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.
Native Azalea Day
April 26, 2025
Visit the gardens this spring for Native Azalea Day, an invitation to celebrate and experience azaleas through the eyes of plant enthusiasts, botanists, and artists. In partnership with the Mountain Science Exposition, Native Azalea Day plans to bring even more excitement in its third year! For one day only, visitors can observe as plein air artists capture the scene in paint and pen, learn about the garden and its collection on a walking tour, and participate in hands-on activities for children and adults.
A shuttle to the Collection will be available between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., departing to and from the Baker Visitor Center throughout the event. Visitors are also welcome to walk to the Native Azalea Collection from the Gatehouse Parking Lot using Old Mill Road to Bent Creek Road, or can park at the Baker Visitor Center and walk down Running Cedar Road to Bent Creek Road. Walkers should be prepared to travel one mile over unpaved roads and paths.
Schedule
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.: Shuttles running continuously between Baker and Azalea Collection for public
8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.: Pre-registered bird netting activity with Wild Bird Research Group meets
10:00 a.m.: Event begins with ongoing walk-up features: tabling, activity booklet, scavenger hunt, and cyanotype activity
10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.: Pre-registered walking tour with curator (45 minute)
11:30 p.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Pre-registered walking tour with volunteer docent (30 minute)
12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Cyanotype demonstration with Calissa Lawn
1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Pre-registered walking tour with volunteer docent (30 minute)
2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.: Pre-registered walking tour with volunteer docent (30 minute)
3:00 p.m.: Event ends, last shuttle
Get in Gear Fest is noon – 5 p.m. at the Adventure Center of Asheville. This free festival showcases the Outdoor Industry Hub of the East with demos, sales, discounts and giveaways. Enjoy local food and beverages. ACA will offer family activities. High adventure activities will also be available at regular price: Asheville Ziplines, Asheville Treetops Adventure Park, KidZip, Kolo Bike Park. All proceeds from the ACA activities will benefit Camp Lakey Gap Autism Programs. For more information and to book a high adventure activity, visit ashevilletreetopsadventurepark.com/get-in-gear-festival.
Join us for Appalachia Day at Hickory Nut Gap Farm on April 26! Enjoy a free, family-friendly festival from 12-6 pm with live music, local artisans, food trucks, and fun farm activities. Plus, don’t miss the evening concert with Darren Nicholson Band (ticketed event). Proceeds benefit SAHC.
The wait is over! The Radical is bringing back the favorite game night to after/glow. Hosted by none other than Miss Blue Ridge Pride, Alexis Black, this event promises rad performances, nonstop music and cocktails that keep the party going. No RSVP necessary.
The WNC Herb Marketing Association was formed in 2017 to support the growers of herbs and makers of herbal products in the western North Carolina region. Originally the WNC branch of the NC Herb Association, which oversaw the festival from 1990 through 201, we established our own nonprofit organization in 2017 to focus on the mountain region.
WNC Parade of Homes (rescheduled from Oct, 2024)
The Western North Carolina Parade of Homes will take place on the weekends of April 26-27 and May 3-4. This free, self-guided showcase will feature a wide range of styles and price points. The homes range from a barndominium to luxury mountain retreats, and from net-zero energy homes to full home remodels. For more information visit For information, visit wncparadeofhomes.com
Step into summer with the Asheville Symphony as we herald the return of the Asheville Amadeus Festival! We’re launching this year’s festival at Appalachian Mountain Brewery’s lively Mills River taproom, where we’re unveiling our festival-exclusive brew — Fables & Folklore Hazy IPA. This enchanting creation weaves together bright pineapple and orange notes in a tropical profile that’s as enticing as a tale passed down through generations — perfect easy drinking for an early- summer festival.
We will be joined by Amadeus Festival co-headliners Time for Three, Ranaan Meyer, Nick Kendall and Charles Yang. Don’t miss this chance to meet the artists and toast the start of 11 glorious days of Amadeus festivities with a pour of our specially crafted beer, delicious fare from Appalachian Mountain Brewery’s kitchen, and live music!
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2025
6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., with 1756 Society entry beginning at 5:00 p.m.
APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN BREWING
46 N Mills River Road, Mills River
Come visit The Blood Connection for a blood drive on Thursday, May 1, from 10 am to 3 pm. Look for The Blood Connection mobile unit in front of the hospital at 100 Hospital Drive. Look for The Blood Connection Mobile Donor Unit near the Valet parking lot.
All donors will receive a standard $20 e-gift card, and an additional $20 e-gift card – $40
in rewards! To make an appointment, visit thebloodconnection.org and search for the Sponsor Code
23AC.
Get ready to lace up and represent your business at the 2025 Chamber Challenge 5K! This fun, community-focused event encourages wellness and friendly competition among Asheville-area businesses. Whether you’re walking every step or racing to the finish, we know you’re up for the challenge!
