Upcoming Events
Sidewalk Yard Sale Day at Bigfoot Books & Brews!
Downtown Marion’s “Sidewalk Yard Sale” begins at 7am at Bigfoot Books & Brews with a coffee from us, AND we’ll have our stuff for sale out on the street that you’ll want to look at also!
The official sidewalk sale on Main Street begins at 7:30am, so come by the bookstore first to get caffeinated so you’re ready to search the sales for some great finds!
Our friend Runda is hosting a “field trip” for anyone who wants to explore downtown Marion with a group of cool people! Get all the details and sign up for FREE on her website now.
Free-to-Play Dungeons & Dragons hosted by Timeless Adventurers
Timeless Adventurers hosts free-to-play Dungeons & Dragons at Bigfoot Books & Brews on Saturdays from 2-7pm!
2-4pm Character Building
4-7pm One-shots & beginner-intermediate campaigns
(Note: Subject to change based on other book/author events that may be happening.)
Free-to-Play Dungeons & Dragons hosted by Timeless Adventurers
Timeless Adventurers hosts free-to-play Dungeons & Dragons at Bigfoot Books & Brews on Saturdays from 2-7pm!
2-4pm Character Building
4-7pm One-shots & beginner-intermediate campaigns
(Note: Subject to change based on other book/author events that may be happening.)
PowerPoint Party: Media Reviews
We are hosting another PowerPoint Party! The theme for August is Media Review.
What’s your favorite piece of media (movie/book/tvshow/song/etc.)? Share a little about it, it's significance to you, and maybe some reasons why everyone should enjoy it too.
Fire up your slideshow for a 3- to 5-minute presentation to share. (Sign up now by filling out the form below!)
LIVE MUSIC: Bard of the Apocalypse
Join us for a special evening of LIVE MUSIC with Bard of the Apocalypse!
Divorce, neurodivergence, international love, and great DVDs are all on the table. Come make history with him while you still can!
Bard of the Apocalypse is an alt-country artist out of Swannanoa, NC.
Silent Book Club - Second Fridays
Bring a book with you (or grab one off of our shelves!), read quietly, then talk about it with other people if you choose to (or not)! Tell people about what you’re reading and hear about what other people are reading. (Or just keep reading quietly by yourself—it’s up to you!)
Hosted by poet and former bookstore owner Angela Leigh!
Nancy Werking Poling “Leander’s Lies” Book Event
Join us for this very special author talk and book signing with Nancy Werking Poling to discuss her new historical fiction novel Leander’s Lies.
FREE EVENT BUT RSVP IS REQUESTED (please fill out form below):
ABOUT LEANDER’S LIES
Elias Leander Muller did not hunt with Teddy Roosevelt in the Dismal Swamp, as he claimed. He never represented North Carolina in the U.S. Congress. He never lived on a plantation.
Lies. All lies.
In the post-Civil War South, Elias grows up along the eastern edge of North Carolina’s Appalachian Mountains. A gifted boy, he imagines himself becoming a prominent politician or eloquent preacher. But early marriage and fatherhood trap him in the life he’d hoped to avoid: that of a poor tenant farmer. When the Panic of 1893 sends a financial blow to the entire country, Elias, like many farmers, is heavily in debt. He abandons Emma and their sons. Going by the name of Leander, he reinvents himself.
The South has changed since he first mapped out his political ambitions. A Republican (as in the Party of Lincoln), he recognizes the futility of confronting the powerful Democratic Party. Where to go? What to do?
Leander is an anti-hero, a man whose deceptions escalate at grave cost to others.
Until escape becomes exile.
ABOUT NANCY WERKING POLING
Though born in Indiana, Nancy Werking Poling grew up in Orlando, Florida. For 20 years, she and her husband Jim lived in the Chicago area. In 2008, they returned to the South, to North Carolina, to be closer to their children and grandchildren.
The non-fiction essay “Leander’s Lies” (on which the book of the same title is based) won the 2018 Alex Albright Creative Nonfiction Prize, sponsored by the North Carolina Literary Review.
Free-to-Play Dungeons & Dragons hosted by Timeless Adventurers
Timeless Adventurers hosts free-to-play Dungeons & Dragons at Bigfoot Books & Brews on Saturdays from 2-7pm!
2-4pm Character Building
4-7pm One-shots & beginner-intermediate campaigns
(Note: Subject to change based on other book/author events that may be happening.)
Thrive WNC presents Emma Churchman, MDiv, on Resilient Leadership
Join us for a special Thrive WNC Women’s Networking Event featuring Emma Churchman, MDiv, author of the new book Navigating the Deep End: Resilient Leadership in a Volatile World.
COST IS $12 (includes soup sampler from The Parlor Car and a beverage from Bigfoot Books & Brews):
ABOUT NAVIGATING THE DEEP END
How do you lead resiliently when everything you thought you knew disappears in an instant?
In these pages, you’ll discover the stories of leaders who navigated their businesses through Hurricane Helene, COVID supply chain disruptions, California wildfires, personal health crises, and market collapses.
You’ll also journey with author Emma Churchman through her own story of loss, heartache, and the path back to purposeful leadership.
This isn’t just another business book filled with theories and frameworks—though you’ll find practical tools throughout. This is part leadership guide, part roadmap for staying human in the midst of chaos. It’s your invitation to consider what it truly means to lead from a place of vulnerability and authenticity, empowering yourself and everyone around you to show up fully, especially when the ground beneath you shifts.
Working with leaders in crisis has taught me the most resilient leaders aren’t the ones who never fall down, they’re the ones who know how to get back up, bring others with them, and find a way to honor both the weight of their responsibility and the fullness of their humanity.
This book will show you how.
ABOUT EMMA CHURCHMAN, MDIV
Emma Churchman is a sought-after international speaker and coach, teaching trauma recovery techniques that empower individuals and organizations alike. She also writes about trauma recovery and building resilient leadership for national and global publications. As a trauma recovery specialist and PhD candidate in Conscious Business Ethics, Emma bridges the gap between soulful leadership and practical strategies for navigating life’s storms.
