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
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.
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!

The Grey Eagle Classic Golf Tournament
May 1 @ 2:00 pm
The Omni Grove Park Inn Golf Course

The Grey Eagle Classic Golf Tournament

Grab your golf clubs and the best players you can find for The Grey Eagle Classic Golf Tournament. This tournament welcomes local businesses, community partners, and supporters of the music and arts for a day full of golf, games, food, drinks, and lots of fun! Your participation and proceeds will directly support Asheville Music School.

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!

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!

Authors for Literacy Dinner + Auction: Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing RESCHEDULED
May 5 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Crowne Plaza Resort Expo Center

We are hopeful that by May, we will be able to host what we believe will be our largest event yet – and it will coincide with the release of the full-length movie Where the Crawdads Sing in June!

If you have already purchased tickets, we ask you to please mark your calendar for Thursday, May 5, 2022. If you can attend the new date, you may do so with your current tickets and requested seating arrangements. Nothing will need to be done on your part.

If you cannot attend the new date, you may contact LuAnn Arena, 828-254-3442 ext. 206 or email [email protected] with your preferences to either:

Donate the cost of the ticket, which will be a fully tax-deductible gift
– OR –
Request a refund which will be processed promptly and credited to your account within 10-14 business days.

– New York Times bestselling author Delia Owens will keynote Literacy
Together’s 13th Annual Authors for Literacy Dinner & Auction on October 28, 2021.
Delia Owens lived in some of the most remote areas of Africa for twenty-three years while she conductedscientific research on lions, elephants, and others. Based on these expeditions and adventures, sheco-authored three internationally bestselling nonfiction books about her life as a wildlife scientist.
She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology from the University of Georgia and a Ph.D. in
Animal Behavior from the University of California in Davis. She has won the John Burroughs Award for Nature Writing and has been published in Nature, Journal of Mammalogy, The African Journal ofEcology, and International Wildlife, among many others.
Where the Crawdads Sing is her first novel, with more than 11 million copies sold worldwide and over 2½ years on the New York Times Bestseller List, it is soon to be a major motion picture.
The Authors for Literacy Dinner & Auction featuring Delia Owens will begin with a cocktail hour
followed by a three-course dinner and presentation by a current Literacy Together student. Delia Owens will then give the keynote presentation and autograph guests’ books. Malaprop’s Bookstore & Café will
manage book sales.
Event guests may upgrade tickets to attend a VIP reception just before the event with Delia Owens. This reception will include the opportunity to spend one-on-one time taking pictures and talking with the author and enjoy hors d’oeuvres. There are a limited number of VIP tickets available.

Proceeds from the Authors for Literacy Dinner benefit Literacy Together’s programs, which provide
comprehensive literacy and English language skills to 300 students and over 4,300 book recipients in Buncombe County annually. Literacy Together transforms lives and communities through the power of literacy. Literacy and English language skills are tools that help people rise out of poverty, get better-paying jobs to support their families, and read to their children. Improved literacy skills benefit the struggling reader and everyone in our community regardless of age, race, gender, or background.

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!

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!

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
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
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

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
Musicians For Mental Health
May 19 @ 9:00 pm
Asheville Music Hall

Mental Health Action Day, an initiative of Free2Luv & MTV is May 19th. Let’s start conversations about Mental health and turn it into action. Join us as we CONNECT with the Asheville community doing what we do best, music! There will take home resources for mental health, a collaborative art piece for all attendees, as well as good conversation, connections, and of course music with a positive message to inspire you and give you hope.
There will also be a pre-show at 6:00 from families with kids under 21. Kids are FREE. The first 100 kids will receive a free mental health workbook to take home.
Kayla Lynn – Bass & Vocals
from McKinney & Funk’N Around
Lenny Pettinelli – Keys
from Empire Strikes Brass
Datrian Johnson – Vocals
from The Fritz & Free Radio
Nik Hope – Drums
from Empire Strikes Brass
Josh Blake – Guitar
from The Funk Jam Band
King Garfield – Trombone
from Funk’N Around
Guest Vocalists
Dani Cox
from Secret Agent Skidoo
Debrissa McKinney
from Free Radio & Secret Agent Skidoo
Reggie Headen
Kathryn O’Shea
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!

