Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity is accepting submissions for its 15th annual ReStore ReUse Contest through midnight on September 30. Category winners will receive $200 ReStore gift cards, and the Best in Show winner will receive a $500 gift card. Community voting will take place in October for Art, Furniture & Home Décor, and Dwelling categories, with judges selecting Best in Show. Learn more.
The Asheville Film Festival returns Friday, August 21, through Sunday, August 23. The festival weekend includes a Friday matinée film block, short film screenings, a Saturday awards night gala and additional Sunday film blocks, with filmmaker Q&As following each block. The public may purchase tickets for individual screenings, workshops and the gala, with VIP All-Access Passes and day passes also available. Learn more and buy tickets and passes here.
The Asheville Fire Department’s Explorer Post 77 has opened applications for its youth mentorship and training program for ages 14 to 18. Participants receive hands-on experience in firefighting, ladder work, equipment handling, first aid, and career preparation through regular training with active firefighters. The program is limited to 20 participants, and applications are due August 25, 2026, by email to Senior Firefighter William Burnette at wburnette@ashevillenc.gov. Learn more.
The Asheville Tourists will host a Tourists Fitness series on the HomeTrust Park outfield with local studios ISI Elite Training, Rad Yoga and Pure Barre. The remaining 60-minute beginner sessions are scheduled for Saturday, August 22, and Saturday, September 26, 2026. Gates open at 7:30 a.m.; instruction runs from 8–9 a.m. Tickets are $25 per class. Learn more and register here.
The Asheville Tourists are also hosting Carolina EGGfest at HomeTrust Park — the only Big Green EGGfest in North and South Carolina — on September 19. Held on the outfield, the event invites tasters to sample grilled and smoked dishes while supplies last, explore vendors, and enjoy the ballpark setting. Grill teams can compete on supplied Big Green Eggs and serve attendees. Lightly used demo Big Green Eggs are available for pre-purchase at discounted prices. Learn more and register here.
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is hosting a two-state summit August 25–27 at Biltmore in Asheville, NC, for residents and regional leaders from the 29-county Blue Ridge Parkway corridor. Attendees representing tourism, economic development, outdoor recreation, planning, nonprofits and communities will hear updates, discuss grant programs and next steps, and build connections to advance the Blue Ridge Rising Action Plan. Learn more and register here.
Boomtown Arts & Heritage FestAVL will take place Labor Day weekend, September 4-6, 2026, in Pack Square Park in downtown Asheville. The free festival will feature artists, musicians, storytellers, main stage performances, interactive workshops, heritage exhibits, and trail tours focused on Asheville’s architecture, history, and cultural legacy. Asheville Symphony in the Park and The Big Secret are scheduled for Sunday, September 6. Learn more.
Buncombe County is recruiting paid poll workers to support safe, secure, and accessible elections for more than 216,000 registered voters. Nearly 200 workers are needed for 13 early voting sites from Oct. 15-31, 2026. Applicants must be available throughout the early voting period and will receive training before serving morning or afternoon shifts of at least seven hours. Pay ranges from $15 to $17 per hour, depending on role. Learn more and apply here.
Downtown After 5 will close its summer season with New Orleans Night on Friday, August 21, from 5 to 10 p.m. at 80 Court Plaza in Pack Square. The free Asheville event will feature J & The Causeways, Bayou Diesel, and a special appearance by Asheville Second Line. Asheville Mardi Gras will serve as the nonprofit partner, connecting the event with New Orleans traditions. Learn more.
Exponential Scholars is hosting the NC Idea Challenge for students in grades 5-12 and educators across North Carolina. Participants submit a two-minute video describing an idea to improve their community. Up to 500 winners can receive $1,000, with the possibility of up to $10,000 more as projects progress. The challenge is open now, with submissions due Oct. 4, 2026, and rolling reviews allowing revised entries after initial feedback. Learn more and submit your videos here.
FoodeesFest, a traveling food truck festival, will come to Tanger Outlets Asheville from September 25-27, 2026. The rain-or-shine event offers free community admission and will feature more than 40 food vendors, along with crafters and artisans. Organizers describe the festival as a way to bring people together through food, culture, and connection while giving vendors a platform to share their businesses. Learn more.
Heart of West Asheville (HOWA) will host 828 Day on Friday, August 28, to celebrate West Asheville businesses and community. Participating businesses will offer special promotions, discounts, prizes, and scavenger hunt activities throughout the neighborhood. The event is designed to encourage residents and visitors to support local small businesses and take part in a community-focused celebration. Learn more.
Historic Biltmore Village will host the inaugural 100-Foot Putt Challenge as part of the lead-up to the Biltmore Championship Asheville, the city’s first PGA TOUR event in more than 80 years. The community event will include a daytime Block Party with local businesses, food, drinks, shopping, family-friendly activities, and a DJ set from Kipper Schauer. Attendees may try three 100-foot putts for $5 before the competition. Learn more.
