Mark your calendars

• Voter registration deadline | Friday, Oct. 11 — same-day registration will still be available during early voting.
• Early voting | Thursday, Oct. 17-Saturday, Nov. 2
• Absentee ballot request deadline | Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 5 p.m.
• Election Day | Tuesday, Nov. 5

Prepare for the polls

Cast your vote

• KALEO | Tuesday, Sept. 24 | 5:30 p.m. | Rabbit Rabbit | $50+ | The Icelandic rock band will take the stage for its Payback Tour with support from Chance Peña.
• Birds We Love | Tuesday, Sept. 24 | 6:30-7:45 p.m. | Fairview Library, Fairview | Free | Blue Ridge Audubon member Tom Tribble will share information about local birds, including their songs and identification tips.

• Docent-Led Tour | Wednesday, Sept. 25 | 10-11 a.m. | NC Cooperative Extension - Buncombe County Center | Free | Stroll through the Learning Garden as a master gardener docent introduces you to the interesting plants and vegetables filling the space.

• Empowerment Collective | Thursday, Sept. 26 | 6-9 p.m. | Ginger’s Revenge | $25 | Professional speaker Therese Gopaul-Robinson and CEO of Nutcracker Ballet Gifts Esmée Dorf will share insights on confidence and success.
• Roar & Rinse | Thursday, Sept. 26 | 9-11 p.m. | Haywood Park Hotel | $25+ | It’s a Roaring 20s affair with dancing, live music, and cocktails.

• The Farm at Black Mountain College | Friday, Sept. 27-Saturday, Jan. 11 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Black Mountain College Museum | Free | The new exhibition highlights the collaboration that sustained the college’s farm.
• Fuego Fridays | Friday, Sept. 27 | 6-10 p.m. | LEAF Global Arts Experience | $15 | Get dance lessons at this salsa social, and show off your moves to tunes from DJ Haviken Hayes.

• The team behind Chai Pani is expanding its Indian street food offerings with a second Botiwalla location in its former Battery Park Avenue space. You’ll be able to try Botiwalla by Chai Pani - Downtown Asheville beginning this Friday, Oct. 4 at 11:30 a.m.

• Asheville Regional Airport announced a new nonstop Delta flight to Boston, taking off May 10. Flights will operate on Saturdays and Sundays. If you’re planning a trip to Beantown, check out our friends at BOStoday to help build your itinerary.

• Storm Rhum Bar & Bistro closed its doors on Sunday, Sept. 22. Owner Jay Medford cited multiple reasons for the closure, including fatigue and an inability to recover from the pandemic. Medford offered staff jobs at his other restaurants. The space is currently for sale. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

• The WNC Nature Center is working on building a permanent native pollinator garden as the next step in its Gateway to the Southern Appalachians project. It’s a reenvisioning of “The Beauty of Butterflies” exhibit, which was on site from 2004 to 2010. You can donate to help the garden spread its wings.

• 40 days, 18 hours, and 5 minutes. That’s now the fastest time the Appalachian Trail has been completed. Ultrarunner Tara Dower completed the nearly 2,200-mile trail on Saturday night, breaking the previous record by 13 hours. (Outside Magazine)

• Veterans Healing Farm has a new home in Mills River. The nonprofit moved from its Hendersonville spot to the 11+ acre property to continue its mission of bettering the lives of veterans and their families through apitherapy and other therapeutic activities and workshops.

• It’s thyme to make a deal. Spicewalla announced its new spice exchange program, where you can hand off your old, expired spices for 15% off your purchase. Head to the Grove Arcade shop to make the trade.

• We’re not going to sugarcoat it: NC is in the middle of its worst hunger crisis in years. The YMCA invites you to help provide free, fresh food to those in need during Hunger Action Month by becoming a community volunteer.*

• Advertising doesn’t need to be complicated. Our self-service portal puts your message in front of 57,329+ local eyes in as little as five minutes. See how easy it is to grow.