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.

Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Visiting Writers: Natalie Baszile
Mar 20 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
UNCA--Blue Ridge Room of UNC Asheville’s Highsmith Union

Free

On March 20 at 7 p.m. in the Blue Ridge Room of UNC Asheville’s Highsmith Union, Natalie Baszile will present readings from her recent work. The event is free and open to the public.

Baszile’s debut novel, “Queen Sugar,” is a mother-daughter story of reinvention — about an African American woman who unexpectedly inherits a sugarcane farm in Louisiana. “Queen Sugar” was adapted into a critically acclaimed television series directed by Ava Duvernay. Baszile’s most recent book, “We Are Each Other’s Harvest,” is an exploration and celebration of black farming in America.


Accessibility

UNC Asheville is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. If you have any questions about access or to request reasonable accommodations that will facilitate your full participation in this event, please contact the Event Organizer (see below). Advance notice is necessary to arrange for accessibility needs.

Visitor Parking

Visitors may park in faculty/staff and All Permit lots from 5:00 p.m. until 7:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, and on weekends, holidays, and campus breaks. Visitors are not permitted to park in resident student lots at any time.
Prior to 5pm, any visitor (regardless of their reason for visit) need to adhere to the current practices listed on the parking website. Get your visitor parking permit here

Thursday, March 21, 2024
Asheville Fringe Arts Festival
Mar 21 all-day
Asheville Area- various locations
THURSDAY MARCH 21
The BeBe Theatre
20 Commerce St | Downtown
LEAF Global Arts
19 Eagle St. Ste 120 | Downtown
Citizen Vinyl
14 O’Henry Ave | Downtown
Story Parlor
227 Haywood Rd | West Asheville
One World West
520 Haywood Rd | West Ashevile
Art Garden
191 Lyman St #316 | River Arts District
Cloud Room (Wedge)
5 Foundy St Ste 10 | River Arts District
Friday, March 22, 2024
22nd Asheville Fringe ART Festival
Mar 22 all-day
Asheville Area
FRIDAY MARCH 22
The BeBe Theatre
20 Commerce St | Downtown
LEAF Global Arts
19 Eagle St. Ste 120 | Downtown
Noir Collective
39 S Market St | Downtown
Non-traditional Venues
76 Biltmore Ave | 17 Foundy St
FRIDAY MARCH 22
Story Parlor
227 Haywood Rd | West Asheville
Fleetwood’s
496 Haywood Rd | West Asheville
One World West
520 Haywood Rd | West Ashevile
Art Garden
191 Lyman St #316 | River Arts District
Acupuncture and Healing Meditation
Mar 22 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Asheville Salt Cave

Blending together acupuncture and healing meditations while deeply resting inside the nourishing womb of the Salt Cave.

Saturday, March 23, 2024
22nd Asheville Fringe ART Festival
Mar 23 all-day
Asheville Area- various locations
SATURDAY MARCH 23
The BeBe Theatre
20 Commerce St | Downtown
Argot Room
717 Haywood Rd | West Asheville
Citizen Vinyl
14 O’Henry Ave | Downtown
Non-traditional Venues
76 Biltmore Ave | 17 Foundy St
SATURDAY MARCH 23
Story Parlor
227 Haywood Rd | West Asheville
LEAF Global Arts
19 Eagle St. Ste 120 | Downtown
Art Garden
191 Lyman St #316 | River Arts District
Cloud Room (Wedge)
5 Foundy St Ste 10 | River Arts District
Random Acts of Fringe: Asheville Fringe ART Festival
Mar 23 all-day
Asheville Area- various locations
SATURDAY MARCH 23 (free events)
Artists + Writers Coffee
Mar 23 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM

TFAC Pavilion (park/enter at rear of building)
Free drop-in event
MARCH OF THE BLADES @ Fae Nectar
Mar 23 @ 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Fae Nectar

Join us Saturday March 23rd for our next amazing festival…MARCH OF THE BLADES! Hosted by the Warriors Of Ash and Fae Nectar Meadery, our fighting arena will be ringing with the sounds of Sword and Axe fighting all afternoon, accompanied by both blood-pumping battle music and the merry sound of a medieval village upon our festival lawn.

As you wander our festive fantasy wonderland you’ll find working blacksmiths, artisan vendors selling enchanted garb and hand-crafted goods, armorers and jewelers, and even fortune tellers offering their services. And don’t forget to try your hand at Axe Throwing, or to visit our adorable Hobbit horse, Thistle!

