ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) —

Asheville Ideas Fest brings sharp minds to curious ears this week at venues across the city.

Asheville Ideas Fest is composed of three days of panel discussions, networking events and hands-on workshops on a wide array of high-minded topics from spiritual development to urban improvement and political polarization.

The event runs Monday, June 17, to Thursday, June 20, at locations including University of North Carolina Asheville campus, Highland Brewing Company, First Baptist Church of Asheville, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts and the Omni Grove Park Inn. All daytime events and panels will be hosted on UNCA campus at Highsmith Student Union.

Attendees will hear from panelists like author Ron Rash, former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Poet Laureate of North Carolina Jaki Shelton Green. There will be 39 different speakers across festival.

Visitors will arrive Monday for a welcome reception at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Highland Brewing Company, and then the schedule calls for events split into three themes on following days:

  • Tuesday panels will cover “The Thriving American City: Revitalizing Communities Through Connection and Growth.”
  • Wednesday discussions focus on “The Edges of the Unknown: Seeking Enlightenment through Exploration.”
  • Thursday concludes the festival with “House of Cards or Hallowed Halls?: Our Polarized Union and the Future of Democracy.”

Thursday programming will conclude from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Omni Grove Park Inn. In addition to a reception and entertainment, there will be a final panel discussion moderated by Amna Nawaz of PBS NewsHour between Democratic strategist Faiz Shakir, Republican strategist Kevin Madden and New York Times political correspondent Lisa Lerer.

“This group will offer, among other topics, a clear-eyed assessment of the upcoming Presidential election,” said event founder and UNCA Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Kirk Swenson in a statement. “It scares the heck out of me, but I can’t wait to hear their insights.”

More information about Asheville Ideas Fest, panelists, scheduling and tickets can be found on their website, www.ashevilleideasfest.com.