Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.

Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.

Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Growing Minds Farm to School  Mini-Grant
Dec 12 all-day
online w/ ASAP’s Growing Minds

Growing Minds Farm to School Funding Opportunities

We want to help fund your farm to school project in Western North Carolina! Mini-grants are available for schools to engage children in the following farm to school experiences:

  • Local food taste tests & cooking demonstrations
  • Incorporating local food into meals or snacks
  • Farm field trips or farmer visits to preschools and classrooms
  • Growing edible gardens

Funding can be used to start new projects, or to expand upon existing activities.

Pre-k through 12 schools and homeschool groups are eligible to apply. Schools must be located throughout our 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina. 

  • Smoky Mountains, NC: Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain
  • Southern Mountains, NC: Henderson, Polk, Transylvania
  • Central Mountains, NC: Buncombe, Madison, Yancey
  • Foothills, NC: Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Rutherford
  • High Country, NC: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes

Growing Minds 2023-24 Farm to School / Preschool Funding

ASAP’s Growing Minds mini-grants help early childhood education (ECE) centers and K-12 schools provide children positive experiences with healthy local foods through these components of farm to school: school gardens, farm field trips and farmer classroom visits, and local foods served in meals, snacks, and/or taste tests.

Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. The amount awarded will be based on availability of funding, number of applicants, and the scope of your project. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding.

Applications are due by: January 31, 2024 or March 29, 2024. Funding will be awarded by the 15th of the following month.       

If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year. 

Miracle on Main Street opens at Chimney Rock Smokehouse
Dec 12 all-day
Chimney Rock Smokehouse

Miracle on Main Street will take over Chimney Rock Smokehouse from November 24 to December 31st. Featuring craft cocktails, tons of decor, award winning bbq, and weekly events. This place will make even the Grinch smile.

NOT REAL ART Grant
Dec 12 all-day
online

NOW until January 1, 2024- NOT REAL ART Grant for Artists is a $12,000 bi-annual award
designed to empower the practice of 6 contemporary artists, each of whom receive $2,000 plus
thousands of dollars in FREE marketing exposure worldwide. ArtsvilleUSA’s West Coast affiliate
Not Real Art encourages WNC visual artists, 2-D and 3-D, to apply by January 1, 2024. Learn more
and apply at https://notrealart.com/grant/

About Our Grant

Founded in 2019 and powered by Arterial, the NOT REAL ART Grant for Artists is a $12,000 annual award designed to empower the practice of 6 contemporary artists, each of whom receive $2,000. But, NOT REAL ART Grant winners get more than money. Each recipient gets to share their story and promote with exclusive, in-depth featured interviews on the NOT REAL ART podcast and blog. And, whether or not you receive our grant, every applicant automatically qualifies to be included in future blog stories, newsletters and our artist marketing database!

WNC Center for Craft Artist in Residence
Dec 12 all-day
Center for Craft

Applications are open, and the deadline for submission is December 15, 2023. The WNC Center for Craft Artist in Residency program is trailblazing a new source of support for Western North Carolina (WNC) artists.

Grant Overview:

  • Selected artists will receive a $10,000 honorarium, a testament to supporting the cultural sector in WNC.
  • In addition, a $2,000 materials stipend will be provided to help artists realize their creative visions.

For a period of 8 weeks, artists will have exclusive access to dedicated studio space at the Center for Craft, conveniently located in the vibrant heart of downtown Asheville, NC.

The two selected artists will work alongside two Virginia A. Groot Material Exploration Residents in a cohort of four artists. This opportunity allows for each resident to have their own studio space and the time to work independently and to also build relationships with the other residents and participate in engagement with the Western North Carolina region through studio visits with curators, museums, and collectors and explore other regional craft schools.

This unique opportunity will empower artists to flourish in an environment designed to nurture their craft. Don’t miss the chance to be part of this groundbreaking initiative that’s redefining support for craft in the region.

Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Growing Minds Farm to School  Mini-Grant
Dec 13 all-day
online w/ ASAP’s Growing Minds

Growing Minds Farm to School Funding Opportunities

We want to help fund your farm to school project in Western North Carolina! Mini-grants are available for schools to engage children in the following farm to school experiences:

  • Local food taste tests & cooking demonstrations
  • Incorporating local food into meals or snacks
  • Farm field trips or farmer visits to preschools and classrooms
  • Growing edible gardens

Funding can be used to start new projects, or to expand upon existing activities.

Pre-k through 12 schools and homeschool groups are eligible to apply. Schools must be located throughout our 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina. 

  • Smoky Mountains, NC: Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain
  • Southern Mountains, NC: Henderson, Polk, Transylvania
  • Central Mountains, NC: Buncombe, Madison, Yancey
  • Foothills, NC: Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Rutherford
  • High Country, NC: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes

Growing Minds 2023-24 Farm to School / Preschool Funding

ASAP’s Growing Minds mini-grants help early childhood education (ECE) centers and K-12 schools provide children positive experiences with healthy local foods through these components of farm to school: school gardens, farm field trips and farmer classroom visits, and local foods served in meals, snacks, and/or taste tests.

Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. The amount awarded will be based on availability of funding, number of applicants, and the scope of your project. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding.

Applications are due by: January 31, 2024 or March 29, 2024. Funding will be awarded by the 15th of the following month.       

If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year. 

Miracle on Main Street opens at Chimney Rock Smokehouse
Dec 13 all-day
Chimney Rock Smokehouse

Miracle on Main Street will take over Chimney Rock Smokehouse from November 24 to December 31st. Featuring craft cocktails, tons of decor, award winning bbq, and weekly events. This place will make even the Grinch smile.

NOT REAL ART Grant
Dec 13 all-day
online

NOW until January 1, 2024- NOT REAL ART Grant for Artists is a $12,000 bi-annual award
designed to empower the practice of 6 contemporary artists, each of whom receive $2,000 plus
thousands of dollars in FREE marketing exposure worldwide. ArtsvilleUSA’s West Coast affiliate
Not Real Art encourages WNC visual artists, 2-D and 3-D, to apply by January 1, 2024. Learn more
and apply at https://notrealart.com/grant/

About Our Grant

Founded in 2019 and powered by Arterial, the NOT REAL ART Grant for Artists is a $12,000 annual award designed to empower the practice of 6 contemporary artists, each of whom receive $2,000. But, NOT REAL ART Grant winners get more than money. Each recipient gets to share their story and promote with exclusive, in-depth featured interviews on the NOT REAL ART podcast and blog. And, whether or not you receive our grant, every applicant automatically qualifies to be included in future blog stories, newsletters and our artist marketing database!

WNC Center for Craft Artist in Residence
Dec 13 all-day
Center for Craft

Applications are open, and the deadline for submission is December 15, 2023. The WNC Center for Craft Artist in Residency program is trailblazing a new source of support for Western North Carolina (WNC) artists.

Grant Overview:

  • Selected artists will receive a $10,000 honorarium, a testament to supporting the cultural sector in WNC.
  • In addition, a $2,000 materials stipend will be provided to help artists realize their creative visions.

For a period of 8 weeks, artists will have exclusive access to dedicated studio space at the Center for Craft, conveniently located in the vibrant heart of downtown Asheville, NC.

The two selected artists will work alongside two Virginia A. Groot Material Exploration Residents in a cohort of four artists. This opportunity allows for each resident to have their own studio space and the time to work independently and to also build relationships with the other residents and participate in engagement with the Western North Carolina region through studio visits with curators, museums, and collectors and explore other regional craft schools.

This unique opportunity will empower artists to flourish in an environment designed to nurture their craft. Don’t miss the chance to be part of this groundbreaking initiative that’s redefining support for craft in the region.

Growing Minds Farm to School Mini-Grant
Dec 13 @ 6:30 am
online
ASAP’s Growing Minds mini-grants help early childhood education (ECE) centers and K-12 schools throughout the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina provide children positive experiences with healthy local foods through these components of farm to school: school gardens, farm field trips and farmer classroom visits, and local foods served in meals, snacks, and/or taste tests.

Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding. 

