Calendar of Events
Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.
Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.
At the Asheville Art Museum, we strive to transform lives through art. We do this by not only inviting people to experience the great works in our galleries, but also by creating opportunities to engage with the rich tapestry of artistic expression unfolding within our city today.
Our dynamic events provide an opportunity for community members and diverse artists to come together, fostering connection and inspiration for all participants. Here’s an example of this work in action: we recently held a Community Day inspired by our latest exhibition The New Salon: A Contemporary View, which celebrates Pop-Surrealist, Graffiti, and Street Art, the event centered around creative activities with a similarly rebellious spirit.
Community members were invited to express the most fantastical corners of their imagination with chalk, visit our Makerspace to design press-on nails with help from Asheville nail artist Rachel Ghazarian, get a glimpse of their future with a tarot reading from Krysta Beth Heidman, or enjoy the perfect soundtrack provided by local DJ Lil Meow Meow. The event concluded with spotlight talks and tours of the exhibition, which includes works from local artists Ian Wilkinson, Maxx Feist, Ishmael Leaver, Danny Reed, and Brian Mashburn, giving visitors the opportunity to engage directly with the works that inspired the day’s activities.
Your generous support is instrumental to initiatives like these, which foster vibrant connections between our community and the talented creatives who make Asheville’s art scene thrive. By contributing to our Spring Annual Fund, you play a crucial role in nurturing artistic excellence and enriching our community through the power of the arts.
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Tickets for our 2024 Table for Three raffle will go on sale March 15, 2024! Table for Three is MANNA’s partnership with the Asheville-area’s nationally-recognized independent restaurant scene. You could win an incredible grand prize: a meal for two at 52 of the Asheville-area’s top local restaurants. That’s a year’s worth of dining out at a value of more than $3,000!
The best part is that each ticket supports MANNA’s vital work to provide food to Western North Carolina neighbors struggling to make ends meet. With every ticket sold, we can provide enough food to feed one person a daily meal … for more than an entire year. That’s why we call it Table for Three!
TICKETS ARE $124
Table for Three raffle tickets are $124 each. This is a very intentional ticket price: $124 is what it costs MANNA to feed one person a meal a day for more than one year. With every ticket purchased, you help set the table for a neighbor facing food insecurity.
THE GRAND PRIZE
The winner will receive gift certificates to 52 different Asheville-area restaurants. The gift certificates are transferrable, so you can share them with friends and family, give them as client gifts, or, of course, use them all yourself!
Gift certificates do not include tax or gratuity and cannot be used for alcohol. Some restaurants may limit use during holidays or special events. Certificates can be used for dine-in or carry-out service in cases where the restaurant offers the carry-out option.
THE WINNER
A single winner will be drawn via livestream on MANNA’s Facebook page on or before Friday, May 15. All raffle ticket holders will be notified in advance of the exact day and time of the drawing. Ticketholders do not need to be tuned into the livestream to win. The winner will be asked to come to MANNA (on a day and time following the drawing, and agreed upon by the winner and MANNA), to claim their prize. And then … let the dining begin!
THE FINE PRINT
Tickets are $124 each. The drawing will take place on/before May 15, 2024, via livestream on MANNA’s Facebook page. Only 500 tickets will be sold. This is a fundraising project, and all ticket sales benefit MANNA FoodBank. Tickets may be sold to MANNA employees, board members, and other affiliated individuals. The Table for Three Raffle is open only to those who are 18 years of age or older as of March 14, 2023, and who possess a valid government-issued ID. Ticketholders do not need to be tuned in to the livestream to win. According to Internal Revenue Service regulations, no portion of the raffle ticket purchase qualifies as a tax-deductible donation.
At the Asheville Art Museum, we strive to transform lives through art. We do this by not only inviting people to experience the great works in our galleries, but also by creating opportunities to engage with the rich tapestry of artistic expression unfolding within our city today.
Our dynamic events provide an opportunity for community members and diverse artists to come together, fostering connection and inspiration for all participants. Here’s an example of this work in action: we recently held a Community Day inspired by our latest exhibition The New Salon: A Contemporary View, which celebrates Pop-Surrealist, Graffiti, and Street Art, the event centered around creative activities with a similarly rebellious spirit.
