Mountain Xpress 04.09.25

FEATURES

MAKING IT BETTER

In the months since Tropical Storm Helene, Western North Carolina artists have leveraged their creativity to both interpret and heal from the disaster, producing works such as this week’s cover photo. In turn, Helene-inspired artwork is helping the local community collectively process storm-related grief and pain. Featured on the cover is model Erin Trixi Fitzgerald inside the flood-gutted Marquee building in the River Arts District.

PUBLISHER & EDITOR: Jeff Fobes

ASSISTANT PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson

MANAGING EDITOR: Thomas Calder

EDITORS: Lisa Allen, Gina Smith

OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose

STAFF REPORTERS: Lisa Allen, Thomas Calder, Brionna Dallara, Justin McGuire, Greg Parlier, Brooke Randle, Gina Smith

COMMUNITY CALENDAR & CLUBLAND: Braulio Pescador-Martinez

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Jon Elliston, Mindi Meltz Friedwald, Peter Gregutt, Rob Mikulak

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Christopher Arbor, Edwin Arnaudin, Mark Barrett, Eric Brown, Carmela Caruso, Cayla Clark, Tessa Fontaine, Mindi Meltz Friedwald, Troy Jackson, Carol Kaufman, Bill Kopp, Chloe Leiberman, Jessica Wakeman, Kay West, Clark Wilson, Jamie Zane

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Caleb Johnson

ADVERTISING, ART & DESIGN MANAGER: Susan Hutchinson

LEAD DESIGNER: Scott Southwick

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Tina Gaafary, Caleb Johnson, Olivia Urban

MARKETING ASSOCIATES: Emily Baughman, Sara Brecht

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES: Hinton Edgerton, Jeff Fobes, Mark Murphy, Scott Southwick

WEB: Brandon Tilley

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ADMINISTRATION & BILLING: Hinton Edgerton, Lisa Watters

DISTRIBUTION: Susan Hutchinson, Kyle Ramser

try our easy online calendar at MOUNTAINX.COM/EVENTS

and ideas to FOOD@MOUNTAINX.COM

DISTRIBUTION DRIVERS: Cass Kunst, Henry Mitchell, Courtney Israel Nash, Joey Nash, Carl & Debbie Schweiger, Gary Selnick, Noah Tanner, Mark Woodyard

Trust UNCA to make good use of urban forest

It appears from the letters to the editor in the Mountain Xpress that most of the writers support maintaining the urban forest on land owned by UNC Asheville. I take the opposite position. As a graduate of the workforce, I moved to Asheville to enjoy time in the mountains hiking and kayaking. I retired after over three decades as a university educator at a public university in my state.

UNCA is cash poor and land rich. Currently, UNCA is at a critical level in the evolution of its curricular offerings and in the number of students attending the university. This spring semester, there are less than 3,000 students that are degree-seeking. Compare this number to Western Carolina University with over 11,000 students and Appalachian State University with over 20,000 students.

UNCA’s endowment is $70 million. Western Carolina has an endowment of $130 million, and Appalachian State has an endowment of over $190 million. The smaller an institution is in higher education, the more difficult it is to offer a wide array of curricular opportunities for students and to expand its program offerings. UNCA has been running a deficit.

It has cut both academic programs and people.

At the same time, despite there being a surplus in the state treasury, the North Carolina legislature has been less than friendly in supporting the needs of our public universities. Currently, the Trump administration is making major cuts of federal

UNCA needs to generate a significant positive cash flow so that it can expand its program offerings, maintain its physical facilities and instructional equipment, supplement student tuition and fees, and create a salary schedule that recruits and

SUSTAINING COMMUNITY

Great outdoors

Pisgah Project Day is just around the corner

Marielle DeJong is the donor engagement officer for The Pisgah Conservancy, a nonprofit that works in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to provide key resources for the benefit of Pisgah and its visitors.

Xpress: What remains the top priority and most urgent needs for The Pisgah Conservancy amid the post-Helene recovery?

DeJong: Supporting safe opportunities to hike, bike, fish, climb, picnic and otherwise enjoy Pisgah National Forest remains our top priority. We see the forest as critical to both economic recovery and quality of life for Western North Carolinians. The Pisgah Conservancy field crews are working with the Forest Service to repair storm-damaged trails, restore streambanks and mitigate invasive species. The forest needs capacity for care. We are committed to building that capacity to meet Pisgah’s greatest needs — right now, and always — and do the work that benefits forest visitors, users and the environment. What can individuals outside of your organization do to help address these needs?

The Pisgah Conservancy is a bit like a friends group, and there are lots of ways to be a friend. Sign up for Pisgah Project Day on Saturday, April 26. This is the largest single volunteer day in the Pisgah Ranger District and brings together all kinds of people and partners. You can also get a Pisgah Conservancy license plate or set up a monthly donation to drive year-round improvements in the forest. Everything helps!

How are you personally coping with and sustaining yourself during the ongoing recovery process?

BE A PAL: “The Pisgah Conservancy is a bit like a friends group, and there are lots of ways to be a friend,” says Marielle DeJong, donor engagement officer for The Pisgah Conservancy. Photo courtesy of The Pisgah Conservancy

I did not experience devastating personal losses when Helene hit, so I find that routinely asking myself “What do I have to give?” is the most important way to participate in the recovery. And I think continuing to answer this question — both in response to the storm, and just generally — will make for a more hopeful future. X

retains the best faculty and staff. To accomplish this, UNCA needs to find creative ways to generate an income flow from its land holdings to supplement its other sources of income.

Asheville and the surrounding area need UNCA to be a vibrant institution that has a synergetic impact on our community. Asheville and the surrounding area do not need a UNCA that has to continually make cuts that create institutional and academic anemia in order to balance the books.

For many reasons, these are difficult times in higher education. This is not the time to have a not-inmy-backyard mentality. This is not the time to slay the goose that can produce golden eggs. The intentions of the UNCA administration to utilize the resources of the urban forest to strengthen the university are based on both necessity and good intentions. They know what they are doing. They know why they are doing it. They should be trusted.

— Richard Boyum Candler

UNCA should pivot on urban forest

We signed a petition on Action Network advising UNC Asheville Chancellor Kimberly van Noort and UNC Asheville’s board of trustees to protect UNCA’s urban forest. In case van Noort has not yet witnessed the millions of trees down from the storm, this is an invitation. Take an afternoon and drive through surrounding counties. When you see firsthand the endless, gut-wrenching sights of downed trees at every bend in the road, you, too, will understand what is at stake by ignoring a community that cares about the elimination of additional trees.

If anything positive comes out of the wreckage of Sept. 27, 2024, it will start with folks saying no to more development that ignores this precious ecosystem we call home. It is time to pivot with nature in mind.

— Tricia Collins Burnsville

Be prepared for hazards of planting bamboo

Regarding Chloe Lieberman’s response to someone interested in planting bamboo [“Riot of Color, Courtesy of Spring,” March 26, Xpress], I like to say gardening is a lot like cooking. Everybody puts different things into it, but the results are not always good. As a landscape garden designer/contractor for 45 years, I have reined in bamboo way too much.

I stare out my window at a large stand of timber bamboo that takes a huge amount of my time to keep it from encroaching on my neighbor’s house, shading and choking out the trees. It falls over when it gets heavy with snow and blocks the road and pulls up the asphalt on our private road. The dead canes need to be culled out, and I could go on and on about the horrors.

Clumping or running bamboo is a hazard, and it gets out of control, especially if you ignore it — unless you are in the bamboo-growing business, and I have seen some great bamboo farms that grow it for commercial use. For erosion control, there are so many native plants that do a much better job that are pollinators, that sustain our local wildlife.

Bamboo running or clumping will grow over and under physical barriers. I don’t care how deep you place a barrier. My employees and I have spent hours trying to contain clients’ existing bamboo.

Don’t do it unless you have the time and the energy or are feeding pandas. I love bamboo, and one of my favorite Japanese gardeners and I would talk about all of the types of bamboo and how one species in the late ’70s went to seed all over the world at the same time and died out. Put it in a large container, root prune it periodically and create a

screen that way. Save yourself hours of grief.

—

Sharon Sumrall Former Urban Forestry Commission member Asheville

Bamboo is not a good idea for WNC

Your article by Chloe Lieberman promotes planting bamboo in Buncombe County and adjoining counties [“Riot of Color, Courtesy of Spring,” March 26, Xpress]. It is nonnative and invasive. She sings its praises. It does not belong in Western North Carolina, and it will outcompete native plants. It invades your neighbor’s property. You cannot get rid of it once you have planted it. This is a big mistake, and it should not be lauded in your newspaper. There are native solutions such as northern sea oats, hemlock trees, etc., that can solve the problems she lists. Bamboo is not a good idea, and I hope you will print a correction to this.

— Cathy Walsh Certified Blue Ridge Naturalist Asheville

Editor’s note: In response to this and the other letter in this issue about the March 26 gardening column, Lieberman replies: “Wow, people have strong feelings about bamboo! I appre-

ciate the input and concerns from readers. Here are a few clarifications. I was hoping to share management strategies to help those who already have bamboo in their yards care for it responsibly and also to help folks considering planting bamboo to be realistic about what it takes to manage.

“It is true that bamboo is not a native plant, and if allowed to spread, running bamboo can get out of control, take over your and your neighbors’ yards, and potentially outcompete native species. Also, yes, of course, there are many wonderful native species that work for privacy hedges and erosion control. If the management strategies that I mentioned are beyond what you can keep up with long term, it’s better to plant a clumping variety or choose another kind of plant for your privacy screen or hedge.” X

Word of the week scaramouch (n.)

1. a stock character in the Italian commedia dell’arte that burlesques the Spanish don and is characterized by boastfulness and cowardliness; 2. a cowardly buffoon

In no way are we suggesting the local clown featured on this week’s cover is a scaramouch. The visual simply called to mind this colorful word. X

Solar funding flareup

EPA freezes money for WNC clean energy projects

BY GREG PARLIER

gparlier@mountainx.com

Bryson City Methodist Church signed its loan papers just in time. The small Western North Carolina congregation is getting $50,000 worth of solar panels installed this month, thanks in part to a low-interest loan from Mountain BizWorks funded by the federal Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

Three days after the church secured its funding, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) froze $20 billion in climate and clean energy grants, putting energy efficiency and resiliency projects in limbo across the country.

What happens to that money is now up to the courts after a federal judge temporarily blocked the EPA’s attempt to claw back $14 billion of money awarded in 2024 by the Biden administration’s EPA.

“Everybody was pretty cognizant that this could happen, so that’s why we wanted to move as fast as we could, raising the money and then getting the loan,” says Catherine Gantt, church council president at Bryson City Methodist. They moved just fast enough.

The church signed papers to borrow about $38,000 from Mountain BizWorks on Feb. 14, says Al Painter, chairman of the church’s board of trustees. The rest came from fundraising. On Feb. 17, the FBI sent a letter to CitiBank, which holds the funds for the federal government, ordering it to freeze the accounts of 28 organizations, including Mountain BizCapital, Mountain BizWorks’ legal name.

The FBI letter alleged that the listed organizations were involved in “conspiracy to defraud the United States” and “wire fraud.” Recipients of the funds dispute those allegations and say the freeze stalls well-vetted projects that will help local organizations save energy and improve resiliency, especially after Tropical Storm Helene knocked out power for weeks in some places.

awardees, according to The New York Times. Chutkan ruled that the EPA had not offered “credible evidence” in support of its efforts to block the grants, nor had it followed proper procedures in canceling them, according to The New York Times.

Mountain BizWorks declined to comment for this story but verified that its funds were frozen, affecting the Electrify Fund.

BUILDING RESILIENCE

In another instance, the N.C. Clean Energy Fund, a nonprofit clean energy lender based in Durham, had about $51 million worth of projects that it intended to finance using funds now frozen by the EPA.

The frozen funds come from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which authorized the EPA to create the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a $27 billion investment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in communities across the country by mobilizing private capital, particularly in low-income and disadvantaged communities. Of that, $20 billion could leverage 12 times that amount using specialized “green bank” financing, according to multinational business consulting firm McKinsey & Co.

All $20 billion was committed to various community financiers in 2024.

N.C. Clean Energy Fund’s planned projects include providing solar loans for individuals, a solar project serving a municipal water treatment plant, capital for energy efficiency services companies to expand and energy efficiency improvements for a small rural college, says co-director Melissa Malkin-Weber. The projects are for communities across the state, including in WNC.

The nonprofit also hopes to finance microgrid and solar battery and storage projects at community hubs that would help WNC become more resilient after a natural disaster, says Asheville-based Michelle Myers, program manager for the clean energy fund.

While there is already some state funding available to increase resiliency at first-responder hubs like fire stations, Myers’ group hopes to fund energy resilience measures at “second-responder” stations.

Denise Cheung, senior prosecutor and head of the criminal division in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, resigned Feb. 18 and issued a letter saying Trump administration officials pressured her to launch a criminal investigation without sufficient evidence, according to Politico. Interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin demanded her resignation after she refused to order the bank to freeze the funds, she said in a letter obtained by Politico.

One recipient of the funds, Climate United, sued CitiBank and the EPA on March 8 over the funds promised to them. On March 19, U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan issued a restraining order, blocking the EPA from taking the money back from CitiBank, but she didn’t require the bank to release the funds to the

According to Mountain BizWorks’ website, the fund, which was formed in February to manage the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund money, is available for solar energy and storage projects, energy-efficient buildings, electric vehicles and equipment and capital for clean energy businesses.

“Through providing very affordable and patient financing, the Electrify Fund will help more clean energy projects become cost-effective from day one. We are encouraged this will be a timely regional recovery resource as well, as so many of our rebuilding needs will include energy efficiency and energy resilience improvements,” Matt Raker, Mountain BizWorks executive director, wrote in a release posted Feb. 26 announcing the fund.

“It’s not the firehouse, but it’s the place people went [immediately after Tropical Storm Helene] — like I went to Westwood Baptist Church to get water — that could have been a place where we could have had phones plugged in or been able to contact loved ones had we had better infrastructure in place.”

That’s where the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund could come in.

“The landscape and the opportunity to really make significant improvements in Western North Carolina to build our resiliency, to build storage and battery projects where we know we’re going to need them, is there. The green bank could be a partner if we had the capital to do so,” Myers says.

Yet another entity, the Green Bank for Rural America, a subsidiary

of Appalachian Community Capital (ACC), formed in 2024 to distribute $500,000 it was awarded from the now imperiled fund. The Green Bank, one of eight recipients of the collective $20 billion, has received $300,000 in requests from community lenders for climate-related projects, including Mountain BizWorks, Green Bank acting communications director Emma Pepper tells Xpress in an email.

“A significant portion of these funding requests came from lenders working to rebuild infrastructure, businesses and local economies in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact in 2024,” says Donna Gambrell, president and CEO of Appalachian Community Capital, and Daniel Wallace, president and CEO of Green Bank, in a joint statement about the freeze.

“We disagree with the EPA’s move to terminate this grant,” they write.

’NOTHING TO FIND’

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, an appointee of President Donald Trump, on Feb. 13 demanded that the funds be returned to the U.S. Treasury “for proper oversight.”

Zeldin claims the programs were “rushed” and are rife with waste and fraud.

Malkin-Weber disagrees.

“This is not money that got rushed out the door,” she says. “Everybody knew that a public investment like this had to be very robust, it had to follow all the guidelines because it’s such a big investment.”

The EPA’s own website details a process that began with a request for information from stakeholders’ issues in October 2022. There were multiple steps, including expert review and

SUSTAINING COMMUNITY

Reasons for hope

Finding ways to stay motivated amid climate emergencies

Olivia Williams is co-chair of the Student Environmental Center at UNC Asheville.

Xpress: What environmental or sustainability efforts on your campus are you most proud of?

Williams: I work at the Student Environmental Center (SEC) at UNCA, and I am most proud of the work that my peers and I do there. The SEC is a student-funded and student-led organization, and we do many things such as distributing green grants to other organizations at UNCA for sustainable projects, educating students and staff through activities, holding a monthly “free store” for students to take secondhand items donated by other students, maintaining three on-campus gardens to promote sustainable agriculture and donate our produce and more.

As an activist, how do you keep yourself motivated amid challenges to environmental progress?

POSITIVE VIBES: To stay positive, UNC Asheville student Olivia Williams says she reminds herself of “all of the intellectual, strong and determined students that surround me in my environmental science classes at school.”

I will admit that sometimes it is hard for me to stay motivated when thinking of the challenges to environmental progress; however, to think more positively I often remind myself of all of the intellectual, strong and determined students that surround me in my environmental science classes at school, and it gives me hope that my generation is capable of making a positive difference on the environmental state of the world.

Photo courtesy of Williams

What’s one thing you would like to see Xpress readers do to promote sustainability in WNC in the coming year?

One of the important things that anyone can do to promote sustainability is to minimize overconsumption, which will in turn reduce waste. The easiest way to minimize consumption is to be more thoughtful about what you are buying — think about if you really need it before buying it and consider trying to find a more sustainable alternative such as shopping secondhand. X

Celebrating 16 years of sustainability in WNC!

public listening sessions before the application window opened in the summer of 2023, launching a “rigorous, multistage review and selection process,” according to the EPA’s background on the fund. The fund was fully obligated to awardees in August 2024.

In order to claw back funds that were already awarded, the EPA would have to prove there was “waste, fraud or abuse” in the program, which it did not sufficiently do, according to Judge Chutkan.

In addition to giving “no legal justification” for canceling the contracts, she wrote in her restraining order that the administration had only “vaguely” outlined its allegations that the grant program was marked by waste and potential conflicts of interest, as reported by Politico.

The N.C. Clean Energy Fund is operating as if the funds are just temporarily restrained and will become fully available soon.

“I’m confident that there isn’t any evidence of waste, fraud and abuse,” Malkin-Weber says. “Once the dust settles and those funds are unfrozen, then we have projects that we can start implementing very quickly.”

’WE’RE VERY EXCITED’

In WNC, work on the project at the Bryson City United Methodist Church has begun.

“One of the things in our faith is that we’re supposed to be taking care of the Earth, not hurting it,” Gantt notes.

A church committee exploring ways to make the property “more responsive to being a good steward of the Earth” came up with the idea for solar panels and contacted Sugar Hollow Solar.

While Gantt says the church probably would have found other funding for the project if they didn’t close the deal before the EPA froze the funds, it would have cost the church more and taken longer to pay off, thus delaying the financial benefits of installing the solar panels.

Gantt says she feels bad for any projects that might not get funded now because of the freeze.

“We’re very committed to the project,” she says. “For the benefits for the Earth, for looking out for our great grandchildren, where they don’t have to worry as much about energy costs in the future; that’s all really important to us.” X

‘New and unwelcome’ territory

Asheville’s jobless rate is highest in the state

BY JANE WINIK SARTWELL

A CAROLINA PUBLIC PRESS REPORT

Six months later and still out of a job. That’s the reality for nearly 13,000 Asheville residents half a year after Tropical Storm Helene struck Western North Carolina.

In the wake of the historic storm, hundreds of businesses closed. The region’s multibillion dollar tourism sector took a devastating hit. Thousands of people were severed from their jobs. Many have not returned to the workforce.

Asheville, a city of roughly 95,000 people, typically boasts the lowest unemployment rate of North Carolina’s municipalities.

But not now. Not after Helene.

As of January, the most recent figures available, Asheville had a 6% unemployment rate — the state’s highest — according to the N.C. Department of Commerce.

Clark Duncan, director of the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, calls the ranking a “new and unwelcome accolade.”

HELP WANTED IN ASHEVILLE

Rocky Mount and Fayetteville, each hovering around 5% unemployment, are giving Asheville a run for its money.

The capital city of Raleigh is home to North Carolina’s lowest jobless rate at 3.2%.

