Asheville.com Events Calendar - Concerts, Nightlife & More

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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.

Monday, July 8, 2024

WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training

Jul 8 all-day

Asheville Area

Become a CRAFT member and join us for some incredible CRAFT farm tours this summer!

WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) is a farmer-led effort to bring established farmers, farm apprentices, and aspiring farmers together for year-long training in the art and science of sustainable agriculture, straight from the hearts, mouths, and fields of seasoned local farmers in Western North Carolina (WNC).

Why join CRAFT?

Network with beginning and experienced farmers to exchange your ideas and knowledge and build community in the region.
Expand your training opportunities beyond your farm to bolster the robustness of your apprenticeship offerings.
Attract aspiring farmers to your apprenticeship positions to cultivate success and improve the future of our region’s agriculture.
Farm tours are held monthly from April through October and focus on a specific aspect of sustainable farming. Check out the tour schedule and read blog posts about past tours.
Gain access to the CRAFT Farmer Handbook: farmer-generated, regionally-specific information on all aspects of farming.
Round-table discussions provide a place for farmers to discuss advanced farming topics.
The farmer network includes farmers and farm workers and is built on a farmer-to-farmer exchange of ideas.

Categories: Garden Garden Events Tours

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Jul 8 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
Garden Open Year Round

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.

Categories: Family Fun Garden Garden Events Outdoors

Tuesday, July 9, 2024

Tools to Support Liberation

Jul 9 all-day

online w/Bountiful Cities

Liberation Tools is a cooperative subset of the 501c3 nonprofit Soul & Soil Project based in the unceded Tsalagi (Cherokee) territory of Western North Carolina.
Our mission is to build a collective that sustainably and skillfully crafts quality tools used for growing food, and freely distributes them to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. To support these efforts, we sell these tools for twice the cost of producing one, thereby allowing people with accumulated wealth to access high quality tools by also paying for an identical tool to be sent to a BIPOC land steward.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/o/tickets/forms/edit?ticketingId=d65860b2-f8dc-4438-bef5-191cf74bb9dc&#advanced-parameters

Categories: Community Donations Garden Events

WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training

Jul 9 all-day

Asheville Area

Become a CRAFT member and join us for some incredible CRAFT farm tours this summer!

WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) is a farmer-led effort to bring established farmers, farm apprentices, and aspiring farmers together for year-long training in the art and science of sustainable agriculture, straight from the hearts, mouths, and fields of seasoned local farmers in Western North Carolina (WNC).

Why join CRAFT?

Network with beginning and experienced farmers to exchange your ideas and knowledge and build community in the region.
Expand your training opportunities beyond your farm to bolster the robustness of your apprenticeship offerings.
Attract aspiring farmers to your apprenticeship positions to cultivate success and improve the future of our region’s agriculture.
Farm tours are held monthly from April through October and focus on a specific aspect of sustainable farming. Check out the tour schedule and read blog posts about past tours.
Gain access to the CRAFT Farmer Handbook: farmer-generated, regionally-specific information on all aspects of farming.
Round-table discussions provide a place for farmers to discuss advanced farming topics.
The farmer network includes farmers and farm workers and is built on a farmer-to-farmer exchange of ideas.

Categories: Garden Garden Events Tours

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Jul 9 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
Garden Open Year Round

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.

Categories: Family Fun Garden Garden Events Outdoors

Breath Medicine: Community Breathwork at The Restoration AVL

Jul 9 @ 6:30 pm – 7:45 pm

The Restoration Hotel Asheville

Restore yourself in community! Join The Breath Nurse for a donation-based full body reset that will leave you feeling lighter, more alive, motivated and energized (+ likely blissed out!) through the medicine of your breath in this monthly community breathwork event held in the stunning Solarium of The Restoration Hotel Asheville 🌿

❤️ Suggested self-care investment/donation: $10-$25 ❤️

Enhance your well-being and tap into your true nature for self-care, personal growth and development, healing, transformation, and activation of yourself and your life for greater joy, happiness, and health over time!

