Purl’s Yarn Emporium helped dress up the flat iron sculpture. | Photo by AVLtoday
Many big box stores and major retail chains are closing across the US, including in Asheville. But for the love of all things local, we’re exploring some of our favorite unique alternatives to the familiar franchises.
Joann Fabrics
This craft store’s Asheville and Hendersonville locations are set to shut down, but you can find plenty of art supplies — from paints to frames to sewing supplies — at Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff on Riverside Drive.
If it’s fabric you seek, Remnants Thrift & Sew in Mars Hill has an abundant selection, plus sewing classes for beginners or skilled craftspeople. City Editor Bethany can attest that the free fabric section is definitely worth exploring.
And lastly, if you’re yearning for yarn, Purl’s Yarn Emporium is stocked with yarn, tools, and even unique kits to craft special items.
Dark City Poets Society: Poetry Night | 6-7:30 p.m. | Oak & Grist Distillery, Black Mountain | Free | Share a poem or sit back and listen to the work of others — $1 from every classic cocktail purchase will benefit the Black Mountain Library.
Game Night | Tuesday, Feb. 18 | 6-10 p.m. | TRVE Brewing Co. | Free | Bring your board games and friends, sip on local drinks, and enter a monthly raffle from Gamer’s Haunt.
Wednesday, Feb. 19
Tai Chi Chuan | Wednesday, Feb. 19-Wednesday, April 9 | 6:30-7:30 p.m. | All Bodies Movement and Wellness | $180+ | Sign up for the eight-week course to learn basic movements to strengthen your balance and manage stress.
Drop-In Tea Blending Workshop | 4-6 p.m. | Pack Memorial Library | Free | Craft your custom blend and make up to 10 tea bags.
HIVE February Meetup | 6-8 p.m. | French Broad Chocolate Lounge | Free | Mingle with female entrepreneurs at this monthly networking event — this week, swap success stories over sweet treats.
Friday, Feb. 21
Spring Tree Pruning Workshop | 2:30-5 p.m. | Dr. George Washington Carver Edible Park | Free, RSVP | Help beautify this local food forest while you learn the skills to prune your own fruit trees.
76,000. That’s how many people visited downtown during Billy Strings’ first weekend of shows — a 13,000-person increase from the previous weekend, according to Hayden Plemmons, Executive Director of the Asheville Downtown Association.
Weather
The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook with a possible wintry mix headed our way tomorrow, Feb. 19. The type and amount of precipitation is still up in the air.
Show
After being rescheduled due to weather, the NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition will now take place on Saturday, March 15 at Citizen Vinyl. Get tickets to see which artist will take home the prize.
Regional
A 10-person crew from the Asheville Fire Department is in Kentucky, assisting with water rescues and emergency response as several areas experience devastating flooding. Learn from our friends at LOUtoday how you can help support recovery efforts.
Plan Ahead
Asheville Proper is bringing its live fire flavors to lunchtime. The Grove Arcade eatery will introduce lunch service in mid-April, with starters, steaks, sandwiches, and entrees like charred pork belly with ramp gremolata and polenta.
Read
Tomorrow, Feb. 19, Tom Hearron kicks off UNC Asheville’s Common Word Community Read series, curated by local author and professor Wiley Cash. This season’s book is Thomas Wolfe’s “Look Homeward, Angel.” See the series’ upcoming events.
Beauty
Meet Happy Head: a prescription-strength, dermatologist-prescribed treatment designed to grow back your hair in as little as three to six months. Get $160 off + free shipping.*
Category
Eat
Milestones to munch on
Corner Kitchen celebrated surviving two floods in 21 years with a cake from Old Europe. | Photo via Corner Kitchen
If you have a February birthday, you’re in excellent company.
We might be a little biased considering AVLtoday turned seven on Feb. 8, but here are three more Asheville establishments celebrating double-digit birthdays this month, thanks to our community’s commitment to supporting local businesses.
Corner Kitchen
If Corner Kitchen was a person, we’d buy it a beer.
The New American restaurant celebrated 21 years of service in its historical Biltmore Village location on Sunday, Feb. 16. The restaurant’s first floor was completely flooded during Helene and is currently undergoing renovations.
You can follow the restaurant’s journey to rebuild on Instagram, or dine at their sister restaurant, Chestnut, until they reopen.
Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian
“Cause when you’re fifteen.”
Vinnie’s original North Asheville location celebrates 15 years of service on Tuesday, Feb. 18 with 15% off the bill for those who don their best inner-Vinnie costume (think fedoras, pearls, and furs).
In conjunction with its Nashville “Hell or High Water: An Evening to Benefit WNC” event, Connect Beyond Festival is launching an online auction to benefit WNC Tip It Forward. Visit the festival’s website when the auction opens on Sunday, Feb. 23 to view the exclusive items up for grabs.
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