ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — It’s wrinkly, a little strange-looking and spends much of its life hiding beneath rocks in mountain streams. But the hellbender salamander has something in common with Asheville’s independent businesses: It knows a thing or two about sticking around when times get tough.
That’s part of the reason Go Local Asheville has chosen the hellbender as its 2027 mascot, putting the Appalachian amphibian front and center on next year’s Go Local shopping card.
The new design, created by Jenny Fares of Sound Mind Design, celebrates a creature that’s as much a part of the region as the mountains themselves.
And Go Local believes the hellbender is a fitting symbol for the independent businesses that give Asheville its character.
Hellbenders are native to streams across the eastern United States, including the Appalachian Mountains. The large, flat-bodied salamanders spend much of their lives beneath rocks in cool, flowing water.
Go Local sees a connection between the hellbender’s ability to withstand strong river currents and the determination of independent businesses to weather difficult times.
The organization also points to the hellbender’s unusual appearance as part of its charm.
After all, being a little different is something Asheville’s independent shops, restaurants and other locally owned businesses have long embraced.
The mascot wasn’t a complete surprise to everyone. In its September newsletter, Go Local invited readers to guess which animal would appear on the 2027 card.
Four people got it right: Lauren Wilson, Carole Cotter, Amira El-Dinary and Ryan Comer. Each will receive a free 2027 Go Local card.
A card that gives back
The annual Go Local card offers discounts and other perks at participating independent businesses throughout the Asheville area.
The 2027 print cards are available for preorder at $25, the same price as last year. They’re scheduled to ship Nov. 30, and the new card year runs from Dec. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2027.
Digital cards will be available beginning Dec. 1.
But the card does more than encourage people to shop locally. It also helps support area schools.
Go Local says 20% of card sales goes to Asheville City Public Schools, the Asheville City Schools Foundation and the Buncombe County Schools Foundation. Buyers can select which organization they want to support at checkout.
For its 2026 campaign, Go Local reports providing $15,712 in direct financial contributions, along with 900 complimentary cards valued at $22,500 for school parent-teacher organizations and foundations to use for fundraising.
That brings the combined value of the organization’s 2026 contributions to $38,212.
Since 2015, Go Local says it has contributed $381,569 to local education, including $296,069 in cash and $85,500 in donated cards.
Those contributions help support classroom supplies, innovative projects and teacher appreciation activities.
Keeping Asheville local
Go Local’s business directory now includes more than 700 independent businesses, with new members continuing to join.
Among the latest additions are Pop Bubble Tea, Dumpster Rental Asheville, MAX Wellness and Adobe Pictures, an Asheville real estate photography business.
Each offers a discount or other benefit to Go Local cardholders.
The organization is also encouraging residents to spend more of their money with locally owned businesses as Western North Carolina continues its recovery from Tropical Storm Helene.
For Go Local, the new mascot is a reminder that independent businesses, much like the hellbender, are closely connected to the places they call home.
And if a giant, wrinkled salamander seems like an unusual choice to represent Asheville’s independent businesses, that’s kind of the point.
Around here, being different is part of the appeal.