Events Calendar

Friday, August 22 at 12:30

Chapman Cultural Center

The Last Train Robber

Did You Know America’s Last Train Robber Lived Out His Years in Spartanburg, SC?

He never meant to rob a moving train—or get caught in a shootout just blocks from the White House. But it really happened.

Climb aboard with author Wilson Casey to hear the firsthand account of the last moving train robbery in American history. In Bedlam on the W. Virginia Rails, Casey shares the incredible true story of Luman “Lu” Ramsdell, as told by the train robber himself. Dubbed “The B&O Zoot Suit Bandits” by the national press, Lu and his gang became infamous for their violent 1949 heist.

Lunch and Learn is sponsored by the Chapman Cultural Center

There are a limited number of seats, be sure to register in advance (even members!)

Admission: $5 for non-members / Free for SCHA members.

Don’t forget to bring your lunch!

Did you miss our first Awe Walk on Sunday, August 4? Our next walk will be Sunday September 7th from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and we will continue to meet on the first Sunday of each month for the following two months (last day is November 2 – don’t forget to turn your clocks back the night before!). The walks will begin at the Garden Entry at Hatcher Garden, located beside the Jess Taylor Pavilion, and will move about the garden to experience the feeling of awe in nature.

Each month, we’ll explore one of the five key processes associated with the experience of awe, which support overall well-being:

1. Shifts in neurophysiology

2. A diminished focus on the self

3. Increased prosocial behavior and relational connection

4. Greater sense of social integration

5. A heightened sense of meaning

Led by Executive Director Dan Shook and his wife and yoga instructor Kristin Shook, each walk will offer time for reflection, connection with nature, and insights into how the Garden supports these powerful emotional and psychological benefits.

Come walk with us—and discover the wonder.

The YWCA Racial Justice Workshop is open to our entire YWCA Asheville community – including our staff, volunteers, board, donors, program participants, Fitness Center and community members. This 90-minute workshop will take place on the second Tuesday of each month at 11:30 am and will be facilitated by Gerry Leonard, Racial Justice & Outreach Specialist and Lexus Walker, Tzedek Social Justice Fellow.

Are you looking for an excuse to knit or crochet for a good cause? Help make baby hats and blankets and adult hats, scarves, and slippers to support at-risk newborns and homeless adults.  Your handmade knitwear will keep our neighbors warm.  Volunteers with basic skills in knitting or crocheting are welcome. Please bring your own needles or crochet hooks and a pattern.

Check out Knit-n-Give on WLOS: http://wlos.com/news/only-on-wloscom/close-knit-group-of-women-use-their-talents-to-help-asheville-charities

Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve is hosting a symposium this autumn, which is the perfect time to plant for spring. The three 40-minute workshops will be led by local certified Master Gardeners. Jeannette Bull Robinson (who taught at our Inaugural Gardening Day back in May) will speak on Landscape Design; author and former board member Mary Snoddy will expound on the subject of Growing a Pollinator Garden; and finally Joyce Cooper Coggins will address the important issue of “Gardening Smarter. Not Harder”. Locations (Jess Taylor Pavilion, Overlook Terrace and the Activity Deck) and times of the individual workshops within the garden will be announced as the event draws near. Be prompt!

A donation based entry fee of $10.00 is suggested which benefits Hatcher Garden. You can attend one or all three workshops for $10.00! You can register online now or in person at 8:00 a.m on Saturday, September 27, the last day of our Fall Plant Sale.

Come join us on this informative Saturday morning.

Arts in the Garden celebrates the vibrant art culture in Spartanburg and in our region. This year, 35 artists will be demonstrating their craft and selling works from 10 am-4 pm.

Saturday October 11 is Dog Adoption Day at Hatcher Garden’s Strutt Your Mutt event.

The YWCA Racial Justice Workshop is open to our entire YWCA Asheville community – including our staff, volunteers, board, donors, program participants, Fitness Center and community members. This 90-minute workshop will take place on the second Tuesday of each month at 11:30 am and will be facilitated by Gerry Leonard, Racial Justice & Outreach Specialist and Lexus Walker, Tzedek Social Justice Fellow.

Are you looking for an excuse to knit or crochet for a good cause? Help make baby hats and blankets and adult hats, scarves, and slippers to support at-risk newborns and homeless adults.  Your handmade knitwear will keep our neighbors warm.  Volunteers with basic skills in knitting or crocheting are welcome. Please bring your own needles or crochet hooks and a pattern.

Check out Knit-n-Give on WLOS: http://wlos.com/news/only-on-wloscom/close-knit-group-of-women-use-their-talents-to-help-asheville-charities

Out of the Darkness Walk
Event Date: Saturday, November 8th, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM Check-in | 10:00 AM Start
Conestee Park

The YWCA Racial Justice Workshop is open to our entire YWCA Asheville community – including our staff, volunteers, board, donors, program participants, Fitness Center and community members. This 90-minute workshop will take place on the second Tuesday of each month at 11:30 am and will be facilitated by Gerry Leonard, Racial Justice & Outreach Specialist and Lexus Walker, Tzedek Social Justice Fellow.

Something extraordinary is coming to Asheville this winter! The North Carolina Arboretum and Explore Asheville are elated to announce the arrival of Trolls: A Field Study. Visiting on their first North American excursion, these twelve interactive troll sculptures will explore the Arboretum, embarking on a curious journey to learn about humankind.

Produced by Imagine in collaboration with Danish artist Thomas Dambo, these friendly and fanciful sculptures evoke a sense of wonder and intrigue as they study our small, intricate and inventive ways of life in Western North Carolina. Standing seven to nine feet tall and lovingly described by the artist as “Baby Trolls”, the creatures are crafted from materials like fallen branches, wooden pallets and twigs.

Through their observations, the trolls reveal a fresh perspective on what makes us human, sparking curiosity and laughter in visitors of all ages.

Only cost is the parking fee. No other admission fees.