🍳 January

Photo by AVLtoday

🐴 February

🥾 March

🌸 April

• Listen to This: “Away In a Manger” | Thursday, Dec. 22 | 7:30-10 p.m. | Story Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd., Asheville | $15-$20 | Gather round and listen to stories about holiday celebrations in odd locations from Heather Maloy, Lindsay Lee, and former AVLtoday Editor Ali McGhee.
• Blue Ridge Jazzways Christmas Holiday Special | Thursday, Dec. 22 | 7:30-10 p.m. | Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr., Asheville | $10 | Celebrate the holidays with live jazz at this intimate music venue.

• A Jazz Piano Christmas with the Bill Bares Trio | Friday, Dec. 23 | 8:30-10 p.m. | The Main Stage, 743 Haywood Rd., Asheville | $20 | Celebrate Christmas Eve with selections from Vince Guaraldi’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
• Fireside Friday | Friday, Dec. 23, Friday, Dec. 30 | 5:30-9 p.m. | Wrong Way River Lodge & Cabins, 9 Midnight Dr., Asheville | Free | Enjoy a campfire, s’mores, and a variety of beverages — and bring your own instrument for an open jam session.

• Fancy Marie Christmas | Saturday, Dec. 24 | 2-4 p.m. | Botanist and Barrel, 32 Broadway St., Asheville | Free | Make it a honky tonk holiday with local singer and songwriter Fancy Marie.
• Christmas Eve Candlelight Dinner | Saturday, Dec. 24 | 5-9 p.m. | Monte Vista Hotel, 308 West State St., Black Mountain | $60 | Make a reservation to attend this intimate Christmas Eve dinner, which features four courses of gourmet dishes like deviled egg spread, mushroom toast, braised venison, and shrimp + grits.

• Asheville Symphony: NYE With 007 | Saturday, Dec. 31 | 8 p.m. | Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville, 87 Haywood St., Asheville | $37.50-$82.50 | Ring in the New Year in style with powerhouse vocalists, backed by the Asheville Symphony performing movie favorites from Bond favorites (think: Goldfinger, Skyfall + more).*

• 48º | Scattered showers | 50% chance of rain
• Gov. Roy Cooper has signed a State of Emergency in advance of the arctic blast headed towards NC this weekend. The state’s emergency operations plan will expedite the transport of fuel and critical supplies, support first responders, and protect consumers from price gouging. 🥶

• The Hallmark Channel is filming one of its new, original “Countdown to Christmas” movies at the historic Biltmore Estate in January. “A Biltmore Christmas” will star Bethany Joy Lenz and Kristoffer Polaha in a story about a screenwriter who visits the Biltmore House, gets transported back to 1946, and falls in love. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

• Pandemic of Love is offering a daily gift wrapping service in front of the north entrance of the Grove Arcade through Saturday, Dec. 24, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. There’s plenty of colorful wrapping paper, bows, boxes, and tags — plus proceeds will support the nonprofit’s efforts to help neighbors in need. 🎁

• The Tobacco Barn Antiques warehouse + consignment shop at 75 Swannanoa River Rd. used to be a real tobacco auction house where local farmers would bring their tobacco to be graded and sold. We’re breaking down that and 21 more facts here.

• The River Arts District has seen lots of growth — including the development of 15 new restaurants + coffee shops and completion of a $35 million transportation improvement project. Wondering how to best explore the area? Reference our RAD neighborhood guide for all the details.

• Applications are open for the Venture Connect 2023, an innovation-focused conference that brings together high-growth startups from across the Southeast. The conference takes place in the Research Triangle Park in Raleigh from Wednesday, March 29-Thursday, March 30.

• In yesterday’s newsletter, we quizzed you on the most recorded snow in Asheville history. Of the 900+ who tested their trivia skills, an impressive 71% guessed the correct answer: 1993. Brush up on this storm of a century.

• Have family in town for the holidays? Take a break from cooking and head to The Lobster Trap for fresh, sustainably-sourced seafood like Maine lobsters, oysters, steamed clams, seafood bisques, chowders + more. It’s sure to be a shuckin’ good time. Make a reservation. 🦞 *

• Thanks to Mercy Urgent Care, several Asheville children will now have a brighter holiday. The local urgent care partnered with the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program to sponsor children in need this season. The Salvation Army picked up the donated gifts last week and will deliver them in time for Christmas. 🎁 *

• New Year, new hobby? If stepping up your skills is in the cards for 2023, we’ve got the best solution: a class at the John C. Campbell Folk School. Some of our top picks include organic gardening, artisan bread making, and printmaking. What’s your next hobby? *

• Point-Of-Sale Strategies is offering a free 30-minute consultation. Retail consultant Amanda Dinan of Point-Of-Sale Strategies can outline a variety of affordable packages for local retailers + brands and help them map out strategies for a successful 2023. Snag the deal now through Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023.*

• Need a gift that only takes a few mouse clicks? Gift three, six, or 12 months of an Audible Premium Plus membership. They’ll get one credit a month good for any title, plus instant access to thousands of books and podcasts in The Plus Catalog. Hello, future book club. 📚*

• In yesterday’s newsletter, we shared that Taco Boy has locations in South Carolina and Georgia. That’s incorrect — Taco Boy only has locations in the Carolinas. Psst, take a look at the new West Asheville location on our Instagram.