Calendar of Events

Mark your calendar for an immersive Smokies experience like none other! Spend your days exploring the wilds of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and your nights glamorously camping off the grid. Discover Life in America and partner A Walk in the Woods bring you a 3-day, 2-night adventure, with expert-led nature hikes, camping in a luxurious off-grid setting, mouth-watering, local food and drink, and much more. All proceeds from this fundraising event will help DLiA discover and conserve the rich biodiversity of the Smokies.

• Parking Fees
  • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
  • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
  • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
  • Members: Free

  Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

• Parking Fees
  • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
  • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
  • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
  • Members: Free

  Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

• Get all your gardening questions answered by NC State Extension Master Gardeners.
  Your questions can be answered via the phone, email, or a visit to the extension center. You can also pick up your free soil testing kit from the extension center.

• Mar 11 at 10:00AM – Oct 31 at 2:00PM

• Parking Fees
  • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
  • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
  • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
  • Members: Free

  Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Medicine of the Starry Heavens’s Stories from Stardust presents…
Poetic Pilgrimages to the Underworld: Orpheus & Drinking from the River of Light
**with music from Elan DeHaro and Summer Shine**

Join us for a night of storytelling, music, stargazing, and poetry as we explore the myth of Orpheus, the underworld, and the river of light ✨
–
As Vega, the Vulture Star, crosses the zenith of our autumnal skies it carries with it Orpheus’ Lyre. It’s the sacred harp crafted by Hermes on his first day here on Earth. Gifted to Apollo and passed on to Orpheus, it’s the tool for the attunement of the poetic soul needed to journey in and out of the Underworld. Fashioned from a turtle shell, Lyre resonates the 250 million year old Permean frequency of our deep bone memories. It’s the songline of our ancestors, the safety rope that allows us to navigate the catastrophes of life.
Date: Friday, November 1st (Scorpio New Moon)

Time:
– 6pm : Poetry and saying farewell to autumn’s hillside tapestry
– 7pm: Story and stars

Where: 65 Sanford Way, Barnardsville – The Sundial at The High Meadow
~or~ the Pavilion at Wild Abundance (if rainy)
*important parking info below, carpooling encouraged*

Suggested donation: $12-36, no one turned away for lack of funds
You can Venmo @MedicineOfTheStarryHeavens, book a ticket on Eventbrite, or bring cash the night of the event.

Bring warm clothes, cushions, blankets, chairs, whatever you need to be comfy and open to the medicine of the starry heavens..

Learn how to set up an organic indigo vat using a few simple ingredients and witness the magical creation of blue as the fiber comes out of the vat. Portions of this program may be held outside; please dress appropriately for the weather.

Presentation is free, a $10 donation is requested. Cash only. Attendance is limited and registration with Eventbrite is required.

Smiley’s Flea Market in Fletcher, NC will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary on November 9th.

Since Smiley’s opened their doors to Western Carolina in October of 1984, they have been providing a family fun marketplace where people buy and sell unique and interesting goods and services to the public.

Smiley’s continues to provide an indoor and outdoor marketplace that offers authentic delicious food and goods and services, all at great bargains. A true one stop shop for all your shopping needs.

Over the years, Smiley’s has grown to evolve and answer the needs of Western Carolina. With over 1,000 selling spaces and hundreds of vendors, you are sure to find what you are looking for. From farm fresh produce to amusement rides, Smiley’s has it all.
Come celebrate Smiley’s 40th anniversary on November 9th. Live Music, Free Amusement Rides, Face Painting, Balloon Twisting, Giveaways and a chance to Win Up to $10,000!

Tickets for the drawing will be given out every Saturday and Sunday at the Smiley’s office. So come on by this weekend for all you shopping needs and to enter the drawing for a chance to Win up to $10,000.
Smiley’s is proud to be partnering with the Community Foundation of Henderson County for the 40th Anniversary Celebration. Smiley’s will match the winning amount from the drawing and make a donation to the Community Foundation of Henderson County for Hurricane Relief.

Come enjoy your day at Smiley’s. Hundreds of Sellers, Thousands of Buyers and Millions of Items!

The Blue Ridge Music Trails is hosting a benefit concert at White Horse in Black Mountain on November 14, 2024, at 7 p.m. We invite you to attend and support the traditional music artists in Western North Carolina post-Hurricane Helene. 

Headlining the show will be Unspoken Tradition, a chart-topping quintet hailing from Western and Central North Carolina. Their music is influenced by their lives and roots in traditional and new grass music, as is evident in their quality catalog of unique songs. Several of their singles have topped the Billboard Bluegrass and Bluegrass Today charts. They took the stage at the 2024 IBMA Bluegrass Live! concert.

Unspoken Tradition has also been busy dedicating time and raising money for their home state the past month. We’re excited to have them play this event, bringing more joy to the region and providing hope and levity as we focus on lifting up this region’s rich and enduring music scene.

Tickets will be available in advance and at the door. Due to the impact of Tropical Storm Helene this is a pay-what-you-can event. A portion of the proceeds will support the Blue Ridge Music Trails artists, with the other portion going towards charities of White Horse’s choice. Together, we continue to support our communities. If you cannot make the event but would like to help, please consider donating to the Blue Ridge Music Trails at: https://www.blueridgemusicnc.com/donate/

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Lace up your running shoes and join us at 10:00am for our 3rd annual Blackhawk Bolt 5K & Fun Run on Saturday, November 16, 2024. Run this unique road-to-trail course to benefit North Buncombe High School PTSO and Blackhawks Marching Band

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Kick off the 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐓𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 at our 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲!

Friday, Nov 22 from 5-9pm

Get early access to shop our vendors while enjoying live music, craft activities, giveaways, and complimentary bites + bevs.
Tickets are pay what you can – purchase online or in person.
All proceeds benefit the Equal Plates Project.
Purchase your ticket here https://rb.gy/an2xqh

Equal Plates Project is a nonprofit that purchases from small farms at fair prices, transforms their quality ingredients into nourishing meals, and shares thousands of locally-sourced meals each week with neighbors facing complex barriers to food access. Learn more at equalplatesproject.org.

The Good Tidings Market continues Saturday + Sunday
Nov 23 + 24
11am-5pm
Free and open to the public

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Celebrate the spirit of gratitude and creativity this Thanksgiving season with our “Harvest Hues” workshop at Bullington Gardens! Learn to craft stunning centerpieces using an array of fresh flowers and fall botanicals harvested right from our garden. Flowers and botanicals will be provided, just bring a container as a centerpiece.

Immerse yourself in the warm colors and textures of autumn as you gather inspiration from nature’s bounty. Under the expert guidance of Mary Quirk, you’ll learn essential floral design techniques and tips for incorporating seasonal elements into your centerpiece creations.

From vibrant chrysanthemums and seed heads, to rustic branches, you’ll have access to a diverse selection of garden-fresh blooms and foliage, allowing you to design a centerpiece that perfectly reflects your personal style and the festive atmosphere of Thanksgiving.

Whether you’re hosting a family gathering or simply want to add a touch of natural beauty to your home, this workshop offers the perfect opportunity to unleash your creativity and craft something truly special.