Calendar of Events

Last year, our fairy gardens attracted almost 9,000 visitors between June and August 2023. We see this as an opportunity to highlight Bullington’s circle of contributors through the sponsorship of a fairy door. The handcrafted doors will have the sponsor’s name, will be opened by guests to reveal a hidden message, and will be given to the sponsors when they are taken down after the summer.

Here are just a few statistics about the 2023 Fairy trail and sponsors from last year:

• Visitors – Local visitors (from a 50-mile radius) numbered 2,647. Total visitors: over 8,700 from 18 countries, 41 different states, and D.C., 138 cities in N.C., 52 cities in S.C.

• Appeared on WLOS and over 15 print publications.

• Appeared in over a hundred social media posts (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.)

• Acknowledgement of sponsors were printed on 1350 of the Woodland Gazettes that were given out to children as they visited.

• Sponsors were highlighted in our Friends of Bullington newsletter.

The dates of the fairy garden will run from June 1, 2024, through August 31, 2024. Please consider being one of our ‘Sponsors with Heart’ by purchasing a fairy door. We need to hear from you no later than April 15, 2024, so we can customize your door and message in time for the grand opening of our Fairy Gardens kickoff.

Fairy Door Sponsor Information:

Thank you for supporting Bullington Gardens, and sharing our passion for providing WNC with magical public gardens aimed to connect to the natural world and provide science-based education.

Dates: June 1- August 31, 2024

Location: Bullington Gardens Fairy Trail, 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville, NC 28792

Sponsor Benefits $350

• Business or name listed on a medium (approx.) 12” fairy house doors. (You can help our artist to design if ordered early enough)

• Recognition of sponsorship in Bullington Board newsletter.

• Acknowledgment on the Bullington Gardens social media pages.

• Sponsor logo and link on the Bullington Gardens website for 90 days

• Donation is tax-deductible.

Invoices and tax-deductible receipts will be sent from Bullington Gardens, Inc. Please send payment and the form below by April 15, 2024. For any questions, please contact Annie Higgins at [email protected] or call (828) 698-6104

Sponsor a door here.

You don’t have to travel far to fill your summer break with adventure and discovery! Adventure Begins at your Library is this year’s Summer Learning theme and our 12 libraries are sure to deliver memorable experiences for the whole family. Whether you’re hoping to get lost in a story set on a tropical island, or get your hands messy with backyard nature activities, there’s tons to explore at your local public library.

The 2024 Summer Learning Program runs June 1 to August 31 and is open to everyone ages birth through 18 years old. To participate in the program, visit any library after June 1 to pick up an activity sheet for kids or teens. Complete ten activities and return your sheet to get a free book!

Events in Black Mountain:
June 12, 2 p.m.: Balloon Art
June 20, 2 p.m.: Story Art
June 25, 6 p.m.: Black Light Fort Building Night
June 26, 2 p.m.: Baby Jar Butter Making and Stories

Check Out Our New Arts Discounts Page We have exciting news! The ArtsAVL website has a new feature: a discounts page!  At any time, you can head on over to artsavl.org/discounts to see special discount offers our members are offering. View Offerings

ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) has released a survey to learn more about how people in Western North Carolina shop for food and why they choose the food they do. The survey, part of a three-year project by ASAP’s Local Food Research Center, is for any resident of Western North Carolina over the age of 18, no matter where or how they shop for food. It can be completed online at surveymonkey.com/r/WNCFoodASAP or over the phone by calling ASAP at 828-236-1282. It should take approximately 8 to 12 minutes to complete and will be open through Oct. 31, 2024. Respondents are encouraged to share the survey widely with families, friends, and co-workers.

“By completing this survey, you are helping local farmers understand and connect with consumers,” said Amy Marion, ASAP Associate Director and lead researcher. “The challenges of our food system are constantly evolving. Improving it requires active participation from all community members. With this research we can better understand consumer values and the barriers they face, and help farmers and food producers improve communications with their customers and their communities.”

The survey is part of a three-year research project, “Connections in Direct Markets: Assessing the feedback loop between consumer values and farmers’ marketing strategies,” which will examine and improve communication and alignment between farmers and consumers in Western North Carolina. The research phase will also employ consumer focus groups, farmer interviews and case studies, and more targeted surveying. The broad consumer survey provides an update to the last consumer survey conducted by the Local Food Research Center in 2014. Results from the current research project will be shared in 2025.

ASAP founded the Local Food Research Center in 2011 to study the economic, environmental, and social impacts of localizing food systems. From its inception, ASAP’s programs and services have been grounded in research and evaluation, adjusting based on a strong feedback loop and observation of current conditions in the food system.