Applications due by:

  • November 30, 2023
  • January 30, 2024
  • March 30, 2024

If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year. Learn more and apply here!

Maker Day: Christmas Chutneys
Dec 13 @ 9:30 am – 1:00 pm
NC Arboretum

ONSITE | Wednesday, December 13, 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. | $75 Adult Non-Member (Arboretum member discount applies!) Pre-registration Required.

A chutney can be a cross between a jam and a relish, as popular in the southern U.S. as it is in India. Together we will create a fragrant blend of fresh and dried fruits, spices, some sugar and vinegar and jar it up to present as a seasonal gift or to store in your own pantry. Expect to work with apples, oranges, pears, figs, raisins, dates, cranberries, ginger, hibiscus petals and more to make a couple of different types of chutneys. Sample them in class with cheese and scones but learn many ways to use them through the year with different menus. Our culinary guide and guru is Nanette Davidson, author of The Folk School Cookbook and founder of the cooking program at the John C Campbell Folk School where she served as Resident Artist in Cooking for twenty years. Let’s have fun turning the Arboretum classroom into a temporary canning kitchen for this unique Maker day!

Pre-register for this small-group experience through the form linked below and staff will  be in touch to finalize registration and payment.

Holiday Cookie Contest 
Dec 13 @ 1:00 pm – 2:45 pm
Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center

 

FREE | All ages

Utilize your baking skills to create the best holiday cookie in a friendly competition with prizes for the top three contestants. Complimentary hot chocolate and apple cider for spectators, too.

Trivia Night
Dec 13 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Hickory Tavern

Every Wednesday

Trivia Night

Trivia Night at Hickory Tavern
Dec 13 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Hickory Tavern

Trivia Night at Hickory Tavern

Thursday, December 14, 2023
Growing Minds Farm to School  Mini-Grant
Dec 14 all-day
online w/ ASAP’s Growing Minds

Growing Minds Farm to School Funding Opportunities

We want to help fund your farm to school project in Western North Carolina! Mini-grants are available for schools to engage children in the following farm to school experiences:

  • Local food taste tests & cooking demonstrations
  • Incorporating local food into meals or snacks
  • Farm field trips or farmer visits to preschools and classrooms
  • Growing edible gardens

Funding can be used to start new projects, or to expand upon existing activities.

Pre-k through 12 schools and homeschool groups are eligible to apply. Schools must be located throughout our 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina. 

  • Smoky Mountains, NC: Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain
  • Southern Mountains, NC: Henderson, Polk, Transylvania
  • Central Mountains, NC: Buncombe, Madison, Yancey
  • Foothills, NC: Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Rutherford
  • High Country, NC: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes

Growing Minds 2023-24 Farm to School / Preschool Funding

ASAP’s Growing Minds mini-grants help early childhood education (ECE) centers and K-12 schools provide children positive experiences with healthy local foods through these components of farm to school: school gardens, farm field trips and farmer classroom visits, and local foods served in meals, snacks, and/or taste tests.

Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. The amount awarded will be based on availability of funding, number of applicants, and the scope of your project. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding.

Applications are due by: January 31, 2024 or March 29, 2024. Funding will be awarded by the 15th of the following month.       

If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year. 

Miracle on Main Street opens at Chimney Rock Smokehouse
Dec 14 all-day
Chimney Rock Smokehouse

Miracle on Main Street will take over Chimney Rock Smokehouse from November 24 to December 31st. Featuring craft cocktails, tons of decor, award winning bbq, and weekly events. This place will make even the Grinch smile.

NOT REAL ART Grant
Dec 14 all-day
online

NOW until January 1, 2024- NOT REAL ART Grant for Artists is a $12,000 bi-annual award
designed to empower the practice of 6 contemporary artists, each of whom receive $2,000 plus
thousands of dollars in FREE marketing exposure worldwide. ArtsvilleUSA’s West Coast affiliate
Not Real Art encourages WNC visual artists, 2-D and 3-D, to apply by January 1, 2024. Learn more
and apply at https://notrealart.com/grant/

About Our Grant

Founded in 2019 and powered by Arterial, the NOT REAL ART Grant for Artists is a $12,000 annual award designed to empower the practice of 6 contemporary artists, each of whom receive $2,000. But, NOT REAL ART Grant winners get more than money. Each recipient gets to share their story and promote with exclusive, in-depth featured interviews on the NOT REAL ART podcast and blog. And, whether or not you receive our grant, every applicant automatically qualifies to be included in future blog stories, newsletters and our artist marketing database!

