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From snow tubing to musical theater: Grace Ridge announces 2020 wellness events

Indoor snow tubing, a hammered dulcimer concert, wine tasting with llamas, and a visit to a pinball museum. These are just a few of the fun and diverse activities lined up for Grace Ridge residents next year.

It’s all part of the wellness department’s “20 for 2020” — a list of the top 20 wellness initiatives selected by our retirement community residents and staff.

“It’s the time of year when everyone comes out with some sort of list — the best books of the year or the best movies or songs of the year,” said Kelli Huggins, wellness manager. “We decided to put our own spin on the season of lists by looking ahead to some exciting adventures next year.”

After much discussion, resident feedback and narrowing down dozens of ideas, Huggins and her team came up with a list of events and activities that best highlight the fun, lively and nurturing lifestyle of Grace Ridge.

She added, “The great thing about this slate of events is there’s something for everyone and so many opportunities for residents to experience something new.”

Sneak peek of Grace Ridge’s Top 20 for 2020

  • Hammered dulcimer concert with Asheville’s Joshua Messick, a composer and innovator influenced by Celtic, world, renaissance, folk and classical music.
  • 2020 United States Figure Skating Championship in Greensboro to crown the best in ladies, men’s, pairs, and ice dancing competitions.
  • Storyteller Bobbie Pell, who specializes in Celtic folklore and traditions and focuses on faerie lore, ballads and archetypical myths, will discuss “World Wisdom Tales.”
  • Road trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway, aka America’s Favorite Drive and a “ribbon of road that weaves through the region’s vibrant living traditions.”
  • Asheville Pinball Museum, where residents can play a wide array of pinball machines spanning from the 1950s to the 21st century.
  • Exploration of Old Fort: The Mountain Gateway Museum celebrates the cultural history of western North Carolina’s 39 counties from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Piedmont; Arrowhead Gallery and Studios; and Andrews Geyser, which was built in 1879 as an “eye-catching site for visitors reaching Old Fort by train during the late 19th century.”
  • Million Dollar Quartet at the Flat Rock Playhouse. The Tony Award-winning Broadway musical was inspired by “the true story of the famed recording session where Sam Phillips brought together icons Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley.”
  • Wing Haven Gardens, a historic garden and bird sanctuary in Charlotte.
  • Dolly Parton series featuring Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings in the Grace Ridge Theatre, 9 to 5 The Musical at Barter Theatre, Steel Magnolias at Flat Rock Playhouse, and the newly opened Pirates Voyage Adventure Show at Pigeon Forge.
  • Pigeon Forge Snow, America’s first indoor snow park in Tennessee, where residents can race down the slopes in an inner tube and build snowmen and snow forts.
  • Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Asheville, a place of “spiritual refreshment” and opportunity to retreat, rest, relax and renew.
  • Wine tasting and llama petting and hiking at Divine Llama Vineyards & Farm in East Bend.
  • Exhibits and interactive experiences at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.
  • Tryon International Equestrian Center, a “destination for all who love horses, outdoor living and an active lifestyle.”
  • Balloon twisting, magic, juggling and stilt walking by Twist the Balloon Man.
  • Tour of Asheville and the Basilica of Saint Lawrence.
  • “A Country Christmas” at the Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theatre, a German-themed dinner theatre in the Appalachian mountains of southwest Virginia.

Nestled in the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, Grace Ridge is a Life Plan Community spanning 52 pastoral acres in Morganton, North Carolina. Owned and operated by Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge, our mission is to create a secure environment that supports individual choices and lifestyle, and our values contribute to our welcoming, positive attitude.

Come for a visit or call 828-580-8300 and find out why our community repeatedly garners awards, high rankings and superior satisfaction ratings as one of the best retirement communities in North Carolina.