Upcoming Events
A Special Día De Los Muertos “Death Café” Agenda-Free Discussion About Death*
Join us for this special Día De Los Muertos themed “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
Downtown Marion Halloween Trick-R-Treating!
Bigfoot Books & Brews is excited to be participating in this year’s community-organized downtown Marion Monster Mash trick-r-treating at participating businesses!
When? Friday October 31st from 4:00 to 5:30pm
What? Downtown Trick-R-Treating in the Downtown District of Marion, NC at participating businesses
Where? Scan the QR code on the poster to see who has signed up!
This free, family-friendly event is organized and supported by your local downtown businesses and organizations. Participating businesses will be handing out candy to little ghouls and goblins, and some will be hosting special spooky activities for the community (keep an eye on their social media pages)!
Please note: Streets will remain open during Trick-R-Treat. Families are encouraged to use crosswalks, stay on sidewalks, and be extra cautious when crossing the street.
Hootenanny! Sing-a-Long to Songs More Relevant Than Ever
Join us for a rip-roarin’ night of music and singing led by award-winning local songwriter, educator, and playwright Freddy Bradburn!
Woody Guthrie is the iconic songwriter of “This Land is Your Land,” originally a protest against Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America.” Woody is considered the father of modern protest music, directly influencing Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and many others.
We will sing, celebrate, and discuss the songs and life of Guthrie whose songs are more relevant now than ever.
Freddy Bradburn 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.
Poetry Reading with Mildred K. Barya and Clint Bowman
Join us for a special poetry event featuring local writers Mildred Kiconco Barya—author of Hands in Clay—and Clint Bowman—author of If Lost—both reading from their new books!
Mildred K Barya’s most recent poetry collection, Hands in Clay, is published by Serving House
Books, 2025. Her previous poetry books include The Animals of My Earth School (Terrapin
Books), which was listed among Brittle Paper Notable African Books of 2023 and received
honorable mention in the 2024 Eric Hoffer Poetry Award. Mildred is a recipient of the 2025
Jacobs/Jones African American Literary Prize and the 2020 Linda Flowers Literary Award.
She has served as the Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet for the North Carolina Poetry Society and her work has been published in the New England Review, The Cincinnati Review, Shenandoah, Tin House, The Forge, and elsewhere. She lives in Asheville, NC.
About Hands in Clay
“A radical, radiant melancholy is the light that comes from Mildred Kiconco Barya’s poems. Moonlight, hellfire, komorebi—light filtered through leaves. And the light from fires—buried, rekindled, luminous—a cremating fire of ritual and transformation of experience. Barya has a discourse with the spirit world in dreams and receives messages from ancestors, phantom children, and the dead which proves the real world is porous and miraculous. Barya has a witchy power and has written a haunted book that manufactures wonder.” —Bruce Smith, Hungry Ghost
Clint Bowman is a writer from Black Mountain, NC. During the day, he works as a recreation coordinator leading hikes, river cleanups, and other outdoor programs throughout the Swannanoa Valley. Co-founder and facilitator of the Dark City Poets Society—a free poetry group based out of the Black Mountain Library— Clint’s debut full-length collection of poetry, If Lost, was published in 2024 by Loblolly Press. His poems have appeared in Poetry South, Louisiana Literature, O. Henry Magazine, The Indianapolis Review, and elsewhere.
About If Lost
Inspired by the mountains, forests, animals, and people that define the region, Bowman’s work offers a raw and poignant exploration of a landscape in flux—one where natural beauty and human resilience collide with environmental decay and societal neglect.
In If Lost, Bowman acts as both guide and witness, leading readers through a tapestry of vivid imagery and haunting narratives. Invasive species choke native trees, abandoned churches crumble beside failing gas stations, and truckers cry in empty parking lots. Along highways lined with restless deer, Bowman’s poems examine how everyone—and everything—is searching for meaning, shelter, or escape in a world that feels perpetually on the brink.
Joran Slane Oppelt Author Talk & Music
Join us for a special evening author talk and music from Asheville-based author and facilitator Joran Slane Oppelt on the topic of “Awaken the Spark: Creativity as a Spiritual and Strategic Practice”!