Join us in person on May 2nd or participate virtually.
Important Deadlines & Details:
- Register by April 13th at midnight to receive a short-sleeve shirt with your registration!
- After April 13th, shirts will be available in limited quantities and sizes.
- Registering a large group (25+ participants)? Contact Judi Willard at [email protected] for assistance.
To stay updated—text cc5k to 828-827-5332 to receive event notifications (you can opt out anytime).
WNC Parade of Homes (rescheduled from Oct, 2024)
The Western North Carolina Parade of Homes will take place on the weekends of April 26-27 and May 3-4. This free, self-guided showcase will feature a wide range of styles and price points. The homes range from a barndominium to luxury mountain retreats, and from net-zero energy homes to full home remodels. For more information visit For information, visit wncparadeofhomes.com
Join us for an amazing day featuring locally grown trees, flowers, shrubs, herbs and veggies, as well as hand-crafted works of art, knife and tool sharpening – all provided by LOCAL vendors! Throughout the day we will feature educational presentations including “Conservation in 2025,” and “Container Planting: Tips and Tricks” which includes a quick and easy way to maintain your garden pruners. All of this combined with live music from Asheville Ukulele Society!
Help support our WNC communities by supporting its small business owners. Our local growers are thoroughly vetted in sustainable growing practices and are experts in their field. Our local artists are dynamically creative and talented, showcasing kitchen and garden gifts, original paintings and pottery, homemade and organic botanicals, honeys and vinegar, mobile knife and tool sharpening, and more! Join these talented individuals as we welcome Spring back to WNC.
The Farmers Market composting demonstration site, located next to Jesse Israel & Sons Garden Center, opens for demonstrations on May 3, 2025.
The site is staffed by Extension Master Gardener volunteers and provides demonstrations and answers questions from visitors from 10:00am to 1:00pm on five Saturdays, during the growing season, May through September, 2025. The dates for the demos in 2025 are: May 3, June 21, July 12, August 9, and September 13.
There are five different composting methods on display at the site. There is a single bin unit, a tumbling composter, a wood pallet bin and a classic 3-bin system — we also usually bring an example of vermiculture (composting with worms) on most demo day. The site is stocked with informational pamphlets on the how-to and why of composting.
Stop by to learn more about composting at home!
with Asheville Wellness Tours.
Celebrate the ephemeral beauty of flowers during this immersive morning nature retreat! In Japan, the birthplace of forest bathing (Shinrin Yoku), they celebrate the annual cherry blossom bloom (Sakura) with a practice known as Hanami, which translates to “contemplate the flowers.” This experience gently invites us to cultivate our attention and sensory awareness, while noticing the evanescent nature of flowering, both within and around us. Together, we will explore our relationships with native wildflowers, ourselves, each-other, and the more-than-human-world.
Your guide will lead you on a colorful journey through the blossoming spring forest, weaving mindfulness, breathwork, forest bathing and nature therapy together for a restorative morning on some of the trails less traveled at the North Carolina Arboretum. We’ll celebrate the experience in community, enjoying a wild-foraged tea ceremony and snacks. Bring an open mind and an open heart. All are welcome. Presented through Adult & Continuing Education Programs in collaboration with Asheville Wellness Tours.
This program will take place outside and will follow easy trails and paved walkways. Dress for the weather and prepare to be outside for the entire program time.
Explore 22 beautiful greenhouses filled with mixed patio planters, hanging baskets, perennials, houseplants, shrubs, and plant starters. Enjoy live music, food from Smashville Food Truck and Mountain Man BBQ, a craft fair featuring jewelry and home goods, kids’ activities including a scavenger hunt and potting station, plus a mechanical bull! Appalachian Standard CBD products also available. With 600-900 attendees expected, carpooling is recommended. Free admission.
This Mother’s Day, Tanger Outlets Asheville invites the women at the heart of its community to come and be celebrated with its Spring in Bloom experiential event, celebrating mothers, women and the vibrant spirit of the season. On Sunday, May 4 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., the event will include make-your-own flower bouquets, photo opportunities, giveaways and more. From exclusive activities and interactive pop-ups to curated shopping experiences, this event embodies Tanger’s commitment to creating meaningful moments that connect people, foster community and celebrate women. The family-friendly event, open to the community and free to attend, will be held in the center circle near the Vera Bradley Outlet Store.
As part of Tanger’s continued programming designed to offer engaging and innovative shopper experiences, Spring in Boom blends the latest in beauty and accessories retail trends with culture and community-driven celebrations. Guests are also invited to shop the latest spring fashions with Tanger Deal Days from May 1 – 21! Participating brands including Columbia, Crocs, J. Crew and Under Armour will offer 15% – 25% off, on top of everyday savings.
