Buncombe On a Budget: Summer Fun Without Breaking the Bank

Summer is officially here, and many of us are looking to take advantage of the great weather and get the kids out of the house while catching a break from inflation. From recreational to educational and indoor (read: air conditioned) to outdoor (possibly pool adjacent), Buncombe County has many free and cheap activities to keep your summer lively and your wallet protected. For example, did you know your library card is your passport for free tickets to the North Carolina Arboretum, Chimney Rock State Park, Museum of Science, WNC Nature Center, and more? Or maybe whittling away summer days on a paddleboat or taking a guided bird walk at Lake Julian is more your speed.

Beyond activities, Buncombe County also has resources to stock your pantry, keep you healthy, and help you stay plugged in. All County libraries have free hotspots available so you can stay connected throughout the summer. You can also utilize our community engagement markets for free food and access to County services. And while nobody wants summer to end, we know it’s inevitable. So, make sure to set a reminder to get in touch with Health and Human Services to schedule back-to-school immunizations.

We also know the weather doesn’t always cooperate with plans, so we compiled a list of rainy day activities for when you don’t feel like leaving home. Or maybe a day inside with air conditioning is just what you need. We got you covered.

So however you’re trying to make summertime living easy without going broke, make sure you check out all the resources and programming available through Buncombe County. Check out our sample week of suggestions for enjoying Buncombe on a budget and browse all the resource links below to find your own frugal fun.

Sample week (estimated costs based on a family of four)

Monday

• Enjoy the exhibits and experience some experiments at the Asheville Museum of Science (free via Zoom Pass with your library card, make sure to reserve your spot ahead of time).
• Take a dip at one of the five County pools open 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekdays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturdays, and 1-6 p.m. on Sundays ($4 per person, or free with a Zoom Pass).
• Drop by a community engagement market. There are 16 active markets throughout the County where you can get free food and connect with other important resources and members of your community.  Interested in volunteering at a market? Sign up with the United Way.
• Total for day: $16

Tuesday

• Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the sights at Lake Julian (tables and grills are free and located at all County parks).
• Burn off your lunch by going paddle boating at Lake Julian ($12 per hour or free with a Zoom Pass).
• Show off your skills at the LEGO builders club every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. at the Pack Memorial Library (free) –OR– check out the library’s event calendar for other age-appropriate, free activities.
• Catch some live music at the Groovin’ on Grovemont (adjacent to the Swannanoa Library) concert series on Tuesday, July 14, Tuesday, July 28, and Tuesday, Aug. 11 at 6 p.m. The concerts are free and food is available for purchase. Proceeds from food sales go to the Friends of the Swannanoa Library and the Swannanoa Community Council.
• Total for day: $12

Wednesday

Thursday

• Check out a free hotspot from any of the County library branches.
• Use your laptop to learn about photography, web development, animation, or other topics from LinkedIn Learning (free with your County library card).
• Get out and play disc golf at the Buncombe County Sports Park or Lake Julian (free, and if you need a disc golf set, you can check it out for three weeks at a time from Pack Library) –OR– settle in with a digital book, newspaper, movie, or more on your laptop from the Virtual Library (free with your library card).
• Total for the day: $0

Friday

• Catch a story time at one the library branches where you’ll find stories geared toward babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. There’s also family story times and bilingual story times. Check out the story time calendar here – and look for other fun activities like Tiny Tots Yoga, puppet times, and more!
• Get inspiration to tend to your garden by walking the grounds at the NC Arboretum (free via Zoom Pass with your library card, make sure to reserve your spot ahead of time).
• Cool off after your visit to the Arboretum with a visit to one of the five County pools open 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekends ($4 per person, $16 for family of four).
• Total for the day: $16

Saturday

Sunday

Total for the week (based on a family of four): $44

Rainy day resources

Maybe the weather isn’t cooperating or maybe you just need a mulligan from the summer heat. Check out these activities you can do from the comfort of your own home, and for more keep scrolling to our online resources below.

• Keep your pajamas on and watch a free movie through Kanopy where you can find critically acclaimed movies, documentaries, foreign films, and more. All you need is a library card.

• Browse the North Carolina Digital Library where you can find good reads for everyone in your family. Just sign in with your library card.
• Or maybe do some house chores while listening to an audiobook through Hoopla. This free online service features audiobooks, eBooks, movies, comics, TV shows, magazines, and more. Your library card is your passport to this wonderful archive of information and entertainment.

Don’t see anything that aligns with your hobbies or interests? Make sure to browse the library’s event calendar where you can join a book club, Spanish practice group, learn about creative writing, and more. And don’t forget, there are multiple online courses and digital resources you can access with your library card. Need a library card? Click here to learn how to get or renew one. Or check out the Parks & Recreation calendar for exciting opportunities like Painting in the Park, disc golf clinics for youth and adults, bowling, and more.

Additional online resources from County partners (all free with your library card):

• Virtual library: Fix a car, study for the GRE, learn a new language, write a grant, research your own history, and more.
• Ancestry and Heritage Quest: Both platforms allow you to log in with your library card so you can start digging through your genealogical research.
• Kanopy: Find a critically acclaimed movie, documentaries, foreign films, and more.
• LinkedIn Learning: Features over 5,000 courses (and over 130,000 videos) in popular fields like web design, web development, IT, education/instruction, media production, and business. Materials are available in seven languages and certificates of completion are issued for every course.
• Browse the NC Digital Library using the Libby app (on the Libby app or with the link) where you’ll find books for kids, young adults, and adults with all your favorite genres from mysteries to romance and nonfiction to humor.
• ProQuest: Access newspapers, magazines, journals, and more from a huge variety of topics.

All good things must come to an end, and this is true for summer. Don’t forget back to school immunizations, which you can get for low cost or no cost at the Buncombe County Public Health Department. 

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