The Asheville Citizen-Times is hiring an Executive Editor to lead journalism serving Asheville and Western North Carolina. The position emphasizes audience growth, digital innovation, watchdog and enterprise reporting, community engagement and subscriber loyalty. Candidates should bring journalism credentials, leadership and communication skills, news analytics expertise, visual storytelling knowledge and a collaborative, people-centered approach. The role requires balancing strategy and execution while strengthening newsroom digital skills, engaging audiences across platforms and supporting continuous learning. Learn more.
The Asheville Downtown Improvement District and Lunchbox Live are bringing live music to Wall Street Plaza in Downtown Asheville daily from October 1 to November 20, 2026, from 12-1:30 p.m. Tables and chairs are provided. Participating Downtown restaurants offer lunch specials under $15, including Flour Cafe, El Tesoro, Slava Bakery, and Asheville Forager. Visitors may purchase lunch, find a seat on the plaza, and stay for a live set. Learn more
Blue Ridge Community College will host the free, in-person Blue Ridge Business Outlook Summit Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Blue Ridge Conference Hall. Registration is required. Doors open at 8 a.m., with coffee from Dog-Eared Coffee Bar; the welcome and keynote begin at 8:30 a.m. Vision Henderson County Executive Director Gary Heisey will connect national trends with Henderson and Transylvania county data to inform 2027 business planning. Learn more
Buncombe County and the American Red Cross will host a blood drive Friday, Oct. 30, 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m., at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street, Asheville. Donors can receive door prizes, Halloween-themed T-shirts and gift cards. Schedule an appointment at 1-800-733-2767 or online through American Red Cross Blood Drive using sponsor code buncombecounty; walk-ins are welcome. According to the American Red Cross, one donation can save up to three lives. Learn more.
Highland Brewing Company is hosting several Cold Mountain release parties in November. Tickets are required November 13–15 to enter campus and purchase Cold Mountain Winter Ale; children 10 and under need no ticket. A $30 weekend pass covers Friday–Sunday, but more affordable day passes are available. Activities include live music, a free photo booth with prints, small-batch brews and merchandise. Sunday features Thirst for Good Community Partners. Admission will be free again on Monday, November 16, starting at noon. Learn more.
MANNA FoodBank invites corporate employees to Team Up for the Holidays, a multi-company service opportunity at its warehouse. Shifts are November 18, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. and 1–3 p.m., and December 15, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. and 1–3 p.m. Designed exclusively for corporate partners, the program supports Western North Carolina neighbors facing food insecurity while giving teams a morning or afternoon to serve together and build connections. Sign up by emailing oonderlinde@mannafoodbank.org.
Mars Hill University’s Liston B. Ramsey Center for Appalachian Studies hosts its annual spooky-story evening Thursday, October 29, at 7 p.m. in Owen Theatre, featuring Adam Booth, the 2022 West Virginia Folk Artist of the Year. His storytelling blends mountain folklore, music and contemporary Appalachia. Booth has performed across North America, served as Teller-in-Residence at the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee, and delivered a keynote at the International Storytelling Conference in Sydney, Australia. Past guests include Mary Hamilton and Sheila Kay Adams. Learn more.
Mountain BizWorks is hosting Mountain Raise 2026 on Thursday, November 5, 6–9 p.m., at Highland Brewing Event Center. The evening will feature five Western North Carolina entrepreneurs, all representing food and beverage businesses. The event celebrates their ideas and connects local businesses with capital, connections, customers and community support to help them grow. This year’s food-and-beverage theme brings the five featured businesses together for an evening focused on supporting entrepreneurship in the region. Learn more.
Spicewalla is hosting a Diwali Celebration Friday, October 30, 2–5 p.m., at its Asheville retail store. The Festival of Lights event will feature samples from Desi-owned brands, including in-person sampling with Kartik from Doosra and additional maker guests. Botiwalla will provide street-food small bites and chai. During the event, Spicewalla’s “Boo-Go” promotion offers one 7oz tin at 50% off with the purchase of another. The afternoon combines food, warm chai and community celebration. Learn more.
The Town of Woodfin has opened Taylor’s Wave, a river feature for intermediate-to-advanced kayakers and surfers adjacent to Riverside Park and the new greenway in Woodfin. The design uses an engineered ledge of natural rock and concrete installed in the riverbed. Consultant S2o Design and Engineering indicated the Whitewater Wave could resemble its Camphill Surf Park on New Zealand’s Hawea River. Project information includes a brief video explaining the wave’s design and function.Learn more.
