Calendar: Enjoy Story Time, Family Fun and More!
Tuesday, Aug. 29
LEGO Builders Club is at 3:30 p.m. at the Pack Memorial Library. Call 828-250-4700 or email library@buncombecounty.org.
Wednesday, Aug. 30
YMCA Mobile Market is at the Enka Candler Library noon – 1 p.m. Bring grocery bags and get fresh food. Distributions are free. The market provides fresh produce paired with healthy recipes and more. Visit buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/library or call 828-250-4758.
Learn about Peregrine Falcons with Chimney Rock Park at 4 p.m. at the Henderson County Main Library. For details, visit hendersoncountync.gov/library.
“Spark of the Eagle Dancer: The Collecting Legacy of Lambert Wilson” opens with a reception from 5 – 7 p.m. at Western Carolina University. The exhibit celebrates the legacy of Lambert Wilson, a passionate collector of contemporary Native American art who encountered a beloved Cherokee sculpture as a student at WCU and decided to devote his life to supporting and encouraging Native artists.
The WCU Fine Art Museum exhibitions and events are free and open to the public. For details, call 828-227-ARTS or visit wcu.edu/bardo-arts-center.
Thursday, Aug. 31
Kolo Bike Park $5 after 5 on Thursdays – Ride Kolo Bike Park on Thursdays for $5 after 5 p.m. Rentals are available for an extra charge. For conditions, call 828-225-2921. For details, visit ashevilletreetopsadventurepark.com/kolo-bike-park.
ENJOY STORY TIME, FAMILY FUN AND MORE
Registration is open for The 31st National Gingerbread House Competition at The Omni Grove Park Inn. Bakers of all ages and skill levels are invited to compete for an opportunity to win a piece of more than $40,000 in cash and prizes, across the four age categories – Adult, Teen, Youth, and Child. Registration is open through Nov. 13. The competition will be held on Nov. 20. The official gingerbread display at the hotel is Nov. 27, 2023 – Jan. 2, 2024. For details, call the Gingerbread Hotline at 800-413-5778 or visit OmniHotels.com/Gingerbread.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library impacts the pre-literacy skills and school readiness of children under the age of 5 in Buncombe County. The program mails a new, free, age-appropriate book to registered children each month until they turn 5 years old, creating a home library of up to 60 books and instilling a love of books and reading. For details and registration, visit imaginationlibrary.com.
Home School Discount Days – Book your homeschool field trip on a weekday between Aug. 15 and Sept. 29 at the Adventure Center of Asheville and get discounted adventures, experiential learning programs and team building programs. Reservations are required. For more information, visit ashevilletreetopsadventurepark.com/groups/home-school-discount-days.
Arbor Evenings are 5:30 – 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays in August at the North Carolina Arboretum. For details, visit ncarboretum.org.
Scholastics Art and Writing Awards 2024 Submissions – Asheville Art Museum is a regional affiliate partner sponsoring the WNC Regional Scholastic Art Awards each year. Students in grades 7–12 from all across Western North Carolina are invited to submit work for this special juried competition. For more information, visit artandwriting.org or call 828-253-3227, ext. 133.
Two O’Clock Rocks at 2 p.m. weekdays this summer at Hands On! Children’s Museum. Activities range from dance parties and limbo contests to science demonstrations and craft projects. The program is included with general admission and registration is not required. Visit handsonwnc.org.
Highlands Nature Center resumes fall hours beginning Aug. 16 and will be open 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Wednesday – Saturday. Visit highlandsbiological.org.
The Summer Music Series in Beech Mountain includes a full schedule of concerts. For tickets and details, visit beechmountainresort.com/summer-concert-series-2023.
“Very Eric Carle: A Very Hungry, Quiet, Lonely, Clumsy, Busy Exhibit” is open through Sept. 10 at the Upcountry History Museum in Greenville, South Carolina. At this play-and-learn exhibit, visitors step into the pages of author and illustrator Eric Carle’s colorful picture books and experience them as artist and reader, while discovering and playing with five special insects from his well-known children’s books. For details, visit upcountryhistory.org.
Tickets for Autumn at Oz, held in September at Land of Oz, are on sale. For details, visit landofoznc.com.
Fall group tours for grades pre-K – 12 are offered at Asheville Art Museum. For details and registration, visit ashevilleart.org.
Small-scale Kids Art + Design Classes for ages 6 – 12 are offered by Ginger Huebner at the R+W Creative Campus. Three-day classes are Aug 7 – 9 and Aug. 14 – 16. For details and registration, visit gingerhuebner.com/art-education-consulting.