Joran Oppelt is a Senior Consultant at The Grove Consultants International and has over a decade of experience in visual consulting, graphic facilitation, and executive coaching. He has helped shape strategy with clients in the fields of technology, sport, healthcare, and finance with a passion for leadership development and team alignment.
Joran holds a deep belief in the power of human potential and in art-making as a tool for healing and community building. He is also an award-winning singer/songwriter and the author of Spiritual Edge; Facilitation: A Human-Centered Guide to the Art of Collaboration; Visionary Leadership; and The Visual Meetings Field Guide.
Monthly Craft Night
First ever monthly craft night at Bigfoot Books and Brews! We will be doing a mini terrarium.
A Very Marion Christmas Parade
Let’s kickoff the Christmas season together!
Kickoff the holiday season with the City of Marion’s annual Christmas Parade on Sunday, November 23 at 3pm. The theme this year is “A McDowell Strong Christmas,” and the parade marshal is Jerry Lewis.
Spectators are welcome on Main Street to watch the festive procession!
Big Fire of 1894 Teach-In
Join us for a special teach-in on the Big Fire of 1894!
Patti Holda, president of the McDowell County Historical Society, will be here with us to tell us about the devastating fire that took place on November 25, 1894, and possibly answer the question: Is our building haunted???
“In the early morning hours of November 25, 1894, a big fire swept through downtown Marion destroying most of the buildings in its path. At the time, most of the construction in town utilized local timber as the primary building material.
“The fire spread through Main Street and Court Street, even jumping the railroad bridge destroying everything within its path.
“With no public water supply available at the time, even the few brick buildings that existed were destroyed by the fire. Cinders and burning timbers were blown all the way to the top of Mt. Ida, but miraculously some homes escaped damage with help from bucket brigades.
“The original county courthouse building constructed between 1843 and 1845 was destroyed in the fire along with many original town documents.
“Marion’s citizens took in neighbors and shared what they had until homes and businesses could be replaced. Citizens were determined to rebuild their town, and their efforts paid off with many of those same buildings still standing today as a testament of their determination. These buildings are recognized as some of the most significant architectural resources in the community, and are identified as contributing structures within the Main Street Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places.”
(Source: City of Marion)
The Big Fire of 1894 Anniversary
We remember the Big Fire of 1894 that destroyed many houses right here on Main Street and Court Street here in downtown Marion, NC!
“Before the fire of 1894, which gutted the town, Main Street in Marion was a collection of mostly wooded huts, houses, and buildings. The old Courthouse, located at its present location, was, however, of brick construction with two outside stairways meeting each other at the second floor. Construction began in 1843 and court was first held in 1845.
“The devastating fire of November 25, 1894 started on Sunday morning in an old building known as the ‘Ark’ which was located behind the Courthouse. The courthouse did not burn. The fire spread to Main Street and roared down the street across the railroad bridge and beyond.
“Next, it jumped across the street and went back up Main Street to Court Street. The few brick buildings were also gutted, as there was no public water supply.
“Cinders and burning timbers were blown all the way to Mt. Ida, but some houses miraculously escaped with the help of bucket brigades. Marion's citizens took in neighbors and shared what they had until permanent abodes could be established 2 or 3 years later.
“Actually, the rebuilt houses and business structures were much sturdier and much better built; and a new Marion, like the ‘Phoenix, arose from the ashes’!”
(Source: Facebook)
Thanksgiving Holiday CLOSED
We will closed on Thursday, November 27 for the Thanksgiving holiday. Enjoy turkey day, y’all!
Megan Shepherd Author Talk & Book Signing
Join us on SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY for our BIGGEST AUTHOR BOOK EVENT yet!
NYTimes best-selling author Megan Shepherd will be signing copies of her #1 young adult fiction book Hour of the Pumpkin Queen: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas …
NOTE: We are asking you to RSVP in advance so we can make the necessary arrangements for seating, coffee, etc. at the event location (Golden Hour, 44 Depot St., Marion):
PRIVATE MEET & GREET INFORMATION
LIMITED NUMBER OF TICKETS AVAILABLE
FOR PRIVATE MEET & GREET WITH
MEGAN SHEPHERD • STARTING AT 1pm!
