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, April 30, 2022
Celebrating Rwanda’s Resilience Through Music + Culture
Apr 30 all-day
online w/ LEAF

Step Into the heart of Rwanda With Culture Keeper David Kwizera + the LEAF International Rwanda Jr. Troupe! This spring documentary is exactly what you need!

Hunger is Real: The Voices of WNC MANNA Announces a Short Documentary on Food Insecurity in WNC
Apr 30 all-day
online

We invite you to view this 13-minute film and share it with your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and other communities. As you view this film, we hope that you can see your hands, heart, and support at work in the collective efforts of everyone – volunteers, partner agencies, donors, advocates, and our neighbors sharing their lived experience – to address hunger right here in the mountains of Western North Carolina, and to be part of the solution for thousands of families every month.
Homegrown Dreams Workshop
Apr 30 @ 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Creekside Farms

Have you been dreaming about a more sustainable future? Cultivate a deeper connection with your community, place, and self with the Organic Growers School one-day workshop: Homegrown Dreams, Visioning for a Land-Based Life.

Homegrown Dreams is an entry-level workshop designed to help you start planning out and acting on your dreams to become more self-sufficient and live off of your land, no matter the scale.

When we form these reciprocal relationships with the land, we better understand the importance of regenerative practices.

Enhance your confidence, skill, and excitement to create the lifestyle you imagine.
Uncover your personal values, skills, and resources
Chart a path to move forward over the next 1 to 5 years in your homestead plans.

Date: Saturday, April 30, 2022; 10am – 4:30 pm

Location: Creekside Farm
339 Avery Creek Rd, Arden, NC 28704

https://organicgrowersschool.org/product/2022-homegrown-dreams-in-person/

Sunday, May 1, 2022
Celebrating Rwanda’s Resilience Through Music + Culture
May 1 all-day
online w/ LEAF

Step Into the heart of Rwanda With Culture Keeper David Kwizera + the LEAF International Rwanda Jr. Troupe! This spring documentary is exactly what you need!

Monday, May 2, 2022
Celebrating Rwanda’s Resilience Through Music + Culture
May 2 all-day
online w/ LEAF

Step Into the heart of Rwanda With Culture Keeper David Kwizera + the LEAF International Rwanda Jr. Troupe! This spring documentary is exactly what you need!

Tuesday, May 3, 2022
Celebrating Rwanda’s Resilience Through Music + Culture
May 3 all-day
online w/ LEAF

Step Into the heart of Rwanda With Culture Keeper David Kwizera + the LEAF International Rwanda Jr. Troupe! This spring documentary is exactly what you need!

Wednesday, May 4, 2022
Celebrating Rwanda’s Resilience Through Music + Culture
May 4 all-day
online w/ LEAF

Step Into the heart of Rwanda With Culture Keeper David Kwizera + the LEAF International Rwanda Jr. Troupe! This spring documentary is exactly what you need!

Drawing for Absolute Beginners
May 4 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Purple Crayon

Drawing is not a talent; it’s a skill anyone can learn. Whether you want to capture ideas for your next art project, take your painting to the next level, explore a new medium, or just jumpstart your creativity post-COVID, veteran instructor Terrilynn Dubreuil will teach you everything you need to get started.

You’ll begin by learning how to draw simple 2D and 3D shapes using a photograph. Next, you’ll practice drawing 3D shapes from “life objects.” Finally, you’ll play with drawing a simple still life composition.

Throughout the class, you’ll improve your ability to draw objects realistically by learning to notice, and then capture, object proportions, relationships between objects, and light on objects.

Best of all? Terrilynn’s decades-long experience teaching beginners will make your learning easy and fun! You’ll leave the class newly inspired and with the knowledge, techniques, and confidence to draw anything.

Creativity Lab
May 4 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Story Parlor

Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm at Story Parlor
April 13, April 20, April 27, May 4, May 11, May 18*
*Final class on May 18 runs from 6:30-9:30pm
Make up class reserved for May 25

Story Parlor presents Creativity Lab: a six-week exploration of the creative process, common blocks and obstacles, and ways to kickstart and sustain creative momentum.