The Laura Jane Musser Fund is offering Rural Initiative and Environmental Initiative grants. Rural Initiative applications are accepted September 1 through October 1, 2026, for communities of 10,000 or fewer, with planning grants up to $5,000 and implementation grants up to $25,000. Environmental Initiative applications are accepted September 8 through October 8, 2026, with planning grants up to $8,000 and implementation grants up to $35,000. Learn more and apply here.
Montford Park Players will present “Romeo and Juliet” at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay Street, in Asheville’s Montford District. Performances run September 4-26 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. The production offers a supernatural interpretation, with the Capulets as vampire slayers and the Montagues as vampires. General admission remains free, with premium seating available online. Learn more.
Mountain BizWorks has opened applications for the Catalyst Building Resiliency Micro-Grant Program, supporting early-stage entrepreneurs and small business owners facing barriers to traditional capital in Western North Carolina. Applications are accepted through Monday, August 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Micro-grants begin at $1,000 and may support marketing, equipment, supplies, technology, software, operational improvements or professional coaching. Learn more and apply here.
Table & Mic will present the stage production “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” at the historic YMI Cultural Center in Asheville this September. The event combines live theater with specialty cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Ticket options include a married couples special, free admission for children 10 and under, and discounted admission for students, military personnel, police, government employees, and first responders with valid ID. Learn more and buy tickets here.
The Wake Forest University Center for Private Business (CPB) will present “Building Something That Endures: Roy Williams on Teams, Talent, and Leadership” on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at Kimmel Arena, UNC Asheville, 227 Campus Drive. The program begins at 5 p.m., with a 4:30 p.m. VIP reception for CPB members and sponsors. Williams will discuss recruiting talent, sustaining culture and leading through transition. Learn more and register here.
The Whale West Asheville will host its fourth annual Picklefest on Saturday, August 22, at 1 p.m. The event will feature pickle-focused vendors, pickle beers, games, music, and a taproom-centered community gathering. Organizers are still accepting vendors who make, grow, create, or sell pickle-related products. The event is designed as a celebration of fermented flavors and pickle-themed food and drinks. Learn more.
The WNC Renaissance Festival will take place September 4, 2026, at 2 p.m. through September 6, 2026, at 5 p.m. at Fort Tater, 120 S. Sunny Grove Drive. The Western North Carolina event will feature archery displays, artisan vendors, historical and fantasy-themed entertainment, food, and other festival activities designed to recreate a Renaissance-style experience for attendees. Learn more and buy tickets here.
New & Noteworthy
ABCCM has announced the groundbreaking for the new Veterans Restoration Quarters, a rebuilt transitional housing and support campus for veterans. The facility will include 250 transitional housing beds and 65 emergency shelter beds, with services focused on stabilization, recovery, and long-term independence. ABCCM describes the project as an expansion of care designed to restore and improve support for veterans in the region. Learn more.
Ardenwoods announced that Executive Director Sarah Marr has been named to the Future Leaders Class of 2026 by Senior Housing News. The awards program recognizes professionals age 40 and under who are shaping the future of aging and healthcare services. Marr has worked with Ardenwoods for more than 12 years, previously serving in marketing, associate executive director and assisted living administrator roles. Learn more.
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College is launching ABM Works, a regional work-based learning initiative connecting high school students with career pathways. Supported by more than $1.04 million from the North Carolina GSK Foundation and Dogwood Health Trust, the program will serve Asheville City, Buncombe County, and Madison County schools. Initial focus areas include healthcare, early childhood education, advanced manufacturing, and skilled trades. Learn more.
The Asheville Independent Restaurant Association (AIR) has appointed Emily Glasgow as its new Executive Director. Glasgow brings more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, business development, operations, advocacy, and community engagement. Her previous work with the Asheville Downtown Association and Dewey Property Advisors included business advocacy, fundraising, partnerships and support for independent businesses and restaurant operators across Western North Carolina.
Buncombe County is developing its first Pedestrian Plan for unincorporated areas outside municipal limits. The plan will outline a long-term network of sidewalks and crosswalks connecting neighborhoods with schools, job centers and other destinations. Residents can attend drop-in meetings on August 26 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Enka-Candler Library Community Room and August 27 from 5 to 7 p.m. at ArtSpace Charter School in Swannanoa. Learn more.
Buncombe County Planning & Development is warning developers and residents about scam attempts involving counterfeit emails that request payment for application or review fees. The messages may reference public planning data and claim that project approvals cannot proceed until fees of roughly $4,000 to $10,000 are paid. The County urges applicants to use caution and verify payment requests directly with official planning staff.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the opening of Asheville Regional Airport’s new 121-foot air traffic control tower, replacing a facility built in 1961. The updated tower provides controllers with improved visibility and workspace as air traffic grows in Western North Carolina. Air carrier operations at Asheville Regional Airport have increased by more than 300 percent over the past decade, making it North Carolina’s third-busiest airport. Learn more.
