BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. — Downtown Asheville has been recovering slowly but surely since Helene. Now, just over a month later, businesses are reopening and welcoming back shoppers.
That’s why this Halloween, the Downtown Asheville Association hosted a Halloween Block Party Thursday evening to support local businesses, and maybe even offer a much-needed laugh.
La Zoom Room is a bar and bus tour experience that brings comedy and sketches to life for those looking to explore Asheville in a unique way.
“We’re here to show you that no matter what, in all kinds of times, we can laugh through it,” said Salina Vangaasbeck, manager of La Zoom Room.
Vangaasbeck says after Helene, those tours were canceled and employees were let go, which is a situation many in western North Carolina can relate to right now.
“I mean, it was all of the emotions truly,” Vangaasbeck said. “And I think everyone felt them at different times.”
Now, one month after the storm, businesses in the region are reopening. That’s why the Downtown Asheville Association wanted to throw a Halloween Block Party. The goal was to not only give families a reason and place to celebrate but also promote supporting local businesses..
“La Zoom is a wacky, odd, wonderful place, and we just are out here to bring laughs and smiles,” Vangaasbeck said. “And if we can’t do it on the tours yet, then we’re just embracing this room and what we can do for people.”
Vangaasbeck says it’s been a hard month, but it feels good to see kids push through the hard times and find a reason to celebrate too.
“It’s a little bit of a tearjerker if I’m being honest. I didn’t think I was gonna be so emotional about it,” Vangaasbeck said. “I think we didn’t even know that we needed it, like the innocence in a child, coming out and just embracing what Halloween is and what the community is. It’s been actually kind of amazing to see.”
It’s not just kids. People of all ages were decked out in costumes, showing their support for local businesses that have been hurting this past month.
“It just shows that we are steadfast and that we are ready to slowly and gently rebuild,” Vangaasbeck said. “And we know it’s gonna take time, as they say it’s the marathon, not the sprint.”
While many businesses are back up and running, some are still in the process of reopening, including La Zoom Room. Vangaasbeck says she’s hoping tours can resume come mid-November.
