MERIT Beauty

This local e-bike tour is electric

Try This: E-bike sunset tour in Asheville, NC
A group of people riding through the autumn trees on an e-bike
Asheville Adventure Company’s e-bike tours are fun coming and going. | Photo via Asheville Adventure Company
Looking for an experience that combines the great outdoors, accessible exercise, and glorious vistas with a touch of history? Try Asheville Adventure Company’s E-bike Sunset Tour.

We recently got to try one, and we’re still riding high from the experience. Here’s how it went.

We arrived at Asheville Adventure Company around 4 p.m. to meet the team and take a few practice laps around the parking lot before setting off on our 14-mile journey from the River Arts District to the Montford area.

Having never ridden an e-bike before, we were pleased to discover it’s essentially just like a regular bicycle, except it also offers levels of adjustable motorized assistance. This really comes in handy when you’re going up some of those hills.

Our guide used hand signals and yelling to let us know what to expect, and our group followed along single file behind him. Pro tip: if you have hearing problems, we recommend riding directly behind the guide to make hearing easier.

Along the way, we made periodic stops to rest, take photos, and get schooled on local history. Stories included the tragic tale of Zelda Fitzgerald, who died in a fire at Montford’s Highland Hospital.

We also caught glimpses of UNC Asheville, Mt. Pisgah, and the Grove Park Inn, hearing stories about those locales as well. We made a brief stop at the Grove Park Inn to take in the views before heading back to Asheville Adventure Center, where we were greeted with a local beer (or water).

We loved getting some exercise, and really appreciated the boost our bikes gave when we needed it. Folks in our group ranged in age and ability, and we all appreciated the e-bike’s comfort and ease. Best of all? Our group even glimpsed a black bear.
6AM City In-house

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Today
  • 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 | 4-7 p.m. | Devil’s Foot Brewing, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd., Asheville | Free | A handful of up-and-coming, funding-ready startup founders — including Chef Katie Button of Curate at Home and Gwendolyn Hageman of Dare Vegan Cheese — will share first-hand access and insight into their business model.
  • 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 | Thu., Oct. 20 | 6 p.m. | Cultura, 147 Coxe Ave., Asheville | $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 the Utopian Seed Project.
  • Foundy Street Flashback Film Series: Little Shop of Horrors | Thu., Oct. 20 | 6-9:30 p.m. | Wedge at Foundation, 5 Foundy St. Ste. 1, Asheville | $15 | Join Foundy Street, Wedge Brewing, and Grail Moviehouse for an outdoor screening of the classic comedy along with 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., Asheville | $6 | Kids are admitted free to this outdoor screening of a classic Halloween film about a teenage boy who accidentally awakens a villainous comedic trio of witches. 🪄
Friday
  • The Intersection of Indigeneity and Urban Art | Fri., Oct. 21 | 7 p.m. | Diana Wortham Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave., Asheville | $10- $25| Watch a film screening of the award-winning documentary “Mele Mural,” followed by a panel discussion with six visiting Indigenous artists.
  • Wolf Howl | Fri., Oct. 21 | 6-8 p.m. | WNC Nature Center, 75 Gashes Creek Rd., Asheville | $30 | Kid ages 14 and up will learn about red and gray wolves and witness their iconic howls. 🐺
  • Tryon Resort Oktoberfest | Fri., Oct. 21 - Sat., Oct. 22 | 5-10 p.m. | Tryon International Equestrian Center, 25 International Blvd., Mill Spring | Free | This inaugural event features food, market vendors, and live music, free kids’ activities + more.*
Saturday
  • Asheville Symphony Masterworks 2: Scheherazade | Sat., Oct. 22 | 8 p.m. | Thomas Wolfe Auditorium at Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville, 87 Haywood St, Asheville | $25.00 - $75.00 | Enjoy a musical and cultural journey inspired by Silk Road, featuring works by Borodin, De Falla, Fazil Say + Rimsky-Korsakov, featuring special guest pianist Adam Golka.*
We have a monthly 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.
100+ MORE EVENTS

Mercy Mindful offers affordable access to mental health care

Mercy Mindful offers affordable access to mental health care
AVL-Mercy Urgent Care mental health-10.18.22.jpg
Taking care of your mental health is as important as taking care of your physical health. | Photo via Pexels
In an effort to meet the needs of AVL residents by offering affordable mental health services, Mercy Urgent Care recently launched Mercy Mindful — a healthcare service providing psychiatric evaluations and medication management for:
  • Depression
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Anxiety
  • Obsessive compulsive disorder
  • PTSD
  • Eating disorders
  • Substance abuse
Mercy Mindful additionally offers trauma-informed care + referrals, as needed. Open to 16+ patients, services are provided at their West Asheville location on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.*
GET THE CARE YOU NEED

