As members of a shared community, neighbors, family members, coworkers, and friends often share lived experiences that help others navigate similar situations and grow through self-reflection. Their support and knowledge can offer direction and help develop goals. With the idea that one conversation, one experience, and one mentor can change a young person’s life,
Asheville City government offices will be closed Monday, January 15, 2024 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Here is a look at City services affected by this holiday. Trash and recycling Though City offices will be closed, Sanitation collection services will run on schedule. Residential trash and recycling will be collected as normal, Monday-Thursday, [...]
Named for a philanthropic family who helped develop the Oakley neighborhood, Murphy-Oakley Community Center is a product of Asheville’s resiliency following years of stagnation brought on by bank failures in 1930 and the city’s resulting public debt. When previously unincorporated areas became part of the city in 1960, Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) built new community centers, parks, and recreation programs to serve the new residents including the center in Oakley.
Last Updated 1/11/24 8:45 a.m. Reopened Roads: Caribou St at Sweeten Creek as of 1/9/24 at 5 p.m. Iris Street at London Road as of 1/9/24 at 10 p.m. Hominy Creek Road at Shelburne Road Swannanoa River Road at Azalea Road Druid Drive Riverside Drive at the Railroad Trestle City-Maintained Road Closures: 68 West Chapel Road NCDOT Maintained Road Closures West Chapel Road at U.S. 25 Meadow [...]
APR Innovators is an Asheville Parks & Recreation series highlighting team members going above and beyond to bring huge value to community members through knowledge, connections, and insight that come from a desire to create the best city possible through the power of high-quality recreation programs and safe parks that welcome everyone. When did you [...]
As the city’s New Year’s Resolutions HQ, Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) invites community members to browse hundreds of activities, classes, and special events in its latest program guide, covering January-May 2024. The free guide is available at community centers and online at ashevillenc.gov/apr-guide in English [...]
UPDATE 1/8/2024: Grove Street Community Center’s HVAC replacement is complete and all scheduled programs will resume at the community center beginning on January 10, 2024. Please contact the center at 828-350-2062 with any additional questions.
City offices to close Thursday, November 23 and Friday, November 24 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. This article contains information about holiday service schdeules.
Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) issued a challenge for community members to make 2023 a record breaking year for Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and SilverArts. 45 participants advanced to the state games to compete against North Carolinians from Murphy to Manteo in a variety of events, bringing home 53 total medals – with 21 [...]
In Asheville, home for the holidays is the best place to be! Explore Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) community events that connect neighbors and encourage locals to discover the spirit of the season starting November 9. These are just highlights with additional events throughout the city through the end of the year. Browse the [...]
This entry is part of Park Views, as Asheville Parks & Recreation series that explores the history of the city’s public parks and community centers – and the mountain spirit that helped make them the unique spaces they are today. Read more from the series and follow APR on Facebook [...]
In November, three Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) community centers host “Navigating Jim Crow: The Green Book and Oasis Spaces in North Carolina,” a traveling exhibit about sites important to, and personal memories about, African American travel using The Negro Motorist Green Book during the Jim Crow era of legal segregation. Published from 1936 to 1966, the book was used as both a travel guide and a tool of resistance to confront the realities of racial discrimination in the United States and beyond. The self-guided exhibit is free and open to the public at select APR community centers.
Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center is a former school for Black children that was converted to public recreation use in the 1970s. Even before its adaptive reuse, it acted as the center of the Shiloh community with theatre productions, meetings, and athletic events taking place within and around the outside of its walls.
In 2016, Asheville voters approved a $17 million bond referendum for major improvements to parks and community centers throughout the city. Most of these neighborhood investments are complete, increasing opportunities for community members to explore, connect, and discover.
Director of Parks and Recreation D. Tyrell McGirt talks about the city’s comprehensive plan for public leisure spaces and recreation programs. He and Sam discuss how the plan will help guide the department’s decisions for the next 10-15 years to connect, fix, build, and preserve recreation programs and parkland. You can get involved as the department has invited community members to share innovative ideas at Recreate Asheville workshops and online at RecreateAsheville.com now through November 20, 2023.
Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) brings ghoulish greetings with its annual Festival of Frights starting on October 21. The series of events includes a toddler costume party, nighttime skating, creepy climbing, and trips through a haunted castle, a greenhouse of horror, and a trail of treats.
This entry is part of Homegrown Talent, an Asheville Parks & Recreation series that highlights team members who grew up in our community. Coming from the neighborhoods and areas where community centers and parks are located is a huge value to the city, bringing knowledge, connections, and insight that can only come from spending formative years right here at home.
