Photo by Lane in the Woods Farm and Creamery, courtesy of @wnccheesetrail
Grate news. The Carolina Mountain Cheese Fest is headed back to Oak and Grist in Black Mountain this year, with the region’s finest cheesemakers showing off their offerings, from brie to bleu and gouda to gorgonzola.
The festival was canceled last year in the aftermath of Helene, so this year’s gathering holds special importance as the community continues to recover. Tickets are on sale now for the Sunday, Sept. 28 festivities.
City Editor Grace here. I went to the festival in 2023 and can assure you it’s a delicious day. But if you need something to hold you over until then, you can always travel the WNC Cheese Trail to find your new favorite fromage.
🛒 14 Prime Day sales you can (still) shop
Presented by The Buy
Graphic by 6AM City
The Buy team here. We’re always looking for the best deals — and July is proving to be one of the best months this year for major discounts. Take advantage of these Amazon Prime Day dealsstill on sale:
Planting and Caring for Your Garden | 4-5 p.m. | East Asheville Library | Free | Bring the whole family to learn the tricks of the trade to step up your gardening game — there will be storytime and activities for the kiddos.
Thursday, July 24
Envision Buncombe Town Hall | 5:30 p.m. | A-B Tech Ferguson Auditorium | Free | Drop by to connect with your local representatives across Buncombe County departments and hear recovery updates.
Art Party on The Roof | 7-9 p.m. | The Radical Hotel | $25 | The art supplies will be provided, but it’s up to you to bring your creativity to the table to create a mixed-media masterpiece.
Asheville Moontime Market | 12 p.m. | Hatch Ampitheater | Price of purchase | The Widespread Panic pre-party will welcome 30+ vendors, live music, comfort food, and drink specials.
Summerween | 6 p.m. | The Whale West Asheville | Price of purchase | Spooky season, but make it summer — trick or treat with beers, indulge in s’mores, tell ghost stories, and snack on free popcorn while watching “I Know What You Did Last Summer.”
Washed Out | 6 p.m. | Burial Forestry Camp | $49 | See “the godfather of chillwave” with a special DJ set from Neon Indian.
Sunday, July 27
The Mule Family Block Party | 12-7 p.m. | The Mule at Devil’s Foot Beverage | Price of purchase | Revel in the shade of the yard, jam out to live tunes, let the kids jump in the bounce house, and design your own threads at the tie-dye station.
Ingles told Buncombe County staff it will build a new Swannanoa location next to the old Ingles, which was severely flooded and never reopened post-Helene. The new grocery store will occupy the space of the former post office and Ace Hardware store, with the old store will house three new tenants. (Asheville Citizen-Times)
Featured
Oprah Daily’s Gayle King and Adam Glassman were the talk of the town when they were spotted in Asheville a month ago. Now, we know their favorite things the city has to offer, from the North Asheville Tailgate Market to the NC Glass Center. They even ended the trip crashing a wedding at the Omni Grove Park Inn.
Environment
The county has bestowed the Clean Air Excellence Award to two organizations displaying a commitment to clean air. Manufacturing company, Eaton’s Avery Creek location was recognized for its major LED lighting overhaul. Nonprofit Footprint Project earned the honor for equipping residents with renewable energy resources after Helene.
Health
Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) received a $1 million grant from the Chapel Hill-based William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust. The funds will be used to help MAHEC continue to support critical healthcare and workforce needs after Helene, particularly in rural areas of WNC.
Theater
This Friday, July 26, for one night only, Asheville Musical Theatre will present “Love Heals,” a fundraising concert filled with powerhouse performances and heartfelt songs. Proceeds from the $30 tickets support the theatre’s mission to employ local artists and elevate art throughout WNC.
Try This
Do you need hiring help? We’ve got your back. Post your open roles on the AVLtoday Job Board + get connected with local candidates quickly and efficiently. Pssst — did we mention it’s free?
Health care access is growing in Weaverville. AdventHealth’s planned expansion includes 129 additional hospital beds and more specialty services — providing whole-person care where it’s needed most. Learn more.*
Category
Travel and Outdoors
New funds help blaze local trails
Get a lay of the land with the planned Riverside Park expansion. | Rendering via Town of Woodfin
NC’s Department of Natural and Cultural Resources awarded more than $11 million to Great Trails State Coalition projects in WNC, including $600,000 for projects here in Buncombe County.
Of the sum, $500,000 will be awarded to the Town of Woodfin for the expansion of Riverside Park. The expansion will double the size of the park, adding restrooms, an overlook pavilion, and a spectating area for Taylor’s wave, the man-made whitewater attraction coming to the river. Construction began in June 2024 and was delayed due to Helene — the new targeted completion is slated for December 2026.
Additionally, $100,000 was awarded to the Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa for an update to the Swannanoa Greenway Feasibility Study to design a network of paths resilient to flooding.
Our mountain neighbors in 21 surrounding WNC counties also received funds — see which projects got a cut of the $11 million.
Post of the Day
We’re all shook up over this piece of Asheville music history. Exactly 50 years ago this week, The King rocked the stage during a three-night run at the Asheville Civic Center.
There’s no shortage of local lore when it comes to Elvis’ time here in the Land of the Sky. A TV at the Rodeway Inn caught a stray. Audience requests were taken for the setlist (a rare occurrence). And perhaps most notably, Elvis gifted bandmates and front row audience members some pretty high-ticket items, from diamond rings and gemstone jewelry to the custom Gibson guitar right off his back.
Teva’s original universal sandal, now 50% off on Nordstrom Rack. A cushioned footbed + adjustable canvas straps make this a hikeable, wadeable, walkable sandal that will see you through all of your outdoor summer adventures.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
I’ll be back tomorrow with your handy-dandy Plan Ahead guide to all the can’t-miss events in August. But before you dive into that, take a good look at what else is on the calendar for this month and make the most out of these last few days of July.
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