Mountain Xpress 10.15.25

Questions

TAKING THE WHEEL

Woodfin

Women

According to a 2025 American Transporation Research Institute report, women have comprised approximately 4% of all commercial truck driving roles in the U.S. since 2008. Safety, family obligations and negative perceptions of the industry are contributing factors to the low number. But some local female drivers have stepped into the cab and are embracing life on the road.

PUBLISHER & EDITOR: Jeff Fobes

ASSISTANT PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson

MANAGING EDITOR: Thomas Calder

EDITOR: Gina Smith

OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose

STAFF REPORTERS:

Thomas Calder, Brionna Dallara, Justin McGuire, Brooke Randle, Gina Smith

COMMUNITY CALENDAR & CLUBLAND: Braulio Pescador-Martinez

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

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS:

Emily Klinger Antolic, Christopher Arbor, Edwin Arnaudin, Danielle Arostegui, Mark Barrett, Eric Brown, Cayla Clark, Molly Devane, Ashley English, Merin McDivitt, Mindi Meltz Friedwald, Troy Jackson, Bill Kopp, Chloe Leiberman, Anabel Shenk, Jessica Wakeman, Jamie Zane

PHOTOGRAPHER: 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, Dave Gayler

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES: Jeff Fobes, Mark Murphy, Scott Southwick

WEB: Brandon Tilley

BOOKKEEPER: Amie Fowler

OFFICE MANAGER: Mark Murphy

FRONT OFFICE: Caitlin Donovan, Lisa Watters

DISTRIBUTION: Susan Hutchinson

DISTRIBUTION DRIVERS: Cass Kunst, Cindy Kunst, Courtney Israel

Joey Nash, Carl & Debbie Schweiger, Gary Selnick, Noah Tanner, Mark Woodyard

It’s our job to help locals who need food

Did you know that, according to Feeding America, a nonprofit that collects and shares data on food insecurity, at least 15% of Buncombe County struggles with food insecurity? The struggle of food insecurity is an issue that has become a rather large problem within the Swannanoa community. While the issue is one that was always present within the community, it has become an even bigger problem now that Swannanoa is classified as a food desert following the impact of Tropical Storm Helene.

Since the storm, funding cuts have been primarily targeted toward government assistance programs. For example, programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, aka food stamps) have been more strictly limited. There has also been a strain on places like MANNA FoodBank, which offers food to hundreds of other nonprofit organizations as well as people in need. Is there anything that can be done to help the people who continue to struggle to secure food for themselves and their families?

Even if you are also struggling with food insecurity, you might be wondering: Is it even your job to help?

Regardless of where you are located or the issues you face, the answer will always be yes — whether you have the ability to donate financially or the ability to offer your time. Whatever the case may be, any offer of assistance, no matter how small, is a vital part in making a difference. The one-year anniversary of Tropical Storm Helene has just passed. The strength of the community is something that is vital to help combat local problems, and the food scarcity of Swannanoa is something that will only continue to rise without the help from the local community.

— Tytus Sanders Swannanoa

Word of the week

cofferdam

(n.) a watertight enclosure from which water is pumped to expose the bottom of a body of water and permit construction (as of a pier)

Our latest word comes courtesy of reporter Justin McGuire, who offers readers an update on Taylor’s Wave in Woodfin. As one might guess, a cofferdam has been used as part of the ongoing construction project. Read more on Page 12. X

Lawmakers must protect home care

As an office director for Bayada Home Health Care, I oversee home care services for more than 100 Asheville-area adults and seniors living with disabilities and chronic conditions. These are people who want what we all want: to remain safe, independent and cared for in their own homes.

Every day, I see the lifesaving work of certified nursing assistants (CNAs). They help with bathing, dressing, eating and other daily needs that keep people at home rather than in nursing facilities or hospitals. They are a lifeline. But unless lawmakers act, that lifeline is at risk.

North Carolina’s Medicaid homecare providers face reimbursement cuts of 3%-10%, driven by a $190 million budget shortfall. On paper, that may sound modest. In reality, it is devastating to an already fragile system.

Medicaid covers both nursing home and home-care services, but personal care at home costs an average of 70% less than nursing home care, saving the state tens of thousands of dollars per person each year. Yet providers are already forced to turn away families because they can’t hire enough staff. In my office, nearly 40% of referrals are declined, compared to a statewide average of 30%. Cuts will push even more families into costlier institutions, wiping out any “savings” and straining Medicaid further — a classic case of penny wise and pound foolish.

The problem is wages. North Carolina CNAs earn $14-$16 per hour, while fast-food jobs pay $20 and Amazon offers $17-plus. Turnover among CNAs is an alarming 80%, and unlike private companies, home-care providers cannot raise wages on their own.

By 2028, North Carolina will need 186,000 additional home health aides to serve its rapidly aging population. Instead, the workforce is shrinking, and families are being forced to fill the gaps or send loved ones to facilities they desperately wanted to avoid.

The question is simple: What would you do for yourself or your parents? Three out of four Americans over 50 want to age in place. That choice is slipping away. To protect access to care, the General Assembly must allocate the full $690 million needed for Medicaid to avoid devastating cuts.

Home care keeps families together, communities stronger, and North Carolina’s most fragile residents safe. But pride alone cannot sustain this system. Lawmakers must act now.

— Craig Stuart Director, Bayada Home Health Care Asheville

Check for ticks after raking leaves

It’s time again to remember to check for ticks while raking leaves. Ticks breed in the moist leaf piles overnight, and the mothers lay 2,000 eggs. Also, if you have an oak tree in your yard, it’s smart to spray

your doormats as squirrels are tick magnets, like outdoor pets. Tick-borne disease is spreading rapidly, and chronic Lyme disease is not covered by insurance. In my experience, there are no regular doctors who will treat chronic Lyme disease, and alternative practitioners are very expensive.

The blood tests are not accurate, and if you find a doctor who understands Lyme disease, it’s a valuable thing. It took years for me to find out why I was having panic attacks and fighting depression. I had taken up golf and must have put my arm in tall grass. I never saw the bite; only about a third of people see a bull’s-eye rash, and many are misdiagnosed.

Over 30 doctors sent me to see a psychiatrist. I didn’t go because I knew it was physical. I still have Lyme disease after 30 years in spite of spending over $400,000 to eradicate it.

If you are doing your own landscaping, please spray your shoes and gloves and check for ticks. Children fail in school, and marriages fall apart quickly: See The Quiet Epidemic, streaming free.

— Jan Dooley Asheville

Pitch

in to revive local economy

The lights are on. We have cell service. There’s potable water coming from the tap. And most of the roads are passable. Life has returned to normal in Western North Carolina, right? No, it hasn’t. The region’s economy is a long way from what it needs to be.

Even if they acknowledge that fact, too many of the folks who live here are sitting back and waiting for those usually badmouthed tourists to show up and open their wallets. It’s our responsibility, too.

Use one of those passable roads to drive into downtown Asheville to patronize a restaurant or brewery. Go to Swannanoa or Marshall and spend a few bucks in one of the hardest-hit towns. Make your way to Brevard or Waynesville or Black Mountain and patronize the local businesses.

Even if a place didn’t suffer heavy damage, it was still hurt because all those tourists who normally come to our area in October didn’t last fall. Pick up the slack. Rediscover all the great places that are still great. Help out. Get off your complacency and bring WNC back!

— Jim Holtzman Fairview X

Behind closed doors

Questions linger after Buncombe’s hush-hush meeting

BY JIM FULTON

Back on June 17, Buncombe County commissioners met in a closed session to discuss three presidential executive orders. That much is clear.

What remains a mystery is why they did so — and what was said behind closed doors. Nearly four months later, after filing two formal public records requests and complaints with both the state auditor and attorney general, I still don’t have a satisfactory answer. This kind of secrecy is unacceptable. North Carolina’s open meetings law sets clear limits on when public bodies can meet in private. Based on the information made public so far, Buncombe County may have violated those boundaries.

WHAT WE KNOW (AND DON’T)

The official June 17 briefing meeting minutes show that then-interim County Attorney Curt Euler (now county attorney) read a motion to enter closed session for two reasons:

1. To receive legal advice regarding Executive Orders 14151, 14173 and 14287.

2. To instruct staff regarding the price and terms of a proposed real estate contract.

Commissioners voted unanimously to go into closed session. But while the land acquisition item was straightforward, the discussion of the executive orders raises serious questions.

Executive Orders 14151, 14173 and 14287 were all signed by President Donald Trump earlier this year. They address topics such as ending race- and sex-based hiring preferences in federal programs, expanding cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and

the discontinuation of certain diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the federal government.

Since local governments receiving federal funds must comply with executive orders, it’s plausible that county staff or commissioners had legal questions about how the new mandates might affect local policies or grants.

But here’s the problem: State law does not permit general policy discussions to occur in closed session, even if a government attorney is present.

“General policy matters may not be discussed in a closed session,” states N.C. General Statute 143-318.11(a)(3), “and nothing herein shall be construed to permit a public body to close a meeting that otherwise would be open merely because an attorney employed or retained by the public body is a participant.”

The part of the law the county cited to justify the closed session allows private discussions to “consider and give instructions to an attorney concerning the handling or settlement of a claim, judicial action, mediation, arbitration or administrative procedure.”

The June 17 motion makes no mention of any litigation or legal proceeding. And a guidance page on the official website of Attorney General Jeff Jackson’s N.C. Department of Justice reinforces this point: “If the reason to go into closed session is to protect the attorney-client privilege, the motion must identify the parties to the litigation that is to be discussed. Without such information, the public body cannot entertain the motion.”

The commissioners’ motion did not identify any parties to litigation. That omission may render the closed session improper under state law.

REVERSING COURSE

On July 29, I filed a formal public records request, asking the county to provide:

• Any legal memos, emails or analysis regarding the three executive orders.

• The meeting minutes of the closed-session discussion.

• Any explanation for why attorney-client privilege was invoked.

On Aug. 11, the county responded: “Upon review, Buncombe County Government has no public documents responsive to your request.” No minutes. No emails. No legal memos. Nothing.

So, on Sept. 5, I filed a follow-up request, specifically referencing N.C.

“Are local governments treating transparency as a nuisance rather than a duty?”

General Statute 143-318.10 (e), which requires that every closed session include a “general account” sufficient to give the public “a reasonable understanding of what transpired.” That account can be written, recorded or in summary form — but it must exist, even if the full content remains temporarily sealed.

On Sept. 25, more than three months after the meeting, Buncombe County reversed course and released an excerpt of the closed-session minutes. According to the document, Euler, the county attorney, updated the board on the three executive orders (and other bills related to local government) and “advised that the county is currently in compliance” with the executive orders, while also reviewing the “consequences if the county were to not comply.” According to the excerpt, commissioners discussed and asked questions about noncompliance, but no action was taken.

WHAT’S THE REVIEW PROCESS?

I also submitted a separate request on Sept. 12 asking the county to confirm whether it has any written policy or procedure for reviewing and releasing closed-session minutes over time, as other jurisdictions do.

In a Sept. 25 response, the county stated it has no written policy governing the release of closed-session minutes. “However,” the county added, “upon request, the county attorney will review the requested closed session minutes to determine whether they are appropriate for release.”

In other words, there is no standing review process to ensure transparency over time — only a case-by-case assessment when a citizen specifically asks.

CALLING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

Frustrated by the earlier lack of response, I had submitted complaints to both State Auditor Dave Boliek’s office, which investigates waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars, and state Attorney General Jeff Jackson, whose office provides open government guidance.

Both complaints were filed on Sept. 7 and formally followed up on Sept. 12.

I believe that if a public board wants to meet privately to discuss how presidential executive orders might affect local policy — especially when those orders address politically sensitive topics — the public has a right to know why. Not only what was said, but why the session needed to be private.

And if there was no actual lawsuit, mediation or claim in progress — as appears to be the case — then the closed session may have violated North Carolina’s open meetings law.

After I shared my concerns with the state auditor and attorney general’s offices, I received a call from Kelly Mann in the state auditor’s office, who requested additional information and has pledged to investigate further.

The N.C. Department of Justice, however, took a more hands-off stance. In a Sept. 26 email, the agency’s Open Government Unit declined to review the case and advised me to “speak to a private attorney” or “ask a court to review the matter.”

A BROADER PATTERN?

It’s also worth noting that Asheville Watchdog recently sued the City of Asheville over its alleged violations of open meetings laws related to a water outage review committee. In response, the city claimed that the committee had already been dissolved, so no “controversy” remained. That case is ongoing, but it highlights the broader concern: Are local governments treating transparency as a nuisance rather than a duty?

I hope Buncombe County’s commissioners will demonstrate otherwise. They can start by explaining, clearly and publicly, what justified holding that closed-door session in the first place. Looking forward to the colors of his 15th autumn in the Blue Ridge Mountains, retired technical project manager Jim Fulton remains active as a community advocate, focusing on government accountability, education policy and civic engagement. Read more of his local commentary at firsttuesdayasheville.com. X

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Setting the Stage for the Birth of Country Music. Drawing on historic recordings, in-depth biographies, and community fieldwork, Andrade and Yeagle bring to life the rich tapestry of sounds that influenced early twentieth-century music at the cultural crossroads of Western North Carolina, Southwest Virginia, and East Tennessee, a distinct region in itself, where music flowed across boundaries and fostered a dynamic exchange of influences that laid the foundation for modern country music. Sponsored by North Carolina Humanities.

Making a difference Remembering a champion of the environment

BY CLAUDINE CREMER

“Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.”

— attributed to Black Elk (1863-1950)

The environmental movement lost a champion with the Sept. 16 passing of local activist and preservationist Paul Gallimore. With his life partner, Pat, Paul co-founded the Long Branch Environmental Education Center, protecting 1,435 acres in the Newfound Mountains starting in the 1970s and showcasing permaculture practices.

An Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project farm, Paul grew organic berries and apples and helped to introduce blight-resistant chestnut trees. He built passive solar structures, microhydro power systems and a trout pond, and created compost to add nutrients to the soil. The center is open to the public and mentors participants in ecological practices, while nourishing their souls in the beauty of nature.

HARMONY WITH NATURE

Paul had great reverence for the Native Americans who initially occupied this land and quoted Black Elk in his 2007 work, Healing Appalachia: Sustainable Living Through Appropriate Technology, co-authored with Al Fritsch, founder of the Appalachia-Science in the Public Interest, a small nonprofit in Kentucky. That publication details sustainable efforts that can be implemented to live in harmony with nature, including solar, photovoltaics, wind

SUSTAINABLE LIVING: Local environmentalist Paul Gallimore at the Long Branch Environmental Education Center, which he co-founded with Pat Gallimore in the Sandy Mush community. Photo courtesy of Pat Gallimore

power, food production and preservation, silviculture, water irrigation and conservation, among others.

Paul was a champion for respecting the myriad of life forms that occupy our mountains and worked tirelessly to oppose a state law that permitted the slaughtering of 50-pound black bear cubs. (The N.C. Wildlife Resources

Commission redefined a bear cub as one weighing 75 pounds or less, thereby protecting smaller cubs from hunting, in 2016.) He revered the songs of birds, the diversity of reptiles and the presence of mammals on his land.

ACTING LOCALLY

My personal experience with Paul began before I had the opportunity to make Western North Carolina my home. I visited his Buncombe County mountain paradise and was awed by its involvements and Paul’s encyclopedic knowledge of the natural world. I subsequently worked with Paul in the mid-1980s to found Save the Mountains, a citizens group opposing the U.S. Department of Energy’s proposal to site a three-county, high-level nuclear waste dump with an epicenter in Big Sandy Mush. Later serving on the district staff of U.S. Rep. Jamie Clarke, I realized how serious this proposal had been and how instrumental our efforts and those of thousands of local concerned citizens had been in stopping this siting.

My later efforts included working with Paul to encourage the co-composting of the organic fraction of Buncombe County’s landfill with clean sewage sludge from the nearby Metropolitan Sewage District (MSD), resulting in a rich soil amendment. This concept was rejected, and MSD instead built a sludge incinerator at its Woodfin facility.

When decisions were being made regarding the siting of a new landfill, Paul worked closely with residents and the county’s solid waste committee to advocate incorporating the state’s solid waste management priorities to first reduce waste, then reuse, recycle, compost and (last)

landfill it. He introduced national and international experts to discuss the advantages of large-scale municipal waste recycling and composting programs as prototypes that could be implemented. These initiatives were not followed, and the county acted only to site another landfill.

As the 40-plus-year warnings of the effects of global climate change become lead disaster stories on the evening news, and our own area has been devastated by the fury of Tropical Storm Helene, I lament that the insight and common sense of individuals like Paul Gallimore have not been heeded. The greatest tribute we can provide his legacy is to pursue “good trouble” in our civic engagements and practice sustainability in our own lives.

Claudine Cremer moved to Asheville in 1982 and worked as the director of the Oakley Community Center, later serving on the district staff of U.S. Rep. Jamie Clarke. She now practices organic production at Meadow Cove Farm in Weaverville with her husband, Paul. X

As part of Xpress’ annual Women in Business issue, we reached out to elected officials and municipal leaders seeking their stories about influential role models, lived experiences and obstacles they’ve faced. Below are excerpts from the conversations. For full interviews, visit mountainx.com.

“I served on active duty in the U.S. Navy for 30 years. … My Navy experience taught me that it is important to listen and consider all viewpoints, but in the end you must be willing to stand up and make the hard decisions.”

— Maureen Copelof, mayor of Brevard

“Wilhelmina Bratton, the first Black woman to serve on Asheville City Council, literally drove me to school every morning, pouring encouragement into me at a time when I was the only Black girl attending Asheville School. She believed in me before I fully believed in myself. Women like her — and many others who carried themselves with quiet strength and bold vision — inspired me to step forward and lead.”

— Antanette Mosley, Asheville City Council member

“There can be unspoken expectations around how a woman ‘should’ lead — being firm but not too firm, approachable but not too soft. There’s also the ongoing issue of balancing work and personal responsibilities, which still affects women more often. While things have improved, there’s still work to do in making sure women in these roles are given the same trust, opportunities and support as their male counterparts.”

— Shannon Tuch, Woodfin town manager

“I have learned how to work with all people — people I agree with and don’t agree with — and to do it with respect. Without this approach, in the political dynamic we’re faced with both on a state and federal level, it would be more than challenging to get anything accomplished for Asheville.”

— Esther Manheimer, mayor of Asheville

“For me, leaders are at every level — titles don’t make leaders. Seeing my mom lead, even without a title, showed me that leaders don’t always have to be in the board room. Everyone can be a leader in their own circle of influence, so it’s important to me to make space to hear from them.”

— Avril Pinder, Buncombe County manager

POLITICS WOMEN IN

“I know what it’s like to be overlooked and underestimated, and I carry that awareness into policymaking and organizational leadership. It keeps me committed to transparency and creating pathways for voices that are often left out of the conversation.”

— Sheneika Smith, Asheville City Council member

“Like many artists and musicians in our community, I’ve often worked multiple jobs. My experience in the service industry was parallel to my community organizing and continues to inform my position that if we prioritize making Asheville a great place to live and work, it will also be a great place to visit because it’s our people that make Asheville special.”

— Kim Roney, Asheville City Council member

“The rugged beauty, economic struggles and resilience of West Virginia has never left me. That’s where my mom, a kindergarten teacher, raised me. Then and now, there and here, families are working hard but still struggling with affordability and opportunity. Those experiences shaped my commitment to being practical and effective.”

— Amanda Edwards, chair of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners

“On the whole, I don’t think there are insurmountable obstacles for women who are interested in elected office. I think the key things are to know who you are and why you are doing it, and then stay true to it. As our state motto emphasizes: Esse quam videri — to be rather than to seem.”

— Terri Wells, Buncombe County commissioner

“The world doesn’t need perfect leaders — it needs present leaders. Women often bring perspectives shaped by lived experience, including caregiving, collaboration and balancing competing priorities. When women lead, we tend to listen, build bridges and focus on solutions that work for everyone”

— Maggie Ullman, Asheville City Council member

Thank you WNC, for 24 wonderful years! We look forward to your continued support through the holiday season. We are grateful for our community Remember to shop local!

What comes next?

BY BRIONNA DALLARA

bdallara@mountainx.com

When Jim McAllister was sworn in as the Town of Woodfin’s mayor two years ago, he envisioned his next four years in office would be spent tackling the town’s need for affordable housing, working to improve the overall sense of community and reimagining Woodfin’s role and presence within Buncombe County.

Less than a year later, in October 2024, the first-time mayor was censured by Woodfin Town Council for violating the municipality's code of conduct and ethics in the immediate aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene. All the while, the storm’s damage made clear that his 2023 campaign plans would play second fiddle to the town’s post-Helene realities, as businesses and residents alike grappled with ongoing recovery needs.

Now, two years into his term, McAllister sees the upcoming November election for three open seats on Town Council, as well as three open seats for the Woodfin Water & Sewer District, as the next chapter — both for himself and the town.

Regardless of the election’s outcome, McAllister says, “It’s going to be a hard job figuring this stuff out — and we’re not going to be popular.”

The newly elected Council members, continues McAllister, will have to buckle up for some difficult decisions as they chart the course to tackle the town’s pre-Helene plans, its poststorm needs and the financial calculations for both.

NO STRANGER TO CONTROVERSY

For now, Woodfin is working to secure as much available funding as possible from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as well as grants to pay for recovery-related projects. According to Town Manager

Woodfin mayor discusses upcoming election and the tough decisions ahead

AROUND TOWN: Woodfin Mayor Jim McAllister speaks with residents Molly Ballard and her son, Rami, about future plans for Silver-Line Park. In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene, McAllister says the town faces plenty of difficult and expensive decisions, which Town Council will need to address in the coming months. Photo by Brionna Dallara

Shannon Tuch, Woodfin is waiting on a $2.29 million reimbursement from FEMA for debris removal. Meanwhile, additional financial needs to complete repairs to park, road and stormwater infrastructure are estimated to cost around $1.89 million.

