Calendar of Events
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.
We are pleased to announce the Asheville Art Museum’s Annual Gala: Timeless on June 1, 2024!
This annual fundraising event supports the Museum’s exhibitions, educational programming, and community events year-round.
The 2024 Gala—Timeless—will celebrate the world of photography and its ability to capture a moment in time forever. Our theme is in conjunction with the exhibition Shifting Perceptions: Photographs from the Collection, on view May 17 through September 23, 2024 at the Museum.
Table Sponsorships include dinner, VIP cocktail hour, valet parking, and drink tickets for up to 8 guests and recognition in the event’s program and in Museum digital communications. Bring your colleagues, clients, friends, or family for an elegant evening at the Museum. Your attendance will not only support the Museum but also provide an opportunity to network with fellow community members, artists, community leaders, and art enthusiasts.
We hope you will join us for a Timeless evening!
We’re excited to bring a SpringFest to Asheville in 2024 and hope you’ll support our FREE festival by donating to our fundraiser.
We’re bringing a very FUN Family Fun Zone, shopping, DJ and Emcee, and lots of incredible vegan food, and more to Pack Square Park for our Spring Edition!!
You don’t want to miss this fun event. Mark your calendars and get your tickets, swag bags, VIP, VIP PLUS, and/or merch ahead of the festival.
$5 Suggested donation ahead of the event or at the festival is requested.
$15 Swag Bag option will be available! Compostable bag filled with $50+ worth of samples and coupons.
$25 – VIP tickets – enter the event 30 minutes early. Get a cool upgraded goody bag that is reusable with items different from the swag bags. Limited to 100. Get entered into our raffle and get 25 entries for each VIP Entry you purchase. $100+ worth of samples and coupons.
$35 – VIP PLUS – Not interested in a bag filled with items you don’t want or need? Our VIP PLUS will be a cool reusable bag (different from the VIP bag) and also comes with a vegan shirt design different from any you can purchase at our booth. Enter the event 30 minutes early to shop before the crowds. Make sure to let us know your shirt size!
Winners will be picked randomly after the festival and winners will be notified via email. Prize Packs TBD.
Vendors can send an inquiry by going to vegfestexpos.com. Volunteers can sign up on that site as well.
*Food Trucks
*DJ and Emcee
*Family Fun Zone
*Free Face Painting
*Vegan Food
*Shopping
*Fun Contests with prizes
Come out and support our vendors and plan on enjoying the music too. Our Family Fun Zone is perfect for children of all ages and includes life sized games, coloring, and more!
On Sunday, June 2, 2024 from 1pm-4pm, The Adventure Center of Asheville will host its inaugural AVL Family Adventure Festival at 85 Expo Drive. Formerly Zipping For Autism, this family event will have live music, food, cold beer, scads of kids activities, bike, kayak and climbing demos, face painting, crafts, hay rides, games and MUCH MUCH MORE. Come and enjoy the festival or buy a combo pass and add a trip through Asheville Treetops Adventure Park on the sampler trail (9 challenge obstacles, 12’ in the trees, 1 continuous aerial trail). This event is being hosted by The Adventure Center of Asheville and produced by Asheville Plays! with 100% of proceeds benefiting Camp Lakey Gap. The proceeds directly impact the lives of autistic people and their families by providing scholarships for a one-of-a-kind, week-long residential summer camp experience for autistic children and adults.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library impacts the pre-literacy skills and school readiness of children under the age of 5 in Buncombe County. The program mails a new, free, age-appropriate book to registered children each month until they turn five years old. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library creates a home library of up to 60 books and instills a love of books and reading from an early age. If you have any questions about the program, please send an email to [email protected].
A national panel of educators selects the Imagination Library titles, which include: The Little Engine that Could, Last Stop on Market Street, Violet the Pilot, As an Oak Tree Grows, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Llama Llama Red Pajama, Look Out Kindergarten, here I come, and many more (take a look at all the titles).
Register your child now!
Program Launch and Expansions
Literacy Together became a Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library affiliate in November 2015 with support from the Buncombe Partnership for Children. Through this program, registered children in Buncombe County receive a free book in the mail each month. Their parents also have the opportunity to attend workshops to learn how to build their children’s early literacy skills. Parents in need of literacy assistance are encouraged to receive tutoring through Literacy Together’s adult programming.