ABOUT THE BOOK
“One year has passed since Sally wed her beloved Jack Skellington and stepped into her role as queen of Halloween Town. Even with her Jack at her side, though, being a ruler isn’t easy, and Sally feels uncertain of her future. Her seams are stretched thin with her royal duties, her newfound family in Dream Town, and a desire to bring citizens from across the Hinterlands together.
“Then a simple potion demonstration at Sally’s inaugural Halloween exhibition goes horribly wrong, and things unravel fast: Sally and her new rag doll apprentice, Luna, fall through a mysterious portal, landing in a new realm called Time Town.
“They discover that someone has tampered with the clock that controls Halloween Town, and Sally cannot return to the present-day version of her home unless she finds the culprit and resets time.
“Sally and Luna embark on a journey to unmask the truth, encountering more towns, friends, and foes along the way. But time is ticking, and as Sally fights to save Jack and her hometown, she wonders what kind of future she really wants—and what she must sacrifice to get it.”
ABOUT MEGAN SHEPHERD
#1 New York Times bestselling author Megan Shepherd’s first novel, The Madman’s Daughter (HarperCollins, 2013), was a Kids’ Indie Next List selection from the American Booksellers Association, won the 2013 North Carolina Young Adult Book Award, and received a starred review from School Library Journal. It was followed by two more books in the series, Her Dark Curiosity and A Cold Legacy, and was optioned for film by Paramount Pictures and TV by Gaumont Entertainment. Megan’s second young adult series begins with The Cage (HarperCollins, 2015), a New York Times bestselling title, and is followed by The Hunt and The Gauntlet.
Her young adult fantasy novel Grim Lovelies (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018) was featured in the Winter 2019 - 2020 Indie Next List for Reading Groups and is followed by the sequel Midnight Beauties (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019). Megan’s debut middle grade title, The Secret Horses of Briar Hill (Random House, 2016), was nominated for the Carnegie Medal, received starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, and Shelf Awareness, and was written about in Time magazine and The Wall Street Journal. Her middle-grade novel Dog Star (FSG, 2022), based on the true story of the first dog in space, was nominated as an NCSS Notable Book. Her shorter works include the stories “Hide-and-Seek” in the young adult horror anthology Slasher Girls and Monster Boys (Penguin, 2015) and "Lady Firebrand" in the young adult historical fiction anthology The Radical Element (Candlewick, 2018). Her first book for an adult audience, Malice House (Hyperion Avenue, 2022), is about the daughter of a famous novelist who uncovers a malignant secret manuscript. It was named an Amazon Editor's Best Pick for Horror, a Barnes & Noble's Top 10 Horror Book of 2022, and received a starred review from Booklist. It is followed by the second book in the Malice Compendium, Midnight Showing (Hyperion Avenue, 2023). She was selected by Disney Studios to write the novelization of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (Disney, 2023) for the film's 30th anniversary, as well as tapped to complete the Pumpkin Queen series (Disney, 2025 + 2026) following Sally the Rag Doll's character after the events in The Nightmare Before Christmas. Hour of the Pumpkin Queen debuted at #1 on the New York Times young adult hardcover bestseller list.
“Born” into the book world, Megan grew up in her family’s independent bookstore in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Interested in foreign languages and travel, she earned a degree in International Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and later joined the US Peace Corps, where she spent two years living and working in a small village in Senegal. There, she partnered with a local elementary school to transcribe oral folk tales into an illustrated picture book to distribute to students. Though she has always been an avid reader, this project first sparked her interest in telling her own stories.
Megan frequently speaks to schools and libraries and has taught for UNCA’s Great Smokies Writing Program, the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and the NC Writers’ Network. In previous lives, she worked for a book publisher, an environmental nonprofit, as a raft guide, a nanny, and a park ranger in Montana.
When she is not writing, she can usually be found daydreaming in cafes, hiking in the mountains, and gardening at her farm in the mountains of Western North Carolina, which she and her husband share with their children, two hives of bees, eleven chickens, two cats, two horses, a scruffy dog, and several ghosts.
Appalachian Potters Market
Join us at the 37th Annual Appalachian Potters Market — Bigfoot Books & Brews will be providing the coffee!
Hosted by McDowell Arts Council Association
Saturday, December 6th from 10-4pm in the Commons Area and Gymnasium of McDowell High School.