Any remaining recovery costs, McAllister says, will be financed by the town’s reserves, loans or taxes. The potential need to raise taxes, he adds, is not out of the question.

As for tax backlash, it won’t be McAllister’s first rodeo.

In late 2023, around 200 residents of the town’s west side signed a petition requesting de-annexation. The move was in response to a disagreement about Woodfin’s 2023 implementation of a stormwater utility fee. Residents on the west side stated that they did not benefit from the services those fees paid

Taylors’ Wave update

Work on Taylor’s Wave, the Town of Woodfin’s artificial whitewater feature under construction on the French Broad River, is approaching a major milestone, with the first half of the structure soon to be completed.

Town Manager Shannon Tuch says this initial phase includes the core of the wave channel itself — the engineered rock and concrete formation that will create a standing wave for freestyle kayakers and river surfers. Once that section is in place, crews will dismantle

the current cofferdam and reassemble it on the opposite side of the river to begin work on the second half of the wave. A cofferdam is a temporary, watertight enclosure built within a body of water to isolate an area, create a dry workspace and allow for construction. Due to environmental permitting requirements, only half the river can be dammed at a time. This phased approach means the wave won’t be functional until the entire structure is complete and calibrated, likely by late May, Tuch

need to improve the quality of services for our neighbors while also encouraging new residents to put down roots. That goes for both sides of the river."

Tensions could also emerge from other unresolved projects in town — and there’s no shortage of those.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Discussion on updating Woodfin Town Hall has been ongoing for several years, including a 2021 needs assessment.

The current Town Hall doubles as Woodfin’s Police Department. About 30 staff members operate out of the space. McAllister says onboarding officers do not have proper locker storage and that the staff practically works on top of each other, in some cases sharing cubicles.

for. They also felt underserved by the town's Police Department.

Council unanimously voted no to the de-annexation in April 2024, after hosting a town hall with state Sen. Julie Mayfield and Rep. Caleb Rudow, who said that they wouldn’t support a de-annexation bill unless the majority of the community agreed.

While McAllister says the town has addressed residents’ concerns, he notes the topic of de-annexation could always resurface. Notably, Chip Parton, who spearheaded the petition, is among the five candidates running for Council.

In a statement to Xpress regarding his current stance on the issue, Parton says: “The town made it clear they had no interest in a de-annexation. I still wholeheartedly believe Woodfin needs to undergo modernization; that’s why I’m running for Council this year. We

explains. Once finished, water will flow evenly across both sections to form a consistent rolling wave.

The second phase of construction, set to begin later this fall, is expected to progress more quickly. Unlike the first half, which involved the technically complex wave channel, the second half will feature a transition ledge and a bypass channel. The bypass will allow casual floaters and wildlife to safely avoid the main wave, improving safety and ecological connectivity.

Until the full wave is finished, the site will remain closed to river traffic. To accommodate early-season paddlers, the

“This building is literally falling apart around us,” McAllister says. “We thought we would have already started something somewhere by now, but that’s going to be a next-year thing. There’s no way we could do that and deal with the aftereffects of Helene.”

In 2023, Council reviewed sketch plan options for a 28,000-square-foot building — nearly triple the size of the current Town Hall. In addition to offices for town and police staff, the site would house a community center and offer space for early childhood education. More recently, Council reviewed potential sites for the project at its Sept. 30 work session and reassessed the poststorm needs and goals of the building. Further evaluations of the project, which McAllister estimates would cost $10 million, will continue at the Council's winter retreat in early 2026. Meanwhile, several other projects underway — including greenways and an artificial whitewater wave in the French Broad River — are expected to attract more residents to the town of 8,000 and bring additional foot traffic.

town will install temporary signage and a portage route directing users to exit river right, walk around the construction zone and reenter downstream.

The wave, along with an expansion of Riverside Park, is a key component of the ambitious $34 million Woodfin Greenway & Blueway project, which officials hope will help rebrand the Buncombe County town as an outdoor recreation destination. A formal grand opening is planned once the full park is complete, but the town expects to mark the wave’s debut with a smaller celebration, Tuch says.

—

Justin McGuire  X

Additionally, one of the town’s biggest fallouts from the storm was the failure of its water treatment plant, which serves parts of Woodfin, North Asheville, parts of Weaverville and areas of unincorporated Buncombe County.

There are still five major improvements that need to be done to the facility, including repairs to the dam, says Woodfin Sanitary Water and Sewer District Chair Gordon Maybury.

FEMA has assessed these needs, Maybury notes, but it’s uncertain when they will be funded. He adds that it wasn’t until the end of September that the water district received money to reimburse immediate repair costs, which were paid out of pocket during the storm.

CENSURED BY NOT SILENCED

In the aftermath of Helene, McAllister says one of the most important relationships he’s built in the community has been with the Woodfin Business Association. During the storm, the association grew as businesses joined to share information and resources.

The mayor says he also followed through on his campaign promise to engage more young people in civic matters by connecting with youths across the town during poststorm meetings.

“One of the best things about the aftermath of Helene was the way people came together,” McAllister says. “And most of them asked, ‘How can I help? What can I do to get involved?’”

But some of the same meetings held in the immediate aftermath of Helene proved to be a point of controversy and were part of the basis for Council’s 4-2 vote to censure the mayor for violating the town’s code of conduct and ethics. According to the official resolution, McAllister’s actions sought to “reverse public safety measures by town staff in a state of emergency.”

The resolution cites a press conference McAllister held at Town Hall two days after the storm, despite police issuing a statement against nonemergency

“It’s going to be a hard job figuring this stuff out — and [Woodfin Town Council is] not going to be popular.”

— Jim McAllister, mayor of Woodfin

travel. It also notes he spoke to Xpress about the level of assistance Woodfin had received without clarifying he was speaking for himself, not on behalf of the town. After the censure, Town Manager Shannon Tuch took over as spokesperson for the town.

“It didn’t change me much, other than it taught me a life lesson that sometimes stuff happens and you got to buck it up,” McAllister says of being censured. “Had I broken down crying or started screaming and yelling, I would have lost the respect of everybody in this town.”

As he prepares for Town Council’s next iteration, McAllister notes there are two key things to maintaining a productive governing body — abiding by the code of conduct and ethics and reminding members that their job is to represent everybody in town.

He also stresses that it is important to understand and respect the differing opinions that each individual brings to the chamber and to recognize that, in some cases, certain Council members might be part of specific groups that oppose issues other members feel passionate about.

“You just have to put some of those things aside,” McAllister says. “It’s not always easy, but I think the Council has good respect for each other right now. We had some problems last year, but hopefully we’re past those.”

Finally, McAllister notes it’s important that those who are elected in November keep in mind that meetings are recorded. “If you’ve got spinach in your teeth and you laugh, it's going to be on there, and somebody's going to text you about it,” McAllister quips. X

Commission accepts $500K grant for EMS to expand chronic disease management

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners accepted a $500,000 grant from United Healthcare at its Oct. 7 meeting. The funding will help expand the county's community paramedic program. United Healthcare’s mobile integrated health (MIH) initiative grant will fund two full-time positions and one part-time position dedicated to chronic disease management, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes.

“The goals of this are to have capacity to provide follow-up care,” Community Paramedic Program Manager Claire Hubbard told the Commission.

“Currently, we just can’t.” According to the presentation shared with commissioners, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has had 145 unmet service requests since January.

Hubbard said the community paramedics currently have the ability to work with people for one or two weeks.

“But we just don’t have the staff or the bandwidth to build out follow-up care for chronic disease management. … I think we could probably ease the burden on 911 a bit more with staff dedicated to those kinds of chronic disease issues.”

The community paramedics team has 16 staff members. Six positions are funded by Buncombe County, while eight are covered by opioid settlement funding, and two are supported by the American Rescue Plan Act, according to Hubbard's presentation.

Contractor accepted for EMS East project

The Commission approved an $8.4 million contract from Carolina Specialties Construction for the Emergency Medical Services East project in Swannanoa. General Services

Manager Robert Brown said the county received three bids for the project.

EMS East will be a new, 12,000-square-foot facility built on the Owen Pool property on Old U.S. 70 Highway. With 24/7 staffing, the site will have the capacity to hold six emergency vehicles, a medical supply and equipment storage room, and 12 bedrooms.

Construction for EMS East is estimated to begin in late October and is slated for completion in February 2027.

Appraisals for properties approved

The Commission approved a budget amendment for eight easement projects. The properties were recommended for funding by the Buncombe County Agricultural Advisory Board.

EXPANDED SERVICES: Claire Hubbard, community paramedic program manager, spoke to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners about the services that a $500,000 grant from United Healthcare will support. Screen grab courtesy of Buncombe County

In other news:

The project includes seven transaction cost requests, which include appraisals. “We need to have the transaction costs to be able to do the full appraisal in order to give an accurate estimate of what those easement purchase funds would be,” Farmland Preservation Program Manager Ariel Zijp told the Commission.

The properties are: Cedar Hill Farm in Alexander; Wilson Farm in Fairview; Morgan Branch Farm sections A, B and C in Leicester; Saddlebrook Farm in Leicester; and Brown Legacy Farm in Leicester.

Additionally, the amendment covered easement acquisition funding for Slocumb Farm, a 120-acre easement in Leicester.

The projects will cost roughly $637,000 and will be used from the county’s $30 million Open Space Bond proceeds.

• Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger was honored with the N.C. Association of Registers of Deeds District III Outstanding Register of Deeds award for his public service during Tropical Storm Helene. “It was an honor to write a letter of recommendation for you for this specific award,” Buncombe County Commission Chair Amanda Edwards said.

• Alex McKnight of the Public Safety Communications Department was acknowledged as the recipient of the N.C. Association of County Commissions Heroic Hands honor for his contributions during Helene. This story was supported by the Fund for Investigative Reporting and Editing.

— Jessica Wakeman  X

Let’s keep WNC housed. Donate to the Grace in Action Fund.

“If I hadn’t received assistance, I could have easily been foreclosed on or just given up.” – Micah Hayes

After Hurricane Helene, veteran Micah Hayes of Arden nearly lost his home when unexpected car repairs drained his savings. Emergency relief kept him and his son housed.

It has been more than a year since Hurricane Helene thundered into Western North Carolina, leaving thousands of families facing an immediate housing crisis.

Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church opened its doors right away. With the support of partners and donors worldwide, the church distributed more than $5.5 million in rent, mortgage, and utility assistance across 12 counties in the first five months after the storm. That emergency relief kept more than 2,500 people housed during our region’s darkest days.

Meanwhile, the Land of the Sky Association of REALTORS® (LOTSAR) mobilized its members for a number of LOTSAR initiatives, including organizing supply drives, helping secure $1.2 million in recovery funds, offering temporary housing, and guiding homeowners and tenants through complex rebuilding challenges.

This summer, Grace Covenant and LOTSAR launched the Grace in Action Fund to carry that work forward. Unlike the emergency aid that met immediate needs, this fund focuses on long-term recovery—providing direct rent, mortgage, and utility assistance for families still struggling.

In just a few months, the fund has already raised more than $180,000, but the need remains urgent. Too many of our neighbors are still one paycheck away from losing their homes. They are service workers stretched thin by reduced hours, seniors on fixed incomes, and students working to stay in school.

Your support can keep them housed. Every contribution to the Grace in Action Fund is an investment in Western North Carolina’s recovery, helping build a stronger, more compassionate community for us all.

Rev. Dr. Marcia Whitney Mount Shoop

Pastor, Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church

Rachel Brown President, Land of the Sky Association of REALTORS®

DAN BOWERS

Woodfin Town Council

Last year was a dramatic one for Woodfin. Hundreds of west-side residents signed a petition seeking de-annexation. The effort was ultimately shot down by Woodfin Town Council.

Then, in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene, town Mayor Jim McAllister was censured by Town Council for multiple violations of the town’s code of conduct and ethics.

Amid these incidents, the town has continued to experience growth while dealing with affordable housing issues. Furthermore, construction and repairs to the town’s greenways, blueways and artificial whitewater river wave continue.

Four candidates are seeking three open seats. Only one incumbent, Philip Cohen, is running.

Editor’s note: Responses were edited for length and clarity. For full responses, visit avl.mx/f56.

— Thomas Calder X

Election Locations and Times

Early voting runs Thursday, Oct. 16-Saturday, Nov. 1. There will be no early voting Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 18-19 and Oct. 25-26. Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m., except on Saturday, Nov. 1, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

Early voting can be done at the Elections Services Warehouse, 50 Coxe Ave., Asheville. An additional site — the Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lake Shore Drive — will be open on Saturday, Nov. 1.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4. Polls are open 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. As long as you are in line by 7:30 p.m., you will have the opportunity to vote. To find your voting location, go to avl.mx/6nq.

For additional information on matters such as voter ID and absentee voting, visit avl.mx/f45.

THE QUESTIONS

In April 2024, Woodfin Town Council unanimously opposed a request from its west-side residents to de-annex from the town. These community members expressed several grievances regarding town services. If elected, what measures will you take to make all residents feel seen and heard?

Rapid and dense urbanization can lead to increased runoff and erosion, as well as the removal of natural vegetation, all of which can contribute to landslides. When it comes to new development, what is your opinion of elevation standards and increased restrictions on building on steep slopes?

Website: N/A

Occupation: Attorney

Previous candidacy or offices held: None

Amount of money raised: N/A

Top three donors: N/A

How long have you lived in Woodfin? Since 2023

The most important job of an elected representative is to do just that: represent. Just as all votes are equally important, so too are the concerns of Woodfin’s citizens, regardless of what side of the French Broad they live on. If elected, I want to help establish a task force toward outreach to this part of Woodfin so that there is clear and open dialogue between them and the government. A request for de-annexation should not be the first time the Town Council is engaging with these residents.

A key pillar of my platform is an emphasis on keeping the woods in Woodfin. Climate change and deforestation are important issues to me personally and as a candidate, which is why I was honored to receive the Sierra Club’s endorsement. The elevation and steep slope restrictions are one of the tools the Council should continue to use to ensure any new development does not encroach on what makes this area beautiful.

Website: Facebook — Phil Cohen for Woodfin

Occupation:

Retired university professor and senior administrator

Previous candidacy or offices held: Current Woodfin Town Council member

Amount of money raised: $4,850

Top three donors: Gina and Greg Bridgeford, Judy and David Butler, Susie and Lee Ellison

How long have you lived in Woodfin? 2019

West Woodfin residents voiced a strong desire for extending water and sewer service to areas in the community that currently lack such service. I led the effort to create a Water Infrastructure Task Force to explore how best to accomplish this goal by creating an action plan for building a coalition of stakeholders and partners and identifying funding opportunities. We have invited Chip Parton, who led the de-annexation effort, to join the task force. Initial steps include understanding the history of previous efforts on this issue and surveying West Woodfin residents. Parton and I hope to increase survey participation by going door to door in October.

I support promoting responsible development that expands our tax base and affordable housing while preserving the area’s natural beauty. As the frequency and intensity of storms has increased, so has the potential for greater erosion, stormwater runoff and landslides. I voted for enhancing and tightening the enforcement of our steep slope ordinance and creating new sliding scale green space requirements for new developments. I also voted to increase our regulations governing building and rebuilding in the flood plain. Additionally, I did not support the Bluffs development. Because of this record, the Sierra Club has endorsed my candidacy.

In October 2024, Woodfin Mayor Jim McAllister was censured by Council for violating the town’s code of conduct and ethics. This was primarily tied to press conferences he held in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene. Do you believe local elected officials should freely express their opinions to the public on relevant local matters? Or should all official community discourse be assigned to a single person?

will you do as a Council member to address it?

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, I remember the relief my wife and I felt when we realized the town was holding town meetings just up the road. There was so much uncertainty during those times; any information we could obtain felt like a blessing. I believe elected officials should not be wizards behind a curtain, operating in secret. They should be public-facing people, free to express their opinions. Whether or not those opinions align with the community should be left to the voters at the ballot box to decide.

The biggest challenge facing Woodfin, similar to other areas impacted by Hurricane Helene, is ensuring that money which has already been allocated from D.C. and Raleigh is actually disbursed and spent. As someone that has worked in city, state and federal government, I am well-versed in how bureaucratic red tape can tie the hands of local officials. As a Council member, I would work diligently to cut through it and make sure these projects get funded.

I voted against censuring Mayor McAllister after Helene because I believed that recovering from the storm was more important than censuring the mayor. Censure is not a legal proceeding, but I also thought the mayor had not been afforded due process in the run-up to such a serious vote. Because of issues of accuracy in the mayor’s previous statements to the press, I voted to make our town manager the sole town spokesperson. I am willing to revisit this second issue, but I do not wish to relitigate the past, preferring instead to work with the mayor, Council members, staff and residents to improve Woodfin’s community and livability.

Affordable housing is a critical need in Woodfin. Thus, I supported the Rocky River apartment project in Woodfin, which will break ground this fall and include 120 affordable units. I hope to build on this work by cultivating relationships with developers who specialize in affordable housing and are familiar with the grant and low-interest funding sources for these projects. We cannot individually promise developers anything, but we can assure them that Woodfin is very receptive to working with them to build more affordable housing. I support Woodfin’s new, tougher STR [short-term rental] regulations. While private property is a basic right, it is not in the town’s best interest to convert large swaths of housing to STRs. I also supported changes to our zoning ordinances to allow a variety of alternatives other than single-home lots where deeds permit.

Woodfin’s population has more than doubled over the past 25 years. How has the current Council effectively managed that growth as it relates to the town’s infrastructure? In what ways would you like to improve upon it?

The current Council has taken steps to address the growth of Woodfin, like protecting it from overexpansion with things like the steep slope ordinance. But the Woodfin infrastructure is certainly lacking in comparison to the town size. I would like to see a community space that is unique to Woodfin. A communal point where families can all come together for events and holidays and feel a sense of community and connection to this town.

70% of Woodfin’s roads are managed by county, state and federal entities. However, we have made some progress in repairs for the streets and sidewalks that we do have responsibility for. After not paying a federally mandated stormwater facility fee for some years, Woodfin has instituted a stormwater fee and embarked on a plan to improve our stormwater facilities. Recovering from Helene has also been a major challenge for Woodfin. Luckily, Woodfin has a dedicated professional staff to go after a variety of grant and loan programs. We are making good progress in these areas, especially with debris removal; repair of Silver-Line and Riverside parks, including their banks; and completion of the wave.

CHIP PARTON MARCY POZNER-THOMPSON

Website: ChipParton.com

Occupation: Plumber

Previous candidacy or offices held: None

Amount of money raised: $5,000

Top three donors: My mother, father, grandfather, fiancée and myself.

How long have you lived in Woodfin? All 33 years of my life.

As the organizer of the de-annexation petition, the west side is deeply important to me. Woodfin is a town of 8,000 residents living in both rural and developed neighborhoods. The French Broad River flows right through its middle. I am committed to serving all of our neighbors on both sides of the river. I am pleased to serve on the Woodfin Water Infrastructure Task Force, which is focused on addressing the needs of western residents without access to public water utilities. These residents typically must utilize wells as their only option. In the age of increased threats of wildfires, let’s alleviate their largest concerns — access to water and fire hydrants.

As an endorsed candidate by the WNC Sierra Club, I will always prioritize our town, its homes and its environment over developer profits and corner cutting. Woodfin has made impressive progress on development, especially on steep slopes. Let’s audit these policies to ensure they are working as intended. Retention and passive drainage are critical components of modern development. Developers should plan for the first 1.5 inches of rainfall in any new subdivision. As someone who has worked in construction for over 10 years, I’ve seen healthy and unhealthy development. I would like to see sustainable, long-lasting, well-built, affordable workforce housing benefiting our economy.

Website: N/A

Occupation: Retired, a career with Delta Airlines

Previous candidacy or offices held: This is my first effort to become more involved with the Woodfin community and run for Woodfin Town Council.

Amount of money raised: I plan to use my own finances to fund my efforts.

Top three donors: N/A

How long have you lived in Woodfin? Full-time for about 10 years

Communications and transparency need to be improved. Issues that are a concern should be discussed and remedies suggested vs. deannexing. Water and septic infrastructure needs to be improved in several areas. As a Council member, I hope to make sure issues and concerns are heard by those who can help.

Elected officials need to be able to express themselves, particularly in such trying circumstances as after Helene. Communication should not be limited to one individual. Mayor McAllister should not have been censured, as he has a lot of common sense and was able to help residents when regular communication methods were unavailable. He reached out to help when it was needed most. Limiting people’s ability to communicate only makes it harder to get residents and Woodfin to work together and reflects negatively on Woodfin.

We need to be aware of ways to prevent erosion and runoff. River cane (a native plant) can be planted along the river banks to help control erosion. Water detention and retention basins and working with upstream communities can help to improve water pollution issues. Collection barrels for brown water use could also be implemented. Supporting and enforcing the steep slope ordinance provides limitations of cutting vegetation so native plants of certain sizes are retained. Invasive plants should try to be removed so they don’t crowd out native plants. We need to keep Woodfin’s mountains and forests intact while still allowing the development of Woodfin. I believe our elected representatives must be held to the highest of standards. If there is a Code of Conduct violation, there must be appropriate action. With that said, I am sympathetic to our town officials and employees who were thrust into an unprecedented situation in the days and weeks after the flood. Moving forward, I believe a Woodfin Plan of Action (WPA) — a codified response to emergencies and disasters such as Hurricane Helene — and consistent engagement between the mayor and Town Council, its staff, county officials and the residents of Woodfin is paramount to moving forward as a unified and transparent effort.

Housing is the biggest issue facing Woodfin. Development should be healthy, not hefty. Responsible, sustainable, accessible housing is a cornerstone of my campaign. We must adapt for an evolving housing market by future-proofing development in Woodfin. Let’s build homes that cost less, can grow as families grow and maintain a green space befitting of Woodfin’s natural beauty. We can achieve this by balancing lot sizes and home sizes. By constructing homes with future expansion in mind, homeowners can establish and maintain their equity, expand their homes as their families grow and put down roots as part of a vibrant economic community in Woodfin.

