Mountain Xpress

Mountain Xpress Independent, community-focused journalism since 1994. Free print edition available each Wednesday

What inspires local farmers to create corn mazes? How far in advance do they plan each year’s design? And why would anyo...
10/22/2025

What inspires local farmers to create corn mazes? How far in advance do they plan each year’s design? And why would anyone willingly get lost for half an hour among rows of the same vegetable? Xpress set out to discover the answers to these questions and more!

In this issue, you'll also find:

👻 Old crimes and eerie tales fuel ghost tours in mountain towns

🎭 Asheville Butoh Festival embraces elements of advocacy, post-Helene healing

🎃 Inspiration for seasonal pumpkin recipes 

👑 No Kings rally draws thousands to downtown Asheville

Thousands gathered and marched in downtown Asheville as part of the No Kings rally. All photos and videos by .calder
10/19/2025

Thousands gathered and marched in downtown Asheville as part of the No Kings rally.

All photos and videos by .calder

Black Mountain's No Kings rally drew a large crowd. Organizers estimated over 1,500. You can find more photos from the e...
10/18/2025

Black Mountain's No Kings rally drew a large crowd. Organizers estimated over 1,500. You can find more photos from the event at mountainx.com.

The Asheville No Kings rally takes place at Pack Square Park, tonight at 6 p.m.

All photos by .calder

Several No Kings demonstrations are underway in Western North Carolina. Featured are photos from Marion and Hendersonvil...
10/18/2025

Several No Kings demonstrations are underway in Western North Carolina. Featured are photos from Marion and Hendersonville. Both events have concluded.

Additional gatherings are taking place throughout the day:

- Sylva, 310 Keener Street, Sylva, underway until 1 p.m.

- Burnsville Town Square, 101 Town Square, Burnsville, 12-3 p.m.

- Transylvania County Courthouse, 7 E Main Street, Brevard, 2-3 p.m.

- Black Mountain Town Square, 100 E State St, Black Mountain, 2-3:15 p.m.

- Pack Square Park, 80 Court Plaza, Asheville, 6-8 p.m

Hendersonville photos by Justin McGuire; Marion photos by Thomas Calder

According to a 2025 American Transporation Research Institute report, women comprise approximately 4% of all commercial ...
10/15/2025

According to a 2025 American Transporation Research Institute report, women comprise approximately 4% of all commercial truck driving roles in the U.S. Safety, family obligations and negative perceptions of the industry are contributing factors to the low number. But some local female drivers have stepped into the cab and are embracing life on the road. 

In this week's Women in Business issue, you'll also find:

Voter Guide, Part 2: Woodfin races

Questions linger after Buncombe’s hush-hush meeting

WCU’s Madelyn Lee shares playbook for working in college football

Women artists bring fresh perspectives to Asheville’s tattoo scene

We've got our Voter Guide, Part 1 out now.If you are a Weaverville resident, be sure to grab it to learn all about this ...
10/09/2025

We've got our Voter Guide, Part 1 out now.

If you are a Weaverville resident, be sure to grab it to learn all about this year's council and mayoral candidates.

Early voting starts Thursday, Oct. 16 and runs through Saturday, Nov. 1.

Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 4.

We'll have Woodfin's election guide out next week.

Back in August, Keely Sewell, a Weaverville resident, emailed the paper about her 9-year-old son, Riley Heinl, and his e...
10/07/2025

Back in August, Keely Sewell, a Weaverville resident, emailed the paper about her 9-year-old son, Riley Heinl, and his effort to help clean up our area waterways. The boy's interest predated Tropical Storm Helene, but his mission found new relevance in the aftermath of the storm. 

Fast-forward to today, and Sewell's initial outreach has resulted in this week's cover story by contributing writing Anabel Shenk. 

At Xpress, we receive a lot of pitches for coverage. Given our small staff size and focus, we cannot accommodate all requests. But it's always rewarding to see this type of story find its way into print. 

It's also a good reminder of the broad range of topics we cover — from government meetings to local music to, in this case, the inspiring and positive impact a 9-year-old can have on his community. 

In a world where uplifting headlines seem few and far between, we hope this week's cover story gives readers something to feel good about. It was great to meet Riley this afternoon as he picked up a copy with his dad, James. 

Don't forget to pick up your free print copy today. This small act is the easiest way to show support for your local weekly!