You’ll get out of your head as you reconnect with yourself and your body to breathe out stress, anxiety, overwhelm, self-criticism and whatever else might be weighing you down (ie: low mood, anger, disappointment, shame, stuckness) to make room for more peace, calm, clarity, and joy within.

Please preregister. Must be 18+ and in good health to participate. All genders welcome!

Categories: Health & Wellness

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

ASAP: How Does Western North Carolina Shop for Food SURVEY

Jul 10 all-day

online

ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) has released a survey to learn more about how people in Western North Carolina shop for food and why they choose the food they do. The survey, part of a three-year project by ASAP’s Local Food Research Center, is for any resident of Western North Carolina over the age of 18, no matter where or how they shop for food. It can be completed online at surveymonkey.com/r/WNCFoodASAP or over the phone by calling ASAP at 828-236-1282. It should take approximately 8 to 12 minutes to complete and will be open through Oct. 31, 2024. Respondents are encouraged to share the survey widely with families, friends, and co-workers.

“By completing this survey, you are helping local farmers understand and connect with consumers,” said Amy Marion, ASAP Associate Director and lead researcher. “The challenges of our food system are constantly evolving. Improving it requires active participation from all community members. With this research we can better understand consumer values and the barriers they face, and help farmers and food producers improve communications with their customers and their communities.”

The survey is part of a three-year research project, “Connections in Direct Markets: Assessing the feedback loop between consumer values and farmers’ marketing strategies,” which will examine and improve communication and alignment between farmers and consumers in Western North Carolina. The research phase will also employ consumer focus groups, farmer interviews and case studies, and more targeted surveying. The broad consumer survey provides an update to the last consumer survey conducted by the Local Food Research Center in 2014. Results from the current research project will be shared in 2025.

ASAP founded the Local Food Research Center in 2011 to study the economic, environmental, and social impacts of localizing food systems. From its inception, ASAP’s programs and services have been grounded in research and evaluation, adjusting based on a strong feedback loop and observation of current conditions in the food system.

This project is supported in part by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2022-38640-37488 through the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number LS23-382. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.

Categories: Community Food & Drink Health & Wellness

Farm Beginnings® Program: Farmer program applications open

Jul 10 all-day

Organic Growers School

Farm Beginnings® is training the next generation of farmers in the many skills required to start and expand a successful farm business: passion, clear goals, production experience, financial and marketing know-how, and more.

Farm Beginnings® will help you build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking. We support individuals in clarifying their goals and strengths, developing agricultural skills, and growing profitable, equitable, and ecologically sound farm businesses.

The OGS Approach

Guided by our commitment to social justice, our programming is led by farmers and mentors active in food, farming, or social justice. By empowering people with skills, knowledge, and access to resources, together we can build a more diverse, equitable food system that enriches the environment and creates a thriving food and farming community.

We use a holistic management frame, farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, mentoring, and an extensive farmer network. The topics of equity and justice in the food systems are woven into the curriculum, including examples of realistic approaches within the scope of your business models.

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning
Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers
One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership
Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan
Access to field days with regional partners
Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference
Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference
15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning
Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers
One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership
Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan
Access to field days with regional partners
Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference
Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference
15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

View a sample of the full course schedule here.

Categories: Education Garden Garden Events

WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training

Jul 10 all-day

Asheville Area

Become a CRAFT member and join us for some incredible CRAFT farm tours this summer!

WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) is a farmer-led effort to bring established farmers, farm apprentices, and aspiring farmers together for year-long training in the art and science of sustainable agriculture, straight from the hearts, mouths, and fields of seasoned local farmers in Western North Carolina (WNC).

Why join CRAFT?

Network with beginning and experienced farmers to exchange your ideas and knowledge and build community in the region.
Expand your training opportunities beyond your farm to bolster the robustness of your apprenticeship offerings.
Attract aspiring farmers to your apprenticeship positions to cultivate success and improve the future of our region’s agriculture.
Farm tours are held monthly from April through October and focus on a specific aspect of sustainable farming. Check out the tour schedule and read blog posts about past tours.
Gain access to the CRAFT Farmer Handbook: farmer-generated, regionally-specific information on all aspects of farming.
Round-table discussions provide a place for farmers to discuss advanced farming topics.
The farmer network includes farmers and farm workers and is built on a farmer-to-farmer exchange of ideas.

