Plus, free ice cream.
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Today’s Forecast

62º | 78% chance of precipitation

Sunrise 7:28 a.m. | Sunset 5:17 p.m.


🎿 Hit the slopes

app ski mtn.png
Ski season has arrived in WNC. | Photo by @luuke.berger via @appalachianskimtn
It’s time to click into those ski bindings and strap into those boards, because the season for winter sports is upon us.

We’re here to help you find the best spots to hit the slopes — especially as we try to support tourism in the area after Hurricane Helene — all within two hours of Asheville.

Hatley Pointe, Mars Hill | ~40 minutes from Asheville

The former Wolf Ridge Ski Resort assumed new ownership and rebranded as Hatley Pointe. Along with updated snowmaking capabilities, the lodge features a full-service restaurant, grab + go options, and a Peaks & Pies pizza truck. The resort is expected to open any day now.

Cataloochee Ski Area, Maggie Valley | ~1 hour from Asheville

The mountain is open for the season with 18 slopes geared towards beginners and experts, alike. The resort also offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced terrain parks for snowboarders.

Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain | ~1.5 hours from Asheville

The resort is open, but we recommend checking which slopes and lifts are ready before heading out. If slopes aren’t your thing, lace up your skates and hit the ice rink or rent gear for a guided snowshoeing excursion.
Where to go tubing + more

Asked

Which of the following was the first ski area to open in the state of NC back in 1961?

A. Cataloochee Ski Area
B. Ski Sapphire Valley
C. Sugar Mountain Resort
D. Beech Mountain Resort
Do you snow the answer?

Events

Tuesday, Dec. 10

WNC Repair Cafe | 5-8 p.m. | Pack Library | Free | Skilled volunteer seamstresses will repair your beloved clothing and fabric items.

Wednesday, Dec. 11

Jolly Boat Bash Benefit Show | 7 p.m. | The Grey Eagle | $13 | Proceeds from this all-ages concert featuring Boat Command and friends will benefit River Arts District Artists.

Jingle Bell Swing | 7-11 p.m. | Haywood Park Hotel | $15 | Drayton & the Dreamboats will provide the jazz, and Swing Asheville will provide the dance lessons at this festive gathering.

Thursday, Dec. 12
A Winter Journey | 4-5 p.m. | Pack Library | Free | Listen as the Blue Ridge Ringers present a mix of holiday favorites with their handbells.

Late Night Asheville | 6-9 p.m. | Downtown Asheville | Free | Enjoy extended hours at participating small businesses + listen to carolers as you move between shops.

Friday, Dec. 13
Winter Wonder Walk | Friday, Dec. 13-Saturday, Dec. 14 | 6-8:30 p.m. | Adventure Center of Asheville | Free+ | Embark on this family-friendly walk filled with actors, lights, and holiday cheer.

Saturday, Dec. 14
Asheville SantaCon | 1-8 p.m. | Urban Orchard Cider Co. | Free+ | Dress in your best Santa attire and explore local pubs during this holiday bar crawl.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.

Cause

An open callout: Join the Helene Design Pledge

Presented by Altura Architects
A wide shot of the lush green North Carolina mountains stretching out to the horizon.
The Helene Design Pledge was launched by the regional advocacy group MountainTrue. | Photo provided by Altura Architects
Looking for more ways to help rebuild WNC?

Local firm Altura Architects is inviting design professionals to join the Helene Design Pledge — a solution-oriented joint effort from architects, engineers, surveyors, and other experts.

The goal? To donate their time + know-how in order to help communities across WNC affected by Hurricane Helene plan a sustainable, resilient rebuild.

Altura Architects has already pledged 200 hours of design time to the cause, and every additional volunteer makes a huge difference.
Join the rebuild

News Notes

Community

The FEMA application deadline for Hurricane Helene disaster assistance is coming up on Tuesday, Jan. 7. If your home was affected or you were displaced due to the hurricane, you can apply for disaster recovery grants online or by calling 1-800-621-3362.

Closed

Due to damage sustained during Hurricane Helene, Diamond Brand Gear announced that it has made the decision to permanently close. Downtown’s Diamond Brand Outdoors is reminding the community that, as a separate business, it will continue to operate in a normal capacity.

Real Estate

LA-based developer Friendship for Affordable Housing recently closed on the former Ramada Inn in East Asheville. The motel is set to become home to 50 permanent supportive housing units for veterans who have experienced homelessness + 50 units for those at or below 50% of the area median income. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

Closed

Little Pearl Asheville announced that it will not be reopening its restaurant following the impacts of Hurricane Helene. The business said that another restaurant will soon take over the space and rebuild.

Biz

Asheville’s LaZoom Comedy Bus Tours is expanding to Charlotte. LaZoom will kick things off in the Queen City with its Ghosted tour + Fender Bender beer tour starting this Thursday, Dec. 12. The Hey Charlotte tour will debut in the spring.

Eat

If you like free ice cream, save this date. On Thursday, Dec. 12, The Hop will host its first-ever Community Scoops Day at all locations to dish out over 1,100 scoops of free ice cream. The day of deliciousness comes courtesy of donations from the Community Scoops pay-it-forward initiative.

Edu

Haywood Community College will offer free tuition to all students who enter in the spring 2025 semester. New and returning students can take advantage of the offer through the Bobcat Resiliency Grant — to qualify, students must complete a 2024-2025 FAFSA application. (WLOS)

Arts

Phase 2 of the Center for Craft’s Craft Futures Fund is now open. Local creatives can attend upcoming information sessions about the WNC Recovery Grant on Friday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m., or about the WNC Craft Futures Cohort on Friday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m.

History

Talk about historical check out the finalists for our Asheville historical markers contest. Vote for your favorite historic location by Wednesday, Dec. 11 + be sure to read our newsletter on Friday, Dec. 13 to see which location you, our readers, determined should get the recognition it deserves.

Plan Ahead

There are only a few weeks left in 2024. Use the remainder of your end-of-year budget + get your business in front of thousands. For a limited time, take 25% off ads in our self-service ad portal when you use promo code “2025" at checkout.

Finance

6AM City COO Ryan Heafy here — we’re referring friends to American Express’s The Business Platinum Card®. Join the AMEX family + receive up to 150,000 member points.*
The Blood Connection

The Buy

A meaningful gift that will surprise and delight: a hidden photo bracelet. Customize with the photo of your choice — the gift recipient can hold it up close to their eyes to see it, or project it on the wall with their phone’s flashlight.
Shop most-loved gifts

The Wrap

Brianna Williams Wrap
This time of year, I’m often on the lookout for ways to give my time to others. In case you missed it, we recently shared a list of 40+ volunteer opportunities in the area — from ways to help the community recover after Hurricane Helene to organizations for animal lovers and beyond.

Send us a scoop, question, or feedback

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