRESIDE COLLECTIVE

LOCAL 604 BOTTLE SHOP Vinyl Night, 8:00PM

THE IMPERIAL LIFE The Burger Kings (rock n' roll), 9:00PM

WED

DOUBLE CROWN Rock 'n' Soul Obscurities w/ DJ Greg Cartwright, 10:00PM FLEETWOOD'S Thompson Springs w/ OBSiDEONEYE, Sane Voids, 9:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Berlyn Trio (jazz, funk), 10:00PM GINGER'S REVENGE Noah Proudfoot (funk & soul), 7:30PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY The Secret B-Sides, 7:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: Celebrate Safe Motherhood: Music by Lyric (benefitting Mama Maisha), 7:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Josh Carter & Owen Grooms (bluegrass), 6:00PM

PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR King Garbage, 7:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Folkadelic, 8:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Cory The Gardener Presents Cody Daniel Hughes (comedy, dance, music), 7:30PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB The Well Drinkers, 9:00PM

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Andrew Finn Magill Jazz Trio, 8:00PM

LAZY DIAMOND Hot 'n' Nasty Night w/ DJ Hissy Cruise (rock & soul), 10:00PM

STRAIGHTAWAY CAFE Vinylly Friday, 6:00PM

NEW BELGIUM BREWERY Brie Capone, 5:30PM NOBLE KAVA The Dangerfields, 9:00PM ODDITORIUM A World of Lies, Feasting On Your Friends, SK The Novelist, The Last Wordbenders (metal), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Fridays w/ members of Phuncle Sam acoustic, 5:30PM AKITA, 10:00PM

WEEKLY EVENTS

THIS WEEK AT AVL MUSIC HALL

ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: AJ Herrick (folk, jazz, blues, rock), 9:00PM

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Joshua Messick (hammered dulcimer Christmas), 8:00PM

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8

PACK'S TAVERN DJ Dayo (dance hits, pop), 9:30PM

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Sarah Potenza, 7:00PM

MAD CO BREW HOUSE Stephen Evans, 6:00PM

US CELLULAR CENTER Warren Haynes Christmas Jam 30th Anniversary, 6:30PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Flashback Fridays Dance Party w/ 3 Cool Cats, 7:30PM THE GREY EAGLE Wavy Train Plays Dead, 9:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Select DJ Sets, 9:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Linqua Franqa and Pyramid Dance Party w/ DJ Honey & Ryan Oslance, 9:30PM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR Red Hot Sugar Babies (hot jazz), 9:00PM AMBROSE WEST 1st Annual Ambrose Holidaze Jam w/ The Paper Crowns Band & Driftwood Gypsy, 1:30PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Swing Step Swing Jam, 5:00PM Jody Carroll (roots, blues), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Warren Haynes Xmas Jam by Day, 12:00PM Envisioned Arts ATL: Freddy todd, kLL sMTH, spacegeishA & ZeplinnQuetzatl, 9:00PM BANKS AVE SES: Satisfaction Every Saturday, 9:00PM BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Cynthia McDermott (swing mandolin), 7:30PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Paul Defatta, 7:00PM

TIMO'S HOUSE U/ME & Friends w/ Ezekiel (In Plain Sight), 10:00PM

BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Beardfest w/ The Bearded Hunnies, 12:00PM

TOWN PUMP Billingsley, 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Lenny Pettinelli (evergreens), 7:30PM Bill Mattocks and The Strut (blues, funk, soul), 10:00PM

CAPELLA ON 9@THE AC HOTEL Special Affair, 9:00PM

DISTRICT WINE BAR Saturday Night Rock Show, 10:00PM

WED

DOUBLE CROWN Soul Motion Dance Party w/ DJ Dr. Filth, 10:00PM

THU

FLEETWOOD'S Krish Mohan's Empathy (comedy), 7:00PM

FRI

FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Shabudikah (soul, jam), 10:00PM

SAT

FUNKATORIUM The Clock Reads, 8:00PM

5 6 7

MIKE FARRIS AND

SAT

JD MCPHERSON

SUN

DAVE DESMELIK

THE FORTUNATE FEW W/ ADAM WAKEFIELD, 7PM

WARREN G

W/ APRIL B. & THE COOL, COLSTON, 10PM

WHY? PLAYS ALOPECIA

MON

W/ LALA LALA

WAVY TRAIN PLAYS DEAD

TUE

HOLIDAY CRAFT MARKET

WED

ALL LOCAL VENDORS • 10AM-4PM

W/ EDDIE ANGEL’S GUITAR PARTY

WITH AN ARMY OF LOVE

WEEDIE BRAIMAH + THE HANDS OF TIME W/ LES AMIS

JIMMY VIVINO AND BOB MARGOLIN W/ ROOTS AND DORE AN EVENING WITH

WAYNE “THE TRAIN” HANCOCK

Asheville’s longest running live music venue • 185 Clingman Ave TICKETS AVAILABLE AT HARVEST RECORDS & THEGREYEAGLE.COM

HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Fortune and Glory, 9:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Likewise, 7:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Shane Pruitt Band, 9:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Saturday Swing-a-ling w/ DJs Arieh & Chrissy (world soul dance party), 10:00PM LEXINGTON AVE BREWERY (LAB) Tunes & Brunch at the LAB, 11:30AM LOBSTER TRAP Sean Mason Trio, 6:30PM LUELLA'S BAR-B-QUE BILTMORE PARK Leo Johnson's Gypsy Jazz Brunch, 1:00PM MG ROAD Late Night Dance Parties w/ DJ Lil Meow Meow, 10:00PM NOBLE KAVA Ryan Oslance, 9:00PM