Cost: Entry is $5 for folks 16 years of age or older (cash or card)
All proceeds benefit McDowell County Arts Council (MACA)
Accessibility:
Anyone utilizing a wheelchair, cane, mobility device, stroller, or with 'bad knees' should Entrance #1 located at the main entrance of the school / front entrance of the Commons Area. This entrance will be clearly marked and has ramps accessing the parking lot. You will be able to access all areas of the market from this entrance while avoiding the stairs located at the Gym Entrance. If you have good knees, a secondary entrance is located on the upper level of the Gym at Entrance #2.
Parking:
Parking is free at Appalachian Potters Market. *Do not park in or block designated accessibility spaces or lots marked for vendors.
Sim Butler Author Talk & Book Signing
Join us for this very special evening with author Sim Butler talking about his new book And the Dragons Do Come: Raising a Transgender Kid in Rural America
Our country stands at a critical cultural crossroads, with a wave of anti-trans legislation emerging at unprecedented levels, targeting trans children, in particular, who face increasing stigmatization and erasure. Sim Butler’s And the Dragons Do Come is a poignant account of one family’s experience of parenting and supporting a trans child against this nightmarish backdrop.
In recent years, the Butler family faced an impossible reality in their home state of Alabama, where trans rights are increasingly under attack. Butler recounts their family’s struggles and sacrifices to protect their trans child against the barrage of state-sanctioned intolerance in the legal, educational, and health arenas.
Around the time she turned 12, his daughter’s personal struggles became political fodder. Along with other trans kids, she was outlawed from playing sports and forbidden to use the girls’ bathroom. Another law made Butler and his wife felons for seeking trans-affirming health care for her. When her charter school was featured in several gubernatorial campaign ads, local community members began driving through the parking lot to yell at the trans kids.
Serving both as a compassionate story of one family’s struggle for acceptance and as a window onto a fraught issue that parents, grandparents, other family members, and friends are confronting across the nation, And the Dragons Do Come provides a firsthand perspective on the human cost of anti-trans sentiment.
“With the increase of state and federal anti-trans legislation and laws nationwide, Butler’s story becomes an essential read.” —Library Journal
New Year’s Eve Great Gatsby Party
In celebration of the 100th anniversary this year of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most famous work — join us for a super-fun (and slightly fancy) Great Gatsby-themed New Year’s Eve party!
Jimmy and Sarah from Asheville Literary Tour will be with us to share all about F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald’s connections to Asheville and western North Carolina:
Western North Carolina offers many things: The mountains, the views, award-winning food, great music, and beer. Lots and lots of beer. But there is another version of our region—one that gets overlooked far too often: the history of the written word.
Our area has excited and incited many authors to pick up pens and scratch out brilliant work. Among those whose presence has left a lasting legacy are F. Scott and Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald.
Join the creators of the Asheville Literary Tour at the close of The Great Gatsby's 100th anniversary year as they detail the history of this famous couple in the region and their connections with the small towns we know and love.
More details to be announced. Get on our email list for all the details!
Independent Bookstore Day
Come celebrate Independent Bookstore Day at Bigfoot Books & Brews in downtown Marion, NC!
Prison Banned Books Talk & Discussion with Dr. Mac Marquis and Julian
Join us for a special afternoon author talk and book signing with Asheville-based author and teacher Dr. Mac Marquis and Julian from the Asheville Prison Books program!
Dr. Dave “Mac” Marquis is a Founding Documents Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of South Carolina. He joined the department in 2022 after earning his PhD from the College of William & Mary. Mac is the Book Review Editor for H-Labor, the Executive Assistant for the Labor and Working Class History Association, and a former board member of the Southern Labor Studies Association.
His work has primarily been focused on the timber industry of the South during Jim Crow and lies at the intersection of Labor, Environmental, and African-American History.
He is the co-editor of Books Through Bars: Stories from the Prison Books Movement (University of Georgia Press: Spring 2023), which is the first edited volume to examine the origins and activities of this nationwide social movement.
He also has a graphic history in progress, Solidarity in the Jim Crow Piney Woods: A Graphic History of The Brotherhood of Timber Workers, 1910-1916 (The Historic New Orleans Collection), which details the history and legacy of one of the largest interracial unions in the Deep South during Jim Crow.