Vanessa Miller “The Ladies Hall” National Book Tour Event
Join us for this very special national book tour event with USA Today bestselling author Vanessa Miller to discuss her new historical fiction novel The Ladies Hall.
FREE EVENT BUT RSVP IS REQUESTED (please fill out form below):
ABOUT THE LADIES HALL
The lives of real heroes prove this truth: equality is won when we rise together.
1880s, Ohio. When Mary and Anna enter the Bachelor of Arts program, also known as the “gentlemen’s course” of study, at Oberlin College, they have little in common other than the color of their skin and their passion for education.
While Mary was raised in luxury, attending presidential inaugurations with her wealthy father, Anna is a schoolteacher, likely the daughter of her enslaved mother’s former owner, and works a second job to pay for her room and board. But despite their differences, both women share strength, ambition, and a deep yearning for change. If they can bridge the gaps between them, they just might build a lasting legacy.
From its earliest days in the 1830s, Oberlin College admitted men and women, white and Black students. Though the doors are officially open, school policy cannot change the hearts of classmates who refuse to see a woman, and especially a Black woman, excel. Despite constantly being forced to prove themselves, the women triumphantly overcome every obstacle and push through their pain. And as the world evolves around them, Mary and Anna persevere to build a legacy of success and excellence.
Based on the real lives of Mary Church Terrell, Anna Julia Cooper, and Ida Gibbs Hunt, The Ladies Hall is a mirror into times of great change—where progress and new possibilities are met with violence and resistance … but hope always rises. And it rises still.
ABOUT VANESSA MILLER
“Miller captivates with a propulsive historical based on a true story.” —Publishers Weekly
Vanessa Miller is a USA Today bestselling author. Her writing has been centered on themes of redemption and books about strong Black women in pivotal moments of history. Vanessa is a best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. She started writing as a child, spending countless hours either reading or writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels. Vanessa’s creative endeavors took on new meaning in 1994 when she became a Christian. Since then, her writing has been centered on themes of redemption, often focusing on characters facing multi-dimensional struggles.
Miller’s book, The American Queen won the prestigious Christy Award, the Audie Award, and was the 2024 American Fiction Award winner for Historical Fiction. The American Queen is a North Carolina Reads pick for 2025.
Her novel, The Filling Station, has received starred reviews from Library Journal and Booklist. It is a Positively Charlotte book club pick and a USA Today bestseller.
Vanessa’s novels have received rave reviews, with several appearing on Essence Magazine’s Bestseller’s List.
Miller graduated from Capital University with a degree in Organizational Communication. She and her family live in the Charlotte, NC, area.
Free-to-Play Dungeons & Dragons hosted by Timeless Adventurers
Timeless Adventurers hosts free-to-play Dungeons & Dragons at Bigfoot Books & Brews on Saturdays from 2-7pm!
2-4pm Character Building
4-7pm One-shots & beginner-intermediate campaigns
(Note: Subject to change based on other book/author events that may be happening.)
Yonder Youth Collective presents … Theatre Kid Karaoke
Expect showtunes, pop music, or the genre your heart desires. Mics will be hot and bad art is encouraged. All are welcome. Art is for all.
Hosted by the Yonder Youth Collective!
Letting Grief Speak: A Live Conversation featuring Anna Caldwell and Diane Zinna
Join us for a very special in-person/virtual hybrid event featuring local writer Anna Caldwell (in-person) reading and discussing her contribution to the new book by Diane Zinna, Letting Grief Speak: Writing Portals for Life After Loss. Zinna plans to join us live virtually, so you can ask her questions about her work, as well!
FREE EVENT BUT RSVP IS REQUESTED (please fill out form below):
ABOUT LETTING GRIEF SPEAK
Society doesn’t always make it easy to tell stories about loss. Grief can make us feel that we have crossed over to another side, where people can’t reach us and we can’t reach others. We’re encouraged to move quickly through the often-misunderstood “stages of grief”; we fear that we are burdening others with our pain. But pain can feel more manageable when we find ways to describe it—and writing about grief can help us connect with others who have felt pain of their own.
Letting Grief Speak is a creative writing craft book on the art of telling our hardest stories. Based on a class called Grief Writing Sundays that Diane Zinna has led for several years, it provides 90 writing prompts with accompanying craft techniques to help people find language for their grief.
By turns gentle, unexpected, rebellious, and wonderfully strange, these prompts open portals: entryways into spaces where difficult emotions can become meaningful narratives.
Warm, sensitive, and honest, Letting Grief Speak is a memoir of the craft, interwoven with stories from the author’s own life. It also includes pieces from acclaimed writers and more than 40 of her Grief Writing students, inviting readers to find their own ways to tell vulnerable stories. A tool for writers and a companion for grievers, this book meets writers of all levels where they are, no matter what kind of grief they hold.
ANNA CALDWELL
Anna Caldwell lives in the mountains of western North Carolina with her husband and an abundance of cats. She is inspired by the strength, complexity, and grace found in lives lived before and around her, the beauty of life’s imperfect offerings, and the brave and audacious writers she is privileged to know.
ABOUT DIANE ZINNA
Diane Zinna is the author of The All-Night Sun (2020), which was longlisted for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize.
Her work has appeared in Brevity, the Bellevue Literary Review, Split Lip, and CutBank.
A Pushcart Prize nominee, she has taught creative writing for more than 20 years.
Diane received her MFA from the University of Florida and was the longtime membership director for The Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP). There, she created the Writer-to-Writer Mentorship Program, helping to match more than 600 writers over 12 seasons.
She is also the creator of Grief Writing Sundays, a popular writing class on telling difficult stories that has met since 2020.
In 2023, she served as the Darden Professor of Creative Writing in the MFA program at Old Dominion University, where the Diane Zinna Prize for Creative Nonfiction is now awarded annually. She lives in Fairfax, Virginia, with her husband and daughter.