CORK & KEG The Barsters, 8:30PM

ODDITORIUM Broad River Nightmare, Mindshapefist, Mass Driver (metal, rock), 9:00PM

CROW & QUILL Posey Quartet (swing jazz & blues), 9:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: Preach Jacobs (DJ), 9:00PM

THIS WEEK AT THE ONE STOP:

THU 12/6 FRI 12/7 SAT 12/8

WARREN HAYNES XMAS JAM BY DAY FRI 12/7 & SAT 12/8 [DAY] 12 pm -6 pm - T ICKETS/L INEUP A NNOUNCEMENT: www.xmasjam.com

TUESDAY:

Turntable Tuesday - 10pm

17TH ANNUAL XMAS PARTY

w/ Jojo Hermann [of Widespread Panic], Kalu and The Electric Joint & Unihorns

FREDDY TODD, KLL SMTH, SPACEGEISHA, ZEPLINN-QUETZATL

FRI 12/7 [NIGHT] - S HOW: 9:30 pm (D OORS: 9 pm) - adv. $23

SAT 12/8 [NIGHT] - S HOW: 9:30 pm (D OORS: 9 pm) - $15

ENTER THE EARTH

WEDNESDAY:

THURSDAY:

FRIDAY:

BROWN BAG SONGWRITING COMPETITION - 6pm

Mitch’s Totally Rad Trivia 6:30pm

F ree Dead F riday

Disclaimer Comedy 9:30pm

5pm

SUNDAY: Bluegrass Brunch

ft. Bald Mountain Boys + Aaron “Woody” Wood and Friends - 10:30am-3pm

Balkun Brothers - [ROCK] AKITA - [FUNK] Vietnam Jerry - [DANCE PARTY]

DO CA$ NA H T IO

UPCOMING SHOWS - ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL:

12/10 Akae Beka w/ Dub Kartel 12/13 paris_monster w/ Brether 12/15 The Fourth Annual Holiday Craft Bazaar! [FREE ADMISSION] 12/15 3rd Annual Very Jerry Xmas 12/21 Billy Strings 12/22 Allstar Tribute to Sly & The Family Stone wsg. Marcus King

TICKETS & FULL CALENDAR AVAILABLE AT ASHEVILLEMUSICHALL.COM

@AVLMusicHall MOUNTAINX.COM

@OneStopAVL DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

CLU B LA N D

Cheers To Seven Years!

THU, dec 6 Brrrzday [Rema Kingz Movement]

fri, dec 7 U/ME + FRIENDS [EZEKIEL IPS]

SAT, dec 8 HIP HOP HOUSE PARTY [DJ DEACON]

SUN, dec 9 BRING YOUR OWN VINYL [DJ DREW] 5 Biltmore Ave, downtown Asheville timos-house.com

DUAL CITIZEN: Linqua Franqa is the stage name of hip-hop artist Mariah Parker — a Warren Wilson College alumna-turned-Athens, Ga., District Commissioner — whose debut album, Model Minority,tackles social analysis, political outrage and gender and class struggles. She formed Hot Corner Hip-Hop as a “push back against racism and classism in downtown Athens,” she says, and to prove the financial benefit of booking more hip-hop acts in local venues. Linqua Franqa and Pyramid Dance Party play The Mothlight with locals DJ Honey and percussionist Ryan Oslance on Friday, Dec. 7, 9 p.m. $8. themothlight.com. Photo by Tony Walsh

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: DJ Dance Party w/ In Plain Sight, 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL Steven Wilson, 8:00PM

12/6

SAT

12/8

Jarvis Jenkins Band

(Allman Brothers Tribute) DOORS: 8PM / SHOW: 9PM

1st Annual Ambrose Holidaze Jam w/ The Paper Crowns Band & Driftwood Gypsy DOORS: 1PM / SHOW: 1:30PM

Worthwhile Sounds Presents:

TUE

12/11

Andrew Marlin w/ Josh Oliver DOORS: 7PM / SHOW: 8PM

828-332-3090 312 HAYWOOD RD, WEST ASHEVILLE

www.ambrosewest.com 64

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

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BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Chris Jamison, 7:00PM

TIMO'S HOUSE Not So Silent Night Dance Party w/ DJ Deacon (hip hop), 9:00PM

BYWATER Bluegrass Jam w/ Drew Matulich, 2:00PM

OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Chris Jamison's Ghost Trio (Americana), 6:00PM

TOWN PUMP Riverbend Reunion, 9:00PM

PACK'S TAVERN DJ Flashback, 9:30PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Lenny Pettinelli (evergreens), 7:30PM Ruby Mayfield & Saxplay (dance), 10:00PM

PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR ZuZu Welsh Band, 7:00PM

THU

THE MOTHLIGHT Flint Eastwood w/ Vesperteen, 9:00PM

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Lazybirds, 8:00PM SALVAGE STATION Jonathan Parker, 9:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Another Country, 8:00PM SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY 8th Annual Ugly Sweater & PJ Party w/ The Stipe Bros & Dan Ruiz, 8:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Youth OUTright's Drag Brunch Benefit, 11:00AM CommUNITY Salsa & Latin Saturday Dance Night w/ DJ Edi Fuentes (lesson, 9:00PM), 9:30PM THE CONUNDRUM End of Prohibition Party w/ The Cigar Brothers, 6:30PM THE GREY EAGLE JD McPherson w/ Eddie Angel's Guitar Party, 9:00PM