The program served 200 children during the 2015/16 fiscal year. The program expanded to serve 400 children in July 2016, and 600 in August 2017. In July 2018, capacity increased to 1,900 thanks to a special allocation in the North Carolina state budget. We’re now serving 4,600 kids in Buncombe County.
LEAF Schools & Streets invites your students to join us at LEAF Global Arts for summer camps, which run June 17-August 23 at 19 Eagle Street downtown. Registration is open!
Most camps are for rising first-graders through rising sixth-graders, with the addition of the ‘Making a Music Video’ and ‘Songwriting and Recording’ camps for middleschoolers and highschoolers.
SUMMER CAMPS
• June 17-21 – World Dance
• June 24-28 – West African Culture: Drumming, Dance, Clothing & Food
• July 8-12 – Blues
• July 15-19 – LEAF International Haiti
• July 22-25 – Making a Music Video: Songwriting, Recording, and Film-Making*
• July 29-August 2 – Stop Motion Animation
• August 12-15 – Songwriting and Recording*
• August 19-23 – World-Changing Visual Art
*middle and high school, all others are rising 1st-6th
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The Arts for Schools Grant supports nonprofit arts organizations and qualified teaching artists in Buncombe County, enabling them to provide arts-focused performances, residencies, workshops, and field trips for students in K-12 public schools. Through 2027, grants will also support arts-focused afterschool programs and camps thanks to an investment from Dogwood Health Trust, which awarded $15 million in multi-year funding grants to support organizations across the region providing high-quality, evidence-based out-of-school-time (OST) programs that have a high impact on young people. Grants for in-school programs range from $500-$2,000, and grants for out-of-school programs (including afterschool and camps) range from $500-$5,000. The application cycle opens May 13 and closes June 17.
Baker Exhibit Center
Where can you see a butterfly with a five foot wingspan, or a longhorn beetle with antennae more than twelve feet across? The answers can be found amongst the enormous sculptures on display in BUGS: Outside the Box!
Scientifically exact, with a keen attention to detail, the exhibit features a virtual army of giant bugs with one aim in mind – educating the public and shining a light on museum collections, taxonomy, and the power of magnification.
Among the highlights of the exhibit is a rarely seen long-arm beetle more than ten feet in height, a collection of heavily armored stag beetles with impressive jaws and horns as long as your arm, and an insight into the amazing intricacy of the physiology of each insect on display. Alongside these impressive works of art is the insect in question represented at life size, and detailed information on the life habits, location, and other facts unique to each insect and its family.
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The Arts for Schools Grant supports nonprofit arts organizations and qualified teaching artists in Buncombe County, enabling them to provide arts-focused performances, residencies, workshops, and field trips for students in K-12 public schools. Through 2027, grants will also support arts-focused afterschool programs and camps thanks to an investment from Dogwood Health Trust, which awarded $15 million in multi-year funding grants to support organizations across the region providing high-quality, evidence-based out-of-school-time (OST) programs that have a high impact on young people. Grants for in-school programs range from $500-$2,000, and grants for out-of-school programs (including afterschool and camps) range from $500-$5,000. The application cycle opens May 13 and closes June 17.
Baker Exhibit Center
Where can you see a butterfly with a five foot wingspan, or a longhorn beetle with antennae more than twelve feet across? The answers can be found amongst the enormous sculptures on display in BUGS: Outside the Box!
Scientifically exact, with a keen attention to detail, the exhibit features a virtual army of giant bugs with one aim in mind – educating the public and shining a light on museum collections, taxonomy, and the power of magnification.
Among the highlights of the exhibit is a rarely seen long-arm beetle more than ten feet in height, a collection of heavily armored stag beetles with impressive jaws and horns as long as your arm, and an insight into the amazing intricacy of the physiology of each insect on display. Alongside these impressive works of art is the insect in question represented at life size, and detailed information on the life habits, location, and other facts unique to each insect and its family.
YELP interns prepare for a river cleanup
Founded in 2014, YELP is a grassroots effort to advance equity in the environmental field and develop youths’ connection to our ecological community.