For Bigfoot Lovers: Pre-WNC Bigfoot Festival 2026 - 18+ Only Event featuring Bigfoot/Cryptid Erotica Authors
Join us for SOMETHING DARK & SEDUCTIVE … A pre-WNC Bigfoot Festival 2026, 18+ only author talk & book signing event featuring Bigfoot and cryptid erotica authors Randi Libertine (from Montana) and N.S. Thorngrave (from Georgia)—and other special guests TBA!
FREE EVENT BUT RSVP IN ADVANCE IS REQUESTED (see form below):
NOTE: YOU MUST BE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER to attend:
ABOUT BIGFOOT’S LOVER
A series of mystical camp, Bigfoot’s Lover follows the experiences of a biology teacher in a remote outpost who falls in love with the sexy beast. Blessed by nature and in the sensual arts, Bigfoot shags the teacher until she forgets who she is and where she came from, and ultimately teaches her a new way of seeing. Bigfoot proves to have equal knowledge of hunting, foraging, and the erotic arts, which he shares with the teacher to bring back to the human world.
But will anyone ever believe her? And if she tells, what will happen to Bigfoot?
ABOUT RANDI LIBERTINE
In addition to hiking alone in the woods, Randi Libertine enjoys peanut butter cookies with raspberry jam, black and white movies, and Jean Rhys novels. If you happen to meet Randi in real life, she will never tell which parts of her tale are made up and which are true.
ABOUT THE CASE OF BIGFOOT
When a series of chilling encounters points to a creature thought only to exist in folklore, Sherlock Holmes is drawn into his first cryptid investigation. But this is no ordinary case. In the heart of the Southern gothic landscape, secrets twist through the darkness, passions ignite, and danger lurks in the form of something primal—something powerful.
Blending the razor-sharp intellect of the world’s greatest detective with paranormal seduction and gothic horror, this Bigfoot erotica thriller will leave your pulse racing and your imagination haunted.
Mystery. Terror. Temptation.
Holmes has never faced a case like this … and neither have you.
ABOUT THE CASE OF MOTHMAN
A woman with irresistible power. A creature who kneels only for her. Point Pleasant quakes beneath the wings of Mothman, the red-eyed cryptid tied to a string of disappearances. When Sherlock Holmes arrives to investigate, the trail leads him to a full-figured, commanding woman, one whose dark allure has claimed the creature completely.
To her, Mothman isn’t a monster but a willing, devoted captive who lives for her touch and domination. Their bond is dangerous, intoxicating, and burning with supernatural heat.
As Holmes digs deeper, he uncovers a dangerous, consuming bond at the heart of the mystery—one that twists loyalties and pulls innocents into the dark. He soon realizes this case isn’t just about a cryptid terrorizing a town, but a love forged in shadows, dominance, and desire.
Sherlock Holmes: The Cryptid Files, The Case of Mothman delivers supernatural suspense, dark seduction, and a mystery where nothing is what it seems.
ABOUT N.S. THORNGRAVE
N.S. Thorngrave is a paranormal and monster erotica author whose work ignites the shadows where folklore, desire, and mystery collide. Best known for the Sherlock Holmes: The Cryptid Files series, Thorngrave reimagines the world’s most famous detective through a dark, seductive lens—blending classic mystery with cryptids, Southern Gothic atmosphere, and unapologetically erotic storytelling.
Living in the North Georgia mountains, Thorngrave draws inspiration from mist-covered forests, Appalachian legends, and a lifelong fascination with the paranormal and unexplained.
Holding a master’s degree in literacy, Thorngrave brings a deep understanding of language, narrative tension, and character psychology to every story—crafting tales that are as intellectually engaging as they are provocative.
When not writing, Thorngrave can be found researching obscure legends, haunting old bookshops, or plotting the next case in the shadows. Readers who crave mystery, monsters, and heat will feel right at home in Thorngrave’s darkly alluring worlds.
What other surprises might there be lurking in the shadows for this event … ? WATCH THIS SPACE FOR MORE UPDATES! Coming soon …
Special WNC Bigfoot Festival 2026 Events at Bigfoot Books & Brews
We have BIG THINGS planned for this year’s WNC Bigfoot Festival here in downtown Marion, NC! (see below)
FULL SCHEDULE OF SPECIAL EVENTS & OFFERINGS:
11am — LIVE MUSIC
BIGFOOT TROUBADOUR
Bigfoot Troubadour paid us a surprise visit last year, but this year we have him for a whole set of his unique Bigfoot takes on classic songs!
3pm — AUTHOR TALK
“HIDDEN HISTORIAN” HEATHER LEAH
We are excited to have “Hidden Historian” Heather Leah returning to Marion to give a special presentation of her talk on North Carolina myths and legends, which includes Bigfoot and much more! DO NOT MISS THIS!!
4pm — AUTHOR TALK
ERIN McGUIRE-THOMPSON
Coming to Marion all the way from Kentucky, author Erin McGuire-Thompson will be talking about her brand-new book Cross Country Cryptids: A Road Trip Guide to American Monsters!
A travel book for the strange and strange at heart with shadows of whimsy and wellness, Cross Country Cryptids outlines a cryptid road trip quest of epic proportions to bring adventure and nature back into your daily life.
5PM — BIGFOOT WOODS EXCLUSIVE SCREENING
We are partnering with MACA and McDowell SAGE for an exclusive screening of the new indie movie Bigfoot Woods at the MACA Theater, followed by a LIVE IN PERSON Q&A with co-writers Bruce Pavalon and Abel Pavalon.
Learn more & get tickets now!
BIGFOOT BUCKETS!
Stop here first to pick up a REALLY BIG 32-ounce iced coffee bucket with your choice of dairy and/or flavor.
EXCLUSIVE BIGFOOT HATS!
We are your one-stop shop for all your Bristol Hat Company Bigfoot hat needs! And you NEED one of these hats. This is not a want situation. Stop by anytime all day and pick yours out. There will be all kinds of styles and colors to choose from!
BIGFOOT MUGS AVAILABLE!
Nick Larson Pottery, a previous vendor at the WNC Bigfoot Festival, will be selling Bigfoot mugs and steins exclusively through Bigfoot Books & Brews! Come get one here from us this year. These mugs are truly beautiful and classic.
