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.

Friday, April 22, 2022
Earth Day Screening of Polar Extremes
Apr 22 @ 6:30 pm
Tryon Depot

Join Conserving Carolina and Parsec Financial for a screening of NOVA’s new special, Polar Extremes, hosted by paleontologist and Sant Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, Kirk Johnson. Using the fossil record, Johnson takes viewers on an amazing adventure through time, exposing the numerous polar extremes our planet has experienced over thousands of years.

Johnson uses the evidence of the past to help reveal our planet’s climate today and shares what may be in store for the future.

 

While visiting Downtown Tryon for the film, be sure to enjoy 4th Friday! A monthly event where businesses in Town extend their hours, staying open until at least 7 pm! There will be live music, dinner specials, refreshments, and more!

Saturday, April 23, 2022
Hunger is Real: The Voices of WNC MANNA Announces a Short Documentary on Food Insecurity in WNC
Apr 23 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, April 24, 2022
Hunger is Real: The Voices of WNC MANNA Announces a Short Documentary on Food Insecurity in WNC
Apr 24 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.
Film: Southern Rites
Apr 24 @ 2:00 pm – 3:30 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.

Monday, April 25, 2022
Hunger is Real: The Voices of WNC MANNA Announces a Short Documentary on Food Insecurity in WNC
Apr 25 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.
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
Hunger is Real: The Voices of WNC MANNA Announces a Short Documentary on Food Insecurity in WNC
Apr 26 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.
Mid-Week Wildflower Hike
Apr 26 @ 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center
This spring, head outside and learn to identify both common and rare Appalachian wildflowers on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail with Joe and Mary Standaert, local historians and members of the Western Carolina Botanical Club.

Location: Sign in will take place at the Swannanoa Valley Museum
Tickets: $30 for members, $40 for non-members. Some fees apply.

Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Hunger is Real: The Voices of WNC MANNA Announces a Short Documentary on Food Insecurity in WNC
Apr 27 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.
Creativity Lab
Apr 27 @ 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, April 28, 2022
Hunger is Real: The Voices of WNC MANNA Announces a Short Documentary on Food Insecurity in WNC
Apr 28 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.
“Fred Chappell – The Documentary” – A screening with documentarian Michael Frienerson
Apr 28 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Reuter Center, Manheimer Room

Documentarian Michael Frienerson will screen his new film on noted NC novelist and poet Fred Chappell. Chappell, a native of nearby Canton, is one of the most innovative and creative writers this state has ever produced. Register to attend through Zoom

This film screening is the final of three events in the Mountain South Lecture Series. Other events that took place included the March 24 Hiking Western North Carolina panel and the April 4  “Somebody Died, Babe”: The Swannanoa Tunnel in Music and Memory panel.

This series is made possible with funding from Professorship of the Mountain South.

 

Community Expectations
As members of this community, we care about everyone. Faculty, staff, students, and visitors have a shared commitment to take the necessary precautions to avoid spreading COVID-19 while following all recommended health guidelines. Please see UNC Asheville’s Community Expectations. Be respectful of individual choice to wear or not wear a mask in any situation; wear a mask when and where encouraged, following guidelines and precautions outlined by the CDC.


Accessibility

Find accessibility information for campus buildings at maps.unca.edu. For accessibility questions or to request event accommodations, please contact [email protected] or 828.250.3832.

Visitor Parking

Visitors must have a permit to park on campus — please visit the Transportation website to register.

Friday, April 29, 2022
Celebrating Rwanda’s Resilience Through Music + Culture
Apr 29 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!

Craft Cinema: Daughters of the Dust Screening
Apr 29 all-day
Center for Craft

“Daughters of the Dust” is a Sundance-winning film written and directed by Julie Dash. The film centers on an extended, multi-generational family from the Gullah sea islands at the turn of the century. The film demonstrates how craft, particularly indigo dyeing and sweetgrass basket making, is integral to their matrilineal family and culture. It was the first film directed by a Black woman to receive nationwide theatrical release and the cinematography is by esteemed video artist Arthur Jafa. The film was also the inspiration for Beyonce’s “Lemonade” video.

