Finer fare

Rooftop views

Low-key locations

Bars and breweries

• Southside Halloween Festival | Monday, Oct. 23 | 5-8 p.m. | Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St., Asheville | $5 | Don your costume and dig into pumpkin carving, face painting, classic horror movies, music, snacks, and a costume contest — kids under 14 must be with an adult.
• Blind Date Live | Monday, Oct. 23 | 7 p.m. | The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave., Asheville | $22-$25 | Watch as real Asheville singles fall in love, sight unseen — plus, dress up to fit the 80’s slasher prom theme.
• Coco Live-to-Film Concert | Monday, Oct. 23-Tuesday, Oct. 24 | 7:30-9:45 p.m. | WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr., Cullowhee | $5-$25 | Experience Disney and Pixar’s “Coco” like never before — set to the magic of a live orchestra.*

• The Blood Connection Blood Drive | Tuesday, Oct. 24 | 1-6 p.m. | Taproom at Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy., Ste. 200, Asheville | Free | Make an appointment to help contribute to an urgent need and get an e-gift card.
• Punch Bucket Lit Halloween Rapid Read | Tuesday, Oct. 24 | 6:30-9 p.m. | rEvolve Mercantile, 697 Haywood Rd., Asheville | Free | Settle in for 10 writers’ interpretations of the scary, horrifying, creepy, and unsettling — then you can purchase a tarot card reading or raffle tickets with cool prizes.
• Intro to Tarot Workshop | Tuesday, Oct. 24 | 7-9 p.m. | West Asheville Yoga Studio, 602 Haywood Rd., Asheville | $30 | Flex your intuition muscles while you learn about the tarot system, practice with cards, and see sample decks.

• Wolfbat Mask Making | Wednesday, Oct. 25-Friday, Oct. 27 | 3-7 p.m. | New Belgium Brewing Co., 21 Craven St., Asheville | Free | Create a cool 3D, cardboard, or paper mache mask during this workshop, then show it off at the Wolfbat Wicked Walk on Saturday — choose a free or paid mask option.
• Old Time Jam | Wednesday, Oct. 25 | 5-9 p.m. | Jack of the Wood, 95 Patton Ave., Asheville | Free | Tap your foot to the beat of traditional Appalachian tunes from local musicians during this weekly jam.

• Taylor Swift 1989 Pre-Release Dance Party | Thursday, Oct. 26 | 6-11 p.m. | Asheville Sports Club, 137 Coxe Ave., Asheville | $19.89 | If you missed the Eras Tour or you’re just a hardcore Swiftie, stop by for a dance, Eras Tour outfit contest, vendors, drinks, and a Glitter Bar.

• On Thursday, Oct. 19, Buncombe County hosted a groundbreaking for the General Services Complex, slated to open by late summer 2024. It’s the first 10,000+ sqft new construction to meet LEED gold standards. The facility will have a backup energy source to operate during emergencies + will prioritize sustainability during construction.

• The French Broad Hotel was approved and can move forward with permitting and construction after a meeting of the City of Asheville Design Review Committee on Thursday, Oct. 19. The property — currently two houses at 19 S. French Broad Ave — will be a small, 15-room hotel. Two other proposed hotels in the same area still require stages of approval. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

• The City of Asheville will be continuing its Homelessness Learning Series, with upcoming dates repeating the topics of October’s three-part series. Nov. 2 and Dec. 4 will discuss an understanding of homelessness, Nov. 9 and Dec. 11 will cover solutions, and Nov. 16 and Dec. 18 will discuss personal responses. Pre-registration is recommended.

• Buncombe County Special Collections is celebrating National Archives Month with two spooky events at East Asheville Library. The team will share basic care tips for photographs during Truck of Troubles on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. Then, explore creepy history with spine-chilling specimens + haunted tales on Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 5-7 p.m.

• During the monthly series Green Drinks, retired MountainTrue ecologist + native plants expert Bob Gale will give a talk called “If You Plant It, They Will Come.” On Thursday, Nov. 9 at Trailside Brewing Co., the presentation will discuss nonnative invasive plants, control methods, and moving your yard to a more natural ecosystem.

• In case you missed it, Ashevegas Hot Sheet reported last week that Buxton Hall Barbecue will close its doors on Wednesday, Nov. 22. Reasoning for the beloved restaurant’s closing has yet to be shared. A Chai Pani Restaurant Group representative says that more news will be shared in the coming months. We mistakenly forgot the link in Friday’s newsletter and hope you’ll read more on their site.

• Get a personal perspective of our local national park. The Great Smoky Mountains Association has published “Letters from the Smokies,” a collection of written archival accounts, like a road trip story from a celebrated ornithologist or an account of an artificial lake that never happened, spanning 230+ years. Purchase at the visitor center or online.

• Looking for a way to give back as a group? The Blood Connection is looking for blood drive hosts. Blood donors support and directly impact the healthcare that is provided in our community — you bring the donors and TBC will help host a blood drive. Learn more + sign up to host.*

• If you’re parting with $80 to $100 every month for phone services, it’s time for a change. Get unlimited data, talk, and text with Boost Mobile for $12.50 for your first month.*