“Bigfoot Woods” Indie Film Screening followed by Q&A with Writers Bruce Pavalon and Abel Pavalon
McDowell Arts Council Association, McDowell SAGE, and Bigfoot Books & Brews present …
A very special screening of the new indie film Bigfoot Woods followed by an exclusive Q&A with co-writers Bruce Pavalon and Abel Pavalon!
Seating is limited so get your tickets early.
ABOUT BIGFOOT WOODS
When a 14-year-old struggling with their gender identity and their father accidentally capture video evidence of Bigfoot, they contend with being small-town heroes in a town that would rather believe in Bigfoot than accept someone they once knew as a girl as a boy.
Starring Rich Sommer (Mad Men) as Paul Benally and Ambrose Velasco Jenkins as Bridget/Jonah Benally.
ABOUT BRUCE PAVALON & ABEL PAVALON
Bruce Pavalon is a teacher and co-writer and executive producer of Bigfoot Woods. He is based in Los Angeles.
Abel Pavalon is Bruce’s son and co-writer of Bigfoot Woods. He is currently studying writing in college.
Diana Butler Bass Author Talk & Book Signing for “A Beautiful Year”
Join us for a very special author talk and book signing with Diana Butler Bass, best-selling author of the new book A Beautiful Year: 52 Meditations on Faith, Wisdom, and Perseverance.
Hosted by St. John’s Episcopal Church in their Parish Hall building, 339 S. Main St., Marion, NC 28752.
FREE EVENT BUT RSVP IS REQUESTED (please fill out the form below):
ABOUT A BEAUTIFUL YEAR
One of America’s most trusted theologians offers spiritual inspiration for every week of the year.
A Beautiful Year: 52 Meditations on Faith, Wisdom, and Perseverance offers an essay for every week in the seasons of the Christian year: From Advent and Christmas to Lent and Easter through the entire calendar.
Other than its major holidays, many people are not familiar with the rhythms of the church year, an ancient spiritual cycle of time. Yet all religions have such calendars — and they shape our understanding of faith. In the West, we live in tension with the secular calendar (mostly an inheritance from the Roman Empire) and the Christian liturgical calendar, a cycle of sacred stories that compose a larger narrative of love, hospitality, mercy, justice, and gratitude.
Bass reclaims and presents fresh perspectives for every biblical text in the church year; from musing on A Wrinkle in Time in Advent, to remembering her father’s old-fashioned blue Christmas decorations, and offering a revolutionary reading of the Last Supper.
With fresh insights on familiar stories, these essays surprise and inspire, challenge and comfort, and will be savored year after year. Beautifully designed, the book is also a perfect gift.
ABOUT DIANA BUTLER BASS
Diana Butler Bass, Ph.D., is an award-winning author, popular speaker, inspiring preacher, and one of America’s most trusted commentators on religion and contemporary spirituality.
Diana’s passion is sharing great ideas to change lives and the world—a passion that ranges from informing the public about spiritual trends, challenging conventional narratives about religious practice, entering the fray of social media with spiritual wisdom, and writing books to help readers see themselves, their place in history, and God differently. She does this thoughtfully, with joy and a good dose of humor, leading John Fugelsang to dub her “iconic,” Anne Lamott to call her “a brilliant scholar and wonderful storyteller,” and Glennon Doyle to praise her “razor-sharp mind” and “mystical heart.”
She holds a doctorate in religious studies from Duke University and is the author of 12 books. Her bylines include The New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN.com, Atlantic.com, USA Today, Huffington Post, Spirituality and Health, Reader’s Digest, Christian Century, and Sojourners. She has commented on religion, politics, and culture in the media widely including on CBS, CNN, PBS, NPR, CBC, FOX, Sirius XM, TIME, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, and in multiple global news outlets. From 1993-2003, she wrote a weekly column on religion and culture for the Santa Barbara News-Press, which was distributed nationally by the New York Times Syndicate.
Diana currently co-hosts the Convocation Unscripted, a podcast on religion and politics, and writes The Cottage, a top-five Substack newsletter in Faith & Spirituality.
Her work has received three Wilbur Awards for best nonfiction book of the year, prizes from Religion News Association for individual commentary and for Book of the Year, Nautilus Awards Silver and Gold medals, the Illumination Book Award Silver medal, Books for a Better Life Award, Book of the Year of the Academy of Parish Clergy, the Frank S. and Elizabeth D. Brewer Prize for Church History, a Substack Fellowship for Independent Writers, and Publishers Weekly’s Best Religion Book of the Year.
Diana and her husband live in Alexandria, Virginia, with their dog, Paddy, and their sometimes-successful backyard garden.
Appalachian Horror: Andrew K. Clark & David Allan Voyles In Conversation
Join us for a special evening of Appalachian horror featuring local authors Andrew K. Clark and David Allan Voyles in conversation, to celebrate the release of Andrew’s new novel Hollow Folk!
FREE EVENT BUT RSVP IS REQUESTED (please fill out form below):
ABOUT HOLLOW FOLK
The night shift at the Holloway was supposed to be quiet.
It wasn’t.
When grad student Ethan Ray clocks in as night auditor at the aging Holloway mountain resort, he expects paperwork, silence, and a paycheck. Instead, reddish-brown lights bleed across the Appalachian sky. Hard winds whip through the trees without making a sound and mysterious owl gargoyles come to life.
At 3 a.m., every clock stops.
Trapped inside with his co-workers Kal and Teresa, Ethan realizes the hotel isn’t just old. It's now a boundary.
Something ancient has been waiting and is now awake.
To escape, they must uncover the Holloway’s secrets. The problem is, the visions haunting each of them carry the same warning: someone in the hotel cannot be trusted.
A chilling Southern Appalachian folk horror set in 1993, where the mountains are watching and the dark leaves marks.
ABOUT ANDREW K. CLARK
Andrew K. Clark is a writer from Western North Carolina where his people settled before the Revolutionary War. His debut novel, Where Dark Things Grow, published by Cowboy Jamboree Press, was a finalist for the Manly Wade Wellman Award, shortlisted for the Sir Walter Raleigh Fiction Award, and winner of an IPPY from the Independent Book Publishers Awards.
