This crew looks like they’re rolling out the welcome (meat) wagon. | Photo via @thehauntedfarm
Looking for a howling good time this Halloween? To make this season even more spook-tacular, we’re creep-ing it real with a round up of haunted houses and other excursions in the Asheville area.
Bonus: We’ve also listed three restaurants where you can head afterwards for some fang-tastic Halloween-themed food.
Possessed to get spooked in style? Get carted around downtown Asheville in a stylish retro trolley and take in tales of local specters, arson, goblins, and massacres. Reservations are recommended, and admission is free for kids four and under.
With excursions in downtown Asheville, the city’s historic Montford neighborhood, and nearby Black Mountain, Ghost Hunters of Asheville’s interactive outings blend history and intrigue with paranormal tracking devices to reveal the haints behind the area’s most haunted spots. Available for private tours for no more than nine guests only.
Experience the dark sides of both downtown Asheville and Biltmore Village with Haunted Asheville. Helmed by noted paranormal investigator Joshua P. Warren, these walking tours also include instructions on how to use ghost hunting equipment.
The scares at Pinhead’s Graveyard primarily involve horror movie characters like the eponymous Pinhead, Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, and Art the Clown. This dreadfully spooky destination promises to terrify, but also accommodates families.
The Haunted Farm boasts80-90 cast members hellbent on scaring attendees. New this year? Set upgrades — including those catering to folks with a fear of heights and enclosed spaces — designed to provide horrifying thrills. Parents are encouraged to use their own discretion before bringing children along.
Trick or treat (yourself) 🥂
Pack’s Tavern | 20 S. Spruce St. | Sun.- Thurs., 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri. + Sat., 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Soothe the scaries away with fresh sandwiches, wood-fired pizzas, and hearty entrées— plus 35+ rotating taps.
B.o.B. - “Better Than Drugs” Tour | Tues., Oct. 4 | 7 p.m. | Salvage Station | $20+ | This six-time Grammy Award nominee + hip-hop artist is best known for hits like “Airplanes” and “Nothin On You.” 🎤
Climate Change Science | Tues., Oct. 4 | 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | The North Carolina Arboretum | Join scientists from the National Center for Environmental Information to learn how climate change shapes the seasons + extreme weather events.
12th Annual Justice Forum | Tues., Oct. 11 | 5:30-8 p.m. | Wortham Center for the Performing Arts | $50 | Cornell professor and author Dr. Jamila Michener will explore the implications for politics, power, and democracy in our civil legal system.*
Wednesday
Music Video Asheville Awards | Wed., Oct. 5 | 5 p.m. | Salvage Station | $12+ | The 14th annual iteration of this event includes red carpet photos, entertainment, and an afterparty. 📹
A Seat at the Table: Collaborative Dinner | Wed., Oct. 5 | 6 p.m. | Bear’s Smokehouse Barbecue, 135 Coxe Ave. | $75 | Enjoy food and drinks from Mikasa and Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ in support of mental health service PIVOTPoint WNC. 🍽️
Music To Your Ears | Wed., Oct. 5 | 7 p.m. | Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr. Ste. D | $10 |Attendees will chat about the legacy of key tracks from John Lennon’s Rock ‘N’ Roll LP with local journalist Bill Kopp + hear from special guest Jay Bergen, the author of “Lennon, the Mobster & the Lawyer.”
Thursday
Fall Color Photography Webinar | Thurs., Oct. 6 | 11 a.m. | Virtual | Free | Register to get celebrated photographer J. Scott Graham’s tips for finding + capturing fall color on the Blue Ridge Parkway. 🍁
Friday
Death Cab for Cutie: Asphalt Meadows Tour | Fri., Oct. 7 | 7 p.m. | Rabbit Rabbit | $50+ | This American alternative rock band is best known for early 2000s hits like “I Will Follow You into the Dark” and “Soul Meets Body.”
Cassia Pop-up | Fri., Oct. 7 | 4-8:30 p.m. | DSSOLVR, 63 N. Lexington Ave. | Free entry | Celebrate the arrival of the weekend with fresh Asian-inspired fare including firecracker shrimp, steamed buns, and smoky pork noodle soup. 🍜
CellarFest | Fri., Oct. 7-Sun., Oct. 9 | Hours vary | Cellarest Beer Project, 395 Haywood Rd. | Free | The second annual event includes collaborative brews, special releases, live music, and festive eats. 🍺
We have amonthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
For tickets to local and regional events, check out our 6AM Tickets resale marketplace.*
Pop a top for some refreshing all-day energy. | Photo by AVLtoday
City Editor Brook here. 👋 I recently had the pleasure of swapping my daily coffee for Buchi’s line of new, refreshing elixirs — and at the end of the day, I was tickled pink to discover my get up and go never got up and went.