Focused on the process and the act of doing, opposed to product or outcome, Creativity Lab explores ways to overcome fear, embrace curiosity, and channel our muse in all creative endeavors.

The six-week workshop is experiential, hands-on, and tactile. The Lab will utilize exercises to help cultivate imagination, innovation, and creativity. Each class will focus on a different part of the creativity process all while building a tool kit for dealing with obstacles in our way, creating positive habits for growth, and investigating the ways our personal narratives intersect with our work.

Registration Includes:

A guidebook with supplementary readings, exercises, and activities

A custom Story Parlor notebook

Access to Creativity Mixers

Who Should Attend:

Anyone looking to kickstart or follow-through with a creative project

Anyone wanting to discover more about their habits and approach to creativity

Anyone hoping to learn more about the process of being creative

Anyone wishing to make creativity a part of their daily life

Anyone looking to explore the intersection of art and the human condition

Anyone interested in identifying their core values’ intersection with creative goals and aspirations

Anyone wanting a creative community in which to play, explore, and experiment

Thursday, May 5, 2022
Celebrating Rwanda’s Resilience Through Music + Culture
May 5 all-day
online w/ LEAF

Step Into the heart of Rwanda With Culture Keeper David Kwizera + the LEAF International Rwanda Jr. Troupe! This spring documentary is exactly what you need!

Friday, May 6, 2022
Celebrating Rwanda’s Resilience Through Music + Culture
May 6 all-day
online w/ LEAF

Step Into the heart of Rwanda With Culture Keeper David Kwizera + the LEAF International Rwanda Jr. Troupe! This spring documentary is exactly what you need!

Make Your Own Treat Dispenser – workshop with Mountain Makers
May 6 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library

Join us for this hands on workshop hosted by Mountain Makers. Make your own treat dispenser. This dispenser will work as a dispenser for pet treats or people treats.

Have fun training your furry friend to use to dispense their own treats by pushing a lever. Or, fill the dispenser with candy or other human treats for fun in your home or office.

Supplies will be provided. Registration is required.

Make Your Own Treat Dispenser - workshop with Mountain Makers

Saturday, May 7, 2022
Celebrating Rwanda’s Resilience Through Music + Culture
May 7 all-day
online w/ LEAF

Step Into the heart of Rwanda With Culture Keeper David Kwizera + the LEAF International Rwanda Jr. Troupe! This spring documentary is exactly what you need!

DIY: Macrame Plant Hangers
May 7 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Weaverville Library

DIY: Macrame Plant Hangers

Learn to make a macramé plant hanger of your very own!  All supplies will be provided.

Space is limited and pre-registration is necessary.

Cut the Clutter Workshop
May 7 @ 10:30 am – 11:45 am
Pack Memorial Library

Cut the Clutter Workshop

Pack Library is hosting professional organizer Shannon Smith to help everyone with their decluttering approach.

Smith will present simple steps to help edit, curate and contain belongings, as well as present library resources that will help organize a home.

This program is free of charge.

Introduction to Fluid Art
May 7 @ 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Purple Crayon

Have you ever wanted to create an abstract painting but weren’t sure how to start? If so, fluid art—also called [acrylic] pour painting, flow art, liquid art., etc.—might be just what you’re looking for!

Fluid art is a form of abstract art that uses acrylic paints with a runny (fluid) consistency. The paints react with each other when combined to make interesting and visually organic motifs. As the paints run amok and spill across your canvas, the possibilities are endless!

In this workshop, Dawn Barnard will show you several different ways to do acrylic pours. Then, you’ll practice the techniques, making multiple 8” x 10” abstract paintings. Finally, Dawn will demonstrate how to finish your painting with an acrylic coating.

This is a fun and easy class and is great for experimenting with color!