Julian is a formerly incarcerated individual who has working with Asheville Prison Books since 2018. He read over 200 books while inside. An aspiring writer, he fervently defends access to books and all free speech.
Halloween Pizza & Dance Party
Bigfoot Books & Brews is excited to be partnering with the Barefoot Baby Foundation on its second annual Halloween Pizza & Dance Party — the week before Halloween!
“Get on your costumes and head to the Depot for some free Halloween fun! We will have pizza and drinks outside with lots of free games and candy prizes. Inside we will have a DJ with kid-friendly songs so you can dance the night away!”
Look for us there giving away free children’s books and free hot chocolate!
NOTE: If you have well-loved children’s books that you’d like to DONATE for us to give away on October 24, please bring them by the shop and drop them off with us!
Prison Banned Books Week 2025
“Prisons and jails ban more books than all public schools and libraries combined. Prison Banned Books Week is an annual campaign that shines a light on this widespread censorship and advocates for the rights of incarcerated and detained people to access literature and express themselves freely. In partnership with organizations that champion free expression, the campaign underscores a powerful message: censorship has no place in a democracy.”
We are partnering with Asheville Prison Books to donate books to incarcerated people in Western North Carolina!
No Kings Rally
Join us Saturday morning in front of the Courthouse in downtown Marion for the next No Kings rally!
Bigfoot Books & Brews will be providing FREE COFFEE
“In America, we don’t put up with would-be kings. Join the McDowell Dems to raise our voices for DEMOCRACY. All are welcome!!
“‘NO KINGS’ is more than just a slogan—it’s the foundation our nation was built upon. Born in the streets, carried by millions in chants and on posters, it echoes from city blocks to rural town squares, uniting people across this country to fight dictatorship together.”
Pop-Up Game Night
Join us for the first — of what we hope will be many! — pop-up game nights 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, such as Flip 7, Dracula vs Van Helsing, Spirits of the Wild, Connected Clues, So Clover, Just One, and Rhino Hero!
“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
42nd Annual Mountain Glory Festival
We will be open 9am-9pm for Mountain Glory Festival! During the day, we will have massage therapist Christina Thompson offering chair massages for a small fee. Plus Bigfoot artwork from local artist Zonie Carter available for purchase!
Celebrate small-town life in the mountains at the 42nd Annual Mountain Glory Festival on October 11th, 2025. From 9am until 4pm!
Visitors looking for original handicrafts will find plenty of shopping choices with three jam-packed blocks, featuring over 150 craft, food, non-profit and sponsor booths of locally made arts and crafts; festival foods and pubs with local wines, mead and beers. Plus, two stages presenting Marion’s finest musicians.
Don’t miss the annual Mountain Glory Quilt Show inside the McDowell Arts Council. The quilt show is the gallery’s featured October exhibit.
The kids will have fun in the “Kid’s Korner” with hands-on activities, local entertainment and the ever popular best-dressed pet contest.
Shuttle services will run from Rose’s parking lot to the Festival site every half hour. Shuttle service is free. Handicap Parking will be available behind State Farm Insurance.
You might even see Bigfoot, Marion’s Mascot!
To find additional area events, attractions and lodging information, visit destinationmcdowell.com or call toll-free 1-888-233-6111.
The festival is sponsored by the City of Marion.
Banned Books Week 2025
Banned Books Week is an annual event that highlights the value of free and open access to information. See our full schedule of events below!
Order books for the Asheville Prison Books Program through our Bookshop wishlist THIS WEEK (October 5-11), and you’ll be donating books to incarcerated people in our region — and a small portion of your orders will go to support Bigfoot Books & Brews, as well. (Use promo code BBW25 at checkout to get 20% off select titles.)
Banned Books Week is officially October 5-11, 2025!
Launched in 1982, Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community and is typically held each year during the last week of September. Today, Banned Books Week coverage by mainstream media reaches an estimated 2.8 billion readers.
The theme for Banned Books Week 2025 is: “Censorship Is So 1984. Read for Your Rights.”
Ghosts of a Revolution: Honoring the Marion Mill Massacre Anniversary
Learn about one of the most important events in Labor Movement history that happened right here in Marion, North Carolina!
Hosted by Chelsea White-Hoglen from Rednecks Rising
Copies of From the Holler to the Sea—the NEW anthology of poetry, prose, artwork, and more from folks affected by Hurricane Helene—will also be available for purchase.
