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.

March 2024 Mar 2024
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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Sand Hill Nursery Workday
Mar 19 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Sand Hill Nursery at the Buncombe County Sports Park

Join us for weekly workdays in the Sand Hill native tree nursery. Tasks vary and often include repotting, weeding, mulching, and other special projects to improve infrastructure and function.

Need to know

Please come dressed in work clothes with close toed shoes. Bring water and sun protection. All other gear and supplies are provided.

Read more
Categories: Garden Volunteers
Restoring And Planting American Chestnuts Tree Planting Workshop
Mar 19 @ 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
West Asheville Edible Park

Attend this FREE Workshop

Restoring And Planting American Chestnuts

with

Bountiful Cities Community Garden Network and

The American Chestnut Foundation

Curious about American chestnuts?
Come learn how to plant and care for American chestnut seedlings as we add to a small demonstration orchard in Asheville’s city parks!
You will hear about The American Chestnut Foundation’s current strategies on how to restore this once prolific tree.
No supplies needed, just bring yourself and any questions you may have.
This workshop will be led by Jamie Van Clief, Southern Regional Coordinator with The American Chestnut Foundation.
Read more
Categories: Community Education Garden Garden Events Workshops
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Learn + Grow ADULT + CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Mar 20 all-day
NC Arboretum

Plants Connect Us in Place

Throughout Southern Appalachia this month, the first spring ephemerals — floral harbingers of the colorful season to come — begin their journey toward the light. Trillium, Trout Lily, Bloodroot, Dicentra: All appear the most delicate of flowers, yet they are mighty enough to push through heavy layers of damp leaf duff to reach the sun’s rays. Usher in the brightening days like these first flowers with courses that extend the Arboretum’s mission to connect people with plants and learn more about what roots us in our special place in nature.

Eco Gardening: Principles in Practice | In Person Version – ONSITE, Three Sessions: Wednesdays, March 6, 20 & April 3, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Or  Asynchronous Version – Open March 6 through May 31.

Emergence: Spring Wildflower Walk | ONSITE | Saturday, March 9, 1 – 3 p.m. or Saturday, March 16, 1 – 3 p.m.

Lifelong Gardening | ONSITE | Wednesday, March 13, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Free! Lunch & Learn: Previewing the Cullowhee Native Plants Conference | ONSITE | Thursday, March 14, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Native Plants for the Vegetable Garden | ONSITE | Thursday, March 14, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Botany Basics | In Person Version – ONSITE, Six Sessions: Tuesdays & Thursdays, March 19 – April 4, 1 – 3 p.m. Or Asynchronous Version – Open April 4 through June 30.

Soil Health Check Up | ONSITE | Wednesday, March 27, 1:30 – 4 p.m.

Free! Arboretum Reads Nature’s Best Hope by Doug Tallamy | ONSITE | Two Sessions: Thursday, April 4 & 18, 3:30 – 5 p.m.

Registration is also open for our signature plant-based core classes in April. Join us for Spring Native Flora ID (field and blended field/online sections), Spring Native Tree ID (online, field and intensive versions). Plan ahead in April to learn about exotics at the Orchid Festival, April 12 – 14, held at the Arboretum, then return to learn about our native azaleas at the Native Azalea Day, April 27. 
Read more
Categories: Education Garden Garden Events
Table for Three raffle
Mar 20 all-day
online

Tickets for our 2024 Table for Three raffle will go on sale March 15, 2024! Table for Three is MANNA’s partnership with the Asheville-area’s nationally-recognized independent restaurant scene. You could win an incredible grand prize: a meal for two at 52 of the Asheville-area’s top local restaurants. That’s a year’s worth of dining out at a value of more than $3,000!

The best part is that each ticket supports MANNA’s vital work to provide food to Western North Carolina neighbors struggling to make ends meet. With every ticket sold, we can provide enough food to feed one person a daily meal … for more than an entire year. That’s why we call it Table for Three!

TICKETS ARE $124

Table for Three raffle tickets are $124 each. This is a very intentional ticket price: $124 is what it costs MANNA to feed one person a meal a day for more than one year. With every ticket purchased, you help set the table for a neighbor facing food insecurity.

THE GRAND PRIZE

The winner will receive gift certificates to 52 different Asheville-area restaurants. The gift certificates are transferrable, so you can share them with friends and family, give them as client gifts, or, of course, use them all yourself!

Gift certificates do not include tax or gratuity and cannot be used for alcohol. Some restaurants may limit use during holidays or special events. Certificates can be used for dine-in or carry-out service in cases where the restaurant offers the carry-out option.

THE WINNER

A single winner will be drawn via livestream on MANNA’s Facebook page on or before Friday, May 15. All raffle ticket holders will be notified in advance of the exact day and time of the drawing. Ticketholders do not need to be tuned into the livestream to win. The winner will be asked to come to MANNA (on a day and time following the drawing, and agreed upon by the winner and MANNA), to claim their prize. And then … let the dining begin!