Dynamic Together Silent Disco
May 20 @ 5:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Rabbit Rabbit

Grab your friends, grab your family and join Odyssey Community School for an evening of music, dance and joy! Ticket includes food, 1 drink and headphones for our Silent Disco fundraiser event!

Saturday, May 21, 2022
Celebrating Rwanda’s Resilience Through Music + Culture
May 21 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!

Kiwanis Club Sneaky Scavenger Race
May 21 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Berkeley Mills Park in Hendersonville

he Kiwanis Club of Hendersonville invites the entire community to
participate in its 2nd Annual Sneaky Scavenger Race. Event registration goes live on
Friday, April 1 – no joke! This event is being held in conjunction with National
Scavenger Hunt Day on Saturday, May 21, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Berkeley
Mills Park in Hendersonville. Proceeds from the event will benefit the club’s Shoes and
Socks program for Henderson County youth.
Participants will engage in outdoor activities that are designed to be interactive and fun,
while challenging both the body and mind, much like traditional ‘field day’ activities.
Registration is open to teams of four, children ages 5 and up and adults. Snacks and
beverages will be provided throughout the event, and an awards ceremony will take
place around 2 p.m.
Event registration is $35 per team. For additional details and to register, please visit
https://www.hendersonvillekiwanis.org.
All proceeds from the Sneaky Scavenger Race support the Shoes & Socks program, a
Kiwanis managed program that provides shoes and socks to underprivileged students
identified by their teachers in the Henderson County school system. The program has
provided more than 5,600 pairs of shoes since its inception in 1955

Sunday, May 22, 2022
ACCESS THE GROOVE: A Benefit Concert for Access ETSU
May 22 @ 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

ACCESS THE GROOVE: A Benefit Concert for Access ETSU

ccess the Groove – Celebrating Disability and Neurodiversity is a benefit concert, art fair, and inclusive community gathering on May 22nd from 1-5 pm at the Grey Eagle Music Hall in Asheville, NC.

 

The event will feature performances by a stellar lineup of musicians from Johnson City and Asheville with and without disabilities including Jordan Scheffer and Chinobay, Mad Mike Martinez , Will Gott, DIYabled, and Lavender Latte.

 

A variety of artists, entrepreneurs, and local agencies that act toward disability justice, equity, and inclusion will also be on-site selling wares and sharing information about their work. Vendors include Open Hearts Art Center, Madam Clutterbuckets Neurodiverse Universe, DIYabled, Austin Shreds, Bo Fisher, FIRST Resource Center, Access ETSU, and more.

 

Proceeds will help support Access ETSU, a new inclusive higher education program for students with intellectual disabilities at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN. In addition to raising crucial funds for program sustainability, Access ETSU will also be congratulating their first-ever graduate and second-ever full cohort of incoming students.

 

The Grey Eagle Taqueria will be open during the event, offering authentic and fresh Latin-American cuisine. There will also be a raffle with lots of local goodies available.

 

If you would like to perform, vend, or contribute to the raffle, please contact Daniel Scherer-Emunds ([email protected]).

 

Accessibility: The Grey Eagle building is ADA compliant and we always do everything we can to make sure that every guest we have is comfortable. For specific accessibility questions or needs, please contact [email protected].

 

It’s a suggested minimum donation of $15 for entry, but nobody will be turned away for lack of funds.

Mind Your Plastic May Benefit Concert
May 22 @ 2:00 pm – 10:00 pm
French Broad Outfitters

Join performers G Wick, Krave Amiko, Fiddlehead and Astoria for a groove-filled day of music, food trucks, lawn games and local bevs at French Broad Outfitters along the beautiful Hominy Creek.

GreenWorks’ Mind Your Plastic May Benefit Concert is an integral part of this year’s month-long Mind Your Plastic May (MYPM) campaign for community-wide change. The goal of the event is to raise funds which will be used to distribute useful, impactful, and sustainable items to populations in the Asheville community who may not otherwise have access, or whose access may be limited, and to explore other creative & impactful ways to reduce single-use plastic in our communities. This event is family-friendly and will also include local food & beer vendors, artisans, and much more!

