AVL Biz Weekly — June 3–June 9: AVL Biz Weekly: Grants, Briny Chaos, and Longevity in a 90-Minute Session

Welcome to AVL BIZ Weekly—your local cheat sheet for what’s happening in Asheville’s small business + creative scenes.

Each week: hand-picked events, marketing ideas that actually work, and a little local flavor to keep things fun.

My name's Jason and I'm writing this (connect with me here).

Hey everyone,

If your business was impacted by Helene, tomorrow afternoon is worth clearing — the Asheville Brewers Alliance is walking people through the Recovers Together grant application in person at The Mule on Sweeten Creek.

In this issue, we’re shouting out a local physical therapist who is rewriting the rules on patient care by spending actual, uninterrupted time with people (what a concept!). Plus, we’ve got a marketing tips in treating your Google Business Profile like a living marketing channel instead of a dusty digital phonebook listing.

And if you need a break from the hustle? The weekend is absolutely packed. Whether you want to drink mimosas while pretending it counts as cardio in the RAD, catch some world-class burlesque at The Orange Peel, or dive headfirst into "briny chaos" at Pickle Fest, Asheville has you covered.

Let’s dive in.

📋 On Deck

• Business Events: Asheville Recovers Together grant prep and a fundraiser for maker scholarships.

• Fun Stuff: Art walks, farm teas, contemporary art mimosas, and Honeyfest.

• Bands on the Horizon: Brandi Carlile, Tank and The Bangas, Patterson Hood, and Yonder Mountain String Band.

• Local Business Spotlight: Jessica Tripp with Longevity Physical Therapy on flipping the traditional PT model.

• Marketing Quickies: Why your Google Business Profile is a channel, not a listing

🙋 Want your biz featured in front of a few really smart AVL business owners? Email me for details

🗓️ Business Events

• 🗓️ Anti-Networking Coffee Meetup: Hangout at Auction House (come hang out with me!) — Wednesday, June 3 · 9:00–10:30 AM (The Auction House, 29 Fanning Bridge Rd, Fletcher) 

  A casual coffee hangout for small business owners with no agenda and no pitches — just real conversation. Walk-ins welcome.

• 🗓️ How to Prepare Your Asheville Recovers Together Grant Application — Wednesday, June 3 · 1:00 PM (The Mule at Devil’s Foot Beverage, 131 Sweeten Creek Road, Ste. 10)

  Asheville Brewers Alliance hosts this practical info session for beverage producers and adjacent businesses looking to understand the Asheville Recovers Together grant and get their application ducks in a row.

• 🗓️ Bridge The Gap! A Fundraiser for SkillSet Scholarships — Thursday, June 4 · 5:00 PM (UNC Asheville STEAM Studio, 821 Riverside Dr) 

  A community fundraiser supporting SkillSet scholarships, helping more folks access hands-on maker education, tools, and career-building creative skills.

Hosting something cool?

📬 Hit reply and tell me what you think. Or share an event!

💡 Marketing Quickies

This week's theme: Your Google Business Profile is a marketing channel, not just a listing.

1. Post once a week with a photo and one CTA.

Open your GBP dashboard every Monday. Upload one photo from the past week — finished project, happy customer, new menu item — and add a single CTA: "Book now," "Call today," or "See this week's menu." Five minutes. Google tracks posting frequency and rewards it in local rankings. The business that posted last Tuesday beats the one that posted last November.

2. Reply to every review within 24 hours — and make it specific.

Set up GBP notifications on your phone. When a 5-star review lands, reply with a detail that shows you actually read it: "Glad you loved the patio seating — come back for the new summer menu." For negative reviews: one calm sentence acknowledging it, one offer to take it offline. Don't explain. Don't argue. Future customers read your response more carefully than the review itself.

3. Switch your next post type to "Offer" instead of "What's New."

GBP Offer posts show a clickable redemption button in search results that standard posts don't get. Add a specific deal — "10% off your first visit this week" or "Free consultation through Friday" — with an expiration date. Then check your GBP Insights the following week to see how many people actually clicked. That's your baseline.

Local Spotlight

This week we're spotlighting a local PT who throws out the 45-minute session clock and actually spends time with her clients. If you run a local business and want to be featured, reply to this email. I'm building the list.

The Physical Therapist Who Jokes About Never Breaking Up With Her Clients — Featuring Jessica Tripp with Longevity Physical Therapy

"You didn't realize that you're in a long-term relationship with me now, but we're actually never going to break up," Jessica Tripp tells her clients with a laugh. It sounds like a joke, but she's serious about the philosophy behind it. While most people think of physical therapy as a short-term fix for pain, Tripp sees it as the beginning of a lifetime partnership in keeping active adults moving.

Tripp opened Longevity Physical Therapy in March 2024 after 14 years in the field, and her approach flips the traditional PT model. She spends 90 minutes with new clients and 60 minutes on follow-ups, getting to know them as whole people rather than just focusing on their shoulder pain or knee issue. "I try to start with not like, tell me about your shoulder, but like, how's it going? How's your morning? Are you super stressed about this appointment?" The goal isn't just to eliminate pain but to build strength and conditioning that keeps clients from falling back into the same pain cycles.

Her thorough approach sometimes reveals problems that go beyond musculoskeletal issues. Recently, a client came in expecting to work on neck and shoulder pain, but Tripp picked up on red flags during the screening. "I actually called another MD in the middle of her appointment," she says. The client started crying, explaining that other providers had dismissed her symptoms as perimenopausal or routine disc issues. Tripp's willingness to look at the bigger picture and refer out when necessary led to a neurology appointment the next week. It's the kind of clinical awareness that comes from spending real time with patients and treating them as people, not just problems to solve.

