Stay up to date on COVID-19 information at nc.gov/covid19. Updates, openings/closings and schedule changes are still possible. Be sure to check with any event organizer or location before heading out. Email chris@worthyplace.com with your calendar listings.
GET READY FOR BABY
Mission Health offers prenatal classes, including a childbirth and hospital orientation class and a breastfeeding class. For details and registration, visit missionhealth.org/services-treatments/maternity-care/labor-delivery-mission.
Homegrown Families offers a variety of childbirth and prenatal classes. A six-week Birth With Courage Lamaze Childbirth Education series begins Sept. 19. A three-week mini-series begins Sept. 14. A free Early Pregnancy Class is 6 – 8 p.m. Sept. 15. Learn more and register at ashevillehomegrownfamilies.com.
Virtual Parent Education Classes are offered by Haywood Regional Medical Center. Get ready for baby online. Call 828-552-8440 or visit myhaywoodregional.com for details.
Hypnobabies Asheville offers natural childbirth classes online. A six-week series held 5:30 – 9 p.m. Thursdays begins Sept. 2. Learn more and register at hypnobabiesasheville.com.
ART FUN AND LEARNING
River Arts District’s Second Saturday programs are Sept. 11. Phil Mechanic Studios (Langeart.com) will feature ninja art. A free collage make-and-take is noon – 4 p.m. at Riverview Station. For a full schedule of programs and participating studios, visit riverartsdistrict.com.
Rockin’ Block Party is Sept. 18 in Downtown Waynesville. For details, visit downtownwaynesville.com.
Museum Day, sponsored by Smithsonian magazine, is Sept. 18. Museums across the United States open their doors for free to those who download a branded ticket. More than 1,000 museums are expected to participate. Visit smithsonianmag.com/museumday to learn more and download a Museum Day ticket. Each ticket grants the ticket holder and one guest free access to any participating museum on Sept. 18, 2021. One ticket is permitted per email address. A list of participating museums is at Smithsonianmag.com/museumday/search.
Mountain Street Dance is Sept. 24 in Downtown Waynesville. For details, visit downtownwaynesville.com.
Virtual and in-person art programs and camps are offered at Asheville Art Museum. See details atashevilleart.org/events.
The Omni Grove Park Inn National Gingerbread House Competition is reimagined for 2021 with in-person components. The house competition rules and entry form are open. For details, visit omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/things-to-do/gingerbread/national-gingerbread-competition.
Roots + Wings offers virtual ANYtime Creativity Camps for age 3 – grade 8. In-person programs include Design Studio for rising grades 6 – 8, adult workshops and custom workshops. Register online for September and October programs. Learn about BEcoming You: A Creative Recharge for teens and adults. For details and updates, visit rootsandwingsarts.com.
EXPLORE OUTDOORS
The Friends of the Lake 5K Road Race and Walk is Sept. 4 at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. For details and registration, visit lakejunaluska.com/run.
Nantahala Outdoor Center’s Guest Appreciation Festival is Sept. 24 – 26. This is a family-friendly event with deals on outdoor gear, boats, rafts and more. The event includes live music and child-friendly activities. For details, visit noc.com/events/guest-appreciation-festival-gaf.
The Wild Art Sculpture Showcase is on view at the North Carolina Arboretum through Sept. 26. For details and events, visit ncarboretum.org.
Labor Day – Sept. 6 get 50 percent off adventures at the Adventure Center of Asheville and Wildwater, Ltd., including the Asheville Zipline (ages 8 and older), Asheville Treetops Adventure Park (ages 4 and older) and KidZip (ages 4 and older). Reservations are suggested and can be made at 877-247-5539, adventureavl.com or wildwaterrafting.com.
Homeschool Groups Discount Days are weekdays through Sept. 30
at the Adventure Center of Asheville. Reservations are required. For details, email groups@adventurecenterofasheville.com or call 828-450-3400.
ENJOY STORY TIME, FAMILY FUN AND MORE
StoryLane, inspired during quarantine by Story Walk programs, continues on Montview Drive in Asheville near UNC–Asheville. Take a neighborhood stroll and read a children’s book. The pages are displayed in the yards of 14 – 17 homes. Each sign is posted near the street and begins at house No. 7 and ends at house No. 77. An activity sheet based on the current book can also be found at the last house enabling families to continue discussing the book at home. The event is free. Books can be read 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sept. 1 – “Roxaboxen” by Alice McLerra
Sept. 15 – “Lost and Found Cat” by Doug Kuntz
Miss Malaprop’s Virtual Story Time is at 10 a.m. Sept. 8 and 22 online via Instagram Live at instagram.com/malapropsbookstore. Recommended for ages 3 – 9.
Virtual Author Event – Middle Grade Authors Lauren Tarshis and Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch participate in a virtual event at 6 p.m. Sept. 9. Tarshis discusses the 21st book in the “I Survived” series, “The Galveston Hurricane, 1900.” Skrypuch discusses her novel, “Traitors Among Us.” Details and RSVP at malaprops.com/event/live-stream-middle-grade-authors-lauren-tarshis-and-marsha-forchuk-skrypuch.
