WNC Nature Center marks 10 years of Brews and Bears fundraiser

Brews and Bears has become more than a summer outing at the WNC Nature Center. Ten years into the fundraiser, the after-hours event is drawing on Asheville’s brewery culture, family-friendly wildlife programming and community support to help sustain animal care, habitat work and public education.

The Nature Center marked the 10th anniversary of the fundraiser with its June event, part of a recurring series held on the second Friday in May, June, July, August and September from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The format is built for a broad crowd: black bear popsicle enrichment, BearWise education, live music, food and drinks, and animal education all sit alongside the evening’s social side. VIP options add designated parking and a special animal program.

That mix has helped turn Brews and Bears into a reliable local gathering rather than a one-off party. The June installment was promoted with a river otter program, local refreshments and live music, a combination that fits the kind of locally rooted experience Asheville residents tend to support and share. Friends of the WNC Nature Center uses the event to bring people back to the grounds after hours while generating revenue and visibility for the institution.

The fundraiser carries extra weight after Tropical Storm Helene. The WNC Nature Center reopened to the public on March 17, 2025, about five and a half months after the storm damaged the site. Flooding from the Swannanoa River destroyed roads, wiped out the main bridge to the Nature Center and swept away the lower parking lot. No animals were lost and no one was seriously injured, but the storm cut off access to one of Buncombe County’s most familiar family attractions.

Recovery has been a central part of the reopening story. The City of Asheville pointed to staff resilience and community resilience, while the Association of Zoos and Aquariums said the institution was back open with help from local community support and AZA colleagues. Brews and Bears fits that larger effort by converting a popular night out into direct support for the work that keeps the Nature Center running.

Local business leaders have also helped keep the event in front of the public, including Leah Wong Ashburn, chief executive of Highland Brewing Company. In Asheville, where breweries, nonprofits and outdoor attractions often share the same audience, Brews and Bears has become a durable model: a family event, a conservation fundraiser and a sign that a major Buncombe County institution is still open, still programming and still rebuilding.