US CELLULAR CENTER Warren Haynes Christmas Jam 30th Anniversary, 6:30PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Moonlight Street Folk, 9:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN The Asheville Jazz Orchestra: Big Band Holiday Concert), 8:00PM

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9 5 WALNUT WINE BAR The Moon & You (cello folk, soul), 7:00PM ARCHETYPE BREWING Post-Brunch Blues, 4:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Classical Guitar Society Player's Circle, 1:30PM Musicians Jam & Pot Luck, 3:30PM

CONGREGATION BETH HATEPHILA Free Planet Radio: Album Release Concert & Sound Meditation, 4:00PM CROW & QUILL Krampusnacht w/ Bitter Yule (grumpy Christmas show), 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM FUNKATORIUM Bluegrass Brunch w/ Gary Macfiddle, 11:00AM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 1:00PM

ODDITORIUM The Moon & You, (cello folk, soul), 7:00PM Odditorium Krampus Party, 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Bluegrass Brunch w/ Woody & Krekel & Bald Mountain Boys, 10:30AM ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: Soul Jam w/ Ted Marks, Brennan Duggan, & Rachel Waterhouse, 8:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Trivia Night (holiday theme), 5:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Pisgah Sunday Jam, 6:30PM SALVAGE STATION Karaoke, 8:30PM

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Claudia Nygaard, 5:30PM Joe Jencks & Si Kahn, 7:30PM

SLY GROG LOUNGE Sly Grog Open Mic, 6:30AM JLAD Celebrates Jim Morrison's Birthday (tribute), 4:00PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Irish/Celtic Jam, 3:00PM

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Scott Kendrick, 5:00PM

JARGON Sunday Blunch w/ Mark Guest & Mary Pearson (jazz), 11:00AM LAZY DIAMOND Punk Night w/ DJ Chubberbird, 10:00PM NEW BELGIUM BREWERY Showers on Mars, 2:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Sunday Jazz Jam w/ UNCA's Jazz Dept., 4:00PM THE GREY EAGLE Dave Desmelik w/ An Army of Love, 7:30PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Select DJ Sets, 9:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT UNCA Music: Jazz & Contemporary Ensemble Showcase, 3:00PM TIMO'S HOUSE BYOV hosted by DJ drew, 8:00PM TOWN PUMP Ryan Zimmerman, 9:00PM UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF ASHEVILLE Friction Farm Concert (folk music, storytelling), 7:00PM

MONDAY, DECEMBER 10 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Siamese Sound Club, (R&B, soul, jazz), 8:00PM ARCHETYPE BREWING Old-Time Jam, 6:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Open Stage / Singer Songwriters, 7:30PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Akae Beka w/ Dub Kartel, 7:00PM CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Open Mic hosted by Jon Edwards, 6:00PM

THE ASHEVILLE CLUB Mr. Jimmy, 6:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Porch Magazine's 531: Five Stories, Three Songs, One Invitation For the Common Good, 6:30PM THE GREY EAGLE Weedie Braimah & The Hands of Time w/ Les Amis, 9:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Leo Johnson (Gypsy jazz), 9:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Gold Light & Snakemusk w/ Frederick the Younger & Chris Head, 9:00PM TOWN PUMP Jackson Grimn, 9:00PM

Downtown on the Park Eclectic Menu • Over 30 Taps • Patio 14 TV’s • Sports Room • 110” Projector Event Space • Shuffleboard Open 7 Days 11am - Late Night Gi

e ve g r at food & drink t

Ask about a Pack’s

! his holiday

Gif t Card!

THU. 12/6 Hope Griffin Duo (acoustic rock)

FRI. 12/7 DJ Dayo

(dance hits, pop)

SAT. 12/8 Flashback

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11

(classic rock)

5 WALNUT WINE BAR The John Henrys (Hot Jazz), 8:00PM AMBROSE WEST Andrew Marlin w/ Josh Oliver, 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Gypsy Jazz Jam Tuesdays, 7:30PM

DOUBLE CROWN Country Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Tuesday night funk jam, 11:00PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Quizzo Trivia, 7:30PM Open Mic, 9:30PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Mark Bumgarner, 7:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Bobby Miller & Friends, 6:30PM

BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Trivia, 6:30PM

ODDITORIUM Risque Monday Burlesque w/ Deb Au Nare, 9:00PM

BYWATER Baile w/ KirbyBright (DJs, fire-spinning, art), 9:00PM

OLE SHAKEY'S Live Band Honky Tonk Karaoke, 9:00PM

DOUBLE CROWN Sonic Stew w/ DJ Alien Brain, 10:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: Open Mic Night hosted by Anthony Willingham, 7:30PM

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 5:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: Jazz Monday, 8:30PM

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Tuesday Bluegrass Sessions hosted by The Darren Nicholson Band, 7:30PM

ORANGE PEEL Ministry w/ Carpenter Brut Alien Weaponry, 7:00PM

LAZY DIAMOND Noise Oasis w/ DJ Salty Stax (post punk), 10:00PM

SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Best of The Gathering Dark Vol. 2, 7:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Jay Brown, 6:30PM

SLY GROG LOUNGE Yam Fest w/ Corey the Gardener (comedy open-mic), 9:00PM

TAVERN

20 S. Spruce St. • 225.6944 packStavern.com

LOCAL 604 BOTTLE SHOP Synth Club, 8:00PM NOBLE KAVA Open Jam, 8:00PM

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

CLU B LA N D ODDITORIUM Free Open Mic Comedy, 9:00PM

Save the Date!