Community members were invited to express the most fantastical corners of their imagination with chalk, visit our Makerspace to design press-on nails with help from Asheville nail artist Rachel Ghazarian, get a glimpse of their future with a tarot reading from Krysta Beth Heidman, or enjoy the perfect soundtrack provided by local DJ Lil Meow Meow. The event concluded with spotlight talks and tours of the exhibition, which includes works from local artists Ian Wilkinson, Maxx Feist, Ishmael Leaver, Danny Reed, and Brian Mashburn, giving visitors the opportunity to engage directly with the works that inspired the day’s activities.
Your generous support is instrumental to initiatives like these, which foster vibrant connections between our community and the talented creatives who make Asheville’s art scene thrive. By contributing to our Spring Annual Fund, you play a crucial role in nurturing artistic excellence and enriching our community through the power of the arts.
Tickets for our 2024 Table for Three raffle will go on sale March 15, 2024! Table for Three is MANNA’s partnership with the Asheville-area’s nationally-recognized independent restaurant scene. You could win an incredible grand prize: a meal for two at 52 of the Asheville-area’s top local restaurants. That’s a year’s worth of dining out at a value of more than $3,000!
The best part is that each ticket supports MANNA’s vital work to provide food to Western North Carolina neighbors struggling to make ends meet. With every ticket sold, we can provide enough food to feed one person a daily meal … for more than an entire year. That’s why we call it Table for Three!
TICKETS ARE $124
Table for Three raffle tickets are $124 each. This is a very intentional ticket price: $124 is what it costs MANNA to feed one person a meal a day for more than one year. With every ticket purchased, you help set the table for a neighbor facing food insecurity.
THE GRAND PRIZE
The winner will receive gift certificates to 52 different Asheville-area restaurants. The gift certificates are transferrable, so you can share them with friends and family, give them as client gifts, or, of course, use them all yourself!
Gift certificates do not include tax or gratuity and cannot be used for alcohol. Some restaurants may limit use during holidays or special events. Certificates can be used for dine-in or carry-out service in cases where the restaurant offers the carry-out option.
THE WINNER
A single winner will be drawn via livestream on MANNA’s Facebook page on or before Friday, May 15. All raffle ticket holders will be notified in advance of the exact day and time of the drawing. Ticketholders do not need to be tuned into the livestream to win. The winner will be asked to come to MANNA (on a day and time following the drawing, and agreed upon by the winner and MANNA), to claim their prize. And then … let the dining begin!
THE FINE PRINT
Tickets are $124 each. The drawing will take place on/before May 15, 2024, via livestream on MANNA’s Facebook page. Only 500 tickets will be sold. This is a fundraising project, and all ticket sales benefit MANNA FoodBank. Tickets may be sold to MANNA employees, board members, and other affiliated individuals. The Table for Three Raffle is open only to those who are 18 years of age or older as of March 14, 2023, and who possess a valid government-issued ID. Ticketholders do not need to be tuned in to the livestream to win. According to Internal Revenue Service regulations, no portion of the raffle ticket purchase qualifies as a tax-deductible donation.
At the Asheville Art Museum, we strive to transform lives through art. We do this by not only inviting people to experience the great works in our galleries, but also by creating opportunities to engage with the rich tapestry of artistic expression unfolding within our city today.
Our dynamic events provide an opportunity for community members and diverse artists to come together, fostering connection and inspiration for all participants. Here’s an example of this work in action: we recently held a Community Day inspired by our latest exhibition The New Salon: A Contemporary View, which celebrates Pop-Surrealist, Graffiti, and Street Art, the event centered around creative activities with a similarly rebellious spirit.
Community members were invited to express the most fantastical corners of their imagination with chalk, visit our Makerspace to design press-on nails with help from Asheville nail artist Rachel Ghazarian, get a glimpse of their future with a tarot reading from Krysta Beth Heidman, or enjoy the perfect soundtrack provided by local DJ Lil Meow Meow. The event concluded with spotlight talks and tours of the exhibition, which includes works from local artists Ian Wilkinson, Maxx Feist, Ishmael Leaver, Danny Reed, and Brian Mashburn, giving visitors the opportunity to engage directly with the works that inspired the day’s activities.
Your generous support is instrumental to initiatives like these, which foster vibrant connections between our community and the talented creatives who make Asheville’s art scene thrive. By contributing to our Spring Annual Fund, you play a crucial role in nurturing artistic excellence and enriching our community through the power of the arts.
On Land Trust Day – this year Saturday, June 1 – local businesses pledge to donate a portion of sales to support Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s ongoing land and water conservation efforts.
