Weekend Picks: Friday, Dec. 30, 2016 – Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017

Check out this list of weekend highlights and visit the Mountain Xpress Community Calendar for a complete list of weekend events! EXHIBITIONS ‘we’re not who we thought we were’ at Ramp Studio Gallery 821 Riverside Drive Through SA (12/31) – we’re not who we thought we were, exhibition of the multimedia sculpture by Jameid Ferrin. […]

Diverse Muslim community finds common ground in Asheville

“You could say I was hungry for the truth without even realizing I was searching for it,” says Western North Carolina native Joseph (Yusuf) Gantt, “and that led to a journey of maybe 10 or 15 years in which I finally recognized Islam. It satisfied my hunger.” Two of Gantt’s family members, his mother and […]

Brothers in arms: Local nonprofits give back to WNC veterans

With Veterans Day fast approaching, the customary forms of American celebration will be prominently on display: parades through city streets, moments of silence briefly interrupting broadcast media, solemn ceremonies at landmarks across the country, special discounts at restaurants and shops. Beyond those symbolic gestures, however, stands a large and growing need to support the many […]

Weekend Picks: Friday, Nov. 4 through Sunday, Nov. 6

FRIDAY Downtown Asheville First Friday Art Walks downtownashevilleartdistrict.org 1st FRIDAYS, 5-8pm – Downtown Asheville museums and galleries open doors to visitors. Visit the website for participating venues and full details. Free to attend. Culture Vulture Film Festival 692-8062, saveculture.org FR (11/4), 6pm – Proceeds from this film festival benefit the Center for Cultural Preservation. $25. Held […]

A photo essay: Urban Dharma celebrates fifth anniversar­y in Asheville with sand mandala ceremony

Last week, Urban Dharma, the Tibetan Buddhist Center on Page Street in downtown Asheville, celebrated its fifth anniversary with a week-long schedule of programs, including the construction of a special Vasudhārā sand mandala. In Tibetan Buddhism, Vasudhārā is the deity of abundance, openheartedness, generosity and magnanimity. Throughout the week, the Asheville community was invited to watch […]

WNC locals support protesters at Standing Rock

The Dakotas may be far from Asheville, but many WNC locals have traveled to the Standing Rock Sioux reservation since protests began there in late August over a disputed oil pipeline that crosses tribal lands. Others in Asheville have donated money or supplies to support the tribe’s efforts to block construction of the Dakota Access pipeline.

Weekend Picks: Friday, Oct. 7 – Sunday, Oct. 9

From zombie walks to train shows, family festival to art openings – this weekend has no shortage of exciting events! Check out this list of weekend highlights and visit the Mountain Xpress Community Calendar for a complete list of weekend events! FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7 Autumn Rails Train Show FR (10/7), noon-7pm & SA (10/8), 10am-4pm – Autumn […]

In Photos: Barnaroo Music Festival 2016

Andrew Scotchie is a steady force in the local music scene. Frontman of Andrew Scotchie & The River Rats, Scotchie is one of the most active touring musicians in town and the founder and coordinator of Asheville Barnaroo Music Festival, a three-day event held at Franny’s Farm in Leicester. “First and foremost, it’s a big […]

Qoya emerges as a new feminine movement modality in Asheville

One of Asheville’s newest activities embraces dance, yoga, shamanic ritual, pilgrimage and community connection, says local astrologer Virginia Rosenberg. It’s called Qoya (pronounced COY-uh), and “the guiding principle is there is no way you can do it wrong,” she says. ‘Qoya,’ which means ‘queen’ in Quechuan, a pre-Incan language in Peru, captures the empowerment women […]

Solidarity in grief and love: Ashevillea­ns stand in vigil for the victims of mass shooting at Pulse Bar in Orlando

To honor the victims of the deadliest mass shooting carried out by an individual in our nation’s history, Asheville people gathered for words of encouragement, an urging toward actions of love, a friendly embrace and a moment of silence. On Monday evening, streams of people filed in on foot, on bikes, and in cars to […]