Two local bands — Andrew Scotchie & the River Rats and The Get Right Band — cover each other’s songs for a pair of new music videos shot in Asheville.

Two local bands — Andrew Scotchie & the River Rats and The Get Right Band — cover each other’s songs for a pair of new music videos shot in Asheville.
Born in Black Mountain in 1931, Mary Othella Burnette recounts her youth in her debut memoir, Lige of the Black Walnut Tree: Growing Up Black in Southern Appalachia.
Rise Up: A Celebration of African American History and Culture returns for a second consecutive year with a virtual twist. Also: Asheville Wisdom Exchange launches; The Magnetic Theatre celebrates its first live performance of 2021; and plenty more.
Over the last two years, writer Wayne Caldwell has written poems based on imaginary conversations with his fictional character Posey Green. His forthcoming poetry collection, Woodsmoke, comes out Tuesday, Feb. 23.
Want to dance? The Wortham Center for the Performing Arts is hosting a virtual ballet workshop. Want to act? Montford Park Players is currently seeking actors for the 2021 season. Want a free stay at a local bed and breakfast? Submit your poetry to The Writers’ Workshop’s annual contest and see if you win.
In 1949, poet Langston Hughes spoke at the Allen High School in Asheville. One of the students in attendance was Eunice Waymon, later known professionally as Nina Simone. In time, the poet and the singer developed a unique relationship, which author and N.C. State University professor W. Jason Miller is currently documenting in an online archive, Backlash Blues: Nina Simone and Langston Hughes.
Press release from American Red Cross: The countdown to the 11th Annual Battle of the Badges Blood Drive is on. Buncombe County and Asheville first responders face off every year for a lifesaving cause. Local heroes are rolling up their sleeves and encouraging the community to do the same. Just one donation can save up to three […]
There are plenty of free virtual and in-person exhibits and educational opportunities in and around Asheville. Poets and visual artists are also being called to submit works for a pair of contests.
A recent collaboration between the Buncombe County Special Collections and local nonprofit Engaging Collections creates greater awareness and visibility of Asheville’s African American music and art.
See some of the latest art exhibits now on view in and around town.
Warren Wilson College art professor Lara Nguyen reflects on her family and art as she confronts her ongoing battle with cancer.
Since 1981, Oralene Simmons, founder and chair of The Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County, has watched the organization’s annual prayer breakfast grow from 50 or so attendees to several thousand. Now in its 40th year, the association is preparing for its latest gathering. But unlike in the past, the 2021 […]
In this year’s Humor Issue, we return to Billy Borne’s cartoons. Though his work was published in The Asheville Citizen for over 20 years, our focus is on 1921. As his illustrations exhibit, the Roaring 20s did not actually kick off with a bang but rather an economic recession-turned-depression. By the end of 1921, however, […]
Editor’s note: The following story, unlike the rest of Mountain Xpress’s award-winning coverage of local news and events throughout the rest of the year, is 100% fake. Feeling a little sluggish after 2020? Curious how you’ll readjust once things eventually return to normal? These five fictitious classes might be your answer. Please and Thank You: […]
Amid the onset of COVID-19, Xpress took a deep dive into the city’s past response to the 1918 influenza. The series, which ran in our weekly history feature, Asheville Archives, examined the ways residents complied with, and later raged against, health restrictions, as well as the lasting toll the pandemic had on families who lost […]
In June, Ruth Pike-Elliot gave birth to her son, Ollie. She and her wife, Bren, have worked hard to stay safe while celebrating the life of their newborn son with family and friends.
This year, in response to the pandemic, Xpress launched COVID Conversations. We hope the series provides insights and glimpses into how our community has coped with the health crisis.
Reporter Thomas Calder reflects on his favorite stories of 2020.
In the spring, Gloria Pincu and her husband, Daniel, tested positive for COVID-19. Both were hospitalized; tragically, only Gloria survived.
Roy Parvin and his wife, Janet, relocated to Asheville in May. Roy’s reflection on the move sparked some controversy with Xpress readers.
COVID-19 continues to impact church services. But the Rev. L.C. Ray is optimistic things will improve in 2021.