This project is supported in part by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2022-38640-37488 through the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number LS23-382. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.

Whether you’re just getting into craft beer or we’re on your brewery bucket list, a Mills River tour is for you — so we recommend you reserve a spot! Our interactive tours offer everything from hop handling to nature hikes to — what you really came for — beer sampling.

Space on each tour is limited, and reservations are strongly encouraged. Make yours below. Looking to book a private tour? Fill out the private tour form, and we’ll get it organized. See you soon!

ASAP’s Local Food Guide, the annual free publication for finding local food and farms, is updated for the 2024–25 season. This definitive resource lists hundreds of Appalachian GrownTM certified farms, farmers markets, restaurants, groceries, artisan producers, and more throughout Western North Carolina and surrounding counties in Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. A digital version of the print Guide may be viewed at asapconnections.org/guide.

In addition to listing content, the 2024–25 edition features stories that highlight the variety of farming across the region. Delia Jovel Dubón of Tierra Fértil Coop (pictured on the cover) talks about creating a sense of belonging for the Hispanic immigrant community in Henderson County. Lyric and Noah East of Wild East Farm in McDowell County detail the journey through their first full year of farming and how they’ve arrived at “a rough draft that’s working.” Kaci Nidiffer of The Liar’s Table in Avery County shares how scaling up and opening several retail spaces have created stronger connections with customers and community. Rounding out the issue are recipes from farmers at Two Trees Farm (Sustainabillies), Lee’s One Fortune Farm, Two Stones Farm + Mill, Carringer Farms, and Terra Lingua Growers.

“The Local Food Guide is such a beautiful way to share the stories of this place,” said Sarah Hart, ASAP’s Communications and Engagement Director. “To emphasize that sense of place, listings in this year’s Guide are organized into nine subregions with a short intro on what makes local farms in each area unique.”

Look for the Guide at farmers markets, visitors centers, libraries, groceries, restaurants, and other partner businesses throughout the region. Copies of the Guide are also available to pick up in the lobby of ASAP’s office in Asheville at 306 W. Haywood St., Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact ASAP if you need help locating a copy in your area or if you are interested in distributing Guides at your business.

In addition to the print Guide, ASAP maintains the online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org. This database, with more than 1,400 listings, is updated throughout the year and is searchable by products, location, activities, and more.

Funding for the Local Food Guide was made possible in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Agricultural Marketing Service, National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Beginning Farmer Rancher Development Program, Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, and Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program. Support was also provided by Dogwood Health Trust, the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, and Asheville Regional Airport.

Whenever you want!   Supplies available at 2 Sulphur Springs Road If you need to request supplies for the same or next day, please call 828-254-1776. Organizing a litter cleanup with your friends, neighbors, co-workers, or other community members is easier than you may think! Asheville GreenWorks provides cleanup supplies and safety information, and will coordinate trash pick up as needed. Available supplies include safety vests, gloves, trash grabbers, trash bags, and SHARPs containers (upon request). Review the attached guides for instructions and safety information. Need to know Please review the attached documents and contact [email protected] with any questions. Your supplies will be available for pickup on the date you’ve requested at Asheville GreenWorks’ office at 2 Sulphur Springs Road, Asheville, NC 28806. All cleanups should be reported using the online form and supplies should be returned after your cleanup. Links & Attachments Cleanup Record DIY Cleanup Instructions-C5tsCUvm.pdf Do’s and Don’ts – Roadside Cleanups-j81w1uHK.pdf Syringe Safety-DBjtozsc.pdf

Asheville Parks & Recreation’s public pools provide safe and affordable outdoor summer fun for all ages. For info about pool schedules, please call 828-348-4770 or visit ashevillecitypools.com.

Malvern Hills Park’s 90 year-old outdoor pool will not open this summer. While we were able to keep the facility operational through last summer, the pool can no longer be repaired to safely meet the needs of our community. For more, read this article.

Admission

• Individual – $3 per session
• Individual Season Pass – $100
• Family Season Pass – $150 (up to four individuals)

Locations

• Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center Pool – 285 Livingston Street
• Recreation Park Pool – 65 Gashes Creek Road

Events

• Asheville Parks & Recreation hosts hundreds of free and low-cost activities, programs, and events each month. Check out the latest program guide.

• Pools will open Saturday, May 25!

  Dates of Operation:
  Grant Center Pool: Saturday, May 25th through Sunday, August 11th
  Recreation Park Pool: Saturday, May 25th through Monday, September 2nd, weekends only from
  August 12th through September 2nd

  Pools open weekends only until June 10th, with the exception of Monday, May 27!