Categories: Garden Garden Events Tours

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Jul 10 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
Garden Open Year Round

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.

Categories: Family Fun Garden Garden Events Outdoors

Midweek Serenity Sound Bath

Jul 10 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Center or Spiritual Living Asheville

Center your mind, body and spirit 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.

Categories: Health & Wellness Meditation Music Nightlife Spiritual

Thursday, July 11, 2024

Tools to Support Liberation

Jul 11 all-day

online w/Bountiful Cities

Liberation Tools is a cooperative subset of the 501c3 nonprofit Soul & Soil Project based in the unceded Tsalagi (Cherokee) territory of Western North Carolina.
Our mission is to build a collective that sustainably and skillfully crafts quality tools used for growing food, and freely distributes them to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. To support these efforts, we sell these tools for twice the cost of producing one, thereby allowing people with accumulated wealth to access high quality tools by also paying for an identical tool to be sent to a BIPOC land steward.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/o/tickets/forms/edit?ticketingId=d65860b2-f8dc-4438-bef5-191cf74bb9dc&#advanced-parameters

Categories: Community Donations Garden Events

WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training

Jul 11 all-day

Asheville Area

Become a CRAFT member and join us for some incredible CRAFT farm tours this summer!

WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) is a farmer-led effort to bring established farmers, farm apprentices, and aspiring farmers together for year-long training in the art and science of sustainable agriculture, straight from the hearts, mouths, and fields of seasoned local farmers in Western North Carolina (WNC).

Why join CRAFT?

Network with beginning and experienced farmers to exchange your ideas and knowledge and build community in the region.
Expand your training opportunities beyond your farm to bolster the robustness of your apprenticeship offerings.
Attract aspiring farmers to your apprenticeship positions to cultivate success and improve the future of our region’s agriculture.
Farm tours are held monthly from April through October and focus on a specific aspect of sustainable farming. Check out the tour schedule and read blog posts about past tours.
Gain access to the CRAFT Farmer Handbook: farmer-generated, regionally-specific information on all aspects of farming.
Round-table discussions provide a place for farmers to discuss advanced farming topics.
The farmer network includes farmers and farm workers and is built on a farmer-to-farmer exchange of ideas.

Categories: Garden Garden Events Tours

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Jul 11 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
Garden Open Year Round

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.

Categories: Family Fun Garden Garden Events Outdoors

The Learning Garden presents: Dye Garden Series: Hands-on Dyeing with Madder, Beautiful Red from Roots

Jul 11 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am

NC Cooperative Extension Buncombe County Center

Presenters: Pat Strang and Joyce Tromba, Extension Master Gardener^SM Volunteers

In this class at the dye garden we will talk about the best way to prepare your fiber for natural dyeing, how to extract pigment from a plant and how to dye your fiber. We will be using Madder, one of the heritage colors that has been used for thousands of years. The pigment comes from the roots of the plant which must grow for at least three years to be big enough to harvest. The pigment alizarin produces a range of colors from orange to red. We have a few madder plants left for sale at 5 dollars each. Everyone will also take home a cotton bandana that they have dyed.

We request a donation of 10 dollars to cover our cost. Please bring cash.

Categories: Garden Garden Events

Adult Mental Health Series: Opportunities to Help in a Crisis Time

Jul 11 @ 1:00 pm

Leicester Library

Want to learn more about managing depression and nervous energy? Got questions about medications or emotional implications of chronic illness? Join Vaya Health’s Geriatric and Adult Mental Health Specialty team for a series of classes at the Enka-Candler and Leicester Libraries

Classes are free to attend, but registration is required. Please visit the Vaya Health calendar to register. Everyone is welcome.

An individual can experience a crisis suddenly and without warning, especially when symptoms of a mental illness are involved. As a caregiver or responder, possessing skills that support de-escalation is imperative. Did you know that you can help? This course provides information about crises in older adults, barriers to de-escalation, and specific methods of stabilizing support.