We can manage growth and infrastructure by improving services for Woodfin. Let’s establish Woodfin Expanded Services (WES) so that residents have a one-stop shop to answer all of their questions. Let’s establish an in-house building inspection and permitting process for new development and a liaison between residents and Buncombe County and the N.C. Department of Transportation (DOT) to address local matters. Our goal will be to provide residents with answers. Let’s establish municipal water and fire services, which includes more fire hydrants. Can it be done? Every other municipality in Buncombe County has already met this standard of modernization; it’s time Woodfin does as well.

Communication with transparency is one of Woodfin’s biggest problems. Communication needs to be improved within the Council as well as with residents.

The Woodfin Town Council needs to be more concerned about the residents and less concerned with developers that are not looking at downline repercussions of their developments. Several current developers are too interested in putting too many people on too limited a space. Infrastructure and traffic situations need to be investigated fully. Woodfin should court more developers that are interested in affordable housing, as the majority of residents and workforce would not be interested in luxury developments.

As a Council representative, I would like to see more affordable housing available as well as more local retail development to benefit the local workforce.

We need better public transportation and safer areas for bikers and pedestrians. Improved infrastructure and roadways will make it safer for residents and tourists both. Cleanup from Helene will take more time. It is a long-term issue affecting several areas of Woodfin.

Woodfin Water and Sewer District

The Woodfin Sanitary Water Sewer District maintains over 100 miles of distribution line, a 2 million-gallon daily capacity treatment plant and nearly 3.5 million gallons of water storage facilities, according to the district’s website. In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene, the water plant experienced millions of dollars in damage, which is still being addressed.

There are three open seats for the Woodfin Sanitary Water Sewer Board of Trustees. Four candidates are running. Hannah Rice and Carter James did not respond to Xpress’ Voter Guide questions.

Editor’s note: Responses were edited for length and clarity. For full responses, visit avl.mx/f57.

— Thomas Calder X

THE QUESTIONS

What inspired you to run?

LARRY HOPKINS

Website: N/A

Occupation: Retired

Previous candidacy or offices held: Current Woodfin Water Board trustee since November 2023

Amount of money raised: $0

Top three donors: No donors

How long have you lived in Woodfin? Since 2018

I want to run for a second term to continue the progressive work we have accomplished since 2023.

Website: N/A

Occupation: I am retired.

Previous candidacy or offices held: I was elected to the WSWSD Board of Trustees in the 2023 election.

Amount of money raised: None

Top three donors: I do not have, nor intend to have, any donors.

How long have you lived in Woodfin? May of 2016.

I decided to run because Woodfin incurred significant damage from Tropical Storm Helene, and I was part of the team guiding the recovery. I believe I understand the situation and have a sense of commitment to assure the ongoing recovery plan is the best it can be.

What experience do you have that makes you an ideal candidate for the board?

In what way is the current board thriving?

Where is there need for improvement on the current board?

What did the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene reveal about the role of the board, and what lessons from the storm will you apply to the post, if elected?

I am an accomplished 40-plus-year businessman. I have almost two progressive years on the water board.

We have turned the water board into a much more proactive unit! Transparency and cybersecurity top of list!

Anyone can always improve, but I feel we are operating at a high level.

Helene exposed our system’s vulnerability. We are working to make our system more resilient to future storms.

My business education and career was very suitable to understanding the issues that a board member faces.

The current board and the current WSWSD management are very collaborative and cooperative. And each of us is committed to the mission of the WSWSD: providing the best possible water to our customers.

We might improve the board by expanding the membership to five from the current three. A quorum for the WSWSD Board is two members, which means we can’t bounce ideas off one another outside of board meetings without violating open-meeting laws.

What is the biggest challenge facing Woodfin’s Sanitary Water and Sewer District, and how will you address it?

Biggest challenge is keeping an 80-plus-year-old system running. We are implementing a 10-year capital improvement plan to address most urgent issues first.

The revelations were that our methods of communication to our customers were not as good as we believed. We also learned that the varied background of the board was a positive — having only businesspeople on the board limits perspective. And we learned that our website needs modernization, because our customers wanted communication and looked to our website for answers they couldn’t find. We will expand our efforts on customer communication in the new term.

Our biggest challenge is preparing our system for the next 25-plus years without excessively impacting the rates our customers pay for their water. We have a good long-term plan, and we have looked for financial resources available that we have not been able to access previously, such as the state revolving fund.

Taking the wheel

Women make inroads into mostly male trucking industry

BY BRIONNA DALLARA

bdallara@mountainx.com

Rita Robinson is in it for the long haul when it comes to trucking.

With over 20 years of experience under her belt, she’s hauled freight to nearly every state in the Southeast and Midwest, gotten well acquainted with truck stops and defied countless comments from men who think women can’t drive.

“I’ve heard everything from ‘Well, you’re a female, you don’t know anything’ to ‘You can’t back that big truck in there.’ Well, hide and watch, I’ll show you,” Robinson says. “People don’t understand that women can do this, you know, and we do and we prove it every day.”

At 62 years old, Robinson continues to break barriers as the sole female instructor at the Fletcher branch of TransTech CDL Training, a driving school that partners with A-B Tech for students to get their commercial drivers license (CDL).

While Robinson’s students are a melting pot of ages — her youngest current student is 20 years old, while her oldest is 60 — there is still a deficit in the number of female students who join the program.

Currently, she has two female students in a cohort of 20. Since she started as an instructor in 2015, that number has stayed pretty consistent, she says.

Nationally, the figure isn’t much better. According to American Transportation Research Institute’s (ATRI) July 2025 report, Evolving Truck Driver Demographics: Issues and Opportunities, women have comprised approximately 4% of all truck driving roles in the U.S. since 2008, despite representing 47.1% of the overall labor force.

“A lot of it is because the younger people that want to get in [the program]

KEEP ON TRUCKIN': Since 2015, former long-haul driver Rita Robinson has been an instructor at the Fletcher branch of TransTech CDL Training, a driving school that partners with A-B Tech for students to get their commercial drivers license. Photo by Caleb Johnson

have children and don’t want to leave them for the extreme hours that we work,” Robinson says. “So we’re seeing older women come into the industry because they don’t have little babies or something at home.”

ATRI’s July report supports Robinson’s observations. According to its findings, the median entry age for female drivers is 40, whereas the median entry for men is 26. “Potential factors shaping the trends on women entering trucking careers later in life is their mar-

ital status and caregiving responsibilities for children,” the report reads.

But while younger female drivers are less common, some of those who have broken the mold say the opportunities outweigh the challenges and that sexism spans industries and cuts both ways.

‘KILL THEM WITH KINDNESS’

Nearly four months ago, Robinson’s former student Hannah Henderson graduated from TransTech driving school, CDL license in tow. At 24 years old, she holds three jobs and has her hands full with a 9-month-old son.

Henderson wakes up around 5 a.m. every day and is behind the wheel of her quad-axle dump truck by 6 a.m., hauling truckloads of dirt between two worksites — one on Interstate 26 near the outlets and the other in Swannanoa.

While the majority of the crew are men, she doesn’t mind.

“I don’t think anything’s really a man’s world anymore,” Henderson says. “I mean, everything’s pretty much gender fluid. What I like is feeling empowered. I like to feel like I’m a woman, and I’m doing the same thing you’re doing.”

Henderson says there are a lot of stereotypes surrounding female drivers

and that some male colleagues direct unsolicited advice or criticism her way. Data suggests that condemnation is unwarranted. According to ATRI’s 2018 Predicting Truck Crash Involvement (updated in 2022), women are safer across all statistically significant driver behavior categories.

Despite the occasional negative comment, Henderson says it feels like a family environment at her current job sites.

“I get mad, yeah, but I just kill them with kindness,” Henderson says. “We’re all here to do the same thing … drive your truck, dump your loads and just go on about your day.”

Besides, Robinson continues, women with any work or life experience have likely heard the comments before. “Female truck drivers are very strong and independent,” she says. “We have to be.”

IT’S NOT JUST MEN

Demographic trends addressed in ATRI’s 2024 study, Identifying and Mitigating the Challenges Faced by Women Truck Drivers, quantified six key challenge areas for female drivers:

• Negative industry image and perception.

• Unable to complete truck driving training.

• Unsatisfactory motor carrier company culture.

• Inability to acclimate to the over-the-road lifestyle.

• Limited parking and restroom facility access.

• Excessive gender harassment and discrimination.

Of the six items noted, those who spoke with Xpress only brought up the final point.

Since acquiring her CDL, Henderson has worked for three different companies and heard a fair amount of sexist comments, but the only time she considered leaving trucking was while working under her first boss, who was a woman.

“She just disrespected me on levels that I honestly couldn’t imagine,” Henderson says. “She made me want to throw my license away.”

For 35-year-old CDL-licensed driver

Alyssa Lucarelli, harassment from a female colleague in her previous line of work was one of the reasons she decided to start anew in the program.

“It seems like men automatically get along with each other, where women, I feel like, clash a lot — not all the time, but a majority of the time, that’s what I see,” Lucarelli says. “I’ve always been envious of that kind of automatic brotherhood or bond, whereas women, there’s like this unspoken kind of competition a lot of the time.”

PAY RAISE

Money is another factor for those who enter the field.

According to Robinson, the average annual salary for trucking is $50,000 to $100,000. That rate is what ultimately led her to leave behind her former life as a corrections officer.

“[It was] the financial freedom of it,” Robinson says. “I made a whole lot more money truck driving than I did in corrections anyway.”

For Lucarelli, who earned a degree in foreign language studies before acquiring her CDL license, the industry’s earning potential appealed to her — especially as she considered her student debt and other financial obligations. Robinson also notes the relief she felt in pivoting from her former life to her current one.

“Working in corrections, you’re dealing with all criminals,” she says. “So you didn’t want anybody to walk up behind you. You didn’t want anybody to come around the corner too fast. You didn’t trust anybody,” Robinson says. “So being in trucking, you could learn that you are OK, that not everybody’s bad.”

The transportation industry, however, is not devoid of criminal behavior. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s November 2022 report,

“What I like is feeling empowered. I like to feel like I’m a woman, and I’m doing the same thing you’re doing.”

— Hannah Henderson, CDL licensed driver

Crime Prevention for Truckers Study, “42 percent of long-haul women truckers experience one or more types of workplace violence.” The report goes on to note, “Sexual harassment is a common type of harassment, including physical, verbal, and mental forms. Physical harassment crimes include stalking and sexual assault.”

Still, Robinson notes that her day-today experience as a driver and educator has brought peace of mind. “In trucking, you learn that you are OK, that not everybody’s bad.”

GOOD MENTORS GO A LONG WAY

That understanding and appreciation have been part of Henderson’s and Lucarelli’s professional journeys. Both say that having a mentor such as Robinson has helped ease their transition into the industry.

“I mean Rita, she’s a wonderful instructor and she’s been out here for a while,” Henderson says.

After nearly a decade of being on the road working 70 hours a week, Robinson hit the brakes on freight in 2015. It wasn’t the grueling hours, she says. In fact, she “enjoyed every minute” of her time on the road, where she often listened to old mystery and comedy shows via satellite as she steered her way across vast segments of the country. Bad drivers, she says, are what led her to pull over for good.

“A lot of us went into the teaching part of it because ... we wanted to put good drivers out there,” Robinson says. “We can make a difference and teach them — don’t get that close to people, don’t make people back up, don’t be aggressive. And I can see some changes around here in it, because we’ve trained a lot of students over the years.”

Robinson says teaching has turned out to be the highlight of her career.

“I actually get more satisfaction now as an instructor; than [from] the feeling of accomplishment when you get your loads there on time, dealing with extreme weather and things like that. It was always a challenge, [and] I love a challenge,” Robinson says. “But actually seeing our students grow and progress and learn are actually my best memories in truck driving.” X

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Entering the field

WCU's Madelyn Lee shares playbook for working in college football

BY JUSTIN M c GUIRE

jmcguire@mountainx.com

Growing up just minutes from Clemson University’s legendary Death Valley, Madelyn Lee was surrounded by college football from the start.

Her dad was a Clemson alumnus, her brother a die-hard fan, and weekends in the Lee household revolved around whatever games were on TV. “If we didn’t have plans on a Saturday, we were on the couch watching football all day,” she recalls.

To make things a little more interesting — and to get under her brother’s skin — Lee even chose to root for the University of Alabama, the powerhouse program that faced the Tigers in three national championship games from 2016-19.

But even with college and NFL games a constant presence in her life, Lee never expected to build a career in the testosterone-fueled world of football. In

fact, she was a music kid through and through. A percussionist who also played violin and viola, she entered Western Carolina University in the fall of 2020 as a music education major, planning to teach in elementary school. But after a year, she realized the passion she had for music didn’t extend to teaching.

“I think I was good at it, but it had always just been a hobby,” she says. “I didn’t want to do it forever.”

A roommate’s offhand comment helped her discover her real career goal, eventually leading to her first fulltime job. In August, she was hired as WCU’s director of football recruiting, a demanding position that oversees the planning and execution of on-campus recruiting efforts by the Catamounts. She says she is thrilled to be part of the purple-and-gold pageantry and passion that descends on Cullowhee on Saturdays each fall.

“Game days are my favorite: showing recruits around, being on the sideline,

doing all the recruiting work — but most of all, I love being involved,” Lee says. While challenges remain for women working in the world of sports, especially in leadership roles, many say the landscape has steadily improved in recent decades. Lee’s experience reflects a growing number of opportunities for women in football — and a culture that, in her case, has been defined more by inclusion than barriers.

‘THIS IS IT’

Lee and her friends spent so much time watching sports in the dorm — football, basketball, hockey — that her roommate joked she should make a career out of it. Around the same time, another friend connected her with the football operations department on campus. By the summer after her freshman year, Lee had changed her major to sport management and landed a student assistant role with Todd Shealy, WCU’s director of football operations.

She started out helping with road trip planning, postgame meals and recruiting events, and was immediately drawn to the fast-paced, behind-the-scenes world of football. “Being there for a game, not just as a fan but actually helping make it all happen, that’s what pulled me in. That was the moment I realized, ‘This is it.’”

Shealy says Lee quickly distinguished herself with a strong work ethic and willingness to take on any project.

During Lee’s second semester on the job, WCU hired its first full-time recruiting staffer, Sydney Spears, who quickly noticed something in Lee.

“She was like, ‘I think you’d be really good at recruiting. You have a really bright personality, you talk a lot,’” Lee recalls. “That kind of started it.”

From there, she split her time between operations and recruiting, helping organize visits, schedule meals and transportation and track budgets — all while managing her own coursework as a marketing and sport management major.

‘NO-BRAINER’

After graduating in 2024, Lee enrolled in a master’s degree program in sport management at East Carolina University, where she took a graduate assistant job in recruiting with the university’s football team. There, her responsibilities deepened: building itineraries, coordinating logistics, working

ANY GIVEN SATURDAY: Madelyn Lee recently took over as Western Carolina University’s director of football recruiting. “You’re walking parents through the process, showing them that this is where their son can grow on and off the field,” she says. Photo courtesy of Catamount Athletics

with outside departments. She was also heavily involved in campus and facility tours and became a key point of contact for parents.

But before long, the Catamounts came calling again. In a quick two-week turnaround this summer, the recruiting director position opened after Lee’s predecessor left for a job at Wake Forest University. Lee’s previous experience and deep ties to the program made her an obvious fit.

“She knew Western better than we did, so it was a no-brainer to hire her,” Shealy says. “She graduated from here. She could sell Western to student-athletes, to moms and dads. She sat in the classrooms. She’s not going to get a question that she doesn’t know or can’t find out within minutes.”

Lee accepted the job offer and moved back to Cullowhee in time for the start of the fall semester and has been running with the role ever since. She is also finishing up her ECU master's degree online.

During a typical home game week, Lee manages all aspects of unofficial visits: sending out forms to recruits, organizing tickets and credentials, coordinating check-in and handling compliance paperwork. For away games, she focuses on staff meals and logistics, taking pressure off other departments.

The peak of her calendar will hit in December and January, with official visits and transfer portal activity bringing a flurry of activity.

“You’re walking high school parents through the process, showing them that this is where their son can grow on and off the field,” she says.

Unlike high school visits — which are full-weekend affairs with tours, social events and full staff engagement — portal recruiting is quick and transactional. The transfer portal is a National Collegiate Athletic Association system that lets players declare their intent to transfer and be recruited by other schools.

“The transfer kids don’t want to come in and do a campus tour and meet with professors,” Lee explains. “They want to sit down with the coach and talk ball.”

While the logistics are demanding, Lee thrives on the energy and structure of it all and sees recruiting as a natural fit for her personality and strengths.

“It’s a detail-oriented role,” she says. “And I love getting to sell the program. It’s not hard to sell Western.”

GROWING OPPORTUNITIES

Being a woman in football — especially in a leadership role — is not something Lee has found to be a barrier.

“There was never a day where I was like, ‘Wow, I don’t feel included because I’m a woman,’” she explains. “I was able to travel, be on the sidelines, do everything with everyone.”

She acknowledges that might not be every woman’s experience but feels grateful for the culture at both WCU and ECU. The increasing number of recruiting roles being created across college football, she adds, is opening more doors for women in the sport.

“There are so many opportunities now,” she says. “It’s been a growing thing, and I think it’s only going to keep growing.”

Shealy has seen this growth firsthand, beginning in the late 1980s and early ’90s when women started working in football training rooms at institutions like the University of Florida, where he then worked. “There was an initial pushback,” he admits, but the Gator program embraced the change. “Now, you see women athletic directors, women administrators, even coaching roles in the NFL.”

Quinn Willard, who hired Lee at ECU and has since moved on to become coordinator of on-campus recruiting at Duke University, says one of the biggest

“Women have every right to be in this field and do everything that a man does.”

— Madelyn Lee, Western Carolina University’s director of football recruiting

challenges women face in football is simply being taken seriously. Those early in their careers, especially in support roles, can struggle to shift perceptions once they step into leadership positions.

“They see you as a young woman, they still see you in that student role,” she says. “They still don’t really see you as that person who can tell them what to do.”

Still, both Willard and Lee note progress is happening, and environments such as ECU and WCU have been positive examples.

Lee and Shealy credit WCU head football coach Kerwin Bell with creating a welcoming environment for female staff members. “It’s always going to be the case that everybody’s equal in our world, especially with coach Bell,” Shealy says.

Lee encourages young women interested in pursuing careers in sports to follow their passion. “My best advice is to just reach out to people,” she says. “Don’t be afraid. Women have every right to be in this field and do everything that a man does.”

CAREER GOALS

Pro football is not in Lee’s long-term plans. “The NFL is cool, but it’s not this. I love the recruiting side of it — showing off a place, sharing your favorite little things.”

And in Cullowhee, there’s a lot to show off. Game days fill with energy as students stream through campus in purple and gold. The marching band warms up outside the dining halls. The team makes its pregame “Catwalk” through tailgates. E.J. Whitmire Stadium seats nearly 14,000 and often gets close to filling.

On game days, Lee spends part of the time on the sideline and part in the stands with her parents, who travel from Seneca, S.C., for every home game.

“They’re so excited,” she says. “They love that I’m involved in this, and I’ve been able to show them the facilities and give them a behind-the-scenes look. They’re proud.”

As for the future, she hopes to eventually become a recruiting director at a Power Four program. Maybe Alabama. Or perhaps Clemson?

“Oh, my parents would love that,” she says with a laugh. X

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Higher powers

Local author explores ancient goddesses as inspiration for modern-day feminism

BY MERIN M c DIVITT

In political movements, from civil rights to LGBTQ+ Pride, a divide often emerges between activists who believe anger is a necessary force for enacting change and those who advocate a softer, more diplomatic and incremental approach.

When it comes to the ongoing struggle for women’s rights, Asheville author Susan J. Foster stands on one side of this divide. Her new book Righteous Rage: Why Feminism Needs the Fierce Goddesses, published in August, argues that feminism is under a particularly intense assault at this moment and that women’s anger can be a powerful and transformative force in pushing back against these incursions.

Her argument is not wholly new to feminism, but Foster provides an unusual twist: the underpinning of female deities such as Greece’s Medusa, Haiti’s Marinette and India’s Kali. Over the course of Righteous Rage, she weaves through the history and present state of U.S. women’s rights, highlighting ongoing challenges such as gender violence, health and safety disparities and the wage gap. She also examines the intersection of feminism with race, sexual identity, culture and the environment.

Foster, a clinical psychologist with a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (and a former Xpress editor), connects these issues with the stories of women goddesses, positing that current-day readers can learn from their strength, wisdom and potent anger.

Xpress sat down with her to discuss this unique take on contemporary feminism and its ancient roots.

Xpress: In the book’s quite personal introduction, you share your own journey as a feminist over the decades. How did you grow to understand the role of rage as essential to enacting meaningful change?

INTENSE MOMENT: Asheville author Susan J. Foster's new book argues that feminism is under a particularly intense assault at this moment and that women’s anger can be a powerful and transformative force in pushing back against these incursions. Photo courtesy of Foster

unbecoming for a girl. For many years, I didn’t feel I even had any anger. But my anger finally surfaced in my adult life when Roe v. Wade was overturned. My rage became the motivation to write a book that could help women fight back against the injustice of having their reproductive and other rights stripped. I realized that rage, when harnessed properly, is fuel for action to create needed change.

Reading the book, it’s clear that you undertook a great deal of research into both the history and cultural backgrounds of these goddesses and into scholarly views of modern feminism. What was this process like for you, and how did you distill it into slightly over 200 pages?

I became a psychologist specializing in feminist therapy, helping women become more empowered in their lives. My book became a way for me to integrate and distill my years of study and experience working with women into a work that aligns with my lifelong goal of promoting the rights and welfare of women.

