Happy 2026!
In case you missed it, the Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections need your support! Through the end of January, donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar (up to $5,000). Now is the time to donate and double your impact! Many thanks to Bruce Johnson and Leigh Ann Hamon for this generous matching gift challenge!
Visit PayPal.me/friendsbcsc or mail a check to the Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street, Asheville NC to double your impact and help sustain BCSC throughout 2026!
Find details on upcoming events below—both BCSC programs and some free community events from our friends and partners.
Exhibition: Black Stories in Census Tract 2
Tuesday, January 20 – Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Special Collections Reading Room, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street, Asheville
Black Stories in Census Tract 2 is a curated multimedia archive illuminating the social, cultural, and historical impact of Asheville’s Black neighborhoods—honoring the families and communities whose roots shaped Stumptown, Hill Street, and South Montford, and bringing their stories forward through imagery, memory, and collective history.
The exhibition is created by STM Multimedia and Garnet Prose + Projects in partnership with the Historic Stumptown Neighborhood Association and with support from the Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections, Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County, and Dogwood Health Trust. It is presented as part of the Carolina Record Shop, a program featuring creative perspectives on community history.
Film Screening: The Journey of August King
Tuesday, February 24, 5:15 – 7:00pm
Special Collections Reading Room, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street, Asheville
The Journey of August King (PG-13, 1995) is a big-screen adaptation of John Ehle’s novel by the same name. The novel is one of the selections for the March 3 session of our Land of the Sky 101 Learning Circle. We especially encourage those who will be attending the March 3 discussion to attend, but all are welcome!
The Journey of August King is a period drama set in Western North Carolina in 1815. A widowed homesteader (Jason Patric) encounters a young enslaved woman (Thandie Newton) who has fled the estate of a powerful local landowner and, in spite of the risk involved, decides to help her.
“When Are We Us?” America 250 Symposium
Friday, February 27, 09:30 – 4:30pm
Lord Auditorium, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street, Asheville
Join us in partnership with North Carolina Historic Sites for a day filled with programs that explore the fundamental ideals of democracy and the diversity of voices that have shaped our nation.
How can change be a powerful force for progress? How can we work together to create a more just and equitable society? When are we US?
Land of the Sky 101 Book Club
Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 5:30pm–7:00pm
Special Collections Reading Room, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street, Asheville
Land of the Sky 101 is a community learning circle for those who are interested in the history of Asheville, Buncombe County, and Western North Carolina.
This four-part series of readings and discussions is modeled after the themes of the exhibit An Incomplete History of Buncombe County in the BCSC reading room. Readers can choose from two selections; one light read like a novel, essay collection, or poetry; and one rigorous non-fiction read written by an expert on the subject. Pick one or both! The choice is yours!
Each session is facilitated by a Buncombe County Special Collections librarian or special guest who shares expert knowledge, additional resources, and sets the context for the conversation.
On March 3, 2026, Land of the Sky 101 will discuss:
- The Journey of August King by John Ehle
- Cherokee Women: Gender and Culture Change, 1700-1835 by Theda Purdue
Exhibition: Making Our Voices Heard: North Carolinians Fighting for Civil Rights
Monday, March 23 – Thursday, April 23, 2026
Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street, Asheville
Developed for the state’s America 250 NC “When Are We US?” initiative, the traveling exhibit is part of North Carolina’s commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary. This exhibit tells the stories of everyday North Carolinians and extraordinary leaders who petitioned, protested, and organized to expand democracy. The exhibit explores change, freedom, civic responsibility, and overcoming challenges by telling the story of a few North Carolinians who have raised their voices to call out injustice and fully participate in our democratic society.
Flatfooting for Beginners with Linda Block
Monday, March 23 + Monday, March 30, 2026, 5:30pm–6:30pm
Lord Auditorium, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street, Asheville
A traditional mountain dancing lesson suited for true beginners! In March there will be two opportunities at Pack Memorial Library to learn the basics of this traditional Appalachian style of dance from one of the best instructors in the area, Linda Block, of the Green Grass Cloggers.
Classes are free to attend, but registration is required.
Adults and families are welcome! (Recommended for ages 10 and up, with parent present.) Make sure to wear comfortable clothing and shoes that can slide but stay on your feet! Open toed shoes are not recommended. Water bottles with lids are welcome.
Wikicurious: WNC Women’s History Wikipedia Edit-a-thon
Tuesday, March 24, noon – 4pm
Special Collections Reading Room, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street, Asheville
Calling all aspiring Wikipedia editors! Join us to learn about Wikipedia & improve access to knowledge as part of Women’s History Month. At this drop-in event, you’ll be able to learn how to edit, update, and add articles on Wikipedia.
Bring your own laptop or borrow one of ours, enjoy a light lunch, and help improve access to accurate information in honor of Women’s History Month!
Please be sure to register in advance on the Wikipedia event page. Attendees must have a Wikipedia account in order to edit pages.
Wikicurious is a beginner-level series that trains participants how to edit and participate on Wikimedia wikis and sites. Wikicurious started in 2024 with events throughout NYC and has since expanded nationally. Wikicurious is powered by Wikimedia NYC and is supported by Craig Newmark Philanthropies.
Keep NC Weird! The Strange & Macabre History of Our State
Tuesday, March 31, 5:30 – 6:30pm
Lord Auditorium, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street, Asheville
“Keep NC Weird” is a one-hour journey through the strangest history, most eccentric characters, and darkest folklore of the Old North State. Join storyteller Liz Z Pardue for a lively exploration of the bizarre, macabre, and delightfully peculiar stories that make North Carolina unforgettable.