And statewide, that number is a respectable 4%.

But Asheville’s high rate of unemployment doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t jobs in the region, according to one expert.

“Buncombe County certainly does not have a jobs problem,” said Andrew Berger-Gross , a senior economist for the N.C. Department of Commerce. “What they have is an unemployment problem. We see employers hiring, but there is a large contingent of workers who have not returned to work.”

First, there is what economists call a “matching problem,” meaning the jobs that need to be filled do not match the skills and interests of the unemployed.

There are 20,000 job openings in the region, according to Nathan Ramsey, director of the Mountain

Area Workforce Development Board.

Sectors like health care and manufacturing are on track for normal hiring numbers. Plus, Helene actually created jobs in certain industries, such as construction and debris removal.

“You may be the best bartender in the world, the best server, the best cook — but does that mean you want to drive an 18-wheeler up mountain

roads?” Ramsey asked. “Does that mean you can do — or want to do — construction? Probably not.”

Second, just because someone needs a job doesn’t mean that person is ready or able to get one.

“It is safe to assume that a lot of those unemployed workers might be facing barriers to reemployment — like losing your home or losing

your car,” Berger-Gross explained. “Frankly, some people might still be struggling with the emotional trauma of the hurricane’s destruction.

“A lot of these people may need help putting their lives back together before they are ready to return to the workforce.”

Though unemployment rates rose in Asheville and Buncombe County in winter months, the number of open positions in the region is a positive sign for an economic rebound, as are increased retail sales and hotel occupancy.

But there are concerns that the state’s disaster unemployment program might not be working as it should.

“I get a lot of emails from folks who are kind of struggling with getting unemployment assistance,” state Sen. Julie Mayfield, D-Buncombe, told Carolina Public Press. “Either they’ve applied for it and they haven’t gotten it, or they’ve been turned down because they’re back at work a little bit, but not full time.”

Mayfield is hopeful that tourists will arrive to watch wildflowers bloom across the Appalachians this

SUSTAINING COMMUNITY

Take action

Local student offers simple ways to make a difference

Senior Kathryn Wolfe is co-president of the A.C. Reynolds High School Environmental Club.

Xpress: What is one goal the Environmental Club met this year that you are most proud of and why?

Wolfe: The goal I’m most proud of the Environmental Club achieving this year is the huge increase in participation we’ve had, as well as the dynamic we’ve fostered within the club. There are now about 20 members, and we’re all always working together and collaborating. We’ve also started more projects around the school, like bake sales and recycling programs, that have increased recognition for our club.

What does your generation understand about the environment that older generations might be overlooking?

I think older generations often overlook the significance small changes can have on our environmental impact. Lifestyle changes as simple as recycling and taking shorter showers add up quickly, and it’s important for everyone to do their part. Do research when you have questions and take action when you want to see a change.

SUPPORT LOCAL: “Buy local groceries when you can and research where your food comes from,” says Kathryn Wolfe, co-president of the A.C. Reynolds High School Environmental Club. Photo courtesy of Wolfe

What is one thing you would like to see Xpress readers do to promote sustainability in WNC in the coming year? Buy local groceries when you can and research where your food comes from. Learning how the food in your fridge was processed, packaged and transported helps us understand the impacts of the food production industry. X

spring. But wildfires across Western North Carolina may jeopardize those plans.

SMOKE SIGNALS

Closed trails and roads, mandatory evacuations and poor air quality have scared off springtime tourists and kept locals from their typical routines.

Adventure tourism businesses in the area aren’t operating, putting tour guides and other personnel out of work, said Brevard Mayor Maureen Copelof . Evacuation orders in her county were lifted early last week, but Brevard’s annual bike race — Assault on the Carolinas — was canceled due to the fires.

While most economic indicators in Western North Carolina have been trending positive, an additional natural disaster, such as these fires, threatens to stall recovery before the region can fully rebound.

There is an emotional impact of the wildfires as well. The din of helicopters above the mountains is a painful reminder of the panic and trauma of Helene. Plus, the downed trees and mangled forest floors from the storm make the blazes worse.

“Some people were really triggered by the fact that there was another threat to their home and their health on the six-month anniversary of Helene,” said Leah Matthews , a UNC Asheville economics professor. “You have people thinking, ‘I’m just starting to rebuild this house and now I need to evacuate again.’”

In the wake of wildfire and flood, economic recovery in the mountains will require patience and a willingness to adapt. The community is wrestling with fundamental questions about its identity and future.

“The elephant in the room is that the region suffered a historic tragedy, and you can’t push rewind on the VCR of life,” Berger-Gross said. “You can’t go back to a time before the disaster hit — that is why it is a tragedy. All of us are trying to move to a better future for Asheville and for Western North Carolina more broadly. But will things be exactly like they were before the hurricane? No, they can’t be.”

This article first appeared on Carolina Public Press and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. X

Rolling it back

BY KATIE MYERS A BLUE RIDGE PUBLIC RADIO REPORT

news@bpr.org

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between BPR and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is no longer enforcing certain rules around rebuilding in floodplains as a Trump administration decision rolls some federal funding criteria back to pre-Obama standards.

The change is expected to impact large infrastructure construction and publicly funded building projects — like schools — after a natural disaster. It eases regulations around construction elevation for facilities like water systems, federally funded housing and other public works projects.

Many layers of local, state, and federal requirements still apply under FEMA programs that help homeowners and businesses rebuild via loans or grants.

A press release from FEMA, issued in late March, says the move will speed up the pace of recovery from storms and disasters like Tropical Storm Helene.

“Stopping implementation will reduce the total timeline to rebuild in disaster-impacted communities and eliminate additional costs previously required to adhere to these strict requirements,” according to FEMA.

The floodplain rules come from the federal Flood Risk Management Standard, which President Donald Trump rescinded by executive order on Jan. 20. Funding criteria under prior rules required federal agencies to evaluate weather patterns and analyze whether 500- and 100-year floodplains could shift, due to climate change — and to consider that before committing taxpayer money toward rebuilding.

Chad Berginnis, the head of the Association of State Floodplain Managers, said rebuilding to the 100year floodplain level was the norm before Obama-era changes. The rules Trump’s administration has rolled back will no longer require federally funded projects to be rebuilt 2 feet above floodplain elevation. It also strikes a requirement that critical facilities like fire stations or hospitals be built 3 feet above the floodplain elevation level.

The standard, Berginnis said, was intended to ensure expensive rebuilding projects — funded by taxpayers — don’t get destroyed when the next flood hits.

“Why on Earth would the federal government want it to be rebuilt to a lower

FEMA eases major floodplain construction rules; Helene rebuilding plan impacts unclear

standard and waste our money so that when the flood hits if it gets destroyed again, we’re spending yet more money to rebuild it,” Berginnis said.

Last fall, federal climate scientists found that extreme and dangerous rainfall events like Helene are made more likely by climate change and will be as much as 15% to 25% more likely if the world warms by 2 degrees Celsius, which it is projected to do if we continue burning fossil fuels. With more extreme rainfall come challenges for infrastructure that was designed for a less extreme climate.

“You’re going to have storm sewers overwhelmed. You’re going to have basins that were designed to hold a certain kind of flood that don’t do it anymore, like retention ponds,” Berginnis said. “You’re going to have bridges that no longer can pass through that water like it used to. You have all of this infrastructure that’s designed for an older event.”

Josh Harrold, the town manager of Black Mountain, told Blue Ridge Public Radio the old climate consideration rules weren’t an onerous part of rebuilding projects.

“We know this is going to happen again,” Harrold said. “The scale of that is up in the air. No one knows what that’s going to be like, but we are, you know, taking the approach

of, we just don’t want to build it back exactly like it was. We want to build it back differently.”

Harrold and other local and state officials contacted by BPR said they don’t yet know how the Trump order will impact their projects.

This comes as some municipalities are adopting and refining stricter floodplain rebuilding rules. The City of Asheville in January adopted city ordinance amendments to comply with the National Flood Insurance Program’s rebuilding requirements, and it is unclear how this change

will affect that process. The City of Asheville did not respond to a request for comment.

Berginnis said communities may not see immediate results from this change, but the effects will be felt in the future if leaders bypass additional flood protection in their rebuilding process.

“Everything that gets rebuilt using federal funds will be less safe when the next flood comes,” Berginnis said. “And even though in Western Carolina, it has been a long time since you’ve had a big flood, it doesn’t mean that it can’t happen next month or next year.” X

Hands Off

Thousands convene for Nationwide Day of Action

Thousands gathered at Pack Square Park as part of the April 5 Hands Off Nationwide Day of Action. According to reports, an estimated 1,400 similar protests took place across the country that day. The Asheville event was sponsored by local groups Good Trouble WNC, Indivisible Asheville/WNC and the NC Poor People’s Campaign.

The two-hour rally featured nearly a dozen speakers, addressing issues on health care, climate, veterans’ rights, Social Security, Medicaid, education and the impact of federal cuts on local organizations and institutions. Along with speakers, the gathering featured performances by Womansong of Asheville and the Asheville Gay Men’s Chorus.

—

Thomas Calder X POWER TO THE PEOPLE: Veteran Jay Carey spoke at the April 5 Hands Off events in Asheville at Pack Square Park. Carey is the founder of Resist & Persist, a nonpartisan veteran advocacy organization dedicated to empowering veterans and their families. At the conclusion of his speech, he and the crowd chanted, “Power to the people.”

Photo by Thomas Calder

Xpress Lane

Snow day policies anything but blanket

BY GREG PARLIER

Welcome to “Xpress Lane,” a new feature offering answers to community questions. If there is a local issue you’re concerned about, shoot us at email at news@mountainx.com and we’ll see what we can find out. Your subject line should read, “Xpress Lane.”

WHAT’S UP WITH NONSNOW SNOW DAYS?

Recently, Xpress has received a lot of complaints that Buncombe County’s two school districts added too many remote learning days due to wintry conditions. Xpress reached out to both school districts to get details.

While the two districts don’t always make the same decision to close, they work together to determine the safety of the roads around the county, says

Kim Dechant, chief of staff at Asheville City Schools (ACS). The decision boils down to safe bus travel. Jeremy Stowe, transportation director for Buncombe County Schools (BCS), manages a fleet of 205 buses transporting 11,000 students across 15,000 miles every day. He responded to Xpress’ questions through BCS spokesperson Ken Ulmer.

How do you decide to close schools or switch to a remote learning day during winter weather?

“Buncombe County Schools prioritizes student and staff safety when making weather-related decisions. On mornings when inclement weather is in the forecast, a team of 13 district transportation staff and mechanics conduct early morning road assessments across all attendance districts. This process begins between 3:30 and 4 a.m. to ensure a decision is made by 5:15 a.m., when the first buses begin their routes.

Our assessments include visual inspections of major roads, tempera-

Accepting New Patients

ture readings of roads and bridges, hourly monitoring of National Weather Service updates and information from the Buncombe County Sheriff”s Office, N.C Highway Patrol, N.C. Department of Transportation and other school districts nearby.“

Why must the entire district close when only the farthest reaches of the county might have icy roads?

“BCS understands that some areas of the county may have clearer roads while others face hazardous conditions. However, several factors make a districtwide approach necessary in many cases:

• Interconnected bus routes: While elementary schools serve specific neighborhoods, our high school bus routes weave in and out of multiple attendance districts. A high school bus in a ”warmer“ area may still need to pick up students in an icy, mountainous area. This creates logistical challenges and potential safety risks.

• Teenage drivers: BCS has approximately 2,000 teenage drivers commuting to school each day. Many of these students travel from higher elevations or areas prone to ice. Allowing some schools to remain open while others close could put inexperienced drivers in dangerous conditions.

• Staff travel: Teachers, staff and administrators do not necessarily live in the same district where they work. A teacher at a school in a lower-elevation area may live in a

part of the county with hazardous roads, making it difficult or unsafe for them to report to work. BCS has six attendance districts: T.C. Roberson, Erwin, Reynolds, North Buncombe, Owen and Enka. When possible, we limit closures to only the affected districts to minimize disruptions while keeping students safe. For example, on Feb. 17, only the Erwin and North Buncombe districts were closed due to snow-covered roads while the rest of the county remained open. However, in some cases unsafe conditions are present countywide, leading to a districtwide closure or a remote learning day.”

‘ASYNCHRONOUS’ LEARNING

The districts declare “asynchronous remote learning days,” on which students complete assignments or handouts on their own, as opposed to being instructed by a teacher in real time. Those days have been the subject of parents’ ire this year. In a recent ACS survey of more than 400 parents, teachers and staff, respondents largely said they would prefer having their student’s teacher work with them via remote video software rather than just assigning homework, Dechant says. The district is taking that into consideration for next year, she notes.

State law requires districts to have at least 185 instructional days between the Monday closest to Aug. 26 and the Friday closest to June 11. That makes it difficult for districts to add in-person days to the end of the year, Dechant says. X

Future wildfires likely to be more severe, county warns

Just days after wildfires were finally tamped down across Western North Carolina, emergency preparedness experts are urging residents to prepare for the possibility of future blazes.

During the April 1 briefing, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners heard an update regarding the county’s wildfire preparedness and the risk posed by debris left by Tropical Storm Helene.

Ryan Cole, Buncombe County Emergency Management assistant director, explained during the meeting that wildfire season in Western North Carolina typically runs from March through May and October through December. Low humidity and increased winds create conditions favorable for fires.

Tens of thousands of trees were knocked down across Buncombe County during Helene, Cole said, with an estimated 17% of the forest within the county left damaged. While some fallen trees left by Helene are not dried out enough to be considered a fire hazard, the accumulation of debris over the next several years will increase the likelihood of more intense fire seasons.

“The Helene debris that’s on the ground burning now is hardwood predominantly, and so when we look at hardwoods [like] oak and hickory, it’s going to take years for that to get to a point where it’s dried out enough for it to burn in that solid state,” Cole explained. “Poplars and pines, you’re looking at about a five- to 10-year degradation on those, where hickory and oak, you’re looking at 10- to 20-year degradation. So we’ve got a problem for the next 20 years that we’re going to be faced with.”

However, Helene-related debris is making it more difficult for firefighters and emergency workers to reach and extinguish fires. Residents are encouraged to create buffers around their homes by removing ignitable material, cleaning out gutters and planting fire-resistant vegetation near decks and buildings.

“If a firetruck can’t get up your driveway, if the debris or the mountains are all around your house, then we don’t have a defensible space,” he said. “That creates an issue.”

Both Cole and Dane Pedersen, county solid waste director, said residents should use the county’s Private and Commercial Business Property Debris Removal Program to remove hazardous limbs, trees or other mixed debris caused by Helene.

“Please sign up for [the program],” said Pederson. “If you have storm-related debris, all that’s going to do, especially on your parcel, is make access a challenge for our emergency people to get to, but also create additional fuel.”

Debris found on vacant lots, unimproved properties or in unmaintained areas of personal or commercial businesses are not eligible under the program. The deadline to sign up for the program is Tuesday, April 15. For more information, visit avl.mx/ep1.

Update on home repair assistance program

Commissioners also voted 7-0 for additional funding for Helenerelated emergency home repairs

The Affordable Housing Services Emergency Repair Program had offered residents up to $25,000, which is secured by a lien, for home repairs such as repairing or replacing HVAC systems, accessibility features or roof repair. Commissioners boosted that to $50,000 and updated lien requirements in an effort to help the large number of homes impacted by Helene.

Editor’s note: This story was supported by the Fund for Investigative Reporting and Editing

—

Brooke Randle  X

Buncombe school leaders express concerns over future Title I funding

As President Donald Trump pushes for the closure of the U.S. Department of Education, local educators and officials are trying to calculate how the move could impact next year’s Buncombe County Schools (BCS) budget.

At a meeting March 3, BCS Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Reed gave the Buncombe County Board of Education a rundown of how the biggest pot of federal money it receives — Title I funding — is vital to the district’s mission of educating every student.

“We don’t know exactly how much funding that we’re going to receive, and with so much of our funding being directed toward personnel costs … we are very hopeful that we’ll receive the same level of funding or more,” she told the board.

The typically dependable federal funding is in doubt after an executive order signed by President Trump March 20 directed U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education.”

As of March 21, 50% of the department’s workforce was placed on administrative leave, including most of the department’s data experts responsible for determining what schools qualify for Title I funding.

In a March 11 news release announcing the cuts, the department said that it would continue to administer all “formula funding,” including Title I, which is protected by law.

Title I funding, which began in 1965, provides school districts with

financial assistance to help serve children from low-income families. The law aims to close the achievement gap between children meeting academic standards and those who aren’t, according to Reed.

BCS’ largest pot of federal money, which makes up about 6.5% of its overall budget, comes from Title I.

About 90% of the $7.2 million is spent on school-based personnel at 27 schools eligible for Title I funding in the district, including 22 elementary schools. More than 3,100 students in kindergarten through sixth grade are served by Title I-funded staff across BCS, according to Reed’s presentation.

The district focuses much of its efforts on literacy, employing 118 reading specialists, instructional assistants and tutors with Title I funding, as well as some administrators in the central office, Reed said.

Funding is also used in school improvement plans and to encourage family engagement at Title I schools.

Board member Charles Martin said family involvement is an important part of Title I’s success and encouraged more parents to participate in the program.

“It’s very important that we show our kids that we appreciate them, that we love them and we want them to be better,” he said.

Board member Kim Plemmons voiced concern that Title I funding will be on the chopping block.

“I’m fearful of these federal budget cuts that we keep hearing about because it’s something like this that can be taken from us. Not to put fear into people, but it’s real. If we don’t have funding for this … it will be detrimental to public education, and so I am very grateful for the Title I folks,” she said.

For now, Reed said the district is budgeting based on the assumption that Title I will be funded the same level as it was last year.

Petition for ‘no-cuts’ budget

“Post-Helene, what our students need is more resources, not less,” said Shanna Peele, president of the Buncombe County Association of Educators. “I can understand feeling like the odds are stacked against us, but our kids’ futures are too bright and too important for us to back out.”

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners clawed back $4.7 million collectively from BCS and Asheville City Schools (ACS) in January and now expect revenues for this year to come in $15.6 million under projections. That clawback forced school districts to dip into reserves and has advocates worried that cuts will continue next year.

With over than half of Buncombe County Schools’ more than 3,400 employees now signed on to a petition — 1,808 as of April 3 — Peele said the schools community has an opportunity to be united in its request of county commissioners.

“We are coming to you today with a unity and resolve we’ve never had before. That’s because the majority of Buncombe County school staff stand united on this petition asking for a no-cuts budget, because we know that we are stronger together.”

In the petition, BCAE is asking the county to ensure BCS has the funds to maintain all pre-Helene staff positions at the same or better compensation to provide the same level of programming and services for students. The association is also asking commissioners to restore the $4.7 million cut from ACS and BCS in January.

“Our students and our staff are ready to do everything we can, and we need you to be all in to do all you can to make sure our kids don’t show up with less in August than they had before the storm,” Peele told board members.

Editor’s note: This story was supported by the Fund for Investigative Reporting and Editing

— Greg Parlier

X

Tourism survey shows shift in residents’ attitudes

After Tropical Storm Helene essentially slammed the door to visitors in the fall, some residents acknowledged that tourism isn’t so bad after all, according to a recent survey.

A survey by MMGY, a tourism marketing agency that partners with Explore Asheville, shows a new appreciation among residents for tourism’s impact on their quality of life and the importance to the local economy of drawing visitors.

The study was presented by Chris Davidson, executive vice president of travel intelligence for MMGY, during the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA) annual planning session on March 28, held at the YMI Cultural Center. Members of the BCTDA and Explore Asheville, along with invited guests representing the tourism and hospitality industries in Asheville, attended.

The survey was asked of 406 county residents who were contacted in January and February.

