TGIF, Asheville. Audra here – and if you’re anything like me, you may be a little tired from staying up late last night watching basketball. I mean, it’s March Madness y’all. 🏀 Brackets are officially closed (but I won’t judge you if you still make your own), the first round is halfway done, but we’ve got a full day of basketball ahead of us today, this weekend + into next week. Full schedule here.

So, who is in The Big Dance? Two of our very own N.C. school's are #1 seeds – Duke + UNC Chapel Hill – plus another 62 schools are competing for the National Championship (the championship game is April 8 at 9 p.m.). Don't understand March Madness but want to know what all of the fuss is about? Click here for the full rundown thanks to TheSkimm.

Whether you're rooting for the home state or cheering on your alma mater, we’ve compiled a list of March Madness watch parties happening around town. Or, if you’re looking to get away this weekend, you could even drive down to Columbia, S.C. to catch Duke play on Sunday (given they win today🤞).

NCAA Rooftop Viewing Party | Fri., Mar. 22 | 4-9 p.m. | Capital Club of Asheville, 82 Patton Ave. #800 | Membership fee $1 with a cash bar.
NCAA Watch Party | Fri., Mar. 22 | 12-11:59 p.m. | Nantahala Brewing, 747 Haywood Rd. | Catch games all day.
March Madness at Twisted Laurel | Mar. 17-30 | Times vary by day | Twisted Laurel West, 328 New Leicester Hwy. #110 | Watch the games on 17 screens + daily beer specials.
March Madness Specials | Mar. 21-31, April 6 + 8 | Times vary by day | Wicked Weed Brewing, 91 Biltmore Ave. | Each round has a beer special.
Bonus: Here’s our guide to Asheville’s breweries. Even if they don’t have March Madness deals, you can always view the game.

And for those of you who need some help on the lingo of March Madness and want to “talk-the-talk” around the office, let me give you a few pointers:

“Brackets” = The tree diagram used to determine who will win and proceed to the National Championship.
“Bracket Buster” = A team that ruins your bracket (i.e. when the lower ranked team beats the team you predicted to win, messing up your entire bracket).
“One and Done” = You lose one game + you’re out of the tournament.
“Survive and Advance” = Winning + proceeding to the next round.
“Cinderella” = When a lower-seeded team advances further than expected.

Time to shoot your shot, bet on a team + watch the games. But first, click the buttons below to pass this along to a friend. 🏀