Watch for more details—coming soon!
Marion Mill Massacre Anniversary
Major labor movement history was made right here in downtown Marion:
“On October 2, 1929, deputies fired into a crowd of striking workers in Marion, North Carolina. Six were killed and even more wounded at the Marion Manufacturing Company in one of the deadliest acts of strike-busting in the South.
“This year marked an apogee of strikes and labor organization in southern textile mills. Eight years prior, over 100 miners were killed at the Battle of Blair Mountain in West Virginia in a period of coal clashes and unionization attempts. Later in the 1920s, many textile workers reacting to grueling and dirty work conditions under the ‘stretch-out’ system, along with a reduction of their pay in company scrip, began organizing and demanding better conditions. Spearheaded by the National Textile Workers Union (an organization supported by the Communist Party), concurrent strikes began early in 1929 at the Bemberg-Glanzstoff Rayon Corporation in Elizabethton, Tennessee and at Loray Mills in Gastonia, North Carolina. Female employees were key to the organization of both strikes, and the latter is most famously remembered for the death of Ella May Wiggins. National Guard members, local police, and union-busting mobs were called to both of these events.
“The Marion strikes (which occurred at the neighboring Clinchfield Mill as well) began July 11. Workers struck without official union support, resisting involvement by communist organizers. After frequent violence and threats, with two National Guard units present, workers returned to these mills September 11, with no raise in pay and a mandated 55-hour workweek. Marion Manufacturing Mill refused to rehire 114 of the strikers, leading to further anger. Workers struck again on October 2, and deputies were dispatched by the local sheriff. Though some details are murky, deputies shot into a crowd of strikers, killing four on site, wounding at least fifteen, with two others dying later. Nearby hospitals refused medical care to strikers, and churches of the mill village refused to administer their funerals. Eight deputies were charged, but acquitted in December. They contended the strikers were armed, but no guns were found, and the New York Times reported those killed were shot in the back.”
(Source: Asheville Museum of History)
National Book Month
All October long!
National Book Month, held each year in October, is a celebration dedicated to promoting literacy, storytelling, and the importance of reading in our everyday lives. Established by the National Book Foundation in 2003, this event encourages readers of all ages to immerse themselves in the world of literature.
Whether through novels, poetry, essays, or historical texts, National Book Month serves as a reminder that books are essential tools for expanding our minds and understanding the world around us.
Hurricane Helene 1-Year Anniversary
Please plan now to join us for this very special community gathering
Join us for an evening of storytelling from local residents who were impacted by Hurricane Helene, and hear their inspiring stories of recovery and renewal!
Hosted by Tye Dumas from the Growth By Insight podcast
featuring
Kim Effler, President and CEO of the McDowell Chamber of Commerce
and
Dael McCoyle, Co-host of The V-Twin Foodies show
Palm Readings with Rae of Light Palmistry
Stop in for a coffee and a palm reading!
Rachel Wyatt from Rae of Light Palmistry will be here to read your palms.
“Tap Into the Magic of Your Hands. Look into your past, understand how it shaped you, and uncover the path ahead—from personal growth to future endeavors. 💫 Uncannily spot-on. Are you ready to see what your hands have been trying to tell you all along?”
David LaMotte Music & Book Signing
Join us for a special evening music and book event with David LaMotte!
Black Mountain-based singer/songwriter, author, and activist David LaMotte will be sharing songs and stories from his Lyrics book, as well as his book You Are Changing the World: Whether You Like It or Not.
As a musician, David has performed over 3,500 concerts and released 13 full-length CDs of primarily original music, touring in all of 50 states and on five of the seven continents.
His dense speaking and workshop calendar has included keynoting peace conferences in India, Australia, Germany and at the Scottish Parliament, as well as offering a keynote at the opening plenary for the 2025 Rotary International Convention in Calgary, to a stadium audience of roughly 30,000 people.
Don’t miss seeing David LaMotte on our (tiny) stage! :-)
Special thanks to our media sponsor, WNCW 88.7FM.
United After Helene: Culturas Unidos Festival 2025 — Unidos Después de Helene: Festival Culturas Unidas 2025
Join us on September 13th for the United After Helene: Culturas Unidas Festival 2025 in downtown Marion.
