06.20.2023

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Today’s Forecast

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

🦚 The story of a peacock gone rogue

A rogue peacock has been roaming the Blue Ridge Parkway

The peacock in question, shortly before it was picked up by a Park Ranger at the Green Knob Overlook | Photo @appexposures

A rogue peacock has been spotted on the Blue Ridge Parkway, throughout Mount Mitchell State Park, and in a Black Mountain resident’s backyard. The showy bird has even crashed an engagement shoot.

But where did the mysterious, shimmering bird come from? We spoke with witnesses around town, as well as the National Park Service, to suss out what happened with this feathered runaway and the bird’s current whereabouts.

One of the first known sightings of the bird came from local photographer Halley Burleson about three weeks ago. According to Halley, the bird “showed up on the Blue Ridge Parkway just below Mt. Mitchell... it managed to survive and traveled several miles along the [Parkway] before being caught by a ranger.” She added that the bird was “sent to its new home with a very kind lady named Stephanie.”

Around the same time, wedding photographer Megan Gielow also had a run-in with the bird at Mount Mitchell State Park — in the middle of an engagement shoot. “It seemed like it lived on a farm or was someone’s pet. It wasn’t scared of us at all,” she shared.

rogue peacock in asheville — The peacock interrupting a wedding shoot.
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Photo by Megan Gielow, MorningWild Photography

Several other locals also shared sightings of the peacock, often while hiking. One Instagram user, @lifewithwinstomandluna, said they “tried for an hour on Friday to catch him” and that “he was determined to become a wild peacock.”

The peacock has also made at least one house call. According to Black Mountain resident Patricia Welker, it visited her backyard on May 24. “I heard an unusual bird call outside the window one morning and was totally shocked to look out and see this beautiful creature,” she shared.

“He stayed around my house for about seven hours, allowed me to get close to him, ate seeds, drank water, and rested in the shade. About 4:00 he decided to move on and headed north.”

Here's what happened next...

Events

Tuesday, June 20

Ryan Monroe (Band of Horses) + Josh Roberts | Tuesday, June 20 | 7 p.m. | The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave., Asheville | $10-$12 | The duo is back for the first time in 20 years, playing tunes with support from local band Analog Moon.

Wednesday, June 21

North Asheville Family Bird Walk | Wednesday, June 21 | 9-10:30 a.m. | 1030 Merrimon Ave., Asheville | Free | Join members of the Blue Ridge Audubon Society for a bird-watching excursion around Beaver Lake Sanctuary.
Summer Solstice Maker’s Market | Wednesday, June 21 | 5-8 p.m. | New Belgium Brewing Company, 21 Craven St., Asheville | Free | Support local artisans by shopping from wares and crafts in addition to tarot card readings and henna tattoos — plus, a special beer release.

Thursday, June 22

Min Xiao-Fen’s New Film Scores Performed Live | Thursday, June 22 | 8 p.m. | Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, 120 College St., Asheville | $15 | See multi-instrumentalist Min Xiao-Fen perform two original film scores for two historical Chinese silent films from the 1920s, “Romance of the Fruit Peddler” and “Romance of the Western Chamber.”
Moose Tracks 10,000 Scoop Challenge | Thursday, June 22 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Pack Square Park, 121 College St., Asheville | Free | Enjoy a free scoop of ice cream while supporting MANNA FoodBank.

Friday, June 23

Fleet Foxes | Friday, June 23 | 7 p.m. | Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Ave., Asheville | $49.50-$55 | See the indie-folk band perform as part of its Shore Tour with support from Uwade.
Pack Square Artisan Market | Friday, June 23-Friday, Oct. 27 | 1-8 p.m. | N. Pack Square, Asheville | Free | This family-friendly, juried market features handmade goods from local + independent artists.

Sunday, June 24

Art in the Park | Saturday, June 24 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Pack Square Park, 1 South Pack Square Park, Asheville | Free | Explore glass, ceramic, wood, jewelry, and metal artworks at this market showcasing handcrafted creations.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Announced

Earn prizes for referring friends

Are you ready to get rewarded for spreading the word about the newsletter? | Graphic by 6AM City

We’re excited to announce that our referral program has been revamped. Yes, you can be rewarded for spreading the word about the newsletter.

How does it work? You can find the referral section near The Wrap in the newsletter. One referral is equal to one point. You’ll receive the point when your friends confirm they want to be signed up for the newsletter. It’s a tiered reward system — as you earn more points, you unlock bigger and more rewards. Look forward to receiving exclusive products you won’t find in our online store such as hats, mugs, blankets, a paid-for night out on the town, and more.

As part of our new and improved referral program, we’re offering all newsletter subscribers an additional 15% discount to our online store (Six & Main), just use coupon code REFTDY23 at checkout. The offer is good until Monday, July 24, 2023.

Questions? Send us an email here.

See giveaway terms & conditions.

News Notes

Weather

Expect a significant amount of rain through Friday, June 23. Rain totals may reach several inches by the end of next week and some flooding is possible. (WLOS)

Community

Breakfast and lunch will be free for all students at Buncombe County Schools this upcoming school year. There will also be a Universal Meal program for students at Nesbitt Discovery Academy.

Opening

The Draftsman, a new basement bar and bowling alley inside The Restoration hotel, will have its grand opening on Wednesday, June 21. Expect plenty of local brews and live entertainment that kicks off at 7 p.m.

Civic

The City of Asheville officially has a “Drone Unit” for its police and fire departments. This new aerial technology will, according to a spokesperson, help the city respond more quickly to emergency situations, survey large areas, and provide support during critical incidents. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

Cause

Homeward Bound has launched a $65,000 fundraising campaign to raise money for a new box truck. The nonprofit’s current truck — a crucial instrument in its work to move people into new homes — is ten years old and experiencing mechanical difficulties. The campaign ends on July 14.

Festival

Mark your calendars. The Asheville Greek Festival returns to the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on Friday, Sept. 22 and Saturday, Sept. 23. Expect dancing, music, and plenty of Greek delicacies, including baklava and moussaka.

Home

Need electricity? Don’t get caught unprepared — having a portable generator on hand means you can plug in a power tool on a job site or get emergency power at home (read: a nice + cool house in the drudgery of summer heat). Here’s how to choose the right one for your home.*

Eat

🍦 Scoop, there it is

Get a taste of Asheville as a flavor of ice cream

Are you team chocolate or vanilla? Personally, we’ll take a scoop of both. | Photo by AVLtoday

Calling all lovers of Asheville, warm weather, and ice cream. We want to know — if our city was a flavor of ice cream, what would it be? What local ingredients would it contain? Would it be ribboned with locally procured sea salt caramel or crumbled cookies from City Bakery?

Share your locally inspired ice cream flavor with us by Friday, June 30, and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter — just make sure it includes one to three local ingredients (bonus points if you list the local spot to source the ingredients and include a catchy name for your frosty concoction).

Need some inspiration? Here are two examples to get your stomachs grumbling:

🇺🇸 US: A waffle cone of vanilla bean ice cream laden with chunks of apple pie.

🇯🇵 Japan: A taiyaki filled with taro soft serve and topped with a black sesame cookie.

Serve us a flavor

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Laura

From the editor

And that’s a wrap, Asheville. Today was my final newsletter for AVLtoday. I so appreciate all of you reading and engaging with me over the years; it’s been an honor to do this job. If you’d like to stay in touch, you can reach me at lhackett@bpr.org or follow me on LinkedIn.

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