Boomtown Arts & Heritage FestAVL

05/28/2026

More than a recap... this is the feeling of Boomtown FestAVL. 🔊

It’s the kind of event where strangers become friends, and the whole city feels a little closer.

2025 brought the energy. 2026 keeps it going. Built by AVL, for AVL.

📍 Pack Square Park. SEP 4-6.
🎟️ FREE RSVP 👉 bit.ly/favl_rsvp

05/27/2026

Live music, heritage exhibits, workshops, trail tours, and more. It's all happening at Boomtown Arts & Heritage FestAVL!

⚬ FREE
⚬ Asheville, NC
⚬ SEP 4-6
⚬ Lineup Coming Soon...
⚬ RSVP 👉 bit.ly/favl_rsvp

10/31/2025

Remembering Andrea Clark, her legacy through her lens and through the preservation of her Grandfather’s legacy with the James Vester Miller Historic Walking Trail : Asheville. May she rest in peace & power as her light transcends through her timeless photographs ☀️

Asheville photographer and historian Andrea Clark was remembered by friends as an inspiration. Clark captured the historically Black East End/Valley Street Neighborhood before urban renewal in the 1970s.

10/31/2025

Remembering Andrea Clark, her legacy through her lens and through her preservation of her Grandfather’s James Vester Miller Historic Walking Trail : Asheville. May she rest in Peace & Power ☀️

Look back at some of Andrea Clark's photos of the East End/Valley Street neighborhood before urban renewal.

10/29/2025

A letter from LEAF's Executive Director, Erinn Hartley

10/17/2025

And so the magic in begins! Don’t miss THIS WEEKEND 10/16-10/19, celebrating 30 magical years of global arts & heritage from around the globe to 🌎 🌍 🌏☀️🌗💫
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More info & tix 🎫 in bio
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09/27/2025

Dear readers,

The one-year anniversary of Tropical Storm Helene is approaching. To mark the date, this week's issue focuses on many of the hardest hit areas in Western North Carolina, catching up with local residents and business owners alike. 

Based on our reporting, I can tell you that there is not a universal response to the one-year milestone. 

Some community members seem ready to put the past 12 months behind them. “We're just honestly all emotionally exhausted,” says Jeffrey Burroughs, a fine jeweler and president of the River Arts District Artists. “This has been our lives for a year, and we're just tired of the mud and the flood.” 

Others seem anxious about what support will look like after the anniversary comes and goes. “At some point we're not going to be in the news anymore,” says Joel Friedman, owner of Zuma Coffee in downtown Marshall.

Meanwhile, a few feel optimistic, despite the ongoing demands that recovery brings. “I think that we're going to have a pretty decent leaf season,” says Chuck Giezentanner, owner of The Daily Grind, a coffee shop located on Fairview Road. “I know that as more stuff opens in Biltmore Village, it'll bring more business up here.” 

I am proud of many things about this week's issue, including the wide range of voices and experiences we spotlight and report on. I also hope readers notice and appreciate our decision to avoid simply republishing photos of the severe destruction Helene brought upon our region. Instead, we wanted to focus as much as we could on the future efforts and current needs of our small towns and cities. 

Additionally, I love this week's cover. Its simplicity captures the essence of what has mattered most since Helene — coming together. 

Caleb Johnson photographed the embrace, which was taken in the early aftermath of Helene. One of the individuals featured is Josh Copus, owner of Zadie's Market and the Old Marshall Jail. When Johnson reached out to Copus last week to identify the other individual, Copus told him he wasn't sure. “I hugged so many people," he said. 

That about says it all, folks. 

Thanks for reading, 

Thomas Calder, managing editor

09/27/2025

09/26/2025

Special thanks & gratitude for all the support from our local sponsors, staff, volunteers, talent, service providers, vendors, food trucks, food tents, attendees, and everyone who came together to make Boomtown FestAVL 2025 a possibility and allowing Boomtown & The Big Secret to raise $3,500 for community non-profit beneficiary Asheville-Buncombe Community Land Trust - below are some words from them regarding their ongoing work in the community and post Helene efforts. And learn more https://abclt.org

How can Asheville continue to be a Boomtown, but not leave its original residents behind? Five years ago, a community-led steering committee created the Asheville-Buncombe Community (ABCLT) to combat gentrification in Southside and other Legacy Neighborhoods. Moderate- and low-income families buy homes at a steep discount, while the land underneath is conserved in a trust, protected for affordability.

Through the unexpected changes of COVID, Helene, and more, ABCLT has worked tirelessly to bring permanently affordable homes to Asheville and Buncombe County residents. In the past year, we have:

•Responded rapidly to create a temporary housing program for residents who lost their homes in Hurricane Helene

•Provided rental assistance for residents whose income was impacted as a result of Hurricane Helene

•Served over 60 households through our programs

• Purchased a legacy home to save the owner from foreclosure

• Secured homes in the East End and Southside neighborhoods, and renovated a home in the Burton Street neighborhood - all of which will remain permanently affordable

If you are looking to give back to the community we all love to call home, protecting its past legacy and future affordability, here are some ways to engage:

• Donate. Creating a new homeowner and protecting a home for 100+ years is a significant investment. Many contributions from neighbors make it possible!

• Use your talents, connections, and resources for in-kind donations.

• Consider a monthly recurring donation, if you have a business that benefits from the popularity and growth of Asheville, such as a vacation rental.

• Become a member. Having voting members is a key element that keeps community land trusts in the hands of the people.