  Hours of Operation June 10 through August 11:
  Monday through Friday – 12:00pm-6:00pm
  Saturday – 11:00am-6:00pm
  Sunday – 1:00pm-6:00pm

  Cost is $3 per person per day

Sit back if you dare as we illuminate Asheville’s darkest history with astonishing stories of spirits & spies, ghosts & goblins, hauntings & hoodlums and mountain-made murder & mayhem.

Hear stories of . . .

  The legendary PINK LADY at the Grove Park Inn
  The GHOST of Church Street
  The 1936 UNSOLVED MURDER that shook Asheville
  The CHILD SPIRITS at the haunted hospital
  The architect walled into his own church!
  The KILLING SPREE of 1906
  NAZI AGENTS based in Asheville
  ARSON at hospital that claimed Zelda Fitzgerald

Through Gabrielle Roth’s 5Rhythms movement practice and Mindfulness meditation, one may build a skill set that supports balance, ease and joy. If you have been looking to increase appreciation, gratitude and happiness, then now is a perfect time to celebrate being alive in the natural beauty of Western North Carolina at the beautiful Horse Shoe Farm.

Each day will include discourses on 5Rhythms philosophy and embodied practice, seated meditation, Dharma talks & sharing. There is a science to achieving ecstatic states and this is the mastery I come to share. This workshop is designed for all who want to join in expanding the possibility of entering altered states in a natural way.

Tuition: $400 Regular / $345 Early Bird (ends May 7, 2024)
Lunch Optional Add on: $35 per day

*This event is likely to sell out, early registration encouraged.

The original Raft & Rail© since 1988: enjoy the two best adventures in the region in one day, great for families. Southern Living Magazine calls this “an ideal adventure for families, first-timers, young or old.” This full-day guided adventure starts with a Wildwater staff member greeting you at the train depot, followed by a scenic train trip, deli lunch with all the fixings, and a Nantahala River whitewater trip with a guide in every boat. Hot showers and a photo show follow immediately after your 8-mile Nantahala River trip. All transportation is included to and from the Bryson City Train Depot. Available April–October with the morning departure of the Nantahala Gorge Excursion departing Bryson City, NC. Train seating in Open Air Gondola. 2024 bookings starting soon!

Ticket fares subject to 7% Historic Preservation Fee and 7% North Carolina sales tax. Schedules, fares, motive power, equipment, seat selection, and meals are subject to change without notice. We guarantee the class of service you select. You will be notified if a change in schedule or motive power affects your reservation. Payment in full at booking by major credit card is required to finalize a reservation. You may cancel your reservation in full or in part and receive a refund less a $14.00 fee per adult ticket and $7.00 fee per child ticket as late as 5 days before departure, except The Polar Express Train Ride; The Polar Express Train Ride is as late as 60 days before departure. Within 5 days of the departure, or 60 days in the case of the Polar Express Train Ride, the reservation becomes nonrefundable. You may reschedule any time prior to your originally scheduled departure with a $7.00 fee per ticket for another date within the same calendar year. You may not reschedule a reservation after the scheduled departure.

Asheville Parks & Recreation’s public pools provide safe and affordable outdoor summer fun for all ages. For info about pool schedules, please call 828-348-4770 or visit ashevillecitypools.com.

Malvern Hills Park’s 90 year-old outdoor pool will not open this summer. While we were able to keep the facility operational through last summer, the pool can no longer be repaired to safely meet the needs of our community. For more, read this article.

Admission

• Individual – $3 per session
• Individual Season Pass – $100
• Family Season Pass – $150 (up to four individuals)

Locations

• Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center Pool – 285 Livingston Street
• Recreation Park Pool – 65 Gashes Creek Road

Events

• Asheville Parks & Recreation hosts hundreds of free and low-cost activities, programs, and events each month. Check out the latest program guide.

• Pools will open Saturday, May 25!

  Dates of Operation:
  Grant Center Pool: Saturday, May 25th through Sunday, August 11th
  Recreation Park Pool: Saturday, May 25th through Monday, September 2nd, weekends only from
  August 12th through September 2nd

  Pools open weekends only until June 10th, with the exception of Monday, May 27!

  Hours of Operation June 10 through August 11:
  Monday through Friday – 12:00pm-6:00pm
  Saturday – 11:00am-6:00pm
  Sunday – 1:00pm-6:00pm

  Cost is $3 per person per day

Get ready to dance into the spotlight because Asheville Junior Theater (AJT) –
School of Dance is excited to announce the grand opening its dance school. Registration
for the upcoming Fall 2024-Spring 2025 season is now open! With a commitment to igniting
artistic passion and fostering unparalleled talent, AJT School of Dance is your ticket to an
electrifying dance experience like no other.