WNC Center for Craft Artist in Residence
Dec 14 all-day
Center for Craft

Applications are open, and the deadline for submission is December 15, 2023. The WNC Center for Craft Artist in Residency program is trailblazing a new source of support for Western North Carolina (WNC) artists.

Grant Overview:

  • Selected artists will receive a $10,000 honorarium, a testament to supporting the cultural sector in WNC.
  • In addition, a $2,000 materials stipend will be provided to help artists realize their creative visions.

For a period of 8 weeks, artists will have exclusive access to dedicated studio space at the Center for Craft, conveniently located in the vibrant heart of downtown Asheville, NC.

The two selected artists will work alongside two Virginia A. Groot Material Exploration Residents in a cohort of four artists. This opportunity allows for each resident to have their own studio space and the time to work independently and to also build relationships with the other residents and participate in engagement with the Western North Carolina region through studio visits with curators, museums, and collectors and explore other regional craft schools.

This unique opportunity will empower artists to flourish in an environment designed to nurture their craft. Don’t miss the chance to be part of this groundbreaking initiative that’s redefining support for craft in the region.

Growing Minds Farm to School Mini-Grant
Dec 14 @ 6:30 am
online
ASAP’s Growing Minds mini-grants help early childhood education (ECE) centers and K-12 schools throughout the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina provide children positive experiences with healthy local foods through these components of farm to school: school gardens, farm field trips and farmer classroom visits, and local foods served in meals, snacks, and/or taste tests.

Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding. 

Applications due by:

  • November 30, 2023
  • January 30, 2024
  • March 30, 2024

If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year. Learn more and apply here!

Friday, December 15, 2023
Growing Minds Farm to School  Mini-Grant
Dec 15 all-day
online w/ ASAP’s Growing Minds

Growing Minds Farm to School Funding Opportunities

We want to help fund your farm to school project in Western North Carolina! Mini-grants are available for schools to engage children in the following farm to school experiences:

  • Local food taste tests & cooking demonstrations
  • Incorporating local food into meals or snacks
  • Farm field trips or farmer visits to preschools and classrooms
  • Growing edible gardens

Funding can be used to start new projects, or to expand upon existing activities.

Pre-k through 12 schools and homeschool groups are eligible to apply. Schools must be located throughout our 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina. 

  • Smoky Mountains, NC: Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain
  • Southern Mountains, NC: Henderson, Polk, Transylvania
  • Central Mountains, NC: Buncombe, Madison, Yancey
  • Foothills, NC: Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Rutherford
  • High Country, NC: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes

Growing Minds 2023-24 Farm to School / Preschool Funding

ASAP’s Growing Minds mini-grants help early childhood education (ECE) centers and K-12 schools provide children positive experiences with healthy local foods through these components of farm to school: school gardens, farm field trips and farmer classroom visits, and local foods served in meals, snacks, and/or taste tests.

Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. The amount awarded will be based on availability of funding, number of applicants, and the scope of your project. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding.

Applications are due by: January 31, 2024 or March 29, 2024. Funding will be awarded by the 15th of the following month.       

If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year. 

Miracle on Main Street opens at Chimney Rock Smokehouse
Dec 15 all-day
Chimney Rock Smokehouse

Miracle on Main Street will take over Chimney Rock Smokehouse from November 24 to December 31st. Featuring craft cocktails, tons of decor, award winning bbq, and weekly events. This place will make even the Grinch smile.