Hunger is Real: The Voices of WNC MANNA Announces a Short Documentary on Food Insecurity in WNC
Apr 29 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.
SAHC Community Farm Hike
Apr 29 @ 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
SAHC Community Farm

View of Roan
                                                    with forested
                                                    mountains and open
                                                    balds in distance
                                                    and rhododendron in
                                                    foreground

SAHC Community Farm Hike – Friday, April 29 at 10 am

Visit our beautiful Community Farm to hike along the Discovery Trail and see all the terrific projects in the works! SAHC’s Community Farm is a 140-acre educational and working farm just outside Asheville. The farm is a continually evolving home for conservation projects and agricultural production. It features a stream restoration project, shortleaf pine reforestation project, farm incubator program, education center,  and more — there is always something new to see!

Participants will hike The Discovery Trail in a 2-mile loop, allowing us to view all of the amazing farm projects before returning to the education center for an outdoor lunch overlooking the entire farm and surrounding mountains. Cost $10.

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.
WNCHA Hidden History Hikes – Ellicott’s Rock
Apr 30 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Ellicott’s and Governor’s rocks along the Chattooga River.

 

Join the Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA) Saturday, April 30 at 9AM as we hike to Ellicott’s and Governor’s rocks along the Chattooga River.

Along the Chattooga River, the states of NC, SC, and GA intersect. From conflicts between Cherokees and white settlers, to the Walton War between Georgia and North Carolina over their boundaries, this area has seen its share of strife and political challenges. Surveyor Andrew Ellicott initially settled the conflict and placed a marker along the bank of the river in 1811. But eventually his work was challenged by the more precise “Governor’s Rock” a few years afterward. As late as the 1970s though, NC and GA once again disputed the precise location. Join us as we hike through three states and explore the history of this contested boundary.

*This is a backcountry hike. Please do not attempt if you are unsure of your ability*

*With a small trailhead parking area, we are limited to 5 vehicles. We will need a few volunteers to shuttle others in their vehicles. Please let us know if you are willing to do this when you sign the waiver form*

*Participants may wish to carpool to the initial meeting location at Ingles in Cashiers, NC. You will be asked about your preference upon registration, and those interested will be put in contact with one another*

Details:

Meet:  We will depart at 9AM from the Ingles in Cashiers (US Hwy 64E, Cashiers, NC, 28717). We will carpool 10 miles to the trailhead (Bull Pen Rd, Cashiers, NC 28717). More information regarding parking and the trailhead will be sent to registrants the day prior to the outing.
Return to Ingles: Approximately 3PM
Hike Length: 6.5 miles total, out and back.
Elevation Gain: 1,220 Feet
Hike Difficulty: Moderately strenuous (using National Park Service metric)

What to Bring:

  • Backpack
  • Plenty of water (2+ liters)
  • Bagged lunch and snacks
  • Hiking boots or comfortable trail shoes
  • Weather-appropriate clothing (preferably no cotton)
  • Sunscreen
  • Hiking poles (recommended)
  • Hat (recommended)
  • Any needed medications.

Rain Date: In the event of inclement weather, participants will be notified in advance, no later than 8PM the evening prior if the event is to be rescheduled.

Tickets: $20 for WNCHA members/$30 non-members. We also have two no-cost, community-funded tickets available. We want our events to be accessible to as many people as possible. If you are able please consider making a donation along with your ticket purchase. These donations are placed in our Community Fund, which allows us to offer tickets at no cost to those who would not be able to attend otherwise.

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!

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!

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!

