Plus, an AI haunted house.
 
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Today’s Forecast

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

History

Weaving an Appalachian yarn
view of the mountains outside burnsville north carolina
These mountains are full of stories. | Photo by AVLtoday
Oral traditions in Southern Appalachia are the result of generations of storytelling across cultures and socioeconomic spheres. The traditions are a learned method of coping with hardship, sharing wisdom, preserving history, providing entertainment, and understanding the world. William Faulkner famously said of the Southern disposition, “We need to talk, to tell, since oratory is our heritage.”

Folklorist Richard M. Dorson considered Southern Appalachia to be “folklore’s natural habitat,” so a history of oral storytelling in the region could take up a whole book (and has, many times). But since the art is so alive and well in our little part of WNC, we’re going to give it a quick look.

Back in time

The rich oral traditions of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have been in the region for thousands of years — in fact, a written version of the Cherokee language was invented by Cherokee scholar Sequoyah only in 1821 to preserve the oral language and cultural traditions and help unify the people as Europeans encroached on their territory.

Of the Europeans, the decedents of pre-written-history Celts tended to be the ones settling in the mountains, and oral storytelling in the region is often traced back to these Scotch Irish settlers of the 18th century. The mythic oral arts already present in the Celtic culture stayed in the communities that they began to build in Appalachia.

However, many of the folktales of our region come from Cherokee and African American people. Especially during these early years, oral storytelling gave a voice to the voiceless and was a way for historical documentation to be passed down even if a group’s history was subject to erasure by dominating powers.

Into the 1930s and beyond, Appalachian writers — like Asheville’s very own Thomas Wolfe — kept many of these oral elements in their work and brought folklore into literature. The writings tend to be lyrical and open-ended, chronicling the (sometimes autobiographical) lives of ordinary people.
Music + modernity
 
