AVLtoday-MarchMadness-Feature Image (1).png

Who will win this year’s bracket challenge? | Graphic by 6AM City

With the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments just around the corner, we’re joining the fun of bracket competitions with a face-off of our own.

Last year, y’all helped us name the makers of the best fried chicken sandwich: Sand Hill Kitchen. This year, we asked you to share your favorite pizza in Asheville. Now — thanks to you + the help of a random generator — we have the official lineup for our bracket.

Who’s in the running

Going head-to-head in the first round are:

PIE.ZAA and Pizza Mind
828 Family Pizzeria and Blue Mountain Pizza
White Labs Brewing Co. and Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co.
Del Vecchios and Fahrenheit Pizza & Brewhouse

AVLtoday-MarchMadness-Feature Image (3).png — What’s your favorite pizza in the 828? | Graphic by 6AM City

How it works

Beginning today, we will host several voting rounds within our newsletters and social channels to determine the best pizza. Who moves on is up to you. Vote for your favorites, and the pizzeria with more votes moves on. Simple as that. We’ll go until we have a champion, which will be announced in our Tuesday, March 28 newsletter. You will be able to vote once per round.

How to participate

Vote for the pizza you’d like to see advance to round two using this poll. You can vote for all four spots or as little as one. Once we count all the votes, we’ll share an updated bracket and new poll in an upcoming newsletter.

Want to fill out a bracket to see if you can guess who will win? Download and print the image above to take the competition up a notch. If your bracket is correct, send us a photo for a shoutout + bragging rights.

Ready to cheer your “team” to victory? Vote at the button below.

BATTLE OF THE PIES

EVENTS

Click here to have your event featured.

Wednesday, March 15

Venture Asheville Talent Jam | Wednesday, Mar. 15 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | The Mule - Devil’s Foot Beverage Company, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd., Asheville | $10-$20 | Find local talent, support Asheville’s startup and small business ecosystem, and have a great time at this networking event for entrepreneurs.
Cider Dinner with Botanist & Barrel | Wednesday, Mar. 15 | 6-9 p.m. | Rhubarb, 7 SW Pack Sq., Asheville | $75 | Enjoy a four-course, Appalachian-inspired dinner paired with ciders from Botanist and Barrel.
The Trail Running Film Festival | Wednesday, Mar. 15 | 7 p.m. | The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave., Asheville | $20 | This touring film festival features stories about trail running from independent filmmakers all over the world.

Thursday, March 16

Nature & Bird Walk | Thursday, Mar. 16 | 9:30-11 a.m. | Lake Julian Park, Long Shoals Rd., Arden | Free | Lace up your walking shoes and bring your binoculars to this nature walk hosted by Wild Birds Unlimited South.
Old School Line Dancing | Thursday, March 16 | 6:15-7:15 p.m. | Stephens-Lee Community Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave., Asheville | Free | Bust a move to all your favorite old school dances from back in the day.
Speakeasy Improv Presents: Improv Jams | Thursday, Mar. 16, Thursday, Apr. 20 | 7-9 p.m. | Story Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd., Asheville | Free | Enjoy a free night of speakeasy-style improv and play.

Friday, March 17

St. Waggy’s Day | Friday, Mar. 17 | 5-7 p.m. | Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton St., Asheville | Free | Bring your pups out for some happy tail-wagging at this pawesome St. Patrick’s Day Pawty.
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.
Story Mixer: Gathering of the Bards | Friday, Mar. 17 | 7-10 p.m. | Story Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd., Asheville | $20-$25 | Celebrate the magic, mysteries, and muses of the Emerald Isle at this event featuring art, stories, music, and poetry.
ATLiens, best of Atlanta Comedy Showcase | Friday, Mar. 17 | 8-10 p.m. | GiGi’s Underground, 122-002 College Ave., Asheville | $15 | Be delighted by a surprise roster of hilarious Atlanta comedians.