Create + Connect Mini-Retreat for ages 16 and older is offered by Ginger Huebner Aug. 13 and Aug. 17. For details, visit gingerhuebner.com/create-connect-retreats.
Italian Renaissance Alive is open at Biltmore Estate. The multi-sensory experience immerses guests in the beauty and brilliance of the greatest artistic period in history as it comes to life all around you. Large-scale projections with 360-degree views set to a powerful operatic score tell the story of artists and the time periods within which they lived. Italian Renaissance Alive features Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Raphael, Botticelli, Caravaggio and more. It continues through Jan. 7, 2024. For details and ticket information, visit biltmore.com/things-to-do/events/italian-renaissance-alive. Children ages 16 and younger are admitted free to Biltmore through Sept. 4 with an accompanying ticketed adult. This applies to two ticket types: the “House & Grounds” ticket and the “House, Italian Renaissance Exhibition and 2-day Grounds” ticket. For ticket options, visit biltmore.com/landing/ticket-options-for-summer.
Hands On! Children’s Museum offers free admission to families who present their adult WIC card. Zoom passes from the Hendersonville Library have limited day passes as well. For details, visit handsonwnc.org.
Registration is now open for the 4th Annual Black Bear Half Marathon and 8K Oct. 8 in Hendersonville. For details, visit blackbearhalfmarathon.com.
Story Times resume Aug. 14 at Henderson County Public Libraries. Get full details at hendersoncountync.gov/library.
Mills River and Edneyville (families welcome) – 10 a.m. Mondays
Etowah (families welcome) – 10 a.m. Tuesdays
Preschool story time at Main (ages 3 – 5) – 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays
Fletcher (families welcome) and Toddler Time at Main (ages 18 months – 3) – 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays
Green River (families welcome) – 10 a.m. Thursdays
Music and Movement at Main (families welcome) – 10:30 a.m. Thursdays
Bouncing Babies at Main (ages birth – 18 months with a caregiver) – 11:15 a.m. Thursdays
Story times are offered at Buncombe County Libraries. Note that times may change through mid-August following the summer reading program. Get full details at buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/library/services/story-times.aspx.
Baby Story Time – ages 4 – 18 months:
Oakley/South Asheville Library – Friday at 10:30 a.m.
Leicester Library – Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
Weaverville Library – Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
Toddler Story Time – ages 18 months – 3 years:
North Asheville Library – Friday at 10:30 a.m.
Fairview Library and Leicester Library – Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
Enka-Candler Library – Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.
Preschool Story Time – ages 3 – 5 years:
East Asheville Library and West Asheville Library – Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
Swannanoa Library – Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
Fairview Library – Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.
Black Mountain Library and Weaverville Library – Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.
Pack Memorial Library – Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
Hora Del Cuento/Story Time
Skyland/South Buncombe Library – Friday at 10:30 a.m.
Oakley/South Asheville Library – Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.
Zoom D&D with Raj for teens is 3 – 6 p.m. Saturdays through the Buncombe County Library. Sign-up is required. Email Raj at raj.bowers-racine@buncombecounty.org to request attendance.
Kindermusik for ages birth – 5 is offered at We Rock the Spectrum. For details, visit kindermusik.com/studio/58207.
Nantahala Outdoor Center offers adventure trips. For details, visit noc.com.
SUPPORT AND CONNECTION
Community Connections: Free Parenting Resource meets noon – 1 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at We Rock the Spectrum Asheville. Ask questions, talk and build community. For challenges with toddlerhood, potty training, socialization, school or learning, challenging behaviors, wanting to increase connectivity to others, and experiences, supporting meaningful communication, etc. this free monthly question-and-answer session for parents is hosted by Dayna Lauren. Register at https://tinyurl.com/4na43kcp.
Perinatal Loss Support Group – Homegrown Families Perinatal Bereavement Parent Support Group is for families who have experienced the loss of a baby through miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth or newborn death. For details, visit ashevillehomegrownfamilies.com.
The Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) is an evidence-based program that gives parents confidence and in turn, helps them raise confident children. Local parents and caregivers have access to this free, positive parenting course online. Access Triple P resources at triplepwnc.com or triplep-parenting.com.
GET READY FOR BABY
Mission Health offers prenatal classes, including a childbirth and hospital orientation class and a breastfeeding class. For details and registration, visit missionhealth.org/services-treatments/maternity-care/labor-delivery-mission.
Homegrown Families offers a variety of childbirth and prenatal classes. Learn more and register at ashevillehomegrownfamilies.com.
Prenatal Classes and a mom group are offered by Haywood Regional Medical Center. Call 828-552-8440 or visit myhaywoodregional.com/events.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Calendar: Enjoy Story Time, Family Fun and More!
