Reopening Blue Ridge, Art Collides with Nature, RAD Resilience & Honoring Community Heroes

Good morning, this is your Asheville Local Frequency for Monday, September 15, 2025. After a busy weekend, Asheville is kicking off the week with cool mountain air and that unmistakable energy that only late September brings. If you’ve been waiting to explore the outdoors, you’re in luck: the Blue Ridge Parkway is finally reopening key sections this morning, just in time for leaf-watching season. A year after closures triggered by Hurricane Helene, visitors are already heading to the Pisgah Inn and the newly accessible stretch up to Mount Mitchell State Park. With higher elevations starting to show early autumn color, now is the perfect time to plan that scenic drive or to book a spot on one of the local Jeep tours for a unique perspective on the changing forest canopy. Businesses along the Parkway, including the historic Pisgah Inn, are seeing a fresh surge of guests, which is a much-needed boost after the disruptions of last fall. If you haven’t reserved your table for those famous mountain views at sunset, you might want to do that soon. Art lovers have plenty to get excited about this week as well. Asheville-based artist Kate Chassner is in the home stretch of her acclaimed solo residency, drawing inspiration from the collision of nature and home. She’s currently working on collages that blend plants, wildlife, and intricate quilt patterns—an exploration that’s resonating with visitors at local galleries. Her ongoing show offers a fresh take on the vibrant intersection between art and environment, and if you’re looking to add a bit of inspiration to your day, you’ll want to check out her work at one of Asheville’s many downtown galleries. For community members interested in hands-on art, several workshops are running at the Kolaj Institute throughout the week, welcoming everyone from beginners to collage aficionados. As we head into fall festival season, keep an eye on the River Arts District. The neighborhood is still buzzing from the “RAD Resilience” event over the weekend, a celebration marking the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene by highlighting community strength through creativity and connection. Even if you missed the main event, studios are open all week for anyone interested in local art, live music, and family-friendly crafts. In local government news, Buncombe County is preparing to honor the unsung heroes who worked around the clock during Tropical Storm Helene. While the big recognition breakfast is coming up on September 24 with delayed office openings, today’s services are running on the usual schedule. This quiet start to the week serves as a reminder of the dedication many in our community show in times of challenge. Finally, for sports fans, the excitement continues around Western North Carolina as anticipation grows for local high school football matchups later this week. While the top headlines in the nation swirl with bigger news, here in Asheville the focus stays on our neighbors, our mountains, and our vibr This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.