Sunday, May 8, 2022
Film: Southern Rites
May 8 @ 2:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

In conjunction with Gillian Laub’s Southern Rites exhibition on view through July 4, 2022, join us to view Laub’s 2015 documentary. Please note, face coverings are required to view this film.

Southern Rites visits Montgomery County, Georgia, one year after the town merged its racially segregated proms, and during a historic election campaign that may lead to its first African-American sheriff. Acclaimed photographer Gillian Laub, whose photos first brought the area unwanted notoriety, documents the repercussions when a white town resident is charged with the murder of a young black man. The case divides locals along well-worn racial lines, and the ensuing plea bargain and sentencing uncover complex truths and produce emotional revelations. This timely film debuts the week of the Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision 61 years ago. Executive produced by John Legend, Troy Carter and Mike Jackson; written and produced by Josh Alexander.

Click here to view the trailer.

Tuesday, May 10, 2022
LEAF Learning Journey Workshops
May 10 all-day
LEAF Global

Leah Song

We are super stoked to open up LEAF Learning Journey Master Class series for EVERYONE- ALL LEVELS & AGES. Workshops Tues May 10th & Wed May 11th will be at LEAF Global (19 Eagle St. Downtown AVL). Now, anyone interested in learning from these masters and getting a chance to perform with them on the opening day of LEAF Retreat May 12th at Lake Eden can take part in this soul and mind enriching experience! Small intimate workshops in a global inspiring place. So good!

Our new prices are:
–          Take a single class for $20
–          Get a single day pass for $125
–          Take all the classes for $200

All LEVELS All AGES. The Master Artists are prepared.

Featured Artists include: Preservation Hall All Stars, Leah Song of Rising Appalachia, Slammaster James Nave’, Poet Jahman Hill, Cactus of Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, Chinobay of Uganda, Masankho of Malawi and more.
See full list & Schedule at theLEAF.org/leaf-retreat-learning-journeys

Featured tracks of study include: Creative Writing (prose, spoken word and performance poetry) & Music (theory, history and percussion).

Compost at Home: Summer Gardening Series
May 10 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Smith Mill Works

Compost at Home with Patryk Battle. Join the Organic Growers School for their second Summer class in their Gardening Series.

In this workshop, Patryk Battle of Living Web Farms will walk you through a comprehensive overview of the requirements, benefits, and downsides of various composting methods. Then, he will take a deeper dive into thermophilic and worm composting systems.

You will have an opportunity to construct a thermophilic pile and set up a worm box during class, as well as evaluate the quality of the finished compost product. You will leave with a lot more confidence about which approaches to composting work best for your garden, and with the knowledge to start up your own pile!

May 10, 2022, 6-8pm
Smith Mill Works Greenhouse

https://organicgrowersschool.org/product/gardening-may/

Film Series Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Fiesta Party
May 10 @ 7:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

butch cassidy and the sundance kid

Classic movies at reasonable prices are only part of the experience. Decorations, introductory speakers, gala celebrations, and specialty beer make the films all the more entertaining for everyone.

TFAC Film Series Returns with classic movies you’ll want to see on the big screen!

Fun & Film Event

Tuesday, May 10
Film, Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid begins at 7 PM
Fiesta Party begins at 5:30 PM.

The Fiesta includes a selection of South American food (including shrimp, chicken, steak sandwiches, and antipasta), 2 glasses of beer or wine, the movie ticket, pictures with the stars and entry into the costume contest. Tickets for the fiesta are recommended as seating will be limited.

Wednesday, May 11, 2022
LEAF Learning Journey Workshops
May 11 all-day
LEAF Global

Leah Song

We are super stoked to open up LEAF Learning Journey Master Class series for EVERYONE- ALL LEVELS & AGES. Workshops Tues May 10th & Wed May 11th will be at LEAF Global (19 Eagle St. Downtown AVL). Now, anyone interested in learning from these masters and getting a chance to perform with them on the opening day of LEAF Retreat May 12th at Lake Eden can take part in this soul and mind enriching experience! Small intimate workshops in a global inspiring place. So good!

