One Year After Hurricane Helene:
Honoring, Reflecting, and Looking Ahead 
Ways to Volunteer, Community Gatherings, Exhibits, Concerts, and More

Helene Milestone Day of Service | Tuesday, September 23

REMINDER: There are still spots left to volunteer with us for a Day of Service next Tuesday, September 23! The Helene Milestone Day of Service was created to honor the loss our region endured, the extraordinary acts of service that continue to support recovery today, and the strength, compassion, and resilience shown by the people of Western North Carolina. We hope you can join us next week at one of three opportunities. Food Connection's and RiverLink's opportunities are at capacity, but we still need volunteers for a river cleanup with Asheville GreenWorks!

• VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Asheville GreenWorks (10 a.m.–2 p.m.) Help collect trash and clean up the French Broad River. We will be getting in and out of our canoes and wading in the water from Pearson Bridge to Silver-Line Park.
  👉 SIGN UP
• AT CAPACITY: RiverLink (1–3 p.m.) Help maintain Karen Cragnolin Park's native pollinator meadow and riverbank restoration. Light to moderate gardening work (weeding, mulching, watering). 
• AT CAPACITY: Food Connection (10:45 a.m.–2 p.m.) Help with food rescue operations, meal packing, and get a tour of their beloved food truck, Fran! Multiple time slots available. WAITLIST

Can't make it September 23? Find more volunteer opportunities at Hands On Asheville-Buncombe here: https://www.handsonasheville.org/need/

Commemorating One Year Since Helene: Community Events Roundup

Next week will mark the one-year milestone of Hurricane Helene, and several community partners are coordinating events, reopenings, concerts, and more in commemoration. Below is a roundup of just a few of the many ways our community will come together to honor the loss felt across our region while celebrating the grit, creativity, and resilience that have carried our community forward.

Art Exhibit: A Tale of Two Cities: 20 Years After Katrina and 1 Year After Helene
September 18–30 | Ferguson Family YMCA
On the anniversaries of Hurricanes Helene and Katrina, artists from Western North Carolina and New Orleans unite in response to the existential crisis of our times.

First Annual WNC Recovery Rally
September 19, 1–5 p.m. | Pack Square Park
This free, family-friendly event celebrates National Recovery Month, honoring individuals and families impacted by mental health and substance use disorders. The rally aims to break stigma, inspire hope, and connect the community with multiple pathways to recovery through inspirational speakers, live music, and a resource fair featuring 40+ community organizations.

Film Screening "Swannanoan Silt" 
September 20, 3–4 p.m. | Pack Memorial Library
Buncombe County Special Collections invites you to attend the Helene anniversary screening of two films by local filmmakers: Drew Erin Adams's "The Swannanoa River" (2024) and Isaac King's and Tristan Turner's "Swannanoan Silt" (2024). Q+A with filmmakers to follow. This event is presented in conjunction with Come Hell or High Water, a community memory project documenting the historic impact of Helene on WNC.

Hurricane Helene: The Heart of the Mountains
September 24, 5:30–8 p.m. | Blue Ridge Mountains Room at UNC Asheville
WNC journalists and community members will share stories of courage, kindness, and community from the year following Hurricane Helene in this free live storytelling event.

Heroes of Helene: Honoring Recovery & Resilience Together
September 25, 4–7 p.m. | Highland Brewing
This free, outdoor event honors the incredible bravery and tireless service of our community’s first responders, healthcare professionals, and linemen and women who helped rebuild after the storm. This family-friendly gathering will feature music, games, activities, local food, tributes, and community connection.

Marquee Take II: Grand Reopening Celebration
September 25, 6–9 p.m. | Marquee
Marquee’s grand reopening marks the first business to reopen on Foundy Street following the devastation of Hurricane Helene. The evening begins with a community ceremony honoring volunteers and neighbors, followed by a symbolic artist procession where 250+ local artists will return their work to the renewed space. Enjoy live art installations, performances, music, and a vibrant community gathering in the heart of the River Arts District.

Exhibit Kickoff: Wood, Wonder & Renewal: A Fall Celebration at The Arboretum by Echoes of the Forest
September 26–November 30 | The North Carolina Arboretum
Echoes of the Forest is a post-Hurricane Helene project aimed at transforming downed trees of WNC’s devastated forests into an artistic and healing experience. Their masterpieces will debut at the Arboretum next week, where everyone is invited to immerse themselves in the uplifting beauty of their forest trails, wrapped in the tender embrace of nature.

Pattie Gonia Presents: SAVE HER! – An Environmental Drag Show Fundraiser
NEW TICKET PRICES: starting at $24!
September 26, 8:30 p.m. | Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
Critically acclaimed drag artist Pattie Gonia stars in SAVE HER!, a drag show all about climate change and solutions. The show also features an all-star cast of drag kings, queens, and things that will leave you saying “it’s getting hot in here”. Purchase tickets here—ticket sale proceeds will directly benefit the Always Asheville Fund, helping small independent travel and hospitality businesses recover from the aftermath of Helene.

Blue Ridge Pride Festival 2025: Resilience and Resistance
September 27, 12 p.m.–6 p.m. | Pack Square Park
Enjoy vendors, live performances, and community at Blue Ridge Pride’s annual Pride Festival! Bands begin at 12 p.m., drag hour from 5–6 p.m., with mini drag shows sprinkled in between each set.

Helene Anniversary Community Day
September 27, 5–9 p.m. | Lookout Brewing Company
In honor of the anniversary, Lookout Brewing will host an old school potluck and listen to some great local music by Watkins (full band show). Come by, bring a dish, and share some time with people in this town, and appreciate all we are lucky to have.

Post-Helene: Remembering, Rebuilding, Reimagining hosted by Blue Ridge Orchestra
September 27, 3–5 p.m. | Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church
September 28, 3–5 p.m. | Diana Wortham Theatre
Blue Ridge Orchestra presents a musical reflection on Hurricane Helene’s impact, featuring world premieres and works inspired by nature, the impact of climate change, the people and places we lost, and resilience.

Rising Appalachia: Hurricane Helene Anniversary Shows
September 27, 6 p.m. | Pisgah Brewing Company (Outdoor Stage)
September 28, 2 p.m. | Pisgah Brewing Company (Outdoor Stage)
Rising Appalachia is coming to Pisgah Brewing Company on September 27 & 28 for TWO Hurricane Helene Anniversary shows with support from Sparrow Smith, Meschiya Lake, and the Mini Moodswingers and Castanea.

View the full calendar with nearly 50 events on our special Helene Milestone Events Calendar. Let’s celebrate the spirit and resilience that carried us through the storm.

Don't see your event listed on the Helene Milestone Events Calendar? We encourage you to submit it here. When submitting, select "Helene Milestone Events" to help community members discover these meaningful opportunities to reflect and connect.

Need assistance? Contact Partnership Coordinator Shelby Pearsall for support.