AJT School of Dance is more than just a dance studio; it’s a gateway to a transformative dance
experience. With a focus on fostering self-confidence, promoting integrity, and nurturing a
genuine passion for dance, our dedicated instructors are committed to guiding each student on
a path of artistic discovery and self-expression.

Registration for the Fall 2024-Spring 2025 season at Asheville Junior Theater – School of Dance
is now open! Don’t miss your chance to be part of something extraordinary. Classes are offered
for ages 4-adult.
For more information on class offerings and registration, visit
www.ashevillejuniortheater.com/dance or contact [email protected].
Unique classes offered: Aerial Arts, Tricks and Stunts, Musical Theater, Performance Crew–
in addition to all the various technique classes of Jazz, Tap, Ballet/Lyrical, Hip Hop and more!

How a tarot reading works:

Your group reading will begin with an intention-setting, guided meditation. From there, each participant will enjoy a 10-15 minute personalized reading of the cards whose symbolism and possible messages will be interpreted. The cards anchor us back into larger cycles of growth, provide solace through tough times, and encourage us to stay on our path.

The central question the card is meant to address is, “What is it that I need to focus on at this moment to take the next step towards realizing my heart’s desire?” Readings can, though, focus specifically on any aspect of your life, such as your career or relationships.

During readings — whether it’s a virtual tarot reading or in-person — we turn off our phones, gather in a circle, and take a few, deep breaths to center ourselves. We then give each person a chance to ask a question and receive a reading. There are often a few tears, lots of laughs, and plenty of group discussion.

This event is fun and illuminating, offering everyone a deeper connection to everyday magic.

Our tarot readers can come to your home, office, or vacation rental or meet you at a city park, cozy tea house, or local café. Not in Asheville? No worries! We can also meet you online for a virtual tarot reading…no matter where in the world you may be.

Note that locations more than 10 miles from downtown Asheville include an additional travel fee at the rate of $25 for each additional 10 miles. Example: 0-10 miles included  |  11-20 miles $25  |  21-30 miles $50 and so on.

The Arts for Schools Grant supports nonprofit arts organizations and qualified teaching artists in Buncombe County, enabling them to provide arts-focused performances, residencies, workshops, and field trips for students in K-12 public schools. Through 2027, grants will also support arts-focused afterschool programs and camps thanks to an investment from Dogwood Health Trust, which awarded $15 million in multi-year funding grants to support organizations across the region providing high-quality, evidence-based out-of-school-time (OST) programs that have a high impact on young people. Grants for in-school programs range from $500-$2,000, and grants for out-of-school programs (including afterschool and camps) range from $500-$5,000. The application cycle opens May 13 and closes June 17.

Are your kids ready to explore the outdoors this summer? WILD Excursions is a FREE summer field trip program for rising 7th-12th grade students where they get to hike, learn about and meet animals, and even camp out overnight.

Join Buncombe County Soil & water for this amazing experience to investigate and connect with nature.

To register and for more information, contact Buncombe County Soil & Water Environmental Educators Rose Wall and Jen Knight at [email protected].

2024 WILD Excursions Summer Schedule

July 12 – Lake Powhatan – 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
In this hiking adventure, we will focus on water quality in Lake Powhatan and the surrounding streams using the same chemical testing & macroinvertebrate sampling techniques used by scientists.
Bring: Lunch, water bottle, and closed-toed shoes.

July 26 – Balsam Mountain Trust Nature Center – 9:45 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
This experience has a little bit of everything. We’ll hike, stream stomp, do community science, and meet the nature center’s animal ambassadors. We know you’ll love the birds of prey and possum!
Bring: Lunch, water bottle, and closed-toed shoes.

August 16-17 – Camp Out at Purchase Knob (rising 9th-12th only) – Friday 1 p.m. – Saturday 12:30 p.m.
Join us at the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center for an overnight camping adventure. NPS educators will lead us in doing community science for ongoing research projects. We’ll have plenty of time to explore, relax and reflect. Great for beginner campers.

Check Out Our New Arts Discounts Page We have exciting news! The ArtsAVL website has a new feature: a discounts page!  At any time, you can head on over to artsavl.org/discounts to see special discount offers our members are offering. View Offerings

Whether you’re just getting into craft beer or we’re on your brewery bucket list, a Mills River tour is for you — so we recommend you reserve a spot! Our interactive tours offer everything from hop handling to nature hikes to — what you really came for — beer sampling.

Space on each tour is limited, and reservations are strongly encouraged. Make yours below. Looking to book a private tour? Fill out the private tour form, and we’ll get it organized. See you soon!