Land Trust Day coincides with National Trails Day and is celebrated each year on the first Saturday of June to recognize the accomplishments of land trusts in our region. Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy works with partners in the U.S. Forest Service and national park system to protect land for public enjoyment along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, trails accessible off the Blue Ridge Parkway, and many more. We preserve large viewsheds enjoyed by visitors to public lands and trails in the mountains of NC and TN, as well as local farms that support the farm-to-table sector of our regional economy. Land Trust Day is an opportunity for local businesses to recognize the impact of land trusts like SAHC on our state and local economies, and to ‘give back’ by supporting ongoing conservation of natural resources – a major economic engine for WNC and East TN.
Each business that participates in Land Trust Day pledges to donate a percentage of sales from this day, or a lump sum donation, in support and recognition of Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s efforts.
“Each year as we approach Land Trust Day, it is our hope that by working together we can help people understand that we must preserve our environment – its beauty, its water, its open spaces, its inhabitants. It is what gives us life, both literally and figuratively,” says Lisa Cooper at Mast General Store.
Please mark your calendars and plan to shop and dine to support conservation! Thank you to our 2024 Land Trust Day Sponsors:
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Are YOU READY for NERD PRIDE FEST 2024!!
Saturday, June 1st 2024 : 10am – 4pm
Asheville’s local artist convention every first Saturday in June in honor of Pride month! This is a fun, free way to celebrate pride month by supporting local artists and nonprofits who do incredible things for the queer LGBT+ community in western North Carolina.
Nerd Pride Fest was our first ever event in our current location. So it had to be to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and reopening with food, games, live music, and more.
As a shop owned and operated by queer-identifying folks, The Nerd Dungeon is committed to being a safe and welcoming environment for people of all ages to express themselves any time of year, not just during Pride Month. We will always be a 3rd Place.
It is nice to have an excuse to go all-out and party, though! Pride Cosplay encouraged!
We are pleased to announce the Asheville Art Museum’s Annual Gala: Timeless on June 1, 2024!
This annual fundraising event supports the Museum’s exhibitions, educational programming, and community events year-round.
The 2024 Gala—Timeless—will celebrate the world of photography and its ability to capture a moment in time forever. Our theme is in conjunction with the exhibition Shifting Perceptions: Photographs from the Collection, on view May 17 through September 23, 2024 at the Museum.
Table Sponsorships include dinner, VIP cocktail hour, valet parking, and drink tickets for up to 8 guests and recognition in the event’s program and in Museum digital communications. Bring your colleagues, clients, friends, or family for an elegant evening at the Museum. Your attendance will not only support the Museum but also provide an opportunity to network with fellow community members, artists, community leaders, and art enthusiasts.
We hope you will join us for a Timeless evening!
We’re excited to bring a SpringFest to Asheville in 2024 and hope you’ll support our FREE festival by donating to our fundraiser.
We’re bringing a very FUN Family Fun Zone, shopping, DJ and Emcee, and lots of incredible vegan food, and more to Pack Square Park for our Spring Edition!!
You don’t want to miss this fun event. Mark your calendars and get your tickets, swag bags, VIP, VIP PLUS, and/or merch ahead of the festival.
$5 Suggested donation ahead of the event or at the festival is requested.
$15 Swag Bag option will be available! Compostable bag filled with $50+ worth of samples and coupons.
$25 – VIP tickets – enter the event 30 minutes early. Get a cool upgraded goody bag that is reusable with items different from the swag bags. Limited to 100. Get entered into our raffle and get 25 entries for each VIP Entry you purchase. $100+ worth of samples and coupons.
$35 – VIP PLUS – Not interested in a bag filled with items you don’t want or need? Our VIP PLUS will be a cool reusable bag (different from the VIP bag) and also comes with a vegan shirt design different from any you can purchase at our booth. Enter the event 30 minutes early to shop before the crowds. Make sure to let us know your shirt size!
Winners will be picked randomly after the festival and winners will be notified via email. Prize Packs TBD.
Vendors can send an inquiry by going to vegfestexpos.com. Volunteers can sign up on that site as well.
*Food Trucks
*DJ and Emcee
*Family Fun Zone
*Free Face Painting
*Vegan Food
*Shopping
*Fun Contests with prizes
Come out and support our vendors and plan on enjoying the music too. Our Family Fun Zone is perfect for children of all ages and includes life sized games, coloring, and more!