• Compared with nearly half — 46% — of the 2024 respondents, only 33% of the 2025 group somewhat or completely agreed that visitors prevent residents from enjoying community amenities such as restaurants and attractions.

• Less than a third agreed with the statement that visitors are directly damaging to the environment, down from 50% last year.

• Fewer than a quarter of those surveyed agreed that visitors detract from the culture and character of the community, or that people visiting the area are a drain on the city, both results dropping from 43% the year before.

The majority of respondents were full-time residents, 38% of whom lived in the city of Asheville. The average length of residency, according to the

VISITORS WELCOME: Ninety-four percent of respondents believe visitors help support the number and variety of independent businesses in the community, according to a recent survey. Photo by Brooke Randle

presentation, was nearly 22 years. Half of respondents said that their jobs did not directly benefit from tourism.

On questions related to Helene, 83% of survey respondents either completely or somewhat agreed that visitors have a positive impact on post storm economic recovery, and 97% said increasing awareness of post-Helene recovery efforts is important.

Ninety-two percent of respondents either completely or somewhat agreed that tourism is beneficial to the community. In comparison, only 83% agreed with that statement in 2022, the first year MMGY conducted the survey. Meanwhile, 76% of respondents completely or somewhat agreed that the benefits of travel and

tourism to our community outweigh the challenges, up from 71% in 2024.

The group compared the results to pre-COVID sentiments. Previous Xpress reporting of 2019 survey results showed a split response, indicating that respondents knew tourism was important to the local economy but had believed that it came at a cost to residents’ quality of life.

Several members of the audience of tourism and hospitality representatives noted that maintaining the positive sentiment that some residents feel, however, may prove challenging as Asheville continues to recover and visitors begin returning to the city.

“[It is] nice to see how good the responses were. This is what we’ve been

looking for. And it’s also not shocking, given the fact that we have just had this horrible tragedy, to see the community realizing the benefit of tourism and how it supports our community,” said BCTDA member and Realtor Elizabeth Putnam. “The challenge is, how do we keep that up? How do we keep those numbers where they are? Because that’s where we need them to stay.”

“There’s the opportunity post-Helene for us to take greater strides in that effort,” said Matthew Lehman, BCTDA vice chair. “Much like coming out of COVID … this reprieve won’t last forever, so we should make the most of it.”

— Brooke Randle  X

Charlotte-based Tryon Distributing teamed up with supplier partner Founders Brewing Co., based in Grand Rapids, Mich., and local nonprofit MountainTrue to clean up Hominy Creek River Park, according to a Tryon press release. Around a dozen volunteers gathered March 14 to collect over 1,200 pounds of debris in just two hours. This was the first of several cleanups that Founders and Tryon will host across the state. X

Week of the Pet

Meet French Fry. Don’t let her tiny stature fool you; this girl is a big love bug, says the staff at Brother Wolf Animal Rescue. Once she gets used to her new surroundings, she’s going to be your steady companion. To adopt French Fry or other critters, go to avl.mx/ckd X

River stew a rd Public input

Speaking of MountainTrue, it recently announced that Anna Alsobrook was named the nonprofit’s new French Broad Riverkeeper. Alsobrook has been with MountainTrue since 2014, recently serving as watershed science and policy manager. She assumes the role from Hartwell Carson, who is now the group’s clean waters program director and works with riverkeepers keeping an eye on the Broad, French Broad, Green and Watauga rivers. X

Constructive spring break

College students from around the country are swinging hammers and wielding drills in Asheville during their spring break, according to a press release from Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. The nonprofit usually hosts about a half dozen groups in the spring, but this year it’s up to nearly 20. Schools include Michigan Tech, Boston College, St. John Fisher University, Colgate University and University of Alabama. “And nearly 300 more individuals have expressed interest in coming here to help,” said Stephanie Wallace, Habitat’s construction services volunteer manager. X

Ele Ellis was named CEO and general manager of Blue Ridge Public Radio, taking over April 2 from interim CEO and General Manager Tim Roesler, according to a press release. Ellis recently held various roles at WUWM, Milwaukee’s NPR affiliate. During her 25 years in radio, Ellis has worked at stations across the country, from Idaho to Georgia. She began her career at WNCW in Spindale, N.C. X

UNC Asheville is asking students and residents to attend a community input session on Wednesday, April 16, 6:308 p.m., in the Blue Ridge Room in Highsmith Student Union. “Interested individuals are welcome to share their ideas and contribute to the decision-making process regarding the development of the University’s Millennial Campus properties,” a press release states. The school is exploring options such as affordable workforce and student housing; research and industry collaborations; and facilities for education, sports, childcare, entertainment and recreation. X

Flood p l ain r es t o r e d

Public access to Kings Bridge Wildlife Conservation Area in Mills River reopened April 1, following work to restore natural floodplain features. Kings Bridge is off of Highway 191 between Mills River and Hendersonville. Conserving Carolina purchased the 87-acre former sod farm in 2020 and transferred it to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission in 2021, according to a press release. The photo of a northern harrier at Kings Bridge was taken by Nick Holshouser. X

AVLFest announced on Instagram that it has canceled its 2025 four-day festival. “As our community continues to rebuild and recover from the past six months, we will use this time to ensure we deliver the best possible version of AVLFest in 2026,” the post read. X

To the rescue

BY JUSTIN M c GUIRE

jmcguire@mountainx.com

When the usually 3-foot Ivy Creek rose to more than 15 feet in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene, the damage in the northern Buncombe County community of Barnardsville was overwhelming.

“Obliterated is not too strong a word,” local resident Gina Elrod, the Helene recovery initiatives manager for the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, told Xpress. “[Many] homes were severely impacted or destroyed. Many more families face damaged land, cars and belongings, and some still can’t access their homes due to broken bridges or washed-out roads. Small-business owners, many who have called this place home for decades, struggle with income loss and expensive repairs.”

In response to the storm, members of a long-standing community coalition stepped in to facilitate out-of-town work crews and coordinate recovery efforts out of the old Barnardsville firehouse. Now, more than six months after Helene, plans are underway to formalize those connections into a think tank, the Firehouse Hub, to develop long-term recovery strategies for the community.

“As the months ticked by and many neighbors waited on FEMA and insurance claims and outside help dwindled, it became evident that more communication and collaboration was needed,” says Elrod, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Elrod also works with the Buncombe County Long-Term Recovery Group, a coalition of local nonprofits, faith-based organizations, government agencies and volunteers dedicated to disaster recovery.

Xpress spoke with Elrod about the Firehouse Hub, its projects and longterm goals.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Xpress: When did the Firehouse Hub start, and what is its main purpose?

Elrod: The Firehouse Hub is a new name for an old collaboration of Barnardsville neighbors. It’s the friends and extended families looking out for each other. It’s putting a name to what local church people and kindhearted folks out here do to help others. The saying, “If you want something done, ask the busiest person you know,” is proven often in this group. From chicken soup delivery after the flu to replacing essentials after a house fire, these neighbors help. The Firehouse Hub is a loose working title for a collection of

Firehouse

in Barnardsville

community members who show up to support one another. Barnardsville is a small, rural community where country people have been looking after each other for many generations. We are now collaborating as a think tank actively strategizing how best to help neighbors displaced by Hurricane Helene.

Why is it called the Firehouse Hub?

The name Firehouse Hub is twofold. Since Sept. 27, “drinking out of a firehose” is a feeling we, as Helene recovery helpers, can readily identify. Another reason is in honor of the many people who volunteered in the early days of Helene relief at a pop-up mutual aid hub located at the old firehouse in Barnardsville. After owner and longtime community supporter Bob Bowles loaned this space [after the storm], it became home to a remarkable cross-community gathering place, information center and resource distribution hub. Groups from across the United States staged from the old firehouse as they worked throughout the community. Organizers from that mutual aid group are now actively involved in Firehouse Hub work. There is also a subcommittee in this coalition exploring the feasibility of buying the old firehouse. We would love to secure it, but we’re trying to figure that part out. Decades before Helene hit, the building served as a community center. Many remember and want the return of the farmers market and other community activities at this central location. Along with the still very fresh memories of the community togetherness, inclusivity and efficient work in the weeks after the storm, this group is looking into securing the space as a hub for

Helene housing and rebuilding projects, as well as a community gathering space.

Who all is involved with the Firehouse Hub?

Along with the mutual aid recovery volunteers, the Firehouse Hub Steering Committee includes Barnardsville church leaders, generational community members and newcomers. All share a spirit of mutual care and community building among neighbors. The group is, as yet, informal. It’s made up of whoever wants to show up and lend a helping hand.

What are some examples of Helenerelated projects the group has engaged in?

The Fireplace Hub team worked in all areas of recovery and is now focused on housing. People in the group have been involved in every aspect of temporary housing, from securing the RVs to

the regular deliveries of propane tanks. Thanks to initial efforts of the United Way Asheville and Buncombe County and lots of Firehouse Hub volunteer efforts, an actual home has arrived in Barnardsville for Hurricane Helene survivors the Rev. Charles and Sadey English. Eight churches and small businesses joined together to make this home delivery happen. A church from Georgia has committed to building the steps and porch for the Englishes, so we’re still counting helpers.

Another home for Jerry and Evia Webb also arrived in Barnardsville, thanks to Cajun Navy 2016, and is now being placed and soon filled with furniture by local and out-of-town churches.

What makes Firehouse Hub different is the way local nonchurch and newcomers have joined in so collaboratively, actively, shoulder to shoulder. After Helene, there was a palpable energy throughout Big Ivy demographics to help. Now, that energy is to galvanize towards housing action. X

Ballot Categories 2025

This year’s Best of WNC ballot offers voters an opportunity to celebrate the local individuals, organizations and businesses that are helping define our region and how it evolves. You are invited to vote this April based on your local knowledge and passions. The online ballot covers hundreds of topics and issues. Don’t be daunted — just vote for the categories you care about and skip those you don’t.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Music Events & Venues

• Local Music Festival

• Indoor Music Venue

• Outdoor Music Venue

• Intimate Music Venue/ Listening Room

Arts & Crafts

• Arts/Crafts Fair or Event

• Studio Stroll/Driving Tour

• Craft School or Place to Learn a Craft

• Art Gallery

• Craft-Oriented Gallery

• Nonprofit (Not Music) That Serves the Arts

Film, Stage, Dance & Writing

• Movie Theater

• Local Filmmaker

• Theater Company

• Actor (any gender)

• Comedian

• Improv Group/Comedy Troupe or Series

• Local Comedy Show/ Night/Event

• Open-Mic-Night Venue

• Trivia Night Emcee

• Drag Performer/Group

• Karaoke Night

• Performance Dance Company

• Place to Take Dance Classes or Lessons

• Local Literary Event

• Local Author

• Local Poet

Musicians & Bands

• All-Round Favorite Band

• Acoustic/Folk

• Americana/Country

• Blues

• Local Busker/Street Group

• DJ (Nonradio)

• Funk

• Jazz

• Old-Time/Bluegrass

• R&B/Soul

• Rock

• Hip-Hop

• Punk/Metal/Garage

• Lyricist (Songwriter)

• Vocalist (Singer)

* Traditional Appalachian Musician

• Guitarist

• Bass Guitarist

• Keyboardist/Pianist

• Percussionist-Drummer Music Services

• Musical Instrument Repair Company

• Recording Studio

• Music-Related Nonprofit Artists, Crafters

• Fiber Artist

• Jewelry Artist/Designer

• Metal Artist or Blacksmith

• Mural Artist

• Painter/Illustrator

• Potter/Ceramic Artist

• Woodworker

• Glass Artist or Studio

• Wedding/Event Photographer

• Portrait/Headshot Photographer

• Still Life/Nature Photographer DRINKS Bars

• Bar That Best Represents the Spirit of Asheville

• Bar for Live Music

• Bar With a View

• Bar With Games

• LGBTQ+ Friendly Bar

• Hotel Bar

• Dive Bar

• Sports Bar

• Upscale Bar

• Wine Bar

• Family-Friendly Bar or Brewery

• Bar: Local Beer Selection (excluding breweries)

• Bar: Unusual Beer Selection (excluding breweries)

* = New Category

• Neighborhood Bar - North

• Neighborhood Bar - East

• Neighborhood Bar - South

• Neighborhood Bar - West

• Neighborhood BarDowntown (including South Slope)

• Neighborhood BarRiver Arts District

• Bartender

• Bar or Brewery That Gives Back to the Community Beer, Cider & Breweries

• Local All-Round Brewery (for its beers)

• Brewery (for its taproom & atmosphere)

• Creative, Experimental Brewery

• Brewmaster

• Favorite Local Beer Event

• Local Beer (Any Style)

• Local Dark Beer

• Local Lager

• Local Sour Beer

• Local IPA

• Seasonal Beer

• Beer Store

• Cidery

• Local Cider Cocktails, Spirits & Wine

• Cocktails

• Bloody Mary

• Margarita

• Local Winery

• Wine Store

• Distillery Coffee, Tea & Healthy Drinks

• Coffeehouse for Its Vibe

• Establishment With the Best Coffee

• Barista

• Coffee Roaster

• Place to Drink Tea

* Bubble Tea

• Smoothies/Juices

• Mocktails or Nonalcoholic Options

• Local Nonalcoholic Drink or Soda

• CBD Drinks/Health Elixirs

EATS

• Favorite Restaurant

• Bagels

• Barbecue

• Best Value

• Biscuits

• Breakfast

• Brunch

• Burger

• Burrito

• Catering Company

• Cheesemaker/ Cheese Dairy

• Chef

• Restaurant Comfort Food

• Desserts

• Diner/Homestyle

• Doughnuts

• Fine Dining/Upscale

• Food Truck

• French Fries

• Fried Chicken

• Healthiest Food

• Hot Bar/Buffet

• Hot Dogs

• Green/SustainabilityFriendly Restaurant

• Kid-Friendly Restaurant

• Late-Night Eats

• Local-Food Emphasis

• Lunch

• Outdoor Dining

• Pasta

• People-Watching Restaurant

• Pizza

• Pub Grub

• Quick Meal

• Ribs

• Restaurant to Take Out-of-Towners to

• Restaurant Still Needed in Asheville

• New Restaurant (Opened in the Last 12 Months)

• Restaurant That Best Represents the Spirit of Asheville

• Restaurant Cocktail Selection

• Restaurant Wine Selection

• Restaurant With a View

* Quiet Restaurant

• Ramen

• Romantic Dining

• Salad

#AVL STRONG

• Sandwich Shop

• Seafood

• Best Service

• Special Diet Options (Gluten-Free, LactoseFree, etc.)

* Steak

• Sub Shop

• Taco

• Takeout

• Vegan

• Vegetarian

• Veggie Burger

• Wings

• Local Cookie Maker

• Local Food Product

• Nonprofit Helping With Hunger Issues

• Pastry Chef

• Fresh Meat Seller

• Fresh Fish Seller

• Local Food Festival or Event

• Locally Made CBD Treats

• Local Meal Delivery Service Neighborhoods

• Restaurant in Downtown (including South Slope)

• Restaurant in the River Arts District

• Restaurant in West Asheville

• Restaurant in North Asheville

• Restaurant in East Asheville

• Restaurant in South Asheville Cuisine

• Chinese

• French

• Greek

• Indian

• Italian

• Japanese

• Latin American

• Mexican

• Middle Eastern

• Southern

• Sushi

• Thai

Desserts & Sweets

• Ice Cream

• Frozen Treats Other Than Ice Cream

• Chocolate Bakeries

• Bakery (Sweets/Desserts)

• Bakery (Bread)

FARM, YARD & GARDEN

• Tailgate/Farmers Market

• Roadside Farm Stand

• Farm to Visit

• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farm

• Orchard

• Community Garden

• Garden Supply Store

• Mulch Supplier

• Nursery (Trees, Shrubs)

• Lawn/Yard Care

• Landscaping Service (Other Than Lawn Care)

• Tree Service

• Nonprofit Supporting Farms/Farmland Preservation

HEALTH & WELLNESS

• Physician (General Practice)

• Physician (Specialist)

• Dental Practice

• Dentist

• Pediatrician

• Eye Care Specialist/Service

• Chiropractor

• Acupuncture Clinic

• Acupuncturist

• Nutritionist

• Holistic Medical Practice

• Family Medical Practice

• Women's Health Center

• Maternity Care/Service

• Membership Health Care Provider

• Hospital

• Emergency Room

• Urgent Care/Walk-In Clinic

• Place to Get Medical Care

When Under- or Uninsured

• Therapist or Counseling Center

• Hospice

• Mortuary/Funeral Services

• Yoga Studio

• Yoga Teacher

* Pilates Studio

• Massage Therapist

• Physical Therapy Clinic

• Physical Therapist

• Fitness Studio With Classes

• Gym or Place to Work Out

• Physical Trainer

• Martial Arts Studio

• Place to Buy Supplements, Vitamins & Herbs

• Place to Center Yourself

• Place to Buy CBD Products

• Assisted-Living Community

• Pharmacy/Drugstore

• Health & WellnessFocused Nonprofit

KIDS

• Child Care or Day Care Service

• Music Teacher

• Art Education Program

• Dance Studio

• Gymnastics Program

• Martial Arts Program

• Team-Sports Program

• Kids Clothes

• Toy Store

• Pediatric PracticeGeneral Medicine

• Pediatric Practice

- Dentistry

• Orthodontist Schools & Classes

• School (Precollege)

• Preschool

• After-school Program Places

• Day Camp

• Overnight Camp

• Daytrip for Kids

• Place for Indoor Fun

• Place for Outdoor Fun

• Playground

• Kid-Friendly Hike

• Museum

• Place for Birthday Parties

• Bakery for Birthday Cakes

• Parents Night Out Program

MEDIA

• Local Radio Station (commercial)

• Local Radio Station (noncommercial)

• Local News Source

• Local News Website

• Local Reporter (Print and/or Online)

• Local Events Information Source

• Local Social Media Page to Follow for Local News, Events and Local Happenings

* Local E-Newsletter

• Local Podcast

• Local Print Publication Other Than Xpress

• Most Important Local News Story (in the Last 12 Months)

• Most Overreported Story (in the Last 12 Months)

• Most Underreported Story (in the Last 12 Months)

• Local Radio Personality/ Announcer

• Local TV Personality/ Announcer

• Favorite Feature in Xpress OUTDOORS

• Day Hike Trail

• Backpacking Trail/ Overnight Hike

• Picnic Spot

• Waterfall

• Walk - In or Near Asheville

• Easy Hike Trail (For Kids, Elders, Limited Mobility)

• Camping Spot

• Place to Relax on the Water

• Swimming Hole

• Mountain Bike Trail

• Place to Roller Skate or Skateboard

• Rafting Company

• Outdoor Gear and Apparel Shop

• Canopy Tour/Zip Line

• Ski Resort

• Environmental or Conservation Nonprofit

PERSONAL SERVICES

• Hair Salon

• Hairstylist

• Barber

• Barbershop

• Tattoo Parlor/Studio

• Tattoo Artist

• Piercing Studio

• Spa

• Local Body-Products Maker

• Esthetician

• Nail Salon

• Nail Technician

• Eyebrow Shaping

PETS

Medical

• Veterinary Services

• Veterinarian

VOTE NOW!