New Zoom Pass Partner: Experience Sim Racing at The Track
Dec 15 all-day
Buncombe County Libraries

Ever wondered what it’s like to drive a racecar? Buncombe County Public Libraries has added The Track at Asheville as a new ZOOM partner. Each ZOOM pass will give up to four drivers 30 minutes of hot laps in a standard rig (race simulator) at The Track. Utilizing state-of-the-art hardware and software, you can choose your car, track, and conditions to experience the thrill of driving racecars around simulated tracks all over the world. No experience is necessary.

ZOOM passes at The Track require two things:

  1. You need to book a ZOOM pass on the Library’s website.
  2. You will also need to visit The Track’s website and use the reservation code provided to reserve your seat.

You are responsible for booking your timed reservation and you will need to bring your ZOOM pass to The Track to use your reservation. You can only drive if you have a ZOOM pass and a reservation. ZOOM passes for The Track are for ages 8 and up.

 

If you have any questions or need a library card to start ZOOMing, just let us know.

NOT REAL ART Grant
Dec 15 all-day
online

NOW until January 1, 2024- NOT REAL ART Grant for Artists is a $12,000 bi-annual award
designed to empower the practice of 6 contemporary artists, each of whom receive $2,000 plus
thousands of dollars in FREE marketing exposure worldwide. ArtsvilleUSA’s West Coast affiliate
Not Real Art encourages WNC visual artists, 2-D and 3-D, to apply by January 1, 2024. Learn more
and apply at https://notrealart.com/grant/

About Our Grant

Founded in 2019 and powered by Arterial, the NOT REAL ART Grant for Artists is a $12,000 annual award designed to empower the practice of 6 contemporary artists, each of whom receive $2,000. But, NOT REAL ART Grant winners get more than money. Each recipient gets to share their story and promote with exclusive, in-depth featured interviews on the NOT REAL ART podcast and blog. And, whether or not you receive our grant, every applicant automatically qualifies to be included in future blog stories, newsletters and our artist marketing database!

WNC Center for Craft Artist in Residence
Dec 15 all-day
Center for Craft

Applications are open, and the deadline for submission is December 15, 2023. The WNC Center for Craft Artist in Residency program is trailblazing a new source of support for Western North Carolina (WNC) artists.

Grant Overview:

  • Selected artists will receive a $10,000 honorarium, a testament to supporting the cultural sector in WNC.
  • In addition, a $2,000 materials stipend will be provided to help artists realize their creative visions.

For a period of 8 weeks, artists will have exclusive access to dedicated studio space at the Center for Craft, conveniently located in the vibrant heart of downtown Asheville, NC.

The two selected artists will work alongside two Virginia A. Groot Material Exploration Residents in a cohort of four artists. This opportunity allows for each resident to have their own studio space and the time to work independently and to also build relationships with the other residents and participate in engagement with the Western North Carolina region through studio visits with curators, museums, and collectors and explore other regional craft schools.

This unique opportunity will empower artists to flourish in an environment designed to nurture their craft. Don’t miss the chance to be part of this groundbreaking initiative that’s redefining support for craft in the region.

Growing Minds Farm to School Mini-Grant
Dec 15 @ 6:30 am
online
ASAP’s Growing Minds mini-grants help early childhood education (ECE) centers and K-12 schools throughout the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina provide children positive experiences with healthy local foods through these components of farm to school: school gardens, farm field trips and farmer classroom visits, and local foods served in meals, snacks, and/or taste tests.

Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding. 

Applications due by:

  • November 30, 2023
  • January 30, 2024
  • March 30, 2024

If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year. Learn more and apply here!

Averys Creek Holiday Bash
Dec 15 @ 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Sweet Escape
Join us to support our Friends at Averys Creek Elementary with our Holiday Bash fundraiser, 15% of proceeds go to Averys Creek PTO.
LAZOOM Tours: BAND AND BEER TOUR
Dec 15 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
LaZoom Room

Wanna hear the best local music ​and​ drink the best local beers? Hop aboard LaZoom’s Purple Bus and rock out with a local band while we take you on a journey to Asheville’s premiere local breweries.