On Sunday, June 2, 2024 from 1pm-4pm, The Adventure Center of Asheville will host its inaugural AVL Family Adventure Festival at 85 Expo Drive. Formerly Zipping For Autism, this family event will have live music, food, cold beer, scads of kids activities, bike, kayak and climbing demos, face painting, crafts, hay rides, games and MUCH MUCH MORE. Come and enjoy the festival or buy a combo pass and add a trip through Asheville Treetops Adventure Park on the sampler trail (9 challenge obstacles, 12’ in the trees, 1 continuous aerial trail). This event is being hosted by The Adventure Center of Asheville and produced by Asheville Plays! with 100% of proceeds benefiting Camp Lakey Gap. The proceeds directly impact the lives of autistic people and their families by providing scholarships for a one-of-a-kind, week-long residential summer camp experience for autistic children and adults.
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Join Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity and 7 local chefs for a fun evening of creative cuisine and craft beverages in support of one of our region’s most pressing issues – affordable housing. Produced by Shay & Company, Habitat’s “Blueprint Breakfast for Dinner” takes place at 6pm on Thursday, June 6 at plēb urban winery in the River Arts District. Enjoy delicious food, drink, and music to help our community thrive, one family at a time. Purchase tickets at eventbrite or learn more at ashevillehabitat.org.
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Join us for a FREE film screening of the Sundance Award-winning documentary, Step, and a Q&A with cast member, HBCU advocate & national speaker Paula Dofat and hosted by Slay The Mic’s Elizabeth Lashay Garland. Even though this event is free, registration is required. Head to our tickets link to save your seats! STEP is the true-life story of a girls’ high-school step team set against the background of the heart of Baltimore. These young women learn to laugh, love and thrive – on and off the stage – even when the world seems to work against them. Empowered by their teachers, teammates, counselors, coaches and families, they chase their ultimate dreams: to win a step championship and to be accepted into college
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Entertainment will include: Jennifer Armstrong, Mountain Square Dance Circle with Walt Pickett, dulicimer players Steve and Jean Smith, local Folk musician Laura Boosinger, and headlining Blues Legend Mac Arnold!
Amphitheatre
10a.m: Jennifer Armstrong kicks off festivities with storytelling for kids of all ages, to honor Sandburg’s Rootabaga Stories, which were tales written for his daughters. Jennifer has spent her life writing, singing, and making music with fiddle, bagpipe, banjo, and words. She was a featured teller at the National Storytelling Festival and has been heard on NPR.
12p.m: Laura Boosinger celebrates the music of Appalachia through old-time banjo, guitar, Appalachian dulcimer, and fingerstyle Autoharp. Laura attended Warren Wilson College in the 1970’s, where she learned clawhammer banjo, called Southern Mountain Square dances, and attended Shaped Note Singing School with North Carolina Folk Heritage Award winner Quay Smathers. Laura is a Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina consultant and the voice of their podcast, “Down the Road on the Blue Ridge Music Trails.” In 2017, Laura was inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame.
2p.m: Mac Arnold plays the Blues with Austin Brashier and Max Hightower. At age 24, Arnold joined the Muddy Waters Band, shaping the electric Blues sound of the 1960’s and 70’s. Mac has shared stages with Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Reed, and Big Mama Thornton. In 2012, Mac was nominated for the Blues Foundation’s Traditional Blues Male Artist Award and also received a Blues Blast Music Award Nomination for “Traditional Blues Recording of the Year,” with Plate Full O’Blues. In 2014, he received an Honorary Doctorate in Music from USC Columbia. In 2017, Mac was inducted into the Alabama Blues Hall of Fame. In 2023, he received the South Carolina Entertainment and Music Hall of Fame Award.
Austin Brashier is a guitar slinger and vocalist. He grew up listening to Blues, and eventually took his band on the road. He has had the privilege to open for Blues players such as B.B. King, Koko Taylor, Tinsley Ellis, Derek Trucks, and Nappy Brown.
Max Hightower started his music career at age 12 when he bought his first Blues cassette tape, “Muddy Mississippi Live by Muddy Waters.” He plays keyboard, guitar, bass, and sings. Harmonica is his instrument of choice. Max is a founding member of Plate Full O’Blues and has shared stages with Hubert Sumlin, Willie Smith, and Leon Everette.
Barn Garage
10:45am to 12pm: Walter Puckett calls Mountain Circle Square Dances. A festival first, to celebrate the Sandburgs’ love of square dancing! Come dance! When he was just nine years old, Walter called his first dance at a PTA event with his third-grade class. Walt has traveled with the Blue Ridge Mountain Dancers and the Stoney Mountain Cloggers, winning many awards. Walt also had the ultimate privilege to dance at the Grand Ole Opry. 2024 marks his 80th birthday!