The only program of its kind in the Asheville area, YELP helps young people develop life and job skills, as well as specialized knowledge about the environment and practical advocacy and conservation experience. YELP prepares young adults to be conscientious environmental guardians in their personal and professional lives and stewards of the natural resources and natural environment in their lives.
The YELP High School Intern position is a 6-week paid internship. Interns will work locally in Buncombe County, with some days spent in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, as well as other locations. Interns will participate in environmental service work, learn from experts, and develop their own group initiatives. As part of the work, interns will gain skills in the areas of teamwork, outdoor recreation, environmental science, and climate resilience.
No experience is needed – as the goal of the internship is to learn together! Young BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) high schoolers at least 16 years of age are strongly encouraged to apply
The Arts for Schools Grant supports nonprofit arts organizations and qualified teaching artists in Buncombe County, enabling them to provide arts-focused performances, residencies, workshops, and field trips for students in K-12 public schools. Through 2027, grants will also support arts-focused afterschool programs and camps thanks to an investment from Dogwood Health Trust, which awarded $15 million in multi-year funding grants to support organizations across the region providing high-quality, evidence-based out-of-school-time (OST) programs that have a high impact on young people. Grants for in-school programs range from $500-$2,000, and grants for out-of-school programs (including afterschool and camps) range from $500-$5,000. The application cycle opens May 13 and closes June 17.
Baker Exhibit Center
Where can you see a butterfly with a five foot wingspan, or a longhorn beetle with antennae more than twelve feet across? The answers can be found amongst the enormous sculptures on display in BUGS: Outside the Box!
Scientifically exact, with a keen attention to detail, the exhibit features a virtual army of giant bugs with one aim in mind – educating the public and shining a light on museum collections, taxonomy, and the power of magnification.
Among the highlights of the exhibit is a rarely seen long-arm beetle more than ten feet in height, a collection of heavily armored stag beetles with impressive jaws and horns as long as your arm, and an insight into the amazing intricacy of the physiology of each insect on display. Alongside these impressive works of art is the insect in question represented at life size, and detailed information on the life habits, location, and other facts unique to each insect and its family.
June is ‘Pollinator Month.’ Join Steve Pettis, Henderson County Extension Agent for NC State University, to learn about pollinating insects and how to attract them to your yard. Pollinating insects such as native bees, wasps, beetles and flies are critical to native plant reproduction and to our food supply, but these workhorses of the insect world are under threat from land use changes, pesticides and habitat loss. The great news is that you can make a difference by dedicating a part of your landscape to the plants that feed and shelter pollinators. Steve will teach you how to make your yard and garden a pollinator paradise!
Hit the trails and learn more about The North Carolina Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with a guided trail walk! April through October, this free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and through a variety of forest types. Depending on the season and each guide’s area of expertise, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more.
Guided trail walks are limited to 15 people, including the guide, and are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age. Groups depart from the Baker Visitor Center Lobby on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m..
Walks last 1.5 – 2.5 hours, are approximately one to two miles in length. As this program is held rain or shine, all participants should dress appropriately for the weather.
There is no pre-registration; walks are first-come first served and sign up sheets are located in the Baker Visitors Center.
Walks are FREE; however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are appreciated. Regular parking fees apply. Arboretum Society Members always park free.
Know Before You Go
- Guided Trail Walks are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age.
- Guided Trail Walks are rain or shine and all participants should be dressed comfortably and for the weather.
- Hikes cover 1-2 miles and last 1.5-2 hours.
- Well-behaved leashed pets are welcome to accompany their owners. In the rare case that a pet is disruptive or negatively impacts the experience, the pet and its owner may be asked to excuse themselves from the guided walk.
YELP interns prepare for a river cleanup
Founded in 2014, YELP is a grassroots effort to advance equity in the environmental field and develop youths’ connection to our ecological community.
The only program of its kind in the Asheville area, YELP helps young people develop life and job skills, as well as specialized knowledge about the environment and practical advocacy and conservation experience. YELP prepares young adults to be conscientious environmental guardians in their personal and professional lives and stewards of the natural resources and natural environment in their lives.
The YELP High School Intern position is a 6-week paid internship. Interns will work locally in Buncombe County, with some days spent in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, as well as other locations. Interns will participate in environmental service work, learn from experts, and develop their own group initiatives. As part of the work, interns will gain skills in the areas of teamwork, outdoor recreation, environmental science, and climate resilience.