Righteous Rage discusses what the stories of ancient female deities can teach about modern-day feminism and connects them with psychological concepts such as the subconscious and Jungian archetypes. How did this unique idea come to you, and how was it informed by your career as a psychologist?

and women. These goddesses are lying dormant but ready to be awakened and utilized to right the wrongs perpetrated by society against women.

You mention that there are many goddesses or ancient deities that you weren’t able to include in the book. How did you decide which to focus on and explore?

I attempted to include goddesses from many different cultures, not just ones that are well-known in Western civilization, such as the Black Madonna. I drew goddesses from African, Afro-Caribbean and Middle Eastern cultures, thus contributing to a greater inclusion of women from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Of necessity, many better-known goddesses, such as Athena from Greek mythology, had to be excluded.

You use several contemporary examples of women’s activism and empowerment from other countries to illustrate how we can learn from feminist movements abroad. How did you choose these examples, and what do you hope that readers take away from them?

Despite the fact that my book is aimed primarily at American women, I drew examples from women's movements in other countries that can serve as motivation for women in this country to take action. For example, the revolution in Iran has been women led, with the rallying cry of “Woman, Life, Freedom.” Iranian women have cut their hair as a sign of their rage against an oppressive regime. American women can learn from and be inspired by Iranian women, who are risking their very lives in their fight for justice.

Who do you most hope will read this book, and how do you plan to reach them?

AROUND THE REGION

Foster: I had a traditional upbringing, in which anger and rage were considered

I have long been an advocate for women's rights. I attended a women’s college and eventually returned to that college to teach the first women's and gender studies course, during which time I did much scholarly research about feminism. Later,

After I discovered the feminine aspects of the divine in a course at my church, I became familiar with goddesses from many cultures and made an in-depth study of them as part of my own spiritual practice. After the last election, when I realized that women’s rights were being seriously eroded, I felt the ancient fierce goddesses calling to me across the ages, as in a dream, letting me know they had a message for women today that was imperative for me to deliver.

My career as a psychologist augmented my understanding of the fierce goddesses as archetypes in the Jungian sense, living in the collective unconscious of all people, both men

My hope is that my book will reach American women concerned about the loss of women's rights — their own as well as those of other women. By “women” I mean anyone who identifies as a woman, including transwomen and nonbinary individuals, as well as biological females. I also hope my book will be read by men who will join with women as male allies, for I believe that in order for one group in society to be liberated, we must all be liberated together. Then, an egalitarian society that supports the rights and well-being of all people will be possible. X

Local food sovereignty

WNC Food Systems Coalition launches new collaborative hub

BY DANIELLE AROSTEGUI

When the Tierra Fértil Cooperative needed a van to scale up its local food distribution program aimed at serving the Hispanic community in Western North Carolina, the WNC Food Systems Coalition stepped in to help raise the funds. Thanks to the generosity of local donors and several small grants, the coalition handed over the keys to the new van in September.

This is just one example of the type of work Dana Choquette oversees as the executive director of the WNC Food Systems Coalition, a nonprofit that works to build a resilient and equitable food system in Western North Carolina through multiagency collaboration. The coalition’s programs — which include community food pantries, home food deliveries and farm support — are designed to reduce hunger in the region, while simultaneously helping local small farms remain viable. Programs and priorities are shaped by the needs of partners and stakeholders in each of the 18 counties the coalition serves, as well as the Qualla Boundary. Xpress recently sat down with Choquette to discuss her role with the organization, which began as a grassroots group in 2019 and achieved 501(c) (3) status in 2024. Choquette has served as executive director since 2023.

Xpress: How did you get involved in the WNC Food Systems Coalition?

Choquette: I got involved because of my experience as a first-generation, small-scale farmer. I saw the need for increased market avenues for small farm-

ers to diversify their income streams. Farmers markets are a lovely option that oftentimes are pretty lucrative, but they aren’t the only option. I saw a lot of room for improvement and expansion into doing systemwide work to create a stronger local food economy beyond just individual consumer choice. The farmers market is a great way for individuals to support local farms, but there was a lot of room for institutions — schools, senior living facilities, summer camps, prisons, etc. — to be buying more locally. What was missing was a program to help them do that. That’s the goal of the Food Hub Collaborative, which is one of the newest programs of the coalition.

Tell us more about this new program. What is a food hub, and how does the new Food Hub Collaborative support the work?

All food hubs operate differently, but they often share a common mission of buying as much local food as possible and redistributing it out into their community to feed as many people as possible. Typically, this is done as charitable distribution, but many food hubs also have a retail component, such as a grocery store or community supported agriculture (CSA) model, as well. Food hubs often have really strong relationships with local farms as a result of buying all sorts of local food in bulk quantities. This new collaborative helps hubs to work in tandem instead of in competition. Among the collaborative’s first objectives: creating standards of excellence for participating food hubs to set them apart from large national distributors who put less emphasis on nutrition and don’t have local farm relationships. Additionally, the member hubs are

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SEEKING SOLUTIONS: Dana Choquette, executive director of the WNC Food Systems Coalition, says she got involved with the organization because of her experience as a first-generation farmer. “I saw the need for increased market avenues for small farmers to diversify their income streams,” she says. Photo courtesy of Choquette

starting an initiative this fall to secure new institutional food buyers across the region, which will have a direct positive impact on local small farms.

You have a vision of achieving a thriving, resilient local food system with equity for all. How will you know when you’ve succeeded?

We will know that we’ve reached our goal when there are a large number of viable small farms in WNC because they have market avenues to sustain themselves. Another marker of success would be increased population health outcomes — fewer people experiencing food insecurity and more people that have access to healthy, local food. Finally, we’ll know we’ve succeeded when our community stakeholders tell us that our programs are making a difference in their backyard.

Tropical Storm Helene had a huge impact on food security in the region, which you’ve been busy responding to. How do you see that response changing now that we’re past the one-year anniversary of the storm?

that we’re moving past that initial crisis point, it’s really important for our region to be prioritizing the purchase and distribution of local food. That emphasis on local food was missing in the initial response because the money went to anyone who was willing and able to distribute it, which resulted in the purchase of a lot of shelf-stable food from outside the region.

If we want to build a strong, resilient economy that can withstand future disasters, we need to have the infrastructure solidly in place to get local food distributed. We believe food hubs are the engine that can make that come to life because they have the infrastructure — refrigerated vans and trucks, cold storage, loading docks — and the relationships with local farmers to be able to distribute healthy, local food in a crisis. We want these food hubs to be the trusted go-to in times of crisis and in normal times for getting as much local food to people when they need it.

In the value statement on your website, you say, “We believe in decentralized power within the food system,” which strikes me as a different business approach in this day and age. Tell me how that works in practice.

We believe decentralized food systems are the answer moving forward because they prioritize the needs and well-being of local communities — and that means everyone in the community. The needs for food distribution in urban Buncombe County look very different from rural Graham County or Yancey County, where the topography is different, farm size is different, the growing season is different. Food hubs know their community. They have their trusted relationships and partners. They know the needs of people in their backyard, and they’re able to respond directly to those needs as opposed to the massive federal food distributors, which can only give a blanket approach to the whole country, which does not acknowledge the cultural, health, geographic and socioeconomic needs of each community. If we have local control over our food — or local food sovereignty is another way to say it — that allows communities to have their unique needs met.

What else should community members know about your organization?

Immediately after Helene, when we were in crisis mode, the most important thing was getting food to the people who needed it. Our region actually did that really well, thanks to the outpouring of support from across the country. Now

If a food buyer reads this, they’re welcome to reach out to us to learn about our incremental buying programs. We’re trying to make them as accessible as possible. A buyer doesn’t need to buy 100% local to make a difference. They can start at 5%-10% for some seasonal produce, and we can help connect them to that local food and increase their buying percentage over time in a way that’s sustainable to them. X

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

 More info, page 43

WELLNESS

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 (10/15, 22), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Nia Dance

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

TH (10/16, 23), 9:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Chen Tai Chi

It is considered a very advanced style of Kung Fu with its complex use of geometry and physics.

TH (10/16, 22), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Intro to the Fitness Center

Learn how to use each machine and receive lots of encouragement to keep you on track.

TH (10/16), 1pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Intermediate Tai Chi

Yang 24

Slow, gentle movements that promote good health.

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

Teen Fitness

Group workouts are fun and challenging, with modifications available for different levels to maximize workouts safely.

FR (10/17), 6pm, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

The Professor's Tai Chi

This class is a step up from the beginners class.

SA (10/18), 8:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Yoga Hike

Enjoy a moderate one mile hike up to the summit of a scenic mountain top plus an hour of yoga for all levels.

SA (10/18), 9am,

Bearwallow Mountain Trail, 4899 Bearwallow Mountain Rd, Hendersonville

Goat Yoga

Partake in a 45 minute all-levels yoga class, and then take all the time you want to snuggle and take selfies with your new goat friends.

SA (10/18), 11am, Candler, Candler

Himalayan Sound Bath Meditation

Immerse yourself in a somatic journey of sound and relaxation, where ancient wisdom meets modern well-being.

SA (10/18), 11am, Somatic Sounds, 157 S Lexington Ave B Yoga in the Park All-level friendly yoga classes based on Hatha & Vinyasa traditions.

SA (10/18), SU (10/19), 11am, West Asheville Park, 198 Vermont Ave

Barn Yoga

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

SU (10/19), 10am, Hickory Nut Gap Farm, 57 Sugar Hollow Rd, Fairview

Sunday Morning Meditation Group

The Sunday Morning Meditation Group will gather for a combination of silent sitting and walking meditation.

SU (10/19), 10am, The Lodge at Quietude, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Sunday Sound Bath Meditation

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

SU (10/19), 11am, Somatic Sounds, 157 S Lexington Ave

Sunday Sound Baths

These sound experiences weave reiki and sound for nervous system regulation and energetic balance.

SU (10/19), noon, Ritual Skin and Wellness, 802 Fairview Rd building 3000 Ste 11

Gratitude Serenity

Sound Bath

Gratitude can help you shift your perspective

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

and find the silver lining in challenging situations.

SU (10/19), 1pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way

Qigong for Health & Resilience

This class is an opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to learn traditional Qigong exercises.

TU (10/21), 9am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Yoga & Coffee

Practice on the outdoor deck, get the body and mind balanced, and then you can hang out after for some coffee, tea and pastries.

TU (10/21), 9:30am, Cooperative Coffee Shop, 210 Haywood Rd

Chair Aerobics

Workout

A well rounded workout that helps reduce the risk of falling, alleviates joint pain, increases flexibility and range of motion.

TU (10/21), noon, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

Baguazhang Level 1

It is considered a very advanced style of Kung Fu with its complex use of geometry and physics.

TU (10/21), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Community Yoga & Mindfulness

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

WE (10/22), 10:30am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Tai Chi Fan

The Fan forms include movements from Yang, Chen and Sun styles of Tai Chi.

WE (10/22), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Thursday Evening Sound Baths

These sessions focus on nervous system regulation, energetic balance, and seasonal, lunar, and solar alignment.

TH (10/23), 7pm, Ritual Skin and Wellness, 802 Fairview Rd building 3000, Ste 11

SUPPORT GROUPS

Disordered Eating/ Eating Disorders

This support group is peer-led and facilitated by licensed therapists & dietitians specializing in eating disorders. Register at vl.mx/es6.

WE (10/15, 22), 6pm, Online

Virtual Listening Circle

This free virtual listening circle offers a judgement-free, trauma-informed spaced to gather, reset and reflect-together. Register at avl.mx/f29.

WE (10/15, 22), noon, Online

Abortion is Healthcare

A gathering for people pre or post abortion procedures. Facilitated by Sarah Eisenstein, everyone is welcome to gather in a spirit of mutual support and honoring.

TH (10/16), 9am, A Healing Portal, 55.5 Broadway

Marijuana Anonymous

Whether you’re exploring sobriety, new to recovery, or have been on this path for a while, you are welcome here.

TH (10/16, 23), 6:30pm, American Legion Post #2, 851 Haywood Rd

Reconnecting Through Hard Times

In this 1-hour virtual training you’ll gain an understanding of how hard times affect us all, and what to do or say for others when it matters most. Register at avl.mx/f0s.

TH (10/16, 23), noon, Online

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 attend.

TH (10/16, 23), 4:30pm, Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 1 Kenilworth Knolls Unit 4

Mad Hatter’s Collective: Hearing Voices Network

A group collective that gathers to talk about encounters with visual, tactile, sensational, or fringe experiences with life and the interaction of energy.

TH (10/16, 23), 6pm, 12 Baskets Cafe, 610 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 (10/18), 2pm, First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St

Atheist Meetup

This little Atheist group invites anyone who doesn’t believe in religions to come chat with like-minded people.

SU (10/19), 10am, Earth Fare, 66 Westgate Parkway

Asheville Lightworkers Collaborative

This is a group of Loving and Light oriented individuals

SUNDAY FUNDAY: Historic Johnson Farm will host Farm Fun Day on Saturday, Oct. 18, 1-5 p.m. The event will feature wagon rides and self-guided tours of the historic farm house as well as a number of kids activities including craft stations and a scavenger hunt. Entry is $5 per person; children 3-years-old and younger enter free. Photo courtesy of Historic Johnson Farm

coming together to support each other, ourselves, and our local and global community.

SU (10/19), 4pm, WellSpring Wellness Center, 960 Tunnel Rd

Staying Grounded in Shaky Times

It will explore a variety of spiritual practices including meditation, breathwork, meditative movement and more.

MO (10/20), 2pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

The Men’s Nest Make meaningful human connections to strengthen your

social health, cultivate compassion, and learn to use your power to give and receive authentic support.

TU (10/21), 5:15pm, SeekHealing, 50 S. French Broad Ave, Ste 138

Menopause Matters w/Dr. Hilma Yu Dr. Yu leads a real talk on what hormone therapy can (and can’t) do, and how it might fit into your toolkit for thriving through menopause.

TH (10/23), 5:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

DANCE

Open-Level Adult Contemporary Dance (Ages 16+)

Rediscover your love of movement in this drop-in Adult Contemporary class. Blend modern, lyrical, and jazz elements in a supportive, body-positive environment.

WE (10/15, 20), 5:30pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain Country Line Dancing w/Kristey

Featuring beginner and advanced classes that’s open to everyone. This event is hosted by Kristey.

WE (10/15, 22), 6pm, Eda’s Hide-a-Way, 1098 New Stock Rd, Weaverville

Open-Level Adult Ballet Class (Ages 16+)

Whether you’re a first-timer or returning to the barre, this class offers physical and emotional benefits through timeless technique.

WE (10/15, 22), 6:30pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W. State St, Black Mountain 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 (10/15, 22), 8pm, One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd

BMCA Dance: Kids in Motion 2 This class focuses on growing the foundations needed for many dance techniques, including contemporary, ballet, jazz, and lyrical.

TH (10/16), 3:45pm, $55, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W. State St, Black Mountain

We Line Dance Instructor Brenda Mills leads an all-inclusive exercise class using line dancing to get your body moving.

TH (10/16, 23), 6:15pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Barn Dance w/Zydeco Ya Ya

Most requested faves Zydeco Ya Ya are back in the Big Barn for zydeco, swamp pop, second line, and Cajun swing dancing.

SA (10/18), 5pm Hickory Nut Gap Farm, 57 Sugar Hollow Rd, Fairview

Monday Night Contra Dance Contra dancing is a fun, social dance for everyone. Follow a lesson at 7 p.m. and then dance to a live band and caller at 7:30 p.m.

TU (10/21), 7:30pm, A-B Tech, 340 Victoria Rd

BMCA Dance: Contemporary 3 (Ages 13 - 16) This class fuses contemporary, modern, lyrical, and jazz styles for diverse dance knowledge.

TH (10/23), 6:45pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 State St, Black Mountain

Tintype Time Capsule: Marshall After the Flood

A powerful solo exhibition of wet plate collodion photography by Sarah Jones Decker that documents downtown Marshall after Helene with tintypes created out of the back of her Subaru Outback mobile darkroom. Gallery open Monday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through

“I am a photographer, and once I was asking for help from a seasoned professional, and when I thanked him — because not everyone is so willing to share advice — he said to me, ‘The more we connect as a community, the stronger we are.’ Not only do I still say it to others all the time, I truly believe it.”

— Carol Spagnuola,

Best Portrait/Headshot Photographer WOMEN

voted

Oct. 30.

Weizenblatt Art Gallery at MHU, 79 Cascade St, Mars Hill

Modern Bestiary: Creatures from the Collection

This exhibition explores the artistic legacy of the medieval bestiary through a selection of animals and fantastic beasts from the Museum’s Collection. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through March 15, 2026. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

North Carolina Glass 2025

A landmark exhibition that will spotlight the work of both established and emerging artists pushing the boundaries of glass as a contemporary art form. Gallery open Tuesday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through Dec. 12

WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

Outside the Classroom

This exhibition features multi-media work by five working artists and faculty members at AB-Tech. Works displayed include textiles, painting and encaustic. Gallery open Monday through Friday, 9am. Exhibition through Oct. 17.

Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through Nov. 3.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Julie Miles: MADEofTHIS

This exhibition is Julie’s reentry into art, a series that began as an homage to her grandparents’ manual labor as farmers and evolved into a celebration of the materials, memory, and identity. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 10am, and Sunday, noon. Exhibition runs through Oct. 26.

Pink Dog Gallery, 348 Depot St

Punk Rock Photography w/Jim Saah In My Eyes, Photographs 1982-1997 features hundreds of impressive (and never-before-seen) photos of punk and hardcore legends such as: Fugazi, Minor Threat, Void, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Dead Kennedys, Jawbox, Government Issue and more.

TU (10/21), 6pm, Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd

Lasting Legacies: Architecture in Asheville by Richard Sharp Smith, Albert Heath Carrier & Douglas D. Ellington

TH (10/16), 7pm, Ginger's Revenge Craft Brewery & Tasting Room, 829 Riverside Dr

Planet Radio w/Adam Maalouf & Aparna Keshaviah

Free Planet Radio will perform live alongside multi-instrumentalist, Adam Maalouf, and classically trained Bharatanatyam dancer, Aparna Keshaviah.

TH (10/16), 7pm, Folkmoot Auditorium, 112 Virginia Ave, Waynesville

Asheville Community Band Fall Concert & World Premiere

The theme Post Cards will feature a piece composed by Christina Huss to honor the resiliency of WNC from the devastation of Hurricane Helene. SU (10/19), 2:30pm, Asheville High School, 419 McDowell St

Brevard Philharmonic Presents: The New World Symphony

Dvořák’s New World Symphony has stirred hearts for generations with its sweeping themes of hope, longing, and discovery—music that feels as alive today as when it was first performed.

adelgid.

TH (10/16), noon, Walkup Building, 300 Community Center Building, Montreat

SOUPer Bowl Cooking Class

In this hands-on class, you’ll learn the basics of creating hearty, tasty and easy soups.

TH (10/16), 5:30pm, Madison County Cooperative Extension Office, 258 Carolina Ln Marshall

Be a Smooth Operator: Tips for Streamlining Your Airbnb Business

A course designed to help Airbnb Hosts optimize and streamline their operations, allowing for greater efficiency, improved guest experiences, and increased profitability. Register at avl.mx/f4u.

TH (10/16), 6pm, Online

Asheville Music Makers: Adult Class Classes will focus on composition techniques, music production, songwriting & song structure, live recording, music for multimedia, and all other aspects of making music.

TH (10/16, 23), 7pm, Asheville Music School, 10 Ridgelawn Rd

Coman Student Activity Center, 10 Fernihurst Dr

Points in Space: Performance

This exhibition will feature visual and timebased artworks that echo BMC’s innovative spirit from 1933 to 1957. BMC was a nexus of avant-garde activity, fostering innovation through collaboration and experiential learning. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through Jan. 10, 2026. Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

Artful Living: The Spirit of the Craftsman Style Reception

Through clay, canvas, wood, and metal, Artful Living explores the soul of the Craftsman ethos—simplicity, utility, and harmony with the natural world. Meet some of the artists behind this inspired collection of work at this reception.

SA (10/18), 2pm, Grovewood Gallery, 111 Grovewood Rd

Native America: In Translation

This exhibition, curated by Apsáalooke artist Wendy Red Starr, features the work of seven Indigenous artists who explore themes of community, heritage, and the lasting impact of colonialism in North America. Gallery open Wednesday through

Lasting Legacies shines a spotlight on the contributions of two of the city’s most prominent architectural firms to Asheville’s built environment and artistic spirit in the early decades of the 20th century. Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through Jan. 18, 2026.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Artful Living: The Spirit of the Craftsman Style

Through clay, canvas, wood, and metal, Artful Living explores the soul of the Craftsman ethos—simplicity, utility, and harmony with the natural world. Gallery open Monday through Sunday, 10am. Exhibition through Dec. 31.

Grovewood Gallery, 111 Grovewood Rd

Creature Feature Arts Opening w/Monster Wave

Feast your eyes upon the creatures that put chills down your spine in this limited time spooky art exhibit, featuring both local and internationally renowned artists.

TH (10/23), 6pm, Third Room, 46 Wall St

COMMUNITY MUSIC

Asheville Beer Choir

Support local breweries and businesses while coming together to socialize in weekly choir rehearsals.

SU (10/19), 3pm, Porter Center for Performing Arts at Brevard College, Brevard WNC Pagan Choir: Fall Season

A community choir open to all voices in which everyone sings together to celebrate the magic of the natural world, inspired by folk and pagan traditions of Northwestern Europe. SU (10/19), 3pm, free, Weaverville Yoga, 3 Florida Ave, Weaverville

The Music of John Cage, Lou Harrison, Arnold Schoenberg & Amy Williams

The evening features pianist and composer Amy Williams performing excerpts from John Cage’s Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano.

TU (10/21), 7pm, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS

Simply Charmed: Drop In Workshop

After a quick demo by the instructor you will have time to complete your masterpiece.