Energy drinks may give you a boost, but the ingredients don’t always enhance your health. Fortunately, Buchi has launched Living Energy, a new kombucha-based line of energy drinks made with healthy ingredients that provide pep that lasts all day — sans the dreaded mid-afternoon crash.
Want to experience long-lasting energy that helps enhance your cognitive function? Here’s how you can Try This.
What we tried (with pricing):
The Living Energy line comes in two refreshing flavors: sweet + tart Raspberry Lime and zippy Lemon Mint. While they’re both tasty, I prefer the fruit forward taste of Raspberry Lime.*
Great news, caffeine fiends: there’s a new spot to get your favorite cup of ambition. South Asheville’s Retro Coffee (2619 Sweeten Creek Rd.) is slinging coffee drinks for people and puppacinos for dogs. Check out its hours of operation. ☕
Coming Soon
Now this is sweet news. Local bakery AvlCakeLady Cake Shoppe is launchingLast Minute Bake, a new sister company that will deliver your sugar fix quick. Follow along on social media for updates. 🎂
Outdoors
The town of Black Mountain will give away one tree per household to residents on Sat., Oct. 15 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. The giveaway is part of a pilot program designed to help with stormwater mitigation and will take place at the Terry Estates public parking lot located at 304 Black Mountain Ave.🌳 (Black Mountain News)
Biz
Major congrats to Oak & Grist Distilling Company on its recent certification as a carbon-neutral beverage producer from Climate Hound. Learn more about the certification process.
Award
Asheville-based, small-batch drink purveyor Shanti Elixirs was named the top Drink Category Winner in the Our State Magazine’s annual Made in NC Awards, which celebrate the Tar Heel State’s best makers, bakers, crafters + creators. 🏆
Cause
Do you regularly acquire shredded paper at your home or office? If so, local nonprofit organization Farmshire Animal Sanctuary can use it for its bird coops as long as the paper isn’t glossy. Messagethe organization to arrange periodic drop off or pickup.
Shop
Wanna spice up your wardrobe? There’s a new vintage shopping series coming to town. The inaugural Asheville Vintage Market, which features 15+ area vendors, will take place at the Asheville Sports Club on Sun., Oct. 23 at 11 a.m.
Pumpkin spice lattes aren’t the only thing heating up this fall. Shop the hottest local fashion in our online retails store, all while supporting AVLtoday. We’re talking cozy sweatshirts, comfortable caps, and fashionable bags. Snag your favorite AVL gear now.
Ranked
No. 1. The ranking that Range Urgent Care earned in the “Best Urgent Care” category of Mountain Xpress’ 2022 X Awards, nominated and voted on by Ashevillians. See what makes Range Urgent Care special.*
Here’s to another 40 years of MountainTrue protecting the mountains we cherish. | Photo via @mountaintrue
This year marks local nonprofit MountainTrue 40th anniversary, and the celebration is gearing up to be a grand old time.
Taking place on Wed., Oct. 12 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Salvage Station, the 1982 throwback-themed event honors the pioneering accomplishments the nonprofit has achieved in its 40 year history, including:
Mitigating oil and gas exploration in WNC’s national forests
Ending the practice of clearcutting in the mountains
Stopping logging of the Asheville Watershed
Helping establish both Gorges State Park and Dupont State Forest
Reducing the size of the I-26 Connector highway expansion project and making it more environmentally friendly
Helping retire Asheville’s coal-fired power plant
Cleaning up the coal ash pits at Duke Energy’s Asheville and Cliffside power plants
To celebrate, the fête includes an online auction featuring local adventures and getaways, a slideshow of highlights, and heavy hors d’oeuvres from Chef Steven Moore of The Broke Stove catering.
Editor’s pick: Remember last week when we brought you our ideas for how to celebrate fall locally based on your Enneagram type? Well, local jeweler SoulKu has launched an Enneagram Collection and we’re smitten.
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