ACCOMPLISHMENTS & RECOGNITION
Land of Sky Regional Council receives the 2025 Impact Award from the National Association of Development Organizations for multi-county planning and development work across WNC.
A-B Tech Community College is named among the nation’s Top 200 community colleges eligible for the 2027 Aspen Prize, recognizing completion, transfer, and post-graduation success. Aspen Prize
UNC Asheville wins five CASE District III Awards for crisis communication, digital storytelling, marketing, and enrollment strategy.
UNC Asheville is also ranked the #8 Best College in North Carolina by Research.com.
https://research.com
UNC Asheville receives the SafeZone System-Wide Impact Award for campus safety leadership.
AdventHealth Hendersonville earns its 19th consecutive “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade.
Outdoor Media Summit selects Asheville as the host city for its 2026 national conference, generating an estimated $450,000 in direct economic impact.
Outdoor Media Summit
FUNDING
Mountain Housing Opportunities (MHO) receives a $100,000 unrestricted grant from NeighborWorks America to support affordable housing and post-Helene recovery.
NeighborWorks America
Dogwood Health Trust commits $700K in emergency food-access funding to support WNC families amid federal SNAP disruptions, partnering with regional foundations, farmers, and MANNA FoodBank.
https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org
Mission Hospital awards a $25,000 HCA Healthcare Foundation gift to the YMCA supporting food access programs.
COMMUNITY PLANNING & PUBLIC INPUT
Buncombe County / Swannanoa Small Area Plan launches aVision Poll and announces a Dec. 3 Community Design Workshop to help shape future land use and resilience planning.
Take the Vision Poll
City of Asheville launches a public survey to guide creation of its first Urban Forest Master Plan.
https://publicinput.com/ufmp_survey
City of Asheville & Buncombe County formally adopt the Helene Recovery Plan, guiding 114 recovery and resilience projects countywide.
https://buncombenc.gov/helene
City of Asheville invites public input on design concepts for the Walton Street Park pool area.
https://publicinput.com/walton
Buncombe County Commissioners advance the Hominy River Park redesign, approve Open Space Bond projects, and begin FY27 budget planning tied to long-term recovery and infrastructure investments.
Hominy River update • Open Space Bond info
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Terramonga Farm launches Terramonga Hub, carrying forward the Mother Earth Food mission and relaunching local food home delivery beginning Dec. 1.
Terramonga Hub • Terramonga Farm
Biltmore Estate, Explore Asheville, and the PGA TOUR announce the Biltmore Championship in Asheville, the region’s first PGA TOUR event in more than 80 years, debuting Sept. 17–20, 2026 at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove.
Biltmore Championship
Fuel Goods becomes the Official Fueling Partner for the Arthritis Foundation Cycling Experience, supporting the Carolina Hills Classic and California Coast Classic tours.
arthritis.org/cycling.
SC Bodner Company opens the first phase of Arden Pines Luxury Apartments.
The Grove Arcade’s Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Block Party will take place on Saturday, November 29 from 12 to 9 PM at The Grove Arcade in Downtown Asheville. This beloved family-friendly extravaganza will celebrate another year of community-wide joy, entertainment, and festivities to kick off the holiday season.
City of Asheville unveiled Fluvial, a new public artwork by Rachel David (Red Metal), in front of the historic S&W Building as part of the Urban Trail
The Southern Conference (SoCon), City of Asheville, Explore Asheville and the Asheville-Buncombe Regional Sports Commission announced a new 10-year agreement extending Asheville’s role as the host city of the Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championships through 2035.
OPPORTUNITIES & EVENTS
Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) opens registration for the 2026 Emerging Issues Forum: Future Forward Water, a multi-site statewide event on Feb. 25, 2026.
Tickets
Pledge 1% hosts Asheville’s first Pledge 1% Pop-Up on Nov. 22 at Archetype Brewing. Free to attend with a first round on the organizers. RSVP
Outdoor Business Alliance (OBA) moves Get In Gear Fest to New Belgium Brewing on April 25, 2026.
Sponsorship Info • Booth-Only Registration
Revival Asheville announces the Hometown Hootenanny on Jan. 8, 2026, featuring LOCASH, Sarah Reeves, and Tano Jones Revelry. Tickets at RevivalAVL.com
Eblen Charities and Ingles Markets to hold 14th Annual Ingles Magical Christmas Toy Drive returning this year on Thursday, December 4 and Friday, December 5 from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Saturday, December 6 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Ingles Market located at 153 Smokey Park Highway. Every toy and financial gift collected will go directly to the St. Nicholas Toy Store—a free, dignity-filled shopping experience for low-income families in our community.
www.eblencharities.org
Ingles Markets launches its annual Ingles Giving Tree, a benefit for MANNA FoodBank. The tree lighting event will take place on Monday, November 24, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, at the Asheville Mall. The evening will include live holiday music and an opportunity to donate shelf-stable food items for MANNA to be entered to win a $500 Ingles gift card
Asheville Habitat ReStore opens its annual Holiday Silent Auction, running through Dec. 3, comprised of items and art handmade by Asheville Habitat staff and core volunteers. ashevillehabitat.org/ReStore
2025 Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Volleyball Championship runs November 20-23, 2025, in the ExploreAsheville.com Arena at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville. VIP Courtside ($35) includes courtside seating, two complimentary beverages from New Belgium, and light fare from Ingles Markets. General Admission ($15) and group tickets are now on sale. For group rates, contact Matt at mrodriguez2@ashevillenc.gov. https://www.ticketmaster.com/southern-conference-volleyball-tournament-tickets/artist/3172401
NEW INITIATIVES & PROGRAMS
YMCA of WNC launches Reach & Rise Mentoring Program, a free therapeutic group mentoring program for youth ages 6–17. The program will engage at-risk youth who can benefit from more community support and who may experience disproportionate rates of poverty, crime and truancy, among other social issues. The Y will recruit and train adult volunteer mentors to provide group mentoring services and create safe, healthy, and meaningful relationships with youth. Mentors will support mentees to develop tools to cope with issues such as low self-esteem, family and peer conflict, academic underachievement, and decision-making skills.
https://www.ymcawnc.org/reach-rise
Better Business Bureau releases a four-part holiday consumer guidance series covering job scams, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Travel Tuesday.
https://www.bbb.org
Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, and BBB mark the 10th Annual Utility Scam Awareness Day, urging residents to slow down, verify, and report scams.
Duke Energy Scams and Fraud Information
REPORTS & PUBLICATIONS
Zemplee releases the 2025 Top 10 U.S. Cities to Age in Place, spotlighting Asheville for digital equity, telehealth access, and smart aging infrastructure.
Top 10 Cities Report
Nicole Lee, “The Doula of Entrepreneurship,” releases That Bitch, Hurricane Helene, memoir-meets-manifesto that chronicles survival, motherhood, and entrepreneurship in the aftermath of disaster. What began as a storm became a spiritual awakening, transforming trauma into triumph.
Molly Irani (Chai Pani co-founder) announces Service Ready, her new book on hospitality and leadership, releasing March 24. Pre-order