Grab this week’s issue for more details!
10/03/2025

Grab this week’s issue for more details!

After 28 years with the Asheville Police Department, Chief Mike Lamb is set to retire in December. As the city considers...
10/01/2025

After 28 years with the Asheville Police Department, Chief Mike Lamb is set to retire in December. As the city considers his replacement, Lamb spoke with Xpress about his career, as well as the challenges that the next chief will face, including gang-related activity and gun violence.

In this issue, you'll also find:

Questions raised over new Helene Recovery Boards

Residents shout at the river to help heal from Helene 

Weaverville’s mayor reflects on the end of his tenure and the town's future

ArtsAVL reports shed light on Buncombe County’s creative economy

Rainbows filled Pack Square before and after the rain on Sept. 27. Thousands gathered for the annual Blue Ridge Pride pa...
09/28/2025

Rainbows filled Pack Square before and after the rain on Sept. 27. Thousands gathered for the annual Blue Ridge Pride parade. This year’s event centered on the theme of resistance and resilience and was twofold — a celebration of Pride and commemoration of Tropical Storm Helene.

“This is a moment of love. This is a moment of celebration. As q***r people, we're happy to make it one day at a time but to make it an entire year, it is a celebration," said Blue Ridge Pride interim executive director and president Josie Seay.

This year’s parade featured over 200 vendors, several dozen volunteers, more than 30 drag acts and several bands.

As Xpress asked Seay about the day’s highlights, the sun broke through the otherwise rainy afternoon — answering the question for her.

“It's now. Now it's sunny. Now all these people are here. That's what we do. We ride out of the storm, and then we come together.”

All 📸 by Brionna Dallara

Today’s grand reopening of Marquee will bring 350 vendors back into the River Arts District building. See link in bio or...
09/26/2025

Today’s grand reopening of Marquee will bring 350 vendors back into the River Arts District building. See link in bio or read more about it in this week’s issue. 

Photo courtesy of Marquee

Dear readers,Last night, I had the privilege to participate in NC Local's The Heart of the Mountains, an event reflectin...
09/25/2025

Dear readers,

Last night, I had the privilege to participate in NC Local's The Heart of the Mountains, an event reflecting on the one-year anniversary of Tropical Storm Helene. The gathering took place at UNC Asheville's Highsmith Student Union and featured a combination of onstage interviews led by several local reporters, plus video segments and a musical performance.

Participants sharing their stories ranged from local nonprofit leaders, first responders, archivists, activists, business owners and artists — truly an eclectic and diverse range of community members.

Both onstage and off, folks shed tears and broke out in laughter as we recalled both the intense and absurd situations we've found ourselves in over the last year.

Michael Hayes, founder of Umoja Health, openly cried during his tribute to the lives lost in the storm, reminding the audience to channel our better selves as we move forward in our ongoing recovery. Meanwhile, Black Mountain Fire Chief John Coffey, who was interviewed onstage by Jason Sandford, struggled to watch some of the footage his department captured during the early days of the rescue.

But as I noted, there was also levity. Amanda Watts, a nurse and field hospital organizer in Yancey County, took the audience by surprise when she spoke of looting — specifically, how she and her team broke into every last doctor's office in their community to gather medical supplies for injured residents and first responders.

Meanwhile, my onstage guest, Donna Ray Norton, an eighth-generation ballad singer and Madison County native, ended the night with her rendition of “Fine Sally,” a song she previously recorded in the Old Marshall Jail for The Resonance Sessions, a triple-vinyl album benefiting Madison County artists impacted by the storm.

To those who were able to attend — thanks for coming out. To — thanks for organizing. And to those who took the stage to relive their Helene experiences — thanks for sharing your stories.

Saturday marks the one-year anniversary, folks. Let's continue to be good to each other.

Thanks for reading, 

Thomas Calder, managing editor

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Our mission is to build community and strengthen democracy by serving an active, thoughtful readership at the local level -- where the impact of citizen action is the greatest.

Since 1994, Mountain Xpress has been an active partner in growing Asheville from a sleepy, boarded-up mountain town to the booming mecca for small business, tourism, arts, culture, and innovative thought that it has become. Throughout that evolution, Xpress has been committed to covering what matters most locally and serving as a vibrant platform for the dialogue and idea exchange that keeps this community thriving.