Categories: Community Health & Wellness

Planting for Pollinators

Jul 11 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Bullington Gardens

Henderson County Extension Agent and host of the Gardening in the Mountains Radio Show Steve Pettis will discuss the importance of beneficial insects and pollinators and how to garden for their benefit. Then Steve will lead a pollinator walk through the Bullington Garden grounds.

Categories: Garden Garden Events

Friday, July 12, 2024

ASAP: How Does Western North Carolina Shop for Food SURVEY

Jul 12 all-day

online

ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) has released a survey to learn more about how people in Western North Carolina shop for food and why they choose the food they do. The survey, part of a three-year project by ASAP’s Local Food Research Center, is for any resident of Western North Carolina over the age of 18, no matter where or how they shop for food. It can be completed online at surveymonkey.com/r/WNCFoodASAP or over the phone by calling ASAP at 828-236-1282. It should take approximately 8 to 12 minutes to complete and will be open through Oct. 31, 2024. Respondents are encouraged to share the survey widely with families, friends, and co-workers.

“By completing this survey, you are helping local farmers understand and connect with consumers,” said Amy Marion, ASAP Associate Director and lead researcher. “The challenges of our food system are constantly evolving. Improving it requires active participation from all community members. With this research we can better understand consumer values and the barriers they face, and help farmers and food producers improve communications with their customers and their communities.”

The survey is part of a three-year research project, “Connections in Direct Markets: Assessing the feedback loop between consumer values and farmers’ marketing strategies,” which will examine and improve communication and alignment between farmers and consumers in Western North Carolina. The research phase will also employ consumer focus groups, farmer interviews and case studies, and more targeted surveying. The broad consumer survey provides an update to the last consumer survey conducted by the Local Food Research Center in 2014. Results from the current research project will be shared in 2025.

ASAP founded the Local Food Research Center in 2011 to study the economic, environmental, and social impacts of localizing food systems. From its inception, ASAP’s programs and services have been grounded in research and evaluation, adjusting based on a strong feedback loop and observation of current conditions in the food system.

This project is supported in part by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2022-38640-37488 through the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number LS23-382. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.

Categories: Community Food & Drink Health & Wellness

Farm Beginnings® Program: Farmer program applications open

Jul 12 all-day

Organic Growers School

Farm Beginnings® is training the next generation of farmers in the many skills required to start and expand a successful farm business: passion, clear goals, production experience, financial and marketing know-how, and more.

Farm Beginnings® will help you build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking. We support individuals in clarifying their goals and strengths, developing agricultural skills, and growing profitable, equitable, and ecologically sound farm businesses.

The OGS Approach

Guided by our commitment to social justice, our programming is led by farmers and mentors active in food, farming, or social justice. By empowering people with skills, knowledge, and access to resources, together we can build a more diverse, equitable food system that enriches the environment and creates a thriving food and farming community.

We use a holistic management frame, farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, mentoring, and an extensive farmer network. The topics of equity and justice in the food systems are woven into the curriculum, including examples of realistic approaches within the scope of your business models.

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning
Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers
One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership
Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan
Access to field days with regional partners
Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference
Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference
15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning
Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers
One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership
Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan
Access to field days with regional partners
Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference
Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference
15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

View a sample of the full course schedule here.

Categories: Education Garden Garden Events

WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training

Jul 12 all-day

Asheville Area

Become a CRAFT member and join us for some incredible CRAFT farm tours this summer!

WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) is a farmer-led effort to bring established farmers, farm apprentices, and aspiring farmers together for year-long training in the art and science of sustainable agriculture, straight from the hearts, mouths, and fields of seasoned local farmers in Western North Carolina (WNC).

Why join CRAFT?

Network with beginning and experienced farmers to exchange your ideas and knowledge and build community in the region.
Expand your training opportunities beyond your farm to bolster the robustness of your apprenticeship offerings.
Attract aspiring farmers to your apprenticeship positions to cultivate success and improve the future of our region’s agriculture.
Farm tours are held monthly from April through October and focus on a specific aspect of sustainable farming. Check out the tour schedule and read blog posts about past tours.
Gain access to the CRAFT Farmer Handbook: farmer-generated, regionally-specific information on all aspects of farming.
Round-table discussions provide a place for farmers to discuss advanced farming topics.
The farmer network includes farmers and farm workers and is built on a farmer-to-farmer exchange of ideas.