Our new prices are:
–          Take a single class for $20
–          Get a single day pass for $125
–          Take all the classes for $200

All LEVELS All AGES. The Master Artists are prepared.

Featured Artists include: Preservation Hall All Stars, Leah Song of Rising Appalachia, Slammaster James Nave’, Poet Jahman Hill, Cactus of Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, Chinobay of Uganda, Masankho of Malawi and more.
See full list & Schedule at theLEAF.org/leaf-retreat-learning-journeys

Featured tracks of study include: Creative Writing (prose, spoken word and performance poetry) & Music (theory, history and percussion).

Creativity Lab
May 11 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Story Parlor

Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm at Story Parlor
April 13, April 20, April 27, May 4, May 11, May 18*
*Final class on May 18 runs from 6:30-9:30pm
Make up class reserved for May 25

Story Parlor presents Creativity Lab: a six-week exploration of the creative process, common blocks and obstacles, and ways to kickstart and sustain creative momentum.

Focused on the process and the act of doing, opposed to product or outcome, Creativity Lab explores ways to overcome fear, embrace curiosity, and channel our muse in all creative endeavors.

The six-week workshop is experiential, hands-on, and tactile. The Lab will utilize exercises to help cultivate imagination, innovation, and creativity. Each class will focus on a different part of the creativity process all while building a tool kit for dealing with obstacles in our way, creating positive habits for growth, and investigating the ways our personal narratives intersect with our work.

Registration Includes:

A guidebook with supplementary readings, exercises, and activities

A custom Story Parlor notebook

Access to Creativity Mixers

Who Should Attend:

Anyone looking to kickstart or follow-through with a creative project

Anyone wanting to discover more about their habits and approach to creativity

Anyone hoping to learn more about the process of being creative

Anyone wishing to make creativity a part of their daily life

Anyone looking to explore the intersection of art and the human condition

Anyone interested in identifying their core values’ intersection with creative goals and aspirations

Anyone wanting a creative community in which to play, explore, and experiment

Thursday, May 12, 2022
Calming the Anxious Mind: Free Anxiety Workshops at the Library
May 12 @ 10:30 am
Pack Memorial Library

Anxiety can be a debilitating force in life and at times, so debilitating that it interferes with the ability to manage one’s own activities of daily living. When this happens, it’s important to know that there are supports available to treat and assist in the management of symptoms. This free workshop focuses on different types of anxiety disorders and specifically details ones more commonly seen in older adults. The class will also cover interventions available to assist in calming the anxious mind.

These events will be facilitated by the Vaya Health GERO team. CEU’s are provided through NC Department of Health and Human Services. The workshops are free, but you do need to register here.

Workshop information

Thursday, May 12 at 10:30 AM
Pack Memorial Library – 67 Haywood St. – Asheville
(828) 250-4700

Tuesday, May 24 at 1:00 PM
Enka-Candler Library – 1404 Sandhill Rd. – Candler
(828) 250-4758

Friday, May 13, 2022
Celebrating Rwanda’s Resilience Through Music + Culture
May 13 all-day
online w/ LEAF

Step Into the heart of Rwanda With Culture Keeper David Kwizera + the LEAF International Rwanda Jr. Troupe! This spring documentary is exactly what you need!

Movies in the Park: Encanto
May 13 @ 7:00 pm
Pack Square Park

movies in the park

May 13: Encanto (rated PG for some thematic elements)

-The Madrigals are an extraordinary family who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia in a charmed place called the Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift — every child except Mirabel. However, she soon may be the Madrigals last hope when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is now in danger

Asheville Parks & Recreation’s popular Movies in the Park series begins its 2022 season with a showing of Encanto. Community members are invited to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and snacks to the free viewing, which begins at dusk. Prior to the screening, the Rec n Roll Play Zone opens at 7 p.m. with games, giveaways, and other activities for kids and teens. Additional movies are scheduled for the second Friday of the month throughout the summer.