WNC Parade of Homes (rescheduled from Oct, 2024)
The Western North Carolina Parade of Homes will take place on the weekends of April 26-27 and May 3-4. This free, self-guided showcase will feature a wide range of styles and price points. The homes range from a barndominium to luxury mountain retreats, and from net-zero energy homes to full home remodels. For more information visit For information, visit wncparadeofhomes.com
Come join us at the Bridge & Tunnel Coffee Cafe at the Coman Center at A-B Tech for a wonderful day filled with good food and good people. We are so excited to have a bunch of local vegan vendors get together and show you what they’ve got. You can stop by and get some treats to go or, even better, hang out with us for a while. There will be plenty of seating for eating and socializing. Find out more on Instagram and Facebook @vgnmkt
The event is indoors and is Rain or Shine. There will be some food trucks right out front.
Hours are 11:00 – 4:00.
Admission is free and everyone is welcome. It’s a vegan party & you’re invited!
Gratitude is more than a feeling, it is a frequency! Gratitude can help you shift your perspective and find the silver lining in challenging situations, further raising your vibrational frequency. When we vibrate at the frequency of gratitude, we align ourselves with the energy of abundance.
As we meditate on the theme of gratitude, we allow the frequencies of the instruments to raise our vibrations.
Join your host Kristin Hillegas, for a one-hour Serenity Sound Bath and experience a deeply immersive, full-body sound and vibrational experience. A sound bath can cleanse your soul, restore your balance, surround you with peace and tranquility and stimulate healing.
Note: Please bring a yoga mat/pillow/blanket since you will be lying on the floor. Wear warm, comfortable, and flexible clothing.
The Sound Bath will take place upstairs in the Education Building. Choose your space starting at 12:45 PM, doors close promptly at 1:00 PM.
This service is being offered on a Love Offering basis. Donations allow us to continue to provide these immersive experiences. (Retail Value $25)
Accessible parking is available in the Center for Spiritual Living Asheville upper parking lot. The entrance to the upper parking lot is off of S. Bear Creek Rd between Science of Mind Way and Sand Hill Rd.
There is a boardwalk from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.
🍻 Na Zdrowie! Join us May 2-4, 2025 for our 3rd Annual Polish Fest: polka, piwo (beer) and pierogi, need we share more? 😛 Festivities will include live performances from local favorites Wasted Wine and Foothills Oompah Band, as well as Atlanta Polish folk dance group Mazury Folk Dance Ensemble. Remember to keep your pets at home, yet definitely bring your ID, dancing shoes — and your appetite!
Entertainment Schedule:
🍺 Friday, May 2 (5-10 p.m.)
🎶 Wasted Wine 6-9 p.m.
🍺 Saturday, May 3 (11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.):
🎶 Foothills Oompah Band (12:30-3:30 p.m.)
🎶 Mazury Folk Dance Ensemble (4-4:30 p.m. & 5:30-6 p.m.)
🍺 Sunday, May 4 (11:30 a.m.-8 p.m.)
🎶 Wasted Wine 2-5 p.m.
🌭 Fireforge’s festy food and beverage menu will include house-brewed “Polka Party” Lager and “Cendrowski” Grodziskie Wheat Ale; pork kielbasa from Asheville’s Chop Shop Butchery made with Fireforge beer and served on a bun with sauerkraut and horseradish beer mustard; potato and cheese pierogies from Polish American sister-owned Jaju Pierogi served with housemade sour cream, caramelized onions and chives; kabanos snacking sausage from Upstate Polish Market, house-made borscht (chilled beet soup) as well as other Polish cuisine-inspired sides and sweets!
This class offers a creative, hands-on experience perfect for all skill levels! Participants will decorate terracotta pots using vibrant paints to transform each one into a heartfelt gift just in time for Mother’s Day. Feel free to get creative with your design! Everyone will get seeds to take home with them to plant in the pot once the paint is dry, creating a thoughtful and lasting token of appreciation for Mother’s Day.
Tuesday May 6th, 2:00 – 4:00. $20/$15 for Friends of Bullington Gardens.
The Weaverville Tailgate Market located at 60 Lakeshore Drive, Weaverville, NC 28787 will again host Extension Master Gardener plant clinics on the first Wednesday of the month for the 2025 season!
At each Plant Clinic, Master Gardener volunteers will be available to answers all of your gardening questions and address your related concerns. Feel free to bring plant or insect samples for identification and/or problem resolution.
You can pick-up soil test kits and receive information about in-person programs and activities at The Learning Garden and the Gardening in the Mountains seminars. Please stop by to learn more!
