Hayley Benton

hbenton@citizen-times.com

Check out the last of leaf season this week with one of these fun fall favorites: In this week's cover story, we bring you ideas for fall hikes and adventures that'll drop you into a sea of red, orange and yellow leaves. Trek through the woods under the trees, fly through them on a zipline or sail above them in a balloon.

The art is beautiful. The venue is grandiose. The cause is close to our hearts. It's the third annual Of Time and The River benefit gala for Asheville's RiverLink nonprofit — and it features 20 established and up-and-coming artists with their takes on the landscape of the French Broad. Friday night's gala is held from 6-9 p.m. Oct. 21 and includes wine from 5 Walnut, beer from Sierra Nevada and heavy hors d'oeourves from Whole Foods. While Friday is the big event, the art exhibit will be open to the public through the weekend at Zealandia from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets to the gala are $50 for RiverLink members and $75 for nonmembers and can be purchased at riverlink.org.

3. John Paul White at the Grey Eagle.

Formerly one-half of the Grammy-winning duo The Civil Wars, John Paul White has now embarked on his own alt-country adventure. Performing at the Grey Eagle on Oct. 21, White will perform following a set from honky tonk hero The Kernal. The show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets are $15-$18. To purchase tickets, head to thegreyeagle.com, or, for more information on White and the show, click here.

4. Angela Perley and The Howlin' Moons at Jack of the Wood.

Armed with electric guitars, swooning vocals and rock 'n' roll psychedelia, the Columbus, Ohio-based band Angela Perley and The Howlin' Moons take over downtown's Jack of the Wood on Oct. 22. The band's newest album, "Homemade Vision," has been praised as its best work yet — this, of course, follows its debut album, which won Perley an International Songwriting Award in 2014. With fuzzy riffs and heavy-hitting drums, the band takes its listeners to a place influenced by David Gilmour, Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin and Nebula. The show starts at 9 p.m. and costs $5 at the door.

5. Fright night at the symphony.

Also on Oct. 22 is the Asheville Symphony Orchestra's "In the Key of Eeeeeee!" performance. The spooktacular classical concert includes Saint Saens' "Dance of Death" and Schmitt's "La Tragédie de Salomé," with a main piece of Brahms' Concerto for Violin and Cello. The show begins at 8 p.m. at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in downtown Asheville's U.S. Cellular Center. Tickets are $22-$62 per seat and can be purchased by calling 254-7046 or visiting ashevillesymphony.org.