NYE with ReggaeInfinity Live Roots Reggae Dance Mon., 12/31 • 9pm

Book Your Holiday Party! 39 S. Market St, Asheville, NC 28801 254-9277 • theblockoffbiltmore.com

OLE SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday w/ DJ Meow Meow (rap, trap, hip-hop), 10:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Turntable Tuesday, 10:00PM ORANGE PEEL Thievery Corporation w/ The Suffers [SOLD OUT], 8:30PM

SALVAGE STATION Trivia, 7:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Taco and Trivia Tuesday, 6:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Jazz & Justice Swing Dance Benefit Tuesday w/ Queen Bee & The Honeylovers, 7:00PM Blues Dance, 11:00PM

THE GREY EAGLE Jimmy Vivino & Bob Margolin w/ Roots and Dore, 8:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Leo Johnson (Gypsy jazz), 9:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Swearin' w/ Dark Thoughts, 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Early Funk Jam (funk, jazz), 9:00PM TWIN LEAF BREWERY Team Trivia Night, 8:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish Jam, 6:30PM Open Mic, 8:30PM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis (African folk Music), 8:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Open Mic hosted by Mark Bumgarner, 7:00PM BYWATER Open Can of Jam (blues, jazz open jam), 8:00PM CORK & KEG 3 Cool Cats (rock n' roll dance party), 7:30PM CROW & QUILL Asheville Jazz Sessions, 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Western Wednesdays w/ Classic Honky-Tonk Bands, 9:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Jacob Johnson’s Almost Acoustic Christmas, 7:00PM State Birds with Sipe Seal Fountain & Lopes, 8:30PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Jam, 5:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Cigar Brothers, 6:30PM NANTAHALA BREWING ASHEVILLE OUTPOST Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7:00PM NOBLE KAVA Poetry Open Mic w/ Caleb Beissert (7:30pm sign up), 8:00PM

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

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ODDITORIUM Hot Pink Satan (industrial, dance), 7:00PM Synergy Story Slam, 7:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Sexy Tunes w/ DJ's Zeus & Franco, 10:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Disclaimer Lounge Comedy Open Mic, 9:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: Kate Smith & Jones Cove, 8:00PM ORANGE PEEL Thievery Corporation w/ The Suffers [SOLD OUT], 8:30PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR Stephen Evans, 7:00PM SALVAGE STATION Open Mic, 7:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY French Broad Valley Music Association Mountain Music Jam, 6:00PM SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night hosted by Jason DeCristofaro, 6:30PM STRAIGHTAWAY CAFE Chris Jamison's Ghost, 6:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Asheville's Most Wanted Funk Bandits: Kazz & Unk, 8:00PM THE GOLDEN FLEECE The Tune Shepherds (Scottish Music), 7:00PM THE GREY EAGLE Wayne "The Train" Hancock, 8:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE The Low Keys (jazz folk), 9:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Cult Leader w/ Primitive Weapons & God Mother, 9:00PM TOWN PUMP Open Mic Night, 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Blues & Soul Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Jazz Night: Maddy Winer & Vince Lewis, 7:30PM

MOVIES

REVIEWS & LISTINGS BY SCOTT DOUGLAS, FRANCIS X. FRIEL & JUSTIN SOUTHER

HHHHH = H PICK OF THE WEEK H

Paul Dano’s directorial debut drama, Wildlife, dazzlingly depicts devastating domestic disintegration.

Wildlife HHHH DIRECTOR: Paul Dano PLAYERS: Carey Mulligan, Ed Oxenbould, Bill Camp, Jake Gyllenhaal DRAMA RATED PG-13 THE STORY: A teen in 1960 Montana is forced into maturity far too soon when his father loses his job, leaving the boy and his mother to an uncertain fate. THE LOWDOWN: Uncompromising emotional realism bolstered by a strong central cast lends Paul Dano’s directorial debut a level of dramatic weight uncommon in small films about big themes. Overt physical brutality is all too common in contemporary cinema, but existential dread of the subtler emotional variety has become considerably rarer. Writer/director Paul Dano has delivered exactly that with his unexpectedly gut-wrenching feature debut, Wildlife, a meditation on the emotional insecurities inherent

to the midcentury American familial ideal. Along with co-writer Zoe Kazan, Dano probes the cracked facade and frayed edges of the Leave It to Beaver-era domestic mythos and finds an unrelentingly affective core of ineptitude and misguided good intentions that packs a downbeat wallop that will follow you out of the theater. The picket fence dream of the Cleavers may be nowhere in sight, but there’s plenty of emotional cleaving going on. Based on Richard Ford’s 1990 novel, Wildlife delves into the psychological complexities of a small nuclear family trying to keep up appearances in 1960 Montana. When dad Jerry (Jake Gyllenhaal) loses his job as a golf pro for showing the audacity to think he’s on equal footing with his wealthy clients, his confidence is shaken — leaving mom Jeanette (Carrey Mulligan) and 14-year-old son Joe (newcomer Ed Oxenbould) to pick up the financial slack. Unable to bear the emasculation of seeing

