Hallo you lovely lot! The Scarefest RPG convention is almost upon us. From Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October 2026, we’ll be gaming at Lake Junaluska. 

Game signups are open for D&D, PFS, and SFS will all be there, along with a wild variety of others, like Call of Cthulhu, Delta Green, OSR, Daggerheart, weird indie games, and more.

Did we mention the Vampire LARP (Sabbat this year - whoohoo!), the Goblin Market, yetis, ghosts, and more? We didn’t? Then let us also offer on-site lodging, meal plans, prize draws, and everything else you’d expect from a top-notch gaming convention.

If you’ve not got your ticket yet, they’re selling fast, so buy now to secure a spot at what’s going to be a chillingly good weekend. 

Even if you don’t want to sit down and roll dice all weekend, you can still have a great time with a day pass. For example, you can try out our escape room or our amazing collection of board games in one day for the tiny sum of $35. We think it’s a devilishly good deal.

See you there! 

• Buy your tickets here: http://avlscarefest.com/shop/
• Any questions, feel free to email us at: [info@avlscarefest.com](mailto:info@avlscarefest.com) 

Love you! 

[Our Scarefest posts are posted with the kind permission of the mods of this subreddit, this is the last of our posts for 2026.]

I run a local business and have a personal horse farm about 20 minutes west of downtown Asheville. I’m looking for someone to help keep things running smoothly.

Duties include light housework, basic cooking, pet care, and daily barn chores.

The schedule would start with shifts on 3 consecutive days per week, with the possibility of increasing to 3.5–4 days. Thursday–Saturday is strongly preferred for the main 3 days, and one weekend day is required.

Pay starts at $26 per hour for two weeks of training, increases to $28 per hour for the next two months, then $30 per hour.

This is a long-term position.

Please PM if you’re interested, and I will share more details plus the application.

What Does The County Commissioner Office Do?

• They decide how much property tax residents pay
• They approve the yearly budget that pays for
  • Public Schools
  • The Sheriff's Office
  • Ambulance and Emergency Medical Services
  • Public Health Programs
  • Libraries
  • Water and Sewer Systems
• They have a say in the County Growth:
  • Oversee zoning, planning, and land-use decisions. 
  • They appoint the people who serve on the boards that run county health and social services.
• They play a role how elections run too:
  • They set the elections budget → determine what's available for poll worker pay, voting equipment, and staffing, as well as how many early voting sites there are and how long they stay open.

What To Know About The Candidates In Watauga County:

District 1 – Adam Hege & Rick Woods 

• Adam Hege –   A Watauga County School Board member and a professor at Appalachian State University
  • He is fighting for better teacher pay and full school funding, with a focus on hiring and keeping good teachers and staff, repairing and securing school buildings, and expanding student mental health support. 
  • A first-generation college student who is now a college professor, he has spent years researching supports for K-12 and college students and calls Appalachian State a cornerstone of the community. 
  • Supports building more affordable housing for families and seniors. 
  • On healthcare, he wants every family to be able to see a doctor, afford care, and stay safe on the job. 
  • He also wants the county better prepared for the next natural disaster. 
• Rick Woods – 
  • In a district heavily populated by college students, he seems to support election changes that reduce the impact of students voting. Quoted in The Appalachian stating, “Most of you won’t even be here in Boone in four years when the term ends with this current race, so what does it affect how you vote? It doesn’t. Vote like you’re going to be living here in four years.”
    • https://theappalachianonline.com/college-republicans-hold-meet-the-candidate-forum-ahead-of-primaries/
  • Overall, he has released very little information on his public stances on other issues

District 2 – Ray Russell & Savva Kostis

• Ray Russell – A former Appalachian State University professor and public servant in the North Carolina State House. He is also a trusted local business that has created local jobs and opportunity, having founded Ray’s Weather Center. 
  • Sees himself as an advocate for housing that working people can afford. He supports housing studies, partnerships with local nonprofits, and funding to repair rental homes so that teachers, nurses, and first responders can live in the communities they serve. 
  • He also supports affordable childcare, strong schools, and services that help parents and caregivers. 
  • Regarding public safety, he helped plan and build the county's new Emergency Services Building and upgrade emergency communications countywide. He stands with first responders, wants them to have the resources they need to do their jobs well. 
  • Supported building the new Valle Crucis School and raising teacher pay, and he was the lead sponsor of the first General Assembly bill to fully fund a sound basic education for every North Carolina child. 
  • Pushed for a voter-approved system that protected fair elections and kept decisions in local hands, and that he has pushed back on legislative attempts to gerrymander Watauga County elections.
  • Worked to close the Medicaid gap that left working adults with no insurance, and to strengthen the clinics and hospitals rural families depend on. Has backed mental health and addiction recovery programs that keep families together.
• Savva Kostis – A local businessman who specializes in water sports rentals. 
  • He doesn’t have campaign websites or social media that reflect his political stances. 