ASAP’s Local Food Guide, the annual free publication for finding local food and farms, is updated for the 2024–25 season. This definitive resource lists hundreds of Appalachian GrownTM certified farms, farmers markets, restaurants, groceries, artisan producers, and more throughout Western North Carolina and surrounding counties in Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. A digital version of the print Guide may be viewed at asapconnections.org/guide.

In addition to listing content, the 2024–25 edition features stories that highlight the variety of farming across the region. Delia Jovel Dubón of Tierra Fértil Coop (pictured on the cover) talks about creating a sense of belonging for the Hispanic immigrant community in Henderson County. Lyric and Noah East of Wild East Farm in McDowell County detail the journey through their first full year of farming and how they’ve arrived at “a rough draft that’s working.” Kaci Nidiffer of The Liar’s Table in Avery County shares how scaling up and opening several retail spaces have created stronger connections with customers and community. Rounding out the issue are recipes from farmers at Two Trees Farm (Sustainabillies), Lee’s One Fortune Farm, Two Stones Farm + Mill, Carringer Farms, and Terra Lingua Growers.

“The Local Food Guide is such a beautiful way to share the stories of this place,” said Sarah Hart, ASAP’s Communications and Engagement Director. “To emphasize that sense of place, listings in this year’s Guide are organized into nine subregions with a short intro on what makes local farms in each area unique.”

Look for the Guide at farmers markets, visitors centers, libraries, groceries, restaurants, and other partner businesses throughout the region. Copies of the Guide are also available to pick up in the lobby of ASAP’s office in Asheville at 306 W. Haywood St., Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact ASAP if you need help locating a copy in your area or if you are interested in distributing Guides at your business.

In addition to the print Guide, ASAP maintains the online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org. This database, with more than 1,400 listings, is updated throughout the year and is searchable by products, location, activities, and more.

Funding for the Local Food Guide was made possible in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Agricultural Marketing Service, National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Beginning Farmer Rancher Development Program, Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, and Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program. Support was also provided by Dogwood Health Trust, the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, and Asheville Regional Airport.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library impacts the pre­-literacy skills and school readiness of children under the age of 5 in Buncombe County. The program mails a new, free, age-appropriate book to registered children each month until they turn five years old. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library creates a home library of up to 60 books and instills a love of books and reading from an early age. If you have any questions about the program, please send an email to [email protected].

A national panel of educators selects the Imagination Library titles, which include: The Little Engine that Could, Last Stop on Market Street, Violet the Pilot, As an Oak Tree Grows, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Llama Llama Red Pajama, Look Out Kindergarten, here I come, and many more (take a look at all the titles).

Register your child now!

Program Launch and Expansions

Literacy Together became a Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library affiliate in November 2015 with support from the Buncombe Partnership for Children. Through this program, registered children in Buncombe County receive a free book in the mail each month. Their parents also have the opportunity to attend workshops to learn how to build their children’s early literacy skills. Parents in need of literacy assistance are encouraged to receive tutoring through Literacy Together’s adult programming.

The program served 200 children during the 2015/16 fiscal year. The program expanded to serve 400 children in July 2016, and 600 in August 2017. In July 2018, capacity increased to 1,900 thanks to a special allocation in the North Carolina state budget. We’re now serving 4,600 kids in Buncombe County.  

Asheville Parks & Recreation’s public pools provide safe and affordable outdoor summer fun for all ages. For info about pool schedules, please call 828-348-4770 or visit ashevillecitypools.com.

Malvern Hills Park’s 90 year-old outdoor pool will not open this summer. While we were able to keep the facility operational through last summer, the pool can no longer be repaired to safely meet the needs of our community. For more, read this article.

Admission

• Individual – $3 per session
• Individual Season Pass – $100
• Family Season Pass – $150 (up to four individuals)

Locations

• Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center Pool – 285 Livingston Street
• Recreation Park Pool – 65 Gashes Creek Road

Events

• Asheville Parks & Recreation hosts hundreds of free and low-cost activities, programs, and events each month. Check out the latest program guide.

• Pools will open Saturday, May 25!

  Dates of Operation:
  Grant Center Pool: Saturday, May 25th through Sunday, August 11th
  Recreation Park Pool: Saturday, May 25th through Monday, September 2nd, weekends only from
  August 12th through September 2nd

  Pools open weekends only until June 10th, with the exception of Monday, May 27!

  Hours of Operation June 10 through August 11:
  Monday through Friday – 12:00pm-6:00pm
  Saturday – 11:00am-6:00pm
  Sunday – 1:00pm-6:00pm

  Cost is $3 per person per day