his wife and son win the bread, Jerry rejects his boss’s offer to return to work and instead takes off to fight a raging forest fire, leaving Jeanette and Joe to fend for themselves. It’s a simple setup as far as such things go, but the depths it plumbs are often shockingly bleak. The thematic spine of Dano and Kazan’s narrative is Joe’s struggle to hold his family together, even as dad’s immaturity and mom’s ruthless pragmatism push them toward an inevitable schism. Joe’s ineffectuality in the face of impending crisis is heartbreakingly relatable, and Oxenboud sells his character’s internal conflict with admirable understatement. But Mulligan is the real star of the show here, and her performance is enthralling. As she considers a catastrophic moral compromise that will inexorably rend her home asunder, we’re forced into empathy with her even as we want to scream into the projector for her to think again. While many actors who step behind the camera seem incapable of giving up the spotlight, Dano bears no such egregious egotism. His composition and camera movements are tastefully restrained, taking on an impassive prescience that hauntingly follows his subjects with a cold detachment — but that goes right out the window when he hits the story’s strongest emotional beats, meaning his detachment never devolves into disengagement. Though I’ve always appreciated Dano as a slightly off-kilter actor, the strong visual acumen he displays here leaves me looking forward to his next project in the director’s chair. Now, I will say this — while I’m giving Wildlife an unequivocal recommendation, be forewarned that it is about as far from the feel-good family holiday hit of the season as a film can get. While there is a quasi-cathartic epilogue, those expecting a saccharine happy ending are thoroughly out of luck. But if you’re the type of moviegoer who prefers psychological complexity, solid character development and believable outcomes over pat platitudes, Wildlife delivers one of the most thoughtfully structured melodramas of the year. It may not be

MAX RATING particularly wild, but its depiction of life is all too painfully on point. Rated PG-13 for thematic material including a sexual situation, brief strong language and smoking. Now Playing at Grail Moviehouse. REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

Xpress reviews virtually all upcoming movies, with two or three of the most noteworthy appearing in print. You can find our online reviews at mountainx.com/movies/reviews. This week, they include: THE POSSESSION OF HANNAH GRACE HS WILDLIFE (PICK OF THE WEEK) HHHH

MOUNTAINX.COM

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

SCREEN SCENE

MOVIES

The Possession of Hannah Grace HS DIRECTOR: Diederik Van Rooijen PLAYERS: Shay Mitchell, Grey Damon, Kirby Johnson, Stana Katic, Max McNamara, Nick Thune, Louis Herthum, Jacob Ming-Trent HORROR RATED R THE STORY: When an ex-cop with PTSD takes on the night shift at the local morgue, she gets more than she bargained for in the form of a demonically possessed corpse. THE LOWDOWN: A trash exploitation film with no grace in its possession. But hey, at least it’s not a Christmas movie. When a horror movie gets dumped on theatergoing audiences in early December, it’s either too arty for October or too trashy to pull a crowd on any but the most uncontested of weekends. When that film is literally the only wide release of its opening week, you can bet it’s the latter. Such is the case with The Possession of Hannah Grace, an Exorcist-adjacent cheapie with little redeeming value and nothing of note to contribute to its overstuffed genre. As far as lowbudget horror goes, it could have been worse — but it also could’ve been a hell of a lot better. Could that statement be construed as damning by faint praise? Maybe — but only if you consider “could be worse” to be praise. Hannah Grace opens with a particularly gruesome attempt to exorcize the demon possessing its titular victim, but you probably could have guessed that because it’s right there on the poster. Where it goes from there is somewhat more obtuse, veering into something that plays like a crossover TV episode merging the thematic worlds of Law and Order: SVU and Supernatural. (Incidentally, if that’s something you’re in the market for, kindly drop me a line and explain why.) The story follows ex68

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

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cop Megan (Shay Mitchell, doing what she can with a weak script), whose PTSD in the wake of her partner’s shooting leads her to drug addiction. Once in recovery, Megan’s AA sponsor suggests she take a gig on the graveyard shift at the local morgue to “keep her out of trouble.” If the prospect of someone traumatized by a violent death being told to work with the corpses of victims of violent death sounds like terrible advice to you, well, join the club. But hey, I could get past that if the rest of the film made sense. Unfortunately, it absolutely does not. The morgue itself looks nothing like a hospital, instead favoring a concrete bunker aesthetic composed of stark walls, high ceilings and an inexplicably wet loading dock. More perplexingly, the lights in the entire place are activated by faulty motion sensors, which could maybe have been explained away by overzealous environmentalism were it not such an obvious OSHA violation. Director Diederik Van Rooijen is at least making an attempt to contribute some level of grimy visual style to his underdeveloped story, and that does score some points. But his reach exceeds his grasp, likely hamstrung by budgetary constraints — particularly in the lackluster CG augmentation of his monster’s insectile movements — leaving the sense of a vision unattained. Buried somewhere within The Possession of Hannah Grace are the bones of a film that brings something novel to the well-trod exorcism subgenre. Unfortunately, that’s not what shows up on screen. What we have instead is a movie that can’t be bothered to develop its characters to even the most rudimentary extent, much less settle on a central theme. Hannah Grace’s demon/zombie/vampire/whatever creature is so ill-conceived as to present an odd sense of genre dissonance, proving inane where it could have been innovative. No, The Possession of Hannah Grace is not a great film. But as far as cheap holiday-season horror counterprogramming goes, it’s better than nothing. I guess. Rated R for gruesome images and terror throughout. Now Playing at Carolina Cinemark, Regal Biltmore Grande. REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

