Swannanoa Valley holds memorial events in a week of Helene reflection
Community groups from Swannanoa to Black Mountain Hosting observances as somber anniversary approaches
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
September 22, 2025
As the Swannanoa Valley nears the one-year mark since Tropical Storm Helene, multiple events, gatherings and observances are scheduled from Sept. 20 - 28. Photo by Fred McCormick
The extent of the tragedy to come was not known, Sept. 27, 2024, when thousands of people across Western N.C. sheltered from the fury of what came ashore on the north coast of the Gulf of Mexico as a hurricane, before arriving to the mountains under the deceptively less threatening classification of a tropical storm.
As the Swannanoa Valley reflects on the year since Helene claimed lives, displaced residents, altered the landscape and devastated the community, a series of events events and observances will culminate with a mournful anniversary of the unprecedented natural disaster.
The Swannanoa Community Altar, which invites area residents to bring items memorializing the loss suffered during Helene. From Sept. 20, through Monday, Sept. 29, community members are asked to leave objects or messages representing remembrance, loss or resilience at the flag pole outside of the Swannanoa Fire Department at 103 South Street, in Beacon Village.
A documentary produced by David Weintraub and the Center for Cultural Preservation will air, at 9 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 23, on WNCW 88.7. From Helene and Back — Nature’s Wake-up Call, commemorating the one-year anniversary of the natural disaster, will be livestreamed at wncw.org.
Resources for Resilience, a project by the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP), will hold A Day of Community and Remembrance with Resources for Resilience, from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 23, at the Swannanoa Library. The event, which requires registration before 4:30 p.m., at the Buncombe County Library Calendar website, will offer practical tools to manage stress and support others in the aftermath of a crisis.
A candlelight ceremony, including ritual, reflection, story, song and an area for children to express themselves through art will be held at the Warren Wilson Chapel & Fellowship Hall at 101 Chapel Lane in Swannanoa, beginning at 6:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 26. Remembering Helene, which will follow a community dinner in the fellowship hall, features contemplative music while acknowledging the community’s collective grief and loss.
The work of 15 local creators from the Swannanoa Artists’ Collective will be exhibited from Friday, Sept. 26 through Sunday, Sept. 28, in the After Helene: Swannanoa Artists Respond to Hurricane Helene show at 216 Whitson Avenue. The display, sponsored by A.D. Anderson, Asheville Creative Arts, The Beacon Foundation, David & Jen Bilstrom, Buncombe County Dept of Communications & Public Engagement, FCC Environmental, Carol Groben & Doug Lebbon, Quility and the N.C. Arts Council and N.C. Humanities, will include photography, painting, sculpture, fiber art and video pieces from artists in small population centers around Western N.C. The exhibit will open at 6 p.m., Friday and reopen from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday and from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday.
The Town of Black Mountain will honor the community’s resilience and commemorate progress made since Helene with a Community Tree Giveaway, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 27. At least 200 native trees, with planting and care instructions, will be distributed to community members at Town Hall on 160 Midland Avenue. The event will include remarks delivered by Black Mountain elected officials and staff, as well as recovery updates and a community reflection corner.
The Whitson Avenue Bridge in Swannanoa, which closed until late February, following Tropical Storm Helene, will be one of the sites of the Swannanoa River Blessing and Beacon Village Gatherings, Sept. 27. Photo by Fred McCormick
Silverados, which hosted a major aid operation through last April, is once again inviting the community back to its outdoor venue for the Valley Strong Disaster Relief One Year Helene Community Cookout. The event, which will take place from 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 27, at 2898 U.S. 70 in Black Mountain, will feature live music and karaoke, while offering a bouncy house and petting zoo for children. A worship band will close out the free family-friendly gathering, beginning at 6 p.m.
The Black Mountain Presbyterian Church, which fed hundreds of residents at 117 Montreat Road in the days after Helene, is commemorating the one-year mark of the disaster with a Climate Change and Social Justice in the Wake of Helene presentation. The free forum will focus on climate change and its role in intensifying storms and their impact on resources, property and people. Featuring Rev. Dr. Patricia Tull and Rev. Rebecca Barnes, leaders of the environmental and justice ministries of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the discussion will be moderated by Warren Wilson College Professor Dr. Mallory McDuff.
Before the sun set on the day of the Helene, local residents began showing up at Lookout Brewing Co., seeking to connect with friends and neighbors. What began a rendezvous point for Black Mountain residents quickly evolved into a food and supply distribution hub where community members rallied together. The brewery at 103 South Ridgeway Avenue will host Helene Anniversary Community Day, from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 27. The gathering, which will commemorate the community’s response to the tragedy, will include a potluch dinner and local music. Attendees are invited to bring a dish and spend time with people in the town and “appreciate all we are lucky to have.”
At 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 27, community members in Swannanoa will gather at the Swannanoa Fire Department main station in Beacon Village, as they walk to the Whitson Avenue Bridge over the nearby Swannanoa River. The Swannanoa River Blessing and Beacon Village Gatherings, will continue at 11 a.m., when Blunt Pretzels, which served as a community aid station and supply distribution hub in the aftermath of the storm, offers a free community meal and live music until 6 p.m. Short Sleeves Coffee, in coordination with Asheville Creative Arts, will host a children’s art program, beginning at 1 p.m.
A poignant ceremony honoring the 43 victims of Helene in Buncombe County will take place at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 27, with the Bee Tree Candlelight Vigil at the Bee Tree Fire Station. County officials will reflect on the community’s resilience in the wake of the tragedy, while Swannanoa Fire Chief Anthony Penland reads the name of each person lost in the storm.
While venues throughout the town will be filled with Black Mountain Blues Festival attendees, organizers of the event will host a Celebration Resiliency in Town Square, beginning at 2 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 28. The free gathering is open to the public and will celebrate healing and remembrance with live music.