Four Seasons received Hospice Elite status through MatrixCare’s Hospice Honors program, which uses CMS Hospice CAHPS survey data to identify high-performing hospice agencies. Recipients are recognized for patient satisfaction and quality of care. MatrixCare evaluated responses from April through December 2025, and the Hospice Elite designation honors agencies scoring above the national performance benchmark on all 22 measured questions. Four Seasons was one of 72 nationwide recipients. Learn more.
The Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded $16.7 million to support job creation, economic investment, workforce preparedness, and agriculture projects. The funding includes $3 million for two Western North Carolina county projects through the SITE Program, which helps communities identify, prepare, and develop publicly controlled sites for economic development. The SITE Program includes identification, due diligence, and development phases for eligible projects. Learn more.
Highland Brewing Company was named by UDisc as ranking among the best brewery disc golf courses in North America for 2026, based on course ratings from disc golfers. Visitors can rent discs from the taproom and choose between an approachable 9-hole layout or a more challenging full course with elevation changes. Learn more.
Hi-Wire Brewing and Appalachian Mountain Brewery (AMB) have formed a partnership that uses Hi-Wire’s expanded Asheville production capacity to support AMB’s growth. Hi-Wire’s 28,000-square-foot facility now includes contract manufacturing and a tunnel pasteurizer for products such as THC seltzers, ciders, and sodas. The collaboration follows AMB’s return to independent ownership after its previous acquisition by Anheuser-Busch InBev. Learn more.
Michael Freas, an Asheville-based photographer, had images of Tropical Storm Helene selected by the National Weather Service for presentation at the Esri User Conference, held July 13-17 in San Diego. Produced for ArtsvilleUSA, the photos were used in a plenary session on severe weather impacts, public safety, and how advanced geospatial technologies can improve preparedness for future extreme weather events. Learn more.
Mountain BizWorks announced that North Carolina House Bill 268 extends the 1% low-rate window for WNC Strong: Helene Business Recovery Fund loans by six months. Signed by Gov. Josh Stein on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, the law extends the interest-only period from 24 to 30 months. Borrowers should watch for modification information from Mountain BizWorks. Learn more.
Mountain Community Health Partnership (MCHP), a Federally Qualified Health Center serving Western North Carolina, received a milestone grant from the SECU Foundation to support its expansion. The funding will help advance MCHP’s 20,000-square-foot integrated health center under construction on Grassy Creek in Spruce Pine. Expected to open in late 2026, the facility will expand primary care, add behavioral health space, and include MCHP’s first in-house retail pharmacy. Learn more.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation will begin resurfacing Haywood Road in west Asheville on Sunday night as the final major phase of a $7 million project between Patton Avenue and Ridgelawn Road. Crews will work Sunday through Thursday nights from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. for about three months, weather permitting. Overnight lane closures and temporary on-street parking restrictions will occur in affected blocks. Learn more.
North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (NCRLA) announced that four Western North Carolina competitors advanced to the North Carolina Chef Showdown finale. Chef Taylor Montgomery of Montgomery Sky Farm in Leicester will compete in the culinary finals, while Chef Chase Young of Hopfly Brewing and Asheville mixologists Margaret Boerner of Sovereign Remedies and James Donaldson of Chemist Spirits also advanced. The Grand Finale is Sept. 2 at American Tobacco Campus in Durham. Learn more.
SeamonWhiteside, a full-service site design firm with offices throughout the Carolinas, has opened a new office in downtown Asheville. Located at 60 Biltmore Ave., the office will support the firm’s civil engineering, landscape architecture, master planning, site design and construction administration services while serving as a local hub for clients and projects in the region.
True Metal Supply, a manufacturer of American-made metal roofing and siding with facilities in Knoxville and Asheville, ranked No. 33 on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies. The company also ranked No. 1 in manufacturing, making it the fastest-growing private manufacturer in the United States. Founded in 2022, True Metal Supply previously ranked No. 3 on the 2026 Inc. Regionals: Southeast list. Learn more.
Warren Wilson College is helping address North Carolina’s social work workforce needs as a founding participant in the Public Service Leadership Program. The initiative aims to build leadership capacity, expand access to social work education, and engage students across high schools, community colleges, and universities. Warren Wilson contributes through its accredited Social Work Program, which includes community-based learning and a 400-hour senior practicum in governmental or nonprofit settings.
Community Input
Buncombe County is hosting two public feedback sessions on its Pedestrian Plan. The first will take place on August 26 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Enka-Candler Library Community Room. The second will take place on August 27 from 5 to 7 p.m. at ArtSpace Charter School in Swannanoa. Residents can review survey findings, discuss 10 priority projects and share feedback to help shape the final plan by the end of 2026. Spanish interpretation and materials will be available. Learn more.