by Edwin Arnaudin | earnaudin@mountainx.com

SNOWBOUND SELFIE: Yesenia Castro is featured in a still from I Am Here, a short film about the first-generation Mexican-American discovering her place in the outdoors. The title is part of the Backcountry Film Festival, which plays at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. on Dec. 6. Photo courtesy of Modoc Stories • Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., 100 Sierra Nevada Way, Mills River, hosts the Backcountry Film Festival on Thursday, Dec. 6, 7-9:30 p.m. in its High Gravity upstairs taproom and events space. Produced by the Winter Wildlands Alliance, the festival “promotes the work of filmmakers who tell compelling and entertaining stories of backcountry, human-powered recreation and environmental preservation.” Prior to the show, there will be a raffle to benefit the Asheville Ski Club Ski Team, featuring items from Astral Designs, Ski Country Sports, Pilot Cove, GoBe Campers, ENO, Cataloochee Ski Area, Asheville Ski Club and Honey Creek Pottery. Tickets to the screening are $10 in advance online and $12 the day of the event. avl.mx/5fs • On Saturday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., World Peas Animations hosts a stopmotion animation holiday event at the Burton Street Recreation Center, 134 Burton St. Participants will create a personal holiday greeting in stop-motion animation form using such items as cut paper, a whiteboard, clay and more. Art supplies, animation stands, cameras and computer editing software will be provided. Completed digital files of the films will be sent via email within one day of the class. The event is intended for people ages 8 and older. The class costs $25 for an individual and $10 for each additional family member. facebook.com/ WorldPeasAnimations

FILM BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty. org/governing/depts/ library • WE (12/12), 1-2:30pm - Documentary film screening to commemorate the WWI Centennial: The American in Paris.

Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. HENDERSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 301 N. Washington St., Hendersonville, 828-697-4725 • WE (12/5), 2-4pm - Midweek Movie Matinee: Winnie the Pooh starring Ewan

• Designed to allow viewers to use film as their window into the minds and culture of Israel, the monthly Israeli Film Series — a collaboration between Grail Moviehouse, 45 S. French Broad Ave., and the Asheville Jewish Community Center — continues Sunday, Dec. 9, at 2 p.m. with The Museum. The 2017 documentary explores the Israel Museum, following various employees and visitors who populate the Jerusalem institution. A discussion will follow the film. Tickets are $8 and available online or at the Grail box office. grailmoviehouse.com • The Cat Fly Film Fest, AVLFilm. com and The Asheville Studio, 12 Old Charlotte Highway, Suite 75, co-host their monthly Asheville Filmmaker Mixer on Monday, Dec. 10, 6-8 p.m. The holiday party celebrates the end of the year and provides an opportunity for filmmakers and media artists in the Asheville area to network. Complimentary drinks will be provided. Post-event mingling will continue next door at Highland Brewing Co. Free to attend. avl.mx/5ft • To commemorate the World War I centennial, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St., presents a screening of The American in Paris on Wednesday, Dec. 12, at 1 p.m. The documentary chronicles the American Hospital and the important role it played in Paris and France during the First World War. Free. avl.mx/5fu X

McGregor, movie screening. Free.

outdoors and ski culture. $12/$10 advance.

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. 100 Sierra Nevada Way, Mills River • TH (12/6), 7pm Backcountry Film Festival, produced by Winter Wildlands Alliance, featuring nine short films about winter, adventure, youth

THE WCU BARDO ARTS CENTER 199 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee, 828-227-2479, wcu.edu/ bardo-arts-center/ • SU 912/9), 3pm - Screening of Don Quixote by the Bolshoi Ballet. $15/$10 seniors.

MARKETPLACE STARTI NG F RI DA Y

Maria by Callas

Opera documentary from first-time director Tom Volf. According to the studio: “The first film to tell the life story of the legendary Greek/American opera singer completely in her own words. Told through performances, TV interviews, home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoirs — nearly all of which have never been shown to the public — the film reveals the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar and one of the greatest artists of all time.” Early reviews positive. (PG)

Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 x111 tnavaille@mountainx.com • mountainx.com/classifieds If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember the Russian proverb: “Doveryai, no proveryai,” trust but verify. When answering classified ads, always err on the side of caution. Especially beware of any party asking you to give them financial or identification information. The Mountain Xpress cannot be responsible for ensuring that each advertising client is legitimate. Please report scams to ads@mountainx.com REAL ESTATE

Border High-concept fantasy romantic thriller from writer/director Ali Abbasi. According to the studio: “Tina (Eva Melander) is a border guard who has the ability to smell human emotions and catch smugglers. When she comes across a mysterious man with a smell that confounds her detection, she is forced to confront hugely disturbing insights about herself and humankind.” Early reviews positive. (R)

HOMES FOR SALE

ROOMMATES

4 BED, 4.5 BATH HOME West Asheville off Patton. Hardwoods throughout. Approved for SHORT TERM RENTAL. John Hale & Company, john@johnhalenc. com, Owner/Broker. 828226-3279.

NEED A ROOMMATE? Roommates.com will help you find your Perfect Match™ today! (AAN CAN)

RENTALS CONDOS/ TOWNHOMES FOR RENT

Winter packages available! • advertise@mountainx.com

ROOMMATES

NORTH ASHEVILLE TOWNHOUSES 1 mile from Downtown Asheville. Hardwood floors, nice North Asheville neighborhood on busline. • No pets. 1BR/1BA: $745 • 2BR/1BA: $845 • 3BR/1BA: $945. Call 828-252-4334.