What Is Mind Your Plastic May?

In 2019, GreenWorks challenged local community members to practice 30 days of #goingplasticfree. Over 400 people stepped up, and in 30 days we were able to divert an estimated 6750 lbs of trash from the landfill. We are bringing back the 30-day challenge. (And there will be locally-sourced, plastic-free prizes for participating of course!) Plus, all month long we’ll share plastic-related facts, tips for reducing your plastic usage, DIY videos, and more. Our goal is to foster knowledge and encourage mindfulness of plastic consumption and disposal.

BreetheFest: Benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
May 22 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Salvage Station

BreetheFest: Benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Details

For its inaugural event, breethefest: a day of music benefiting the cystic fibrosis foundation, will be happening LIVE on the Indoor Stage at Salvage Station on Sunday, May 22nd!
The lineup will feature incredible bands covering roots, Americana, and soul — including YARN,Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics, Keep Left, and Heather Sarona!

ALL PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Public on-sale is Friday, 4/8 @ 10AM ($75 ADV; $100 DOS)! A limited number of VIP tickets ($125) are available as well! VIP tickets include:
Early entry @ 2:30PM

Doors open @ 3PM and the music starts @ 4PM. FREE ON-SITE PARKING! Root Down will be serving their delicious twist on Southern Soul food PLUS we will have our FULL bar open for you to enjoy!
This is a General Admission, 16+ ONLY event (no exceptions).

Friday, May 27, 2022
Celebrating Rwanda’s Resilience Through Music + Culture
May 27 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!

Lifting Lucy Presents- A screening of One Pint at a time
May 27 @ 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm
New Belgium Brewing

Join us for a screening of One Pint at a Time in celebration of BIPOC/BIWOC excellence in craft beer during AVL Craft Beer Week/GRINDfest!

Lifting Lucy is honored to invite you to join us for a screening of One Pint at a Time. In celebration of Asheville’s very own GRINDfest and Beer Week, Lifting Lucy is excited to kick off this extraordinary weekend with all of you as we witness the journeys various BIPOC entrepreneurs have embarked upon in craft beer.

Attendees to this ticketed event will also have the distinguished honor of being the first craft beer enthusiasts to taste Lifting Lucy’s collaboration beer Equity Over Everythang! Brewed in partnership with Burial Beer Co., GRIND (Asheville’s first black-owned coffee shop), Lifting Lucy, Resident Culture, and Salud Beer Shop, this Coffee Milk Stout, inspired by the rich legacy of BIPOC/BIWOC entrepreneurship, creativity, and community, is sure to be the perfect beverage to toast to this incredibly important documentary.

Additionally, all attendees to this 21+ event will have a choice of 1 of New Belgium Brewing’s iconic beers on tap.

Following the movie, we will host a brief Q&A session with the movie’s Producers Brigitte and Aaron Hose, the founders of Lifting Lucy, and local entrepreneurs.

We look forward to sharing an evening filled with good company, great beer, and even better conversation with you all! See you there, soon!

Parking Information

Parking for the Brewhouse is extremely limited with construction and being a holiday weekend. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early, carpool, take public transit or ride share.

Brothers and Sisters Like These Benefit Performance
May 27 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Veterans Healing Farm

Veterans Healing Farm (VHF) is excited to announce a benefit
performance of Brothers and Sisters Like These, Friday, May 27, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the
Veterans Healing Farm, 38 Yale Rd., Hendersonville, NC. There is no fee to attend but
donations are welcome.
Brothers and Sisters Like These is a writing group founded by Vietnam combat veterans at the
Charles George VA Medical Center in 2014 to find their voices the war had taken from them. It
has since included veterans from all our wars and uses poetry and essay writing to help them
heal from past trauma.
The Veterans Healing Farm is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2014 to enhance the mental,
emotional, and physical well-being of our nation’s veterans through agri-therapy and
community.
This is an outdoor event so please plan on bringing a lawn chair or blanket to the Farm. For more
information, please contact the VHF at 828-595-6111 or [email protected]