Weather
  • 44º | Mostly sunny | 1% chance of rain
Open
  • Tall John’s will open its doors to the public tomorrow, Wed., Oct. 19 from 4-10 p.m. in the space formerly occupied by Chiesa (152 Montford Ave.). Guests can expect European-American classics like caesar salad, cold oysters, and steak along with craft cocktails + mocktails, international wines, and beers. 🦪
Coming Soon
  • The Mule — Devil’s Foot Beverage Company’s new taproom + event space — will celebrate its grand opening on Thurs., Oct. 27 at 5 p.m. at 131 Sweeten Creek Rd. The event will feature music, carnivorous and vegetarian eats from Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ, and plenty of craft beverages. Read more about Devil’s Foot’s expansion.🍻
Number
  • 1.8 million. That’s the number of passengers Asheville Regional Airport predicts by the end of 2022, which would be the highest number of annual passengers in its 61-year history. 🛫
Try This
  • Hot diggity. Dalton’s Distillery will hold a Chili Hot Dog Eating Competition on Sat., Oct. 22 at 12:30 p.m. The goal? Eat as many hot dogs and buns as possible in three minutes. The winner will receive $200 cash, and veggie dogs are also available. 🌭
Kids
  • Calling all aspiring artists ages five to 17. The NC Glass Center’s “You Draw It, We Make It” contest takes your drawing and transforms it into hot glass sculptures. All drawings will be displayed in February, along with the three glass pieces NC Glass Center staff create. Submit drawings by Sun., Nov. 20.
DYK
  • New documentary “Blanket Town: The Rise and Fall of an American Mill Town,” explores the connection between Beacon Manufacturing Co. and Swannanoa through interviews with former employees. The film has been recognized as the best overall documentary feature in the 2022 Longleaf Film Festival. There is no official release date yet. (The Valley Echo)
  • Did you know we want to see your artwork on our products? We’re looking for freelance graphic designers in AVL to work with us through our online retail store, and yes, you’d be getting paid for it. First, let’s get to know each other.
Featured
  • Local photographer Mike Belleme’s work has been featured in the New York Times. Mike snapped pics of author Barbara Kingsolver, who was profiled for her new book, “Demon Copperhead,” a reimagined Charles Dickens story set in Southern Appalachia amidst the opioid epidemic. 📸
Outdoors
  • A new non-native spider has taken up residence in WNC. The Joro spider, native to Asia, was first seen in the US in 2013. This fall, it’s been spotted in Macon County + downtown Weaverville. Researchers are exploring how it will affect the ecosystem, and are hopeful it’s not destructive. 🕷️ (Smoky Mountain News)
Eat
  • Looking for the perfect seasonal dessert? Look no further: local chef and cookbook author Ashley English’s mason jar apple cardamom crumbles are ideal for picnics, on-the-go snacking, or anywhere you find yourself with a spoon. Get the recipe. 🍎
Beauty
  • Fresh, dewy skin is all the rage right now. One way to get it? Responsible luxury beauty brand MERIT’s Great Skin™ Instant Glow Serum: a lightweight, bi-phase serum with hyaluronic acid + niacinamide that instantly hydrates and plumps skin for a healthy glow. Bonus: Free Signature Makeup Bag with first purchase.*
The Buy
  • Want a straighter smile? SmileDirectClub can make it happen, with 22-hour-wear aligners and Nighttime Aligners™ that straighten teeth as little as 4-6 months — and results are guaranteed for life. Get started. 🦷 *
Health
  • The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is here, which means it’s time to ask yourself a big question: keep your coverage, or change it? Fidelity Medicare Services can help. Fidelity’s licensed Medicare advisors provide customized advice based on your situation — and if you choose a new plan, they’ll help you enroll.*
Correction
  • In yesterday’s newsletter, we wrote that Banjo Williams was one of the former racers at the Asheville Motor Speedway. The name of the racer is actually Banjo Matthews. Read more about his career.
Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

A ghostly Petunia in Black Moutain

13 Asheville ghosts + the buildings they haunt
Grove Park Inn. Photo: @billieswanner
Legend has it that the Pink Lady fell to her death inside the Grove Park Inn in the 1920s. | Photo: @billieswanner
When it comes to local spooky tales, we’re all familiar with the Grove Park Inn’s Pink Lady, Zelda Fitzgerald’s untimely demise at Highland Hospital, and Helen of Helen’s Bridge at Beaucatcher Mountain.

But have you heard of Black Mountain’s Petunia the ghost?

We were today years old when we learned about Petunia, who’s said to haunt Blue Ridge Assembly’s Abbott Hall in Black Mountain. “Petunia,” whose real name was Elsie Larsen Wilson, was a visiting social worker who fell to her death at the Hall on July 22, 1956.

Though no one knows if she jumped, was pushed, or simply fell — locals say she still haunts the Assembly with sounds of banging, groaning + slamming doors.

Fortunately, based on her professional accolades, folks believe the sounds they hear are Petunia working to ensure the windows on the upper floors are closed and locked, ostensibly to help protect others from sharing her unfortunate fate.
13 LOCAL GHOSTS AND THE BUILDINGS THEY HAUNT
THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Brook.

Editor’s pick: Asheville Adventure Company also offers more than just leaf-peeping tours. We hear great things about the e-bike brewery crawl. Check out their group offerings.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Brush up your on Asheville trivia.
Connect with us.

Editorial: Laura Hackett, Brook Bolen, Sarah Leonhardt, Erin McPherson, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Helen Purnell | Advertise with us.

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