• Over the next 20 years, the city will pay up to $1 million annually to support facility renovations.
• The Asheville Tourists will also commit to a 20-year lease, investing a minimum of $75,000 in capital improvements to the facility per year, plus $450,000 annually in lease payments. (In the current lease, the Asheville Tourists pay only $1 per year)
• Once renovated, the facility will be multi-purpose and host events beyond Tourists baseball games.
• The Asheville Tourists will also handle their own parking operations, rescind a request for additional fireworks nights, and continue to follow the city’s noise ordinance.

• Speakeasy Improv Presents: Improv Jams | Thursday, Mar. 16 | 7-9 p.m. | Story Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd., Asheville | Free | Enjoy a free night of speakeasy-style improv and play.

• Lucky’s St. Patrick’s Day Crawl | Friday, Mar. 17-Saturday, Mar. 18 | 4 p.m.-12 a.m. | Catawba Brewing Co., 32 Banks Ave. | $20-25 | Drink from breweries all over the South Slope at this sixth annual bar crawl.
• The Vagina Monologues | Friday, Mar. 17 | 7 p.m. | The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave., Asheville | $25-$35 | All of the proceeds of this iconic production’s ticket sales go to support local nonprofit Helpmate of Asheville.
• St. Patty’s Makers Market | Friday, Mar. 17 | 3-7 p.m. | French Broad Brewing, 101 Fairview Rd., Asheville | Free | Celebrate St. Patty’s and shop from local artists and vendors.

• Intertribal Market | Saturday, Mar. 18 | 12-5 p.m. | 46 Aston St., Asheville | Free | Shop wares from Indigenous creators.
• Spring Equinox – Reiki & Sound Event | Saturday, Mar. 18 | 11 a.m.-12 p.m. | One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd., Asheville | $18 | Ring in spring with a sound healing and reiki experience — tea and taro will follow the ceremony.
• Red Clay Revival | Saturday, Mar. 18 | 7 p.m. | Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Dr., Asheville | $10-$12 | Enjoy an evening of Americana and roots-inspired original tunes from this local band.

• 2023 UNC Asheville Annual Pi(e) Run | Sunday, Mar. 19 | 3:14 p.m. | UNC Asheville Quad, 1 University Heights, Asheville | $10-$20 | Run or walk (or skip or trot) 3.14-miles in honor of Pi Day at this annual fun run.

• Settlers of Catan Tournament | Monday, Mar. 20 | 6-9 p.m. | Well Played Board Game Cafe, 162 Coxe Ave. #101, Asheville | $7 | Put your strategy skills to the test at this board game tournament.

What we tried:

• 64º | Partly cloudy | 0% chance of rain

• Montford Deli reopened at its new and improved location yesterday, March 15. The counter-service and drive-thru joint is located at 1461 Merrimon Ave. and has expanded its selection of sandwiches, burgers, and desserts. It’s open every day besides Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• M & T Distilling, Hendersonville’s first moonshine distillery, will have its grand opening on Saturday, April 1. The business has actually been open since November, but hasn’t officially celebrated with the community yet. Stop by 711 Maple St. to sample seven different flavors + see the distillery process up close. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

• There will be a job fair in Canton today, March 16 from 12 to 7 p.m. Companies including Harrah’s Cherokee, GE Aerospace, Premier Magnesia, and many others will attend — they hope to connect with folks who anticipate losing their job as a result of the paper mill closure. See more employers.

• Looking for somewhere to watch UNC Asheville in the first round of the NCAA tournament? Bear’s Smokehouse is hosting a watch party today, March 16 at 135 Coxe Ave. The kitchen will be open until the 10 p.m. tip off and the bar will run specials until the final buzzer.

• Highland Brewing is hosting the Aleblazers Beer Fest this Saturday, March 18. The festival celebrates trailblazers in North Carolina’s craft beer industry and will include appearances from 25+ breweries, as well as music and games. Tickets start at $55.

• The Buncombe County Special Collections is celebrating Women’s History Month with a display of artifacts from WNC women, including photographs, diaries, letters, and books. The drop-in event happens next Tuesday, March 21 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

• Asheville-based poet and doctor Celeste Lipkes has published her first book of poetry “Radium Girl.” As part of the release, she’ll appear at Malaprops on Wednesday, March 22 at 6 p.m. for a book signing and conversation with author Joanna Pearson. Congrats, Celeste.

• The AC Reynolds High School Symphonic Band is preparing for the concert of a lifetime. On Monday, April 3, 51 students will perform at Carnegie Hall, opening for the Masterwork Festival Chorus and the New York City Chamber Orchestra. (Mountain Xpress)

• Come home to this charming 3 BD, 2 BA brick ranch in a great neighborhood between Lake James and Marion. Boasting mature landscaping that includes Japanese maples, pear trees + more, this property is ideal for a gardener/homesteader with the bonus additions of a greenhouse, barn, chicken coop + storage shed. *

• Looking for a new laptop that checks all the boxes without breaking the bank? Enter: the Acer Chromebook 311. This lightweight laptop is decked out with all the essential Google apps — like Google Chrome and Google Calendar — it’s quiet, and it has up to 10 hours of battery life.*

• On Tuesday, March 21, he will present an artist talk from 6-8 p.m. at the Wedge - Foundation. His glass art will be on display and he’ll share stories about his work, which is largely inspired by the Medieval period.
• You can also see his glassblowing in action at a public hot shop demo on Friday, March 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. Up to 12 guests will be allowed at a time — seating is first-come, first-serve.