People around the globe have almost double the life expectancy they had in 1900. Beyond just living longer, living healthy, active, and creative lives while aging strengthens individuals and the Asheville community as a whole.
Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and SilverArts uses the tools of sports and arts to foster connections and wellness through a weeks-long festival with competitions in multiple categories at locations throughout Buncombe County. There is a $10 fee to participate and online registration is open February 8-April 1 at ncseniorgames.org.
Winners at the local level advance to the North Carolina state games. Athletes qualify for the national competition in even numbered years at state competitions, so locals who will be at least 50 years of age on December 31, 2024 have the potential to go all the way to the 2025 National Senior Games in Des Moines, Iowa.
Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) hosts the local events and has seen tremendous growth in participation as Ashevillians stay active and involved as they age. Year-over-year participation increased 51% in 2023, more than all of the other 52 North Carolina Senior Games organizations. Local athletes and artists set four state records and brought home 53 medals last year with 21 gold finishes.
Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and SilverArts is supported by Alignment Health, CenterWell Primary Care, Givens Gerber Park, Houser Shoes, and Humana.
Sports and Arts
Sports include bowling, croquet, golf, mini golf, track and field (including race walk and power walking), cycling, archery, swimming, billiards, badminton, cornhole, horseshoes, pickleball, basketball shooting, football toss, softball throw, shuffleboard, table tennis, and tennis. Age categories start at 50 and increase at five year intervals.
SilverArts categories are classified as Heritage (quilting, woodwork, crochet, basket weaving, jewelry, needlework, tole/decorative painting, weaving, knitting, pottery, stained glass, woodcarving, woodworking, and woodturning), Visual (acrylics, drawing, mixed media, oil, pastels, film photography, digital photography, sculpture, and watercolor), Performing (comedy/drama, dance, vocal, instrumental, and line dance), Literary (poetry, short story, essay, and life experiences), and Cheerleading. Art pieces will be displayed at Pack Memorial Library.
For questions or more information, please contact Colt Miller at (828) 707-2376 or cmiller@ashevillenc.gov.
Asheville Parks & Recreation
With its oldest parks dating to the 1890s, Asheville Parks & Recreation manages a unique collection of more than 65 public parks, playgrounds, and open spaces throughout the city in a system that also includes full-complex recreation centers, swimming pools, Riverside Cemetery, sports fields and courts, and community centers that offer a variety of wellness-, education-, and culture-related programs for Ashevillians of all ages. With 10 miles of paved greenways and numerous natural surface trails, its complete portfolio acts as the foundation of a vibrant hub for the people of Asheville to connect with their neighbors and explore the natural beauty of a livable and walkable city.
Driven by the promise that Asheville is a better and safer place when everyone from infants to retirees has the opportunity to be supported, healthy, and successful, Asheville Parks & Recreation was the first nationally-accredited municipal recreation department in the United States. For latest updates, sign up for Asheville Parks & Recreation’s monthly newsletter, follow the department on Facebook (@aprca) and Instagram (@ashevilleparksandrecreation), or visit www.ashevillenc.gov/parks.