No experience is needed – as the goal of the internship is to learn together! Young BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) high schoolers at least 16 years of age are strongly encouraged to apply
LEAF Schools & Streets invites your students to join us at LEAF Global Arts for summer camps, which run June 17-August 23 at 19 Eagle Street downtown. Registration is open!
Most camps are for rising first-graders through rising sixth-graders, with the addition of the ‘Making a Music Video’ and ‘Songwriting and Recording’ camps for middleschoolers and highschoolers.
SUMMER CAMPS
• June 17-21 – World Dance
• June 24-28 – West African Culture: Drumming, Dance, Clothing & Food
• July 8-12 – Blues
• July 15-19 – LEAF International Haiti
• July 22-25 – Making a Music Video: Songwriting, Recording, and Film-Making*
• July 29-August 2 – Stop Motion Animation
• August 12-15 – Songwriting and Recording*
• August 19-23 – World-Changing Visual Art
*middle and high school, all others are rising 1st-6th
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The Arts for Schools Grant supports nonprofit arts organizations and qualified teaching artists in Buncombe County, enabling them to provide arts-focused performances, residencies, workshops, and field trips for students in K-12 public schools. Through 2027, grants will also support arts-focused afterschool programs and camps thanks to an investment from Dogwood Health Trust, which awarded $15 million in multi-year funding grants to support organizations across the region providing high-quality, evidence-based out-of-school-time (OST) programs that have a high impact on young people. Grants for in-school programs range from $500-$2,000, and grants for out-of-school programs (including afterschool and camps) range from $500-$5,000. The application cycle opens May 13 and closes June 17.
Baker Exhibit Center
Where can you see a butterfly with a five foot wingspan, or a longhorn beetle with antennae more than twelve feet across? The answers can be found amongst the enormous sculptures on display in BUGS: Outside the Box!
Scientifically exact, with a keen attention to detail, the exhibit features a virtual army of giant bugs with one aim in mind – educating the public and shining a light on museum collections, taxonomy, and the power of magnification.
Among the highlights of the exhibit is a rarely seen long-arm beetle more than ten feet in height, a collection of heavily armored stag beetles with impressive jaws and horns as long as your arm, and an insight into the amazing intricacy of the physiology of each insect on display. Alongside these impressive works of art is the insect in question represented at life size, and detailed information on the life habits, location, and other facts unique to each insect and its family.
The Asheville Downtown Association is thrilled to announce the return of the beloved Pritchard Park Arts and Culture Series, made possible through a generous partnership with the Trina Mullen Foundation, City of Asheville Parks and Recreation, ArtsAVL, and Explore Asheville. This summer series will run from May 28 through August 30, featuring exciting activations every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM.
Wednesdays: Asheville Museum of Science
Dive into a world of discovery with interactive science activities, including bubbles and noise machines. This family-friendly event promises to engage and entertain all ages with hands-on experiments and demonstrations.
Explore hands on activities and experiments while we learn about the Science of Bubbles or the Science of Sound. Every other week we will play and learn together using a variety of tools, instruments, and toys. AMOS has a plethora of science to intrigue the zeal of every learner!
Sing songs that celebrate Peace & Community, with Resident Teaching Artist Melissa McKinney. Sing, play, drum, and dance while learning songs from the Justice Choir Songbook.
Wednesdays at 6 p.m.
$15 drop-in class
All ages welcome.
Help us relaunch the Westie scene in a premier venue showcasing spacious dance floors, high ceilings, and a vintage vibe. If you are new to West Coast Swing, come check out for yourself the popular dance style that can be done to a wide variety of music, including pop, country, blues, and contemporary music! For those looking to advance their skills, the Hendersonville WCS community is excited to welcome Pro Instructor Ryan Pflumm to Continuum!
As always, the dress is casual and no partner is needed. Join us for an incredible night of connecting and dancing with our MONTHLY event every FIRST Wednesday!
PRIVATE LESSONS
If you would like to book a private lesson with Ryan for $75 per hour, please message Continuum with the following:
- Which timeslot(s)
- number of people attending
Times:
3:30-4:30pm
4:30-5:30pm
5:30-6:30pm
first come, first served
CLASSES
7:00-8:00pm Intermediate w/ Ryan Pflumm!