THE FINE PRINT

Tickets are $124 each. The drawing will take place on/before May 15, 2024, via livestream on MANNA’s Facebook page. Only 500 tickets will be sold. This is a fundraising project, and all ticket sales benefit MANNA FoodBank. Tickets may be sold to MANNA employees, board members, and other affiliated individuals. The Table for Three Raffle is open only to those who are 18 years of age or older as of March 14, 2023, and who possess a valid government-issued ID. Ticketholders do not need to be tuned in to the livestream to win. According to Internal Revenue Service regulations, no portion of the raffle ticket purchase qualifies as a tax-deductible donation.

Read more
Categories: Fundraisers Raffle
The 2024 Broadway Fundraising Raffle
Mar 20 all-day
online

Enter for your chance to see Tony Award winners Hamilton and Hadestown (from incredible seats) and get your travel and lodging expenses covered as well. Don’t miss your chance to enter! Tickets are only $45 and going fast.

The Broadway Raffle is Back!

Secure your chance to win a Broadway trip in May 2024! Each $45 ticket enters you to win:

  • A pair of tickets to see Hadestown at the Walter Kerr Theatre on May 17 at 7pm. Seats in Center Orchestra, Row D, on the aisle
  • A pair of tickets to see Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theater on May 18 at 7pm. Seats in Center Orchestra, Row C, on the aisle
  • $2500 for roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations during your stay
  • Total package value: apx $3800

Raffle drawing to be held at the closing performance of Witch on April 7, 2024 at 2pm

 

THAT SOUNDS GREAT! HOW DO I BUY TICKETS?

Tickets are $45 each and there is no limit on the number you may purchase.

Read more
Categories: Fundraisers Raffle Theatre
Growing Minds Farm to School Mini-Grant
Mar 20 @ 6:30 am
online
ASAP’s Growing Minds mini-grants help early childhood education (ECE) centers and K-12 schools throughout the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina provide children positive experiences with healthy local foods through these components of farm to school: school gardens, farm field trips and farmer classroom visits, and local foods served in meals, snacks, and/or taste tests.

Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding. 

Applications due by:

  • November 30, 2023
  • January 30, 2024
  • March 30, 2024

If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year. Learn more and apply here!

Read more
Categories: Community Education Garden Grants
Indoor Tropical Bonsai Display
Mar 20 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

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

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

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

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

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Garden
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Buncombe Extension Master GardenerSM Helpline Opens for 2024 Gardening Season
Mar 21 all-day
NC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener

Have your garden and plant questions answered. There are three ways to contact the Master Gardener Helpline:

Call 828-255-5522

Email questions and photos to [email protected] or stop by the extension office hours:

Mondays – 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Tuesdays – 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Thursdays – 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Read more
Categories: Community Education Garden Garden Events
Learn + Grow ADULT + CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Mar 21 all-day
NC Arboretum

Plants Connect Us in Place

Throughout Southern Appalachia this month, the first spring ephemerals — floral harbingers of the colorful season to come — begin their journey toward the light. Trillium, Trout Lily, Bloodroot, Dicentra: All appear the most delicate of flowers, yet they are mighty enough to push through heavy layers of damp leaf duff to reach the sun’s rays. Usher in the brightening days like these first flowers with courses that extend the Arboretum’s mission to connect people with plants and learn more about what roots us in our special place in nature.

Eco Gardening: Principles in Practice | In Person Version – ONSITE, Three Sessions: Wednesdays, March 6, 20 & April 3, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Or  Asynchronous Version – Open March 6 through May 31.

Emergence: Spring Wildflower Walk | ONSITE | Saturday, March 9, 1 – 3 p.m. or Saturday, March 16, 1 – 3 p.m.

Lifelong Gardening | ONSITE | Wednesday, March 13, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Free! Lunch & Learn: Previewing the Cullowhee Native Plants Conference | ONSITE | Thursday, March 14, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Native Plants for the Vegetable Garden | ONSITE | Thursday, March 14, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Botany Basics | In Person Version – ONSITE, Six Sessions: Tuesdays & Thursdays, March 19 – April 4, 1 – 3 p.m. Or Asynchronous Version – Open April 4 through June 30.

Soil Health Check Up | ONSITE | Wednesday, March 27, 1:30 – 4 p.m.

Free! Arboretum Reads Nature’s Best Hope by Doug Tallamy | ONSITE | Two Sessions: Thursday, April 4 & 18, 3:30 – 5 p.m.

Registration is also open for our signature plant-based core classes in April. Join us for Spring Native Flora ID (field and blended field/online sections), Spring Native Tree ID (online, field and intensive versions). Plan ahead in April to learn about exotics at the Orchid Festival, April 12 – 14, held at the Arboretum, then return to learn about our native azaleas at the Native Azalea Day, April 27. 
Read more
Categories: Education Garden Garden Events
The 2024 Broadway Fundraising Raffle
Mar 21 all-day
online

Enter for your chance to see Tony Award winners Hamilton and Hadestown (from incredible seats) and get your travel and lodging expenses covered as well. Don’t miss your chance to enter! Tickets are only $45 and going fast.