Mark your calendar and get ready for the 2025 Spring Fling Plant Sale, sponsored by the Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Buncombe County, the Asheville-Blue Ridge Rose Society, and Men’s Garden Club of Asheville.
Featuring perennials, 35 different varieties of daylilies, natives, herbs, and vegetables.
Visit the Plant Clinic tent with questions, and don’t forget to drop by the Kid’s Corner.
A Rain or Shine event.
Remember to bring your wagon!!
Join us on Saturday, May 10th, from 1-5 pm for a multi-artist pop-up and shopping event, just in time for Mother’s Day! Garden Party, Ross Pottery, and Melissa Weiss Pottery will host Knook Ceramics, Maggie Boyd Ceramics, Kreh Mellick, Good Goodies, Of June, Crocodile Wine, and Camille Cogswell Baked Goods at Garden Party’s shop in West Asheville. Don’t miss this incredible gathering of artists and shops as we celebrate springtime and all the mothers in our lives!
Spring into all things health and wellness at Biltmore Park’s Wildflowers and Wellness event! Enjoy free fitness classes, health and wellness activities, a festive photo booth, and beautiful flowers from local farmers. An event for all ages, Wildflowers and Wellness offers the perfect mix of fun, fitness, and fresh air to start out spring. Visit biltmorepark.com for more information.
Garden photography workshop with Camilla Calnan.
Do you want to take better photos in the gardens? Join us for a hands-on workshop where we use whatever camera you are working with to learn tips, tricks, and techniques to take the photos you are hoping to capture. Working from whatever level you are currently and using your phone, point and shoot camera, or SLR camera, we will discover new ways to think about photography to help you grow in your photography.
This program takes place in the classroom and outdoors. Please come prepared to walk on gentle, yet uneven terrain, and dress appropriately for the weather.
Adult comedy with a heart! Featuring comics from both Carolinas at the new Flood Gallery!
Come enjoy a hilarious night of laughs, show your support for our headliner Chris “Hillbilly” Pritchett who needs a new heart, and celebrate the reopening of Flood Gallery after Hurricane Helene! Our tentative comedian line-up includes:
1. Brendan From Long Island (Host)
2. Austin Arney
3. Jason Henson
4. Joseph Thompson
5. Kim H. Falls
6. Reggie Massey
7. Paul Ain’t Right (DJ)
8. Geo. Wagner
9. Nate Bechtel
10. Bob Maier
11. Superdad Jones
12. Hillbilly (Headliner)
Food and drinks available, $10 suggested donation. Doors open at 6:30. Produced by Brendan C. Ahern of “Rainy Night Theatre”.
Golden Hour invites moms and their families to join them for a special feel-good brunch. Bring the whole crew and make some golden memories with Mom.
Celebrate Mother’s Day with this special brunch event! Join us for a delicious meal surrounded by beautiful scenery. Treat your mom to a day she won’t forget with a variety of dishes to choose from. Show your appreciation for all that she does with a lovely meal in a charming setting. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to make her day extra special!
The North Carolina Writers Network & The Brandy Bar + Cocktails present ANNE GREEN and NICOLE FARMER as next in their series “In the Company of Writers.”
The program offers a series of personal and conversational dialogues featuring guest writers/poets followed by an open mic forum. These inspirational gatherings will elucidate and entertain those attending. The guest author speaks from 7-8 PM with an open mic from 8 -9 PM. The Chicago blues music of “Hollywood Johnny Cosgrove” (accompanied by Charlie Wilkinson) welcomes you, continues during intermission, and closes the evening. Sign-ups for the open mic are available at the door.
Anne Waters Green, who now lives in Savannah, Georgia, was a resident of Hendersonville from 2005 to 2021.
The Slice of Life Comedy Asheville Spring Standup Contest Series: ROUND 2
Thursday May 14, 7:30p-9:30p, doors at 6:30p
The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge
103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $17 (available at door or The Orange Peel website)
These shows sellout!
Hosted by Hilliary Begley from Netflix & Amazon Prime!
Cocktails available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!!
Free snacks while availability lasts! You may bring your own food in (no drinks)!
How it Works:
Comics on the show will do 3-1/2 minutes of comedy. Audience votes for their favorites of the night thru ballot voting. Comics are separated in 3 groups of 7 contestants. This show’s 3 top comics from each category will be paid and be brought back with other show winners to compete in our pageant finale, date TBA.
Comics on the show:
Aiden Lamb, Andy Frampton,
Art Sturtevant, Austin Elfers,
Becca Steinhoff, Ben Jennings,
Clay Jones, Cloud Hudson,
Evelyn Pekarek,
Foster, Issac Truman, James Burks,
Jason Reel, Jordan Ballard, Julia Macias,
Justin Blackburn, Makenzie Manent,
Roman Fraden, Sam Arrowood, Sully