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.

Saturday, September 28, 2024
Artists + Writers Coffee
Sep 28 @ 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
Saturday, October 5, 2024
Artists + Writers Coffee
Oct 5 @ 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
Tantra Speed Date® – Asheville! Meet Singles Speed Dating
Oct 5 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
WellSpring Wellness Center

Try the matchmaking event that’s been dubbed “Yoga for your Love Life” by singles. In this new world of online dating, shallow conversations and superficial standards have become the norm… Robbing us of the magic that comes with connecting on a deeply meaningful level. That’s why, here at Tantra Speed Date®, we do speed dating a little differently. You’ll engage with your dates in a way that’s fun, authentic, and even healing. We’ll guide you through a sequence of relationship-building exercises with up to 20 singles. Each exercise will aid you and your date in playfully exploring the depth of your connection. (Think verbal dyads, movement/dancing, and communication games!) And all of them enhance your relationship skills in subtle, yet powerful ways. So you’ll walk away not only with matches… But with the tools you need to bring more love into your dating life! For all dates in Asheville, NC visit:
https://www.tantrany.com/speed-dating/asheville/
Early Bird – Limited: USD 50.00,
General Admission: USD 60.00,
Last Minute) – Few Remaining: USD 87.00,
Door Sales (Cash only): USD 140.00

Saturday, October 12, 2024
Artists + Writers Coffee
Oct 12 @ 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
Western North Carolina Parade of Homes
Oct 12 @ 11:00 am
Asheville, NC

The 43rd annual Western North Carolina Parade of Homes, on the weekends of October 12-13 and October 19-20, is a free, self-guided showcase of new and renovated homes by builders in such areas as Asheville, Hendersonville, Brevard, Black Mountain, Fairview, and Clyde. You can tour homes in person or virtually. For information, visit wncparadeofhomes.com.

Sunday, October 13, 2024
Western North Carolina Parade of Homes
Oct 13 @ 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Asheville, NC

The 43rd annual Western North Carolina Parade of Homes, on the weekends of October 12-13 and October 19-20, is a free, self-guided showcase of new and renovated homes by builders in such areas as Asheville, Hendersonville, Brevard, Black Mountain, Fairview, and Clyde. You can tour homes in person or virtually. For information, visit wncparadeofhomes.com.

Saturday, October 19, 2024
Creative Writer’s Workshop: Panning For Gemstones
Oct 19 – Oct 20 all-day
Story Parlor

What do you do when you find you’re facing an insurmountable pile of unfinished creative work? An entire digital archive of ‘maybes?’

To use an Appalachian metaphor, you pan your dirt for gemstones.

This workshop explores what it means to run creative writing through an objective sieve. It provides a framework for tackling the current pile of unfinished work, as well as addressing the indefinite ‘maybes’ of tomorrow.

Learn to sift your mounds of incomplete material, develop self-editing skills, readjust your critical lens, and polish, refine, and complete your precious pieces.

Among peers and in the safety of a validating creative space, writers can anticipate the delight of creative collaboration, the usefulness of constructive feedback, and the thrill of showcasing the rarity and purity of their finest gemstones.

Artists + Writers Coffee
Oct 19 @ 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
Western North Carolina Parade of Homes
Oct 19 @ 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Asheville, NC

The 43rd annual Western North Carolina Parade of Homes, on the weekends of October 12-13 and October 19-20, is a free, self-guided showcase of new and renovated homes by builders in such areas as Asheville, Hendersonville, Brevard, Black Mountain, Fairview, and Clyde. You can tour homes in person or virtually. For information, visit wncparadeofhomes.com.

Sunday, October 20, 2024
Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains
Oct 20 @ 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Asheville, NC

The 43rd annual Western North Carolina Parade of Homes, on the weekends of October 12-13 and October 19-20, is a free, self-guided showcase of new and renovated homes by builders in such areas as Asheville, Hendersonville, Brevard, Black Mountain, Fairview, and Clyde. You can tour homes in person or virtually. For information, visit wncparadeofhomes.com.

Thursday, October 24, 2024
House Beautiful’s 2024 Whole Home Renovation – Tour This Innovative New Home!
Oct 24 @ 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm
House Beautiful's 2024 Whole Home

House Beautiful announced their seventh annual Whole Home build will take place in the historic city of Asheville, North Carolina. Through a partnership with luxury home builder Living Stone Design & Build, leading designers and industry sponsors, House Beautiful is debuting its first-ever vacation Whole Home.