“Friday night movies are a popular pastime and this brings people out of their homes to enjoy fan favorites on the big screen with a spectacular backdrop – City Hall’s art decor exterior flanked by the rising mountains and a night sky full of stars,” according to Nikki Cales, coordinator for Movies in the Park. “We’re excited to offer this free movie series for people who want to spend time together outdoors.”

If You Go

  • All movies begin at dusk in Pack Square Park on 80 Court Plaza in downtown Asheville.
  • Rec n Roll Fun Zone programming starts at 7 p.m.
  • Pets, smoking, and alcohol are prohibited.
  • Free parking is available in marked spaces on city streets and in city-owned lots on Marjorie Street after 6 p.m.
Outdoor Movie Night: Encanto
May 13 @ 7:00 pm
Jackson Park

Henderson County Parks & recreation hosts a free movie screening and food truck at parks across the county this summer! Food truck opens at 7pm, movie starts at nightfall (approx 8pm). Bring your blanket and chair!

– May 13 | Jackson Park | Encanto
– June 17 | Etowah Park | Clifford the Big Red Dog
– July 15 | East Flat Rock Park | Sing 2
– July 29 | Tuxedo Park | Space Jam
– August 12 | Dana Park | Luca

Saturday, May 14, 2022
Celebrating Rwanda’s Resilience Through Music + Culture
May 14 all-day
online w/ LEAF

Step Into the heart of Rwanda With Culture Keeper David Kwizera + the LEAF International Rwanda Jr. Troupe! This spring documentary is exactly what you need!

Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Creativity Lab
May 18 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Story Parlor

Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm at Story Parlor
April 13, April 20, April 27, May 4, May 11, May 18*
*Final class on May 18 runs from 6:30-9:30pm
Make up class reserved for May 25

Story Parlor presents Creativity Lab: a six-week exploration of the creative process, common blocks and obstacles, and ways to kickstart and sustain creative momentum.

Focused on the process and the act of doing, opposed to product or outcome, Creativity Lab explores ways to overcome fear, embrace curiosity, and channel our muse in all creative endeavors.

The six-week workshop is experiential, hands-on, and tactile. The Lab will utilize exercises to help cultivate imagination, innovation, and creativity. Each class will focus on a different part of the creativity process all while building a tool kit for dealing with obstacles in our way, creating positive habits for growth, and investigating the ways our personal narratives intersect with our work.

Registration Includes:

A guidebook with supplementary readings, exercises, and activities

A custom Story Parlor notebook

Access to Creativity Mixers

Who Should Attend:

Anyone looking to kickstart or follow-through with a creative project

Anyone wanting to discover more about their habits and approach to creativity

Anyone hoping to learn more about the process of being creative

Anyone wishing to make creativity a part of their daily life

Anyone looking to explore the intersection of art and the human condition

Anyone interested in identifying their core values’ intersection with creative goals and aspirations

Anyone wanting a creative community in which to play, explore, and experiment

Thursday, May 19, 2022
12 Bones Brewery: Charcuterie 101 Workshop
May 19 @ 6:30 pm
12 Bones Brewery

12 Bones Brewery: Charcuterie 101 Workshop

That’s right! 12 Bones has partnered up with AVL Charcuterie Co. for a Charcuterie Board Making Class! Grab a beer and head to the private back room where you’ll learn how to make a charcuterie board with Lindsey from AVL Charcuterie Co.

Lindsey will take you through the process step by step on how to make a gorgeous board to impress your family and friends. Eat your board after the class or take it home to share!

Friday, May 20, 2022
Celebrating Rwanda’s Resilience Through Music + Culture
May 20 all-day
online w/ LEAF

Step Into the heart of Rwanda With Culture Keeper David Kwizera + the LEAF International Rwanda Jr. Troupe! This spring documentary is exactly what you need!