Events
Wednesday, Oct. 11
  • Brave Voices | Wednesday, Oct. 11 | 6-8 p.m. | New Belgium Brewing, 21 Craven St., Asheville | $15 | Multi-talented performer Divine Holeburn will take the stage for the one-person drag show, “I Am What I Am” — with help from the Asheville Gay Men’s Chorus.
  • Community Choice | Wednesday, Oct. 11 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St., Asheville | Free | Join the community for open time with family activities, puzzles, board games, and arts + crafts.
Thursday, Oct. 12
  • Autumn in Asheville | Thursday, Oct. 12 | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | Brumit Center for Hospitality - A-B Tech Main Campus, 30 Tech Dr., Asheville | $150 | Enjoy food, drinks, and the expertise of the culinary and hospitality students + their faculty, and make a bid at the live and silent auctions.
  • The Splatter Play! | Thursday, Oct. 12-Saturday, October 21 | 7:30 p.m. | The Magnetic Theatre, 375 Depot St., Asheville | $25-$30 | The play follows Tina on the day of the open house for her childhood home/mother’s evil laboratory — certain rows will be in the splash zone.
  • Mission Health Hiring Event | Thursday, Oct. 12 | 4-6 p.m. | The Sherrill Center and Kimmell Arena, 227 Campus Dr., Asheville | Free | Learn about Mission Health career opportunities, speak to representatives + come prepared for on-the-spot interviews.*
Friday, Oct. 13
  • Eliada Fall Festival and Corn Maze | Friday, Oct. 13 | 3-7 p.m. | Eliada Homes, 2 Compton Dr., Asheville | $12-$30 | Get your fill of corn cannons, hay rides, lawn games, and food trucks, then explore the corn maze.
  • Speakeasy Improv’s Art Night | Friday, Oct. 13 | 7-9:30 p.m. | Story Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd., Asheville | $15 | Art and laughs are on offer during this night of improv and stand-up.
Saturday, Oct. 14
  • Harvest Festival | Saturday, Oct. 14 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | WNC Farmers Market , 570 Brevard Rd., Asheville | Free | Soak in the crisp mountain air and enjoy an antique tractor parade, the Grand Opening of WNC FoodWorks Kitchen, kids games, apple tasting, live music, local food + more.*
Events calendar here
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News Notes
Opening
  • Taco Boy has announced the long-anticipated opening of its new Biltmore Park location. The restaurant will be serving up scratch-made tacos and fruity margaritas at 2 Town Square Blvd., Ste. 120 starting Friday, Oct. 20. Swing by for lunch or dinner.
Community
  • Get the scoop on affordable housing at the 4th Annual WNC Affordable Housing Fair on Saturday, Oct. 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Experts will be at the East Asheville Library to offer information and resources to renters, potential homeowners, and people experiencing homelessness or other housing barriers.
Seasonal
  • This weekend’s unexpected chill is good news for autumn colors. Fall foliage forecasters say low temperatures will encourage the trees’ color development and that color peak is right on track for WNC — we should see it on the Blue Ridge Parkway around Friday, Oct. 20 + in Asheville around Wednesday, Oct. 25. (Asheville Citizen-Times)
Shop
  • Feels like we’ve found a pot of gold. East Fork Pottery is hosting an Asheville Seconds Sale that’s non-ticketed and open to the public on Sunday, Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Make sure to bring your own bag and packing materials to handle your haul.
Theater
  • We’ve all heard the refrain, “AI is dangerous” — now get ready to live it. On Friday, Oct. 27 + Saturday, Oct. 28 at Art Garden AVL, Hauntville will take you on a terrifying tour through a psychological haunted house that explores a new AI world. Get your tickets.
Eat
  • The North Carolina Food and Beverage Podcast is hosting the inaugural Bubbles and Brats: A Champtober Fest on Saturday, Oct. 28 at new event venue, the Oaks at Daniels Ridge. Guests will gather for the culinary offerings of regional chefs and a celebration of good food, good drinks, and good company.
Environment
  • Join the WNC Sierra Club on Wednesday, Nov. 1 for a free talk with Jack Igelman. At 7 p.m. at UNC Asheville’s Reuter Center, the investigative reporter will discuss historical threats to the French Broad River + ongoing efforts to get the North Fork a Wild and Scenic River designation. Join in person or online.
Edu
  • Thinking about going to UNC Asheville? Attend a Fall Open House this Saturday, Oct. 14 to tour the campus, speak to faculty, learn about financial aid, and discover what makes the university unique. See the schedule + register.*
Featured Deal
  • Fall is well on its way and that means cooler temps aren’t far behind. If you’d rather not be left out in the cold (literally) MB HAYNES is now offering $750 off a new heating and air conditioning system. One offer per customer that cannot be combined with any other offer.*
Trending
 
Talk

Events

Tell us a tale at AVLtoday’s storytelling open mic
highland brewing barrel room asheville
Join us at Highland’s Barrel Room for an evening of recitation. | Photo by AVLtoday
We spend our days searching for stories and celebrating all that our city has to offer — so now seemed like a good time to bring those stories from your screen out into the real world. City Editors Molly + Grace will be hosting a free storytelling open mic on Monday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. at Highland Brewing’s Barrel Room.

Step into the spotlight, and share your ~5-minute story around the theme of “Pride in Place.” This could be a time that your neighborhood rallied around someone in need, a moment of inspiring local creativity, a memory of Asheville that brings you joy — anything that makes you proud to be here.

Even if you don’t have a tale of your own to tell, swing by for a listen and a drink. Highland can also help if you need a little courage to get up on stage. You can register online now.
Shop

Shop Group A 10.11.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)
Seasonal
  • These Halloween-inspired earrings from Eleven + Jane will spook up any outfit. Add a ghostly touch to your look with the Cowboy Up Ghost Earrings.
Pets
Home
Eat
Trending
  • The internet’s favorite tumbler — the 40-oz. Stanley Quencher — is in stock in cute colors like pool, jade, and orchid.
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The Wrap
 
Molly Wilson.jpeg

Today’s edition by:
Molly
From the editor
While we’re ruminating on language, I’m dedicating this Wrap to a correction from a reader, who let me know that the title for last week’s article about the Carolina Mountain Cheese Festival wasn’t quite landing. With the correct pronunciation of “gouda” — pronounced how-duh in the Netherlands, the cheese’s country of origin — my “let the gouda times roll” pun doesn’t work. I’m not too bleu about it. I’ll just dedicate myself to other brie-lliant cheese puns.
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