Liz Z Pardue is an award-winning storyteller, writer, and director from North Carolina where she has spent almost 40 years collecting and sharing Southern history through its lore. In 2023, Pardue founded Sisterhood of Spirits, LLC, operating ghost tours and spooky historical theatrical productions from Fuquay-Varina—the most haunted small town in the South.
The White Plague in the Blue Ridge: Asheville in the Tuberculosis Era
Monday, April 6, 5:30 – 6:30pm
Lord Auditorium, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street, Asheville
More than a century ago, Asheville was a nationally known destination for those seeking a cure from the dreaded “white plague,” also known as phthisis, consumption, or tuberculosis. Health and wellness accounted for much of the city’s dramatic growth from 1870-1920, yet evidence of the tuberculosis sanitarium era has since largely vanished from Asheville’s physical landscape—unless you know where to look.
Join infectious disease expert and local historian Professor David O. Freedman as he shares new research into this invisible history. Learn about Dr. Joseph W. Gleitsmann’s establishment of the first successful TB sanitarium in the US in Asheville in 1875 and George Vanderbilt and E.W. Grove’s eventual “No Sick” campaign to rebrand the city. The story of the Winyah Sanitarium and Von Ruck Research Laboratories (the current site of the UNCA Woods) includes controversial vaccine development strategies, once debated on the floor of Congress, that are currently revived at the scientific forefront.
David O. Freedman, MD, is a world-recognized expert in infectious diseases and vaccine research. A Professor Emeritus at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and an advisor to the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Freedman has spent his career at the forefront of global health crises, including Zika and Chikungunya. Since moving to Asheville in 2023, he has taken up a new interest in uncovering the city’s medical history, recently publishing his findings in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Black Stories in Census Tract 2: Discussion and Film Screening
Tuesday, April 21, 5:00 – 6:45pm
Lord Auditorium, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street, Asheville
In April, the exhibition “Black Stories in Census Tract 2” will expand beyond the gallery space with a documentary screening that brings Stumptown’s history to life through film, creating an opportunity for deeper reflection, community dialogue, and shared learning.
This screening will be a gathering point for elders, descendants, students, and the public to engage directly with the stories presented in the exhibit and continue the cross-generational conversation around memory, place, and preservation.
Community Events
We’d also like to highlight a few free events from our friends and partners that may appeal to our patrons interested in regional history and memory. Please refer to the links for further information or to RSVP. These events are not organized or hosted by BCSC. Please contact their respective host organizations with any questions.
Going to Water: A Writer’s Search for the Cherokee Literary Form with Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle
Thursday, February 12, 6:00 – 7:30pm
Highsmith Student Union, Blue Ridge Room, UNC Asheville
In “Going to Water: A Writer’s Search for the Cherokee Literary Form,” award-winning author Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle explores the evolution of Cherokee literature and the contemporary efforts to rematriate storytelling practices rooted in Cherokee culture and values.
She will discuss how Cherokee writers and artists are using Cherokee cultural knowledge and the seven core Cherokee values to inform artistic choices, such as structure, style, and narrative. These methods diverge from Western canonical literature and classic Euro-American art forms.
This event is free and open to the public; however, registration is encouraged. Register Here
“Going to Water: A Writer’s Search for the Cherokee Literary Form” is the second event in the “Rising Waters: Writing Place and Environment” Thomas Howerton Professorship lecture series presented by the UNC Asheville English Department. This three-year series features humanities scholars in conversation with natural sciences scholars about issues affecting us all.
OLLI Fab Fridays: “The Many Lives of Carl Sandburg”
Friday, February 6, 11:30 a.m.
Reuter Center, UNC Asheville (In person + online: Join online via Zoom.)
This program tells the story of Carl Sandburg’s life in a one-act reader’s theatre production. There will be dramatic and humorous readings from his poetry and prose, and a singer will perform songs from Sandburg’s American Songbag. There will also be an overture of images of Sandburg and his circle projected on a screen. This informative, entertaining, and thought-provoking 75 minutes celebrates Sandburg’s remarkable spirit and amazing accomplishments.
John W. Quinley is a retired college administrator and teacher who served as a docent for the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site. He authored the book Discovering Carl Sandburg, the print series Letters from a Sandburg Docent, and the play The Many Lives of Carl Sandburg. He has given talks about Carl Sandburg to large audiences as well as teaching classes about Sandburg at UNC Asheville, Furman University, and North Carolina State University.
OLLI Fab Fridays: “The Past, Present and Future of the French Broad River”
Friday, February 20, 11:30 a.m.
Reuter Center, UNC Asheville (In person + online: Join online via Zoom.)
Over the past 40 years, RiverLink has been instrumental in helping to transform the French Broad River corridor. Founder Karen Cragnolin championed the once neglected and highly industrialized river, turning it into a thriving environmental and economic engine for Asheville and the region. Following Helene’s impact and destruction, RiverLink is partnering with our local jurisdictions and communities once again to help reimagine how to be in our floodplains with more resilience and to better manage our risk and losses—all while advocating for our rivers and streams in our ongoing recovery. Please join RiverLink’s Water Resources Manager, Renee Fortner, and Executive Director, Lisa Raleigh, for a lively conversation on the history of this transformation and the opportunities and challenges the river faces today in Helene’s wake. The presentation will explore what we need to do as a community to ensure the river’s ongoing health and vitality, including post-storm bank restoration and repair, and reducing the sediment loading and stormwater runoff impacting our watershed.
Got feedback on past BCSC events or ideas for future ones? Let us know in this short, anonymous survey or email us!
To stay up-to-date on upcoming BCSC events, consider signing up for our blog via email, following us on Instagram or Facebook, or visiting the Buncombe County Public Libraries calendar. (Hint: Use the “Program Type” filter to view only events with a local history focus!)