• Alternative Pet Health Care Provider Services

• Pet Kennel

• Pet Day Care Facility

• Grooming Service

• Pet Sitting/Dog Walking Service

• Trainer/Training Center

• Animal Shelter/Rescue Organization

Places & Shops

• Pet Supply Store

• Outdoor Place to Take Your Pet

• Pet-Friendly Bar or Brewery

PROFESSIONAL & HOME SERVICES

• Accountant/CPA Firm

• Place to Have Your Taxes Prepared

• Alternative Energy Sales and Installation

• Bike Repair

• Car Repair

• Cellphone Service Provider for the WNC Mountains

• Computer Repair

• Construction Firm (Design and/or Build)

• Dry Cleaner

• Electrical/Electrician Company

• Equipment Rental Services

• Financial Adviser

• Green Builder

• Handyperson

• Heating/Cooling Company

• Home Cleaning Service

• Home Inspection Service

• Home Restoration/ Improvement/Renovation

• House Painters

• Insurance Agent

• Junk Removal Service

• Law Firm

• Family Law Attorney

• Real Estate Attorney

• Estate Planning Attorney

• Moving Company

• Pest Control Service

• Place To Get Your Oil Changed

• Plumbing Company

• Print Shop

• Real Estate Company

• Real Estate Agent

• Roofing Company

SHOPPING

• Store That Best Represents the Spirit of Asheville

• Clothing: Used or Vintage (for-profit store)

• Clothing: Used or Vintage (nonprofit store)

• Clothing: Dress-Up/Stylin'

• Asheville-Style Clothes

• Shoe Store

• Jewelry Store

• All-Round Grocery Store

• Local Grocery Delivery or Curbside Pickup

• Budget-Friendly Grocery Store

• Health Food Store

• International/Specialty Food Store

• Convenience/Corner Store

• New Furniture Store

• Used Furniture Store (for-profit store)

• Used Furniture Store (nonprofit store)

• Refurbished Or Upcycled Goods

• Antique Store

• Mall-Style Market

• Automobile Tire Store

• Auto Dealer - New and/or Used

• Adult Toys, Lingerie & Naughty Things Store

• Bed and Mattress Store

• Bike Shop

• Bookstore - New

• Bookstore - Used

• Comics & Collectibles Store

• Game Store

• Florist/Plant Shop

• Gift Shop

• Head Shop

• Musical Instrument Store

• Pawn Shop

• Picture Framer

• Record/CD Store

UNIQUELY ASHEVILLE

• Neighborhood

• Biggest Threat to Asheville's Uniqueness

• Biggest Opportunity for Asheville's Uniqueness

• Best Thing to Happen to Asheville in the Last 12 Months

• Worst Thing to Happen to Asheville in the Last 12 Months

• Nonprofit That Improves Asheville

• Nonprofit That Serves the Underprivileged

• Local Fundraising Event

• Activist Group for Civic/Political Action

• Local Asheville Attraction

• Place to Take Your Eccentric Friends

• Holiday EventSpring/Summer

• Holiday EventFall/Winter

• Project You'd Like to See Local Government Do

• Local Hero

• Local Politician

• Local Villain

• Bumper Sticker or Slogan About Asheville

• Place to Get Married

• Street for a Stroll

• Place to Connect With Nature Within or Near to Asheville

• Place to Pretend You're a Tourist

• Thing Downtown Asheville Needs

• Thing West Asheville Needs

• Thing North Asheville Needs

• Thing South Asheville Needs

• Thing East Asheville Needs

• Thing the River Arts District Needs

• Local City Tour

• Hotel

• B&B or Small Boutique Hotel

• Historic/Interesting Building

• Venue to Book for a Party or Event

• Event/Wedding Planner

WORK & BUSINESS

• Employment Sector to Work in

• Business That Best Represents the Spirit of Asheville

• Business That Gives Back to the Community

• Bank

• Credit Union

• Bank/Financial Services for Small Business

• Co-Op/Employeeowned Business

• Support Organization for Entrepreneurs and New Businesses

REGIONAL

Questions for the following regions: Brevard Burnsville Hendersonville/ Flat Rock/Mills River Hot Springs Marshall/Mars Hill Swannanoa/ Black Mountain Cullowhee/Sylva Waynesville/Maggie Valley/Canton Weaverville/Woodfin

• Business That Best Represents the Spirit of Your Town

• Breakfast Restaurant

• Lunch Restaurant

• Dinner Restaurant

• Coffee & Sweets

• Local Bar/Brewery/ Watering Hole

• Music/Entertainment Venue

• Retail Store

• Art Gallery

• Cultural or Historical Landmark

• Cultural or Arts Event

• Local Place to Enjoy the Outdoors

• Local Cause to Support

• Best Thing to Happen to Your Town in the Last 12 Months

When does voting start and end?

Voting officially begins April 1 and continues through April 30.

In how many categories must I vote in order for my ballot to be counted?

Each ballot must have votes for at least 30 categories to be counted.

Why do voters have to vote for 30 categories?

We want meaningful results from people who are invested in and knowledgeable about the Asheville/WNC area.

How do I get a category added or changed? The categories are set for this year, but to suggest a change for next year, email: bestofwnc@ mountainx.com

How are the votes counted? Mountain Xpress tallies the votes by hand, taking great care to understand each voter’s intent. We reserve the right to reject any ballot with inappropriate responses.

How do you prevent voter fraud?

Ballots are examined for telltale signs of voter fraud or ballot stuffing. We disqualify all ballots that appear to be fraudulent.

I hope my business wins. How do I get voting promotional materials? Call us at 828-251-1333. We can provide you with printable and digital materials, or contact your sales representative for information.

APRIL. 9 - APRIL. 17, 2025

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

 Feature, page 34-35

 More info, page 40-41

WELLNESS

Therapeutic Recreation

Adult Morning Movement

Wednesday mornings are all about active games, physical activities, and sports adapted to accommodate all skill levels.

WE (4/9, 16), 10am, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Qigong

A gentle form of exercise composed of movement, posture, breathing, and meditation used to promote health and spirituality

WE (4/9, 16), 11:15am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Balance, Agility, Strength, Stretch

This weekly class for adults focuses on flexibility, balance, stretching, and strength.

WE (4/9, 16), 10am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Community Yoga & Mindfulness

Free monthly event with Inspired Change Yoga that will lead you into a morning of breathwork, meditation and yoga.

WE (4/9), 10:30am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Gentle Tai Chi for Balance

This class works on improving our balance through exercises that help you to think with your feet while strengthening your balance muscles.

WE (4/9, 16), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Tai Chi Fan

This class includes partner work showing the martial application of the fans when they are used as a weapon and Flying Rainbow Double Fan form.

WE (4/9, 16), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Tai Chi For Beginners Yang 10 & 24

In this Beginner Tai Chi class, the focus is

Scott McMicken & The Ever Expanding w/ Doc Aquatic & Julie Odell

Eulogy • 10 Buxton Ave

Thursday, April 10 • 8 pm

Founding member of Philadelphia rock mainstays Dr. Dog performs with support from from other local WNC artists.

“I’ve always been a big fan of Dr. Dog. So when I heard founding frontman Scott McMicken moved to Asheville in late 2021, I was stoked. The EverExpanding is an expansive, loosely jammy, improvisational psych-rock band with a rotating cast of local musicians. The beanie-clad frontman plays everything from guitar to maracas to wood block, and every show is a unique musical experience.”

— Greg Parlier X

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

on the Yang 10 and 24 forms as well as Qigong exercises for health.

TH (4/10, 17), MO (4/14), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Intermediate Tai Chi Yang 24

This is the Tai Chi that most people envision when they think of Tai Chi. Slow, gentle movements that promote good health.

FR (4/11), 10:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Qi Gong for Overall Health & Wellness

A gentle practice to synchronize movement with breath. Learn how to relax your mind and body through slow intentional movements.

FR (4/11), 2pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Intermediate Tai Chi Yang 37

A great class for those who have studied Yang 37 or would like a form that is a little bit more involved than Yang 10 or 24.

SA (4/12), 8:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Free Community Yoga (Level 2)

This class is designed to nourish your body, mind, and spirit by further developing your balance, coordination, flexibility, and cardiovascular health.

SA (4/12), 9am, YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave

Yoga in the Park

All-level friendly yoga classes based on Hatha & Vinyasa traditions. Classes led by a rotation of certified yoga instructors.

SA (4/12), SU (4/13), 11am, West Asheville Park, 198 Vermont Ave

Himalayan Sound Bath Meditation

Imagine the soothing tones of Himalayan singing bowls washing over you, calming your mind, and rejuvenating your spirit.

SA (4/12), SU (4/13), 11am, Somatic Sounds, 157 S Lexington Ave B1

Free Community Qi

Gong

Qi Gong improves balance and coordination, enhances physical and emotional energy, and promotes an experience of well-being.

SA (4/12), 11:30am, YWCA of Asheville, 185

S. French Broad Ave

Barn Yoga Community Yoga class with Fairview-based yogi Mary Beth, who teaches a gentle and vinyasa flow.

SU (4/13), 10am, Hickory Nut Gap Farm, 57 Sugar Hollow Rd, Fairview

Sunday Morning Meditation Group Gathering for a combination of silent sitting and walking meditation,

KLEZGRASS DUO IN CONCERT: On Friday, April 11, acclaimed musical duo Zoe & Cloyd headlines the Ramsey Center for Appalachian Studies’ annual spring concert in Owen Theatre at Mars Hill University, starting at 7:30 p.m. The pair will showcase material from their latest release, Songs of Our Grandfathers, an homage to their respective klezmer and bluegrass roots, which are fused to create their unique klezgrass sound. Photo courtesy of Valerie Edison Photography

facilitated by Worth Bodie.

SU (4/13), 10am, The Lodge at Quietude, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Sunday Sound Baths

A harmonic experience focused on nervous system regulation, energetic balance, and whole body wellness.

SU (4/13), 11am, Weaverville Yoga, 3 Florida Ave, Weaverville

Tai Chi Open Clinic

All are welcome in this new curriculum course, regardless of the style of internal martial arts you practice, your skill development or age level.

SU (4/13), 7pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Strength & Exercise

Workout at your own pace in a fun atmosphere in this weekly class for active adults working on overall fitness and strength.

MO (4/14), 9:15am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Medical Qigong

A moving meditation and an internal martial art for calming the mind and strengthening the body and spirit.

TU (4/15), 9am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

QiGong w/Allen

Horowitz

The movements help improve circulation relaxation and balance. For more information contact allenhavatar@ gmail.com

TU (4/15), 10am, Asia House, 119 Coxe Ave

Nia Dance

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

TU (4/15), 10:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Zumba Gold & Silverobics

Calorie-burning, fun, low-impact class that incorporates dance and fitness for older adults each week.

TU (4/15), noon, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Drumming for Exercise Jam to some tunes while getting a great, low-impact arm and core workout.

TU (4/15), 1:30pm, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

SUPPORT GROUPS

Nicotine Anonymous

People share their experience, strength and hope to stop using nicotine. You don’t need to be stopped, just have a desire to

Free Community Zumba

The class design introduces easy-to-follow Zumba choreography that focuses on balance, range of motion, and coordination.

FR (4/11), 10am, YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave

Together We Rise, Reawaken Dance Together we will aim to dance away the layers that we have accumulated over the past few months and renew ourselves in the joy of movement in community.

FR (4/11), 11:30am, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Sunday Salsa on the Rooftop

Salsa lessons at 6 p.m., followed by a dance social curated by DJ MTN Vibes at 7 p.m.

SU (4/13), 6pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy

Intro to Line Dance

A true beginners course for those who are new to line dance taught by Liz Atkinson. MO (4/14), 10:30am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Monday Night Contra Dance

attend.

TH (4/10, 17), 4:30pm, Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 1 Kenilworth Knolls Unit 4

Marijuana Anonymous

A safe, supportive, inclusive, and non-judgmental space to share, listen and grow together. Whether you’re exploring sobriety, new to recovery, or have been on this path for a while, you are welcome here.

TH (4/10, 17), 6:30pm, American Legion Post #2, 851 Haywood Rd

Magnetic Minds: Depression & Bipolar Support Group

A free weekly peer-led meeting for those living with depression, bipolar, and related mental health challenges. For more information contact (828) 367-7660. SA (4/12), 2pm, First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St

Maternal Mental Health Support Group for Mommas w/Sistas

Caring 4 Sistas Sistas Caring 4 Sistas invites you to an afternoon of mental health support. MO (4/14), 3pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Spill the Beans: Social Group

Come socialize with friends, tell stories and share memories. Staff will have fun and

engaging questions and prompts to start off conversation.

WE (4/16), 2pm, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

DANCE

Latin Night Wednesday w/DJ Mtn Vibez

A Latin dance social featuring salsa, bachata, merengue, cumbia, and reggaeton with dance lessons for all skill levels.

WE (4/9, 16), 8pm, One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd Tap Dance: Beginner Tap dance for beginners teaches the basics through a combination of exercise, music, and incredible fun.

TH (4/10, 17), 10am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Tap Dance: Intermediate Fun and active class for students who have already taken beginner tap here or elsewhere.

TH (4/10, 17), 10:45am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Tap Dance: Advanced Beginner Fun and active twice-weekly class for advanced students. Students provide their own tap shoes.

TH (4/10, 17), 11:45am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

A welcoming environment for anyone who would like to contra dance. Lessons start at 7 p.m. and a social dance starts at 7:30 p.m.

MO (4/14), 7:30pm, A-B Tech, Genevieve Circle

Asheville Strong: Celebrating Art & Community After Hurricane Helene

An exhibition of artwork by artists who live and work in the Helene-affected Appalachia region. This special, non-juried exhibition celebrates the strength and diversity of our regional arts community. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through May. 5, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

An Artful Journey: Recent Exhibitions on Women Artists

In addition to examining three exhibitions, Caro will explore how women artists have navigated the artworld from the Renaissance period to the present, and introduce some of the major museum’s that celebrate women in art. FR (4/11), 10:30am, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

Laine Bachman: Elsewhere & Beyond

A solo exhibition of vibrant nature paintings by New Contemporary artist Laine Bachman, featuring alternative planets, real and imaginary creatures, and mother nature figures.

Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 10am and Sunday, noon. Exhibition runs through April 26.

Bender Gallery, 29 Biltmore Ave

Tattoo/Flash Exhibition

This exhibition showcases the cultural significance of tattoos, highlighting their ability to bridge tradition and innovation, personal expression, and visual storytelling. Gallery open daily, 11am. Exhibition through April 23.

Blue Spiral 1, 38 Biltmore Ave

Heather Hietala: Explorations

This exhibit invites viewers into a world of vessels, paddles, and forms that symbolize life’s journeys, transitions, and relationships.

Gallery open Monday through Friday, 8:30am. Exhibition through April, 18.

John M. Crawford Jr. Gallery, 360 Asheville School Rd

Let's Paint!

Painting class for beginner to intermediate painters. Use you choice of media (acrylic, oil or watercolor). Learn at your own pace with individual instruction.

MO (4/14), 1pm, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Viewshed Exhibition

The exhibition highlights works that span painting, textile, sound, and performance, inviting viewers to consider the ways in which artistic methodologies evolve and reverberate across time. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through August,

16, 2025.

Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

2025 School of Art & Design Faculty Biennial

This exhibition provides students and the community an opportunity to view recent work created by distinguished faculty members whose primary research output is studio-based. Gallery open Tuesday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through May, 2. WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

Joanie Krug & Alan Wieder: The Incidental Moment

This exhibition will feature Joanie's gestural brushwork that conveys a lively energy and connection to her world. Alan will be showing recent work that he has made on the streets of Asheville. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 10am, and Sunday, noon. Exhibition runs through May 4. Pink Dog Gallery, 348 Depot St

Anti Form: Robert Morris’s Earth Projects

The suite of lithographic drawings by Robert Morris presents a series of ideas for ten works of art shaped out of earth, atmospheric conditions, and built environments. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through May 2025.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Sustenance Exhibition

Sustenance invites artists to explore and interpret the many dimensions of nourishment—physical, emotional, spiritual, and communal. Gallery open Monday through Friday, 10 am, Exhibition through April 25. Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

SUSTAINING COMMUNITY

‘A commonsense approach’

A healthy lifestyle benefits more than the individual

David Thomas is a lifelong recreational cyclist, kayaker, angler and hiker. He is also the volunteer organizer for the fourth annual Hub Scrub Wash-N-Lube charity event supporting Pisgah Area SORBA, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving mountain biking opportunities by maintaining and improving trail systems in the Pisgah Ranger District and surrounding region. The fundraiser takes place Sunday, April 13, 1-5 p.m., at The Hub and Pisgah Tavern, 11 Mama’s Place, Pisgah Forest.

Additionally, Thomas is a volunteer organizer for Friends of the North Fork of the French Broad, focusing on public land stewardship by recreational users; he is also an advocate for policies that promote collaboration with local governmental land managers.

Xpress: What remain the top priorities and most urgent needs for your community amid the post-Helene recovery?

Thomas: Many residents lost their homes or suffered significant property damage. Survivors have resorted to living in donated RVs, sheds or tiny homes due to inadequate governmental support. Local organizations and volunteers are instrumental in providing relief, but long-term housing solutions remain a critical need.

SELF-CARE: “If I am healthier, I can help others more often and reduce the load on our first responders and those trying to help us,” says David Thomas, a lifelong recreational cyclist, kayaker, angler and hiker. Photo courtesy of Thomas

As we continue to rebuild, can we incorporate sustainable practices to help protect against further destruction of our natural environment? The storm caused extensive tree loss, particularly in areas like Asheville, increasing vulnerability to future climate events such as floods, fires and extreme heat. The destruction of forests has heightened concerns about erosion and the need for sustainable land management practices.

Protection of our new flood zones along the banks of our French Broad drainage with best practices of erosion control and land management is a consideration for the public and private land management. We have many examples to review to help us incorporate best practices in flood zone control. How to manage recovery in inevitable flood events in the future can be a consideration to help reduce the economic impact on government resources and private insurance. Do we help plants and trees thrive to help protect our living spaces in flood zones while restoring new housing and business spaces?

What can individuals outside of your community do to help address these needs?

Disinformation and conspiracy theories can undermine trust in official recovery efforts. This environment complicates accurate information and hampers effective community support and rebuilding initiatives. Addressing these concerns requires coordinated efforts from federal, state and local authorities, alongside community organizations, to ensure a comprehensive and resilient recovery for Western North Carolina. Individuals inside and outside our community can help provide accurate information to support recovery. Promoting inaccurate and false information hurts those needing the recovery resources.

Outside agencies and private organizations can continue to help provide health services for people after Hurricane Helene. How are you personally coping and sustaining yourself during the ongoing recovery process?

Personal practices for everyone play a critical role in physical and emotional recovery after a disaster. While so many have to use their resources for food and housing, we can utilize simple healthy practices such as eating healthy meals, sleeping and resting the appropriate amount, seek counseling if needed, limiting exposure to anxiety-causing social media and news coverage, moving and exercising to create better health.

If we want to reduce the costs of Medicare and Medicaid tax expenditures, can we choose to incorporate healthier practices in our lifestyles? Does having a healthier population reduce burden on our first responders with a reduction in service calls and those in emergency rooms? From a commonsense approach, can we choose to be healthier (lose weight, drink less, drive safely, reduce anxiety) to help reduce the burden on our government services? Focusing on living a healthier lifestyle is a choice for me to consider to help cope and sustain in an ongoing recovery. If I am healthier, I can help others more often and reduce the load on our first responders and those trying to help us. X

MOUNTAIN XPRESS 2025

Open Art Studio

Bring your favorite medium and work in a collaborative environment to improve your individual talent. Whether it’s paint, pencils, pastel, paper mache, whatever inspires you.

TH (4/17), 1pm, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

COMMUNITY MUSIC

Billy Jonas Presents: Bridging Divides Album Release

Longtime Asheville resident Billy Jonas invites you to peruse the perimeters of possibility with the heartfelt, humorous, healing, and eminently human songs from his new album Bridging Divides.

TH (4/10), 7pm, AyurPrana Listening Room, 312 Haywood Rd

Hominy Valley

A-Capella Christian Men's Choir

Local singers perform gospel standards. It may also benefit the 2026 North Buncombe Music Scholarship. FR (4/11), 7pm, First Baptist Church of Weaverville, 63 N Main St, Weaverville

Tone of Life: Vibration Concert

A vibration concert and ecstatic dance where you can find inspiration to return to the natural rhythm of your own existence. Experience vibrations from the Four Element Tone of Life Gong Series.

