Hayley Benton

hbenton@citizen-times.com

1. Marley Carroll, RBTS WIN and Doc Aquatic at the Mothlight.

Get a taste of the local scene with three great artists/bands from the Asheville area. Headlining The Mothlight on Sept. 3 is Asheville's very own Marley Carroll, a "sophisticated electronic producer with a penchant for melancholy melodies and warm, silvery vocals," according to his website. Carroll is a nationally acclaimed live performer, touring with producers Shigeto, Dabrye and Emancipator — with setlists spanning from Moogfest in North Carolina to Decibel in Seattle and California's Coachella. Backing up Carroll that evening on stage are two great local opening acts: RBTS WIN and Doc Aquatic. While the members of RBTS WIN live locally, the duo's Miami roots give the band's chill-hop beats a tropical feel. Less electronic and more psychedelic rock, Doc Aquatic will open up the night, creating just the right ambiance for the evening. The show starts at 9:30 p.m. in West Asheville. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door or in advance at themothlight.com.

2. Apple Festival takes over Hendersonville's Main Street.

The four-day North Carolina Apple Festival celebration, happening Labor Day weekend (Sept. 2-5), is held in recognition of the apple industry's importance to Henderson County and the rest of the state. Not only that: It's delicious and fun, too. Festival-goers can peruse more than 200 vendors across nine blocks of Hendersonville's Main Street and choose from a variety of events, from the street fair and carnival rides to arts and crafts, local apple products, children's activities, festival food, and, of course, the King Apple Parade. The fun begins with an opening ceremony at the Historic Courthouse at 10 a.m. Friday and runs through the parade, at 2:30 p.m. Monday, rain or shine. For the full lineup of events, check out the full story at citizen-times.com or head to ncapplefestival.org.

3. Yonder Mountain String Band headlines Canton Labor Day fest.

Not all about apples? Instead, you can spend your Labor Day in Canton — or head to both on different days! The two-day 110th annual Canton Labor Day Festival features national newgrass favorite Yonder Mountain String Band, playing free shows with Mountain Faith, Balsam Range, Joe Lasher Jr. and other local favorites. The festival, the oldest of its kind in the South, takes place on Sept. 4-5 in downtown Canton, with Yonder Mountain playing at 9 p.m. Sept. 4 in Sorrells Street Park and Balsam Range playing 8 p.m. Sept. 5, same location. On Sunday, the fun begins at noon and ends at 11 p.m., and on Monday, the music resounds through the streets from noon to 10 p.m. For more information and a full lineup, visit cantonlaborday.com.

4. Brown Bag Songwriters' Series kicks off this week.

The Brown Bag Songwriting Competition is back for another year of great local music, featuring all genres, where the only rule is "originals only." (OK — that's not the only rule. But it's a big one.) The event is free for audiences to attend, with a $3 sign-up fee for musicians — and, at the end of each night, a winner of the judges' choice is awarded a cash prize. Entrants are allowed a maximum time of two songs or 15 minutes total and are judged based on lyrics, vocal performance, instrument abilities, stage presence and originality. The kickoff event for the monthslong competition is held at 7 p.m. Sept. 7 at One Stop, underneath Asheville Music Hall downtown. Signup begins at 6:30 p.m., and performers must arrive by 7 p.m. to enter. The event is hosted by the lovely Debrissa McKinney and recurs every Wednesday, same time, same location. Finals for the competition will be held on Nov. 19. For more information and rules for the competition, head to facebook.com/brownbagsongs.

5. Check out Transplanting Season 2.

"Transplanting" isn't your average online miniseries. It's a locally based locally produced all-local story all about locals — or semi-local transplants, anyway. The short-form comedic web series pokes fun at Asheville in the very best ways, and the team of writers, filmmakers and actors will release 10 new episodes in the fall 2016, starting on Sept. 7. Check out this week's cover story for more information and/or head to transplantingseries.com to binge-watch the whole series.