Wortham Center for the Performing Arts announced its fall lineup, which spans comedy, jazz, tap and brass music. Acts and performances include: The Comedy Zone with Shaun Jones, known from HBO, BET’s Comic View and Star Search, at Tina McGuire Theatre October 30–31; The Sister Moon Project: Celebrating the Music of STING & THE POLICE November 5, with Grace Kelly, Chrissi Poland and the Christian Tamburr Quartet; New York-based Dorrance Dance, led by MacArthur Fellow Michelle Dorrance and acclaimed by The Guardian, November 11–12; and Dallas Brass November 13. Learn more.
The YWCA of Asheville and Western North Carolina is launching the Joy & Justice Book Club, an anti-racist gathering focused on storytelling, shared learning and conversations about race, history and belonging. Its inaugural free community luncheon is Wednesday, November 4, noon–1:30 p.m., at the YWCA, 185 S. French Broad Avenue, Asheville. Local leaders will share reflections, and participants will join guided, interactive discussions inspired by Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. Learn more.
New & Noteworthy
AdventHealth Hendersonville updated visiting protocols effective October 20, 2026. Visitors to The Baby Place and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) must wear masks and wash their hands upon entering. Visitors with respiratory illness symptoms should postpone visits until symptom-free; children under 12 are not permitted in the NICU. Amid increased regional respiratory illness, symptomatic patients should notify staff at check-in. Anyone visiting a patient hospitalized with a respiratory illness should wear a mask in the patient’s room.
Appalachian Mountain Health announced a Black Mountain facility. On October 20, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $480,000 agreement, funded entirely by the state Department of Commerce and Dogwood Health Trust, without county funds. The Asheville-based federally qualified health center offers income-based sliding-scale care. Funding supports reuse of a vacant U.S. 70 building formerly occupied by FamilyCare of Black Mountain/Old Fort. WLOS reported its Raleigh-based owners cited reduced post-Tropical Storm Helene patient volumes for last October’s closure. Learn more.
Area Development ranked North Carolina the #4 state for doing business in 2026. Its 20 location factors fall into four groups: workforce, talent and innovation; sites, utilities and infrastructure; government responsiveness and project execution; and cost, tax and long-term operating risk. Leading states—Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina and Ohio—combine strengths differently, including technical talent, infrastructure, permitting, incentives, coordination, logistics and operating costs. The ranking considers both immediate project readiness and the conditions supporting long-term operations. Learn more.
Asheville City Council approved $265,000 in Downtown Municipal Service District (MSD) sales tax revenue for initiatives managed by Asheville Downtown Improvement District (ADID) in partnership with the City of Asheville. The Construction Impact Mitigation Program will receive $175,000 to support businesses during three major City-led construction projects. Seasonal Decoration will receive $90,000 to purchase and install replacements for aging decorations. The initiatives address downtown needs and support the MSD’s public health, safety, welfare, convenience and economic well-being. Learn more.
Asheville City Council accepted a $6 million grant from Destination Home over three years for the City of Asheville’s “Right at Home” initiative. The program will provide homelessness prevention services, including rental assistance and case management, for at least 1,000 households. A budget amendment adds the funds and programs to the city’s operating budget. Funding will go to service providers approved by the Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care (CoC) to implement the initiative. Learn more.
Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) celebrated the AVL Forward terminal project’s final structural milestone Friday, October 23, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. Crews placed the final beam during a ceremonial “topping out,” marking completion of the frame. The final construction phase began October 2, 2025. Before the ceremony, airport staff, Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority (GARAA) Board members and construction partner staff signed the beam, leaving their names in the terminal’s structure as it prepares to welcome Western North Carolina travelers. Learn more.
Asheville Tourists President Brian DeWine was named 2026 Minor League Baseball Executive of the Year following peer-selected league nominations. President since 2010, DeWine helped secure $40 million to renovate McCormick Field into HomeTrust Park over two offseasons and the 2025 season, despite Hurricane Helene. The 2026 season drew 192,472 fans, an 18% increase over 2025 and Asheville’s highest total in 102 years of professional baseball. DeWine thanked staff, wife Kali and general manager Larry Hawkins for supporting the renovation. Learn more.
The Bearfootin’ Bear Auction raised a record $145,700 for local nonprofits. During two weeks of virtual bidding, 80 bidders placed 327 bids on painted bears. Six bears sold for $10,000 each through the Buy Now option, available through the Thursday before the auction. Community members gathered at the Historic Courthouse Plaza in Downtown Hendersonville for a final-hour countdown celebration, supporting local causes through the artistically painted community creations as bidding concluded. Learn more.
