A house designed

A home constructed

• Imagination Monday | Monday, June 17 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Weaver Park, 200 Murdock Ave., Asheville | Free | Let the little ones play the morning away with building blocks, tunnels, and games.
• Summer Solstice Fire Circle | Monday, June 17-Saturday, June 22 | 8:30-10 p.m. | Verde Villa Sanctuary & Healing Center, 2001 Cane Creek Rd., Fletcher | Free | Gather around the fire with your instruments to share music + stories and to celebrate the season — donations are encouraged.

• The Blood Connection Blood Drive | Tuesday, June 18 | 1-6 p.m. | Taproom at Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy., Ste. 200, Asheville | Free | Raise a glass to saving lives with a blood drive at the brewery — donors will receive $50 worth of e-gift cards.
• Western NC Music Community Meetup | Tuesday, June 18 | 5-7:30 p.m. | Citizen Vinyl, 14 O. Henry Ave., Asheville | Free | Network with other music industry pros, and hear about the work of Come Hear NC and the Confluence conference.
• Trivia with Billy at The Funk | Tuesday, June 18 | 7-9 p.m. | The Funkatorium, 147 Coxe Ave., Asheville | Free | Win Wicked Weed gift cards at The Funkatorium in this weekly free trivia event.*

• Introduction to Pollinators | Wednesday, June 19 | 10-11:30 a.m. | Reems Creek Nursery, 76 Monticello Rd., Weaverville | Free, RSVP | Get to know the lives of local pollinators, then join a conservation conversation.
• Wine By the Vines | Wednesday, June 19 | 6-8 p.m. | Gemelli, 70 Westgate Pkwy., Asheville | $65 | Savor a five-course dinner with wine pairings from Umbria, a region of central Italy.

• “Style Wars” | Thursday, June 20 | 5-9 p.m. | Asheville Art Museum, 2 S. Pack Square, Asheville | Free with admission | Explore the hip-hop subculture of New York City in the 70s + 80s with a documentary focused on graffiti and breakdancing.
• Antonia Lassar | Thursday, June 20 | 8-10 p.m. | Jewish Community Center of Asheville, 236 Charlotte St., Asheville | $20 | Laugh at the realities of Jewish life during “The Best Jew” with the queer comedian, actor, and co-host of the Yenta Podcast, as part of the J Art Fest.

• PBR Tryon | Friday, June 21-Saturday, June 22 | Times vary | Tryon International Equestrian Center, 25 International Blvd., Mill Spring | $30-$480 | Experience the thrills of PBR (plus live music, a free Friday car show + more) this weekend — and save up to 30% on tickets with code DAD to give the gift that bucks.*

• An unexpected utility discovery was made during work on the Carter-Ann-Patton stormwater project, so you might need to review your late-night route. From tonight, June 17 at 7 p.m. to tomorrow, June 18 at 7 a.m., a portion of Patton Avenue and connecting streets will be closed. Take a look at the affected area.

• Bite Me AVL, the new food festival debuting in August, has started to whet our appetites. Last week, it released the round one lineup of chefs and restaurants who will be cooking up something cool later this summer. The lineup includes Ashleigh Shanti, Luis Martinez, Eda Rhyne, Cultura, and lots more.

• Last month, South Paw opened its South Asheville doors at 1996 Hendersonville Rd., which was previously occupied by Margarita’s Grill. Inside you’ll find cocktails, craft beer, and an elevated casual menu from former Early Girl Eatery chef Billy Green. Bonus: South Paw is open until midnight, so it’s another spot to add to our late-night eats list.

• Renovations are reaching new heights. The US Department of Transportation presented Asheville Regional Airport with a $3.5 million grant for a new air traffic control tower, as part of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Check out what else is expanding at AVL. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

• UNC Asheville Chancellor Kimberly van Noort shared a proposal for removing several academic programs to confront a $6 million deficit. The proposal includes eliminating Ancient Mediterranean Studies, Drama, Philosophy, and Religious Studies and removing concentrations in French and German. (Blue Ridge Public Radio)

• On Friday, June 14, Hummingbird Candle Co. announced its closing, citing some economic challenges and primarily a spiritual calling as the reason for the decision. In its five years of business, the company donated more than $40,000 to women in the community.

• Get in on the ground floor of local development. The City of Asheville announced upcoming board vacancies for the Planning and Zoning Commission, which reviews zoning proposals and development applications, performs studies and surveys, and advises the City Council. Submit an application by Monday, Aug. 5.

• Buncombe County’s second ever cohort of Community Health Worker-Violence Prevention Professionals received their official certification last Friday. The 11 organizations, including My Daddy Taught Me That and Operation Gateway, were trained in public health and strategies for violence prevention. Learn more about the certification.

• Did you know you could finance your fixer-upper with home equity? You could get up to $50K with a HELOC — calculate your payment.*

• The top four choices for future priorities were “providing equitable access to housing, addressing homelessness, providing equitable access to quality healthcare, and addressing gun violence.”
• Sixty percent of respondents indicated that the county was a “good” or “excellent” place to live.
• More than 60% of respondents were satisfied with library, EMS, emergency 911, election, and parks + rec services. Development, planning, and zoning received 16.8% satisfaction.