SENIOR MALE NEEDS ROOM Seeking Christian roommate to share expense who is ok with me content with hair and having tea-cup chihuahua. Call 707-223-1619, prophetmark.voiceofGod@ gmail.com

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL A GROWING OPPORTUNITY- FULL TIME An established Asheville based art distribution company is looking for someone to join our amazing crew. We are

seeking people who want to be recognized for working hard and treated with respect. A happy, dedicated, energetic person that embraces what makes Asheville unique. Our employees have positive attitudes, are hard working, are dedicated, detail oriented, responsible and everyone contributes to the fun atmosphere of our unique warehouse. We offer some very unique benefits that set us apart such as ; • Starting wage of $13 / Hour with 4 reviews in the first 2 years • A solid profit sharing program starting at 6 months, then increases annually until year 5 • A 401K program with 5% company match is available after 1 year • 50% Paid health care after 6 months • Full time work available • We prefer to promote from within and we have very low employee turnover • Excellent paid vacation beginning

MOUNTAINX.COM

at 1 year and increasing most years up to year 10 • Paid 30 minute lunch breaks • We are a fair wage certified company by Just Economics and we believe employees deserve fair living wages • This is an entry level job however our ideal candidate would be able to move into a another role after completing our training. At least some computer experience is required. The initial job involves pulling, preparing and packing orders for shipment while you learn our warehouse and systems. Employees must be able to lift 50 Lb boxes during the day. Please apply If you live in the area (required) and feel like you would be a good fit, send us a resume and cover letter. Tell us a little about yourself, hobbies interests etc. References from former employers and letters of recommendation are

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): When I write a horoscope for you, I focus on one or two questions because I don’t have room to cover every single aspect of your life. The theme I’ve chosen this time may seem a bit impractical, but if you take it to heart, I guarantee you it will have practical benefits. It comes from Italian author Umberto Eco. He wrote, “Perhaps the mission of those who love humanity is to make people laugh at the truth, to make truth laugh, because the only truth lies in learning to free ourselves from insane passion for the truth.” I swear to you, Aries, that if you laugh at the truth and make the truth laugh in the coming days, you will be guided to do all the right and necessary things. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You have a cosmic mandate and a poetic license to stir up far more erotic fantasies than usual. It’ll be healthy for you to unleash many new thoughts about sexual experiments that would be fun to try and novel feelings you’d like to explore and people whose naked flesh you’d be interested to experience sliding and gliding against yours. But please note that the cosmic mandate and poetic license do not necessarily extend to you acting out your fantasies. The important thing is to let your imagination run wild. That will catalyze a psychic healing you didn’t even realize you needed. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In my continuing efforts to help you want what you need and need what you want, I’ve collected four wise quotes that address your looming opportunities. 1. “What are you willing to give up, in order to become who you really need to be?” — author Elizabeth Gilbert 2. “Leave the door open for the unknown, the door into the dark. That’s where the most important things come from.” — Rebecca Solnit 3. “You enter the extraordinary by way of the ordinary.” ― Frederick Buechner 4. “Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.” ― Nathaniel Hawthorne CANCER (June 21-July 22): I’ve called on author Robert Heinlein to provide your horoscope. According to my astrological analysis, his insights are exactly what you need to focus on right now. “Do not confuse ’duty’ with what other people expect of you,” he wrote. “They are utterly different. Duty is a debt you owe to yourself to fulfill obligations you have assumed voluntarily. Paying that debt can entail anything from years of patient work to instant willingness to die. Difficult it may be, but the reward is self-respect. But there is no reward at all for doing what other people expect of you, and to do so is not merely difficult, but impossible.” LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): What does “beauty” mean to you? What sights, sounds, images, qualities, thoughts and behavior do you regard as beautiful? Whatever your answers might be to those questions right now, I suggest you expand and deepen your definitions in the coming weeks. You’re at a perfect pivot point to invite more gorgeous, lyrical grace into your life; to seek out more elegance and charm and artistry; to cultivate more alluring, delightful magic. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You know the expiration dates that appear on the labels of the prescription drugs you buy? They don’t mean that the drugs lose their potency after that date. In fact, most drugs are still quite effective for at least another 10 years. Let’s use this fact as a metaphor for a certain resource or influence in your life that you fear is used up or defunct. I’m guessing it still has a lot to offer you, although you will have to shift your thinking in order to make its reserves fully available.

