Lifestyle
1 day ago
Marshall Mermaid Parade returns this weekend for ‘magical’ post-Helene celebration
The Mermaid Parade and Festival is Marshall's biggest event of the year. According to the organizers, it is the mountain town's most magical, too.
6 days ago
Why your co-worker might be listening to music tuned to 432 hertz
Music recorded in 432 hertz (cycles per second) is taking off on social media platforms and music streaming services, where users can find an increasing number of tracks and playlists employing the alternate tuning, everything from meditation soundscapes to reggae songs recorded by Ziggy Marley.
1 week ago
Independent bookstores are multiplying, although many people still think they’re dying out
Allison Hill, CEO of the American Booksellers Association, is used to strangers expressing sympathy when they learn what she does for a living. "It's all so funny," she says. "When I tell them I run the trade association for independent stores, they'll say, 'It's just so sad that they're disappearing.'
1 week ago
Hikes of WNC: Lookout Trail
As peak hiking season hits Western North Carolina, trek out to Montreat outside of Black Mountain, N.C. for a climb up Lookout Trail. The technical route requires stamina and some rock scrambling, but its views of the Swannanoa Valley are unmatched.
1 week ago
You should be dancing, yeah. Moving to music offers all kinds of benefits as you age
Moving to music is one of the best ways to stay healthy. Medical professionals say it doesn't matter if it's Western line dancing, ballroom steps, salsa, tap, Zumba at the gym, or with a group
1 week ago
Sunshine, stories and sweet music fill Black Mountain Memorial Day ceremony
Veterans, their families and community members gathered at Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery today for a Memorial Day ceremony.
1 week ago
Rain or brine: Mills River Cheese and Pickle Festival draws 100s, despite bad weather
Cheese-crazed crowds and pickle-passionate people flocked through heavy rain to Mills River Brewing Company this weekend for the brewery's second annual Cheese and Pickle Festival. The event featured a pickle-bobbing contest, an abundance of fried cheese and vendors hawking pickle wares of all kinds.
2 weeks ago
‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ is cute, copy-and-paste ‘Star Wars’
The first new "Star Wars" movie in seven years is here! While far, far away from the galaxy's best "Star Wars" flick, "The Mandalorian and Grogu" offers up cuteness in overdrive.
2 weeks ago
Plastic bags don’t go in the recycling bin. What should you do instead?
Soft, stretchy plastics can make up grocery bags, bubble wrap and more. They're impossible to avoid and harder still to properly dispose of. If thrown in the trash, they can take up to hundreds of years to degrade in landfills and release harmful microplastics into the environment.
2 weeks ago
Memorial Day 2026: Where to attend official ceremonies in WNC
This year, Memorial Day will be held on Monday, May 25, 2026, with several official ceremonies honoring fallen soldiers to be held in Western North Carolina. Find the best location for you.
2 weeks ago
Biltmore, arts, hiking: Tourists explain what brings them to Asheville
Following Tropical Storm Helene, Asheville has struggled to regain its reputation as a premiere tourist destination. Nonetheless, tourists have kept coming. 828newsNOW asked a few visitors what inspired their visits to the Land of the Sky.
2 weeks ago
Summer travelers who relied on Spirit Airlines may struggle to find budget alternatives
Days after Spirit Airlines shut down in the middle of the night, a lawyer for the defunct budget carrier stood before a bankruptcy judge and apologized to the price-conscious customers who might struggle to find affordable flights in its absence.
2 weeks ago
Supporting southern artists: Local LGBTQ+ nonprofit plans collaborative fundraiser
The Campaign for Southern Equality has planned a multi-disciplinary, interactive community arts fundraiser at the Grey Eagle. Proceeds from the June 25 event will go to support LGBTQ+ artists.
2 weeks ago
Mountain movie palaces: Smoky Mountain Cinema, Waynesville, NC
Smoky Mountain Cinema is an independent, three-screen movie theater tucked in the corner of a Waynesville shopping center. Despite its modest size, the theater is run with a colossal amount of experience.
3 weeks ago
6 public pools splash back to Asheville for Memorial Day weekend
Six public pools in Buncombe County will open for the season next weekend, just in time for the Memorial Day holiday.
3 weeks ago
750+ readers participate in blockbuster One Book, One Buncombe program
One Book, One Buncombe is a community reading program aimed at creating unity through literature across Buncombe County. Hundreds of copies of "Happy Land" by Dolen Perkins-Valdez were made freely available to readers as part of the initiative.
3 weeks ago
Hundreds hop to horror haven Haunted Farm for ‘Halfway to Halloween’
Summertime can be scary, too. Just ask Jason Voorhees... or visitors at The Haunted Farm. The scare attraction attracted dozens of guests last weekend for a two day only "Halfway to Halloween" event.
3 weeks ago
Pediatricians group finds kids of all ages need regular recess for physical and mental health
Recess isn't just a fun break for grade schoolers. It's crucial to good health and good grades for kids of all ages. That's the message from a leading pediatricians group, which just released the first new guidance in 13 years about this unstructured time at school and how it needs to be protected.
4 weeks ago
Hikes of WNC: Flat Top Mountain Trail
Flat Top Mountain Trail is a rewarding trek with diverse terrain near Moses Cone Manor on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Read more in our hiking guide below.
4 weeks ago
Olivia and Liam top the list of most popular US baby names for the seventh year running
Olivia and Liam for a seventh year in a row topped the list of names for babies born in the United States in 2025. The Social Security Administration annually tracks the names given to girls and boys in each state, with lists dating back to 1880.