7:00-8:00pm Beginner w/ Rachel Harris
8:00-10:00pm Social Dance
Each class is $10 and includes a pass to the social dance. The social dance is $7 without a lesson. Music will be DJ’d by Pro Instructor Ryan Pflumm.
Bring your own beer/wine. Liquor and other beverages above 16% alcohol content are strictly prohibited.
Masks are encouraged but, not required.
Cash, cards, Venmo, PayPal, and Cash app are accepted.
YELP interns prepare for a river cleanup
Founded in 2014, YELP is a grassroots effort to advance equity in the environmental field and develop youths’ connection to our ecological community.
The only program of its kind in the Asheville area, YELP helps young people develop life and job skills, as well as specialized knowledge about the environment and practical advocacy and conservation experience. YELP prepares young adults to be conscientious environmental guardians in their personal and professional lives and stewards of the natural resources and natural environment in their lives.
The YELP High School Intern position is a 6-week paid internship. Interns will work locally in Buncombe County, with some days spent in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, as well as other locations. Interns will participate in environmental service work, learn from experts, and develop their own group initiatives. As part of the work, interns will gain skills in the areas of teamwork, outdoor recreation, environmental science, and climate resilience.
No experience is needed – as the goal of the internship is to learn together! Young BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) high schoolers at least 16 years of age are strongly encouraged to apply
LEAF Schools & Streets invites your students to join us at LEAF Global Arts for summer camps, which run June 17-August 23 at 19 Eagle Street downtown. Registration is open!
Most camps are for rising first-graders through rising sixth-graders, with the addition of the ‘Making a Music Video’ and ‘Songwriting and Recording’ camps for middleschoolers and highschoolers.
SUMMER CAMPS
• June 17-21 – World Dance
• June 24-28 – West African Culture: Drumming, Dance, Clothing & Food
• July 8-12 – Blues
• July 15-19 – LEAF International Haiti
• July 22-25 – Making a Music Video: Songwriting, Recording, and Film-Making*
• July 29-August 2 – Stop Motion Animation
• August 12-15 – Songwriting and Recording*
• August 19-23 – World-Changing Visual Art
*middle and high school, all others are rising 1st-6th
The Arts for Schools Grant supports nonprofit arts organizations and qualified teaching artists in Buncombe County, enabling them to provide arts-focused performances, residencies, workshops, and field trips for students in K-12 public schools. Through 2027, grants will also support arts-focused afterschool programs and camps thanks to an investment from Dogwood Health Trust, which awarded $15 million in multi-year funding grants to support organizations across the region providing high-quality, evidence-based out-of-school-time (OST) programs that have a high impact on young people. Grants for in-school programs range from $500-$2,000, and grants for out-of-school programs (including afterschool and camps) range from $500-$5,000. The application cycle opens May 13 and closes June 17.
Baker Exhibit Center
Where can you see a butterfly with a five foot wingspan, or a longhorn beetle with antennae more than twelve feet across? The answers can be found amongst the enormous sculptures on display in BUGS: Outside the Box!
Scientifically exact, with a keen attention to detail, the exhibit features a virtual army of giant bugs with one aim in mind – educating the public and shining a light on museum collections, taxonomy, and the power of magnification.
Among the highlights of the exhibit is a rarely seen long-arm beetle more than ten feet in height, a collection of heavily armored stag beetles with impressive jaws and horns as long as your arm, and an insight into the amazing intricacy of the physiology of each insect on display. Alongside these impressive works of art is the insect in question represented at life size, and detailed information on the life habits, location, and other facts unique to each insect and its family.
Foodscaping aims to incorporate edible plants into an existing ornamental garden. The designs can include various kinds of vegetables, fruit trees, berry bushes, edible flowers, herbs, and purely ornamental species. We will be demonstrating our foodscaping designs in the Sun & Shade garden.
A portion of this class will be in the garden, please wear appropriate attire (hat, sunglasses, and sturdy shoes and bring some water) as most of this presentation will be held outside.
The talk is free, but seating is limited and registration using Eventbrite is required.