FR (4/11), 7pm, Crow & Quill, 106 N Lexington Ave

Zoe & Cloyd

A concert featuring the unique “klezgrass” music of Zoe & Cloyd that springs from their rich family traditions and complementary backgrounds and styles. FR (4/11), 7:30pm, Owen Theatre, 44 College St, Mars Hill

Artist ReLEAF Series w/Lillie Syracuse

In a velvet stream of joy, grief, and love, Lillie Syracuse’s voice and music pours deep from the heart of the in between.

SA (4/12), 4pm, LEAF Global Arts, 19 Eagle St

MAMA: Melissa Mckinney's Band

Melissa McKinney writes songs about the trauma and pain that every person inevitably experiences in their lives.

SA (4/12), 7:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Asheville Jazz Orchestra

The AJO’s repertoire ranges from Swing Era dance classics to original charts by band members and other contemporary composers.

SU (4/13), 7:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS

Jewelry Making w/ Laurie

Make a bracelet, necklace or earrings for yourself or as a gift.

Registration required, but all materials are included with the class fee.

WE (4/9), noon, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Exploring Social Self Awareness Workshop w/YMCA

A dynamic and interactive workshop that invites you to explore and understand the factors that shape our social interactions, both consciously and unconsciously.

TH (4/10), 10am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Change Your Palate Cooking Demo

This free lunchtime food demonstration is

open to all but tailored towards those with type 2 diabetes or hypertension and/or their caretakers.

FR (4/11), noon, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

YALA Drumming w/ LEAF Ambassador

Adama Dembele

Drop in for Yala Cultural tours for a two-hour drum class and cultural exploration.

SA (4/12), noon, LEAF Global Arts, 19 Eagle St

Flowerpot Painting

This hands-on activity invites participants to unleash their artistic side by painting their own unique designs on flowerpots.

MO (4/14), 10am, Asheville YMCA, 30 Woodfin St

Therapeutic Recreation

Adult Crafting

A variety of cooking and crafts, available at two different times.

Advance registration required. Open to individuals ages 17+ with disabilities.

TU (4/15), 11am, free, Murphy-Oakley Community Center, 749 Fairview Rd

1-Hour Make Ahead

Freezer Meals for the Week

In this class, we’ll meal-prep 6 tasty and nutritious freezer meals that can be heated and eaten at a later point.

WE (4/16), 5pm, Madison County Cooperative Extension Office, 258 Carolina Ln Marshall

LITERARY

The Dark City Speaks This big night of poetry features three published poets, Glenis Redmond, Lee Stockdale and Ugandan poet Mildred Barya. The evening begins with student poets from the region.

FR (4/11), 7pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 West State St, Black Mountain

Loblolly Press Poetry

Reading

This event will feature readings from Cheryl Whitehead, Clint Bowman, Andrew Mack, and Garrett Ashley, all from Loblolly Press, showcasing their latest and forthcoming works.

SA (4/12), 3pm, City Lights Bookstore, 3 E Jackson, Sylva Ted Olson & Thomas Rain Crowe Ted Olson & Thomas Rain Crowe will visit City Lights for a poetry reading. Ted will share his new poetry collection, Blue Moon.

SU (4/13), 3pm, City Lights Bookstore, 3 E Jackson, Sylva Flooded Poetry Each poet will be able to share 2-3 poems, and occasionally we will have local celebrity poets close out our night with a featured reading.

MO (4/14), 6:30pm, Flood Gallery, 802 Fairview Rd Ste 1200

Dolen Perkins-Valdez w/Ronnie Pepper Bestselling author Dolen Perkins-Valdez will speak about her new novel, Happy Land. In her novel, Dolen Perkin-Valdez reenvisions a fabled Black kingdom in Henderson County. See p34-35 MO (4/14), 6:00pm, Henderson County Public Library, 301 N Washington St Mutual Aid Against Catastrophe A discussion with Lux’s editor-in-chief Sarah Leonard about the role of feminism in confronting a rising fascist movement. WE (4/16), 6pm, Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd Asheville StorySLAM: BLOOM

Prepare a five-minute story about growth. Rising from the concrete or blossoming late in life tell us about the journey to reach

your full potential.

TH (4/17), 7:30pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave

THEATER & FILM

Petit Mondrian: Theatre for Young Children

An interactive and multimedia performance installation for children ages birth to five and their caregivers, which mixes dance-theater with the language of object theater, video animation and more.

WE (4/9), TH (4/10), FR (4/11), SA (4/12), 10am, SU (4/13), 3pm, Tina McGuire Theatre, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave

Roots So Deep Screening

This event will include opportunities for networking, dinner, screenings of parts one and four of the docuseries, followed by a panel discussion around building climate resiliency.

WE (4/9), 5pm, UNC-Asheville, 1 University Heights

Kung-Fu Community Movie Night

A free showing of Iron Monkey. All are welcome.

TH (4/10), 7pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109 Friday Family Movie Nights

Freshly popped popcorn and drinks provided. Movie titles announced closer to the event dates.

FR (4/11), 6pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St Foreign Film Fridays

Every Friday visitors can enjoy a cozy movie night in the gallery featuring some amazing foreign films curated by film-buff Carlos Steward.

FR (4/11), 7pm, Flood Gallery, 802 Fairview Rd Ste 1200

Someone Who’ll Watch

Over Me

A powerful drama about three strangers imprisoned in Lebanon who, through humor, imagination, and unwavering support, find the strength to endure unimaginable hardship.

FR(4/11), SA (4/12), SU (4/13), 2pm, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville

Midnight Movies: Drop Dead Gorgeous

A celebration of cult, camp and anything unusual. This week feature underrated 90's film, Drop Dead Gorgeous.

SA (4/12), 7pm, Crow & Quill, 106 N Lexington Ave

Alice's Smile: The Contagious Effects of Extraordinary Joy Step into a world of wonder and imagination as we tell the story of Alice's missing smile and the quest to make her smile again. nd projections.

TH (4/17), 7:30pm, Belk Theatre, UNC Asheville, One University Heights Death Comes To Play (A High-Stakes Comic Gothic)

On a dark, stormy night, in a remote location, the celebration of a 75-year-old’s birthday is upended by the arrival of a mysterious, uninvited guest who turns out to be...fun?

See p40

TH (4/17), 7:30pm, BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce St

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS

Digital Literacy 101

In this class, you'll learn how to use the internet, stay safe online, and work with different software programs. You'll also pick up important tech lingo to better understand the language of the digital world.

WE (4/9), noon, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

WNC Home Energy Resilience Cooperative Information Session

A series of group purchasing campaigns designed to aid residents in their rebuilding efforts by providing high quality clean energy electrification products and services from vetted local contractors.

WE (4/9), 4:30pm, 3 Avon Rd, 3 Avon Rd

Support National Parks: Networking & Conservation Chat

Southern Appalachian Director of the NPCA, Jeff Huntley will lead a discussion about you can save our public lands.

WE (4/9), 5:30pm, The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd Ste 10

Tarot Community Circle

An hour of discussion and practice reading for tarot enthusiasts. Please bring a deck based on the system of the Rider Waite Smith tarot.

WE (4/9), 6pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Pork & Pour : A Cut

Up & Sip Down Class Sip, savor, and learn as a Biltmore butcher breaks down a hog, paired with Hi-Wire beer and Bear’s BBQ bites.

WE (4/9), 6:30pm, Bears Smokehouse BBQ, 135 Coxe Ave

NSA-WNC Meeting

Professional keynote speakers, coaches, trainers, facilitators, and consultants who cover a broad range of topics, skills, & knowledge.

TH (4/10), 10am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

IBN Biz Lunch: Brevard & Pisgah Forest

All are invited to attend and promote their business, products, and services, and meet new referral contacts.

TH (4/10), 11:30am, Hawg Wild Smokehouse & Taproom, 91 Pisgah Hwy, Pisgah Forest

Mindfulness Stretching Participate in a free exercise designed to help you drop into the present moment. Exercises may rotate from week to week.

TH (4/10), noon, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Provider Networking Night Connect with other local providers to better serve your clients, patients, and customers.

TH (4/10), 5pm, All Bodies Movement and Wellness, 211 Merrimon Ave

Nerd Nite Asheville

A monthly event held in 100+ cities around the world featuring fun-yet-informative presentations across a variety of subjects.

TH (4/10), 7pm, The River Arts District Brewing Co., 13 Mystery St Burton Street Fish Fry

Get ready to hook a plate with golden-fried fish piled onto a toasted bun and dripping with deliciousness.

FR (4/11), 1pm, Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton St Tarot w/Cats

This 1-hour workshop will include a brief history of the tarot, and how to incorporate a one- and three-card pull for daily guidance.

FR (4/11), 5:30pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Therapeutic Recreation After Dark Experience fun activities with old friends and make new friends along the way. This week features a movie night.

FR (4/11), 6pm, Murphy-Oakley Community Center, 749 Fairview Rd,

Dream Big! Vision Board Party

Get ready to unleash your creativity and bring your dreams to life with a vision board party where you can connect with a vibrant

SUSTAINING COMMUNITY

Renewed strength

The RAD finds new ways to support its artists

Jeffrey Burroughs is president of the River Arts District Association (RADA).

Xpress: What remains the top priority and most urgent needs for the River Arts District (RAD) post-Helene?

Burroughs: Our top priorities are securing grant funding to help artists and businesses remain open or reopen and establishing affordable artist studios to accommodate the over 300 displaced artists across all mediums. Ensuring artists can continue to create in the River Arts District is essential to preserving the district’s cultural and economic vitality.

What can individuals outside of your community do to help address these needs?

Visitors can directly support our recovery by spending the day in the upper RAD, which is fully open and includes Roberts Street, Artful Way, Clingman Avenue and Depot Street. Supporting our artists, restaurants, bars, breweries and cafés helps sustain the district. On Saturday, May 10, we’re hosting RAD Renaissance, a vibrant spring celebration of art, resilience and renewal — a great way to engage with the community. Additionally, we’re working to offer events every weekend to keep the RAD thriving. Those looking to contribute financially can donate to the RADA Recovery Fund at avl.mx/e78.

How are you personally coping with and sustaining yourself during the ongoing recovery process?

RESILIENCY:

community and share your deepest desires.

FR (4/11), 7pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way

Swannanoa Valley Museum's Hike of Montreat East Ridge

This difficult, 6-mile segment traverses the crest of the Blue Ridge (Continental Divide) along the eastern boundary of Montreat.

SA (4/12), 8am, Swannanoa Valley Museum, 223 W State St, Black Mountain

Chinese Tea & Tai Chi Foundations

Settle your Qi with Chinese tea while learning the fundamentals of Tai Chi to improve your health. Beginner friendly so all levels are welcome.

SA (4/12), 10:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Full Moon Circle

Facilitated by Sierra Hollister, author of Moon Path Yoga, these circles are held at each new moon and full moon and are open to all who wish to join.

SA (4/12), 7pm, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd

for one another.

SU (4/13), 6pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

A Path to Healing w/ Jonathan Van Valin

A gifted spiritual guide and coach who has journeyed through a Near-Death Experience (NDE), will share his profound connection with the Divine.

SU (4/13), 7pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way

Alive After 55+

A program for active older adults to socialize, play board games and puzzles, create in group art activities, and more.

MO (4/14), 10am, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

Walking the Great Lakes of WNC

Bring walking shoes and friends to see the lakes of western North Carolina. This program is for any individual who is looking to get a good workout in while enjoying the scenery. MO (4/14), TU (4/15), 10am, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

(4/15), 9:15am, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Outdoor Field Bingo

Bring a lawn chair and friends to play bingo outdoors for prizes.

TH (4/17), 1pm, Murphy Oakley Park, 715 Fairview Rd

KID-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS

Tiny Tykes Wednesday Play Dates

Open play for toddlers to explore bikes, balls, inflatables, climbing structures, and more fun.

WE (4/9), 10am, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Kung Fu For Children

Designed to begin with the foundations of these styles while also teaching application and self awareness.

WE (4/9, 16), 3pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Family Story Time

A fun and interactive story time designed for children ages 18 months to 3 years.

Coloring w/Cats: Kiddie Edition

An artistic session with coloring books and markers for children ages 13 and under to relax by coloring as they pet cats to reduce stress and anxiety.

SA (4/12), 1pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

MoveAbility: Weekly Dance Class

Everyone is welcome to explore movement, creativity and self express through dance. Intended for kids ages 5 and up, though.

MO (4/14), 5:30pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain School’s Out Arts & Crafts Day Seasonal arts and crafts on teacher workdays. This week features egg painting, paper windsocks, and spring sensory bags.

TU (4/15), 10:30am, Murphy Oakley Park, 715 Fairview Rd

Black Cat Tales: Story Time w/Cats

Recovery is a marathon, but every day brings new progress and renewed strength. While the work has been relentless, the outpouring of support from artists, organizations and the broader community has been truly inspiring. Seeing studios reopen, creativity flourish and visitors return reminds me that we are not just rebuilding — we are reimag ining an even stronger, more connected River Arts District. The light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter, and I have no doubt that the RAD will emerge more resilient and vibrant than ever. X

Thurs., April 17

11:00 - 1:00 PM

Reimagining retirement has never been easier. Come enjoy a presentation about 60 Givens Gerber Park: a more affordable rental retirement option (55+) and enjoy lunch on us. Monthly fees are all-inclusive based on income. RSVP required.

of the tunnel is growing brighter, and I have no doubt that the RAD will emerge more resilient and vi brant than ever,” says Jeffrey Bur roughs, president of the River Arts District Association. Photo by Cin dy Kunst Contact us today: 828.575.1444 info@givensgerberpark.org

IBN Biz Lunch: Arden Bring a stack of business cards, and if you like, a door prize to add to our drawing at the end of the meeting.

11:30am, Wild Wing Cafe South, 65 Long Shoals Rd,

Walking the Labyrinth as Metaphor: Listening w/the Ears of Our

Explore the labyrinth as a practice of deep listening with our hearts and a metaphor for our 10am, Kanuga Main Campus, 130 Kanuga Chapel Dr, Hendersonville

GAMES & CLUBS

Make bids, call trumps, and win tricks. Every Saturday for fun competition with the 1pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston

Weekly Sunday

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

1:30pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Indoor Walking for Wellness Club Weather doesn’t matter when you have a community gym. Let us crank up the tunes to get you motivated. TH (4/10, 17), TU

WE (4/9, 16), TH (4/10), 10:30am, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain

Art-Pow! Kids will be invited to expand their creativity, build confidence and engage with arts as a tool for change in an interactive way.

WE (4/9), TH (4/10) 3:30pm, Story Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd

Youth Glow Climbing First time climbers welcome as the climbing wall glows under black lights. Advance registration required.

WE (4/9), 6pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Baby Storytime

A lively language enrichment story time designed for children ages 4 to 18 months. TH (4/10, 17), 10:30am, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain

Toddler & Me Time Out

This open gym time allows toddlers and caregivers to make memories and new friends through structures and unstructured activities.

FR (4/11), 10am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Kids Night In

Let your child work off extra energy with a fun filled night of themed games, crafts and special activities. Light dinner included.

FR (4/11), 6pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

A special after-school workshop where families with children age 7 and under can relax and foster a love of reading while also socializing with the cats in the lounge.

WE (4/16), 4pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Toddlers in the Park Come out for fun, themed-days as warm weather returns. This weeks features tumble time, but advance registration required. TH (4/17), 9:30am, Hummingbird Park, 97 Starnes Ave

LOCAL MARKETS

Blazing Star Flowers CSA Pick-Up

Get farm fresh flowers and support local agriculture at the same time. Enjoy them yourself or give as a cheerful gift.

TH (4/10), 3:30pm, Ginger's Revenge Craft Brewery & Tasting Room, 829 Riverside Dr Huge Book Market

This market will feature thousands of new and gently used donated and past library books as well as a good selection of DVDs, music CDs, puzzles and games.

FR (4/11), SA (4/12), 9:30am, Madison County Library, 1335 N Main St, Marshall Black Mountain Tailgate Spring Market Weekly tailgate farmer's market, held every Saturday through April 12. SA (4/12), 10am, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Mars Hill Farmers & Artisans Market

A producer-only tailgate market located on the campus of Mars Hill University on College Street. Offering fresh local produce, herbs, cheeses, meats, eggs, baked goods, honey, body care and more.

Every Saturday through Oct. 26.

SA (4/12), 10am, College Street, College St, Mars Hill

Spring Market

Browse local artisan goods and local produce while enjoying live music.

SA (4/12), 10am, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Junk-O-Rama Vintage Market

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

SU (4/13), noon, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd

Meadow Market

This vibrant outdoor market features a curated selection of local makers and artisans. Browse a delightful array of one-of-a-kind textiles, handcrafted jewelry, beautiful pottery, and more.

SU (4/13), 1pm, The Meadow at Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS

WNC Career Expo

The WNC Career Expo is free and open to all job seekers with no registration required to attend. Career seekers are encouraged to attend the WNC Career Expo to meet directly with hiring employers.

WE (4/9), 11am, WNC Agricultural Center, 1301 Fanning Bridge Rd

Toddler Egg Hunt

Bring your basket to the playground for the annual Toddler Egg Hunt. Arrive promptly at 11:30am or you might miss it.

WE (4/9), 11:30am, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Post Hurricane Helene River Clean-Up

The French Broad Riverkeeper team will be removing trash and debris along the riparian area. Please wear closed-toe shoes, long pants and long sleeves, snacks and lunch.

Register at avl.mx/ep4 for exact location.

TH (4/10), 10am, Buncombe County Jose's 4th Annual Lookin' Good Showcase w/Burney Sisters

Visitors can expect a BBQ dinner with a musical performance from teenaged duo the Burney Sisters and Irish singer-songwriter Dylan Walshe. Proceeds will benefit Thrive, a local nonprofit serving individuals with mental health issues.

TH (4/10), 5:30pm, Continuum Art, 147 ste C, 1st Ave E, Hendersonville

A Women's Health Fair

This fair will feature breast cancer screenings, blood pressure and diabetes screenings, immunizations, rapid & STI testing, harm reduction, peer support and local community organizations plus resources.

FR (4/11), 9am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Truck City AVL

Truck City AVL is back, bringing a colossal convoy of mighty machines. Prepare for an up-close encounter with utility trucks, sleek transit buses, powerful construction vehicles, and more.

SA (4/12), 1pm, Tanger Outlets Asheville, 800 Brevard Rd

Garden Dance Party

Celebrate spring with a lively dance party and wear your prettiest spring hat. There will be a contest for a chance to win prizes for the most colorful, largest,

and most unique hats.

SA (4/12), 5:30pm, Reuter YMCA, 3 Town Center Blvd

The 4th Annual WashN-Lube-Hub Scrub

Seasoned bike wash

experts will sell bike wash and chain lube packages. Visitors can enjoy live music, local food trucks, and cold beverages from the Pisgah Tavern. See p41 SU (4/13), 1pm, The Hub and Pisgah Tavern, 11 Mama’s Place, Brevard

Asheville Sports & Fitness Fair

Step into the recently renovated Memorial Stadium as it transforms into a vibrant hub of energy showcasing the world of local sports leagues, fitness opportunities, and healthy living.

TU (4/15), 5pm, Memorial Stadium

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING

Volunteer w/Energy Savers Network

Worksite volunteers perform energy-saving upgrades in groups for clients in and around Buncombe County. You will also learn helpful energy-saving measures like changing lightbulbs, weatherstripping doors, and insulating water heaters.