And inside our comfortable and cozy Tavern you’ll find our Fae bartenders, happy to serve you our fine Mead, Cider, Wine, and local Craft Beer options, and we’ll be serving hot tasty comfort food to keep your bellies warm and full as you enjoy the festival.

This event is FREE! And open to all friends, families, Fae creatures, and friendly dogs on leash.

Artisan Market – 11am to 5pm
Sword Fighting & Battle Music – 1:00 to 2:30pm and 3:30 to 5pm
Thistle the Hobbit Horse – 12pm to 4pm

Spring Awakening + Renewal Forest Bathing Retreat
Mar 23 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum
The changing seasons are rich with wisdom and guidance. Winter is a time for rest and dreaming, followed by spring, ripe with opportunities for renewal and growth. Cultivate those winter dreams and invite them to birth into reality during this enlivening afternoon retreat. Let your most authentic Self emerge from within and flourish amidst the beauty of the early spring! New Graph: Your guide, Christa Hebal, will lead you on a gentle journey through the awakening forest, weaving mindfulness, breathwork, forest bathing (Shinrin Yoku) and nature therapy together for a restorative afternoon 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.
Christa Hebal is a certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. Born and raised in the mountains of NE Tennessee, she has lived in Asheville for 23 years. Christa has an adventurous heart, and loves to help others encounter wholeness through embodiment and nature connection practices. She has had a professional bodywork practice for 17 years as a nationally certified Massage Therapist, and is also a practitioner of Ortho-Bionomy®, Usui Reiki Master, Certified Pediatric Massage Therapist, Clinical Aromatherapist, and Certified Traditional Herbalist. She is also certified in CPR and Wilderness First Aid.

Spring Awakening & Renewal Forest Bathing Retreat | ONSITE | Saturday, March 9, 2 – 5 p.m. Or Saturday, March 23, 2 – 5 p.m.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024
22nd Asheville Fringe ART Festival
Mar 26 all-day
Asheville Area- various locations
SUNDAY MARCH 26
The BeBe Theatre
20 Commerce St | Downtown
Argot Room
717 Haywood Rd | West Asheville
Fleetwood’s
496 Haywood Rd | West Asheville
LaZoom Bus Tour
76 Biltmore Ave | 17 Foundy St
SUNDAY MARCH 26
Noir Collective
39 S Market St | Downtown
LEAF Global Arts
19 Eagle St. Ste 120 | Downtown
Story Parlor
227 Haywood Rd | West Asheville
Art Garden
191 Lyman St #316 | River Arts District
Dark City Poet’s Society
Mar 26 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Black Mountain Library

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

Saturday, March 30, 2024
Artists + Writers Coffee
Mar 30 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM

TFAC Pavilion (park/enter at rear of building)
Free drop-in event
Dropping Into Delight: Yoga (optional) + Immersive Poetry Workshop
Mar 30 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Story Parlor

Led by a certified Inward & Artward Creative Facilitator, Tikva Kingrea (RYT-200 ), this workshop will explore how spring is showing up in our lives—specifically deliberating on *delight.* Think ripe strawberries. Purple phlox spreading across a moss-rich garden wall. Your favorite sneakers, worn in and warm, piled by the front door, waiting for a neighborhood stroll. The spring season offers each of us a chance to step into our artistic practice with verve, sweetness, and a shaking off of winter hibernation. This workshop is designed to do just that.

We will deep-dive into understanding various poetic techniques, personal themes and voice, as well as have guided group and individual support. This is a “YES, I’LL TAKE TEN BOUQUETS OF TULIPS TO GO WITH MY WRITING” class. We will move gently while playing with creative ways to buoy confidence and craft.

This is a beginner friendly class for writers and yogis alike. Students taking the yoga portion are asked to bring their own mats and props.

Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Meditative Morning
Apr 2 @ 8:00 am – 10:00 am
NC Arboretum

We’ve heard your valuable feedback, and now you don’t have to hear us! Beginning May 4, 2021, the period between 8 and 10 a.m. on the first Tuesday morning of every month will be reserved for “Meditative Mornings,” a pause for quiet time in our gardens and on our trails. During this time, our working garden crew will abstain from using leaf blowers, mowers and other equipment so you can be sure to enjoy the sounds of birds and the wind in the trees.