Join us at this beautiful new home in the Sprout Community showcasing top designers and beautiful furnishings. This year’s 2024 Whole Home build is the ultimate second home, offering a multiplatform experience with fresh ideas for design enthusiasts and renovation solutions small and large. The 3,600-square-foot home will seamlessly blend into the surrounding natural beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains, offering an elevated modern build style and biophilic design with toxin-free materials.

The renovated home will be featured on HouseBeautiful.com and in the November/December 2024 Renovation Issue of House Beautiful, which will hit newsstands on November 26.

A talented team of diverse interior designers with a range of sensibilities will reimagine the mountain property: Living Stone: MA Allen, Rajni Alex, Dane Austin, Erin Coren and Lina Galvão of Curated Nest, Kelsey McGregor, Anne McDonald, Byron Risdon, Laura Sullivan, Heidi Woodman, Anita Yokota, and the Iron House design team.

The home will be open for tours from 12-7pm on October 24th – 27th. Select furniture in the home will be available for auction at the conclusion of the show home. All proceeds from the tour will directly benefit Habitat for Humanity of Henderson County and Thermal Belt. Tickets to tour are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

House Beautiful has also once again partnered with Wellness Within Your Walls, an internationally recognized resource group created to provide education and guidance on toxins in the living environment.

Friday, October 25, 2024
House Beautiful’s 2024 Whole Home Renovation – Tour This Innovative New Home!
Oct 25 @ 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm
House Beautiful's 2024 Whole Home

House Beautiful announced their seventh annual Whole Home build will take place in the historic city of Asheville, North Carolina. Through a partnership with luxury home builder Living Stone Design & Build, leading designers and industry sponsors, House Beautiful is debuting its first-ever vacation Whole Home.

Join us at this beautiful new home in the Sprout Community showcasing top designers and beautiful furnishings. This year’s 2024 Whole Home build is the ultimate second home, offering a multiplatform experience with fresh ideas for design enthusiasts and renovation solutions small and large. The 3,600-square-foot home will seamlessly blend into the surrounding natural beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains, offering an elevated modern build style and biophilic design with toxin-free materials.

The renovated home will be featured on HouseBeautiful.com and in the November/December 2024 Renovation Issue of House Beautiful, which will hit newsstands on November 26.

A talented team of diverse interior designers with a range of sensibilities will reimagine the mountain property: Living Stone: MA Allen, Rajni Alex, Dane Austin, Erin Coren and Lina Galvão of Curated Nest, Kelsey McGregor, Anne McDonald, Byron Risdon, Laura Sullivan, Heidi Woodman, Anita Yokota, and the Iron House design team.

The home will be open for tours from 12-7pm on October 24th – 27th. Select furniture in the home will be available for auction at the conclusion of the show home. All proceeds from the tour will directly benefit Habitat for Humanity of Henderson County and Thermal Belt. Tickets to tour are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

House Beautiful has also once again partnered with Wellness Within Your Walls, an internationally recognized resource group created to provide education and guidance on toxins in the living environment.

Saturday, October 26, 2024
SC Arms Collectors Association Gun + Knife Show
Oct 26 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Greenville Convention Center

SC Arms Collectors Association Gun & Knife Show – Hall 1 – Parking off Exposition Drive

SCACA ADMISSION

ADULTS: $10.00  |  MILITARY: $8.00  

12 Yrs. & Under: Free when accompanied by an adult.  

Must Show Military ID

Greenville Convention Center Parking

   $5.00 Per Vehicle   

​DATES:

January 20 & 21, 2024

Saturday 9 AM – 5 PM

Sunday 10 AM – 4 PM

August 10 & 11, 2024

Saturday 9 AM – 5 PM

Sunday 10 AM – 4 PM

December 21 & 22, 2024

Saturday 9 AM – 5 PM

Sunday 10 AM – 4 PM

April 20 & 21, 2024

Saturday 9 AM – 5 PM

Sunday 10 AM – 4 PM

October 26 & 27, 2024

Saturday 9 AM – 5 PM

Sunday 10 AM – 4 PM

Artists + Writers Coffee
Oct 26 @ 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
Homegrown Halloween Market
Oct 26 @ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Smith Mill Works

Join us for family-friendly day of creativity and community supporting local artists, makers and farmers and their handmade and homegrown treats!