The sequel, Where Dark Things Rise, was published by Quill & Crow Publishing House. His third novel, Hollow Folk, is being published by Quill & Crow in September 2026.
His poetry collection, Jesus in the Trailer, was published by Main Street Rag Press and shortlisted for the Able Muse Book Award. His work has appeared in The American Journal of Poetry, UCLA’s Our of Anonymity, Appalachian Review, Rappahannock Review, The Wrath Bearing Tree, and many other journals. He received his MEA from Converse College.
ABOUT DAVID ALLEN VOYLES
Some of the tales in David Allen Voyles’ first collection of original horror stories The Thirteenth Day of Christmas and Other Tales of Yuletide Horror were those he told while conducting tours for his ghost tour company Dark Ride Tours in Asheville, NC. Playing the role of gravedigger / storyteller Virgil Nightshade, Voyles entertained guests as they were transported to various spooky sites in a 1972 Cadillac hearse converted for that purpose.
Having taught literature for 30 years, Voyles is no stranger to weird tales and horror fiction in general.
In addition to publishing his stories in various anthologies, he is also the creator of the horror podcast, Dark Corners with David Allen Voyles, a program in which he narrates many of his tales of horror. Dark Corners can be found on most podcast apps including Spotify.
LIVE MUSIC: Jennifer Alvarado
Join us for a special evening of LIVE MUSIC with Nashville recording artist and songwriter Jennifer Alvarado!
Jennifer Alvarado is redefining what it means to be a country artist in today’s music scene. With a sound that fuses the heartfelt storytelling of 90s country with the raw, unfiltered honesty of alternative rock, her music has been described as “Deana Carter meets Alanis Morissette.” But Jennifer isn’t just another artist blending genres—she’s a truth-teller, a fighter, and a voice for those who have ever felt out of place. Her songs are unflinchingly personal, yet universally relatable, tackling love, loss, trauma, and redemption with a fearless honesty that sets her apart.
Born and raised in Hickory, North Carolina, Alvarado’s love for music was sparked at the age of four when her grandfather first placed a guitar in her hands. Growing up, she found her voice singing in church and school performances, but a devastating loss and relentless bullying in middle school silenced her for years. While others saw her talent, she struggled with crippling performance anxiety, choosing instead to write in secret. It wasn’t until her mid-teens, when she picked up the guitar again and began leading worship, that she slowly reclaimed her confidence.
Beyond the music, Jennifer is deeply passionate about using her platform to make a difference. She is actively involved in Celebrate Recovery, prison ministry, and organizations supporting women overcoming addiction and homelessness. She volunteers at various local recovery based ministries in North Carolina, Tennessee Oncology in Nashville, and Meals on Wheels. Jennifer Alvarado is more than a musician — she is a storyteller, an advocate, and proof that resilience and faith can carve out a space where none seemed to exist. She isn’t chasing fame or fortune. She’s chasing meaning, moments, and the chance to remind others that their voice, their dreams, and their stories matter.
LIVE MUSIC: Sunday Afternoon Songs with Freddy Bradburn
Come out and enjoy a live Sunday afternoon musical performance by award-winning songwriter Freddy Bradburn!
Freddy Bradburn taught communications, theater, and storytelling at McDowell Tech for more than 20 years. He is also an award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and member of the local trio The Happy Enchiladas. He has had two original musicals produced by the local theater. Presently, Freddy created and directs a youth string band that performs in the community.
Yonder Youth Collective presents … Theatre Kid Karaoke
Expect showtunes, pop music, or the genre your heart desires. Mics will be hot and bad art is encouraged. All are welcome. Art is for all.
Hosted by the Yonder Youth Collective!
“Wonder Together” Interactive Children’s Storytime with Author Carey Jackson-Adams
Gather your favorite little ones for a magical afternoon with the author of Wonder Together: Me & You, a sweet tribute to connection, curiosity, and the joy of exploring the world side-by-side.
We’ll cozy up for a special interactive storytime that will have both kiddos and grownups smiling. The author will be signing copies of Wonder Together: Me and You especially for you! We can’t wait to wonder with you!
Perfect for tiny tots and the grownups who love them.
FREE EVENT BUT RSVP IS REQUESTED (please fill out the form below):
ABOUT WONDER TOGETHER
Senses come alive and curiosities are ignited as you journey through the wonders of nature and rediscover the small joys of everyday moments. This sing-along book makes wondering about our world an adventure best shared with someone special.
Created by teachers with little listeners in mind — from read-alouds to sing-alongs! Sheet music included. Scan the code on the back cover to access an audio recording and more!
ABOUT CAREY JACKSON-ADAMS
Carey Jackson-Adams is an art teacher who firmly believes life is better with paint under your fingernails and a cat on your keyboard. When she’s not sharing the joy of making art with teenagers, she’s either traveling somewhere new for inspiration or hoarding art supplies—occasionally pausing to rescue her favorite paintbrush from beneath a snoring beagle.
Open Mic Poetry Night hosted by Greg Feightner
Join us for a night of open mic poetry — hosted by Dark City poet Greg Feightner! Get here early and sign up to read.
Greg Feightner is a big nerd whose right and left brains are constantly in conversation and occasionally disagree. He comes to us here in Marion from spending time recently in the Dark City Poetry Society in Black Mountain, NC, through open mics and monthly critique circles.
The puzzle pieces of his life as a former pastor, IT support manager, systems administrator, one-time festival organizer, men’s group facilitator and public storyteller/writer at first seem to impossible to fit together, but somehow, they do. The result is a wonderfully abstract tableau resembling a Picasso painting smeared into a JMW Turner-esque canvas. His proudest achievements are recipes, particularly figuring out how to perfectly cook thick cut bacon in the oven.
LIVE IN CONCERT: David Childers with Abe Partridge
Bigfoot Books & Brews is proud to present … To celebrate our bookstore expansion and adding vinyl records to our offerings …
David Childers with Abe Patridge LIVE IN CONCERT on Wednesday, July 22nd at 7pm at Moonflower (44 Depot St., Marion, NC 28752)!
