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Paint your best friend, no artistic experience necessary
Paint your BFF program during a one-hour free paint session hosted by the Enka Library at Pleb Urban Winery from 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28. This is not an art class, but a program to have fun and paint with other adults and hang out with best friends. Portraits will be revealed to each other at the end.
County tax bills in the mail, payment due by January
Buncombe County property owners can expect to receive their property tax bills in the mail any day now if they haven’t already. Tax notices were mailed the second week of August. Tax bills list a due date of September 1, but that’s not really the case. A four-month grace period allows property owners to pay through January 6, 2025, without penalty.
Asheville expands tourism efforts to attract movie filming, outdoors and sporting events
A familiar name will be leading the effort to bring sporting events, film projects and other entertainment business to Buncombe County. Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority recently named Jay Curwen as the new director of sports, film, and entertainment. The newly created role will oversee strategy...
Record Asheville tourism in 2023; nearly $3 billion spent, 13.9 million visitors
In 2023, tourists in Buncombe County brought a record-breaking boost to the economy. The impact of tourism can be seen on the Blue Ridge Parkway, in visits to the Biltmore and the area's booming breweries. But it's also evident in visitor spending in the area's hotels, restaurants, shops and transportation services.
Should Asheville City and Buncombe County schools merge? Public input wanted
Public input is being sought on a potential merger of Buncombe County Schools with Asheville City Schools − a change being pushed by the Republican state legislature that would grow the region's biggest school system. The North Carolina General Assembly last year mandated that the two systems study a...
The Watchdog’s comments policies have changed. Here’s why.
With regret, Asheville Watchdog is suspending reader comments on politics, effective immediately and continuing through the Nov. 5 election. The Watchdog is a small, volunteer-run news organization providing local news reporting and analysis as a public service to the residents of Asheville and Buncombe County. With the national elections approaching, our comments section has seen a huge increase in submissions that reflect the polarized political environment nationwide, that disregard our comments policies, and that seek to promote political philosophies that don’t relate directly to the story.
Board of Commissioners and school boards meet to discuss strategic priorities for next five years
The Board of Commissioners continued to refine Strategic Plan 2030 goals and strategic priorities during today’s special called meeting. Focusing on long-range planning and shared goals, the first part of the day was a joint meeting with Asheville City School Board and Buncombe County School Board members. This early conversation and planning session is the first time all three boards have come together around a long-term goals conversation. No action or formal votes came from this meeting.
Public Input Opportunities for School Consolidation
Asheville – Buncombe County wants citizens to show up and tell them what they think about a merger of city and county schools. The county is hosting nine open-house-style community meetings and an online forum. Spanish interpretation will be provided. In September 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly mandated...
A New Buncombe Record: 13.9 Million Tourists in 2023
Written by Sally Kestin, Asheville Watchdog. If it feels like Buncombe County was more crowded last year, here’s why: A record 13.9 million tourists visited. On an average day in 2023, Buncombe had one visitor for every seven residents, according to the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. The number...
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