WE (10/15), 11am, Ignite Jewelry Studios, 84 Walnut St Unit A Hemlock Restoration Workshop

Learn about the Lingering Hemlock Project, which aims to support resistance breeding in hemlock trees for long-term control against hemlock woolly

Y12SR: Yoga & 12 Step Recovery Open to anyone, especially those impacted by substance use and behavioral health concerns.

MO (10/20), 4:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave Fly Fishing Series

How to cast a fly with a fly rod is the most important step in learning how to fly fish. Learn from an experienced instructor and hone your skills for the fishing season.

TU (10/21), 5pm, Wrong Way Campground, 9 Midnight Dr

LITERARY

Harm Reduction Reading Group

During this three part reading group we will discuss Shira Hassan's book, Saving Our Own Lives, and its applications locally.

WE (10/15), 6:30pm, Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd

Poetry Open Mic

This open mic welcomes any form of artistic expression from poetry to improv theatre to music to dance.

WE (10/15, 22), 8:30pm, Sovereign Kava, 268 Biltmore Ave

Asheville StorySLAM: Masks Prepare a five-minute story about disguises and their consequences. Whether it’s a confession blurted out at the worst time,

a long-held secret revealed, or the moment a carefully crafted facade simply crumbled.

TH (10/16), 7:30pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave

Poetry w/Rupert Fike

& Louise Runyon

A poetry reading with Rupert Fike and Louise Runyon will be read from their latest collections, All Things in Common by Rupert and Where is Our Prague Spring by Runyon.

FR (10/17), 6pm, City Lights Bookstore, 3 E Jackson St, Sylva

Frightful Folk Tales

Dr. Delanna Reed will bring these tales to life through spoken word. Visitors can bring a blanket or a chair and, as the sun sets, take a seat around a campfire.

FR (10/17), 7pm, Vance Birthplace, 911 Reems Creek Rd, Weaverville

Pat Riviere-Seel & Barbara Presnell:

Because I Did Not Drown & Otherwise,

I'm Fine

Pat Riviere-Seel will share new poetry collection, Because I Did Not Drown and Barbara Presnell will read from her memoir,

Otherwise, I'm Fine. SA (10/18), 3pm, City Lights Bookstore, 3 E Jackson St, Sylva Reading Party

Spend the evening sipping from our bookthemed drink menu, curling up with your story, and connecting with fellow readers at your own pace.

MO (10/20), 6pm, Peri Social House, 406 W State St, Black Mountain

THEATER & FILM

Aphorisms: A Tribute to Ursula Mamlok

Aphorisms is a tribute to composer and Black Mountain College student Ursula Mamlok, inspired by her life, art, and triumph over persecution and oppression.

WE (10/15), 7pm, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St Fire & Flood

The Sublime Theater presents the world premiere of a double feature of short plays by Travis Lowe, one of Western North Carolina’s most-produced playwrights.

TH (10/16), FR

(10/17), SA (10/18), 7:30pm, free, BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce St

Clue on Stage Based on the iconic 1985 Paramount movie inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Clue is a hilarious farce-meets-murder mystery. See p43 TH (10/16), FR (10/17), 7:30pm, SA (10/18), SU (10/19), 3pm, Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S Washington St, Hendersonville

Qui Nguyen: She Kills Monsters

A heartfelt, humorous, and fight-heavy story about Agnes, who discovers her late sister Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons campaign. As she navigates Tilly’s fantasy world, Agnes uncovers hidden truths about her sister’s life, grief, and their bond.

FR (10/17), SA (10/18), SU (10/19), 7:30pm, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St

Royal Shakespearean Unemployment Office TheatreUNCA's comedy improv troupe, led by Marlene Thompson, entertains you with a series of short-form and long-form improv

games informed by audience suggestions.

FR (10/17), SA (10/18), 7pm, Belk Theatre, UNC Asheville, 1 University Heights

Miss Vee’s Freakshow: Spellbound Miss Vee’s returns for another monthly installment of Asheville’s favorite burlesque show. Prepare to be dazzled with an array of amazing local performers.

SA (10/18), 8pm, The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd Ste 10

UnLabel Neurodiversity: The Neurologues

A series of individual, personal monologues written and presented by a wide range of people sharing their lived experiences from the inside-out.

SU (10/19), 1pm, Tina McGuire Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave

The Mutual Aid Garage: Screening & Panel

This is a screening of a film about The Automotive Free Clinic and founder Zac Hyden.

SU (10/19), 4pm, Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd

A Life Reimagined: The George Masa Story

A new documentary

from Emmy Award-winning director Paul Bonesteel in conjunction with Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.

WE (10/22), 6:30pm, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., 100 Sierra Nevada Way, Mills River Community Improv Jam

Misfit Improv group leads a jam where everybody gets a chance to play. All are welcome from newbies to vets.

TH (10/23), 7pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Whispers From the Shadows: Scary Stories w/Connie Regan-Blake Internationally renowned storyteller Connie Regan-Blake hosts an evening of ghostly legends and haunting tales.

TH (10/23), 7pm, Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lakeshore Dr, Weaverville

Halloween Movie Screenings for Kids & Adults

Free screenings of Halloween movies for the whole family all October long,

plus popcorn, beer, campfires, and s’mores.

TH (10/23), 6:30pm, Foothills Watershed, 655 Catawba River Rd, Old Fort

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS

We are the Ones

This is a space for real talk, deep connection, and conscious spiritual practice.

WE (10/15), 3:30pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way

Southside Cyber Wednesday

Dive into the exciting world of e-sports and gaming with two powerful PlayStation 5 consoles.

WE (10/15, 22), 6pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Tarot Community Circle

Each week we will cover different topics, so every class will provide new information. Bring a deck based on the system of the Rider Waite Smith tarot.

WE (10/15), 6pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Beyond Optimism: New Science Proves

Life-Altering Power of Positive Thinking

Come discover brandnew, scientifically proven insights into how positive thinking works.

WE (10/15), 6:30pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way

Treks Hiking Club for Adults 50+

A low-impact hiking club offering leisurely-paced hikes for active adults 50 or better. Bring lunch, water, good walking shoes, and dress for the weather.

TH (10/16), 9:30am, Murphy-Oakley Community Center, 749 Fairview Rd

Harvesting Health

Senior Expo

At this free community event, you'll be able to learn about local resources and services that support your overall wellbeing, plus participate in senior-related workshops and activities.

TH (10/16), noon, CenterWell Senior Primary Care, 1425 Patton Ave

Senior Games Track & Field Club Practice sprints, starts, and jumps or just get some exercise around the city’s brand new track.

TH (10/16), 1pm, Memorial Stadium, 32 Buchanan Pl Art Party on The Roof

This October evening you'll be able to play with a plethora of colors and shapes to create your very own tabletop lantern.

TH (10/16), 5pm, The Radical Hotel, 95 Roberts St

Maximize Farm Production: Farm Tour

Visit Lee's One Fortune Farm to learn about season extension and a diversified cropping system for maximum production.

TH (10/16), 5:30pm, McDowell Technical Community College, 54 College Dr

TEAM Fertility Monthly Community Night

These monthly gatherings offering education, healing modalities, and a chance to connect with others walking a similar path on a Fertility Journey.

TH (10/16), 6:30pm, South Slope Acupuncture & Wellness, 261 Asheland Ave, Ste 102

Since 1982

A Course in Miracles

It is a platform for clarification on a personal level uncovering the deeper truer self.

FR (10/17), 1pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way

Family Paint Night

Bring your kiddos and prepare for a canvas of colorful memories as you paint alongside loved ones.

FR (10/17), 6pm, Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton St

Halloween Creepy Climbing

Show off your costume, climb for candy, and play ghoulish games.

FR (10/17), 6pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Simple Self-Defense

Learn self-defense using body mechanics to outsmart bigger attackers with leverage, balance, and movement.

SA (10/18), 1pm, Alliance Kinetics Martial Arts, 8 Glenn Willow Dr Unit 26, Arden

My Genealogy Quest: Thus Far....

Susan Drexler will walk you through the processes, tools, and techniques that she used to gather information as well as share the stories she found in her research. Register at avl.mx/9ey.

SA (10/18), 2pm, Online

Nerd Nite: Boss-Stravaganza

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

SA (10/18), 7pm, The RAD Brew Co., 13 Mystery St

Youth Mental Health First Aid For Adults

Designed to teach adults how to help youth who are experiencing mental health or substance use challenges.

MO (10/20), TU (10/21), 10am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

IBN Biz Lunch: Arden

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

TU (10/21), noon, Wild Wing Cafe South, 65 Long Shoals Rd, Arden From Founder to Future: Discussing Employee Ownership w/John Abrams

A panel discussion with author John Abrams and leaders from local employee-owned companies, followed by a book signing and networking.

TU (10/21), 4pm, Center for Craft, 67 Broadway St

IBN Biz Lunch: West Asheville

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

WE (10/22), noon, Yao, 153 Smoky Park Hwy

RSAA's Lunch & Learn Series

This is RSAA’s work in action: pairing creative education with community repair so our stories inform programs, guide strategy, and strengthen a public record of what healing looks and feels like.

WE (10/22), 12:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Mindful Stretching

Reconnect with your body through this program designed to gently release tension, improve flexibility, and calm the nervous system through guided sessions.

WE (10/22), 6:15pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

NSA-WNC Meeting

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

TH (10/23), 10am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

IBN Biz Lunch: Woodfin

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

TH (10/23), noon, The Village Porch, 51 N Merrimon Ave

Visit Haywood Tourism Development Authority: Helps to Grow Your Business

The Visit Haywood Tourism Development Authority is updating their marketing outreach and they want to support your business in market promotions

TH (10/23), 5:30pm, Regional High Technology Center, 112 Industrial Park Dr, Waynesville

Nielsen Big Idea

Lecture: Dr Chenjerai Kumanyika

Dr. Kumanyika will share insights from his podcasting career and research, tracing the legacies of policing in New York City while also reflecting on the power of narrative storytelling to shift public understanding.

TH (10/23), 6pm, Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Rd, Swannanoa

Craft & Connect

Get crafty and learn new skills while connecting with friends and neighbors in your Asheville community.

TH (10/23), 7pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

GAMES & CLUBS

Neighborhood Strollers Walking Club

Head to local neighborhoods to connect with each other while walking and enjoying a change of scenery.

WE (10/15, 22), 10am, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

Neighborhood Strollers Walking Club

Socialize and get moving on the paved outdoor loop around the park at Crump Shiloh Center.

TH (10/16, 23), TU (10/21), 6pm, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

Asheville Board Game Club Meet-Up

Featuring a wide variety of tabletop games—from light party games to deep strategy favorites.

WE (10/15), 5:30pm, Well Played, 162 Coxe Ave, Ste 101

Mothership: Sci-fi Horror RPG

Explore derelict spacecraft, unravel ancient mysteries, and confront grotesque alien entities.

SA (10/18), 12:30pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Bid Whist

Make bids, call trumps, and win the tricks every Saturday with your community.

SA (10/18), 1pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St, Asheville, North Carolina 28801, USA

Community Bingo

Play everyone’s favorite game for free. Small prizes awarded to winner of each game.

SA (10/18), 1pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Weekly Sunday Scrabble!

If you like Wordle, Boggle, Words with Friends or Scrabble online, this club may be a good fit for you.

SU (10/19), 1:30pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Afternoon Bocce League Players of all ages can compete with friends and family to roll, learn, and claim victory in this new league.

MO (10/20), 2pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Collage Club Show up around 6 with some supplies, and we’ll drink beer and make some collages. All levels and skill sets welcome.

MO (10/20), 6pm, Leveller Brewing Co., 25 N Main St, Weaverville Ping Pong Tournament

Come by and shoot your shot against some of the best ping pong players in town. Free to enter and $50 bar tab to the winner.

MO (10/20), 6pm, Sovereign Kava, 268 Biltmore Ave

Pool Night Pool night, every Monday night with a $5 buy in. Must be signed up by 7 p.m. MO (10/20), 6:30pm, Eda’s Hide-a-Way, 1098 New Stock Rd, Weaverville

Men’s Garden Club Featuring courses about plant identification, pest management, plant science, and soil science.

TU (10/21), 11:30am, East Asheville Library, 902 Tunnel Rd

Music Bingo w/ Spencer

Bring your friends to Taproom Tuesdays featuring Music Bingo with Spencer and rotating food trucks.

TU (10/21), 6pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200

KID-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS

Tiny Tykes Obstacle Course

Bring your bike and helmet and enjoy a fun morning exploring a pint size bike course. Ramps, tunnels, twists and curves to practice bike skills with other young riders.

WE (10/15), 10am Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

Family Story Time

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

WE (10/15, 22), 10:30am, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain

Kids & Teens Xing Yi

Learn complete systems of Xing Yi, Baguazhang, and Taiji, including weapons and sparring as optional classes.

TH (10/16, 23), MO (10/20), TU (10/21), 4pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Baby Storytime

A lively language enrichment story time designed for children ages 4 to 18 months.

TH (10/16, 23), 10:30am, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain

Tiny Tykes

Offering a variety of activities during playtime for toddlers to explore different aspects of learning while having fun.

FR (10/17), 10am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

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 (10/18), 1pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Petite Picassos

Designed to spark imagination and foster a love of art in young children through engaging activities, toddlers explore different art techniques and materials.

MO (10/20), 10am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Dr. Grant Gym Rats

A fun and active P.E. program specifically for homeschooled students that offers a variety of physical activities, games, and sports.

MO (10/20), 11:45am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

APR Afterschool

Discovery Den

Featuring a mix of cooking, pottery, music, digital arts, STEM, and more for kids to explore their creativity, learn new

skills, and make friends.

MO (10/20), 2:30pm, Grove St Community Center, 36 Grove St

Tiny Tykes: STEM for Toddlers

Toddlers learn fun concepts in science, technology, engineering, and math. Get ready to build, experiment, and build life skills.

TU (10/21), 2pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Kids Cooking Class

A cooking class where the focus is on easy, fun, and collaborative recipes that your child can learn and become more independent in the kitchen.

TU (10/21), 5:30pm, Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton St .

Tiny Tykes Play Dates

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

WE (10/22), 10am, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Black Cat Tales: Story Time w/Cats

Foster a love of reading in your kiddos while also socializing the cats in the lounge.

WE (10/22), 4pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Little Monkeys

A mix of fun games and activities that focus on building toddlers’ motor skills by balancing climbing and playing both on and off the wall.

TH (10/23), 10am, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

LOCAL MARKETS

Leicester Farmers Market

A community-led farmers market local produce, cheese, meats, honey, strawberries, asparagus, rhubarb, ramps, a variety of plants and more. Every Wednesday through October.

WE (10/15, 22), 3pm, Leicester Community Center, 2979 New Leicester Hwy, Leicester

Weaverville Tailgate Market

This market features a selection of fresh, locally grown produce, grass fed beef, pork, chicken, eggs, cheese, baked goods, artisan bread, eclectic handmade goodies, garden and landscaping plants. Open year-round.

WE (10/15, 22), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr Weaverville

RAD Farmers Market

Asheville’s only year-round weekly market, featuring 30+ vendors offering fresh produce, baked goods, handcrafted items, beverages, grab-and-go meals, and more. EBT and SNAP accepted.

WE (10/15, 22), 3pm, New Belgium Brewing Co., 21 Craven St

Biltmore Park Farmers Market

This market features fresh seasonal produce, delicious homemade pastries, premium meats and seafood, beautiful vibrant flowers, and more.

TH (10/16, 23), 3pm, Biltmore Park Town Square, Town Square Blvd.

Enka-Candler Farmer's Market

A grand selection of local foods and crafts, everything from produce to pickles, baked goods to body care, and even educational resources. Every Thursday through October 31.

TH (10/16, 23), 3:30pm, A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler

East Asheville Tailgate Market

Featuring over 25 vendors selling meat, seafood, produce, flowers, bread, eggs, baked goods, fruit, herbs, sweet treats, tamales, and more. Every Friday through Nov. 21.

FR (10/17), 3pm, Groce United Methodist Church, 954 Tunnel Rd

Mills River Farm Market

This market offers local food, live music, kids' activities, cooking demos, and a welcoming community. Browse fresh produce and pasture-raised meats to homemade breads, fresh flowers, and artisan goods.

SA (10/18), 8am, Mills River Elementary School, 94 Schoolhouse Rd, Mills River North Asheville Tailgate Market

Browse from over 70 vendors that will be offering sustainably produced produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, breads, honey, plants, prepared foods, crafts and more.

SA (10/18), 8am, 275 Edgewood Rd

WOMEN IN BUSINESS ON BUSINESS

“Someone once told me to avoid trying to make people laugh. They said, ‘Always do what makes you laugh; talk about what you think is funny. Don’t water yourself down or censor yourself.’ I have a pretty raunchy, twisted sense of humor. It did feel a little vulnerable, putting myself out there in an authentic way. But I’ve attracted a community of like-minded weirdos that seem to genuinely appreciate my off-color brand of comedy. It was my baby daddy who told me this, but I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he helped me so significantly. Fortunately, he can’t read.”

— Cayla Clark, voted Best Comedian

Asheville City Market

A producer-only market featuring local food products, including fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread, pastries, and other artisan products. Every Saturday through December.

SA (10/18), 9am, 52 N Market St

Black Mountain Tailgate Market

A seasonal community event featuring organic and sustainably grown produce, plants, cut flowers, herbs, local raised meats, seafood, breads, pastries, cheeses, eggs and locally handcrafted items. Every Saturday through Nov. 22.

SA (10/18), 9am, 130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Swannanoa Farmers Market

This market will feature farm-fresh produce, local honey, eggs, baked goods, and delicious eats.

You'll also find handmade jewelry, artwork, fiber crafts, wooden utensils, yard art, apothecary essentials, and more.

SA (10/18), 9am, 216 Whitson Ave, 216 Whitson Ave, Swannanoa

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 (10/18), 10am, College St, Mars Hill

WNC Farmers Market

This year-round market features locally grown produce, fruits and vegetables, mountain crafts, plants, shops, arts and crafts, sourwood honey, and other farm fresh items.

Open daily, 8am. 570 Brevard Rd

Honky Tonk Flea

Discover unique antique treasures, vintage gems, and handmade goods while listening to the best honky tonk vinyls.

SU (10/19), 11am, Eda's Hide-a-Way, 1098 New Stock Rd, Weaverville

Magical Market

Stock up on magical supplies in the shop, browse the market of local vendors, pet some panthers in the cat lounge, and finish

your day off with an intuitive reading.

SU (10/19), noon, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 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 (10/19), 1pm, The Meadow at Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200

West Asheville Tailgate Market

This market features an array of goods including fruits, vegetables, baked goods, bread, eggs, cheese, plants, specialty items, locally made art and crafts and more. Every Tuesday through November.

TU (10/21), 3:30pm, 718 Haywood Rd

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS

Rhythm & Brews Concert Series w/ BonaFide Soul

Each month features

craft beverages, food trucks, vendors and a fun-filled Kids Zone. Taking the stage as the finale headliner is BonaFide Soul with Congdon Griffin Band setting the tone as the opening act.

TH (10/16), 5:30pm, Historic Downtown Hendersonville, 145 5th Ave E, Hendersonville Grove Street Fall Festival

Welcome fall with other active older adults ages 50+ with crafts, food, apple decorating, a photobooth, and more.

FR (10/17), noon, Grove St Community Center, 36 Grove St

3rd Annual TreeTops

8.5 Mile Trail Race

This annual trail race will feature a challenging terrain with nearly 1,000 feet of elevation gain. It will also feature vendors, yoga options, waterfalls, outdoor recreation tips and more.

SA (10/18), 9am, DuPont State Recreational Forest Guion Access Area, 3045 Sky Valley Rd Hendersonville

Smoky Mountain Geek Expo 2025

Expect an array of vendors, artists, and guests. Dressing up in

Parris Marks, L.Ac

Since 2001, dedicated to bridging ancient wisdom with modern care. Specialist in Traditional Chinese & Yogic practices focusing on women’s health, children’s wellness & autoimmune support.

20+ years bridging Eastern & Western medicine. Expert in women’s health & pediatrics.

your favorite character's cosplay is strongly encouraged.

SA (10/18), 10am, Smoky Mountain Event Center, 758 Crabtree Rd, Waynesville Farm Funday

This event will feature wagon rides and self-guided tours of the historic farm house. Children will also be able to make a number of crafts and participate in a farmwide scavenger hunt. Popcorn and drinks available as well.

SA (10/18), 1pm, Historic Johnson Farm, 3346 Haywood Rd, Hendersonville

Appfest w/S.O.S Quartet

Celebrate all Appalachia has to offer with live music, a makers market hosted by the Appalachian Artist Collective, fall beer releases and pumpkin decorating.

SA (10/18), 2pm, Wicked Weed Brewing, 91 Biltmore Ave

Oktoberfest w/Reedy River String Band

From September through October, enjoy steins, pretzels, and plenty of polka-inspired fun while the bands keep the party going.

SA (10/18), 2pm, The Funkatorium, 147 Coxe Ave

Marshall Music by The River

This event will feature a vendor market with local artisans, handmade goods, tasty eats and more. It will also feature live music from Jerry Plemmons, Impending Joy and Andrew Scotchie.

SA (10/18), 4pm, Downtown Marshall, Marshall

No Kings Asheville

A rally and lantern march—bring your flashlights and light the

way. Come dressed as the hero you want to see in the world or lean into the true horror of Halloween and show up as your local GOP.

SA (10/18), 6pm, Pack Square Park, 80 Court Plaza

Fall Festivities

Celebrate the fall season with hayrides, pumpkins, freshpressed apple cider, and the unbeatable scenic landscape.

SU (10/19), 11am, Hickory Nut Gap Farm, 57 Sugar Hollow Rd, Fairview

BMCA Fall Dance Day

This event features a performance of BMCA’s Dance Troupe’s new fall choreography, followed by festive activities upstairs in the dance studio. Families and kids can enjoy autumnthemed crafts, games, and activities.

