Sandwiched between the Winter Olympics in Italy and the FIFA World Cup in North America, a group of elite athletes, artists, and performers take center stage closer to home at Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and SilverArts competitions. The weeks-long festival celebrates the transformative ability of sports and the arts to foster friendship and wellness for participants ages 50-100+. There is a $10 fee to participate and online registration opens February 3 at ncseniorgames.org.
“Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and SilverArts showcase that wellness has no expiration date,” according to D. Tyrell McGirt, Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) Director. “By staying active and connected through physical activity and the arts, our city’s active older adults aren’t just improving cardiovascular health and exercising minds – they are building a support network of new friends with similar interests and hobbies. Whether it’s a first-time pickler or a lifelong woodcarver, these individuals prove that staying engaged and creative is the key to longevity. We are proud to provide a stage where our community can thrive, compete, and inspire one another.”
Try Something New
It’s never too late to get active or creative! Many Senior Games and SilverArts participants try a sport for the first time in their 50s, 60s, 70s, or beyond – and it changes their lives for the better forever.
Senior Games Clinics take place on February 10 (track and field) and March 10 (pickleball). Learn the fundamentals of a new sport or refine techniques in a cherished pastime with free weekly clinics that offer a diverse range of activities to explore and enjoy.
To search APR’s ongoing programs and activities for older adults, check out the current program guide and sign up for Thrive 50+, the department’s newsletter for active older adults.
Sports and Arts
Sports include archery, badminton, basketball shooting, bocce, billiards, bowling, cornhole, cycling, darts, disc golf, golf, horseshoes, mini golf, pickleball, 5K and 10K races, shuffleboard, swimming, table tennis, tennis, and track and field. Age categories start at 50 and increase at five year intervals.
SilverArts categories are classified as Cheerleading, Heritage (basket weaving, crochet, fiber arts, jewelry, knitting, needlework, pottery, quilting (hand stitched and machine stitched), stained glass, tole/decorative painting, weaving, woodcarving, woodworking, and woodturning), Literary (essay, life experience, poetry, and short story), Performing (comedy/drama, dance, line dance, instrumental, 
and vocal), and Visual (acrylics, drawing, digital art, mixed media (two dimensional and three dimensional), oil, pastels, photography (film and digital), sculpture, and watercolor). Art pieces will be displayed at Tempie Avery Montford Community Center.
Schedule at a Glance
All events welcome spectators. APR hosts Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and SilverArts with Black Mountain Parks & Recreation, Buncombe County Parks & Recreation, and Henderson County Parks & Recreation.
- February 3-March 31: Register
- April 11: Pickleball at Murphy-Oakley Community Center
- April 14: Horseshoes at Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center
- April 14: Archery at Tempie Avery Montford Community Center
- April 15: Badminton at Tempie Avery Montford Community Center
- April 16: Basketball Shooting Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center
- April 18: Swimming at BCS Aquatics Facility
- April 20: Darts at Harvest House Community Center
- April 21: Cycling in Marshall
- April 22: Billiards at Harvest House Community Center
- April 23: Table Tennis at Tempie Avery Montford Community Center
- April 24: Bowling at Sky Lanes
- April 25: Track and Field at T.C. Roberson High School
- April 27: 5K and 10K Races at Oklawaha Greenway (with Four Seasons Senior Games)
- April 28: Mini Golf at Lakeview Putt and Play
- April 29: Cornhole at Stephens-Lee Community Center
- April 30: Bocce at Jackson Park (with Four Seasons Senior Games)
- May 4: Disc Golf at Asheville Municipal Golf Course
- May 6: Singles Tennis at Aston Park Tennis Center
- May 7: Doubles Tennis at Aston Park Tennis Center
- May 8: Shuffleboard at Harvest House Community Center
- May 12: Golf at Springdale Golf Course (with Haywood County Senior Games)
- May 16: SilverArts Performances and Gallery Opening Reception at Tempie Avery Montford Community Center
- May 16: Closing Ceremonies
For questions or more information, please contact Colt Miller at (828) 707-2376 or cmiller@ashevillenc.gov.
Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games is one of 53 local games officially-sanctioned by North Carolina Senior Games, the largest senior Olympic program in the nation. The schedule includes competitions and demonstrations to exercise the mind and body in April and May at locations throughout Buncombe County.