WE (4/9, 16), TH (4/10, 17), FR (4/11), TU (4/15), 11am, Buncombe County

Oakley Community Closet

A cost-free opportunity to shop clothes, shoes, and toys. Donations for Oakley Community Closet happily accepted at Murphy-Oakley Community Center throughout the week.

WE (4/9), 1pm, Murphy-Oakley Community Center, 749 Fairview Rd

Southside Volunteer Day

Volunteer with RiverLink to maintain the native ecosystem and rain gardens in the

Erskine Community.

Sign up at avl.mx/eo1.

TH (4/10), 10am, Herb Watts Park, 64 Erskine St

Waypoint Adventure Fundraising Party

Come celebrate the spirit and impact of Waypoint Adventure's programs, where individuals with disabilities are empowered to discover their purpose, value, strengths, and abilities—while finding belonging in a supportive and joyful community.

TH (4/10), 6pm, The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd Ste 10

Blue Ridge Humane Society Paws for a Purpose

A signature fundraising weekend dedicated to raising awareness and funds to support our mission of ensuring the highest quality of life for animals. Throughout the weekend, local businesses and individuals will host fundraiser and help animals in need while strengthening our community.

FR (4/11), SA (4/12), SU (4/13), Multiple locations in Henderson County Camp Grier Spring Fundraiser

Experience camp as an adult while supporting our camp scholarship program allowing children to learn about the outdoors, make life-long memories and have summer fun.

SA (4/12), 5pm, Camp Grier, 985 Camp Grier Rd, Old Fort

Comedy for Community Supporting Bounty & Soul

Comedy for Community brings all your favorite local comedians together each week to support the town we love through a variety of local charities and organizations.

SU (4/13), 6:30pm, Catawba Brewing Co. South Slope, 32 Banks Ave

WELLNESS

Second Act

BY JAMIE ZANE

Dear readers:

When thinking about sustainability in relationships, many would probably think about how to make them last a lifetime. I think that we often neglect to think about the relationship we have with ourselves and the relationship we have with our own sexuality.

In the spirit of Xpress’ Sustainability series, I’m answering questions from readers that offer different ways of exploring this topic.

Please continue sending in your advice questions to jamie@ outofthewoodstherapy.com and note the subject as: Mountain Xpress. The advice given here does not qualify as psychotherapy. Also note, I will probably not be responding directly to every email that I receive. Finally, I will do everything I can to protect the identity of anyone who writes to me.

Hi Jamie:

I am a divorced, 45-year-old woman. A big reason why I got divorced is because I spent so many years trying to please a man with my looks and by doing absolutely everything for him, my children, our house (and our pets). I was exhausted, over it all and, by happenstance, had proved to myself that I didn’t need a man for really anything. OK, maybe one thing. It has been a couple of years since I have been divorced. I feel as if I have healed. I am fulfilled by my many female friendships (which don’t depend on my looks) and my rich life. But I do want to have sex.

The problem is, even though I want some connection, I do NOT want a relationship, and I struggle with how to find that and how to find that without relying on my looks. Using the apps is terrifying because it relies on looks and because the dating pool in Asheville is shallow. Please help!

— Divorced with No Strings Attached

Dear Divorced w/NSA:

I’m going to start off by disclosing that some of the best sex of my life has been with myself. For some reason (maybe being raised by a single mom who I heard cry herself to sleep for many years until she found my stepdad), I didn’t get the memo that it was taboo for girls to masturbate. I remember walking up to a table of girls when I was new to Catholic school and asking them, “So … who masturbates?” (You can imagine the gasps.)

I share this to normalize the fact that women are often discouraged from enjoying their own bodies and instead we are often taught to disconnect from our bodies while simultaneously working to live up to beauty standards to attract a partner (especially if you are trying to attract men). If you have not done this yet, I would strongly encourage you to check out Vavavoom (a local sex shop that is outstanding) and also to check out the website omgyes.com.

I also recognize that sometimes this can only take you so far and that what you may crave is simply a man’s hands on your body. That’s totally understandable. And I hear you loud and clear about the apps and the shallowness of it all. There are still people meeting the old fashioned way — so to speak — and so many

means knowing what is true for you and having the courage to be honest about what you are looking for. I wish you the best.

Jamie:

Last evening I went on a third date with a guy. After we parted, I decided that I am just not that into him. He seems like a nice guy, but I don’t feel any real chemistry. Is it OK to ghost him?

— To Ghost or Not Ghost

[Editor’s note: For readers unfamiliar with the term, “ghosting” is when you end a relationship with someone without explanation and avoid communication with the individual.]

people are extremely frustrated with the apps for the reasons you cite. You mention having a very rich life with incredible girlfriends. If there are things that you are interested in but have not explored (such as taking cooking classes, joining a hiking meetup, going to a pole class with some of those girlfriends, picking random events that seem interesting to you on the community calendars), start going to some new places and see what happens. This way you are continuing to live that rich life and you are also surrounding yourself with people who are interested in similar things and so maybe there’s a chance that you’ll meet a nice guy who is down for NSA.

Additionally, you can still use the apps. But be honest about what you are looking for — with some boundaries. We always have to do whatever we can to stay safe (and so you’ll want to make sure that at least one of your girlfriends knows where you are when you go meet someone in person). You don’t owe anyone your whole story when you first meet them. And you might not be feeling particularly confident about dating, in general, since you were married long enough to feel like you were raising a spouse along with children and pets. Be kind to yourself around how you perceive your own appearance. Many would say that it’s confidence that makes people attractive, and I think that

It can be really hard for several reasons to tell someone that you’re just not feeling it. You might not want to hurt his feelings. You might feel nervous about how he’ll react. And in some cases, you might feel genuinely afraid about how he’ll react. It sounds like you are more concerned with his feelings in this case — since you mentioned that he seems like a nice guy. To ghost or not to ghost is really depending on the context. There’s not necessarily a hard-and-fast rule about how many dates make ghosting acceptable (although for established relationships, it’s generally frowned upon to ghost unless there are safety concerns).

I also think that putting up boundaries and holding them can be really hard for a lot of us, and it’s a skill we have to develop in order to feel secure within ourselves, our relationships and to operate from a place of integrity.

You wrote this to me several weeks back, and I am well aware that you may have already ghosted or not ghosted. I hope that whatever you have decided has worked out well for you. And if you did ghost but are second-guessing it, you can always circle back around and say to the person that you are sorry, you think he’s a nice guy, and you just weren’t feeling the romantic feelings. If you ever need any help with this sort of boundary or others, I really love Justine Fonte’s Instagram account at avl.mx/eor — she goes by “Your Friendly Ghostwriter.”

Hey Jamie:

I’d love to hear your thoughts on a variety of topics. Here’s one that may be worthwhile for your

readers: What’s it like to have sex after 60? 70? 80?

Ask anyone who has worked at a nursing home, and they will tell you that older adults are having a lot of sex. Maybe it’s because inhibitions are lowered and the stakes are not as high. Maybe it’s because sex still feels good and humans enjoy it.

We are told a lot of myths about sex/ sexuality. One of the biggest myths is that people completely lose interest as they age. Sometimes this is true, of course. Sometimes the hormonal shifts of menopause or andropause can cause dramatic changes to a person’s sexual interests and/or functioning. Other times we find ourselves more interested in sex as we age, but it’s driven more from responsive desire than spontaneous desire.

Sex can be fabulous in our 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond if we continue to learn about our bodies and how to care for them. (Vulva moisturizer is your friend for those with vulvas; hormone replacement therapy can be fantastic; nonsexual penile massage can be great for helping rebuild tissue after atrophy and increase blood flow.)

Sometimes you might need a little extra help, and it’s important to know that most physicians have no

training in human sexuality — even gynecologists and urologists. You have to be sure that your doctor is comfortable talking with you about sex (not just vice versa) and that they know what they’re talking about. We happen to have the Fosnight Center for Sexual Health in Asheville, and it is one of my go-to places. You also may be referred for pelvic floor physical therapy; we have several great pelvic PTs in town.

Additionally, great communication and a sex reeducation can do a world of good. Learning how to talk about sex is a skill set that many have not developed in our culture, and we make it all the way into late adulthood sometimes without this skill and then suffer a ton of unnecessary shame about it. Being able to consider the changing needs of our bodies, sometimes expanding our definitions of sex and the erotic, and being able to collaborate on this with a partner can be reenergizing for those who are interested in sex.

And if you’re not at all interested in sex as you age, it’s certainly OK to find other things in life that give you a lot of pleasure. There are some of us who never had interest in sex, and that’s perfectly normal, too! X

ARTS & CULTURE

Making it better Art brings healing to Asheville creatives and community

BY GINA SMITH

gsmith@mountainx.com

A photo of a clown inside a gutted building holding a cluster of candy-colored balloons. A black-and-white sketch of a house with water pouring from its windows. An artist’s portrait of her own anguished face juxtaposed with written memories of an all-too-fresh disaster.

These works are among the deluge of art generated by Western North Carolina creatives in the months since Tropical Storm Helene tore its brutal path through the mountains last September. In almost every conceivable medium, imaginative expressions of sadness, confusion, horror and grief related to the storm have emerged in recent months — the natural result of a vibrant arts community processing a devastating natural disaster.

In turn, those individual works offer poignant messages to the outside world about WNC’s experiences, while providing a conduit for connection and healing within the local community.

GIVING FORM TO EMOTIONS

Humans have always instinctively used art as a tool for processing feelings and healing from trauma, says Asheville art therapist Ellen Dufrene “Essentially, art gives us this form for emotions that can be too complex or too big to express in words.

“When we engage in the creative process, we’re inviting our subconscious to surface through color, shape, textures, symbols, things that we may not yet be able to articulate,” she continues. “So the act of making art can be really grounding and provide a sense of control when things feel completely out of control.”

A trained artist, Dufrene started a women’s art therapy group that met at Riverview Station in the River Arts District (RAD) before Helene. She also leads willow basket-weaving retreats and is launching an art therapy nonprofit called ArtWell. Like everyone in WNC, she has her own Helene story — her studio/office space is above Zuma Coffee in downtown Marshall.

“My studio was spared, but everything below me was completely gutted,” she says. “There’s definitely a lot of survivor’s guilt.”

Even with that, she says, art helps. “It’s about alchemizing our experiences into something tangible that we can find meaning out of. It’s not necessarily about making beautiful artwork; it’s about allowing what’s inside to find a way out.”

Releasing the trauma into art, she explains, can lessen anxiety, help people feel less disconnected from themselves and even make room for hope and a sense of renewal.

CREATIVE CATHARSIS

Hope and renewal were two things clothing designer, photographer and RAD resident Leanna Echeverri sorely needed in the days after Helene. An employee of Marquee artists market, where she kept a gallery for selling her framed work, Echeverri also led tours through the RAD highlighting the neighborhood’s graffiti art. With Helene’s floods, Echeverri’s community and livelihood vanished in an instant.

While sheltering temporarily in Florida, inspiration struck. The previous winter, Echeverri had photographed many RAD buildings, just for fun. Musing on how those locations had changed with the flood, she contacted her friend, local massage therapist and model Erin Trixi Fitzgerald, with the idea to sew a clown costume and shoot photos amid the RAD’s wreckage.

“I loved the contrast of these buildings and this kind of destruction and bringing in this iconic image of inno-

cence and playfulness,” Echeverri says. “When we did it, I don’t think we really understood how cathartic it would be pulling up feelings and expressing ourselves, processing and healing.”

When Echeverri returned to Asheville, she stitched a clown suit for Fitzgerald, and the pair wandered around the RAD with no particular agenda, setting up shots of the clown holding balloons in and around the ruins and debris of iconic neighborhood sites, including Marquee, Foundation Skatepark and Summit Coffee.

She posted the resulting series of photos on Facebook and continues to periodically do additional shoots, exploring possibilities for the evolving project. “Just being able to focus on an idea and create a concept is huge, because we’re all in shock, we’re all dissociating,” says Echeverri. “Doing something generative — that’s empowering.”

The photographer says she’s aware the images offer a means of collective healing. As the project develops, she’s staying open to opportunities to exhibit them publicly.

“It’s a bittersweet concept, because the clown represents, maybe, what we had before,” she says. “The bittersweet part is still trying to interact in

these places that used to be, the places where we were happy and carefree and just showing that juxtaposition.”

INVITATION TO CONNECTION

Art created in response to trauma, says Dufrene, carries a “raw honesty” that invites people to connect with their emotions. “Artists are creating a kind of bridge, a reminder that none of us are alone in our feelings,” she explains.

“It brings a sense of validation, a sense of closure and even purpose and meaning. It turns pain into something tangible, something that others can hold and witness and really connect with.”

Artist and filmmaker Kira Bursky experienced art’s connective power when she shared a series of digital black-and-white sketches she created as part of the Inktober art challenge. The annual global project invites artists to do a drawing each day throughout October in response to prompts.

An Asheville native living in Greenville, S.C., Bursky had already planned to participate in the 2024 challenge when Helene hit. “I decided to

use [the project] as a way to express my feelings about the storm,” she says. “Emotionally, I couldn’t bring myself to create anything else.”

Guided by prompts like “backpack,” “passport” and one notably tricky one — “rhinoceros” — Bursky created 31 images inspired by her own Helene experiences and those of friends, family and community members. When she posted some of the sketches on Reddit near the end of October, the response was overwhelming and unexpected.

Many people immediately bought prints and other items from Bursky’s online store, and she was invited to exhibit the series at the Transylvania Community Arts Council, the West Asheville Public Library and a gallery in Lansing, N.C. Through Sunday, April 27, the collection is on display as part of the opening exhibition at Resurrection Studios Collective in Asheville.

“People have approached me, and they’ll point out a particular piece and tell me that was what happened to them, that was their story,” Bursky

says. “I have had a lot of people tell me that this has helped them to process. I’ve had some parents share the art with their children as a way to talk through things.”

Bursky, who says she’s always used art as a way to explore mental health issues, says numerous people from outside WNC — including survivors of Hurricane Katrina — have reached out to her about the series. She hopes to take the collection to larger cities around the U.S. “A new source of inspiration and passion for me is the idea of bringing awareness beyond Asheville, so that we can continue to get help and resources,” she says.

SHARING THE STORY

Asheville artist, writer, inventor and educator Cleaster Cotton had already accepted an invitation to present her art and writing at Princeton University on Oct. 24, when she spent a horrific night watching Helene’s floodwaters swallow the RAD, creeping just to the

The Art of Healing

By Cleaster Cotton (2001)

What colors would an artist use to quiet our collective bruise what dancer’s steps would remove stress what maestro’s baton could heal this mess what notes would a musician play what melody / what cord what song would a singer blare to remove this piercing sword what words could a writer’s pen scribe to stop the pain what poet’s rhythm / verse or rhyme will help us live again? X

BARING THE SOUL: Cleaster Cotton, pictured, shared her deeply emotional, large-format self-portraits with written reflections on Tropical Storm Helene in her Soul Singin’ After the Storm show at Princeton University in October. Photo courtesy of Cotton

edge of her apartment building on the neighborhood’s outskirts.

In the chaotic weeks after the flood, she recalls being in post-traumatic shock, feeling “raw, as if I was on an operating table.” Yet she ultimately decided that the show — a collection of large-format, black-and-white portraits the artist made in 2006 of her own face in states of deep emotion — must go on.

“I was guided [by my ancestors] that I needed to do the presentation at Princeton University anyway and honor my word,” says Cotton. “In doing so, I would help myself navigate life after the storm and help others learn what we went through here in Asheville. The presentation would also assist people who were facing a variety of challenges in general.”

Her intention when she shot the photos nearly two decades ago, she says, was to help others to access deep pain, feel it and release it. Instead of the simple literary reading she had originally planned for the Princeton event, she organized a photographic presentation, Q&A and reflection on her Helene experience. The show became Cleaster Cotton: Soul Singin’ After the Storm. Though the Princeton show was extremely painful for her to navigate,

Cotton recalls that her reading and the images had a profound impact on the audience. “There were tissues being passed around, literally, people were crying,” she says.

With a slideshow of the photos playing in the background during the Q&A session, students thanked her and shared personal stories, noting that through the show, they had connected with emotions around their own struggles. “I felt like I was helping humanity,” says Cotton.

Since the Princeton event, Cotton has exhibited Soul Singin’ After the Storm at Red Dog Gallery and Sawtooth School for Visual Art in Winston-Salem. The collection has yet to make a WNC appearance, though she feels it would be a powerful step for Asheville’s healing.

More than six months after Helene, Cotton, Bursky and Echeverri continue to process the disaster through their art.

“Healing is not linear. It’s something you do all your life as things occur,” says Cotton, who is currently turning her trauma into small watercolor paintings and pyrographic images on wood.

“When I use art-making to process trauma, it’s no longer inside of me — I use it. It becomes a tool. My healing happens in the process of creating.” X

Magical Offerings

4/10:

4/11:

4/12:

4/13:

4/15:

Feat of imagination

BY JON ELLISTON

It is a survival story that refuses to die, finding fresh life with each new telling. In its essentials, it sounds as improbable as it is inspiring: The Kingdom of the Happy Land, a self-sufficient enclave founded by former slaves, was perched high along the state line that separates Henderson County, N.C., and Greenville County, S.C. There, between roughly 1873 and 1919, scores of Black men and women pooled their resources and secured their autonomy, realizing a dream and creating a legend.

They did so under the tutelage of a king and queen, selected from their numbers, seeking safety as newly freed people and vestiges of ancestral realms in Africa. They built their own homes, schools and places of worship, and cultivated the land for both their own sustenance and to generate collective income.

For such a remarkable utopian endeavor, there has been a paucity of historical research on how the kingdom came to be and how it ultimately came undone. In her new novel, Happy Land, Dolen PerkinsValdez offers a bold interpretation of how the kingdom defied its times — and how its saga holds lessons that resound today.

Perkins-Valdez, the author of previous historical fiction bestsellers rooted in Black experience and an associate professor of literature at American University in Washington,

D.C., tells the kingdom’s story from two perspectives from distinct eras. The first is that of Queen Luella, the longtime co-leader of the Happy Land, who dares to craft a new world in the face of both white supremacy and her own community’s patriarchy. The second is that of Luella’s great-great-great-granddaughter, Nikki, who struggles in the 2020s to reconstruct her family’s lost history and reclaim its meaning while family land hangs in the balance.

“Maybe I would’ve done different if I’d known I was descended from

royalty,” Nikki laments amid her epiphanies. “Maybe I would have understood that the possibilities for my future were limitless.”

To overcome the limited written history of the kingdom, PerkinsValdez enlisted allies in Henderson County, which she visited at length. At upcoming readings from Happy Land, she’ll be joined by two locals she credits with enriching her source material: Ronnie Pepper, a Hendersonville librarian and storyteller who has kept the kingdom’s oral history flame alive; and Suzanne Hale, a retired diplomat and ace researcher.

Xpress spoke with Perkins-Valdez as she prepped for her book-release events in Western North Carolina and throughout the South. Here are excerpts from the conversation.

Xpress: What initially sparked your curiosity about the Kingdom of the Happy Land?

Dolen Perkins-Valdez: I had heard about Black intentional communities before. There was the Coe Ridge Colony in Kentucky, there was the Promised Land Community in Tennessee. But I had never heard of the one in Western North Carolina, and the thing that really caught my attention was that they had named a

king and a queen and had imagined themselves as a kingdom. The feat of imagination that it would take to do that just piqued my interest. So I started to dig.

What made you think this was a story that would be well served by a work of historical fiction?

Anytime you find a story like this where there are gaps in the historical record, I think that’s where fiction steps in. I knew that it was true — I knew that this kingdom existed. I knew that the kingdom dwellers were a lot of things that we don’t know and that maybe we will never know. So when I write a book, I’m often thinking about the story that the historical record can’t tell.