Tickest are $15 and space is limited, so get your tickets early to secure your seats.
DAVID CHILDERS
Singer-songwriter David Childers is the proverbial study in contradictions. A resident of Mount Holly, North Carolina, he’s a former high-school football player with the aw-shucks demeanor of a good ol’ Southern boy. But he’s also a well-read poet and painter who cites Chaucer and Kerouac as influences, fell in love with folk as a teen, listens to jazz and opera, and fed his family by practicing law before turning in his license to concentrate on his creative passions.
Bob Crawford from The Avett Brothers has called Childers “a great friend, a great thinker, and a great man … a true North Carolina treasure.”
ABE PARTRIDGE
Abe Partridge is a heralded musician, singer/songwriter, visual artist, storyteller, and documentarian based in Mobile, Alabama.
Since the release of his debut album Cotton Fields and Blood for Days in 2018, Partridge has toured relentlessly, including several tours throughout Europe. He is a regular at several great music festivals, as well as listening rooms across the country including the legendary Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Eddies Attic in Atlanta, and Duke’s in Indianapolis.
SPECIAL THANKS TO
WNCW — our media sponsor!
Ribbon Cutting Celebration for Bigfoot Books & Brews Bookstore Expansion
Join us for the ribbon cutting ceremony for the official opening of our Bigfoot Books & Brews bookstore expansion!
Snail Mail Society
Join us for the Snail Mail Society, a casual letter writing group, hosted by Grace Kendall and Mike Belsole from The Tabletop Inn. They will bring some stationary, but feel free to bring your own.
Anybody can write letters to people they know or maybe there’s a letters-to-strangers project you’d like to participate in. Just bring your ideas, and let’s write together!
LIVE MUSIC: Sunday Afternoon Songs with Freddy Bradburn
Come out and enjoy a live Sunday afternoon musical performance by award-winning songwriter Freddy Bradburn!
Freddy Bradburn taught communications, theater, and storytelling at McDowell Tech for more than 20 years. He is also an award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and member of the local trio The Happy Enchiladas. He has had two original musicals produced by the local theater. Presently, Freddy created and directs a youth string band that performs in the community.
“National Tattoo Day” Poetry Event & Book Signing with Angela Leigh
Join us for a special National Tattoo Day (July 17) author talk and book signing with local NC author Angela Leigh, about her debut poetry book Tattoos, Tacos, and Time!
We’ll have a temporary tattoo station at the event, and our friends at Blackbird Tattoo Gallery (2507 NC-226, Marion, NC) will be doing book-themed flash tattoos at their shop from 12-5pm!
FREE EVENT BUT RSVP IS REQUESTED (please fill out the form below):
ABOUT TATTOOS, TACOS, AND TIME
Angela Leigh paints an unfiltered portrait of love, lust, partnership, loss, and transformation. Tattoos, Tacos, and Time traces the author’s journey home to herself. Sapphic, sensual, sweet, raw, and empowering, this poetry collection celebrates the quiet everyday moments and the ones that change everything.
Along with celebrating queer love and identity, the book also promotes LGBTQ+ advocacy efforts. Leigh donates $2 from each retail-priced copy sold to a local Pride organization associated with signing events or, if none exists locally, to The Trevor Project.
ABOUT ANGELA LEIGH
Originally from Salisbury, NC, Angela Leigh has also lived in Buies Creek and Fuquay-Varina before settling in western North Carolina. An assistant professor and program coordinator for the online bachelor of arts and applied sciences degree in human services at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, Leigh has been writing seriously for over a decade. While her early focus was mainly on fiction, poetry gradually became a more deliberate creative outlet over the last several years, expanding from free verse into various poetic forms and styles.
She holds both a PhD and a master’s degree in counseling and mental health, and has spent more than 20 years working in education and mental health services.
Leigh is also a member of Mensa and previously owned an independent bookstore (Adventure Bound Books in Morganton) known for its embrace of inclusivity and advocacy. One memorable moment from that chapter was turning a critical online review calling the store “the wokest bookstore east of the Mississippi” into merchandise that raised funds for The Trevor Project.
Live Music with Freddy Bradburn and the Youth String Band
Join us for a night of LIVE MUSIC featuring Freddy Bradburn and the NEW Youth String Band!
Freddy Bradburn has taught communications, theater, and storytelling at McDowell Tech for more than 20 years. He is also an award-winning songwriter, mulit-instrumentalist, and member of the local trio The Happy Enchiladas. He has had two original musicals produced by the local theater. Presently, Freddy created and directs a youth string band that performs in the community. Come see them perform right here at Bigfoot Books & Brews!
Craft Night - Junk Journaling
Bring all your receipts, old takeout menus, movie tickets, etc. and lets start a junk journal. It is never too late to start appreciating the small things in life.
Additional supplies will be provided but it is always recommended to bring your own junk so the journal is personalized to you!
Shoutout to Omi for the idea!
LIVE MUSIC: Sunday Afternoon Songs with Freddy Bradburn
Come out and enjoy a live Sunday afternoon musical performance by award-winning songwriter Freddy Bradburn!
Freddy Bradburn taught communications, theater, and storytelling at McDowell Tech for more than 20 years. He is also an award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and member of the local trio The Happy Enchiladas. He has had two original musicals produced by the local theater. Presently, Freddy created and directs a youth string band that performs in the community.
Kelsey Davis “The Athlete Devotional” Author Event & Book Signing
Join us for a special author talk and book signing with local NC author and former professional women’s soccer player Rev. Kelsey Davis, about her new book The Athlete Devotional: 40 Days of Spiritual Practice.
FREE EVENT BUT RSVP IS REQUESTED (please fill out the form below):
ABOUT THE ATHLETE DEVOTIONAL: 40 DAYS OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
The Athlete Devotional offers a devotional for student-athletes and the athletic community that is grounded in progressive theology, character and identity formation, and ancient spiritual practices.