After the storm comes unity. This festival is a tribute to our resilience, culture, and community, featuring an afternoon full of music, traditional dances, local vendors, raffles, a special vigil, and fun for the whole family.
United after the storm: resilience, culture and community.
¡Reserva la fecha! Este 13 de septiembre acompáñanos a Unidos Después de Helene: Festival Culturas Unidas 2025 en el centro de Marion. Después de la tormenta, llega la unidad. Este festival es un homenaje a nuestra resiliencia, cultura y comunidad, con una tarde llena de música, bailes tradicionales, vendedores locales, rifas, una vigilia especial y diversión para toda la familia.
Unidos tras la tormenta: resiliencia, cultura y comunidad.
FloatLife Fest 2025
The 9th year of FloatLife Fest — the ORIGINAL, LONGEST-RUNNING, and WORLD’S LARGEST gathering of Onewheel enthusiasts!
Expect lots more music, new trails/trail features, race course improvements to Rainbow Python, more vendors, more on water activities, disc golf comps with our friends from VibeTime, camping, cabins, friends, and family!! Can’t wait to see you there! Bring good vibes only!
David Gate Poetry & Book Signing
Join us for this special evening of poetry and words with David Gate!
Asheville-based poet and author of A Rebellion of Care David Gate will be talking about his new book and reading selected poems from it, followed by a book signing!
David Gate is a poet, writer and visual artist that hails from London, UK and now resides in the mist of the ancient Blue Ridge Mountains in Asheville, North Carolina.
His work centers around care for the individual (heart, mind, body & soul) and the nurture of community (culture, the earth & environment, the dignity of others and spiritual communities).
“Where policy and programming and posturing fall short, poetry delivers. Art is going to save us, and David Gate has given us the most gorgeous book of words that matter.” —Jen Hatmaker, New York Times bestselling author and host of the For the Love Podcast
“Death Café” - An Agenda-Free Discussion About Death*
What Is a 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 Rebecca Knight
*Not a support group or grief counseling
John Pavlovitz Book Signing
Join us for a special evening author event and book signing with John Pavlovitz!
Raleigh-based author, pastor, and activist John Pavlovitz will be joining us to talk about his latest book, Worth Fighting For: Finding Courage and Compassion When Cruelty Is Trending.
A 25-year veteran in the trenches of local church ministry, John is committed to equality, diversity, and justice—both inside and outside faith communities. When not actively working for a more compassionate planet, John enjoys spending time with his family, exercising, cooking, and having time in nature.
“With wisdom and insight, John ignites the spark of hope, urging us all to stand up, speak out, and push back against the tide of cruelty currently washing over all of us.”
—Shannon Watts, founder Moms Demand Action
Official Grand Opening
We are officially opening our doors Saturday, August 23rd, the same day as the WNC Bigfoot Festival here in downtown Marion, NC!
Come join us for our grand opening and enjoy the Bigfoot Festival festivities all day long!!
Bigfoot-related books and other items available for purchase!
LIVE MUSIC — 1-3pm
DAVID WIMBISH
We’re so excited to have David Wimbish performing LIVE on our (tiny) stage inside Bigfoot Books & Brews during the 2025 WNC Bigfoot Festival on Saturday, August 23rd, 1-3pm. Come listen to some of the best songs you’ll ever hear!
“One of the most underrated songwriters and artists of our time.” —Pop Passion
PALM READINGS — 5-7PM
Rachel Wyatt from Rae of Light Palmistry will be here to read your palms!
ORIGINAL BIGFOOT ARTWORK AVAILABLE
Zonie Carter is a self-taught artist born and residing in Morganton, NC. She is known for her abstract folk art inspired by Van Gough and Maude Lewis. She has produced hundreds of paintings in her 8 years of acrylic painting.
Official Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
Everyone is invited to join us for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for Bigfoot Books & Brews on Friday, August 22 at 4pm ET — the day before our official grand opening and (of course) the 2025 WNC Bigfoot Festival!!
We have it on good information that Bigfoot will be making a special appearance at the ribbon-cutting, so please join us and help us celebrate this major milestone for downtown Marion’s newest addition — a boutique bookstore and coffeeshop that will serve as a true “third place” for local book and community events and gatherings.