The Tar Heel Junior Historian Association has resumed in-person programs. Sponsored by the NC Museum of History, the Smith-McDowell House chapter is open to students grades 4 – 12 in home or public school. The chapter meets at 4 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month during the school year at the Smith-McDowell House Museum in Asheville. Registration is $10 ($5 for each additional eligible sibling). Scholarships are available. Learn more at wnchistory.org/tarheel-junior-historians-smh-over-history or email education@wnchistory.org.
Family Story Times are at Henderson County Libraries: Mondays at 10 a.m. at Edneyville and Mills River Libraries, Tuesdays at 10 a.m. at Etowah Library,
Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. at Fletcher Library, Thursdays at 10 a.m. at Green River Library, and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. at the Main Library. Visit hendersoncountync.gov/library or call 828-697-4725.
Preschool Story Time is at 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays at the Henderson County Main Library. Visit hendersoncountync.gov/library or call 828-697-4725.
Toddler Story Time is at 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays at the Henderson County Main Library. Visit hendersoncountync.gov/library or call 828-697-4725.
Bouncing Babies Story Time is at 11:15 a.m. Thursdays at the Henderson County Main Library. Visit hendersoncountync.gov/library or call 828-697-4725.
Four O’Clock Club for elementary ages meets at the Henderson County Main Library at 4 p.m. each Wednesday beginning Sept. 8. Visit hendersoncountync.gov/library or call 828-697-4725.
Get a Bookfix at Buncombe County Library branches. Call or email your local library to have a librarian put together a bundle of books tailored to your specific interests. You can pick up your personal Bookfix bundle. The Ask a Librarian line is available Monday-Saturday at 828-250-4700 or email library@buncombecounty.org.
Buncombe County Library offers virtual story time through the library’s YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/2MXncO9. For updates, visit buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/library.
Little Explorers Club Live is available from the Asheville Museum of Science. The program is free and is for ages 3 – 7. For details and registration, visit ashevillescience.org.
SUPPORT AND CONNECTION
Perinatal Loss Support Group – Homegrown Families Perinatal Bereavement Parent Support Group is for families who have experienced the loss of a baby through miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth or newborn death. The group meets 6 – 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27. For details, visit ashevillehomegrownfamilies.com.
Moving Mamas meets at 10 a.m. Wednesdays at Carrier Park. For details, visit ashevillehomegrownfamilies.com.
Playful Parent Meetup is Sept. 4 at We Rock the Spectrum. Meet and connect with other parents and learn something new to improve your parenting experience. Childcare is free. Donations are welcome. Presented by The Joyous Parent and We Rock the Spectrum. For details and registration, visit play.thejoyousparent.com/playfulparentmeetup.
Triple P WNC is offering a free, virtual Positive Parenting Seminar at 2 p.m. Sept. 14. This seminar will address the five key principals of positive parenting: ensuring a safe and engaging environment, creating a positive learning environment, using assertive discipline, having reasonable expectations, and looking after yourself. To register, visit https://bit.ly/2VzIz0h.
Parents’ Night Out is 5 – 7 p.m. Sept. 21 by Sivanne Lieber, The Joyous Parent, in partnership with PlaySpark Therapy. Meet and connect with other parents, play and learn something new. Donation suggested. The topic for September is “Are Toys Everywhere? How to (and How Not to) Set Them Up for Supportive and Sustainable Play.” For details and registration, visit
play.thejoyousparent.com/parentsnightout.
The Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) is an evidence-based program gives parents confidence and in turn, helps them raise confident children. Local parents and caregivers have access to this free, positive parenting course online. Access Triple P resources at triplepwnc.com or triplep-parenting.com.
Kaleidoscope Play and Learn is offered for parents/caregivers and children ages birth – 5 in Buncombe County who are not in regulated childcare. Free classes will be held at Asheville Primary School and possibly other locations, depending on COVID protocols and availability. The program is free. Registration is required. Families attend one day per week. Classes for children birth – 35 months are 9:30 – 11 a.m. Mondays – Thursdays and classes for children ages 3 – 5 are 9 – 10:30 a.m. Mondays – Thursdays. For those with children ages birth – 35 months, contact Grace Ragaller at grace.ragaller@acsgmail.net . For families with 3- – 5-year-olds, contact Marna Holland at marna.holland@acsgmail.net.
ROAD TRIP
The American Dance Festival and the North Carolina Museum of Art present Together We Dance, an outdoor festival in the Joseph M. Bryan, Jr., Theater in the Museum Park in Durham, from Sept. 9 – 16. For details, visit americandancefestival.org.
Once Upon a Time: Exploring the World of Fairy Tales is open through Sept. 19 at the Upcountry History Museum in Greenville, South Carolina. This bilingual (English and Spanish) exhibition immerses visitors into a three-dimensional, fully developed world which emphasizes the importance of reading and the significance of fairy tales throughout history. Explore the extraordinary settings of six popular stories from around the globe. It is recommended for ages 3 –10 but adults might feel nostalgic about these stories, too. For more information, call 864-467-3100 or visit upcountryhistory.org.