We have a calendar filled with events and 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

NEWS NOTES

Weather

52º | Sunny | 3% chance of rain

Traffic

Construction on the future I-26 bridge has begun. The new bridge will be wide enough for three lanes. Officials plan to keep two lanes of traffic open for the majority of the time with minimal lane closures. The new bridge is expected to be completed by March 2027. (WLOS)

Civic

The City of Asheville has hired Keith Aitken as its new urban forester. Currently a recreation program leader for Asheville Parks and Recreation, Keith will begin Monday, March 20. Among other responsibilities, the urban forester position is intended to help implement the Tree Canopy Protection Ordinance Amendment. Good luck, Keith. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

Closed

TreeRock Social Cider and Mead Bar and Shop (760 Biltmore Ave.) will permanently close its doors on Sunday, March 19. The craft cidery has been open since November 2017. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

Cause

Local nonprofit Babies Need Bottoms recently distributed its one millionth diaper to area families. To celebrate, it’s partnering with Asheville Outlets + Mission Health to host a diaper drive. Want to help? Drop off supplies at collection bins located in the Asheville Outlets Food Court from March 17-31. (WLOS)

Arts

Grammy award-winning singer songwriter Loudon Wainwright III will perform at the Tryon Fine Arts Center (34 Melrose Ave.) on Saturday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. This NC native has worked with artists including Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, and son Rufus. Interested? Get tickets.

Eat

Chef Terri Terrell has shared her recipe for Southern-style shakshuka. Using collards in place of peppers + tomatoes, smoked paprika and Urfa chili, the breakfast dish also includes smoked paprika, Urfa chili, and red miso paste from American Miso Co. for a rich umami flavor. Get thee to the kitchen. (Edible Asheville)

Try This

Wanna learn more about Asheville’s automotive history? Catch Mountaineer Motor Tours’ presentation on Thursday, April 27 at Central United Methodist Church (27 Church St.) at 5 p.m. Presented on behalf of the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County, the event will be an informative drive down memory lane.

Wellness

AG1 by Athletic Greens is so much more than “greens.” With one scoop, AG1 empowers the gut for whole-body health. (And, ICYMI, we can’t achieve a healthier everything else without a healthy gut.) Try it and receive a free one year supply of vitamin D and 5 free travel packs.*

Watch

It’s time for biscuits with the boss. Season three of “Ted Lasso” premieres today only on Apple TV+, which means AFC Richmond is hitting the pitch and Jason Sudeikis will surely have some feel-good life advice for us. Bonus: Get your first week free when you sign up to stream. 📺 *

Finance

This Princeton grad’s startup raised $161 million to help people plan for retirement — and its free tool can match you with up to three vetted financial advisors serving your area who can help you work towards a more comfortable retirement. Try it out for yourself.*

Travel

Looking for a vibrant place with scenic outdoors and an expansive culinary scene? Explore Greenville, SC where eclectic dining, outdoor adventures + natural beauty awaits. Check out travel inspo so you can start planning your trip.*

Correction

We recently featured Sourhouse, a brand featured in our online store Six & Main. This brand doesn’t create starter kits for sourdough bread but creates simple tools for sourdough bakers to care for their starters. The Goldie by Sourhouse + Cooling Puck is one of the most popular items. 🍞

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

TRAVEL

Stress less at the airport ✈️

Cut down your travel time with TSA PreCheck. | Photo via Pexels

Planning a spring getaway? Don’t forget to add TSA PreCheck enrollment to your pre-vacay to-do list.

The government program provides an expedited security lane at 200+ airports for travelers that pass a security screening — which includes a short application and a 10-minute in-person enrollment appointment — and are given a Known Traveler Number. Bonus: The screening is good for five years and costs $78.

The main benefit of enrolling? Save time when traveling. Recent data found that 96% of TSA PreCheck passengers spent less than five minutes at airport security checkpoints.

To apply, find out if you are eligible, then fill out an application and schedule an appointment at a nearby enrollment center. Most people will know if their application has been approved within three to five days.

Psst — don’t forget to read our airport guide before heading to AVL, and grab these airport essentials: a memory foam travel pillow, this smart luggage carry-on set, and an AirFly wireless headphones transmitter.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Brook.

Editor’s pick: All this talk about pizzas has me wondering about great weird flavor combinations. Who’s out there making bologna sandwich pies? Or Southern breakfast pies with livermush and eggs? If you know, please let us know.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Find out the story behind Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn’s poppin’ business.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Laura Hackett, Brook Bolen, Erin McPherson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Helen Purnell | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

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