SU (10/19), 3:30pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

The 13th Annual Haunted Trail

An interactive outdoor Haunted Trail for all ages that features classic spooky themes and dozens of local community partners.

SU (10/19), 6pm, Adventure Center of Asheville, 85 Expo Dr

Mr. & Miss Samhain

Drag Pageant

This pageant honors the sacred fire of transformation and the beauty of the dark. Contestants will embody the theme of Samhain with a costume and compete for a prize of $200.

SU (10/19), 8pm, Eulogy, 10 Buxton Ave

Paws & Pumpkins

This family and pet-friendly fall festival will feature a dog

costume contest, trick-or-treating and a full schedule of other events.

TH (10/23), 3pm, Biltmore Park Town Square, Town Square Blvd.

Justice Forum

This year features Dr Imani Perry as the Forum speaker who shares a powerful voice to questions of race, justice, culture, and democracy in America.

TH (10/23), 7pm, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, 87 Haywood St

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING

Bread of Life Day

The Bread of Life is partnering with local restaurants that will donate a portion of their sales to benefit The Bread of Life, a nonprofit dedicated to eliminating hunger in our community.

TH (10/16), 6am, Downtown Brevard, E Main St, Brevard

Low-Cost Community Neuter Clinic

Please schedule and pay for your appointment prior to showing up. Appointments and additional services can be scheduled at avl.mx/dlq.

TH (10/16), 9am, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

AMS Silent Auction

A silent auction fundraiser to benefit Asheville Music School’s scholarship and outreach programs through the Paul Thorpe Music Education Fund. It will also feature music showcase performances by AMS students.

TH (10/16), 5:30pm, The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd Ste 10

Comic-Con Drag Brunch: A Fundraiser for Cornbread & Roses Asheville Drag Brunch combines the artistry of drag with the excitement of cosplay to benefit Cornbread and Roses, with brunch provided by Biscuit Head South.

SA (10/18), 11am, Banks Ave., 32 Banks Ave

Find Your Familiar: Black Cat Adoption Event

Featuring black cats galore of all shapes, sizes, and ages- all familiars looking to find their soul person and forever home.

SA (10/18), noon, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd Art After Dark

This benefit event helps benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC and will feature a art, live music, a silent auction, a drip art experience and hors d’oeuvres.

See p43

SA (10/18), 5:30pm, Rad Outpost, 28 Nexington Ave

The Grey Eagle Classic Golf Tournament Grab your golf clubs and the best players you can find for the 5th annual Golf Tournament at The Omni Grove Park Inn Golf Course. A portion of proceeds will directly support the town of Hot Springs. SU (10/19), 1:30pm, The Omni Grove Park Inn, 290 Macon Ave New Belgium's Battle of the Bands New Belgium coworkers battle it out on a night of friendly musical competition and fundraising for the River Arts District Artists Foundation. MO (10/20), 7:30pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave

“The best piece of advice I’ve received in my career came from one of my early mentors, who told me: ‘Never stop learning, because your clients feel it when you grow.’ That simple statement has shaped everything about how I operate. In the beauty industry, trends and techniques are always evolving; but beyond that, it reminded me that my growth isn’t just about technical skill — it’s about the energy, creativity and the confidence I bring into every appointment.”

— Amy Rose, voted Best Hairstylist

Strategies for fasting

Count time, not calories

BY TROY JACKSON

Whenever I bring up fasting to patients, I generally get one of two responses: “Oh, I’ve been thinking about doing that!” or “There’s no way — I have to eat to not get hangry!”

It’s amusing how polarizing the concept of fasting can be; yet it is an ancient practice that humans have participated in since the beginning of time, whether by necessity (no food), religious practice (spiritual sacrifice) or health (a more modern take). Fasting can take many forms, from a few hours to dayslong, with each strategy conferring some collection of health benefits. However, today I want to focus on a specific form of fasting that most can easily implement yet still provides very powerful signals to our bodies.

and eat your last meal at 6 p.m. The time between dinner and breakfast the next morning would be 14 hours of fasting.

You can also practice early-TRE or late-TRE. If following a 16:8 fast, early-TRE involves starting the eating window between 7-9 a.m. and having your last bite between 3-5 p.m. Late-TRE is usually defined as 11 a.m.-1 p.m. to 7-9 p.m.

NATURAL DESIGN

NO CALORIE COUNTING

Time-restricted eating (TRE) is a type of fasting that focuses primarily on when you eat or drink during the day rather than on how long you can go without food. With TRE, there’s no calorie counting or major diet changes, making it a simpler and more straightforward practice to start.

All you have to do is eat all of your calories within a certain set of hours each day, leaving the rest of the day for the “fast.” In clinical trials, the fasting windows are often referred to as 12:12 fasting, 14:10 fasting or 16:8 fasting. The first number is how long you are fasting and the second number refers to your “eating window.”

For example, if you were following a 14:10 fast, you’d eat breakfast at 8 a.m.

I often recommend time-restricted eating to my patients for two reasons. One is grounded in our biology, and the other is supported by research studies. The idea of TRE is based on our circadian rhythms, the concept that we have been designed with internal clocks that govern optimal times for various bodily rhythms. In the case of fasting, our brains and gut have certain periods of the day that they best regulate feelings of hunger and fullness, digestion and metabolism. When we eat within these optimal windows, our bodies are better able to digest food, absorb nutrients and direct these nutrients for energy production or storage.

Studies also show that TRE, even in the absence of calorie restriction, generates modest improvements in blood sugar control, increasing fat loss and lowering blood pressure. Early-TRE (eating between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.) is even better than late-TRE when it comes to glucose control, blood pressure reduction, improving reflux and digestion, and reducing markers of inflammation. Certain people, however, should be cautious when considering TRE. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes, take certain medications or suffer from disordered eating, I would advise against TRE without first talking with your doctor.

THE RECOMMENDED 'RULES'

ANCIENT PRACTICE: "It’s amusing how polarizing the concept of fasting can be; yet it is an ancient practice that humans have participated in since the beginning of time, writes Dr. Troy Jackson in his latest column. Photo courtesy of Jackson troyjackson@authentichealth.com

Here are the “rules” of TRE that I recommend to my patients:

• Pick an eating window that fits best with your daily rhythms and current health concerns. If this feels hard at the beginning, gradually reduce your current eating window by one hour each week until you reach the desired eating pattern.

But outside of these windows, food is harder to control. Research demonstrates that eating outside of our circadian rhythm generates larger spikes in blood glucose, accelerated fat storage, increased symptoms of reflux and bloating, and diminished sleep quality.

Therefore, using a constraint such as TRE allows us an opportunity to get back to our natural design and improve our health. Time-restricted eating has been shown to reduce caloric intake by 20%-30% with very little effort, making daily calorie restriction a much easier strategy for those looking to lose weight.

• No calories after dinner, even if they are coming from “healthy” snacks or beverages. The goal is to stop eating two to three hours before bedtime.

• After waking in the morning, wait one to two hours before you have breakfast, giving time for melatonin to decline and your gut to wake up for the day.

• While fasting, it is OK to have water, black coffee and tea; but any additives like sugar or cream in these beverages will stop the fast. If you must put cream in your coffee,

remember that this will mark the beginning of your eating window.

• Aim to make TRE a daily practice. These circadian rhythms work best when they are honored regularly. Time-restricted eating is not a diet but rather a lifestyle change that better aligns us with our natural design and rhythms. For those with food-related health concerns such as diabetes, heart disease or reflux, it is an easy and effective first step in regaining control of your health.

Satchin Panda, one of the most prominent researchers on fasting, sums up the simplicity of TRE very nicely: “I cannot count and tell you how many calories I’ve eaten today. But I can tell you when exactly I’ve had my breakfast, my lunch and snacks. ... We are designed to count time.” X

ARTS & CULTURE

Skin deep

Women artists bring fresh perspectives to Asheville's tattoo scene

BY TESSA FONTAINE

tgfontaine@gmail.com

It started in a converted school bus painted to look like outer space. It was 1994, and Kitty Love and her other young, punk, tattoo artist friends wanted to get far away from Baltimore, which they’d found too full of drugs and violence.

They took to the road, driving all over the country in their cosmic bus, eventually stopping to tattoo hippies at a Rainbow Gathering in Colorado. One of them told her about a place called Asheville.

The space bus eventually made its way to the Blue Ridge Mountains, where, Love says, “there were enough freaks on the street to make me think a tattoo shop might work.” Thus, in

1996, she became, as far as she knows, Asheville’s first female tattoo artist.

BIKERS AND PUNKS

Nearly 30 years later, Western North Carolina has become much friendlier to the art of tattooing. A quick online search lists about 20 tattoo studios in Asheville alone, and the Asheville Tattoo Arts Festival celebrated its sixth year in September. But when Love, now 60, moved to the area, the scene was very different.

“There were only four shops in town back then,” she says, noting that the people getting ink were mostly bikers and punks. “The preexisting shops tried to run us off. They didn’t want the competition.”

But competition she brought, and in the years since, Love has worked in myriad shops around the city. She says she has loved seeing the dramatic rise in the number of local tattoo artists and studios in recent years, which she attributes to more artists getting into the field and a greater appreciation for the fine art possibilities.

“The designs have gotten more interesting, and the equipment has made tattooing drastically easier,” she says. Plus, the medium of human skin, in comparison to paper or canvas, “is much more fun — so many variables.”

Love — like many tattoo artists, she says — was once an art student. Her transition to painting on human skin was self-driven, she explains: Punks in Baltimore at the time were used to rudimentary stick-and-poke tattoos (made using a single needle to poke ink into the skin) done by friends or themselves, and many were eager to work with someone with artistic training.

The biggest challenge she says she’s encountered as a female in a field where mentors have traditionally been men has been unwanted sexual advances. “There was a lot of expectation around people trying to sleep with you,” she says. “[Walking into a tattoo shop] used to be like walking into a bar — everyone just checking you out and hitting on you.”

Now, says Love, with many more females working as tattoo artists, it’s easy for women to mentor each other, creating an environment that feels safe and nurturing.

SPIRITUAL INK: Kitty Love, a tattoo artist in Asheville since 1996, works with clients on tattoos that mark milestones, honor lost loved ones and help survivors of physical injuries "reclaim their bodies as their own," she says. Photo

DIFFERENT PRIORITIES

“Safe and nurturing” is the way Kimi Leger describes her shop, Sacred Lotus, where Love currently works. Leger opened the business in 2014, after working in three different shops where she was the only female tattoo artist.

At Sacred Lotus, Leger prioritizes respect and safety. She also tries to make sure the artists — who are mostly female — can maintain a work-life balance, with freedom in scheduling and the ability to earn money as individuals. (Both Love and Leger have children and understand the necessity of flexibility.)

Like Love, Leger has been drawing and painting for as long as she can remember. “I always had my sketchbook with me,” she says. One day in 2004, local tattoo artist Brandon Neureuther saw her drawings and offered her an apprenticeship at his Aacross the Skin Tattoo Studio in West Asheville.

“I am so grateful I learned with him because he ran a supertight, clean

shop and set my standards high from the beginning.”

Like many tattoo artists, Leger creates in other mediums as well. She smiles remembering when, in 2009, she live-painted with musicians Pretty Lights and RJD2 at Trinumeral, a music festival at Deerfields in Mills River.

“I brought a huge canvas to set in front of the stage and painted this big colorful piece with butterflies flying out of a head,” she says. “I was so, so excited.”

Lately, Leger has been learning about the history of women in the tattoo world. “You don’t ever hear about the female pioneers in the tattoo industry, but you do about males,” Leger says. “There were women from the circus world, like Maud Wagner (born in 1877), covered in tattoos, who originally helped to expose the art to the general public.”

MENTOR AND APPRENTICE

Rebecca Beyer has also studied many of those pioneers. She owns Pars

Fortuna, a tattoo studio housed in an old wooden building in Marshall that was previously a bear-hunting store.

“I was a minor in medieval history, have a master’s in Appalachian studies, study early modern witchcraft. I’m a nerd, basically,” she says. Beyer also has a background in botanical drawing and scientific illustration — evident in her tattoo art, which focuses on black ink designs.

She got into tattooing in 2019 after a bout of cervical cancer had left her feeling weak and adrift. She was spending time with a tattoo artist she admired, Baylen Levore, who offered her an apprenticeship, a traditional way to break into the tattooing field.

After a six-month trial period of cleaning, ordering supplies, learning hygiene practices and observing, Beyer spent two years learning the craft under Levore’s mentorship. The two have been working together harmoniously ever since.

They operated from a shared studio space on Blannahassett Island in downtown Marshall until Tropical Storm Helene wiped it out. “We will never recover fully,” Beyer says. Book collections, musical equipment and art kept in the studio are all gone.

It took Beyer and Levore months to raise enough money to replace their equipment and renovate the new location to reopen. The community showed up to help make it happen.

“I was blown away by the mutual care and mutual aid after Helene,” Beyer says. Now the business is booked through December.

In addition to tattooing, Beyer founded the Blood and Spicebush School of Old Craft and is an author, with books on folk magic and herbalism, including her soon-to-be-released The Complete Folk Herbal: An Illustrated Guide to Natural Remedies and Everyday Healing.

“Asheville is great for a whippersnapper entrepreneur,” she says. “You can slay.”

For the larger tattoo community, Beyer says, she has nothing but love. “I’m tight with everyone here, since most of the awful people have gotten pushed out,” she says. And it’s not just the women tattoo artists who form that friendly circle.

“Hot Stuff is entirely male, and they’re great, lovely, superhelpful and supportive,” she says. “We all send clients to each other; they give me feedback on designs.”

‘PERSONAL MAGIC’

Like Beyer, Martina Zago entered the professional tattoo world through an apprenticeship. Zago developed an interest in the art form as a teenager, perfecting her craft because, she says, “I like to woo my lovers with paintings.” Now a tattoo artist at Girl and Goblin

“You don’t ever hear about the female pioneers in the tattoo industry, but you do about males.”

— Kimi Leger, owner of Sacred Lotus Tattoo

on Haywood Road, she didn’t officially break into the industry until she was 30.

“My partner is in a biker club,” Zago explains. “The club decided to buy my tattoo equipment if I would tattoo on them for free for two years.” Though it was a challenging proposition, the arrangement turned out to be a great learning opportunity due to the variety of skin types, ages and all that sun exposure from riding motorcycles, she says.

Eventually, Zago got an apprenticeship with Thomas Sweezy at Hi-Octane Ink in Fletcher. She remembers her journey with Sweezy as a very positive experience that provided an entryway to her new career. But not all female apprentices encounter such a straightforward, professional situation, she says.

“It’s hard for women to break in without people having expectations,” Zago says, noting the power differential and importance of trust in a mentor-mentee relationship. “In the past, the industry was so saturated with men, you were basically always having one as a mentor.”

That dynamic is changing. “There is a huge amount of kindness among women in the industry,” Zago says. “Women take apprentices in like Mother Goose; there’s so little ego. It’s just women going out of their way to be helpful and hype each other up.”

For many tattoo artists, Love points out, the work can also have a spiritual component. “Given that our ancestors have been practicing tattooing in ceremonies for 25,000 to 30,000 years, it’s ingrained in our body memory,” she says. “It’s a form of personal magic, bringing the self into greater fullness of expression.”

These days, Love spends much of her time doing ritual tattoos, helping people commemorate a lost loved one or mark a life transition. “We create a ceremony in a private space, ask the client to bring pictures of loved ones, talk about what the tattoo means or what they’re moving past, their intentions moving into the future,” she explains.

She also works with a lot of survivors, tattooing over mastectomies, amputations or major burns. She helps people reclaim their bodies as their own.

But tattooing is not only about art, history, spirituality, community and healing, Zago says. It’s also fun.

“I wake up every day and can’t believe I get to go doodle on people’s skin for a living,” she says. X

Hitting the high note

Madison County ballad singer Donna Ray Norton promotes mountain culture, climate resilience after Helene

BY MERIN M c DIVITT

Once a month, Donna Ray Norton stands just a few dozen feet north of the French Broad River in Marshall and fills the air with her voice, at once plaintive and proud. She’s not alone — at the Old Marshall Jail Ballad Swap, singers from Madison County and beyond gather to perform traditional ballads from Southern Appalachia.

Creating this monthly event was a personal dream for Norton, a Madison County native who’s dedicated her life to the promotion of these historic mountain songs. Yet a year ago, she found that dream in ruins when the Old Marshall Jail was flooded by Tropical Storm Helene.

Rather than give up, Norton and her collaborators in the ballad collective Nest of Singing Birds began a new chapter that’s taken Appalachian culture and messages about climate resilience across the country — and even across international borders.

BALLAD-SINGING HERITAGE

Norton grew up in Sodom Laurel, a remote community outside Marshall. Its unusual name, according to local lore, hearkens back to a 19th-century preacher who observed illicit activity there and leaned on his biblical vocabulary. “Being from Sodom, you're very secluded,” she explains. “It's like Marshall was our big city.”

Moving away from Sodom as a teenager to attend Asheville High School,

SONGBIRD: Eighth-generation Madison County ballad singer Donna Ray Norton, pictured, says she hopes her work with touring music collective Nest of Singing Birds will bring attention to the local ballad-singing tradition and the importance of climate resilience in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene. Photo by Merin McDivitt

she initially felt out of place, she says, stigmatized due to her rural accent and stereotypes about Madison County. She adapted and made friends but struggled to embrace her own background.

“I changed how I talked and everything when I got up there,” she says. “Because I was country.”

Norton’s perspective on her birthplace began to shift, however, when her English teacher, Eula Shaw, encouraged her to research her ballad-singing heritage for a senior exit project. The Appalachian ballad tradition, she discovered, dates to the 1700s in Sodom and intertwines deeply with her family, including her aunt, legendary singer and cultural preservationist Sheila Kay Adams, winner of the N.C. Heritage Award and a National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship Award.

Sung a cappella with long, storytelling stanzas, ballads traveled to the Blue Ridge Mountains via English and Scottish immigrants who settled the area. Norton’s lineage traces ballad singers back eight generations.

“When I was growing up, I don't remember a time when there wasn't music or singing going on,” she says.

“People would be at your house and sitting on the porch stringing beans, and

somebody would just start singing a song or tell a story or play an instrument.”

From a very young age, Norton had memorized lengthy ballads sitting “knee to knee,” an oral tradition that had been passed down through previous generations. As a teen, she occasionally sang at events, and just before her senior year, her aunt encouraged her to audition for the locally filmed 2001 movie Songcatcher. (Ultimately, the part she tried out for went to a performer from New York.) Shaw’s project gave her the impetus to further explore and value her heritage. She read Cecil Sharp’s 1917 book English Folk-Songs from the Southern Appalachians, where she found many references to her own ancestors. Then, she was asked to perform an original ballad at school.

“Ms. Shaw sort of fanned that flame, and my mom and Sheila, so I started really being more comfortable,” she says. “Once I sang in front of my peers, it was like: Oh, I can maybe do this.”

MUSIC IN THE MUD

In her subsequent decadeslong career as a ballad singer, Norton has found many opportunities to honor

her roots, including performing in 2006 with the North Carolina Symphony. In early 2023, she met Josh Copus, founder of the Old Marshall Jail Hotel and Zadie’s Restaurant, and floated an idea that had been percolating in her mind: a ballad swap. He jumped on board. After launching that same year, the Old Marshall Jail Ballad Swap began attracting regular performers, many of whom traveled hours to share traditional Appalachian songs with one another at the event each month. Norton, along with Adams and William Ritter, a Mitchell County fiddler and ballad singer, founded a musicians collective, Nest of Singing Birds, that includes a rotating cast of ballad swap regulars. The name was inspired by a phrase Sharp used to describe Sodom Laurel. Just a year later, though, the unthinkable happened when the lovingly renovated jail, a center for many community gatherings in addition to the Ballad Swap, was gutted when the French Broad River crested at 27 feet in Marshall during Tropical Storm Helene. In the aftermath, Norton and Adams headed into town to see how the jail had fared. They were devastated by the scale of the damage.

Norton says they cried with shock and hopelessness, particularly about the future of the ballad swap they’d worked so hard to build. Standing in the building’s wrecked hull, Norton and her aunt began to sing, the centuries-old ballads echoing off the mudcaked walls. “When words fail, music speaks,” Norton says, reflecting on that heartwrenching moment.

Someone filmed their impromptu performance and posted it to social media. Inspired by the video, artists decided to organize an ambitious recording project within the jail’s shell. The resulting album, The Resonance Sessions, features 35 regional musicians — including Norton and Adams — performing to raise money for storm relief.

“Being able to do that in the jail really meant a whole lot to me,” Norton says. “I felt like I was getting this big warm hug from the community because we were all together in that space.”

HITTING THE ROAD

Meanwhile, Copus and others worked tirelessly to get Old Marshall Jail’s restaurant area ready for the rebirth of the ballad swap. On Oct. 30, 2024, just a month after the storm, the swap returned, and soon after, Norton and Adams decided to take Nest of Singing Birds on tour.

In the year since, the collective has worked to raise awareness about WNC’s ongoing need for support after Helene and the region’s climate risks through performances as close to home as Asheville and Charleston,

“I think the reason that these songs survived the way that they have is because Appalachian people are resilient.”

— Donna Ray Norton, eighth-generation Madison County ballad singer

S.C., and as far away as Montreal. Norton hopes the ongoing tour and monthly ballad swap will encourage people to patronize Marshall and other regional businesses.

This fall, with signs of recovery abundant in Marshall, business owners are hopeful that the past year of extraordinarily hard work pays off with visitors returning to support them. “Reopening and staying open are two different things,” Norton says. “Just because the mud is gone doesn't mean the problems are gone.”

Norton makes a direct connection between WNC’s resilient commitment to storm recovery and Madison County’s ballad-singing tradition. Her ancestors, she points out, preserved their songs and culture despite widespread marginalization, from economic exploitation to mainstream stereotyping.

