Take a free bus ride on Monday, May 19. | Photo via City of Asheville
Strive Not To Drive is set to return this Friday, May 16, through Saturday, May 24, encouraging WNC residents to bike, walk, bus, and carpool across the region. The initiative has been supporting sustainable transportation since the ‘80s, and there are plenty of ways to participate this year.
Gear up for these special events:
Roll Out of Work | Friday, May 16 | 5 p.m. | Pritchard Park | Free | The end of the work week marks the start of Strive Not To Drive, ending National Bike to Work Day with an urban ride and a Burial beer.
Free Transit Day | Monday, May 19 | 12 a.m.-11:59 p.m. | Asheville | Free | Hop on the bus, which will be free to ride all day. For the rest of the week, fares will be $1 per ride.
Bike-In Cinema | Thursday, May 22 | 6-10:45 p.m. | New Belgium Brewing | Free | Cruise on over to the brewery lawn for an outdoor screening of “E.T.” Bike valet will be available for you to park your ride.
Tarot Community Circle | 6-7 p.m. | House of Black Cat Magic, Co. | $15 | Join the circle for an hour of discussion and practice reading — just bring a deck and a notebook.
Thursday, May 15
A Songbird in Your Garden | 10-11:30 a.m. | Reems Creek Nursery, Weaverville | Free | Learn which plants to add to your garden to attract songbirds, and enjoy them throughout the season.
It’s Trivial with Divine | 5:30-6:30 p.m. | New Belgium Brewing | Free | Gather a group of fabulous and fierce competitors for a night of trivia with the charming drag queen.
Friday, May 16
Edible Park Workday | 2:30-5 p.m. | Dr. George Washington Carver Edible Park | Free | Help with mulching, pruning, trash pickup, invasive clearing, and seasonal planting.
Art Party on The Roof | 7-9 p.m. | The Radical Hotel | $25 | Paint, sip, and soak in the views during this relaxing night of creativity.
Saturday, May 17
NAMIWalks - Walk for Mental Health | 9-11 a.m. | Pack Square Park Plaza | Free | Walk a mile to support mental health awareness and help raise funds for the organization.
Cocktails 101: Shake, Stir + Sip | 2-4 p.m. | Red Ribbon Society | $99 | Become a pro behind the bar with a guided breakdown of bar tools and three signature cocktail recipes.
Live music with The Dirty French Broads | 2-5 p.m. | The Funkatorium | Free | AVL Beer Week keeps rollin’ in the brand new Funkatorium Biergarten, with live music by The Dirty French Broads.*
Biltmore Village’s New Morning Gallery has been showcasing local art and craft since 1972, and its legacy continues with a soft reopening today, May 14. The gallery’s team has worked hard to restore the space from Helene’s wreckage and will host an official grand reopening celebration on Friday, June 20.
Opening
Prepare for a wheelie good time. This Sunday, May 18, Stoker’s Studio, a bike shop on Broadway Street is celebrating its grand opening. Check out some wheels on display in the shop, then pop next door for cocktails from DayTrip and food from Dirty Gertie’s Taco Stand.
Edu
ArtsAVL’s Arts for Schools Grant is open for applications to support arts activities, after-school programs, and camps for K-12 students. Grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 will be distributed. Apply by Thursday, June 26.
Development
This weekend, the I-26 Citizens’ Coalition is inviting residents to offer critiques and enhancements to the current I-26 Connector plan. Stop by Hatch Innovation Hub over the course of a three-day design workshop to share feedback, which will be presented to a NCDOT representative later this month.
Coming Soon
Guajiro has been serving up amazing Cuban food at Hi-Wire’s Biltmore Village location since November, but the crew is also in the process of rebuilding their El Patio space at Cotton Mill Studios. Follow along on Instagram to see updates.
Southern Living dubbed the Omni Grove Park Inn’s Relaxation Pool one of the best hotel pools in the South. If you’re looking to splurge on a self-care day, book a subterranean spa experience and take a dip. See more ways to practice self-care in Asheville.
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Category
Community
A new mural in the South Slope
The mural was celebrated with a performance from the High Steppin’ Majorettes and Drum Corps. | Photo via Reggie Tidwell
Explore Asheville commissioned local artist Tommy Lee McGee to add education through public art to the trail.
You can see McGee’s first installment, “Black Girl Magic,” on the side of The Whale’s South Slope taproom.
The mural depicts a young Black girl watering a thriving garden around her.
“Black Girl Magic is my thank you card to the Black and Brown women both in my life and in this community, country, and globally who have shown up tirelessly for their families despite feeling unseen and unacknowledged,” said McGee. “The little girl inside of them rarely receives nurturing, so they ultimately must water their own garden.”
The Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail opened in December 2023 to celebrate and preserve the history of Black Asheville and the people who built communities and created social change in our city.
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I’m here to put a magical celebration on your radar. Lake Lure’s fantasy-themed meadery, Fae Nectar, is hosting a two-year anniversary celebration later this month on Saturday, May 24. Raise a glass and hit the dance floor for music from Holler & Crow and The Seelie Court.
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