Barnyard
12pm to 2pm: Henderson County natives Steve and Jean Smith play mountain dulcimer and hammered dulcimer. They perform regularly at Carl Sandburg Home. They have taught dulcimer at festivals and workshops nationwide. In 1984, Steve won the National Hammered Dulcimer Championships at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas. He returned to win the 1985 National Mountain Dulcimer Championships at Winfield, only the second person to win both Championships.
Parking, Shuttles, and Accessibility
Parking is limited. Please carpool or take a ride share or taxi. Three parking lots will have shuttle service. Approximate shuttle times will be posted in all parking lots with shuttle service. Visitors with mobility concerns are strongly urged to take a shuttle.
- Wheelchair-Accessible Shuttle: The park’s main parking lot has the only wheelchair-accessible shuttle. This lot is located on Little River Road, across from Flat Rock Playhouse.
- Passenger-Only Shuttle: Flat Rock Playhouse (enter via Little River Road).
- Passenger-Only Shuttle: Flat Rock Village Hall, 110 Village Center Drive.
Parking lot without a shuttle: The hikers’ lot (located ½ mile drive from the main lot). Park and then walk .4 to .7 mile through the park to festivities.
Free Sandburg Home Tours
As part of Music Fest, free Sandburg Home tours will be offered at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Tickets are first come, first serve in the Visitor Center/Park Store (on the Sandburg Home ground floor) beginning at 9:30 a.m. (To reserve tickets on non-festival days visit www.recreation.gov).
Music Festival is supported by:
Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, Inc.
America’s National Parks, the non-profit partner that operates the park store
The music festival began in 1987, to celebrate Carl Sandburg’s efforts to document the history of American music in his American Songbag. Carl Sandburg published the American Songbag in 1927 after spending years documenting and researching early American songs. As Sandburg said, “The American Songbag is a ragbag of strips, stripes, and streaks of color from nearly all ends of the earth. The melodies and verses presented here are from diverse regions, from varied human characters and communities, and each is sung differently in different places.” His publication does not focus on one genre of music, but rather on the human experience. “It is an All-American affair, marshalling the genius of thousands of original singing Americans.”
Sandburg enjoyed all American musical genres. He spent years interviewing musicians and singers, documenting their songs, including folk, gospel, jazz and blues. Carl Sandburg said, “the American Songbag comes from the hearts and voices of thousands of men and women.”
Compiling and publishing the American Songbag was one of the most difficult writing projects Sandburg took on during his life. Today, the Carl Sandburg Music Festival celebrates his work and the work of modern singers and songwriters to share diverse and original American music.
SATURDAY, JUNE 8 – THOMAS WOLFE AUDITORIUM
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Recycled Art Workshop
Lonnie Holley
DeWayne Barton
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Empower Hour
Edivan Guajajara
Chelsea Greene
Rob Grobman
Jared Wheatley
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Lunch Break
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Rebalanced: Solutions Journalism for Turbulent Times
Rebecca Worby
Julia Hotz
Ezekiel Walker
3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Meet & Greet + Book Signing with Julia Hotz
Julia Hotz
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Music & Words: An Evening With Lonnie Holley
Lonnie Holley
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Dinner Break
7:30 PM – 10:00 PM
WE ARE GUARDIANS: Award-Winning Film Screening & Filmmaker Q+A
Edivan Guajajara
Chelsea Greene
Rob Grobman
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Join us for our June open studio & pop up shop
Sunday, June 9th
11am – 4pm
115 Elk Mountain Rd, Woodfin, NC
Shop home goods, wooden kitchenware, art, jewelry, accessories + vintage clothing with:
@loomimports @kerrwoodworking @gennypopshop @townesandbirdie @maadilicollective @prideandarchive
Additional parking across street at Woodfin Elementary
Connect Beyond Festival returns to downtown Asheville, N.C. on June 7-9, 2024 for a weekend of performances, panels, film screenings and workshops with award-winning artists and thought leaders, exploring how the intersection of music, art, film and storytelling can inspire positive change. This year’s festival, dubbed by Ashvegas as “Asheville’s version of SXSW,” is themed around Connection To Deepen Resilience and Keep Moving Forward. Connect Beyond will be partnering with Slay The Mic Media to co-curate programs centered around youth empowerment. Tickets for the Connect Beyond Festival are slated to go on sale by May 13th. To optimize community accessibility, options include individual event tickets or a full weekend pass.