Today, Norton runs Old Marshall Jail’s tour as well as the ballad swap. She’s also working to keep the tradi-

tion alive by passing the ballads on to her own children and music students and serves as the memory coordinator for the Appalachian Memory Project, preserving Madison County oral histories and images.

On Sept. 28, Norton and Adams stood along N.C. Highway 208, singing ballads against the sound of a strong breeze and passing cars as the state unveiled a new historical marker honoring their ancestor “Singing Mary” Sands. Sands shared 25 songs with Sharp back in 1916, carrying on the tradition her forebears brought across the ocean, just as Norton does today.

“I think the reason that these songs survived the way that they have is because Appalachian people are resilient,” she says. “Our families brought these songs with them from over the big water, you know, and they survived when maybe they couldn't carry an instrument in their hands. But they've always had their voices.” X

to bring convenient, elegant catering options to the heart

small local business quickly gained recognition for its artfully crafted

What began as

and grazing tables that turn any occasion into a memorable experience. In 2024, Lindsey proudly opened the company’s first storefront in picturesque Downtown Asheville. The new location offers a welcoming walk-in experience, along with convenient pickup and delivery services, making it easier than ever for customers to enjoy their delicious creations. The storefront also doubles as a stunning rental space—perfect for intimate gatherings, workshops, or special events. Asheville Charcuterie Co. caters to all who appreciate thoughtfully designed boards, lavish grazing tables, and grab-and-go picnic options that showcase the best local flavors. Every offering is crafted with care, creativity, and a touch of Asheville charm—making it the go-to destination for food lovers and event hosts alike.

Siam Thai Restaurant

Authentic Home Cooking Thai Style in North Asheville

Sherry Samankasikum is the owner of Siam Thai Restaurant in North Asheville. She has been serving the community for more than nine years. Sherry brings her passion for Thai home cooking to every dish. The menu features authentic flavors from different regions of Thailand. She believes food is the way to people’s hearts. At Siam Thai, guests should feel at home with friendly service and delicious meals.

“I am happy every time I see people enjoy our food and bring family and friends to celebrate at my restaurant. It is a place where good memories are made.”

The long way

A quick Ph.D in IPAs at Appalachian Mountain Brewery Taproom and Kitchen

BY CHRISTOPHER ARBOR

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 visit to Leveller Brewing Co., visit avl.mx/f4n.

Question: What do the name Appalachian Mountain Brewery Taproom and Kitchen, the rush-hour drive to get there from Asheville and the brewery’s tap list all have in common?

Answer: They’re long as all heck and totally worth the time they take. When we visited Appalachian Mountain Brewery’s Mills River location (its home base is in Boone), the line to the bar stretched across the wide-open taproom — which was a good thing. It gave my friends and me time to study the robust tap list. We counted 24 beers, 10 wines, six ciders, three meads, two slushies and a seltzer (plus cocktails and a wide variety of nonalcoholic beverages).

Of the two dozen beers, about half of them were IPAs. But don’t go thinking that makes the joint one-note — there was tremendous variety among those IPAs. Let’s take this opportunity to nail down some history and vocabulary.

IPAs — i.e., India pale ales — were so named because when the English occupied India, the beer they brewed back home spoiled by the time it was shipped overseas. They discovered that upping the alcohol content and adding more hops acted as a natural preservative. The soldiers loved it and wanted more of it when they got home.

The taplist at Appalachian Mountain Brewery included many of these varieties:

• British/English IPA = Malt to hop flavor as balanced as Simone Biles.

• West Coast IPA = As dry and bitter as my college history professor, and just as memorable.

• New England IPA = Hazy (due to less filtering) and juicy (due to less bitter and more aromatic hops varieties added later in the brewing process).

• Milkshake IPA = Brewed with lactose (milk sugar) but not as gross as it may sound. Lactose is what makes a milk stout creamy as well.

BINEER

• Session IPA = Low alcohol. When you’re looking for a good evening, not a rough morning.

• Imperial IPA = High alcohol. Drink at your own risk.

• White IPA = A hoppy witbier (i.e., uses wheat).

• Black IPA = Not actually an IPA, because it’s not pale. Imagine a stout with a boatload of hops.

• Cold IPA = Not actually an IPA because it’s a lager (not an ale). Imagine one part Budweiser to one part hops.

But all those options fell away when I saw an Appalachian Mountain IPA called “Westbound and Down Under” that was brewed with New Zealand hops. Be still, my heart! How can I capture the experience?

Imagine you’re walking on the beach at sunset, drinking a British IPA, and you bump into a devastatingly attractive Parisian walking the other direction who is sipping a sauvignon blanc. “Silly American,” they say. “You spilled your beer in my wine.”

“No, no,” you say. “You spilled your wine in my beer.”

And then you taste your mixed concoction, propose to one another on the spot and decide to expatriate to Auckland. That, my dear friends, is exactly what a New Zealand IPA tastes like.

I excitedly took my beer and joined my friends for another evening of community, camaraderie and conversation.

Here’s to taking the long way. Raise a glass.

• Oct. 15: Diatribe Brewing Co.

• Oct. 22: Nine Mile West on Haywood Road. X

California dreaming

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

In a cruel twist of fate, an unusually intense thunderstorm rages outside during Xpress’ latest interview with Indigo De Souza. Though the intent of the conversation is to look forward and discuss the singer-songwriter’s latest album, Precipice (released July 25), as well as her Sunday, Nov. 2, show at The Orange Peel, it's also important to look back.

Just over a year ago, the singer-songwriter was about to play the All Things Go Music Festival in New York City when word reached her that her house — a converted church she rented with her best friends in downtown Marshall — was underwater. Like many Western North Carolinians, De Souza’s roommates underestimated the severity of Tropical Storm Helene and subsequent flooding from the French Broad River. But as the situation suddenly grew dangerous, they gathered a few items and evacuated, though not before one last rescue mission.

“They went in my room right at the end before they left, and they just threw a couple of my possessions onto my bed because they were like, ‘Oh, it’s probably not going to go up over the bed,’” she recalls. “My bed is wooden, so my bed actually floated. And the top of my bed was the only part of my whole room that wasn't totally covered in mud and destroyed. I ended up getting to save my computer and my guitar and this box that I had in my room that had some personal mementos in it.”

A few days later, De Souza and bandmates Maddie Shuler (guitar) and Landon George (bass) made it back to Marshall in their tour van with a trailer full of water, food, gas and other supplies. Witnessing the destruction to her home and with no guidance from her rental company, she and her housemates took it upon themselves to clean out their muddy belongings with help from neighbors.

“We got everything out, and the bulldozers came and took all the debris,” she says, noting that it took a few days for her crew to learn about the mud’s potential toxicity. “We didn't know that we had to wear hazmat suits in the beginning, so we were just going at it with gloves. But no one got sick.”

That De Souza can recall that much about the initial post-Helene weeks is a minor miracle.

“I was kind of out of my body,” she says. “I didn’t really understand the gravity of what was happening. But at the same time, I did — but it was like I was in denial about it. I didn't really want to believe that that's what was actually happening.”

THE CITY OF ANGELS BECKONS

Listeners won’t hear songs processing those traumatic experiences on Precipice. The LP was completely finished when Helene hit. Its tracks find the artist confronting toxic relationships and personal growth — familiar topics from her previous two albums, but this time with an appealing pop sheen courtesy of Los Angeles-based producer Elliott Kozel.

“He’s superencouraging and supportive, and really cares about helping whoever he’s working with find their voice and find their vision and succeed at making the sounds that they’re trying to make,” De Souza says.

“And he doesn’t get in the way. He doesn’t ever try to push me in a direction I don’t want to go in. He’s really just amplifying the things that I’m feeling and saying and wanting to express.”

With such a strong rapport established during the Precipice sessions, it made sense that De Souza would reunite with Kozel when, roughly three months after the floods, she was ready to work through her Helene trauma in song. Needing a break from the Asheville area, she returned to LA and accepted an invitation from a kind soul at her label,

Loma Vista Recordings, to stay at the person’s house for a month.

The change of scenery proved fruitful as music poured out of De Souza. She describes the tone of the post-Helene songs as a mixture of “grunge, guitar-based” tracks that she says brought her back to her musical roots, and extremely sad, stripped-down songs. The album is not yet named, and no release date has been announced.

De Souza’s time in California was so beneficial that she wound up staying. Though she’d considered relocating before the floods, she didn’t want to break up the wonderful housing situation she had with her ride-or-dies in Marshall and toyed with splitting her time between there and LA.

“But then after the flood happened and me and Elliot recorded a whole new album, I just realized how special it is to be able to work on music as much as I can when I’m in LA,” she says. “I just decided to make that jump.”

TRACTION TIMES

In sunny California, De Souza says she’s thankful to be in a place where she can start over and is not constantly reminded of her life’s numerous ups and downs. But there are certain aspects of Western North Carolina — where she’d spent her entire life — that she pines for.

“I definitely miss the nature. I used to spend every day out in the woods, so that's definitely something that’s way different and was very hard. But I have gotten used to it over time,” she says. “I miss having community that knows me and that I can interact with on a regular basis. And I miss all the dogs that were in my life. I don’t have any dogs that I see regularly out here. And I miss being close to my family, too.”

“I miss having community that knows me and that I can interact with on a regular basis.”

— Indigo De Souza

De Souza is the latest in a string of nationally touring, Ashevillebased artists to move away from the area over the past 18 months. Among them, Wednesday vocalist/ guitarist Karly Hartzman now calls Greensboro home, and her bandmate, Jake Lenderman — De Souza’s former drummer, who’s achieved immense success touring the world as the vocalist/guitarist in his solo band, MJ Lenderman — relocated to Chapel Hill.

While all three musicians were in large part prompted to leave because of housing insecurity, De Souza says her decision was also rooted in the city’s limited musical resources — particularly the number of producers and spaces to work, which will take another hit with the closing of Echo Mountain Recording at the end of 2025. Nevertheless, she doesn’t rule out the possibility of an eventual return for good.

“Asheville was so great for me when I was just starting out, because there are lots of people who want to play music. And you can make bonds with people and play the small venues around town and get started, figuring out how to play live and how you want to present yourself. That’s valuable,” De Souza says.

“I think it might always be a place that is great to get going, and maybe you leave for a little while and go check out a bigger city to get some more traction. But I feel like it’s also a place that I can imagine people always coming back to.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/cmb. X

Speaking of food

Chef Life Radio Live debuts Sunday, Oct. 19, 6-9:30 p.m., at The Mule at Devil’s Foot Beverage. Hosted by chef Adam M. Lamb, this live podcast event features two local chefs in honest, unfiltered conversation about food, leadership and the qualities necessary to serve. An extension of Chef Life Radio, which Lamb launched in 2021 as a means of empowering culinary leaders to create thriving kitchens, the series is currently just shy of 100 episodes.

As of press time, the initial guests have not been finalized. The series will continue on the third Sunday of each month at The Mule, and Lamb promises that the events are “going to field a really interesting group of folks.”

“This is more than a show,” he adds. “It’s a gathering of our crew, it’s a chance to celebrate Asheville’s culinary spirit, support those most affected by [Tropical Storm] Helene and remind the nation who we are.”

Tickets are $11.50 for VIP front-row seats and $6.50 for general admission seating. Organizers will donate 20% of ticket sales to Asheville Independent Restaurants’ Tip It Forward program.

To learn more visit, avl.mx/f4v.

Xico to open on South Biltmore Avenue

Xico (pronounced “shee-ko”), a combination “Cocina de Fuego” (fire kitchen) and Marisqueria (seafood restaurant), will debut at 175 Biltmore Ave. in late October. Led by chef Scott Linquist of Florida-based Coyo Taco, the restaurant offers avant-garde Mexican dining powered by a Josper

charcoal and wood-fired grill capable of reaching 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

The venture is in partnership with David McFarland, owner of neighboring Southern-inspired restaurant and bar Daddy Mac’s. Along with agave-forward cocktails, Xico will feature a tortilla station where masa will be cooked on a Mexican griddle known as a comal, an oversized lava stone molcajete that will be used to freshly mash guacamole to order and a “secret” tequila window through which select cocktails will be served.

To learn more, visitavl.mx/f4k.

Pig Pickin’ at Foothills Watershed

Foothills Watershed in Old Fort hosts its inaugural Pig Pickin’ on Saturday, Oct. 18. Foothills meat manager Meg Montgomery and chef Luis Martinez will fire up the smoker on Friday, Oct. 17, to prepare a hog from Peculiar Pig Farm in Dorchester, S.C., for the following day’s celebration.

Food will be served from 1 p.m. until the meat runs out. Customers may choose between a pulled pork sandwich or a plate of smoked pork

served with two house-made sides. Live music will be performed 3-5 p.m.

To learn more and RSVP, visit avl.mx/f4r.

Harvest Party at Euda Wine

Also in Old Fort, Euda Wine holds its annual Harvest Party on Saturday, Oct. 18, 1-5 p.m.

“This isn’t just any party — it’s a celebration of the season, the wine and the people who make it all possible,” Euda representatives say in a press release.

Tickets are $25 and include a plate of barbecue from Asheville-based Jolly Badger, a glass of wine (or other beverage) and samples from the 2025 harvest wines still in progress, straight from the barrel.

“We missed having it last year, which makes us all the more excited to bring everyone together again,” the press release continues, noting the 2024 edition’s cancellation due to damage the town sustained from Tropical Storm Helene.

To learn more and reserve a spot, visit avl.mx/f4s

SMART BETS

by Edwin Arnaudin

LEAF Festival

One year ago, LEAF Festival’s longtime host site, Lake Eden Retreat in Black Mountain, was hit hard by Tropical Storm Helene. Instead of going through with the twice-yearly event as planned, LEAF Global Arts leadership opened the houses and cabins around Lake Eden to families who had lost their homes and moved the festival to Pisgah Brewing Co., making it a free community celebration of resilience and the arts. After weathering those challenges, as well as significant losses of grant funding due to administration changes at the National Endowment for the Arts, LEAF enters its 30th year with optimism, grit and gratitude that this fall's LEAF Festival — taking place Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 16-19 — will be back home at Lake Eden. Performers include Arrested Development, Valerie June, Victor Wooten & The Wooten

Clue: On Stage

Not every stage play has its roots in a Hasbro board game and a 1985 cult comedy film. But then Clue: On Stage is no ordinary theatrical production.

Brothers, Jackie Venson, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, Flamy Grant, The Resonant Rogues and many other local, regional and nationally touring artists.

Tickets range from $45 for a day pass to $281 for a full weekend pass with camping.

To learn more, visit avl.mx/f4y. X

Art After Dark

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina (BBBSWNC) remains committed to matching mentors with children facing adversity as well as providing training, support and activities for families and volunteers. To help further those efforts, the organization will host Art After Dark: Mentors Make Masterpieces on Saturday, Oct. 18, 5:307:30 p.m., at the RAD Outpost in downtown Asheville. The event includes live music, a silent auction, a drip art experience and heavy hors d’oeuvres.

“We’re so excited to be offering this event in partnership with our

friends in the River Arts District,” says Lelia Duncan, president and CEO of BBBSWNC, in a press release. “Art After Dark is more than a fundraiser. It’s a statement of resilience and collaboration. In the wake of [Tropical Storm] Helene, BBBSWNC and the River Arts District are coming together to uplift two vital parts of our community — our youth and our artists.”

Tickets are $100, and all proceeds benefit the children and families served by BBBSWNC.

To learn more, visit avl.mx/f4x. X

Written by Sandy Rustin, with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price, and adapted from Jonathan Lynn’s screenplay, the 1954-set comedic farce and murder mystery follows six guests, a butler and a maid at Boddy Manor for a dinner party full of murder and blackmail. Mr. Green, Miss Scarlet, Colonel Mustard, Mrs. Peacock, Professor Plum and Mrs. White are all in attendance, and the wacky scenarios they encounter are well worth the price of admission.

Directed by Jennifer Treadway, the show will be staged at Hendersonville Theatre, Oct. 16-26, Thursdays-Fridays at 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays-Sundays at

3 p.m. Tickets for opening night are paywhat-you-can, starting at $5 per ticket. For the rest of the run, tickets are $21.75$32, and groups of 10 or more receive a 10% percent discount.

To learn more, visit avl.mx/f4e  X

Think:X + King Youngblood + Santiago y Los Gatos

Pink Floyd has inspired numerous tribute acts, including Asheville’s own talented ensemble Pinkish Floyd. But the collective experience that Think:X brings to each show sets it apart.

The supergroup is composed of saxophonist and rhythm guitarist Scott Page (Pink Floyd, Supertramp, Toto), vocalist Roberta Freeman (Pink Floyd, Guns N’ Roses), guitarist Kenny Olson (Kid Rock), bassist Norwood Fisher (Fishbone), drummer Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction, Porno for Pyros), vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Will Champlin, and guitarist

Derek Day (Classless Act). Described in a press release as “more than a tribute band,” Think:X aspires “to bridge the gap between the human spirit and technological innovation, offering one-of-a-kind live immersive concert experiences.”

On Sunday, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m., this all-star ensemble will play The Orange Peel along with fellow rockers King Youngblood and local stalwarts Santiago y Los Gatos. Tickets for this fully seated show are $30 plus fees or $100 plus fees for a four-pack.

To learn more, visit avl.mx/f4w. X

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

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15

12 BONES

SMOKEHOUSE & BREWING

Trivia w/King Trivia, 7pm

ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO.

Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm

ASHEVILLE YARDS

MJ Lenderman w/David Nance & Mowed Sound (indie-rock, alt-country, blues), 7pm

CAMDEN'S COFFEE HOUSE

Open Mic Night, 7pm

ELUVIUM BREWERY

The Candleers (country), 5:30pm

FLEETWOOD'S Safety Coffin w/Mad

Mike (garage-blues, punk), 9pm

FOOTHILLS GRANGE Trivia Night, 6:30pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

Saylor Brothers Jamgrass Wednesdays, 6:30pm

GALACTIC PIZZA

Fast Eddie's Trivia, 6:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

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

SHAKEY'S

SSIN w/DJ Ragga

Massive, 10pm

SLY GROG LOUNGE

Weird Wednesday Open Jam, 7pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Chris Bullock, Homemade Haircuts & Annie Leeth (hip-hop, indie-rock), 8:45pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: Reed Turchi World on Fire Album

Release Show (blues, rock), 5:30pm

• Ben Sollee (folk), 7pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Raphael Graves & Bill Altman (multi-genre), 7pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Well-Crafted Music Series: Michael Libramento, Seth Kauffman & Evan Martin (multigenre), 6pm

THE ODD

Terraoke Karaoke Takeover, 9pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Anamanaguchi w/ Be Your Own Pet & Pulses. (rock, post-hardcore), 8pm

THIRD ROOM

Disclaimer Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic Night, 6pm

URBAN ORCHARD Wayward Trivia, 6:30pm

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16

ANTIDOTE COCKTAIL LOUNGE AT CHEMIST

Antidote Comedy w/ David Louis, 7pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

ALO (rock, funk, R&B), 8pm

BOTANIST & BARREL TASTING BAR + BOTTLE SHOP

Comedy Night, 6:30pm

CROW & QUILL

Lock, Stock & Teardrops (country), 8pm

EULOGY

The Runarounds w/ William Wild (alt, pop, alt-rock), 7pm

FLEETWOOD'S Floral Hygienists, Siichaq & Annalise (alt-indie, rock, folk), 9pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

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

GREEN MAN

BREWERY

Thursday Night Trivia, 7pm

HI-WIRE BREWING

South Slope Open Mic w/Stephen Evans, 5:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7pm

LEVELLER BREWING CO.

Old Time Jam, 6pm

MAD CO. BREW HOUSE

Sufferin' Fools (county, power-pop), 6pm

OKLAWAHA

BREWING CO.

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

ONE WORLD

BREWING

Mark Schimick Duo (acoustic), 8pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST

Fee Fi Phaux Fish (Phish tribute), 8pm

PULP

The Slice of Life Comedy Standup Contest Series: Round 2, 7:30pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Company Funk (funk, soul, blues), 7pm

SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/Franco Nino, 9pm

SIERRA NEVADA

BREWING CO.

The California Honeydrops (jazz, retro-soul), 6pm

CLUBLAND

CIRCUS TIME: On Friday, Oct. 17, at 9 p.m., the Snozzberries will host the fifth annual Psychedelic Circus at Asheville Music Hall. The evening will feature live music, local artists, dancers, a costume contest and more. Photo courtesy of Snozzberries

SLY GROG LOUNGE

Unbridled Sonic Anarchy w/ffALO, Lumen Valen (experimental, dark), 7pm

STATIC AGE LOFT

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

STATIC AGE RECORDS

BRNDA & Cor de Lux (art-punk, noise), 8:45pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

John Keck Band (rock), 7pm

THE ODD

Kal-El, Insomniac & Shun (rock, metal, psych), 9pm

THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Cheat Mountain Riders (country, funk, rock'n'roll), 9pm

THE TINA MCGUIRE

THEATRE

Aaron Foster: Mostly Jokes Stand Up Comedy, 8pm

TWIN WILLOWS

The Candleers (country), 5pm

WICKED WEED

BREWING

Pete Townsend (acoustic), 5pm

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

The Snozzberries w/Michael Wilbur, Cloutchasert & Sqwerv (psych-rock, indie), 9pm

COFFEE, ART, MUSIC

TYPE PLACE

Open Mic, 6pm

CORK & KEG

The Uptown Hillbillies (honky-tonk, country), 8pm

CROW & QUILL

Black Sea Beat Society (Balkan, folk), 8pm

EULOGY

• Paper Pills w/ Lavender Blue & Porcelain Parrot (rock, emo, alt), 7pm

• Amanda Tori Meating w/Josie Glamoure, Leo Scott & Nova Jynah, 11pm

FLEETWOOD'S Scott Yoder, The Spinns & Night! Night! (glam, punk, hardcore), 9pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

For the Love of Levon & Lowell (multi-genre), 6pm

GINGER'S REVENGE

CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Scenic Radio (Southern-rock, country, funk), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Drop O' The Pure (Irish, rock), 8:30pm

LOBSTER TRAP

Dinah's Daydream (jazz), 6:30pm

MAD CO. BREW HOUSE

Dave Desmelik (alt-country, folk, Americana), 6pm

NEW BELGIUM

BREWING CO.

