It's been kind of a tough week, guys. A lot of us may need a bit of cheering up. Luckily, there's a big event coming our way! Have y'all heard that there's a solar eclipse happening in the area on Monday? What are your plans? Do you have your solar glasses? We've got some eclipse-viewing tips for you in our video this week! Plus, more weekend fun to keep you occupied until Western North Carolina goes dark. The weather is expected to be mostly clear for viewing across Western North Carolina. The path of totality will cut through small Western North Carolina towns such as Sylva, Bryson City and Andrews, with folks in Asheville able to see a 99 percent eclipse. The effects of the eclipse will be visible between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., with WNC areas in the path of totality seeing the full effect around 2:30 p.m. Check out the video for a few tips. Thursday, 8/17 Best of WNC Party @ Highland Brewing 5 pm Celebrate with the winners of this year's Best of WNC poll in the Mountain Xpress. Free event with live entertainment from winning comedians, musicians, and more. Beer from Highland and food dished out by Asheville's favorite food trucks. WORD! Storytelling Series with Sheila Arnold Jones @ Pack Library 7 pm "Folktales, Fairy Tales, and Social Justice" is the theme of this free storytelling session with renowned tale-spinner Sheila Arnold Jones, presented by host David Joe Miller.  Friday, 8/18 No Atlantic Coast Pipeline Rally @ Department of Environmental Quality 10 am - 12 noon A rally to tell the DEQ to reject the 401 Water Quality Certification for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which will threaten streams, wetlands, wells, and rivers, will destroy sites sacred to the Lumbee and Tuscarora peoples, and will take land from family farmers for Duke Energy and Dominion, not to mention the effects on greenhouse gas emissions. Even if you can't go, voice your opinion by Saturday, 8/19, by emailing PublicComments@ncdenr.gov (include “ACP” in the email’s subject line). Doughnut Ice Cream Sandwich Night @ the Hop 3 - 9 pm Hole and Vortex hold down the fried dough, and the Hop provides the ice cream. Vegan options available. Get them while it's still hot out there. Downtown After 5 @ Downtown Asheville 5 - 9:30 pm Headliner Cedric Burnside with support from LYRIC and The Stump Mutts WORD! with Sheila Arnold Jones and Adam Booth @ Habitat Brewing 7 pm Jones's second performance in town also features storyteller Adam Booth on this all-star lineup. $15 in advance. Fae Party Backdoor Edition @ Crow and Quill 8 pm - 1 am Follow the sinuous path of Chicken Alley to the Crow and Quill's backdoor. Dressed in your fairy finest, enter a magical world of music, art, and wonder. Costumes are a must. Music from brief Awakening, performance from Innerflex Belly Dance. $5. Saturday, 8/19 River Valley Blues Festival @ Salvage Station  12 pm Saturday - 9 pm Sunday A two-day blues festival with acts that include The Dirty Badgers, Zuzu Welsh Band, Paper Crowns, Ashley Heath, Moses Jones, and more. Enter Asheville Grit's ticket giveaway on Facebook for your chance at two passes (worth $80)! Reasonably Priced Babies: A Total Eclips of Babies @ Altamont Theatre 8 pm  Asheville's favorite improv troupe brings eclipse-themed improv to Alatmont.  Culture featuring Kenyatta Hill: 40th Anniversary Tour @ The Grey Eagle 9 pm In 1977, Culture's album Two Sevens Clash was named the Reggae Album of the Year. Since then, it has been called one of the 50 coolest records of all time by Rolling Stone. Come see the legacy continue. Sunday, 8/20 Charity Volleyball Tournament for Ki Spicer @ Sweeten Creek Brewing 1 pm Come out to play volleyball and raise funds for Ki Spicer, a local kid with three inoperable brain tumors. A collaboration between the Asheville Sport and Social Club, the Asheville Tourists, and the brewery. Volleyball players should be 18+, but the event is all ages. The Great American Jerk Off @ Ole Shakey's 4-7 pm The second annual jerk competition lets you pick your favorites as you sample the offerings. Live music from Andy Ferrell. $5 for a wristband that gives you access to tasting and three voter cards. Monday, 8/21 The Great American Solar Eclipse @ Western North Carolina 2:30ish pm at various locations It's finally here! Experience the solar eclipse in Asheville at the Downtown Eclipse Festival, local schools, or other spots, or head out into the path of totality by driving south/west. Check out WNC magazine's comprehensive eclipse guide (linked above) and consider one of these recommendations of Prime Viewing Spots from the magazine: -In conjunction with UNC Asheville, the Asheville Museum of Science, and Asheville City Schools, the city of Asheville will host a viewing celebration from noon-3 p.m. on Roger McGuire Green at Pack Square Park. Enjoy food, fellowship, free eclipse glasses, and a welcome- back celebration for city students. -In Brevard, head to Brevard Music Center’s 180-acre campus for a weekend of eclipse entertainment starting with a live performance by Lyle Lovett on Friday, movie showings of Apollo 13 and 2001: A Space Odyssey on Saturday and Sunday, and a Total Eclipse of the Sun BMC fund-raiser on Monday, which will include local barbecue and live music. VIP parking will be included with any ticketed event and eclipse-viewing space is limited. Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln.; Friday, 7:30 p.m., Saturday & Sunday, 8:30 p.m., Monday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Lyle Lovett concert tickets start at $25, movie showings $16, $20 reserved seating, eclipse day fund-raiser $100; (828) 862-2147. -In Bryson City, await the eclipse with live performances while browsing the many shops and restaurants in downtown Bryson City. RR Depot, 226 Everett St.; Monday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; free; (828) 488-3681. -In Cherokee, experience “Nvdo walosi ugisgo,” the Cherokee term for eclipse that means “when the frog eats the sun” during this two-day celebration. A concert by The Warriors of AniKituhwa, plus storytellers and craft demonstrations commemorate the eclipse’s cultural significance to the ancient Cherokee. Food vendors will be on hand, and the Museum of the Cherokee Indian will host educational activities. Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds, 545 Tsali Blvd.; Sunday, 2-9 p.m., Monday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; $25 with free pair of eyeglasses; (828) 788-0034