• An Evening with Rebecca Nagle, Host of the Podcast “This Land” | Friday, Nov. 18 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Buncombe County Special Collections at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St., Asheville | Cherokee Nation member and host of the podcast “This Land” Rebecca Nagle will speak on the fragility of modern day tribal sovereignty.
• Specialty Coffee Beverage Competition | Friday, Nov. 18 | 5-7 p.m. | Trade and Lore Coffee, 37 Wall St., Asheville | Free | Watch 15 baristas face off as they create the most unique, balanced + delicious vegan coffee beverage — the top three contestants will take home prizes.
• Appa-Laffin’ Mountain Revue | Friday, Nov. 18 | 8 p.m. | Citizen Vinyl, 14 O’Henry Ave., Asheville | $16-$18 | This month’s comedy game show features live music from Smooth Goose, plus performances from JOLO and Morgan Bost.
• UNC Asheville Student Art and Ceramics Sale | Friday, Nov. 18-Saturday, Nov. 19 | 4-8 p.m. | University of North Carolina at Asheville, 1 University Heights, Asheville | Help support the Department of Art and Art History by shopping a variety of functional and decorative pottery crafted by UNC Asheville students.

• 76th Annual Asheville Holiday Parade | Saturday, Nov. 19 | 11 a.m. | Biltmore and Patton Ave., Asheville | Free | This annual parade will roll, dance, and march through downtown, with local chefs and restaurateurs Katie Button and Meherwan Irani serving as Grand Marshals.
• Master BBQ Pop-up | Saturday, Nov. 19 | 2-7 p.m. | Outsider Brewing, 939 Riverside Dr., Asheville | Free | Here’s your chance to sample Filipino comfort food from new catering business Master BBQ.
• Write Local, Read Local! Author Fair | Saturday, Nov. 19 | 1-4 p.m. | Black Mountain Library, 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain | Free | This inaugural literary fair will feature 20+ area authors and illustrators.

• Casey Driessen’s Sunday Experiment | Sunday, Nov. 20 | 7 p.m. | Little Jumbo, 241 Broadway St., Asheville | Free | Grab a cocktail and listen to tunes from Little Jumbo’s musical resident and “mad scientist with a five-string fiddle.”
• Fall Festival | Sunday, Nov. 20 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Willow’s Dream, 64 Broadway St., Asheville | Free | Local artists + musicians from around town will showcase their creativity at this fall festival.
• 2022 Community Farm Hike | Sunday, Nov. 20 | 10 a.m. | SAHC Community Farm, 24 Mag Sluder Rd., Asheville | $0-$10 | Join the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy on a moderate, two-mile hike along The Discovery Trail — pre-registration required.

• World Cup Soccer on the Movie Screen ! | Monday, Nov. 21 | 2 p.m. | Asheville Pizza & Brewing, 675 Merrimon Ave., Asheville | Free | Watch all USA World Cup Games on the largest screens in town.*

• The SC-based eatery Taco Boy is preparing to open in West Asheville by the end of the year at the former Zia Taqueria spot (521 Haywood Rd.). Interested in joining the team? They’re hiring bartenders, servers, hosts — and most interestingly — a “Nixtamalization Specialist” to specialize in tortilla production + other corn-based dishes.

• The WNC Nature Center has launched a new exhibit. The Educational Farmers Market Garden — made in partnership with the WNC Farmers Market — focuses on sustainable relationships between agriculture and nature, including rainwater harvesting, composting, and companion planting. (Mountain Xpress)

• Have you had any Old Fort explorations lately? It’s about thirty minutes east of Asheville — and according to this recent feature from Salvation South — the town is blazing trails for a more inclusive outdoor adventure scene. If you do visit, be sure to check out the Old Fort Ride House.

Why go?

• Choo, choo — the sound of the Tweetsie Railroad echoes through the hills as it takes you around the Wild West Theme Park.
• Get your Southern food fix at Dan’l Boone Inn, which has been serving homecooked meals for over 50 years. The Boone staple regularly makes Southern Living’s lists of “best country cooking restaurants.”
• Bright Boone Home, stay just a short walk to downtown and the Daniel Boone Native Gardens. ($363/night)*

• Psst — Thanksgiving is next Thursday, Nov. 24. If you’re planning to serve turkey, don’t forget that a meat thermometer is essential to avoiding a potential case of food poisoning. Try this waterproof digital meat thermometer with 53,000+ five star reviews or splurge on this smart meat thermometer that connects to your phone via Bluetooth.*

• Here’s the best suitcase money can buy, in our opinion — Away’s The Bigger Carry On has a durable hard shell exterior, a combination lock, and an internal compression system so you can pack more outfits. Our favorite part: The lifetime warranty against suitcase damage. Choose your color.*

• As temperatures drop, so does the moisture in the air. To help combat dry air in your home (that can cause inflamed sinuses and thirsty skin), a humidifier is a must. Our pick? This Anthropologie exclusive Canopy humidifier that has mold inhibiting technology and can run for up to 36 hours.*