For the handy individuals

• Asheville Tool Library | Commit at least three months to training and you can assist this community-based lending library as a dedicated maintenance staff repair person or a tool inventory librarian — plus, explore short-term opportunities like tool sales and tool sharpening days.
• Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity | Sort donations in the ReStore, hammer nails on a construction site, or assist in the administrative office.

If you’re an animal lover

• Appalachian Wildlife Refuge | Help transport wildlife, operate the hotline, input animal care data, or get hands-on opportunities for animal care.
• Wild Heart Farm Sanctuary | Work with the sanctuary animals, tend to the community garden, or help keep up the property.
• Charlie’s Angels Animal Rescue | Take pups on walks, help with transportation or marketing, or become a foster pet parent.

For the outdoorsy types

• Dogwood Alliance | Wanna help protect forests? Volunteer for research, campaigning, outreach and media, fundraising, organization, management, and special events.
• Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy | Manage habitats for native species, remove trash from protected lands, host outreach events, and more.

Self-proclaimed bibliophiles

• Literacy Together | Serve as an ESOL tutor who helps immigrant adults learn English or as a youth literacy tutor who works with children who read, write, and/or spell below grade level.
• Read to Succeed | Work one-on-one or in small groups with K-5th grade students to boost literacy.
• The POP Project | Collect and sort book donations, make book deliveries, or research and write grants.

• No Man’s Land Film Festival | Tuesday, Nov. 28 | 7-9 p.m. | New Belgium Brewhouse, 21 Craven St., Asheville | Free with suggested donation | The all-women adventure film festival features environmentally-focused documentary shorts.
• Giving Tuesday & Pisgah Legal Services | Tuesday, Nov. 28 | 12 a.m.-11:59 p.m. | 62 Charlotte St., Asheville | Free | Support a local + effective nonprofit and help stop domestic violence in your community. Today, for Giving Tuesday, donors will match all gifts, and you’ll be entered to win fun prizes.*

• Old Time Jam | Wednesday, Nov. 29 | 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.
• Homemade Holiday Gifts From the Kitchen | Wednesday, Nov. 29 | 6-7:30 p.m. | WNC FoodWorks, 570 Brevard Rd., Ste. 9, Asheville | $30 | Give your loved one something sweet (or savory) this holiday season — the class teaches you to how to make and present some edible gifts.

• Building Our City: Urban Design Speaker Series | Thursday, Nov. 30 | 5:30-7 p.m. | The Collider, 1 Haywood St., Asheville | Free | Gregg Colburn, associate professor of real estate + author of “Homelessness is a Housing Problem,” will speak during the last session of this year’s series.
• Progressive Wine Dinner with Chef J Chong and Better Thymes | Thursday, Nov. 30 | 6:30 p.m. | Botanist & Barrel Tasting Bar + Bottle Shop, 32 Broadway St., Ste. 110, Asheville | $165 | Enjoy two courses from one chef, take a short walk with an entertaining stop along the way, then chow down on the next two courses with the second chef.

• LEAF Global Arts Holiday Pop-up Bazaar | Friday, Dec. 1 | 2-8 p.m. | LEAF Global Arts, 19 Eagle St., Asheville | $0-$5 suggested donation | This inaugural market will feature a craft-making station, music from LEAF Schools & Streets Teaching Artists + local musicians, and lots of goods from LEAF merchants.

• The City of Asheville is hosting an open house on Wednesday, Nov. 29 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Harrah’s Cherokee Center - Asheville to introduce a new planning project and feasibility study for the downtown Patton Avenue Corridor. The study will offer recommendations on transportation, land use, and urban design for the area.

• A proposal for a glamping development near Black Mountain will appear before the Board of Adjustment on Wednesday, Dec. 13. The property, called “Bel Air Asheville,” would include 89 units, a grocery store, spas, a petting zoo, a pickleball court, and more. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

• West Asheville’s Moo Cookie Company will be closing its doors this Sunday, Dec. 3 after its lease on the space was ended by the landlord. The company shared that it has not found another suitable location but will be keeping a look out. You can still stop by for a sweet treat before Sunday. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

• On Thursday, Dec. 7, four teams of students will present their blueprints for a UNC Asheville Entrepreneurship Lab inside Hatch Innovation Hub. Led by UNC Asheville’s Dr. Susan Clark Muntean, the pilot program plans to connect the campus with Hatch for expanded programming + career opportunities. Stop by to see the designs.

• The Merrimon Avenue music store, Musician’s Workshop, will be closing on Saturday, Dec. 30. The owners of the shop, which has been in business for 56 years, have expressed their intention to retire. Before the closing date, they’ll be offering sales and discounts to sell off the remaining inventory. (WLOS)

• One competitor just hit the right note. The NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition, which was held at Citizen Vinyl on Saturday, Nov. 18, announced Natalie Price of Austin, TX, as the 2023 Grand Prize Winner. Price will record a six-song EP at Citizen Studios. Jimmie Griffith of Lenoir, NC, was one of the runners up.

• If your little ones are itching for indoor activities as the winter days grow chillier, Buncombe County Libraries have issued a winter reading challenge. Between this Friday, Dec. 1 and Friday, Mar. 1, you can stop by any local library to pick up an activity sheet with lots of fun, educational undertakings — once they finish, you can turn the sheet in for a prize.

• It’s no secret that Christmas at Biltmore is something special — twinkling lights, glittering ornaments, cozy fires, and holiday spirit in the air. But Biltmore brings magic at every season, and you can see them all as a Biltmore Annual Passholder. Join now for a special limited-time offer of $209, a $90 savings off the regular price.*

• Unique gift alert: Get one-of-kind pottery, prints + more at UNC Asheville’s Fall 2023 Student Art & Ceramics Sale Friday, Dec. 1 and Saturday, Dec 2. Bonus: Proceeds benefit the Department of Art & Art History.*

• Feeling the urge to spruce up your space ahead of holiday hosting? Give those living areas a personalized + affordable uplift in time for guests with the help of the local design experts at Ambiente Modern Furniture.*