Take advantage of half-price parking on the first Tuesday of every month and come out to the Arboretum to enjoy a Meditative Morning!

Innerdance: Altered States of Consciousness with Soundscapes + Energy Work
Apr 2 @ 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
The Horse Shoe Farm Sanctuary

The Innerdance is a music-based, meditative, healing journey, It involves the use of special soundscapes that mimic circadian rhythms and enable people to move effortlessly between different brain wave states. As a result, people experience an expanded sense of awareness and altered states of consciousness.

In this space of unlimited possibilities, very profound and mystical things can happen. Common movements in the Innerdance include drug-free psychedelic experiences, life regressions, circadian rhythms, near-death experiences, kundalini activations, and womb/birth memories.

Benefits may include nervous system regulation, circadian rhythm reset, mental clarity, inner peace, greater neural plasticity, increased intuitive discernment, emotional regulation, improved self-esteem, etc.

Friday, April 5, 2024
Intro to Memoir Writing: a 3-session series with Cornelia Dolian
Apr 5 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
East Asheville Library

Free. Space limited. Registration required. Call 828-250-4738 or stop by the library to register.

April 5: Session 1 – Memoir Basics & Beginnings
What’s a memoir, how does it work, and where do I begin mine?
Learn the key elements of the genre, understand what a memoir is (and isn’t). Get suggestions & tips for writing a rich, compelling, standout memoir, and where to begin collecting, compiling, and nurturing what will become the foundations of your memoir.

April 12: Session 2 – Memoir Structure and Outline
How do you structure and outline a memoir that will hook, connect with, and impact your readers?
Understand how to use narrative/story structure to help your memoir “read almost like a novel”.

April 19: Session 3 –  Memoir Writing Marathon First Miles
Turning your memoir outline into a full manuscript first draft (and what even is that?) – one milestone, chapter, and day at a time.
Know what to aim for with your memoir’s first draft, what to ignore, and how to keep your inner critic from disrupting you. Consider and commit to a consistent writing schedule for your memoir.

Saturday, April 6, 2024
Fairy Festival
Apr 6 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
The Horse Shoe Gap Village

Celebrate Spring and The Fairies at Horse Shoe Gap Village with Free Face Painting by The Sea Mither,
Fairy Hair, Scavenger Hunt, Games, music and more!

Artists + Writers Coffee
Apr 6 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM

TFAC Pavilion (park/enter at rear of building)
Free drop-in event
Sunday, April 7, 2024
Serenity Sound Bath
Apr 7 @ 1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
Center or Spiritual Living Asheville

Immerse yourself with the healing vibrations of a Sound Bath!
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 1:00 PM, doors close promptly at 1:15 PM.
This service is being offered on a Love Offering basis. Donations allow us to continue to provide these immersive experiences.
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 walk-way from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.

Thursday, April 11, 2024
POETRY WORKSHOP WITH GLENIS REDMOND
Apr 11 @ 6:00 pm
Ramsaur Studio

This National Poetry Month, turn your sparks of inspiration into beautiful poetry in an all-new poetry workshop led by Greenville Poet Laureate Glenis Redmond. Whether you’re just dipping your toes into the world of poetry or you’ve been penning verses for a while, this workshop is tailor-made for you. From brainstorming ideas to crafting captivating lines, Glenis will guide you every step of the way. Unleash your inner wordsmith and explore the magic of poetry with a true master.

The $125 registration fee is for admission to the three-part workshop taking place at 6:00 PM on April 11, 18 and 25. Please bring paper and your preferred writing tool with you. The workshop culminates in a reading during the final session where participants can invite a guest to enjoy their poetry progress.

Saturday, April 13, 2024
Georgia Mountain Storytelling Festival
Apr 13 all-day
The Ridges Resort on Lake Chatuge

Join us April 12-13, 2024, for two days of family-friendly fun! We’ll have storytelling, workshops, a quilt display, and more. If you can’t attend the festival in person but don’t want to miss the fun, you can sign up for an “online viewing” ticket. Festival tickets are free for students and teachers, individuals with disabilities, and those with low income and are low-cost for all others. Discounts are available.