The Biltmore Championship Asheville returns to Western North Carolina Sept. 30–Oct. 3, 2027, following an inaugural event with thousands of fans and sold-out Friday–Sunday tickets. Its Community Grant Program awarded $10,000 each to Echoes of the Forest and RiverLink. Echoes will create two Gateway Park entrance archways along Riverside Drive using Helene-salvaged wood, concrete and steel, by Mark Joseph Oliver and Jacqueline Oliver of Foundation Woodworks. RiverLink will expand rain barrel access in the French Broad River watershed, particularly in Helene-impacted communities. Learn more.
Blue Ridge Community College received the State Auditor’s Award of Excellence from the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor for its 2025 fiscal-year financial statement audit. Eligibility requires timely reporting, no significant audit adjustments, no reportable findings and full cooperation. The award recognizes financial management, accountability and stewardship, with strict criteria for financial statement and federal compliance audits. The State Auditor’s letter distinguished the College among North Carolina public institutions; President Dr. Laura B. Leatherwood praised its Finance team. Learn more.
Brother Wolf Animal Rescue unveiled plans for its new Asheville campus Thursday, October 22, at a free, unticketed event, 5:30–7:30 p.m., at Highland Brewing’s Event Center. The gathering included food, drinks and architectural floor plans. Helene’s twelve-foot floodwaters destroyed its previous shelter and physical assets. Founded in 2007, the organization had helped more than 100,000 animals. Before the storm, neighbors and volunteers evacuated 100 animals in two hours; community support has enabled continued rescue work. Learn more.
The Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains (BABRM) announced the 45th Annual Western North Carolina Parade of Homes winners, presented by Warmstead. Out-of-town professionals judged design, craftsmanship, functionality and overall impression. Best in Show went to Irons Glen by Silver Dog Construction, Fairview, reflecting the home’s farmhouse design and homeowner’s Scottish heritage, and to Mills River Modern Farm by Towery Builders, Inc., Mills River, featuring views, stonework, European oak floors and outdoor living. Learn more.
The Buncombe County Fire Marshal warns that Central Sprinkler Company fire sprinklers with O-ring seals, recalled in 2001, may fail during fires, risking serious injury or death. Millions may remain unreplaced. Wet and dry models manufactured from the mid-1970s through 2001 were installed nationwide in residential, healthcare, educational, retail, parking, warehouse and office buildings. Fire Marshal Kevin Tipton urges residents who suspect they have these sprinklers to contact their sprinkler servicing company immediately. Do not remove sprinklers yourself. Learn more.
The Buncombe County Tax Collectionsteam is offering free community tax help desks at local libraries on various days and times during October and November. Staff can explain online payments, payment arrangements, deadlines and tax bills, and direct questions about valuation, reappraisal and tax relief. Participating locations are Black Mountain Library, Fairview Library, Leicester Library, East Asheville Library, Enka-Candler Library and Skyland/South Buncombe Library. Learn more.
Chemist American Gin, made in Asheville, is the official gin of the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards at Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on October 30, 2026. Presented by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the ceremony honors daytime programming and crafts. Academy business development head Tabatha R. Starcher cited product quality. Debbie Word founded Chemist Spirits with daughter Danielle Donaldson in Asheville’s South Slope in 2018; an organizer’s visit last summer led to the official-gin invitation. Learn more.
The City of Asheville unveiled an interactive sound sculpture on Reed Creek Greenway in North Asheville October 20, with a ribbon-cutting and musical performance. Artists Nick Geurts and Alex Irvine designed the playable installation through a competitive selection process, responding to public requests for interactive musical art. Funding came through the former One Percent for Public Art Policy alongside the LEED-certified Broadway Public Safety Station. Ceramic tiles were made by residents in 2023 and 2025 workshops with Odyssey Clayworks. Learn more.
Hollywood Feed will add Nulo pet food and nutritional products at its 179 locations across 19 states. Offerings include high-meat, grain-free Freestyle, oven-baked Culinary Harvest and wet foods for dogs and cats, emphasizing animal protein, low-carbohydrate, low-glycemic ingredients and gut health. Hollywood Feed brings seven decades of pet retail experience. Nulo, the sixth-largest U.S. pet specialty food brand, partners with Olympic gold medalists Ryan Crouser, a three-time winner, and Jordan Stolz, a two-time winner. Learn more.