The authors and editors of this book are LGBTQ+ affirming pastors and Christians, and so this devotional not only seeks to meet athletes at the intersection of faith and sports, but additionally offers loving and affirming theology for all people.
ABOUT REV. KELSEY DAVIS
Rev. Kelsey Davis lives in Asheville with her wife and two kiddos. She is the vicar at St. George’s Episcopal Church. She also serves as Bishop’s Deputy for Disaster Response & Recovery at the Episcopal Diocese of WNC. She is a former pro athlete, coach, and loves to spend time outdoors. She loves exploring the spiritual life, pondering theology, studying scripture, teaching and facilitating, listening to people’s stories, engaging in the community, and witnessing the transforming power of the sacraments.
She is Co-Founder of Christian Athlete Circles, Co-Host of the Spirit of Sport Podcast, serves on the board of The Center for Contemplative Justice, and is a member of the NCAA Common Ground Leadership Team.
Kelsey holds a Masters of Divinity & Certificate of Religion in the Arts & Contemporary Culture from Vanderbilt Divinity School, Certificate in Anglican Studies from Iona WNC, and a B.A. in Theology with a minor in Education from the University of Portland. She is a certified Narrative Enneagram Teacher & Circle Process Facilitator.
She is a member of the Choctaw of Oklahoma.
PowerPoint Party: Nostalgia
We are hosting another PowerPoint Party! The theme for July is Nostalgia (so all things Furbies, arcades, McDonald’s playplace, etc.).
What’s something that makes you feel nostalgic? Fire up your slideshow for a 3- to 5-minute presentation to make friends and bring back some precious memories. (Sign up now by filling out the form below!)
I am feeling a little extra so…
Each presenter will get a cool little monster polaroid intro slide!
Meet “Dolly Possum” on 4th of July - For All Kids (And Childlike Adults)
Parents, bring your kiddos (and your childlike selves) and come meet “Dolly Possum,” Marion’s own and America’s favorite baby marsupial—this Saturday, July 4th at 4pm, before the parade up on Main Street gets started at 6pm!
Silent Book Club - First Fridays
Bring a book with you (or grab one off of our shelves!), read quietly for one hour (7-8pm), then talk about it with other people (or not) if you choose to (8-9pm)! Tell people about what you’re reading and hear about what other people are reading. (Or just keep reading quietly by yourself for the second hour—it’s up to you!)
“Don’t Move to Asheville” Author Talk & Book Signing with Paul Wilczynski
Join us for a special Sunday afternoon author talk and book signing with “Senior Techie” Paul Wilczynski, author of the new book Don’t Move to Asheville: A Ruthlessly Honest Guide That Will Ruin Everywhere Else.
FREE EVENT BUT RSVP IS REQUESTED (please fill out the form below):
ABOUT DON’T MOVE TO ASHEVILLE
Everyone told you to move to Asheville. You’re already thinking about it. You’ve looked at the listings. You’ve watched the reels. You may have told people you’re considering it.
Don’t.
Don’t Move to Asheville: A Ruthlessly Honest Guide That Will Ruin Everywhere Else is the reverse-psychology relocation guide that takes the standard “here’s why you’ll love it” format and turns it inside out.
Nine chapters.
Nine reasons to stay put.
None of them will work.
You’ll learn about the food scene that earned two James Beard Awards and a Michelin Bib Gourmand in a city of 95,000 people. The outdoor access that puts world-class hiking, whitewater, and trout fishing within 30 minutes of downtown. The creative economy that attracted artists, brewers, musicians, and makers who arrived as visitors and couldn’t make themselves leave.
It covers what you actually need to know: the hospital situation, the housing costs, the cost-of-living math, what happened after Hurricane Helene, and whether any of it is still worth it.
Spoiler: It is. Annoyingly.
Written by a reluctant Ashevillian since 2014, this is the honest guide that relocation books are too polite to write: funny, specific, and completely useless as a warning.
Consider yourself warned.
ABOUT PAUL WILCZYNSKI
For most of his working life, Paul Wilczynski was a software developer, which means he spent decades persuading computers to do things they didn't want to do.
He started writing COBOL code in 1973. Along the way he taught computer science at Suffolk University in Boston, owned a website development and hosting company, represented one of the first commercial email services (MCI Mail), and spent 11 years as a software engineer supporting payroll and financial systems for a major supermarket chain.
Eventually he retired, which is when the writing started in earnest. It turns out that 50 years of explaining technology to computers leaves you reasonably well-positioned to explain it to people instead.
TheSeniorTechie.com exists because a lot of technology writing assumes its readers are 25 years old and grew up with a smartphone in each hand. Paul writes for people who didn’t. Practical, direct, no unnecessary jargon.
Paul served on the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment since 2024, as well as being a member and Chair of the City of Asheville’s Board of Adjustment from 2017 to 2023. It’s quasi-judicial work involving zoning, variances, and a surprising amount of patience. It’s not glamorous, but someone has to do it, and Paul has found he’s reasonably good at sitting through long meetings without losing his mind.
Don’t Move to Asheville started as something else entirely and became a book that’s part honest guidebook, part memoir, and part argument that Asheville is one of the few places in America that actually delivers on its reputation.
Yonder Youth Collective presents … Theatre Kid Karaoke
Expect showtunes, pop music, or the genre your heart desires. Mics will be hot and bad art is encouraged. All are welcome. Art is for all.
Hosted by the Yonder Youth Collective!
Open Mic Poetry Night hosted by Greg Feightner
Join us for a night of open mic poetry — hosted by Dark City poet Greg Feightner! Get here early and sign up to read.
Greg Feightner is a big nerd whose right and left brains are constantly in conversation and occasionally disagree. He comes to us here in Marion from spending time recently in the Dark City Poetry Society in Black Mountain, NC, through open mics and monthly critique circles.
The puzzle pieces of his life as a former pastor, IT support manager, systems administrator, one-time festival organizer, men’s group facilitator and public storyteller/writer at first seem to impossible to fit together, but somehow, they do. The result is a wonderfully abstract tableau resembling a Picasso painting smeared into a JMW Turner-esque canvas. His proudest achievements are recipes, particularly figuring out how to perfectly cook thick cut bacon in the oven.