Day in the Life

1. Favorite coffee or breakfast spot? Ultra Coffee Bar for a hot vanilla latte.

2. Fitness routine — what does it look like and where does it happen? Tuesday and Thursday lifting sessions at Underground Fitness, Friday sessions at HF Center of Exercise Science, plus punch cards to Caffeine and Fitness, Summit CrossFit, and Hard Exercise Works.

3. If someone's visiting Asheville/WNC for the first time, where do you take them? Battery Park Book Exchange for drinks and conversation in a cozy library setting.

4. Any nonprofits you volunteer at or support? The annual Santa 5K that supports Asheville High band.

Want to work with them? Visit longevitypt.org or email [email protected]

🎉 Fun Stuff Around AVL

• 🗓️ First Friday Art Walk — Friday, June 5 · 5:00–8:00 PM (Downtown Asheville galleries and studios) 

  Wander downtown, meet artists, catch new exhibitions, and pretend you "just happened" to end up near your favorite dinner spot. A perfect low-pressure night out for creative folks and curious locals.

• 🗓️ Carolinas Sketch Crawl 2026 — Friday, June 5–Sunday, June 7 (River Arts District + Downtown Asheville)

  Urban sketchers from across the Carolinas take over town for workshops, drink-and-draws, and postcard swaps. Good for anyone who likes wandering with creative people.

• 🗓️ High Noon Tea: Garden Tea at Inn at Amaris Farms — Saturday, June 6 · 12:00–2:00 PM (Inn at Amaris Farms, Weaverville)

  Loose-leaf tea, garden-inspired bites, and a porch-on-a-farm setting that feels suspiciously like a tiny vacation. Twenty seats, floral vibes, and a very strong case for dressing cute.

• 🗓️ Asheville Pickle Fest 2026 — Saturday, June 6 · 12:00–9:00 PM (Tanger Outlets Asheville, 800 Brevard Rd) 

  Pickle-themed eats, vendors, live entertainment, and enough briny chaos to make your sandwich jealous. Come hungry, hydrated, and emotionally prepared for pickle merch.

• 🗓️ ABS Fest 2026 — Saturday, June 6 · Doors 7:30 PM, Show 8:00 PM (The Orange Peel, Asheville) 

  Burlesque, aerials, sideshow stunts, live music, and a raffle supporting Sister Kitten animal rescue. Ages 18+, delightfully extra, and absolutely not your average Saturday night.

• 🗓️ Eyes Up Here Comedy: Pride Edition — Saturday, June 6 · 8:00–10:00 PM (Ginger’s Revenge, Asheville) 

  Modelface Comedy brings an all-femme comedy night with a Pride Month twist, featuring queer comedians from Asheville and around the Southeast. Ages 18+, hosted by local favorite Erin Terry.

• 🗓️ Mimosas and Contemporary Art Weekend — Saturday–Sunday, June 6–7 · Various Times (River Arts District galleries, Asheville)

  Art, mimosas, and a perfectly civilized excuse to wander the RAD before your Sunday chores remember you exist. Great for gallery-hoppers, brunch people, and anyone pretending this counts as cardio.

• 🗓️ Asheville Honeyfest — Sunday, June 7 · 12:00–6:00 PM (The Meadow at Highland Brewing Co., Asheville)

  A free, family-friendly pollinator party with live music, food trucks, vendors, honey tasting, and bee costumes strongly encouraged by the universe. Proceeds support pollinator research and education.

• 🗓️ Journey Dance Asheville — Sunday, June 7 · 2:00–4:00 PM (Haw Creek Commons, Asheville)

  A music-driven, freeform movement session centered on somatic release, connection, and getting out of your head for a couple hours. Good for anyone whose nervous system could use a dance-floor reset.

🎧 Bands on the Horizon

• Tank and The Bangas: The Last Balloon Tour — Wed, June 3 · 8 PM @ The Grey Eagle

• Jack’s Old-Time Jam — Wed, June 3 · TBD @ Jack of the Wood

• Tom Hamilton Band — Thu, June 4 · 8 PM @ Asheville Music Hall

• Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers — Thu, June 4 · 8 PM @ The Grey Eagle

• Yonder Mountain String Band with Suns of Stars — Fri, June 5 · 6 PM @ Pisgah Brewing Outdoor Stage

• Hot In Herre: 2000s Dance Party — Fri, June 5 · TBD @ The Orange Peel

• Jason Curtis and The Black Sheep — Fri, June 5 · TBD @ Highland Brewing

• Flatland Cavalry with Tobacco Road — Sat, June 6 · 6 PM @ Asheville Yards

• Canon Tyler — Sat, June 6 · 2 PM @ The Grey Eagle Patio Stage (FREE)

• Paul McDonald & The Mourning Doves with Blue Roses — Sat, June 6 · 8 PM @ The Grey Eagle

• Unspoken Tradition — Sat, June 6 · TBD @ Pisgah Brewing Taproom Stage

• Elizabeth as Taylor — Sat, June 6 · TBD @ Asheville Music Hall

• The Deslondes — Sun, June 7 · 8 PM @ The Grey Eagle

• Holland Negative & The Bog with Doug McElvy — Sun, June 7 · TBD @ The Grey Eagle Patio Stage

• Reggae Sundays with Chalwa — Sun, June 7 · TBD @ French Broad River Brewery

• Upon A Burning Body — Tue, June 9 · TBD @ Eulogy

Want your biz in front of a few really smart AVL business owners? Reply with what you're up to and we'll see if it's a fit.

See you around town,

Jason De Los Santos
Pixelated Stories Digital Marketing
(828) 585-4293