Happy Monday, Buncombe County!
🗳️ Last week you told us: we asked how far you will drive for a good local event, and 31 of you answered. “30 minutes or more if it is worth it” led with 55%, followed by 20 to 30 minutes at 29%, so most of you will happily cross the county for the right night. Only 3% stay under 10 minutes. This week rewards the long drive: a ghost-story night downtown, a ballet in lights, and a contra dance out in Swannanoa.
This week:
A North Carolina ghost-story night at Pack Library on Tuesday
Swan Lake dances in lights at the Wortham on Wednesday
A contra dance with a live band in Swannanoa on Thursday
The rest of the week, day by day, plus what to book before the weekend
A new whitewater wave in Woodfin, free Halloween Saturday options and a symphonic band in Black Mountain
Our full weekend picks land Thursday morning. Let’s get to it.
— Sean Kolina
👻 North Carolina Ghost Stories at Pack Library
Storyteller Liz Z. Pardue brings North Carolina’s haunted legends and supernatural encounters to the Pack Library auditorium on Tuesday evening, a fitting stop in the last week of October. Tar Heel Terrors is an hour of ghost stories aimed at adults, teens and tweens ages 10 and up. No registration link is listed, so call the library at 828-250-4718 if you have questions before you go.
📍 Where: Pack Memorial Library auditorium, 67 Haywood St., Asheville
📅 When: Tuesday, October 27th | 5:30pm – 6:30pm
✨ Swan Lake Glows at the Wortham
Grand Kyiv Ballet brings Swan Lake: Symphony of Lights to the Diana Wortham Theatre on Wednesday night, pairing Tchaikovsky’s score with illuminated costumes and dancers from around the world. The company describes each act as a living art installation, so expect something closer to a light show than a traditional production. Seats run $45 to $65 before fees, and children under 2 are not admitted.
📍 Where: Diana Wortham Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave., Asheville
📅 When: Wednesday, October 28th | 7pm
💲 Price: $45 – $65 before fees | Not for children under 2
🕺 A Contra Dance with a Live Band in Swannanoa
The Old Farmer’s Ball turns Bryson Gym at Warren Wilson College into a dance floor every Thursday night, and this week the band Hot Sonatas plays while Bri McCasland calls the dances. A beginner lesson starts at 7:30pm and is strongly recommended if you have never tried it, with the main dance running from 8 to 11pm. Warren Wilson community members pay just $1, which makes it one of the better deals in the county.
📍 Where: Bryson Gym, Warren Wilson College, 102 Upper College Rd., Swannanoa
📅 When: Thursday, October 29th | Lesson 7:30pm, dance 8pm – 11pm
💲 Price: $12 | $10 for members | $1 for the Warren Wilson community
Also This Week
The short list, day by day.
MON OCT 26 | Five Day Boo Bash Grove Street Center, Asheville · 1pm – 3pm · Free · Ages 18 and up · Runs through Friday |
TUE OCT 27 | Pumpkin Power Carving Harvest House Center, Asheville · 10am – 12pm · $10 · Ages 18 and up |
WED OCT 28 | Your Final Word: Horror Movie Trivia Tempie Avery Montford Center, Asheville · 5:30pm – 6:30pm · $5 · Ages 18 and up |
THU OCT 29 | Halloween Creepy Climb Tempie Avery Montford Center, Asheville · 6pm – 7:30pm · $7 · Ages 6 – 12 with an adult |
FRI OCT 30 | The Haunted Trail Adventure Center of Asheville, 85 Expo Drive · Festival area opens 6pm, lines close 9pm · $20, or $48 combo pass with the Aerial Glow Trails · Also runs Thursday |
Around the County
Buncombe is a lot bigger than downtown, so this is where the rest of it lives.
🌳 Taylor’s Wave is open in Woodfin. The new whitewater feature on the French Broad River, near Riverside Park, makes a standing wave that kayakers and surfers can ride in place. It is built for intermediate to advanced paddlers, conditions change with river levels, and crews may close it temporarily over the next several months for adjustments. Read more
🌳 Asheville Parks and Recreation has three free Halloween Saturday options. On Oct. 31, a Drive Thru Candy Grab runs 4 to 5:30pm at the Stephens-Lee Center, Halloween Bingo runs 6 to 8pm at the Burton Street Center, and a Trunk or Treat Fest runs 6 to 8pm at the Linwood Crump Shiloh Center. The first two are for kids under 14 with an adult, and Trunk or Treat is for ages 12 and under. Read more
🌳 A symphonic band plays a Halloween concert in Black Mountain. The Land of the Sky Symphonic Band’s Halloween Spooktacular is listed at White Horse Black Mountain on Saturday, Oct. 31 from 7:30 to 9:30pm. Read more
As always, we read every reply and truly appreciate hearing from you. If there’s something you’d like to see more of locally, let us know. Thanks for being part of the Buncombe County Digest community.
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