Explore one of our haunted greenhouses, participate in a family friendly DIY Halloween wreath making activity, peruse the Asheville Tool Library Yard Sale and enjoy delicious and healthy food from the Pasta and Prana food truck and more at the:
SMITH MILL WORKS HANDMADE HALLOWEEN MARKET on SAT OCT 26 from 11-3.

House Beautiful’s 2024 Whole Home Renovation – Tour This Innovative New Home!
Oct 26 @ 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm
House Beautiful's 2024 Whole Home

House Beautiful announced their seventh annual Whole Home build will take place in the historic city of Asheville, North Carolina. Through a partnership with luxury home builder Living Stone Design & Build, leading designers and industry sponsors, House Beautiful is debuting its first-ever vacation Whole Home.

Join us at this beautiful new home in the Sprout Community showcasing top designers and beautiful furnishings. This year’s 2024 Whole Home build is the ultimate second home, offering a multiplatform experience with fresh ideas for design enthusiasts and renovation solutions small and large. The 3,600-square-foot home will seamlessly blend into the surrounding natural beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains, offering an elevated modern build style and biophilic design with toxin-free materials.

The renovated home will be featured on HouseBeautiful.com and in the November/December 2024 Renovation Issue of House Beautiful, which will hit newsstands on November 26.

A talented team of diverse interior designers with a range of sensibilities will reimagine the mountain property: Living Stone: MA Allen, Rajni Alex, Dane Austin, Erin Coren and Lina Galvão of Curated Nest, Kelsey McGregor, Anne McDonald, Byron Risdon, Laura Sullivan, Heidi Woodman, Anita Yokota, and the Iron House design team.

The home will be open for tours from 12-7pm on October 24th – 27th. Select furniture in the home will be available for auction at the conclusion of the show home. All proceeds from the tour will directly benefit Habitat for Humanity of Henderson County and Thermal Belt. Tickets to tour are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

House Beautiful has also once again partnered with Wellness Within Your Walls, an internationally recognized resource group created to provide education and guidance on toxins in the living environment.

Sunday, October 27, 2024
SC Arms Collectors Association Gun + Knife Show
Oct 27 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Greenville Convention Center

SC Arms Collectors Association Gun & Knife Show – Hall 1 – Parking off Exposition Drive

SCACA ADMISSION

ADULTS: $10.00  |  MILITARY: $8.00  

12 Yrs. & Under: Free when accompanied by an adult.  

Must Show Military ID

Greenville Convention Center Parking

   $5.00 Per Vehicle   

​DATES:

January 20 & 21, 2024

Saturday 9 AM – 5 PM

Sunday 10 AM – 4 PM

August 10 & 11, 2024

Saturday 9 AM – 5 PM

Sunday 10 AM – 4 PM

December 21 & 22, 2024

Saturday 9 AM – 5 PM

Sunday 10 AM – 4 PM

April 20 & 21, 2024

Saturday 9 AM – 5 PM

Sunday 10 AM – 4 PM

October 26 & 27, 2024

Saturday 9 AM – 5 PM

Sunday 10 AM – 4 PM

House Beautiful’s 2024 Whole Home Renovation – Tour This Innovative New Home!
Oct 27 @ 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm
House Beautiful's 2024 Whole Home

House Beautiful announced their seventh annual Whole Home build will take place in the historic city of Asheville, North Carolina. Through a partnership with luxury home builder Living Stone Design & Build, leading designers and industry sponsors, House Beautiful is debuting its first-ever vacation Whole Home.

Join us at this beautiful new home in the Sprout Community showcasing top designers and beautiful furnishings. This year’s 2024 Whole Home build is the ultimate second home, offering a multiplatform experience with fresh ideas for design enthusiasts and renovation solutions small and large. The 3,600-square-foot home will seamlessly blend into the surrounding natural beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains, offering an elevated modern build style and biophilic design with toxin-free materials.

The renovated home will be featured on HouseBeautiful.com and in the November/December 2024 Renovation Issue of House Beautiful, which will hit newsstands on November 26.

A talented team of diverse interior designers with a range of sensibilities will reimagine the mountain property: Living Stone: MA Allen, Rajni Alex, Dane Austin, Erin Coren and Lina Galvão of Curated Nest, Kelsey McGregor, Anne McDonald, Byron Risdon, Laura Sullivan, Heidi Woodman, Anita Yokota, and the Iron House design team.

The home will be open for tours from 12-7pm on October 24th – 27th. Select furniture in the home will be available for auction at the conclusion of the show home. All proceeds from the tour will directly benefit Habitat for Humanity of Henderson County and Thermal Belt. Tickets to tour are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

House Beautiful has also once again partnered with Wellness Within Your Walls, an internationally recognized resource group created to provide education and guidance on toxins in the living environment.

