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• Fundamentals of West Coast Swing | Tuesday, April 16 | 6-6:50 p.m. | Stephens-Lee Community Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave., Asheville | $12 | Step onto the dance floor to learn the basics — no experience is needed.
• Dark City Poets Society Poetry Night | Tuesday, April 16 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Oak & Grist Distillery, 1556 Grovestone Rd., Black Mountain | Free | Share your poems or sit back + listen — $1 from every classic cocktail goes to the Black Mountain Library.

• The Amazing World of Plants | Wednesday, April 17 | 4-5 p.m. | West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Rd., Asheville | Free | Little ones can learn from the North Carolina Arboretum about what makes a plant a plant, how plants make their food, and which species call WNC home.
• Open Mic Night | Wednesday, April 17 | 6-8 p.m. | Wagbar, 320 Merrimon Ave., Weaverville | Free | Bring your furry friends for a weekly showcase of local talent (and some delicious treats).

• Farm Workshop: Tropical Perennials as Temperate Annuals | Thursday, April 18 | 1-3 p.m. | SAHC Community Farm Event Venue, 180 Mag Sluder Rd., Alexander | $20 | Join The Utopian Seed Project’s Chris Smith to cover the care of crops like taro, turmeric, and sweet potato.
• Bicycle Day Eve Grateful Dead Dance Party | Thursday, April 18 | 7-11 p.m. | One World Brewing - West Asheville, 520 Haywood Rd., Asheville | $10 suggested donation | Dance the night away to commemorate Dr. Albert Hofmann’s 1943 bicycle ride after becoming the first person to intentionally ingest LSD.

• An Elevated Dining Experience | Friday, April 19 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Bear’s Smokehouse Barbecue, 135 Coxe Ave., Asheville | $89 | Take a seat for an indulgent, four-course menu paired with hand-crafted cocktails from Chemist Spirits.

• Heated infinity pool, game room, outdoor fireplace

• Pickleball court, bikes, paddleboards, and kayaks

• Ocean-view bedrooms, cliffside sauna, hot tub

• The deli is on a roll, so lettuce celebrate. Zella’s Deli announced the grand opening of its new space at 2372 US 70 in Swannanoa, the former site of Loott House. Get your fill of sandwiches and soups starting Monday, April 22.

• Buncombe County is looking for community volunteers to serve on two local committees. The Early Childhood Committee guides the investment of the Early Childhood Education and Development Fund and has five committee vacancies. The Strategic Partnership Grant Committee has one vacancy. Terms begin Monday, July 1, so apply online.

• The Asheville Museum of History selected David Joy’s “Those We Thought We Knew” as the winner of the 2023 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. The award, which recognizes printed works with a WNC focus, has been given annually since 1955. Get tickets for the 70th annual award presentation on Thursday, April 25.

• The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority announced the opening of the 2024 Tourism Product Development Fund (TPDF) grant cycle, which provides financial assistance to nonprofit and government organizations for tourism capital projects. Register for the info session on Wednesday, April 17.

• Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry is planning a $30 million shelter and housing expansion project over the next two years. The project includes a new 64-unit building with 128 beds, a 38-unit building of permanent supportive housing (PSH), and 96 PSH units at Veterans Restoration Quarters. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

• Don’t go chasing this waterfall. The Ramsey Cascades Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be closed Mondays through Thursdays, from now until Thursday, Nov. 14. The closure allows the National Park Service trail crews to finish the rehabilitation work that began in 2022.

• Asheville Regional Airport announced that Alexandra Farmer will serve as the new Chief Operations Officer, following current COO Michael Reisman’s retirement in June. Farmer is currently the Airport Operations Director for Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

• We recently toured “Interior Lives” and “Darrel Ellis: Regeneration” at the Columbia Museum of Art, and we now consider both exhibitions must-sees. Here’s why you won’t want to miss them.*

• Lower your energy bills before summer. Renewal by Andersen^® will replace old windows with beautiful, energy-efficient windows — get a free quote and shop a limited-time spring savings event.*