05.23.2023

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Today’s Forecast

42º | Cloudy | 0% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 7:40 a.m. | Sunset 5:30 p.m.

🐦 Season’s tweetings

20 birds to look and listen for this season

The Eastern Phoebe perched on a branch. | Photo by Andrew Cannizzaro

Hear that outside? With the nonstop chiming and chirping all over Asheville, it’s the perfect time to get into birdwatching. Lucky for us, North Carolina is home to hundreds of year-round and migrating bird species, meaning there’s plenty of opportunities to enjoy this free and joyful hobby.

In honor of our feathered friends, we’re sharing 20 of the birds you may be seeing (or hearing) in your backyard or around the Blue Ridge Parkway now, plus a few tips to help you perfect your bird watch approach.

Black-throated Green Warbler

Known as a relentless songbird, this sweet, lemon-faced bird loves mountain forests and can been spotted in high branches along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Its song is distinct and sounds a bit like if someone chanted “trees trees I love trees.”

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

This zippy, compact bird is often described as jewel-like, due to its vibrant shades of green and red. You can help beckon this bird into your yard with a flower garden. Another interesting fact: this bird is eastern North America’s sole breeding hummingbird. In early fall, they migrate to Central America.

Tree Swallows

These handsome, chipper blue birds are often the first spring migrants to arrive in the Blue Ridge Mountains each year. These birds are also know for having acrobatic flight patterns (especially when chasing down bugs). You can often find them nesting in tree cavities, with a song that’s high-pitched and split into three sounds: a chirp, whine, and gurgle.

17 more birds + birdwatching tips

Events

Tuesday, May 23

Spanish Language Conversation Practice Group | Tuesday, May 23 | 5:30-6:30 p.m. | Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St., Asheville | Free | Work on your Spanish speaking skills at this monthly event geared towards intermediate-level speakers.
Plants and Cider Pop Up with Bountiful Cities | Tuesday, May 23 | 5-8 p.m. | Urban Orchard Cider Co., 210 Haywood Rd., Asheville | Free | Shop the plant sale and seed pop up while enjoying a cider — $1 from each pour of the April Skies cider benefits Bountiful Cities.

Wednesday, May 24

Rhythm of Women | Wednesday, May 24 | 7 p.m. | The Elephant Door, 126 Swannanoa River Rd., Asheville | $15-$25 | Explore the beats and traditions of West African drumming at this women-only drum circle.
Woof Wednesdays | Wednesday, May 24 | 3-9 p.m. | Whistle Hop Brewing Co., 1278 Charlotte Hwy., Fairview | Free | Raise a glass to the pups of Asheville Humane Society, with 10% of taproom sales benefiting the organization.

Thursday, May 25

Stout Six Ways | Thursday, May 25 | 12-11 p.m. | Burial Beer Co., 40 Collier Ave., Asheville | Free | Enjoy a flight of stouts from Burial Beer Co. with delicious doughnut pairings from Vortex Doughnuts.
Forest Bathing with Fireflies | Thursday, May 25 | 7:45-10:45 p.m. | Secret Location, Revealed to attendees three days prior to event, Asheville | $125 | Trek into the forest at night to see the Blue Ghost fireflies glimmer and glow.

Friday, May 26

GrindFest | Friday, May 26-Sunday, May 28 | 9 a.m. | Depot Street, Asheville | Free | Expect music, games, live performances, food, local vendors, and employment + partnership opportunities, all in the name of celebrating Black entrepreneurs and businesses.
White Squirrel Weekend | Friday, May 26-Sunday, May 28 | 5:30-10:30 p.m. | Downtown Brevard | Free | Dedicated to WNC’s iconic white squirrels, this fest boasts free concerts as well as plenty of locally made food, art, and crafts.
ABSFest Burlesque & Sideshow Festival 2023 | Friday, May 26 | 7-10:30 p.m. | The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave., Asheville | $25-$35 | Asheville’s original burlesque festival returns for its 14th year, attracting renowned circus and burlesque artists from across the country.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Festival

Tickets are now available for Chow Chow Food + Culture Festival, happening in Pack Square Park from Friday, Sept. 9 to Sunday, Sept. 11. Weekend and single-day passes are available for festivalgoers to celebrate Southern Appalachian cuisine.

Drink

Appalachian Mountain Brewery is making headlines. The Boone-based craft brewers are the first-ever to buy themselves back from Anheuser-Busch. To make this news even sweeter, the founders and Asheville natives are planning to open a Mills River taproom early this summer.

Traffic

Sections of Broadway Avenue and Biltmore Avenue will be closed from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. for improvements starting on Tuesday, May 30. The project will be split into four sections, with two nights of work planned for each section. Find the work schedule here to plan your routes.

Network

Thrive Coworking is teaming up with the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce for its first Business After Hours event. Head to its newest location at Grove Arcade tonight, May 23 from 5:30-7 p.m. for an evening of networking, food, drinks, and raffle prizes.

Outdoors

Head to Hendersonville’s Main Street this weekend, Saturday, May 27-Sunday, May 28 for the 30th Garden Jubilee. Immerse yourself in the garden wonderland as you walk through the streets lined with plants, flowers, shrubs, trees, herbs, yard tools, and outdoor accessories.

Arts

The Asheville Art Museum will debut “The Art of Food” exhibit in the Explore Asheville Exhibition Hall on Thursday, June 15. The collection features 100+ art pieces of various disciplines by 37 artists — including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and David Hockney. The exhibit will run through Sunday, October 22.

Active

Contemplating an e-bike purchase? Upway — the No. 1 certified e-bike provider — sells top-quality electric bikes up to 60% cheaper than retail. Shop top e-bike brands in new or like-new condition. Bonus: Your bike will ship right to your door, so you can immediately experience the sheer joy of effortless travel.*

Food

Taste America comes to Asheville

James Beard Foundation’s Taste America comes to Asheville

Inside La Bodega. | Photo by Whitney Anderson

This one’s for you, Asheville foodies. Our city is the first stop in the latest iteration of the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America — a culinary series highlighting local, independent restaurants in 20 cities across the country + celebrating the diversity of American food culture.

On Thursday, July 20, Taste America: Asheville will present a multi-course dinner at La Bodega by Cúrate. Check out the chefs behind the menu:

Matt Caudle of Cúrate
Christine Ha and Tony Nguyen of Xin Chào (Houston, TX)
Matt Brown of La Bodega By Cúrate

The menu will reflect the signature style of each chef — plus, there will be beverage pairings for each course.

Tickets can be purchased per pair for $370 for the first seating at 5:30 p.m. or the second seating at 8 p.m. This event is 21+ and diners must present a valid ID.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Grace

From the editor

Enjoy a delicious dinner tonight while giving back. Buxton Hall Barbecue is hosting its Give Back Night tonight with 10% of proceeds going to Isaac Dickson Elementary School.

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