DEC. 5 - 11, 2018

BY ROB BREZSNY

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran rapper Eminem is renowned for his verbal skill. It may be best exemplified in his song “Rap God,” in which he delivers 1,560 words in six minutes and four seconds, or 4.28 words per second. In one stretch, he crams in 97 words in 15 seconds, achieving a pace of 6.5 words per second. I suspect that in the coming weeks, you will also be unusually adept at using words, although your forte will be potent profundity rather than sheer speed. I encourage you to prepare by making a list of the situations where your enhanced powers of persuasion will be most useful. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In May of 1883, the newly built Brooklyn Bridge opened for traffic. Spanning the East River to link Manhattan and Brooklyn, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. But almost immediately people spread rumors that it was unstable. There was a growing fear that it might even crumble and fall. That’s when charismatic showman P. T. Barnum stepped in. He arranged to march 21 elephants across the bridge. There was no collapse, and so the rumors quickly died. I regard the coming weeks as a time when you should take inspiration from Barnum. Provide proof that will dispel gossipy doubt. Drive away superstitious fear with dramatic gestures. Demonstrate how strong and viable your improvements really are. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Robert Louis Stevenson published his gothic novel Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in 1886. It was a bestseller and quickly got turned into a theatrical production. In the ensuing 132 years, there have been well over 100 further adaptations of the story into film and stage productions. Here’s the funny thing about this influential work: Stevenson wrote it fast. It took him three feverish days to get the gist of it and just another six weeks to revise. Some biographers say he was high on drugs during the initial burst, perhaps cocaine. I suspect you could also produce some robust and interesting creation in the coming weeks, Sagittarius — and you won’t even need cocaine to fuel you. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A blogger on Tumblr named Ffsshh composed a set of guidelines that I think will be apt and useful for you to draw on in the coming weeks. Please study these suggestions and adapt them for your healing process. “Draw stick figures. Sing off-key. Write bad poems. Sew ugly clothes. Run slowly. Flirt clumsily. Play video games on ’easy.’ OK? You do not need to be good at something to enjoy it. Sometimes talent is overrated. Do things you like doing just because you like doing them. It’s OK to suck.” AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian athlete Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player who ever lived. He was also the first to become a billionaire. But when he was growing up, he didn’t foresee the glory that awaited him. For example, in high school he took a home economics class so as to acquire cooking abilities. Why? He imagined that as an adult he might have to prepare all of his own meals. His ears were so huge and ungainly, he reasoned, that no woman would want to be his wife. So the bad news was that he suffered from a delusion. The good news was that because of his delusion, he learned a useful skill. I foresee a similar progression for you, Aquarius. Something you did that was motivated by misguided or irrelevant ideas may yield positive results. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The Bible does not say that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute or even a “sinner.” There’s no mention of her sexual proclivities at all. Delusional ideas about her arose in the Middle Ages, instigated by priests who confused her with other women in the Bible. The truth is that the Bible names her as a key ally to Christ and the crucial witness to his resurrection. Fortunately, a number of scholars and church leaders have in recent years been working to correct her reputation. I invite you to be motivated and inspired by this transformation as you take steps to adjust and polish your own image during the coming weeks. It’s time to get your public and private selves into closer alignment.

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Oversee the operations of the accounting department, including the design of an organizational structure adequate for achieving the department’s goals and objectives. Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Finance and/or related field or equiv + 3 yrs exp in financial analysis including 1 yr exp using IFRS standards; 1 yr exp in multinational manufacturing industry financial reporting. Monthly travel to International Affiliate. Send resumes to System Logistics Corporation, Attn: Darcie Frohlich, 115 Vista Blvd, Arden, NC 28601. Must ref job title & code: CON-RB. VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT MANAGER Help United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County mobilize volunteers to tackle issue related to the education, health and financial stability of our community. Learn more and apply: unitedwayabc.org/employmentopportunities

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PROFESSIONAL/ MANAGEMENT CONTROLLER System Logistics Corporation has opening in Arden, North Carolina for Controller. Direct the accounting and financial reporting functions of the U.S. company and a foreign affiliate.

ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR PSYCHOLOGY A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a Part-Time position Adjunct Instructor, Psychology. For more details and to apply: https:// abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/4988 ORGANIC GROWERS SCHOOL HIRING A FARMER PROGRAMS COORDINATOR A part-time position to coordinate a multipartner project to develop a new curriculum that supports mastery of sustainable agriculture production practices for farmers in the Southern Appalachians. Send resume, references & cover letter to cameron@ organicgrowersschool.org SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER ArtSpace Charter School in Swannanoa has an immediate opening for a full-time Special Education Teacher in the Middle School. • Applicants Must have a current North Carolina teaching license in Special Education. Knowledge of arts integration and experience writing and implementing Individualized Education Plans preferred. • Please send resumes and cover letters to: resumes@ with artspacecharter.org the subject heading “EC Teacher.” Position open until filled.

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42 Prize on “The Bachelor” 44 Wooden rod 46 Story of a lifetime, for short? 47 Public ruckus 49 P, for Plato 50 Like the ocean 51 Groups that typically meet weekly for lunch 54 Drug also called angel dust 56 Language spoken by Jesus 57 Lincoln or Ford 60 Visa alternative 62 Discovering the word at 67-Across, for this puzzle 63 Place underground 64 Pay (up) 65 Baltic capital 66 Animated film of 1998 67 Resting place hinted at by 28-, 5-, 45-, 9and 31-Down, in that order 68 Oodles

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edited by Will Shortz

3 Battler of Hector in the “Iliad” 4 Lose carbonation 5 “Do you still like me?” 6 Comes together 7 N.Y.C.’s Park or Fifth 8 Destroyed, as an armada 9 Walkway option in lieu of paving 10 ___ l’oeil (illusion) 11 Rival of Cassio, in Shakespeare 12 Truckload at a garbage dump 13 Get out of Dodge 21 Tip off 23 Material for Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki 26 Becomes imminent 27 Worker in a trauma ward, for short 28 Image on an ancient mariner’s map 29 Symbol of depravity 30 Security device, informally 31 Serving at a 4:00 social 32 Pixielike 33 Jingle, e.g. 43 “Music for Airports” musician

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52 It is “either plagiarism or revolution,” per Paul Gauguin 53 Be horizontal 54 ___ John 55 “You’re pulling my leg!”

58 Hit 2012 movie whose plot involves a plan to make a movie 59 House leader after Boehner 61 ___ Affair 63 Playtex product

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