This skyline holds many scintillating secrets. | Photo by @overasheville
Did you know Asheville is also known as the Land of Sky?
Nah, just kidding. If you know us, you know we’re here for the deep cuts — and there’s plenty of interesting factoids to go around. As connoisseurs of the quirky and unconventional, we put together a list of Asheville’s history, oddest characteristics, and more.Maybe you’ve lived here your whole life and know some of this, or maybe you’ll learn something new.
Either way, test your local knowledge with these 22 interesting facts.
1. Asheville used to be called Morristown before its incorporation. The name was changed to Asheville to honor NC governor Samuel Ashe, our state’s ninth governor who served from 1795-1798.
2. When it came to Prohibition, Asheville was ahead of the curve. In 1862, North Carolina passed its first Prohibition law to conserve grain during the Civil War. It was repealed in 1866 after the war ended, but Asheville passed its own version of the law in 1907 —13 years before National Prohibition was passed.
Asheville residents gathering to vote on Prohibition in 1907 in Pack Square
Photo courtesy of NC Collection, Pack Memorial Library
3. Pisgah National Forest is considered to be the birthplace of modern forestry in America. The Biltmore Forest School was founded in 1898 and was the first forestry school in the country.
4. One of the nation’s first electric street railways opened in Asheville in 1889.
5. Secret tunnels are rumored to lay beneath Asheville’s downtown area. Some speculate the tunnels were part of an abandoned plan for an underground subway system for Asheville elite during the first part of the 21st century, while others say they were likely part of liquor smuggling during Prohibition.
6. Five #1 box office films have been filmed in the Asheville area: Last of the Mohicans, The Fugitive, Hannibal, Patch Adams, Nell + Forrest Gump. Believe it or not, Dirty Dancing never went #1.
Creative Circle | Mon., Oct. 17 | 6-9 p.m. | Archetype Brewery, 265 Haywood Rd., Asheville | Free | Learn how to knit your own winter hats with a group of crafters. 🧶
Sudan Archives | Mon., Oct. 17 | 8 p.m. | The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave., Asheville | $19 | This artist mixes R&B, hip-hop, and experimental electronic music with hypnotic string loops and the fiddling style of West Africa.
Tuesday
Paula Cole | Tue., Oct. 18 | 8 p.m. | The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave, Asheville | $40 | Catch this 90s alt singer-songwriter’s warm original tunes in an intimate setting.
Wednesday
Demo Day 2022 | Wed., Oct. 19 | 2 p.m. | Devil’s Foot Brewing, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd., Asheville | Free | It’s like shark tank, but make it local (and nicer) — here’s your chance to learn about funding-ready companies and local startups.
Matisyahu | Wed., Oct. 19 | 8 p.m. | Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Dr, Asheville | $27.50 - $32.50 | This reggae hip-hop artist is best known for his hit song, “One Day.”
Queer Comedy Party: Bailey Pope | Wed., Oct. 19 | 7-9 p.m. | Asheville Beauty Academy, 28 Broadway St, Asheville | $12 | Celebrate local and national queer comedians, including NYC-based headliner Bailey Pope.
Thursday
Cultivated Community Dinner Series | Thurs., Oct. 20 | 6 p.m. | Cultura, 147 Coxe Ave. | $100 | Chefs Jamie Swofford and Keia Mastrianni — of Old North Farm and farm-based bakery Milk Glass Pie — will present a special six-course meal with proceeds benefitting Utopian Seed Project.
Foundy Street Flashback Film Series: Little Shop of Horrors | Thurs., Oct. 20 | 6-9:30 p.m. | Wedge at Foundation, 5 Foundy St. | $15 | Join Foundy Street, Wedge Brewing, and Grail Moviehouse for an outdoor screening of “Little Shop of Horrors” — there will also be a costume contest, performance by Drag Queen Ganymede, and tunes from DJ Lil Meow Meow.
Hocus Pocus | Thu., Oct. 20 | 6 p.m. | Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Ave. | $6 | Kids are admitted free of charge to this outdoor screening of a classic Halloween film about a teenage boy who accidentally awakens a villainous comedic trio of witches.