Categories: Garden Garden Events Tours

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Jul 12 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
Garden Open Year Round

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.

Categories: Family Fun Garden Garden Events Outdoors

Saturday, July 13, 2024

WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training

Jul 13 all-day

Asheville Area

Become a CRAFT member and join us for some incredible CRAFT farm tours this summer!

WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) is a farmer-led effort to bring established farmers, farm apprentices, and aspiring farmers together for year-long training in the art and science of sustainable agriculture, straight from the hearts, mouths, and fields of seasoned local farmers in Western North Carolina (WNC).

Why join CRAFT?

Network with beginning and experienced farmers to exchange your ideas and knowledge and build community in the region.
Expand your training opportunities beyond your farm to bolster the robustness of your apprenticeship offerings.
Attract aspiring farmers to your apprenticeship positions to cultivate success and improve the future of our region’s agriculture.
Farm tours are held monthly from April through October and focus on a specific aspect of sustainable farming. Check out the tour schedule and read blog posts about past tours.
Gain access to the CRAFT Farmer Handbook: farmer-generated, regionally-specific information on all aspects of farming.
Round-table discussions provide a place for farmers to discuss advanced farming topics.
The farmer network includes farmers and farm workers and is built on a farmer-to-farmer exchange of ideas.

Categories: Garden Garden Events Tours

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Jul 13 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
Garden Open Year Round

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.

Categories: Family Fun Garden Garden Events Outdoors

Summer Gardening Series: Pest & Pollinators

Jul 13 @ 10:00 am

Reems Creek Nursery

July Series:

Pests & Pollinators

This series’ goal is to empower growers to cultivate environments that not only support their agricultural endeavors but also support pollinator populations native to the WNC region. By understanding how to provide conditions to increase biodiversity and regulate a balance, growers can nurture essential allies, contribute to conservation efforts, and enjoy an easier growing season overall.

The three classes in this series will explore various topics essential to achieving these aims. Whether you’re a seasoned grower or just beginning your journey, join us in this enriching exploration of holistic gardening.

Class 1: Landscaping with WNC Native Plants

Drew Lathin, Mountain Native Landscape Design

We will explore the vital role of native plants in fostering biodiversity and supporting native wildlife locally. Discover how incorporating natives into your outdoor spaces benefits the environment and enhances a garden and your well-being by creating resilient, beautiful, and low-maintenance landscapes. Learn the fundamentals of designing and installing native plants to cultivate thriving ecosystems right in your own backyard.
Class 2: Pollinator-Friendly Pest Management

Jill Jacobs & Brannen Bashem, Spriggly’s Beescaping

In this class, participants will learn about the pollinators, predators, prey, and pests found in the environment and methods to work with the ecosystem rather than against it. Chemicals should never be needed when proper Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is used. Participants will explore the necessary steps to create a Pollinator-Friendly IPM plan that is perfect for their space and focuses on cultural, mechanical, and biological methods rather than chemical methods, even organic ones.
Class 3: Gardenscaping for Pollinators & Predatory Insects

Patryk Battle, Living Web Farms

Learn to control common garden pests by supporting abundant diverse insect communities with plantings and other critical components. We will delve into implementing organic controls for the few pests who don’t respond to this approach (a.k.a. bring your own bugs!). This informative, question-based workshop will start with stories and examples and broaden into core concepts for implementing a gardenscaping approach to pest management.

Categories: Garden Garden Events

Blossoms + Blooms

Jul 13 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Bullington Gardens

Blossoms & Blooms: Creating Vibrant Arrangements with Easy-to-Grow Annuals

Unleash your inner florist and join us for a journey into the world of floral design! Learn the art of crafting stunning flower arrangements using easy-to-grow annuals that you can easily self-seed. Floral materials will be provided, just bring your favorite container.

Led by Mary Quirk who previously designed for Biltmore House, this hands-on class is perfect for beginners and gardening enthusiasts alike.

