The Rankin Garage closure will begin on Friday, Aug. 1. | Photo via City of Asheville
Beginning this Friday, Aug. 1, the Rankin Avenue Parking Garage will be closed for about a month to make structural repairs, including waterproofing, joint seal replacements, and mechanical, electrical, and drainage repairs.
Once work on the Rankin garage wraps up, the same updates will be made to the Wall Street Parking Garage, with all repairs expected to be finished by early October.
Once the third phase is completed in October, the last phase of repairs will include stairwell and guard rail replacements, signage improvements, and elevator fixes. Pro tip: You can find real-time availability for City and County parking garages online and in the Asheville App.
Pottery Paint + Sip | 6-9 p.m. | DSSOLVR | $44 | Add your own creative touch to a 12 oz. hand-thrown ceramic cup — it’ll be fired and ready for pickup in one week.
Wednesday, July 30
Book Launch for “All Hallows’ Eve” | 6-7 p.m. | Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe | Free, RSVP | Hear straight from the author and illustrator of the children’s book about the Halloween tale filled with historic Asheville icons.
Thursday, July 31
Summer Heat: Soda Candle Making | Thursday, July 31, Thursday, Aug. 14, Thursday, Aug. 28 | 4-8 p.m. | The Mule at Devil’s Foot Beverage | $20 | Turn one of Devil’s Foot’s crisp craft sodas into a sweet-smelling candle.
Friday, Aug. 1
Synthesizer Sound Bath with Logos | 7-8:30 p.m. | The Well | $15+ | Revel in the sounds of analog synthesizers during this meditative musical experience.
Improvised “Star Trek” | Friday, Aug. 1-Sunday, Aug. 10 | 7:30-9 p.m. | North Carolina Stage Company | $9+ | This fully improvised “Star Trek” parody sets the stage for a bold night of new bits, laughs, and wit.
Saturday, Aug. 2
3rd Annual Appalachian Mountain Health Fair | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Appalachian Mountain Health - Asheville | Free | The festive, family-friendly fair offers free back-to-school physicals for kiddos, backpacks filled with supplies, games, food, and plenty of fun.
The Asheville Magic Experience | 5:30 p.m. | The Low Down | $55 | Only 22 people will get to experience the unique and whimsical wonder of this magic show — your ticket includes a cocktail.
UNC Asheville’s Board of Governors voted to allow the university to enter a 99-year ground lease with its endowment fund, opening the door for talks with developers and advancing the Millennial Campus project. Phase one includes a soccer stadium, housing, and retail on 45 acres of urban forest. Plans for future phases haven’t been shared. (Blue Ridge Public Radio)
Eat
Root Down has been serving up hearty plates of Creole, Southern, and soul food at Terra Nova’s Swannanoa taproom. And now, the partnership will extend to the Asheville taproom. In early August, Root Down will become the brewery’s food partner at both locations, following Mission Pizza’s exit. (Asheville Citizen-Times)
Announced
The North Carolina Awards will be presented in Asheville this year at the historic Omni Grove Park Inn on Thursday, Nov. 13. The awards are the state’s highest civilian honor, with previous recipients including Etta Baker, Maya Angelou, and James Taylor. Tickets will go on sale soon, with proceeds supporting Helene recovery.
Try This
Reservations are live at Crusco, the new seasonally-focused RAD restaurant helmed by several former Cucina 24 employees. Snag a spot as early as 5 p.m. tomorrow, July 30.
Cause
Have some old coins rattling around in a drawer? A piece of jewelry your grandma is convinced is worth a payday? Learn their value at Heirloom Discovery Day on Thursday, Aug. 7, presented by the PSABC, Brunk Auctions, and the Vetust Study Club. Purchase a ticket for a time slot to have your precious items valued.
Outdoors
About 10 months post-Helene, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is still diligently working to restore iconic spots along the 2,190-mile-long trail, like at Cherry Gap, about an hour north in TN. Critical to this work are volunteers — and they’re coming from as far as Japan to help and take home lessons on trail longevity. (Associated Press)
Show
Brevard’s 2025 season ends with a thunderous finale: Keith Lockhart leads pianist Richard Goode in Mozart’s Concerto No. 25, followed by Vaughan Williams’s epic Sea Symphony. Buy tickets for the finale performance, Sunday, Aug. 3 at 3 p.m.*
Home
Looking to save money? The answer could be found in your appliances. Electrify Asheville-Buncombe is helping homeowners become more energy efficient by upgrading appliances and electrifying their homes. Sign up for a free consultation through the Energy Navigator Program to get started.*
Learn
AI won’t take over the world — people who know how to use AI will. Learn AI skills in three minutes a day with Superhuman AI newsletter. Subscribe for free.*
Older Adults
Did you know about these senior discounts? Aside from basics like bulk shopping and retirement accounts, here are 20 savings hacks older adults should know about to continue saving and building wealth at age 50+.*
Trending
Amazon Essentials just launched a new activewear collection (read: soft, comfortable gym clothes for less). We’re loving these high-waist leggings and these colorful capri-length leggings.*
Category
Food
Keep the lumpia coming
Get your hands on this incredible spread from Master BBQ. | Photo by AVLtoday
Master BBQ announced on Instagram that it will soon roll out a second food truck, creating a delicious fleet to dish out its authentic Filipino comfort food.
For the first two weeks of August, Master BBQ will continue to hang in the RAD Brew Co. parking lot. But in mid-August, the truck will return to Zillicoah, where the crew had set up shop for seven months before Helene.
Once things get settled back at Zillicoah and the second truck is up and running, the Filipino fare will be back at RAD Brew Co. — likely in early September. And according to the team, the second truck means more catering, collabs with industry friends, and new food concepts.
“Here’s to what’s ahead, to getting back to our roots, to celebrating our culture, and to the Filipino comfort food that keeps us connected to home and to each other,” the team shared.
Games
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.
Today’s newsletter is brought to you by S.G. Goodman. I haven’t been able to stop listening to her new album, “Planting by the Signs,” and lucky for us, she’s heading to Asheville at the end of October for a show at Eulogy. If you’re into alt-country, folk, Americana, or all of the above, give her a listen.
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