Highland Brewing is giving us plenty of reasons to celebrate. | Photo via Highland Brewing
The Year of the Snake is upon us. Lunar New Year is Wednesday, Jan. 29 — a time for feasting, celebrating, and preparing for the year ahead. Here are a few local ways to ring in the new year:
Highland Brewing Co.'s Lunar New Year Tap Room Celebration will take place on Saturday, Feb. 1 starting at 11 a.m. The family-friendly festival will feature food vendors, kids activities, and entertainment including dragon dances from Dragon Phoenix.
Try your hand at the Lunar New Year Disc Golf Tournament hosted by Highland Brewing on Saturday, Feb. 1 starting at 6 p.m. The competition will illuminate the night with glow-in-the-dark discs — prizes and beer will be awarded to winning teams.
Roll to Zen Sushi to try its Lunar New Year Roll, available through the end of the month. The celebratory sushi has spicy lobster salad, Kani, and cream cheese in soy paper with tuna on top.
Clean(ish) Comedy Showcase | 6 p.m. | Catawba Brewing | $15+ | Comedians like Clay Jones and Ryan Cox bring jokes without any of the cursing.
Pyletribe/Solvivor | 8-11 p.m. | One World Brewing - West Asheville | $10 | This band, featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle, plays their music described as “southern fried tribal boogie.”
Saturday, Jan. 25
Asheville Fairytale Ball | Times vary | Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts | $23+ | Join your favorite princesses for sing-a-longs, crafts, games, meet + greets, a princess parade, and more.
Held in Perspective: Open Mic Poetry | 1-5 p.m. | Asheville Art Museum | Pay what you can | Hear from locals as they heal from Hurricane Helene, or share your words, while sipping cocktails, tea, or coffee — included with museum admission.
Mantra Meditation Workshop | 2-4 p.m. | The Well | $30 | Unlock your voice or deepen your practice at this beginner-friendly singing + chanting workshop.
The Actors Center of Asheville’s Winter Scene Night | 7-9 p.m. | The BeBe Theatre | $19 | Celebrate local actors as they perform scenes from their favorite shows, plays, and movies — including some originals.
The Comedy Zone: Greg Morton | 8 p.m. | Wortham Center for the Performing Arts | $28 | The comedian recently seen on “America’s Got Talent” headlines this show with opener Kenny Mock.
Sunday, Jan. 26
“Jazzical” | 2-4 p.m. | Asheville Jewish Community Center | $15+ | AmiciMusic presents this crossover music program merging the worlds of classical and jazz music.
Design your Life | 4-7 p.m. | The Restoration Asheville | $34 | Craft a blueprint for your ideal year and connect with other women at this manifestation and intentions-based workshop.
Rage @ The Stage | 7-8:30 p.m. | North Carolina Stage Company | $17+ | This frenzied night of improv comedy is designed to showcase local teams.
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President Donald Trump is expected to visit WNC today, which Gov. Josh Stein confirmed. The White House has not released an official itinerary, but Buncombe County is anticipating significant traffic impacts today from 11 a.m. through 2 p.m. The visit’s exact location + time have not been made publicly available. (WLOS)
Number
$1.25 million. That’s how much the new Business Improvement District’s (BID) tax is expected to generate annually. The funding will support BID’s operator, Asheville Downtown Community Improvement District, which will provide services to keep the area clean + safe. (Asheville Citizen-Times)
Arts
Asheville Art Museum is getting ready to debut “Asheville Strong: Celebrating Art and Community After Hurricane Helene,” an exhibit showing Helene’s impact on Southern Appalachian artists. It will open Friday, Feb. 14 with a preview night for members Thursday, Feb. 13. The exhibit will remain on display through Monday, May 5.
Real Estate
Homeowner insurance in Buncombe County will increase 8.9% over the next two years, which is less than once believed. Rates will increase 4.4% this year followed by an additional 4.5% in 2026. This is significantly lower than the 21% rate increase proposed by the North Carolina Rate Bureau last year. (Asheville Citizen-Times)
Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) is still rebuilding from damage sustained during Hurricane Helene, meaning many amenities remain closed. To encourage locals to keep moving, APR shared its list of alternative ways to stay active, including places for dogs, bike trails, and spots to play sports like volleyball and disc golf.
Regional
Five cities in the Asheville metro area ranked on Stacker’s list of the 50 NC cities with the fastest-growing home prices. Montreat was listed at No. 25, experiencing average one-year price growth of $25,792 or 4.4%. Mills River, Zirconia, Horse Shoe, and Marshall also made the list at lower rankings.
Home
You know that one friend who says, “Nah, I’ll save a ton by using an unlicensed plumber — my guy knows what he’s doing”? Send them this.*
Travel
Skip expensive airline tickets + opt for a fun and affordable family road trip instead. With Outdoorsy, you can rent an RV for as little as $47 per night. Learn more.*
The Buy
The Buy
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I’d like to thank the readers who reminded us to show love to Old Europe Pastries in our Coffee Guide. It’s been a part of the Asheville community since 1994, and just thinking about the cafe makes me crave macarons. But, the coffee is equally craveable — in my opinion, cold brew is the perfect companion to any pastry.
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