Join Wrong Way River Lodge & Cabins and Uproar for the inaugural Fly Fishing Festival on August 24th in Asheville, NC. A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit MountainTrue & RiverLink.
The festival will take place just weeks from the one-year anniversary of Helene — a highly anticipated milestone for the people and businesses that have worked tirelessly to stand each other back up. Much like a native brook trout chasing a dry fly, together we will RISE to shift the current toward recovery on the river.
What to expect?
*casting and fly-tying competitions
*fly fishing clinics
*kid-friendly programming
*raffles
*shoppable A-frame cabin “takeovers” by outdoor brands
*live music in the Wrong Way Meadow
*food and drinks from Imposter Pizza Co., Chop Shop Butchery, and featured local breweries
*Fish Flash Tattoo Studio (Multiple local tattoo artists will offer river-centric flash designs)
The event is FREE to attend.
ABOUT WRONG WAY RIVER LODGE & CABINS
Wrong Way River Lodge & Cabins is Asheville’s only outdoor-centered hotel, an urban cabin campground on the French Broad River Greenway in West Asheville, NC, opened by two locals and former river guides. Sixteen A-frame cabins built into the landscape give guests a basecamp for Asheville at the intersection of urban and the outdoors. The communal River Lodge anchors the property as a place to eat, drink, gather, and shop. The core mission of Wrong Way is to connect guests with the transformational qualities of the outdoors through comfortable accommodations, convenient access, inspiring experiences, and a little local culture. wrongwaycampground.com
ABOUT UPROAR CONCEPT
The Uproar Concept is a partnership between Nate Jordan and Derek DiLuzio founded on a shared drive to create, reimagine how creative content is crafted, celebrate the great outdoors, build authentic connections, and develop a more sustainable future. The company was founded with a goal of providing exceptional creative deliverables capable of elevating any brand. Uproar believes in working collaboratively with our clients to create disturbances in the market that command attention and achieve results. uproarconcept.com
For questions about the event, please contact: kelsey@dearclivepr.com
RSVP
Join MountainTrue and artist John Springer for a guided outing and drawing course in Pisgah Forest, NC. Reconnect with nature in a place currently under threat from the Pisgah-Nantahala Forest Management Plan. Selected artwork from the outing will be featured in a silent auction, raising funds for the Resilient Forest Program. Mark your calendar for the opening event- Endangered Impressions: a collection of drawings highlighting nature threatened by the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Management Plan.
Meet-up location: Pink Bed Picnic Shelter in Pisgah Forest, NC (coordinates: Latitude 35° 21′ 13.0000″ N Longitude 82° 46′ 40.0001″ W)
- From Asheville: take 19/23 to 151 South to the Parkway, and then turn right and travel to 276.
- From Brevard: Take US 276 north for about 11 miles.
- Look for a large sign on the road indicating the picnic area entrance .
Time: 10 am to 2 pm
This event will be rain or shine. As much as we love our furry friends, please no pets.
Please bring: Weather-appropriate layers, rain gear, water, snacks/lunch and your sense of wonder.
All art supplies will be provided to participants. Donations to help support MountainTrue and artist John Springer are welcome, but not required to participate.
Description about the drawing course:
What is it that draws people to sit along riverbanks? What is it about walking a forest path that awakens curiosity and contemplation? This exercise is geared towards noticing relationships in the visible world by searching for elements and instances in nature that strike you as the participant to pause and ponder. With some initial instruction, we will engage in a series of sketches from a motif. By drawing rapidly, we can put trust in our eyes and declutter our minds, igniting our fluid imaginations to reveal truthful renderings that are unique to us and the moment. By studying the light and dark relationships, we will begin to hone in on the essential elements and reveal the harmoniousness that brings you to your chosen place and aspect, consciously or unconsciously. This is an experience meant to lead towards discovering yourself in nature and the nature within you.
You will receive guided instruction from the artist before setting out on the Pink Beds Loop Hike to draw.
About the hike: This relatively flat loop hike (5.1 miles round trip) – which features a shortcut option – is all about water. You’ll see rare mountain bogs, including glimpses of some rare and endangered species of plants if you’re lucky. You’ll pass through a forest in transition, as beavers have dammed the South Fork Mills River to form their ponds, which are drowning out the trees. You’ll also find crystal clear brooks, wildlife meadows, scenic fern-filled woods, and an optional waterfall. More info here.
About the artist (John Springer)
John Springer (b. 1990, Columbus, GA) is an American artist who lives in Aix-en-Provence, France. By observing particular patterns within nature John seeks to render visually through painting and drawing the universal truths of the human-environment relationship. John’s work emerges at the confluence of nature and culture and it is in this commingling where he sees potential harmonies that can give meaning to our existence. By knowing ourselves and our place in nature John believes each of us can live more fully, more cohesively and more sustainably in the changing modern world.
Why this area?
The Soapstone Ridge, which is just to the south of the Pink Beds, is an extremely diverse forest with numerous rare species and two very popular trails. It is one of the areas prioritized for logging by the Trump Administration and the Pisgah Forest Plan. The Trump administration has directed National Forests to increase logging by 125% annually through 2034. Additionally, there have been two serious attempts to sell up to 3 million acres of National Forest Land this year, and while those proposals do not yet include North Carolina, it is likely that land sale proposals will continue.
Want more information about the art show and silent auction? Click here.
Photo credit: John Springer
Toast the French Broad! Join New Belgium Brewing, American Rivers, RiverLink, and MountainTrue to raise a pint for Asheville’s hometown river: the French Broad. American Rivers has named the Rivers of Southern Appalachia, including the French Broad and neighboring rivers recovering from Hurricane Helene, among America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2025. Together, we are spotlighting Western North Carolina’s revival — and calling on state and national leaders to protect our rivers and make sure our community is prepared for future storms. Let’s come together riverside to drink great beer, connect with friends, and take action for the French Broad.
RSVP here (or just show up!)
Life Depends on Rivers® celebration and action for the French Broad
June 12, 5:00-7:00 pm
Come hungry: food trucks will be open!
American Rivers is a national conservation organization working to make every river clean and healthy for people and wildlife. We combine evidence-based solutions with enduring
partnerships to safeguard the 3.5 million miles of rivers and streams that are essential to our nation’s clean drinking water, extraordinary wildlife, and strength of our communities. For more than 50 years, our staff, supporters, and partners have been driven by a common belief: Life Depends on Rivers®. America’s Most Endangered Rivers® highlights ten rivers whose fate will be decided in the coming year and encourages decision-makers to do the right thing for the rivers and the communities they support.
RiverLink promotes the environmental and economic vitality of the French Broad River and its watershed for all. RiverLink accomplishes its mission by improving watershed health and climate resilience, providing permanent public access to the river through conservation and recreation easements, reclaiming contaminated lands for public use and enjoyment,
empowering over 1,000 volunteers each year, and annually educating over 5,000 students, as well as the public at large, about the importance of a healthy French Broad River watershed.
MountainTrue champions resilient forests, clean waters, and healthy communities in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains. Our members protect our forests, clean up our rivers, plan
vibrant and livable communities, and advocate for a sound and sustainable future for all. MountainTrue is active in the Broad, French Broad, Green, Hiwassee, Little Tennessee, New,
and Watauga watersheds and is home to the Broad Riverkeeper, French Broad Riverkeeper, Green Riverkeeper, and Watauga Riverkeeper. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene,
MountainTrue is committed to leading the recovery of our region with a vision to rebuild stronger, safer, and better prepared for the impacts of climate change.