  • Curated Live Music & Brewery Bus experience
  • 3 Hours long, includes three 30 Minute Local Brewery Stops
  • You Can Drink on the Funky Purple Bus! **Must be purchased at LaZoom or at brewery stop**
Ugly Christmas Sweater Party + live music with Caribbean Cowboys
Dec 15 @ 6:00 pm
Point Lookout Vineyards

It’s that time of year again! Dust off your most tacky Christmas sweater and head to Point Lookout for wine + some festive jams with Steve Weams – The Caribbean Cowboys Band! Prize goes to the ugliest sweater! 🎄
Dec. 15 | 6-9pm | No cover charge

Winter Magic Holiday Show
Dec 15 @ 7:00 pm
Diana Wortham Theatre

Songwriter in the round featuring Rebecca Loebe, Crys Mathews, and Flamy Grant. All award-winning artists – Flamy just won the New Artist of the year award at Kerrville Folk and Crys won best song of the year at FAI last year. Rebecca was on the first year of The Voice and has been a Kerrville New Folk Artist as well.

Rebecca Loebe

As one DJ puts it, Rebecca Loebe “has an almost supernatural ability to get the crowd singing along.” Over the past decade, the Austin-based singer songwriter has taken her fans along for the ride, touring nonstop across the United States, Canada, Japan, Europe, and the UK. If you love lyric driven, full-throated modern troubadours like Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, and Phoebe Bridgers, then Rebecca Loebe is a must-listen.

Crys Matthews

Ask about the new generation of social justice music-makers and Crys Matthews will be mentioned. A prolific lyricist, Matthews blends Americana, folk, jazz, blues, bluegrass and funk into a bold, complex performance steeped in traditional melodies punctuated by honest, original lyrics. “While each and every day, on each and every media platform, we’re reminded of the division, alienation, marginalization, and divisiveness rampant in our country (and our world), we’re not often enough met with people like Matthews,” said Justin Hiltner of Bluegrass Situation, “who exist as reminders of what beauty can occur when we bridge those divides.”

Flamy Grant

Flamy Grant is a shame-slaying, hip-swaying, singing-songwriting drag queen from western North Carolina. Her 2022 debut record, Bible Belt Baby, was nominated for Best Pop Album at the San Diego Music Awards, and she is a winner of the 2023 Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Competition. Both a powerhouse vocalist and an intrepid songwriter, Flamy blends the art of drag with her iconic folk/rock sound to create a memorable musical experience.

Saturday, December 16, 2023
Growing Minds Farm to School  Mini-Grant
Dec 16 all-day
online w/ ASAP’s Growing Minds

Growing Minds Farm to School Funding Opportunities

We want to help fund your farm to school project in Western North Carolina! Mini-grants are available for schools to engage children in the following farm to school experiences:

  • Local food taste tests & cooking demonstrations
  • Incorporating local food into meals or snacks
  • Farm field trips or farmer visits to preschools and classrooms
  • Growing edible gardens

Funding can be used to start new projects, or to expand upon existing activities.

Pre-k through 12 schools and homeschool groups are eligible to apply. Schools must be located throughout our 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina. 

  • Smoky Mountains, NC: Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain
  • Southern Mountains, NC: Henderson, Polk, Transylvania
  • Central Mountains, NC: Buncombe, Madison, Yancey
  • Foothills, NC: Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Rutherford
  • High Country, NC: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes

Growing Minds 2023-24 Farm to School / Preschool Funding

ASAP’s Growing Minds mini-grants help early childhood education (ECE) centers and K-12 schools provide children positive experiences with healthy local foods through these components of farm to school: school gardens, farm field trips and farmer classroom visits, and local foods served in meals, snacks, and/or taste tests.

Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. The amount awarded will be based on availability of funding, number of applicants, and the scope of your project. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding.

Applications are due by: January 31, 2024 or March 29, 2024. Funding will be awarded by the 15th of the following month.       

If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year. 

Miracle on Main Street opens at Chimney Rock Smokehouse
Dec 16 all-day
Chimney Rock Smokehouse

Miracle on Main Street will take over Chimney Rock Smokehouse from November 24 to December 31st. Featuring craft cocktails, tons of decor, award winning bbq, and weekly events. This place will make even the Grinch smile.