“Death Café” Agenda-Free Discussion About Death*
Join us for our next “Death Café”*!
“Death Café” is a space where people can engage in open, meaningful conversations about life, death, and living fully every day.
An agenda-free discussion about death*
Hosted by Becky Knight
*Not a support group or grief counseling
Snail Mail Society
Join us for the Snail Mail Society!
We gather every Wednesday at 1pm for a casual letter writing group, hosted by Grace Kendall from the Tabletop Inn. Grace will bring some stationary, but feel free to bring your own.
Anybody can write letters to people they know or maybe there's a letters-to-strangers project you'd like to participate in. Just bring your ideas, and let’s write together!
Melvin Bray at West Marion Racial Equity Book Club
West Marion Inc. and Bigfoot Books & Brews welcome Melvin Bray, the Atlanta-based author of the new book UnLearn InEquity: An Invitation to Truth & Transformation.
Melvin will talk and do a Q&A, followed by this month’s West Marion Racial Equity Book Club discussion. Dinner will be provided.
FREE EVENT BUT RSVP IS REQUESTED. (please fill out form below:)
ABOUT MELVIN BRAY
Melvin Bray is a problem-solving and equity design specialist. Melvin has extensive experience and training in group facilitation, design thinking/doing, collaborative problem-solving, systems thinking, power dynamics, innovation strategy, community organizing, curriculum/program development, discovery learning, and sustainability. He has been the recipient of numerous awards, including an EMMY® (NATAS) for outstanding storytelling.
Through Collabyrinth, Melvin helps communities of goodwill design better systems and structures, policies and practices, that transform persistently inequitable outcomes into equitable ones.
ABOUT UnLEARN InEQUITY
This is for you. Yes, you!
Whether you are a person of color, a woman, queer, poor, un/under-employed, under-educated, disabled, in poor health, or some combination thereof. This is also for you if you are white, male, straight, wealthy, healthy, Christian, highly educated, and/or currently able-bodied. Perhaps you don't fit neatly into any of these categories.
Whether you are historically privileged, historically marginalized, or a little of both, the journey charted herein is yours for the taking.
Why? Because we are all part of a society that is designed to advantage some, while disadvantaging others. Advantaging some while disadvantaging others is called inequity. Inequity harms us all in more ways than most know-morally, materially, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, and even physically.
The medley of stories, essays, and activities found herein is an invitation to process through the personal and structural complexities of unlearning your participation in and acceptance of inequity.
Just as importantly, it is an invitation to heal.
CLOSING EARLY for Father’s Day
We will be closing early at 5pm on Sunday, June 21 for Father’s Day.
Please bring your dads by between 1-5pm and treat him to a coffee, tea, or canned beverage! Hope to see you then.
Juneteenth Festival in the Park
Bigfoot Books & Brews is honored to be a sponsor of the 5th Annual Juneteenth Celebration hosted by West Marion Inc. Come see us out at West Marion Community Park, 4-8pm on Saturday, June 20th!
This family-friendly festival will feature live music, cultural performances, food trucks, and local vendors. Come celebrate together in a joyful and welcoming atmosphere!
Live Music with Freddy Bradburn and the Youth String Band
Join us for a night of LIVE MUSIC featuring Freddy Bradburn and the NEW Intermediate Youth String Band!
Freddy Bradburn has taught communications, theater, and storytelling at McDowell Tech for more than 20 years. He is also an award-winning songwriter, mulit-instrumentalist, and member of the local trio The Happy Enchiladas. He has had two original musicals produced by the local theater. Presently, Freddy created and directs a youth string band that performs in the community. Come see them perform right here at Bigfoot Books & Brews!
Pop-Up Game Night
Join us for another SUPER FUN pop-up game night hosted by our friends Grace Kendall and Mike Belsole from the Tabletop Inn right here in Marion, NC!
Mike and Grace will be bringing a variety of games with them from the inn that are suitable for families and seasoned gamers alike.
Come out and try your hand at some fun party games and/or strategy games!
“Mike and Grace were the most amazing and accommodating hosts! Truly could not ask for better. Also, Mike is an excellent teacher for rules and how to play different board games!” —Tabletop Inn visitor review
Snail Mail Society
Join us for the Snail Mail Society!
We gather every Wednesday at 1pm for a casual letter writing group, hosted by Grace Kendall from the Tabletop Inn. Grace will bring some stationary, but feel free to bring your own.
Anybody can write letters to people they know or maybe there's a letters-to-strangers project you'd like to participate in. Just bring your ideas, and let’s write together!
“Rise Up, Sing Out: Concert for the First Amendment” Virtual Watch Party
On June 14, the Committee for the First Amendment will be hosting “Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment,” an uplifting evening of song, solidarity, and action. Featuring an all-star line-up of performers, this 90-minute concert event will celebrate the freedoms guaranteed by our First Amendment—of speech, religion, press, assembly, and protest—and the people power that both fuels these rights and is essential to guarantee them.
Featuring Rufus Wainwright, Bette Midler, Patti Smith, Sasha Allen, Joy Reid, Jane Fonda, and more to be announced!
Come sing along, find inspiration in the performances, build community, and let’s take meaningful action together.
FREE EVENT BUT RSVP IS REQUESTED (please fill out the form below):
PowerPoint Party: Conspiracy Theories
It’s a PowerPoint Party in the USA! We are hosting our very first PowerPoint Party on the theme of Conspiracy Theories.
What’s a conspiracy theory that you actually believe right now? Fire up your slideshow for a 3- to 5-minute presentation to make friends and influence people (or just for laughs). Sign up now (below) to speak!
Snail Mail Society
Join us for the Snail Mail Society!
We gather every Wednesday at 1pm for a casual letter writing group, hosted by Grace Kendall from the Tabletop Inn. Grace will bring some stationary, but feel free to bring your own.
Anybody can write letters to people they know or maybe there's a letters-to-strangers project you'd like to participate in. Just bring your ideas, and let’s write together!