Friday, November 1, 2024
Storytelling and Stargazing: A Telling of the Orpheus Myth and Poetic Pilgrimages to the Underworld
Nov 1 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Sundial at the High Meadow

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..

Saturday, November 2, 2024
North Carolina Writers Network Fall Conference
Nov 2 – Nov 3 all-day
DoubleTree - Biltmore

Registration is now open for The North Carolina Writers’ Network 2024 Fall Conference. The conference will open on Friday, November 1, with a keynote address by Ron Rash, author of The Caretaker, Serena, and The World Made Straight.

The Fall Conference takes place November 1-3, 2024 at the DoubleTree Asheville in Biltmore Village. The organization’s biannual conferences are hosted in different North Carolina cities each year. The last time the conference took place in Asheville was 2019. This weekend event, designed to deepen meaningful connections among attendees, is a three-day celebration of North Carolina’s literary craft with talks, workshops, panels, and resources.

Join over 200 other writers and literature enthusiasts!

The conference welcomes attendees to experience two sides of literary craft: the evolving publishing environment for North Carolina writers, as well as craft technique that makes good writing endure through the ages. Ron Rash will be joined on the conference faculty by more than three dozen award-winning and acclaimed writers, editors, and publicists leading classes on the craft and business of writing.

Artists + Writers Coffee
Nov 2 @ 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
Saturday, November 9, 2024
Smiley’s Flea Market 40th Anniversary Celebration!
Nov 9 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
5360 Hendersonville Rd

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!

Artists + Writers Coffee
Nov 9 @ 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
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Celebrate Cozy Season with Local Author Ashley English
Nov 13 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Black Mountain Library

We are delighted to host a series of workshops with Ashley English, author of books on topics ranging from raising chickens to canning & preserving, and from hosting potlucks to homemade health & wellness products. Get a jump start on holiday gifting. FREE! Refreshments will be served.

NC Writers Network & The Brandy Bar host “In the Company of Writers” series with Kathy S. Bowers & Lee Stockdale
Nov 13 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Brandy Bar + Cocktails

The North Carolina Writers Network and The Brandy Bar + Cocktails present
KATHY SMITH BOWERS & LEE STOCKDALE 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 that occurs the 2nd Wednesday of each month. 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 are available at the entrance.
Cathy Smith Bowers, a former Poet-Laureate of North Carolina, lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

NC Writers Network & The Brandy Bar host “In the Company of Writers” series with Kathy S. Bowers & Lee Stockdale
Nov 13 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Brandy Bar + Cocktails

The North Carolina Writers Network and The Brandy Bar + Cocktails present
KATHY SMITH BOWERS & LEE STOCKDALE 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 that occurs the 2nd Wednesday of each month. 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 are available at the entrance.
Cathy Smith Bowers, a former Poet-Laureate of North Carolina, lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Friday, November 15, 2024
Winter Lights
Nov 15 @ 6:00 pm
North Carolina Arboretum

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.

Saturday, November 16, 2024
Artists + Writers Coffee
Nov 16 @ 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
Winter Lights
Nov 16 @ 6:00 pm
North Carolina Arboretum

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.

Sunday, November 17, 2024
The Fifth Annual Asheville Tattoo Arts Festival
Nov 17 all-day
Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville

The original and best tattoo festival is back in Asheville once more for the Fifth Annual Asheville Tattoo Arts Festival! Hosted by Villain Arts at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville, this event will feature hundreds of tattoo artists, some from across the country, and a few from around the world, specializing in all different tattooing styles. Some artists you may already even know, like Anwon Boneface Johnson (Ink Master seasons 8, 9 & Grudge Match), Big Jaz (Ink Master season 12), or Charles Whitfield (VH1.) Attendees can enter their new or existing ink in tattoo competitions! Or shop among our numerous vendors selling everything from clothing and jewelry to oddities and more. The festival will also feature live entertainment, including sideshow acts and human suspension! There truly is something here for everyone to enjoy. So, don’t delay! Join the fun and get some ink this weekend at the Fifth Annual Asheville Tattoo Arts Festival!

Event Hours by Day:
Friday 15th 2pm-11pm
Saturday 16th 11am-11pm
Sunday 17th 11am-8pm

Tickets:
$25 for a 1-day pass
$50 for a 3-day pass
Free admission for children under 12