Categories: Garden Garden Events

Sunday, July 14, 2024

ASAP: How Does Western North Carolina Shop for Food SURVEY

Jul 14 all-day

online

ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) has released a survey to learn more about how people in Western North Carolina shop for food and why they choose the food they do. The survey, part of a three-year project by ASAP’s Local Food Research Center, is for any resident of Western North Carolina over the age of 18, no matter where or how they shop for food. It can be completed online at surveymonkey.com/r/WNCFoodASAP or over the phone by calling ASAP at 828-236-1282. It should take approximately 8 to 12 minutes to complete and will be open through Oct. 31, 2024. Respondents are encouraged to share the survey widely with families, friends, and co-workers.

“By completing this survey, you are helping local farmers understand and connect with consumers,” said Amy Marion, ASAP Associate Director and lead researcher. “The challenges of our food system are constantly evolving. Improving it requires active participation from all community members. With this research we can better understand consumer values and the barriers they face, and help farmers and food producers improve communications with their customers and their communities.”

The survey is part of a three-year research project, “Connections in Direct Markets: Assessing the feedback loop between consumer values and farmers’ marketing strategies,” which will examine and improve communication and alignment between farmers and consumers in Western North Carolina. The research phase will also employ consumer focus groups, farmer interviews and case studies, and more targeted surveying. The broad consumer survey provides an update to the last consumer survey conducted by the Local Food Research Center in 2014. Results from the current research project will be shared in 2025.

ASAP founded the Local Food Research Center in 2011 to study the economic, environmental, and social impacts of localizing food systems. From its inception, ASAP’s programs and services have been grounded in research and evaluation, adjusting based on a strong feedback loop and observation of current conditions in the food system.

This project is supported in part by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2022-38640-37488 through the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number LS23-382. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.

Categories: Community Food & Drink Health & Wellness

Tools to Support Liberation

Jul 14 all-day

online w/Bountiful Cities

Liberation Tools is a cooperative subset of the 501c3 nonprofit Soul & Soil Project based in the unceded Tsalagi (Cherokee) territory of Western North Carolina.
Our mission is to build a collective that sustainably and skillfully crafts quality tools used for growing food, and freely distributes them to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. To support these efforts, we sell these tools for twice the cost of producing one, thereby allowing people with accumulated wealth to access high quality tools by also paying for an identical tool to be sent to a BIPOC land steward.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/o/tickets/forms/edit?ticketingId=d65860b2-f8dc-4438-bef5-191cf74bb9dc&#advanced-parameters

Categories: Community Donations Garden Events

Urban Garden Tour + Tasting

Jul 14 all-day

Tour in Asheville Area

The third annual Urban Garden Tour and Tasting with Bountiful Cities is FREE and open to everyone! Visit Food Producing gardens, and Urban Farms located throughout the city. Food and/or beverages will be provided for tasting ticket holders in each of the gardens, as well as tours, activities, and entertainment.

If you are interested in volunteering, or becoming a sponsor to help us make this amazing event happen (on the day of or in a garden beforehand), please contact [email protected] or

Sign Up to Find Out More About Volunteering

Please stay tuned as we unveil the participating gardens, chefs, musicians and activity partners for this event!

Categories: Food & Drink Garden Events Tours

Flower Pounding Workshop and Private Salt Cave session

Jul 14 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Asheville Salt Cave

Flower-Pounding Workshop & Private Salt Cave Session Merging nature, art, and wellness!

Come spend a morning enjoying the beautiful gardens of Asheville Salt Cave.
Learn the art of flower-pounding and design your own reusable canvas bag.
Following the instruction and creation time, we will transition inside the Salt Cave for a healing meditation session.
Our morning will finish with an herbal tea sampling and an opportunity to walk the newly constructed labyrinth in the garden.

Register now:
Space is limited. $80 per person Tickets are nonrefundable once purchased. Please be mindful of your volume as you move about our entire space, as others are in healing sessions.

Categories: Art & Craft Health & Wellness Meditation

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Jul 14 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
Garden Open Year Round

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.

Categories: Family Fun Garden Garden Events Outdoors

July 2024 Jul 2024