One of your characters says, “Much as I love the historical record, it doesn’t always have the answers, especially when it comes to our stories.” In crafting this story, how did you deal with this absence in what we know about the Happy Land?

I always approach the historical record with skepticism, as I think any good historian does. We’re always thinking, “The people who previously wrote about this moment, what are some of the things they might have missed?” And I followed my instincts. It didn’t make sense to me that the original kingdom dwellers came up from Mississippi [as a prominent account of the Happy Land published in 1957 had asserted]. … It didn’t take a lot to find out that they actually came up from Spartanburg County, South Carolina, which made a lot more sense to me. I think they left South Carolina fleeing terrorist violence. That was a major finding, and then all kinds of other things opened up. I’m really grateful to Suzanne Hale — she was the one who cracked that.

A striking note in your book is that reclaiming land is reclaiming history. At the same time, the possibility that today’s descendants of Happy Land residents could get family land back seems tragically remote. What part of this vital territory can be reclaimed through narratives like the one in Happy Land?

We can get it back, imaginatively. We may not often get the physical land back, but we can take back community, we can claim connection with family members. One of the other things that I hope that people will get out of the book is, let’s get better connected to nature and to the outdoors, in a way that our ancestors were.

The characters in your book, in both the historical setting and the contemporary one, are striving to discover, to recover, their own his-

tory. As you share this book now, what are you thinking about how it sits within the recent and ongoing “anti-DEI” push from the federal government?

These stories are not just African American stories, they’re American stories. You can’t talk about the history of America without talking about the history of enslavement, and you can’t talk about that without talking about the Emancipation Proclamation or the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. You can’t talk about the

history of private landownership in this country without talking about the ways in which Black folks lost land through the law.

So it’s really baffling to me how someone can expect to exclude Black history from a curriculum; like, what do you teach? There’s never been a time in this country where our lives were not interspersed, for better or for worse. We are fellow Americans with a common history, and all of us can benefit from learning every aspect of that history. X

Three Weekends Six Monologues Nine

Plays

monologue & short play festival

WHAT Dolen Perkins-Valdez, with Ronnie Pepper WHERE Henderson County Public Library, 301 N. Washington St., Hendersonville, avl.mx/eof

WHEN Monday, April 14, 6 p.m. Free with RSVP

A thousand pints of light

Local bottle shops and homebrewing suppliers add flavor to Asheville’s beer scene

BY CHRISTOPHER ARBOR

yearinbeerasheville@gmail.com

On Jan. 1, Christopher Arbor and his friends pledged to visit one Asheville brewery each week for all of 2025 in the order that they opened, then share the experience with Mountain Xpress readers. To read about their recent visit to One World Brewing, visit avl.mx/eo6.

If you don’t have the time, interest or valor to visit all of Asheville’s breweries, you can find a boatload of them represented in our fantastically well-stocked local bottle shops.

And … and! … as many local breweries as there are, they’re only the tip of the beer-berg. What if I told you that there are over 1,000 breweries in the Asheville area? That could be the case once you factor in all the brewing happening in people’s homes.

That’s right, folks. This one’s for the bottle shops and homebrewers.

This year, my birthday fell on a Wednesday, so I rerouted our yearlong brewery crawl to my house, where I lured my friends in with the promise of some extravagant local ales and my mediocre homebrew.

I’d stopped by the Local 604 Bottle Shop. While there are other fine shops in Asheville, this one’s my go-to because of its focus on regional breweries. It has hundreds of beers from nearly 100 breweries,

plus mead, cider, sake and wine. I picked up several four-packs for a beer swap.

If you’re not familiar with a beer swap, it’s a pretty simple but compelling idea. Everyone shows up with something interesting or rare, adds it to the cooler, and at the end of the evening, guests take home the leftovers. Attendees essentially go home with a variety pack.

On tap, made by yours truly, was an IPA and an oatmeal stout, both of which I brewed from kits picked up at Asheville Brewers Supply, a place that’s been around as long as the oldest breweries in town. I had added fenugreek to the stout — a clever trick to give it a maple flavor, since any added maple syrup would just ferment out. The IPA mimics Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale; it’s called Hell’s No-Hearted.

My friends sauntered up my driveway and settled in for an evening of conversation and camaraderie. If I were giving out an award for Best Bringer of Beer, it would go to David Stavros, who brought a beer from Weihenstephaner, the world’s oldest brewery.

How old, you ask? I’ll give you a hint: It’s older than me, older than the United States, older even than the Norman conquest of England back in 1066. David, by the way, is the kind of guy who is always showing up with something interesting,

YEAR BINEER

a

whether it’s a food item or topic for conversation.

Best Guest Prize would go to Luke Heller. Ever been prepping food during a party and some well-intentioned person wants to chat with you while you’re clearly busy? And then there’s the opposite — the person who shows up in the kitchen and with minimal verbal interaction intuits what you need to do and supports you in doing it? That’s Luke, able to quickly and easily establish what Wendell Berry calls a “sympathy of body.”

local

community and well-

Year

Good beer and good friends. What more could a birthday boy ask for?

On a final note, if you’re a homebrewer (or homebrewing-curious) seeking wisdom and community, check out the Mountain Ale and Lager Tasters (MALT) group at avl.mx/eoy or on Facebook.

Come join us on another adventure. We gather at 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Email me at yearinbeerasheville@ gmail.com or just show up.

• April 9: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

• April 16: Mills River Brewing X

WHAT’S NEW IN FOOD Easter brunch bunch

Voodoo Brewing Co. closed on April 6 and will reopen Thursday, April 10, as The Flying Squirrel Pub. Voodoo launched in October 2023 at 3578 Sweeten Creek Road as a franchise of the Pennsylvania-based Voodoo Brewing Co. Owner Bill Osborne and Voodoo mutually agreed to end the franchise partnership, Osborn says. The new independent restaurant and pub will offer 20 taps of regional and domestic craft beers and a tweaked menu. “While the name above the door may change, the spirit remains the same,” says Osborne. “The staff you’ve come to know, the warm hospitality, the commitment to great beer and food — it’s all still here.” For more on The Flying Squirrel Pub, visit avl.mx/eox. X

The Flying Squirrel Pub Maca

s & Mimos a s

Dessert will be the star at the Macarons and Mimosas brunch on Saturday, April 19, at Ivory Road Café. Two courses — rose pistachio granola with vanilla yogurt and fresh fruit and a roasted potato hash soul bowl — will be followed by a flight of four house-made macarons paired with four mimosas. Seatings are at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $48. Ivory Road is at 1854 Brevard Road. Buy tickets at avl.mx/eot. X

Spring

Many Buncombe County farmers markets have reopened for the season, while others are set to reopen or have new seasonal hours, the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) recently announced. Nine markets (marked with a *) offer Double SNAP and Farm Fresh Produce Prescription programs to expand community access to fresh produce. Learn more at avl.mx/eow

Many WNC restaurants are celebrating on Easter Sunday, April 20, with special brunch service, and it’s never too early to make reservations. Here are a few options:

• Bargello will offer a three-course menu featuring a selection of spring dishes, including frittata, short rib Benedict and shrimp and grits. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. $59 per adult, $29 per child, plus tax and gratuity. 7 Patton Ave. avl.mx/eou

• Miso-cured salmon, honey-roasted ham and a buildyour-own omelette station are featured on the brunch buffet at The Silo Cookhouse at The Horse Shoe Farm 11 a.m.-3 p.m. There will be a children’s Easter egg hunt at 2 p.m. Cost is $85 for adults, $50 for ages 3-12; kids 2 and younger are free. 155 Horse Shoe Farm Drive, Hendersonville. avl.mx/pryq

• Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse has everything from banana bourbon French toast to breakfast ramen and smoked Carolina pork shoulder on its a la carte Easter brunch menu, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Weekly Saturday brunch service kicks off April 26. 121 Biltmore Ave. avl.mx/eov X

• Asheville City Market:* Saturdays, 9 a.m.-noon, North Market Street between Woodfin and Walnut

• Black Mountain Tailgate Market:* Saturdays, May 3, 9 a.m.-noon, 130 Montreat Road.

• North Asheville Tailgate Market: * Saturdays, 8 a.m.-noon, UNC Asheville, Lot P34

• Southside Community Farmers Market:* First Sunday of each month, June 1, noon-3 p.m., 133 Livingston St.

• West Asheville Tailgate Market:* Tuesdays, 3:30-6:30 p.m., 718 Haywood Road

• Leicester Farmers Market: Wednesday, May 3, 3-6 p.m., 2979 New Leicester Highway

• River Arts District Farmers Market:* Wednesdays, 3-6 p.m., 350 Riverside Drive

• Weaverville Tailgate Market: * Wednesdays, 3-6 p.m., 60 Lakeshore Drive

• Enka-Candler Farmer’s Market:* Thursdays, April 24, 3:30-6:30 p.m., 1465 Sand Hill Road

• Biltmore Park Farmers Market: Thursdays, May 29, 3-6 p.m., 1 Town Square Blvd.

• East Asheville Tailgate Market:* Fridays, 3–6 p.m., 954 Tunnel Road

• WNC Farmers Market: Daily, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., 570 Brevard Road, Truck Shed No.1 X

BY KAY WEST

Like many Americans, Nicole Wandtke has fond childhood memories of a soft serve ice cream spot where, on warm summer nights, families, Little League baseball teams and packs of teens pressed close to the walk-up window to order chocolate-vanilla twists, dipped cones and elaborate sundaes.

Wandtke has turned that sweet nostalgia into her own business. On March 27, she launched Sweet Cub in a vintage trailer in the parking lot of Highline North Apartments in Woodfin. Retrofitted by Wandtke and her boyfriend, Spencer Sain, the trailer has a service window through which Wandtke passes the cups and cones, both plain and bedazzled with traditional toppings as well as some unique ones, such as olive oil and sea salt flakes.

Wandtke’s nomadic route to Asheville from her hometown of Mason, Ohio — about 30 miles outside Cincinnati — didn’t foreshadow the travel trailer as a base of operations as much as her lifelong passion for ice cream culminated in the concept of the business. “[I have] always believed there is always room for ice cream,” she says. “Growing up, the local soft serve place was Loveland Dairy Whip. We’d go after games and with neighborhood kids. It was part of my youth.”

After college in Columbus, Wandtke was hired by General Mills, which placed her in Albuquerque N.M., then later in Minneapolis. After transitioning to working remotely for a recruiting company, she chose to relocate to the Asheville area, which suited her love of hiking and the outdoors.

Ultimately, though, she started feeling burned out from staring at a computer screen all day and isolated from her co-workers. In October, after Tropical Storm Helene hit Western North Carolina, she ditched the corporate path and quit her job. Looking for direction, she turned to a bucket list she had written in high school. “I wanted to be out in the community, meeting people,” she says. “‘Open an ice cream shop’ was something I thought I’d do when I retired, but it popped to the top of the list,” she says.

Sweet spot

Online research led Wandtke to a company in Georgia that sold trailer shells. Sain took charge of the buildout, and she tracked down two soft serve machines, learned the method, practiced techniques, developed recipes and oversaw the aesthetic. “I wanted a look and colors that reminded people of vintage national parks, and that’s exactly the reaction from people when they see it,” she says.

Aside from the soft serve basics and loads of toppings, Sweet Cub’s menu features three sundaes — the Blue Ridge Bear is drizzled with honey and sprinkled with flaked sea

salt; the Campfire is topped with toasted marshmallows, graham cracker crumbs and chocolate sauce; and the Dirt Road has gummy bears and Oreo crumbles. Another option, ice cream nachos, features soft serve piled on waffle cone chips with a syrup and a topping.

Wandtke’s favorite? “I’m a simple girl,” she says with a laugh. “I like vanilla with rainbow sprinkles.”

In addition to public pop-ups, Sweet Cub can be booked for weddings, parties, special events, festivals and other gatherings. Learn more at avl.mx/eog, and follow on Instagram for pop-up schedule at avl.mx/eoh.

by Edwin Arnaudin

Death Comes to Play Josh Phillips

A natural disaster may delay local theater, but it’s powerless to stop it. Case in point: Death Comes to Play, the first new theatrical work in seven years from The Sublime Theater producing artistic director Steven Samuels, was slated to debut on Oct. 3 at downtown’s BeBe Theatre. Tropical Storm Helene had other ideas for this comedy about a 75th birthday party that takes place on (appropriately enough) a dark, stormy night. But with a little encouragement from his friends, Samuels resuscitated the production. “This one — rooted in

but very different from an old play and movie called Death Takes a Holiday — came together faster than seemed possible,” Samuels says in a press release.

“And then that speed was mocked by the storm-enforced delay. I worried briefly, after, that a play with ‘Death’ in the title, however comic, just might not sit right with Asheville audiences quite yet. But the cast and crew convinced me that a play that’s this much fun is just what we all need most.”

The show runs Thursdays-Saturdays, April 17-May 3, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. avl.mx/eon X

One of many Asheville-area artists to have their latest project’s release plans thwarted by Tropical Storm Helene, Josh Phillips turned that frustration into inspiration. The longtime local’s new album, Everything’s Good, was set for an Oct. 18 debut. When that date was delayed, he turned his focus to helping those around him. “I think we all, collectively, relearned the value of giving your time and resources to others, and that in the end, it’s the only thing we have,” Phillips says in a press release. It was in that spirit, that

he decided to work with nonprofit record label CommunityZ RecordZ to use Everything’s Good as a means to directly support the Asheville community as it recovers from Helene. Separate from the album’s February debut, Phillips released the Already Gone EP, featuring three editions of the eponymous single — the album version, an instrumental version and an orchestral version made in collaboration with the Asheville Symphony. All proceeds from sales of the EP will go directly to BeLoved Asheville. avl.mx/eoq X

Who among us doesn’t have a dirty bicycle in need of a proper bath? The Pisgah Area chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) senses your two-wheeled companion’s uncleanliness and counters with the fourth annual Hub Scrub bicycle washand-lube event on Sunday, April 13, on the patio of The Hub in Pisgah Forest. The event runs 1-5 p.m. and features music by Brevard-based Travis Book Band — the eponymous project of

The Infamous Stringdusters’ bassist. “Our seasoned bike wash experts will sell bike wash and chain lube packages,” organizers say in a press release. “Proceeds from the wash go to Pisgah Area SORBA to help continue their trail work in our beloved Pisgah National Forest.” Local food trucks will be on-site during the family-friendly event, and drinks will be available for purchase from the adjacent Pisgah Tavern. Free to attend. avl.mx/eoo X

Following a successful inaugural season, the Pigeon Community Conversations with Storytellers Series returns for a second year of performances by award-winning artists from Western North Carolina’s African American, Latinx and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian (EBCI) communities. Hosted by the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center (PCMDC) in downtown Waynesville, the monthly series kicks off Thursday, April 10, with Kathi Littlejohn The EBCI member has been telling Cherokee stories for over 40 years

and, since 2020, has led Cherokee history tours to historically and culturally significant locations across WNC. PCMDC program director Tausha Forney leads the series, which runs on the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. through September. Future installments feature LaKisha Blount, Joseph Drew Lanham, Kelle Jolly, Roy Harris and Glenis Redmond Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for ages 65 and older, and $5 for students. Free for children ages 12 and younger. Season passes are also available. avl.mx/eop  X

Home Delivery

CLUBLAND

HONKY-TONK FULL OF HEART: On Saturday, April 12, The Crow & Quill hosts local country and honky-tonk band Hearts Gone South, starting at 8 p.m. Listeners can expect to hear classic stories of heartbreak, love and victory for the underdog.

Photo courtesy of Christa De Mayo

For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4.

SLY GROG LOUNGE

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9

12 BONES

SMOKEBOUSE & BREWING

Trivia Night w/King Trivia, 7pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S PSK Karaoke, 8pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

LEVELLER BREWING CO.

Folk Club Open Mic, 6:30pm

NEW BELGIUM

BREWING CO.

Daniel Shearin (acoustic), 5:30pm

ONE STOP AT

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Space Fiddle (folk-tronic, alt-rock, hip-hop), 10pm

PULP

Mission Accomplished (rock), 8pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Crystal Fountains (Americana, indie-rolk, bluegrass), 6pm

Weird Wednesday Open Jam, 7pm

SOUTHERN

APPALACHIAN BREWERY

Jazz Night, 6pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Squirrel Nut Zippers Present: Back 'O Town (jazz), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Moon Water (country, jazz), 7pm

THE MULE

Saylor Brothers (jamgrass), 7:30pm

THE ODD

Terraoke Karaoke Takeover, 9pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic Night, 6pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

• Irish Session, 5pm

• Melissa McKinney's Bad Ass Blues Jam, 7:30pm

THURSDAY, APRIL 10

12 BONES

SMOKEBOUSE & BREWING

Scott Stetson (country, Americana), 5:30pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Joe Marcinek’s Dead

Funk Summit w/Jerry’s Dead (Grateful Dead tribute), 8pm

BEARS SMOKEHOUSE

BBQ

Roots in the Round (multi-genre), 7pm

CROW & QUILL Meschiya Lake & The Moodswingers (blues, jazz), 8pm

EDA RHYNE

DISTILLERY & TASTING ROOM

The Gilded Palace of Metamodern Sounds, 6pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY

Bless Your Heart Trivia w/Harmon, 7pm

EULOGY

Scott McMicken & The Ever Expanding w/Doc Aquatic & Julie Odell (indie-rock, psychedelic, folk), 8pm

FLOOD GALLERY

True Home Open Mic, 6pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Gold Rose (Americana, alt-country), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7pm

LEVELLER BREWING

CO.

Irish Session, 6pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

The Congdon Griffin Band (rock, folk, blues), 9pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING

Julia Still (country, Americana), 8pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST

Fee Fi Phaux Fish (Phish tribute), 8pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Sqwerv (rock, indie), 6:30pm

REVOLVE

Untethered w/Okapi (avant-garde, experimental), 7pm

SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/Franco Nino, 9pm

STATIC AGE LOFT

Auto-Tune Karaoke w/ Who Gave This B*tch A Mic, 10pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Rap Attack: C.Shreve

The Professor, Sxvxnt, Kaizër & Isa Ibn Wali (hip-hop, rap), 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: Old Sap (folk, Americana), 5:30pm

• The Wildmans (bluegrass, folk), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT

DOOR

All Female Singer-Songwriter Night, 7pm

THE ODD Coven Collaborations Presents: Parental Advisory Resurrection, 9pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Larry Fleet w/Everette (country), 8pm

WICKED WEED

BREWING Mike Hollon (acoustic), 5pm

FRIDAY, APRIL 11

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Runaway Gin (Phish tribute), 9pm

CORK & KEG

The Old Chevrolette Set (country), 8pm

CROW & QUILL

Matadragones (Latin, Americana), 8pm

DSSOLVR JORTS! Standup

Comedy Showcase, 7pm

EULOGY

Emo Night Brooklyn (emo, pop, punk), 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S Clementine Was Right, Jude Brothers, Claire Whall & Nordmoe & the Rodeo (country, Americana), 9pm

GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Andy Ferrell (folk, country, Appalachian), 6pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Truphonic (funk, bluesrcok, hip-hop), 7pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Carolina Bluegrass Style, 9pm

LEAF GLOBAL ARTS Jazz Jam, 6pm NEW BELGIUM BREWING CO.

The Moon & You (multigenre), 7:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Jason Jones Band (folk, pop, indie), 8pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Sqwerv (rock, psych, funk), 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Jeremiah Tall (folk), 8pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST

Big Blue & Virtuous Music Band (soul, nu-metal, R&B), 8pm

SHAKEY'S Underground Enigma w/DJ Wit My Demons, 10pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Free Flow Band (funk), 9pm

SIERRA NEVADA

BREWING CO.

