Community Calendar

Banjo player Tray Wellington’s approach to the quintessential American instrument is all about looking forward. An International Bluegrass Music Association Award winner, Wellington is critically acclaimed not only for his technical prowess, but also for leveraging his unique point of view to craft a one-of-a-kind voice on the instrument. It’s a feat that’s all too rare in these roots genres that seem to value emulation and regurgitation over all else. Instead, Wellington has time and time again reasserted that his playing style, and all of the many varied and disparate parts that combine within it, is wholly his own – and it’s unconcerned with tradition.

Desert Dwellers - Between Worlds Tour 2025
TWO NIGHTS in ASHEVILLE NC
at Third Room (46 Wall Street, Downtown Asheville)

Tickets: $40
Show: 8:30PM (Doors: 8PM)
21+

PURCHASE: https://tixr.com/e/151561

Saturday Night - September 13th 2025
Desert Dwellers
Savej
HABITAAT
& Kofdrop

All throughout September, guests are invited to join the mountain’s naturalists as they count and celebrate the annual spectacle of fall raptor migration. Participants can observe the migration from viewing locations on Linville Peak (across the Mile High Swinging Bridge) and Half Moon Overlook (the first major overlook when entering the park). Included with admission.

The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area announces Returning to the Ridge: Blue Ridge Craft Trails Invitation at Mars Landing Galleries in Mars Hill, NC, from July 2 through September 28, 2025. The exhibit brings together the exceptional talents of 33 artists featured on the Blue Ridge Craft Trails, showcasing the vibrant artistic landscape of Western North Carolina.

The artistic spirit of Southern Appalachia, deeply rooted in its stunning natural environment, will be on full display. From the intricate details of pottery to the masterful craftsmanship of woodworking, the exhibition will feature 60 pieces spanning a diverse range of traditional mediums, including fiber art, printmaking, metalworking (including jewelry), and basketry. This celebration of local artistry comes at a crucial time, as Hurricane Helene impacted many artists. Artists participating are from the central and western sections of BRNHA’s 25-county footprint, encompassing the NC mountains and the Qualla Boundary.

What roles do magic, animism, and spirituality play in our movements for liberation? What roles have they played historically? Why are some ideas hidden, suppressed by the State? How do we harness these ideas for both personal transformation & collective liberation?

Participants in this community-led group will discuss these questions and more! This is a space for deepening both political and spiritual practices.

At the September gathering, participants will discuss No Spiritual Surrender by Klee Benally (Diné). The book is a searing anti-colonial analysis rooted in frontline experience. Klee unrelentingly agitates against colonial politics towards Indigenous autonomy and total liberation of Nahasdzáán (Mother Earth).

Endangered Impressions: a collection of drawings highlighting nature threatened by the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Management Plan

This is your chance to snag a masterpiece with heart! These one-of-a-kind works–created by fellow supporters– might just become your next favorite wall art and a daily reminder to stand strong for the places we all love to call home.

The online art auction will kick off at 3 pm on Sunday, August 24th, and will run until 11:45 pm on Friday, September 20th. Winners will be contacted the week of September 22nd. Don’t want to wait to take home your favorite piece? Check out the “Buy Now” options. All proceeds will benefit MountainTrue.

Art is framed in re-used frames to embrace a more sustainable approach.

With her enchanted voice and evocative songwriting, Leslie Mendelson has won the hearts and minds of both an adoring fanbase and fellow artists alike. No less than Jackson Browne has declared, “Leslie's melodies are timeless. They reach me way back in my youth somewhere. I hear traces of Burt Bacharach and Carole King, and hooks and passages that remind me of the pop songs I grew up hearing on the radio,” while The Wallflowers frontman Jakob Dylan shares: “Voices like Leslie’s can get away with almost anything. Along with being a great songwriter, this leaves her with few if any peers.”

“Leslie is one of these very rare singers who can combine elegant precision with the soul and emotional resonance of a deeply moving writer and performer,” concludes producer, Peter Asher. "She has a remarkable voice and one we need to hear.”
Molly Thomas’ latest album proved to be the biggest challenge and accomplishment of her 30-year music career. In the midst of recording, she was T-boned at an intersection and incapacitated for five months. Many of the songs were written before the accident, and their messages of resilience, hope, and self-revelation proved to be just what she needed to get through. Now, healed and with her wit intact, Thomas calls her latest album, Tumble Home.

Thomas’ cinematic folk sensibility melds Americana earthiness with symphonic grandeur. She’s a prodigiously gifted violinist who sees the big picture with her songs, bringing forth her heartfelt narratives with richly expressive instrumentation from her background as a string player. Thomas is also a dynamically expressive vocalist who can effortlessly sweep up from the dreamy to the dramatic.

All throughout September, guests are invited to join the mountain’s naturalists as they count and celebrate the annual spectacle of fall raptor migration. Participants can observe the migration from viewing locations on Linville Peak (across the Mile High Swinging Bridge) and Half Moon Overlook (the first major overlook when entering the park). Included with admission.

Endangered Impressions: a collection of drawings highlighting nature threatened by the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Management Plan

This is your chance to snag a masterpiece with heart! These one-of-a-kind works–created by fellow supporters– might just become your next favorite wall art and a daily reminder to stand strong for the places we all love to call home.

The online art auction will kick off at 3 pm on Sunday, August 24th, and will run until 11:45 pm on Friday, September 20th. Winners will be contacted the week of September 22nd. Don’t want to wait to take home your favorite piece? Check out the “Buy Now” options. All proceeds will benefit MountainTrue.

Art is framed in re-used frames to embrace a more sustainable approach.

All throughout September, guests are invited to join the mountain’s naturalists as they count and celebrate the annual spectacle of fall raptor migration. Participants can observe the migration from viewing locations on Linville Peak (across the Mile High Swinging Bridge) and Half Moon Overlook (the first major overlook when entering the park). Included with admission.