Artists + Writers Coffee
Apr 13 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM

TFAC Pavilion (park/enter at rear of building)
Free drop-in event
Celebrate Appalachian Heritage at Fiddles and Folklife
Apr 13 @ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Warren Wilson College

On Saturday, April 13, Warren Wilson College will host Fiddles and Folklife, an annual Appalachian festival and old-time music and dance competition, with cash prizes for old-time fiddle, banjo, folksong, flatfooting, and string band. There will be a separate contest for youth in fiddle and banjo. Other activities include old-time music jams, food and craft vendors, folklife demonstrators, and a cake raffle. This event is free and open to the public.

Fiddles and Folklore takes place from 12 noon – 5 p.m., on the Warren Wilson College campus, in the historic Bryson Gym, 102 Upper College Road. Registration for contestants opens at 11:30 a.m. There is no entry fee for the contests. For more info, visit Warren Wilson College Music on Facebook, and click on the “Events” tab.

Monday, April 15, 2024
Letters to the Editor + Opinion Editorials Creative Workshop
Apr 15 @ 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Buncombe County Democratic Party HQ

Democrats need to be more actively messaging and to overcome the makers of fake news with the truth! Join this ongoing group of writers working together on Letters to the Editor and Opinion Editorials. We’ll discuss the issues we care about most deeply and craft a plan to respond to events as they occur in real time.

The group meets the first and third Monday of each month for writing, responding to one another’s work, scheduling submissions, and exploring media outlets across the state.

“Rant with purpose. Support with facts. Propel action.” – Myra Schoen

Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Great Smokies Writing Program | Utilizing the Visual Arts in Writing and Revising Personal Narrative
Apr 17 all-day
Story Parlor

Wednesdays, starting March 20 | Offered through the Great Smokies Writing Program, this five-week class will investigate the ways in which paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculpture inspire, collaborate with, and complement our writing process.

Innerdance: Altered States of Consciousness with Soundscapes + Energy Work
Apr 17 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
The Horse Shoe Farm Sanctuary

The Innerdance is a music-based, meditative, healing journey, It involves the use of special soundscapes that mimic circadian rhythms and enable people to move effortlessly between different brain wave states. As a result, people experience an expanded sense of awareness and altered states of consciousness.

In this space of unlimited possibilities, very profound and mystical things can happen. Common movements in the Innerdance include drug-free psychedelic experiences, life regressions, circadian rhythms, near-death experiences, kundalini activations, and womb/birth memories.

Benefits may include nervous system regulation, circadian rhythm reset, mental clarity, inner peace, greater neural plasticity, increased intuitive discernment, emotional regulation, improved self-esteem, etc.

Spring Clearing Sound Bath
Apr 17 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Center or Spiritual Living Asheville

Cleanse your mind, body and spirit from the heaviness of winter and move forward into the freshness of Spring with a soothing Sound Bath!
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 6:15 PM, doors close promptly at 6:30 PM.
This service is being offered on a Love Offering basis. Donations allow us to continue to provide these immersive experiences.
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 walk-way from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.

Friday, April 19, 2024
Poetry as Prayer
Apr 19 @ 6:00 pm
Asheville Salt Cave | Massage & Salt Spa Therapy
Together we will create a gentle space to nurture ourselves forward this season using breath, slow flow movement, and poetry. No writing experience is necessary, just an open heart, body, mind.
February 23 & April 19th @ 6pm Let’s come together during this full moon with intentions of slowing-in to the senses, nourishing our bodies with gentle sensuous movement and poetry as prayer. Poet, Doula, and Women’s Counselor Tiffany Narron will guide us along in a heart-warming circle to sink into our parasympathetic nervous systems with breath and somatic movement and explore reading and writing poetry as prayer. Together we will move to the rhythm of our breath and explore the language of our bodies in a warm, nourishing flow, reading excerpts of poetry centered on enchantment and the senses to then share and write in response as you feel called, leaving with an intentional poetic prayer of your own for this season. No writing experience is necessary, just an open heart, body, mind. Come as you are, share as you’re comfortable. Nourish your body and harvest your poetic prayer for the season. Reserve your space below. Space is limited.
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Sweetwater 420 Fest 2024
Apr 20 all-day
Pullman Yards

Sweetwater 420 Fest 2024

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Saturday, April 20
Sunday, April 21
Date To Be Announced
Beck
Slightly Stoopid
Larkin Poe
Hayes Carll
The Band of Heathens
houndmouth
Cory Wong
Big Gigantic
Little Stranger
Bombargo
Gov’t Mule
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Artists + Writers Coffee
Apr 20 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM

TFAC Pavilion (park/enter at rear of building)
Free drop-in event