Joslyn & the Sweet Compression (funk, soul, R&B), 7:30pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Bad Authors, Dark City

Kings & The Loverfaces (indie-rock, Amrericana, alt-indie), 9pm

THE BURGER BAR

The Bleeps, Tiny TVs & 77 Lies (garage-punk, noise), 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Tell Me Lies (Fleetwood Mac), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Sal Landers (rock'n'roll), 7pm

THE ODD

Failure 2 Conform, CodaPen & 6 Speed (punk, metal, rock), 9pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Ty Segall Solo (acoustic), 8pm

THIRD ROOM

Megan Hamilton w/ Pineo & Loeb (electronic, bass, hip-hop), 8pm

TURGUA BREWING

CO

Rod Sphere (soul, rock, reggae), 5pm

WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT

The Hillclimbers (bluegrass, jazz-fusion, funk), 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

Bill Mattocks Blues, 7:30pm

SATURDAY, APRIL 12

27 CLUB

Femme Domination:

Dirty Holly, The Unknown & Sister Sandoz (punk-rock, alt-metal, rock), 10pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Eggy (funk, psych-rock, blues), 9pm

BEARS SMOKEHOUSE

BBQ

Eli Kahn (lo-fi), 7pm

BATTERY PARK BOOK

EXCHANGE

Dinah's Daydream (jazz), 5:30pm

CORK & KEG

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

CROW & QUILL

Hearts Gone South (country, honky tonk), 8pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY

The Bo Stevens (country), 8pm

EULOGY

The Bright Light Social Hour w/Yesterdays Clothes (psych-rock, pop-psycho), 8pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Las Montañitas (psych-surf, cumbia, Afro-Colombian), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Nobody’s Darling String Band, 4pm

• Fancy & the Gentlemen (blues, rock, Americana), 9pm

MEADOWLARK MOTEL

A. Lee Edwards (country, folk, rock), 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Kayla Mckinney (country), 8pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Brother Fat & Friends (funk, blues, rock), 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

• Charlotte Bluegrass Allstars, 4pm

• Cosmic Equilibrium: CPT. Hyperdrive, Osiah, Interstellar Noise & Ionsound (tribal, edm, electronica), 9pm

PERI SOCIAL HOUSE : BAR ~ COFFEE ~ BOUTIQUE HOTEL

Ginger & David Taylor (folk), 4pm

SHAKEY'S

Sludge Mountain Mass (metal), 4pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Lyric (pop, rock, funk), 9pm

SIERRA NEVADA

BREWING CO.

We have Ignition (surfrock), 2pm

SLY GROG LOUNGE

Lumasi & Magma w/ Krvken, Continuous Vibrations, Hypnocat, J M & Dayowulf (edm, dubstep, bass), 6pm

STATIC AGE LOFT

Daddy Deem's R&B Night, 10pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

YAWNi, Ly Ra Vega, Lurky Skunk & Idioms (country, psych, folkpunk), 8:30pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Rock Academy Mixtape (multi-genre), 12pm

• Tan & Sober Gentlemen w/Driftwood (Irish, Appalachian, folk-rock), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Roots & Dore (Americana, blues), 7pm

THE ODD Party Foul Drag, 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Judah & The Lion (alt-indie, folk, rock), 7:30pm

THIRD ROOM

Ripe w/Certainly So (alt-indie, pop), 8pm

WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT

DJ Rexx Step, 7pm

SUNDAY, APRIL 13

GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Sunday Jazz Jam, 2:30pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

The Dirty French Broads (bluegrass), 2pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• The Bluegrass Boys, 12pm

• Traditional Irish Music Session, 3:30pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Elizabeth McCorvery & Kate Leigh Bryant (country, Americana), 8pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Shakedown Sunday (Grateful Dead tribute), 9pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

• Suns of Stars Sunday Residency (bluegrass), 2pm

• Dan Lotti & Mike Sivilli (folk), 7pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Pisgah Sunday Jam, 6:30pm

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. Bert McMiller (rock, funk, jazz), 2pm

SLY GROG LOUNGE

• Open Mic w/Mike Andersen, 6:30pm

• Solar-Powered Generator w/Sludge Inc & The Deviled Eggs (psych), 7:30pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Country Brunch w/ Vaden Landers, 11am

• Patio: Phuncle Sam (Grateful Dead tribute), 3pm

Naked Giants (alt-indie, rock), 8pm

THE MULE Served by Sev: Double Dutch, 12pm VOWL Freshen Up Comedy Open Mic, 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN The String Beans (folk), 2pm

MONDAY, APRIL 14

27 CLUB

27 Club Karaoke, 10pm

FLEETWOOD'S Best Ever Karaoke, 9pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Trivia Night w/Two Bald Guys & A Mic, 6pm

ONE WORLD BREWING Open Mic Downtown, 6:30pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST Mashup Mondays w/ JLloyd, 8pm

CLUBLAND

SHAKEY'S Live Band Honky Tonk Karaoke, 9pm

STATIC AGE LOFT

The Hot Seat Comedy, 7pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Mr. Jimmy & Friends (Blues), 7pm

TUESDAY, APRIL 15

ARCHETYPE

BREWING

Trivia Tuesdays w/Party Grampa, 6:30pm

FLEETWOOD'S Turntable Tuesdays, 9pm

LOOKOUT BREWING CO.

Team Trivia, 6:30pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

• Tuesday Early Jam, 7pm

• Uncle Lenny's Krazy Karaoke, 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

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

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Bloodsports, Dish, Star Anise & Aunt Ant (noise-rock, slowcore, alt-indie), 8:30pm

THE BURGER BAR

C U Next Tuesday Trivia, 9:30pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Live Dead & Brothers (Grateful Dead & Allman Brothers tribute), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

The Lads AVL (rock, blues), 6pm THIRD ROOM Open Decks, 8pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

White Horse Open Mic, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16

12 BONES

SMOKEBOUSE & BREWING

Trivia Night w/King Trivia, 7pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

NEW BELGIUM

BREWING CO.

Daniel Shearin (acoustic), 5:30pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

DJ Badonkey Kong (R&B, hip-hop, disco), 10pm

PULP

Standup Comedy Picture Show, 7:30pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

The Glass Hours (Americana, country-folk), 6pm

SLY GROG LOUNGE

Weird Wednesday Open Jam, 7pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Gull, Infinitikiss & Werewolf Hours (experimental, post-punk, psych), 8:30pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Being Dead w/Seismic Sutra (garage-rock, indie), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

• Lefty Carmean & Friends (Americana, folk), 7pm

• Moonbeatz (rock, folk, country), 7pm

THE ODD

Terraoke Karaoke Takeover, 9pm

THIRD ROOM

Will Evans (folk), 8pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Open Mic Night, 6pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

Straight Ahead

Wednesdays w/Evan Martin, 7:30pm

THURSDAY, APRIL 17

12 BONES

SMOKEBOUSE & BREWING

Clint Roberts (Appalachian, old-time), 5:30pm

27 CLUB

Vicki's Dream w/The Amatory Murder & October Noir (darkwave, metal, goth), 8pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Houseplant w/Ben Atkind (indie, electronic), 8pm

BEARS SMOKEHOUSE

BBQ Roots in the Round (multi-genre), 7pm

CROW & QUILL

Meschiya Lake & The Moodswingers (blues, jazz), 8pm

DSSOLVR

Derek Humphrey (comedian), 7pm

EDA RHYNE

DISTILLERY & TASTING ROOM

The Gilded Palace of Metamodern Sounds, 6pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY

Bless Your Heart Trivia w/Harmon, 7pm

EULOGY

Bluegrass Jam w/Cast Iron Bluegrass Jam, 6:30pm

FLEETWOOD'S

The Cult of Nasty & Night Beers (metal, punk), 9pm

FLOOD GALLERY

True Home Open Mic, 6pm

GINGER'S REVENGE

CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Blue Ridge Pride Open Mic, 6pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Carolina Sage (country, western-swing, Americana), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7pm

LEVELLER BREWING

CO.

Open Old Time Jam, 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Kid Billy (funk, soul, Americana), 7pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Open Jam, 9pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

K.T. Vandyke & Roger Ramsey (Appalachian, bluegrass), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Fee Fi Phaux Fish (Phish tribute), 8pm

SHAKEY'S • Comedy Showcase w/Hilliary Begley, 8pm

• Karaoke w/Franco Nino, 9pm

STATIC AGE LOFT Auto-Tune Karaoke w/Who Gave This B*tch A Mic, 10pm

STATIC AGE

RECORDS Slow Slow Loris, XAMBUCA, Unbridled Sonic Anarchy (avant-garde, industrial, experimental), 8:30pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Hope Griffin (folk), 7pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Sold Out: Glaive (hyper-pop, alt-indie), 8pm

VOODOO BREWING CO.

Music Bingo Thursdays, 7pm

WICKED WEED BREWING Pete Townsend (acoustic), 5pm WORTHAM CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Karen Morgan (comedy), 7pm

FIRST KAVA BAR IN NORTH CAROLINA

TUE

OPEN JAM: 7:30pm Signup / 8pm Show

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY BY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Life is asking you to be a source of generosity and strength for the people and animals in your sphere. I hope you will exude maximum amounts of your natural charisma as you bestow maximum blessings. Soak up the admiration and affection you deserve, too, as you convey admiration and affection to others. Here’s a secret: The more you share your resources, help and intelligence, the more of that good stuff will flow back your way.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Ceramicist Jun Hamada says that trying to force harmony into her art leads to sterile work. “The most beautiful pieces come from the moments I stop trying to make them beautiful,” she notes. “They emerge from embracing the clay’s natural tendencies, even when they seem to fight against my intentions.” I recommend her approach to you in the coming weeks. Your best results may emerge as you allow supposed flaws and glitches to play an unexpected part in the process. Alliances might benefit, even deepen, through honest friction rather than imposed peace. What will happen when you loosen your attachment to enforced harmony and let life’s natural tensions gyrate?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini-born Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959) was a prolific architect who orchestrated many daring designs. Among his most audacious experiments was a project to build a house over a waterfall in Pennsylvania. “It can’t be done!” experts said. But he did it. Before he was ready to accomplish the impossible, though, he had to spend months studying the site’s natural patterns. I bring this to your attention, Gemini, because I believe you are ready to consider your own equivalent of constructing a house over a waterfall. Prepare well! Do your homework!

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In the early phase of his illustrious career as a photographer, Edward Weston (1886–1958) cultivated a soft-focus, romantic style. But he ultimately converted to stark, uncompromising realism. “The camera,” he said, “should be used for recording life, for rendering the very substance and quintessence of the thing itself.” If there is anything about you that prefers warm, fuzzy illusions over objective, detailed truth, I suggest you switch emphasis for a while. If you like, you can return to the soft-focus approach in June. But for now, a gritty, unsentimental attitude will be essential to your well-being.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Here’s my mini-manifesto about change, just in time for a phase when change is most necessary and possible for you. 1. Real change is often a slow and subtle process. There may be rare dramatic shifts, but mostly the process is gradual and incremental. 2. Instead of pushing hard for a short time, you’re more likely to change things by persistently pushing with modest strength for a sustained time. 3. Rather than trying to confront and wrestle with a big problem exactly as it is, it’s often more effective to break the seemingly insurmountable challenge into small, manageable pieces that can be solved one at a time through simple efforts.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Textile artist Mei Zhang wondered if the synthetic dyes she used on her fabrics were limited. Might there be a wider variety of colors she could use in her creations? She discovered that her grandmother, using age-old techniques, had produced hues that modern dyes couldn’t replicate. “The most sustainable path forward,” Zhang concluded, “often involves rediscovering what we’ve forgotten rather than inventing something entirely new.” I recommend that counsel to you, Virgo. The solution to a current challenge might come from looking back instead of pushing forward. Consider what old approaches or traditional wisdom you might call on to generate novelty. Weave together fresh applications with timeless principles.

ROB BREZSNY

at a slightly different place on the horizon. The amount of light it shows us is also constantly in flux. And yet where and how it will appear tomorrow or 10 years from today is completely predictable. Its ever-changing nature follows a rhythmic pattern. I believe the same is true about our emotions and feelings, which in astrology are ruled by the moon. They are forever shifting, and yet if we survey the big picture of how they arise, we will see their overall flow has distinct patterns. Now would be a good time for you to get to know your flow better. See if you can detect recurring motifs. Try to develop more objectivity about how your precious emotions and feelings really work. If you do this correctly, you will deepen and enhance the guiding power of your precious emotions and feelings.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Research reveals that interludes of productive uncertainty may strengthen our brain’s neural pathways — even more so than if we consistently leap to immediate comprehension. The key modifier to this fortifying uncertainty is “productive.” We must be willing to dwell with poise in our puzzlement, even welcome and enjoy the fertile mystery it invokes in us. Neurobiologist Aiden Chen says, “Confusion, when properly supported, isn’t an obstacle to learning but a catalyst for understanding.” These ideas will be good medicine in the coming weeks, dear Scorpio.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Persian American author Haleh Liza Gafori translates the poetry of 13th-century Sufi mystic Rumi. One of their joint books is titled Gold. She writes, “Rumi’s gold is not the precious metal, but a feeling-state arrived at through the alchemical process of burning through layers of self, greed, pettiness, calculation, doctrine — all of it. The prayer of Sufism is ‘teach me to love more deeply.’ Gold is the deepest love.” That’s the gold I hope you aspire to embody in the coming weeks, Sagittarius. You are in a resplendently golden phase when you have more power than usual to create, find, and commune with Rumi’s type of gold.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The coming weeks will be an excellent time to reframe the meaning of “emptiness” in your life. To launch your quest, I will remind you that quiet interludes and gaps in your schedule can be rejuvenating. Sitting still and doing nothing in particular may be a good way to recharge your spiritual batteries. Relieving yourself of the pressure to be endlessly active could be just what you need to open up space for fresh possibilities.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): There was a time, many years ago, when I consulted a divinatory oracle every day of my life. Sometimes it was the Tarot or the I Ching. I threw the Norse runes, did automatic writing, used a pendulum or tried bibliomancy. Astrology was always in the mix, too, of course. Looking back on those days, I am amused at my obsession with scrying the future and uncovering subconscious currents. But employing these aids had a wonderful result: It helped me develop and fine-tune my intuition and psychic powers — which, after all, are the ultimate divination strategy. I bring this to your attention, Aquarius, because I believe you now have an enhanced power to cultivate and strengthen your intuition and psychic powers.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The fovea is the part of the eye that enables sharp vision. Humans have just one kind of fovea, which gives them the ability to see clearly straight ahead. Eagles have both a central and peripheral fovea. The latter gives them an amazing visual acuity for things at a distance. This extra asset also attunes them to accurately detect very slow movements. I suspect you will have a metaphorical semblance of the eagle’s perceptual capacity in the coming weeks, Pisces. You will be able to see things you wouldn’t normally see and things that other people can’t see. Take full advantage of this superpower! Find

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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 advertise@mountainx.com

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EMPLOYMENT

GENERAL

JOIN THE UNITED WAY TEAM: UNITED FOR YOUTH

NETWORK MANAGER

United Way seeks a United for Youth Network Manager to facilitate cross-sector collaboration, support partners, develop strategic workgroups, and create space for youth leadership. This role ensures effective systems and community-wide partnerships to drive meaningful impact. Apply today and help strengthen our community! For more information and to apply, visit unitedwayabc.org/ employment-opportunities

SALES/ MARKETING

SENIOR SALES ASSOCIATE

Work for a local company that has covered the local scene for 30 years! Mountain Xpress newspaper is a supportive, team-oriented environment serving local readers and businesses. We are seeking an experienced and enthusiastic advertising sales representative. Ideal candidates are personable, organized, motivated, and can present our company with confidence. Necessary skills include clear and professional communications (via phone, email, and in-person meetings), detailed

record-keeping, and self motivation. Experience dealing with varied and challenging situations is helpful. The position’s responsibilities include account development and lead generation (including cold-calling), account management, assisting clients with marketing and branding strategies. If you are a high energy, positive, cooperative person looking to join an independent media organization, please send a resume and cover letter (no walk-ins, please) explaining why you are a good fit for Mountain Xpress to: xpressjob@mountainx.com. This is a noncommissioned position. There is potential for a performance-based annual bonus. Salary: $22 per hour.

ARTS/MEDIA

FRONT OFFICE/MARKETING ASSISTANT Work for an alternative newsweekly that has covered the local scene for over 30 years! Mountain Xpress is a supportive, team-oriented environment serving local readers and businesses. Help build community and strengthen democracy by joining a fiercely independent, mission-driven business. We are seeking an enthusiastic and diligent addition to our front office operations. The ideal candidate is a community-minded, proven self-starter who is adept at juggling multiple diverse tasks at the same time. Responsibilities vary from day-to-day requirements such as answering the main line and being a point person for visitors, accounting and collections work and sales support, to taking ownership of digital marketing initiatives to grow our member and subscriber base. Skills needed: A friendly, professional demeanor, thorough (almost fanatical) accuracy with financial data entry details, strong verbal and written communication skills, broad computer literacy (including digital marketing and office software tools such as spreadsheets), the ability to self-organize, engage with repetitive data-entry, multitask under pressure. Experience in office administration and/or marketing preferred. This is a full time position with annual PTO and sick days. Please email xpressjob@mountainx. com with a cover letter and resume.

all types and conditions are welcomed and appreciated!

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edited by Joel Fagliano

ACROSS

1 “Adios, ___!”

6 Texter’s “you tell me”

9 Sweet braided bread

14 Source of a pulse

15 Modernizing prefix

16 Ingredient in a Whopper

17 Home of many champion marathoners

18 “And just like THAT!”

19 Small contribution

20 Blowout victory, metaphorically

23 Chichén ___ (Mayan archaeological site)

26 Latin “wolf”

27 Hulking brute

31 Wild backdrop for “Wuthering Heights”

32 Biblical patriarch who begat Methuselah

33 Lead-in to ever

34 Device for taking notes?

35 Verbal facepalm

36 Message meaning “I can’t be reached right now”

37 “Welcome Back, Kotter” role of 1970s TV

39 Yusuf ___, adopted name of singer Cat Stevens

41 Subtle summons

42 Woman’s name that becomes another woman’s name when an “M” is added to the front

44 Missouri tributary

46 One part of a swimming pool

48 Beat rapidly, as eggs

49 Center

50 Something of miner concern?

52 Commotion

53 A little cute?

54 Comedy bit

55 Broadway star LuPone

57 Talent

58 Big softy, perhaps

60 Put through the self-checkout

61 Research campus in upstate N.Y.

62 With 66-Across, spooky property that might include a 20-Across and a 7-, 25and 28-Down

64 Went underground

65 Exit key

66 See 62-Across

67 Country music’s ___ Young Band

68 Buttonless shirt

69 Carry-___

70 Airport org.

71 Intelligence org.

DOWN 1 “___, and it shall be given you”: Matthew 7:7

2 Recipient of Bart Simpson’s crank calls

3 New York’s Stonewall, e.g.

4 New York’s Stonewall, e.g.

5 Mouthy?

6 Puts into play, as a basketball

7 Marvel superhero portrayed by Ryan Reynolds

8 Fermented, sweetened

Dinghy or dory

“You said it!”

23 Caught on camera, say

24 1919 event that confirmed the general theory of relativity

25 Commercial property left mostly vacant by hybrid work arrangements

28 Restaurant offering delivery and pickup only 29 Spinning, feathered lures

30 Overplayed on stage

38 Clever wit

39 Actor McKellen 40 Speedometer fig.

Two hearts, for one 12 Fish in a garden pond 13 “Raggedy” doll 21 Cheer for a fútbol team 22 Fireplace residue

41 Rotini and bucatini

43 Detected

Off-leash areas

“You don’t have to explain your joke to us”

Cloudbursts

Scary sight for a red-bellied marsh mouse

World’s most populous country as of 2023

James of “The