The Greenliners (bluegrass, Americana), 5:30pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING

Sean Forth & Jr Ledford (folk), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Spooky Disco (disco, funk), 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Can’t Feel My Face: 2010s Dance Party, 8pm

SHAKEY'S 2000s Karaoke w/ DJ Franco Nino, 10pm

SLY GROG LOUNGE

ProbCause, Canvas & Froggy P (dance, electronic, dub), 6pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Vinyl Night (multigenre), 8pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Sonic Chambers Quartet, Mindtonic Music & Thom Nguyen (jazz, rock, blues), 8:45pm

TACO BILLY

Tacos & Tunes w/ The Dead Strings Trio (rock), 6pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: Sunnyside Duo (Americana, blues, country), 5:30pm

• Eddie 9V & Paul McDonald (soul, blues, rock), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Sal Landers’ Party Rx (rock'n'roll), 7pm

THE ODD

Chad Price Peace Coalition, Phibian & Billingsley (folk, rock, pop), 8pm

THE ONE STOP AT

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

• Daws Boss (indie, folk, punk), 6pm

• Brother Fat (rock, blues, funk), 10pm

THE STATION BLACK

MOUNTAIN

Mr Jimmy (blues), 5pm

THIRD ROOM

The Sponges w/Domii (funk, diosco-house), 9pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK

MOUNTAIN

Cowboy Judy (country, Motown), 7:30pm

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18

27 CLUB

Rumble Room Vol. 5 w/ Grimmjoi, Just Nieman, DJ Audio & Dvngeon Mvster (dubstep, riddim, DNB), 8pm

ASHEVILLE CLUB

Mr Jimmy (blues), 6pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Brock Butler Band w/ Isaac Hadden, Darren Stanley, Ola Timorthy, Bailey Horsley, Bill Stevens & More (multigenre), 9pm

CROW & QUILL

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

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY

Blue Cactus w/Idle County (folk, alt-country, psych-rock), 8pm

EULOGY

The Legendary Pink Dots w/Orbit Service (psych rock, post-punk, edm), 7pm

FLEETWOOD'S Vandemonium w/The Golden Grass, Shake It Like A Caveman & Glue Sniffin Squish Heads (heavy-psych, garage, rock), 5pm

GINGER'S REVENGE Modelface Comedy Presents: Gluten-Free Comedy, 7pm

GREEN MAN

BREWERY

The Z Man Experience (Ska, funk, experimental), 3pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Nobody’s Darling String Band, 4pm

• Double In Town (Celtic, Irish), 8:30pm

MAD CO. BREW HOUSE

Rick Hornyak & The Highway Companions (rock, Americana), 2pm

NIGHTSHADE SOCIAL

LOUNGE

NightShade Presents: TeaThyme & Neptune Spins (house, disco, garage), 9pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

A Different Thread (folk-rock), 8pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST

• Spiro Nicolopoulos Funk Apocalypse (funk), 4pm

• Natti Love Joys (reggae), 9pm

SHAKEY'S Trash Talk Queer Dance Party & Drag Show, 10pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Lyric (pop, rock, funk), 9pm

SIERRA NEVADA

BREWING CO.

Fresh Buzz (rock, funk, indie), 2pm

SLY GROG LOUNGE

kLL sMT w/Smigonaut, Expand & WIJ (dance, electronic, glitch-hop), 6pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Wax Jaw, Fashion Bath & Shorty Can't Eat Books (punk, newwave), 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• We Have Ignition (surf rock), 3pm

• Bit Brigade Performs Super Mario World & F-Zero (video-game covers), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Deja Vu: 2Chix & Friends (multi-genre), 7pm

THE MEADOW AT

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Pleasure Chest (rock'n'roll, blues, soul), 6pm

THE MULE/DEVIL'S FOOT BREWING

Miss Vee’s returns to the Mule, 8pm

THE ODD Party Foul Drag, 8pm

THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

• Riyen Roots (blues, soul), 6pm

• Seven Teller (artrock), 10pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Johnnyswim w/Shua (folk, soul, pop), 8pm

THIRD ROOM

KOAN Sound w/Tunic, CPT Hyperdrive & Hausmaus (glitch-hop, neuro-funk, edm), 9pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

The Jeff Little Trio (Americana, Appalachian), 7:30pm

SUNDAY,

OCTOBER 19

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Neighbor w/The Wright Ave (soul, funk, rock), 8pm

CROW & QUILL

Raspbaddy Cabaret

Cordial, 8pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY

Open Mic Night, 7pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 3pm

GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Sunday Jazz Jam, 2:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Bluegrass Brunch w/ The Bluegrass Brunch Boys, 12pm

• Traditional Irish Music Session, 3:30pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

The BRUE (rock, pop, blues), 3pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

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

• One Love Sundays w/ Dub Kartel (reggae), 7pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Sunday Jam: Spiro & Friends, 6:30pm

S & W MARKET

Mr Jimmy (blues), 1pm

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO.

Saddletramp (country), 2pm

SLY GROG LOUNGE

Open Mic w/Mike Andersen, 6:30pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Burlesque Brunch, 12pm

• Dogpark (indie-rock), 8pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

• Natti Love Joys (reggae, rock), 2pm

• ALR Trio (rock, blues), 7pm

THE MULE

Served: Asheville’s Hottest Drag Brunch, 12:30pm

THE ODD

Destroy All Music w/ Jimbo, 1pm

THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Shakedown Sunday's, 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Think:X w/Santiago y Los Gatos & King Youngblood (Pink Floyd Tribute), 7pm

THE RAD BREW CO.

RAD Comedy: Kevin Casey White, 7pm

MONDAY, OCTOBER 20

27 CLUB

Rock Star Karaoke w/ Grimm Morrison, 9pm FLEETWOOD'S Best Ever Karaoke w/ Honey, 9pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

Alex Bazemore & Friends (bluegrass), 6pm

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

STATIC AGE LOFT Hot Seat Comedy w/C.J. Green, 8pm

STATIC AGE

RECORDS

Tall Juan, Good Trauma & Minorcan (alt-indie, psych-pop, new-wave), 8:45pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Mr. Jimmy & Friends (Blues), 7pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Sold Out: AFI w/TR/ST (punk, post-hardcore, emo), 8pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

Local Live Presents: Jane Kramers & Thomas Kozak (multi-genre), 7pm

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21

ARCHETYPE BREWING

Trivia Tuesdays w/ Party Grampa, 6:30pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY Eda's Bluegrass Jam, 6:30pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

LOOKOUT BREWING CO.

Team Trivia, 6:30pm

MILLS RIVER BREWING CO.

Beetlejuice Trivia, 6pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

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

SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday in The Office, 10pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Open jam, 8pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS Friend, Tongues of Fire & Convalescent (indierock, punk, garage), 8:45pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: Sean Tobin (folk, rock), 5:30pm

• Mac Saturn (rock), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Moonbeatz (rock, folk, country), 6pm

THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

• Early Tuesday Jam, 7pm

• Uncle Lenny's Krazy Karaoke, 10pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Nothin But the Blues Jam, 7:30pm

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22

12 BONES

SMOKEHOUSE & BREWING Trivia w/King Trivia, 7pm

ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO.

Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm

CAMDEN'S COFFEE HOUSE

Open Mic Night, 7pm

ELUVIUM BREWERY

The Candleers (country), 5:30pm

FLEETWOOD'S Safety Coffin w/ Paprika, Lucky Flip & Matt Charette (punk, garage-blues), 9pm

FOOTHILLS GRANGE Trivia Night, 6:30pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

Saylor Brothers Jamgrass Wednesdays, 6:30pm

GALACTIC PIZZA

Fast Eddie's Trivia, 6:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Crystal Fountains (bluegrass, folk, Americana), 6pm

SHAKEY'S SSIN w/DJ Ragga Massive, 10pm

SLY GROG LOUNGE

Weird Wednesday Open Jam, 7pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Upchuck, Designer & Resthome (garagepunk, psych, hardcore), 8:45pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Daikaiju (surf-rock, hardcore, punk), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Laura Thurston (Americana, folk), 7pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Well-Crafted Music Series: Stevie Tombstone (multi-genre), 6pm

THE MULE

Jazz Trio & Wine Wednesdays, 6pm

THE ODD

Terraoke Karaoke Takeover, 9pm

THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Sound of Sirens (R&B, soul, rock), 10pm

THIRD ROOM

Disclaimer Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Open Mic Night, 6pm

URBAN ORCHARD

Wayward Trivia, 6:30pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

• Irish Session, 5pm

• Open Mic Night, 7pm

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23

CROW & QUILL

Drayton & The Dreamboats (jazz, rock'n'roll), 8:30pm

EULOGY

Flyte (indie-folk), 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S

North by North, Puppy and the Dogs & Basement Healer (punk, indie, garage-rock), 9pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

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

GREEN MAN

BREWERY

Thursday Night Trivia, 7pm

HI-WIRE BREWING

South Slope Open

Mic w/Stephen Evans, 5:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Ryles Monroe (acoustic), 7pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST

Fee Fi Phaux Fish (Phish tribute), 8pm

PISGAH BREWING CO.

Fresh Buzz (indie, rock, funk), 7pm

SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/DJ Franco Nino, 9pm

SLY GROG LOUNGE

Witches & Waifus

Episode V: The Catz are Back (hardcore, bass, electronic), 8pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Stand Up Comedy for Your Health, 8pm

STATIC AGE LOFT

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

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Chain Cult, Secret Shame & Ronnie Stone (dark, post-punk, synthpop), 8:45pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: Local Chapter & Hidden Cabins (indie, alt-folk), 5:30pm

• Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (bluegrass, Americana), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT

DOOR

The Pubsters (rock'n'roll, funk, blues), 7pm

THE ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Armchair Boogie (bluegrass, rock), 9pm

TWIN WILLOWS

The Candleers (country), 5pm

WICKED WEED

BREWING

Owen Walsh (acoustic), 5pm

FIRST KAVA BAR IN NORTH CAROLINA

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Life is tempting you to tiptoe to the brink of the threshold of the rawest truth, the wildest beauty, and the most precious love. Your ancestors are conspiring with your guardian angels to lure you into the secret heart of the inner sanctum of spiritual truth. I am totally sincere and serious. You now have a momentous opportunity—a thrilling opening to commune with subtle powers that could provide you with profound guidance.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In the forests of America’s Pacific Northwest, “nurse logs” lie fallen but fertile. These dead trees host seedlings, mosses, and new saplings that rise from their decaying trunks. I regard this as a powerful metaphor for you, Taurus. Something old in you is crumbling, like outdated beliefs, outmoded duties, or obsolete loyalties. Part of you may want to either grieve or ignore the shift. And yet I assure you that fresh green vitality is sprouting from that seemingly defunct thing. What new possibility is emerging from what was supposed to end? Resurrection is at hand.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): A deeper, wilder, smarter version of love is beckoning you from the horizon. Are you ready to head in its direction? I’m not sure you are. You may semi-consciously believe you already know what love is all about, and are therefore closed to learning more. It’s also possible that your past romantic wounds have made you timid about exploring unfamiliar terrain. Here’s my assessment: If you hope to get exposed to the sweeter, less predictable kinds of intimacy, you will have to drop some (not all) of your excessive protections and defenses. PS: At least one of your fears may be rooted in faulty logic.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Princess Diana transformed the British monarchy because she insisted that royal duty should include genuine emotional connection. Her generosity wasn’t merely ceremonial but was expressed through hands-on charity work. She had close contact with youth who had nowhere to live. She walked through minefields as part of her efforts to rid the planet of that scourge. She hugged people with AIDS at a time when many others feared such contact. "Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward," she said. Her ability to maintain grace while remaining emotionally authentic reflected a genius for blending strength with sensitivity. Can you guess her astrological sign? Cancerian, of course. Now is a perfect time for you to draw inspiration from her example. Express your wisely nurturing energy to the max!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Certain African lions in Kenya have no manes. Scientists theorize it’s an adaptation to heat or a reflection of extra aggressive hunting strategies. But symbolically, it challenges expectations: Is royalty still royalty without the crown? I bring this to your attention, Leo, because I suspect you will soon be asked to explore your power without its usual accouterments. Can you properly wield your influence if you don’t unleash your signature roar and dazzle? Will quiet confidence or understated presence be sufficiently magnetic? Might you radiate even more potency by refining your fire? I think so. You can summon strength in subtlety and majesty in minimalism.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): During the next nine months, you will face a poignant and potentially inspiring choice: whether to wrangle with an endless tangle of mundane struggles, or else to expand your vision to the bigger picture and devote your energy intensely to serving your interesting, long-term dreams. I hope you choose the latter option! For best results, get clear about your personal definition of success, in contrast to the superficial definitions that have been foisted on you by your culture. Can you visualize yourself years from now, looking back on your life’s greatest victories? You’re primed to enter a new phase of that glorious work, rededicating yourself with precise intentions and vigorous vows.

BY ROB BREZSNY

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I’m pleased to inform you that the coming weeks will be an excellent time to make a big wish upon a bright star. But I must also tell you how important it is to be clear and exact. Even a slight error in formulating your wish could result in only a partial fulfillment. And aiming your plea at the wrong star could cause a long delay. Sorry I have to be so complicated, dear Libra. The fact is, though, it’s not always easy to know precisely what you yearn for and to ask the correct source to help you get it. But here’s the good news: You are currently in a phase when you’re far more likely than usual to make all the right moves.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): During World War II, Scorpio actor and inventor Hedy Lamarr developed frequency-hopping technology to prevent enemies from jamming torpedo guidance systems. Her solution rapidly switched radio frequencies in hard-to-intercept patterns. The technology was so advanced that no one could figure out how to fully adopt it until years later. Engineers eventually realized that Lamarr’s invention was essential for WiFi, GPS, and cell phone networks. In the coming weeks, Scorpio, you, too, have the potential to generate ideas that might not be ready for prime time but could ultimately prove valuable. Trust your instincts about future needs. Your visionary solutions are laying the groundwork for contributions that won't fully ripen for a while.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I guarantee you won’t experience a meltdown, crack-up, or nervous collapse in the coming weeks, Sagittarius. What unfolds may bring a similar intensity, but in the opposite direction: a personal breakthrough, a cavalcade of illumination, or a surge of awakening. I urge you to be alert and receptive for relaxing flurries of sweet clarity; or streams of insights that rouse a liberating integration; or a confluence of welcome transformations that lead you to unexpected healing. Can you handle so many blessings? I think you can. But you may have to expand your expectations to welcome them all.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In 1959, a Swedish engineer named Nils Bohlin designed the three-point seatbelt, revolutionizing car safety. Working for Volvo, he insisted the design must be made freely available to all car manufacturers. Bohlin understood that saving lives was more important than hoarding credit or profit. Capricorn, your assignment now is to give generously without fussing about who gets the applause. A solution, insight, or creation of yours could benefit many if you share it without reservation. Your best reward will be observing the beneficial ripple effects, not holding the patent.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Your exploratory adventures out on the frontiers have been interesting and mostly successful, Aquarius. Congrats! I love how you have avoided tormenting yourself with self-doubt and roused more boldness than you’ve summoned in a long time. You have managed to ignore useless and superstitious fears even as you have wisely heeded the clues offered by one particular fear that was worth considering. Please continue this good work! You can keep riding this productive groove for a while longer.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In Korean tradition, *mudangs* are shamans who endure a personal crisis or illness and emerge with supernatural powers. They perform rituals to seek the favor of spirits. They heal the ancestral causes of misfortune and ensure good fortune, prosperity, and well-being for the people they serve. I don’t mean to imply you’re following a similar path, Pisces. But I do think your recent discomforts have been like an apprenticeship that has given you enhanced capacity to help others. How will you wield your power to bless and heal?

MARKETPLACE

REAL ESTATE & RENTALS |

Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 advertise@mountainx.com • mountainx.com/classifieds

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

REAL ESTATE AUCTIONS

HOME IMPROVEMENT AUCTION Saturday, October 25th @10am 201 S. Central Ave.  Locust, NC Cabinet Sets, Doors, Tile, Hardwood, Bath Vanities, Windows, Lighting, Trim, Appliances, Composite Decking, Furniture, New Name Brand Tools. ClassicAuctions.com 704507-1449  NCAF5479. (NC Press)

REAL ESTATE SERVICES

WESLEY FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC TIMESHARE CANCELLATION EXPERTS

Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and fees canceled in 2019. Get free informational package and learn how to get rid

of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 844213-6711 . (NC Press)

RENTALS

APARTMENTS FOR RENT

APARTMENT FOR RENT

First floor of house in quiet, safe, private neighborhood East of Asheville. 1b/1b, one person only. Shared washer/dryer. $850/month for rent, $45 for utilities + Wi-Fi. 1st & last rent due at signing. References req. (828) 545-0043

EMPLOYMENT

DRIVERS/ DELIVERY

MOUNTAIN XPRESS

DELIVERY Mountain

Xpress is seeking energetic, reliable, independent contractors for part-time weekly newspaper delivery. Contractors must have a safe driving record, a reliable vehicle with proper insurance and registration, and be able to lift 50 lbs. without strain. Distribution of papers is on Tuesday mornings and afternoons and typically lasts about 3-5 hours per week. E-mail distro@mountainx.com

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HANDY MAN

HANDY MAN 40 years experience in the trades, with every skill/tool imaginable for all trades with the exception of HVAC.

No job too small. $35 an hour. Carl (828) 551-6000 electricblustudio@gmail. com

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

AFFORDABLE TV & INTER-

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CONSUMER CELLULAR

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DENIED SOCIAL SECURITY

DISABILITY? APPEAL! If you're 50+, filed SSD and denied, our attorneys can help. Win or Pay Nothing! Strong, recent work history needed. 877-553-0252

[Steppacher Law Offices

LLC Principal Office: 224 Adams Ave Scranton PA 18503] (NC Press)

DO YOU OWE OVER

$10,000 to the IRS or State in back taxes? Get tax relief now! We'll fight for you! 1-833-441-4783

(AAN CAN)

GET A BREAK ON YOUR TAXES! Donate your car, truck, or SUV to assist the blind and visually impaired. Arrange a swift, no-cost vehicle pickup and secure a generous tax credit for 2025. Call Heritage for the Blind today at 1-855-8697055 today! (NC Press)

GET DISH SATELLITE TV + INTERNET! Free install, free HD-DVR upgrade, 80,000 on-demand movies, plus limited time up to $600 in gift cards. Call today! 1-877-920-7405 . (NC Press)

GOT AN UNWANTED CAR? Donate it to Patriotic Hearts. Fast free pick up. All 50 states. Patriotic Hearts’ programs help veterans find work or start their own business. Call 24/7: 1-833426-0086 . (AAN CAN)

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NEED NEW WINDOWS? Drafty rooms? Chipped or damaged frames? Need outside noise reduction? New, energy efficient windows may be the answer! Call for a consultation & FREE quote today. 1-833890-1293 . (AAN CAN)

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Gibson Mandolins / Banjos. These brands only! Call for a quote: 1-833-641-6624 (AAN CAN)

WE BUY VINTAGE GUITARS! Looking for 1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D'Angelico, Stromberg. And Gibson Mandolins / Banjos. These brands only! Call for a quote: 1-833-641-6577 (NC Press)

WESLEY FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC TIMESHARE CANCELLATION EXPERTS

Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and fees canceled in 2019. Get free informational package and learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 888-960-1781 (AAN CAN)

YOU MAY QUALIFY For disability benefits if you have are between 52-63 years old and under a doctor’s care for a health condition that prevents you from working for a year or more. Call now! 1-833-6413892 . (AAN CAN)

MARKETPLACE

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IMPROVEMENT

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ACROSS

1 Spiritual principle symbolized by an endless knot

6 Rock, for one

11 Bit of cream

14 Change, as a legislative bill

15 Carne ___

16 Bird whose males incubate the eggs

17 Skimpy serving of foie gras, say

19 San Francisco/ Oakland separator

20 Otis’s love interest on Netflix’s “Sex Education”

21 Some dressing in an operating room

23 One of Daniel Radcliffe’s paparazzi, say

26 Billy Joel’s “___ From an Italian Restaurant”

28 Glass in a frame

29 Opening on a stage?

30 Certain tennis shot

32 Ave. crossers 35 Heinz bottle blueprint, say 39 Ice cream maker Joseph 40 Remark to the audience

41 Prefix in aviation 42 Place to wear a mitt

43 With skepticism

45 The biggest and most loving of hugs, say

50 Pack animal related to camels

51 Trailing behind

52 “After ___ …”

53 Idahoan, say

59 God, in Italian

60 Hallmark of a typical Greek tragedy

61 Something gotten by a scapegoat

62 ¥

(Superman’s birth name)

2 Pal in Paris

3 Intensify, with “up”

4 “Richard of York gave battle in vain,” for the colors of the rainbow

5 Quote from a magazine rep

6 Have a cow?

7 Willow whose twigs are used in basketry

8 Dallas baller

9 Suffix with sulf-

10 Mesh for securing items in transport

11 When a star is first seen

12 Knock over

13 Retailer’s counterpart

Women’s professional tennis matches have three of them

Had a nosh

27 Included in correspondence, in a way 30 Feeling of dizziness, with “the”

31 Alternative to mushrooms

32 ___ Madness, punny name for a barbershop

33 Bad thing to try to do from the middle lane 34 Stereotypical name for a Dalmatian 36 “You try!” 37 Password creator 38 Absurdly easy task

42 Physicist who built upon Volta’s work

43 Many characters in “Better Call Saul”: Abbr.

Flew past 45 Quaint term of address for a noblewoman 46 Skateboard jump 47 Raven claw 48 Demeanors

49 Like corned beef in a Reuben sandwich

“There you ___!”