The Industrial Commons is developing a 28-acre Innovation Campus on the former Drexel Furniture Plants 3 and 5 site in downtown Morganton, where generations of Burke County residents worked. The first phase, the Accelerator Building, will provide incubation and manufacturing space for emerging businesses. Long-term plans include workforce training, education facilities, creative arts space and nearly eight acres of public parks, trails, gardens and gathering areas. The campus provides room for locally rooted manufacturers to expand without relocating. Learn more.
Pisgah Energy, an Asheville-based commercial solar and energy storage design-build firm, was named 2026 Sustainable Energy Business of the Year by the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association. The association selected honorees across six categories from more than 300 members. This is Pisgah Energy’s second award in seven years, following its 2020 recognition after one year in operation. Founder and President Evan Becka is a North Carolina native and longtime Asheville resident; 2026 projects included MANNA FoodBank and Mountain Housing Opportunities. Learn more.
Rowhouse Architects announced Robin Raines as President of the Asheville-based firm, founded by Jeff Dalton in 1994. Raines joined in 2002 and has worked on historic rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, infill development and affordable housing. She will lead the practice while remaining closely involved in projects. The appointment formalizes a leadership progression spanning more than two decades and builds on her existing collaboration with Dalton and partner Shawn McKeever to guide the firm and its community-focused work. Learn more.
Travel and Leisure featured Western North Carolina locations in “Weekend Getaways in North Carolina.” Tiffany M. Griffin, co-founder of Durham-based Bright Black, highlighted the state’s mountains, beaches, walkable cities and food. Matthew Weinstein, Highlands-based culinary director of The Indigo Road Hospitality Group, recommended Asheville for mountain-city charm, suggesting the Grand Bohemian Lodge near Biltmore Estate and dining at Cúrate. Asheville also offers a regional airport, fall foliage and year-round access to regional hiking trails and waterfalls. Learn more.
The University of North Carolina Asheville launched its School of Business, connecting the Department of Business and Department of Economics & Finance. Highlights include degrees and certificates, workforce-ready learning, career support, improved labs and a liberal arts foundation. The UNC System’s 2026 Workforce Alignment Report identifies annual shortfalls of approximately 500 finance and 1,000 accounting graduates. Western North Carolina’s Tropical Storm Helene recovery reinforces these needs; the state’s December 2024 assessment estimated $3 billion in business and nonprofit property damage. Learn more.
Vanguard Furniture and Pisgah Energy installed an 848kWdc rooftop solar system at Vanguard’s Hillsville, VA, manufacturing facility, building on earlier investments in Conover, N.C. Its 1,425 SEG 595W panels and five SolarEdge inverters will generate over one million kilowatt hours annually, offsetting approximately 95% of electricity use and 923 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Equivalent impacts include saving over 2,100 barrels of oil, avoiding pollution from 2.3 million driving miles or recycling 326 tons of waste instead of placing it in a landfill.
WATA 1450 AM & 96.5 FM was named the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters (NCAB) 2026 Non-Metro Station of the Year. The statewide honor was announced Wednesday at the association’s annual awards luncheon. The prestigious award recognizes North Carolina’s top radio station outside large and medium markets for broadcasting during the 2025 calendar year. WATA, part of High Country Radio, a Curtis Media Group company, was recognized for emergency coverage during and after Hurricane Helene, a station relocation and community connections.Learn more.
The Western Carolina Medical Society (WCMS)’s Western North Carolina Colorectal Cancer Screening Initiative (WNC CRCSI) has been selected as a 2027 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) HANDS Distinguished Impact Award recipient. The HANDS Award for Distinguished Impact recognizes individuals and organizations whose work is creating lasting change in the field of digestive health. The WNC CRCSI provides vital colorectal cancer screening to average-risk, uninsured, low-income patients between the ages of 45-75 in sixteen counties throughout WNC. Learn more.
Community Feedback
Buncombe County Parks & Recreation and the National Park Service – Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (NPS-RTCA) program invite feedback on North Buncombe river parks at a drop-in workshop Thursday, November 5, 4–6 p.m., at Salt Face Mule Brewing Co. Staff will discuss park conditions and past, current and future uses of these public spaces. Spanish-language interpretation will be available. Learn more.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is hosting the French Broad River Sub-Basin Regional Strategy Review and Feedback Open House Thursday, November 5, from 4–7 p.m.. The event will take place in the City Council Chambers, 124 Town Center Dr., Mills River, NC 28759. Feedback informs the French Broad River Basin Action Strategy to reduce long-term flood risk. Directed by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2021, the statewide Flood Resiliency Blueprint uses science and stakeholder input, and work is funded and authorized in six of 17 basins. Learn more.