Upper Catawba Falls
May 7 @ 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Catawba Falls

Join us for this moderate 4.3 mile round trip hike on a section of one of the oldest wagon roads into the Valley from Old Fort.  The hike starts at Arthur Joe and Mary Hemphill’s pavilion at Fortune Fields and follows the Catawba River down to the upper Falls, passing Davis Falls on the way and following the old wagon road.  Arthur Joe’s ancestor, Capt. Thomas Hemphill (1746-1826) was an original Revolutionary War patriot who owned part of this popular stage road up from Old Fort. Arthur Joe and Mary donated this large tract to conservation.  The hike will be led by Rick and Melinda Halford, who are the caretakers of the tract.

Cost: $50 for members/$65 for non-members. Some fees apply.

Difficulty:  Moderate, 4.3 miles round-trip. Moderate 500ft elevation change, but numerous rocky stream crossings. Learn more here. 

Please e-mail [email protected] with any inquiries

Coronavirus Protocol:

  • Please bring a mask to the event to use in the event of carpooling.
  • No one who is sick, running a fever or potentially exposed to COVID should attend
  • If not vaccinated, masks should be worn in all group settings like sign-in and congregation
    times.
  • Social distancing while on the trails is recommended

9:00am-2:00pm: Hike. Tickets: $50 for members/$65 for non-members. Some fees apply. Register Here.

WNCHA Hidden History Hikes and Tours: Rumbling Bald Hike
May 7 @ 10:00 am – 12:30 pm

Join the Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA) Saturday, May 7 at 10AM as we hike below “Rumbling Bald” Mountain in the Hickory Nut Gorge.

In February, 1874, the mountains at the eastern edge of the Hickory Nut Gorge began to tremble, shake, and emit plumes of dust, the day after a local preacher delivered a fire and brimstone sermon. Many local residents feared a volcano was set to erupt and a geologist was called in to investigate as tremors continued into May. His investigation and newspaper coverage of the events reveal surprising insights into the environmental and cultural history of the area. Join us as we loop along the southern side of “Rumbling Bald” Mountain and sort fact from fiction while enjoying the natural environment along the way.

*During the hike, participants also have the option of exploring a fissure cave with the guidance of a Chimney Rock State Park ranger. The trail is a moderate 0.5-mile hike will lead visitors to the base of Rumbling Bald Mountain.  From there visitors will have a strenuous scramble approximately 200 yards up and across a boulder field consisting of various sizes boulders.  Then visitors will squeeze through a 2-foot opening and into a large room. Once in the room a ranger will be available to talk about the ecology/geology of the cave.  All participants must follow white nose bat syndrome protocol which call for decontamination once exiting the cave.*

 

Details:

Meet:  10am at Chimney Rock State Park – Rumbling Bald Access (827 Boys Camp Rd, Lake Lure, NC 28746) by the restrooms. Please arrive prior to the starting time.

Depart: 12:30PM

Hike Length: 1.6-mile loop. See map: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/north-carolina/rumbling-bald-loop-trail?ref=result-card

Elevation Gain: 341 feet

Hike Difficulty: Easiest (using National Park Service metric)

What to Bring:

  • Backpack
  • Water (1 liter)
  • Bagged lunch or snacks (restaurants in nearby Chimney Rock will be open as well)
  • Hiking boots or comfortable trail shoes
  • Weather-appropriate clothing
  • Sunscreen
  • Hiking poles (optional)
  • Any needed medications.

 

Rain Date: In the event of inclement weather, participants will be notified in advance, no later than 8PM the evening prior if the event is to be rescheduled. The alternate rain date will be the following Friday, May 13.

 

Tickets: $10 for WNCHA members/$20 non-members. We also have two no-cost, community-funded tickets available. We want our events to be accessible to as many people as possible. If you are able please consider making a donation along with your ticket purchase. These donations are placed in our Community Fund, which allows us to offer tickets at no cost to those who would not be able to attend otherwise.

Registrants must fill out the emergency contact form in advance: https://forms.gle/VUbqBJAfgvZqjDmJ9

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.