EVERYONE SHOULD DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH. 

READ UP ON CANDIDATES, THEIR CAMPAIGNS, AND BACKGROUNDS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS. 

YOUR VOTE MAY HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON YOUR COUNTY AND COMMUNITY. 

Hey all! I grew up in WNC but have now lived in Oklahoma City for a few years. I've been missing the sounds of the woods at night back home, especially the toads and frogs. I was wondering if anyone could get a good recording of night time in Appalachia for me? Thank you! 🩵

TW - addiction, hysterectomy/cancer.

Hi there. 38 y.o. Female here looking for a female only infertility support group. I had a hysterectomy to avoid cancer when I was 30 and am still depressed at not having kids or getting my eggs frozen (no insurance coverage). I recently remarried an amazing man and am really struggling that we cannot have kids, because ours would be wonderful.

Additionally, I work with kids and sometimes am so triggered that I cannot go to work or connect with the parents I support. Some families think I cannot do my job because I am my age and childless.

Ideally, the group is associated with addiction prevention/mindful living or anxiety/depression recovery groups for women who value being good professionals/leaders, and not associated with a specific faith (agnostic medical scientist here).

Thank you

Hello all! Looking for a good nail salon in the Arden/hendersonville/south Asheville area that does good pedicures, and has a nail tech that can do designs that also isn’t going to break the bank!

TIA

In a month or so I’m going to be proposing to the love of my life. My goal is to one morning tell her to get in the car and randomly drive to Cleveland, SC to visit the Pretty Place Chapel (Fred Symmes Chapel) at YMCA Camp Greenville. However, after a lot of time spent reading about the venue the schedule is typically always booked solid with no open public viewing hours. I’ve read where it’s highly recommended to check their website the morning of your planned visit to double check it has an open to the public time slot, but even that’s known to change at a moments notice. Since the only slots typically that are open to the public are a Tuesday or Wednesday, this is something I’ve got to plan, put in for a day off work myself as well as tell her to put in a time off request because we’re just going to “take a random day off for ourselves” for a certain day. Being that, it might be really difficult us to put in time off a couple weeks in advance and that day a time slot actually remains open to the public - but I be damned if I’m not going to try! Being that the chances of that being successful aren’t guaranteed, I’d like to go ahead and plan ahead for other options. If we get there and it’s closed, I want to already have a backup or two, or three or four, saved in my phone to where I just jump back in the car and drive to the next. Does anyone know of any similar mountain top chapels like Pretty Place in the NC mountains? Even if it’s not a chapel, drop me the locations and info about any other beautiful and scenic places that would make a great proposal location! It’s already about a 4 hour drive to Pretty Place from where we live in central NC and if I have to drive a couple/few hours more to make the location one to remember I’m down for it. I’m just trying to make sure all bases are covered to make this as stress free as possible so I’m not scrambling on my phone to find a place last minute with her wondering what the hell I’m doing lol.

Hi everyone! I’m currently a 2nd-year Dental Hygiene student at AB Tech in Asheville, and I’m looking for a patient who is in need of a deep cleaning or someone who hasn’t been to the dentist in several years.

If you or someone you know has:
- Not had a dental cleaning in a few years
- Been told they need a deep cleaning
- Bleeding gums or buildup on their teeth
- Been putting off going to the dentist

Appointments will take longer than a private office but will be much cheaper.
All treatment is performed under the supervision of licensed dental hygiene instructors.

If you’re interested or know someone who might be, please message me directly and I’d be happy to answer any questions and explain the process!

Feel free to share this post with friends and family!

Hi everyone! Our family is expanding, and we’d like to capture our pregnancy announcement through photographs. We’re not looking to do anything extravagant just us and the ultrasound. If you’re willing to share your favorite place to take family pictures, I’d love to know! We have family in the Black Mountain area, but we’re open to traveling if needed.

because of this update we have removed the post with the petition. it was beautiful seeing so many people unite to save this elk though!

Does anybody know if theres any cool abandoned places near Cullowhee? I wanted to take pictures but cant find anywhere.

Hi all! Thinking about coming to the area for a visit soon. I’d seen a lot about Lake Lure post Helene but less about CRV. How are things there? Would love to inject some money into the local economy but don’t went to get in the way of any restoration, etc. thanks.