Friday
Wolf Howl | Fri., Oct. 21 | 6-8 p.m. | WNC Nature Center, 75 Gashes Creel Rd. | $30 | Ages 14 and up will learn about red and gray wolves, as well as witness their iconic howls.
Saturday
Saturday Night Lights at Tryon Resort | Sat., Oct. 22, Sat., Oct. 29 | 5-10 p.m. | Tryon International Equestrian Center, 25 International Blvd., Mill Spring | Free | Spend an action-packed night centered around equestrian sport, family entertainment like pony rides, live music, face painting, carousel rides, and more.*
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.
Apply to UNC Asheville now through Fri., Oct. 21 for free. | Photo provided by UNC Asheville
With the flurry of back-to-school season over, now is the timefor high school seniors to look ahead.
For the month of October, the College Foundation of North Carolina is holding their Countdown to College (C2C) campaign — a program seeking to make higher education more accessible by helping NC students complete college enrollment steps.
This week is College Application Week and to celebrate, UNC Asheville is waiving their application fee. (Read: you can apply for free through Fri., Oct. 21.) 📚*
The Asheville Buncombe Homeless Coalition has called a Code Purple for tonight, Mon., Oct. 17 through Wed., Oct. 19. This means temperatures are expected to go below 32º and emergency shelters + other services will be activated. 💜 (Mountain Xpress)
Opening
Need some fresh gear to tackle these local disc golf courses? Blue Ridge Disc Sports will have its grand opening on Sat., Oct. 22 at 280 Smokey Park Hwy. The shop will also feature a taproom with cornhole + practice disc golf baskets. Hours are Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 🥏
Outdoors
What’s next for Max Patch after its two-year camping ban? The Forest Service is hosting a series of public discussions to map it out — the next one is Tues., Oct. 18, 7-8:30 p.m. Here’s how to attend. (WLOS)
WNC is a hot spot for animal highway crossings, according to a new report from The Wildlands Network. Of the 20 sites listed in NC, six are in our region. Get involved with Safe Passage to help create safer wildlife crossings. 🐻 (Mountain Xpress)
Job
UNC Asheville Chancellor Nancy Cable has announced her intention to step down from her position, effective Dec. 31, 2022. To provide support for a smooth leadership transition, she will serve in an advisory capacity to the Interim Chancellor through July 31, 2023.
Drink
Antidote has released a new alcohol-free drink menu featuring festive fall options — we’re personally eyeing the “Pumpkin Baby,” a creamy concoction made with pumpkin syrup, orange juice, half + half, honey, and roasted pumpkin seeds.
Number
500,000. That’s how many spay + neuter surgeries have been completed in WNC by the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance. The nonprofit performed its 500,000th procedure on an eight-week terrier mix named Pumpernickel. (WLOS)
Edu
Six transfer students from different NC community colleges made themselves at home at UNC Asheville this summer and took part in a beloved university tradition: conducting undergraduate research. Take a peek at their projects involving chemistry, biology, and environmental studies. 🧪 *
Real Estate
It’s not hard to fall in love with this beautifully-maintained 5 BD, 6 BA Montreat home. With ample space + natural light throughout, all bedrooms are en suite with their own private bathrooms (making holiday stays that much easier),plus a lower-level apartment perfect for a mother-in-law suite or vacation rental. *
Stat
Did you know? At the current pace of progress, it will take another 257 years for women to catch up to men from an economic perspective. (Read: way too long.) Learn how one local banker is working to close the economic gender gap, alongside PNC Bank + Coralus, with PNC Project 257.*
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OUTDOORS
Native plants are our buds 🌿
Native plants in Asheville, NC
Pink Hair Grass has a breezy beauty about it. | Photo by Heather Taylor
Wanna learn more about some of Asheville’s native plants? Here are five of our favorites — and to keep things interesting — we’re pairing them along with which section of our city best matches these plant’s vibes.
This ornamental grass, also known as Pink Hair Grass, is low-maintenance yet naturally gorgeous — just like East Asheville. It boasts an electric pink bloom in the late summer.
We all know West Asheville likes to do things a little differently, and so does the Turk’s Lily Cap. This showy, orange-red wildflower looks like a funky hat.
Just like downtown, the serviceberry tree is a culinary hotbed.This native edible tastes like a mild, seedy blueberry and it can be found all over the city.
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