The 24th Asheville Orchid Festival kicks off today at the North Carolina Arboretum. This three-day event showcases hundreds of orchids from world-class growers, with exotic species from as far as Ecuador. If you're looking to add some beauty to your home, vendors will be selling a variety of orchids throughout the weekend.
For music lovers, the Orange Peel is hosting a 2000s dance party tonight called "Hot in Herre." Meanwhile, at the Grey Eagle, you can catch Ashes and Arrows with Abby Bryant. If you're in the mood for some laughs, there's a comedy showcase featuring Atlanta's best at Catawba Brewing.
Unfortunately, we're also dealing with some serious wildfire situations in Western North Carolina. The Freedom Farm Fire in Leicester has grown to 130 acres and is only 20% contained. Smoke from various fires has led to air quality alerts in several counties, including a Code Red alert for Henderson and Polk counties. If you're planning any outdoor activities this weekend, be sure to check the latest air quality reports and fire updates.
In downtown Asheville, the Wine Walk is happening tomorrow afternoon. This annual event benefits Manna Food Bank and local small businesses, allowing participants to sip and stroll through the city.
Looking ahead to Sunday, Asheville Wellness Tours is offering a Forest Bathing Retreat focused on spring awakening and renewal. This mindful nature experience at the North Carolina Arboretum could be just the thing to reset and recharge as we move into a new season.
On a final note, remember that the road to the NCAA Final Four starts right here in Asheville. The Southern Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships are ongoing at Harrah's Cherokee Center through March 30th. It's a great opportunity to catch some exciting college basketball action right in our backyard.
This has been Asheville Local Frequency. We'll see you tomorrow with more local updates.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!