The Broadway Raffle is Back!

Secure your chance to win a Broadway trip in May 2024! Each $45 ticket enters you to win:

  • A pair of tickets to see Hadestown at the Walter Kerr Theatre on May 17 at 7pm. Seats in Center Orchestra, Row D, on the aisle
  • A pair of tickets to see Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theater on May 18 at 7pm. Seats in Center Orchestra, Row C, on the aisle
  • $2500 for roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations during your stay
  • Total package value: apx $3800

Raffle drawing to be held at the closing performance of Witch on April 7, 2024 at 2pm

 

THAT SOUNDS GREAT! HOW DO I BUY TICKETS?

Tickets are $45 each and there is no limit on the number you may purchase.

Read more
Categories: Fundraisers Raffle Theatre
Growing Minds Farm to School Mini-Grant
Mar 21 @ 6:30 am
online
ASAP’s Growing Minds mini-grants help early childhood education (ECE) centers and K-12 schools throughout the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina provide children positive experiences with healthy local foods through these components of farm to school: school gardens, farm field trips and farmer classroom visits, and local foods served in meals, snacks, and/or taste tests.

Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding. 

Applications due by:

  • November 30, 2023
  • January 30, 2024
  • March 30, 2024

If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year. Learn more and apply here!

Read more
Categories: Community Education Garden Grants
Indoor Tropical Bonsai Display
Mar 21 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

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

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

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

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

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Garden
Gardening in the Mountains: Building Better Monarch Gardens
Mar 21 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
online

F REE Virtual Event

Presenter: Dr Daniel Potter , Professor Emeritus of Entomology, University of Kentucky

Monarch butterflies are in peril and their conservation matters. The important partnership between the horticulture industry and the gardening public can help restore this beloved native butterfly to a sustainable status.

Dr Daniel Potter, Professor Emeritus of Entomology at the University of Kentucky, will discuss the fascinating natural history of monarchs, their spectacular long-distance migrations and their special relationship with milkweed. Join this program to learn the best milkweed species for attracting and sustaining monarchs,  the cultivars of native milkweeds (“nativars”) that have conservation value for gardens and the importance of garden design and plant placement to prevent a garden from becoming an “ecological trap” for monarchs.

Registration: The talk is free but registration is required. Please click on the link below to register. If you encounter problems registering or if you have questions, call 828-255-5522.

Zoom seminar access: After registration, you will receive an email with instructions and a link to join this online live broadcast via Zoom. The ability to access Zoom through a computer, tablet or smartphone with a reliable internet connection is necessary to attend.

Read more
Categories: Garden Garden Events
Online Seminar: Building Better Monarch Gardens
Mar 21 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
online

Presenter: Dr Daniel Potter , Professor Emeritus of Entomology, University of Kentucky

Monarch butterflies are in peril and their conservation matters. The important partnership between the horticulture industry and the gardening public can help restore this beloved native butterfly to a sustainable status.

Dr Daniel Potter, Professor Emeritus of Entomology at the University of Kentucky, will discuss the fascinating natural history of monarchs, their spectacular long-distance migrations and their special relationship with milkweed. Join this program to learn the best milkweed species for attracting and sustaining monarchs,  the cultivars of native milkweeds (“nativars”) that have conservation value for gardens and the importance of garden design and plant placement to prevent a garden from becoming an “ecological trap” for monarchs.

Registration: The talk is free but registration is required. Please click on the link below to register. If you encounter problems registering or if you have questions, call 828-255-5522.

Zoom seminar access: After registration, you will receive an email with instructions and a link to join this online live broadcast via Zoom. The ability to access Zoom through a computer, tablet or smartphone with a reliable internet connection is necessary to attend.

Read more
Categories: Garden
Berries!
Mar 21 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Bullington Gardens

Interested in delving into cultivating fruits but not sure how to start? Berry plants are great examples of fruiting plants that grow well in our area. Henderson County Specialized Extension Agent Craig Mauney will discuss cultivation and horticultural techniques for berry plants.

Read more
Categories: Garden Garden Events
Friday, March 22, 2024
Learn + Grow ADULT + CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Mar 22 all-day
NC Arboretum

Plants Connect Us in Place

Throughout Southern Appalachia this month, the first spring ephemerals — floral harbingers of the colorful season to come — begin their journey toward the light. Trillium, Trout Lily, Bloodroot, Dicentra: All appear the most delicate of flowers, yet they are mighty enough to push through heavy layers of damp leaf duff to reach the sun’s rays. Usher in the brightening days like these first flowers with courses that extend the Arboretum’s mission to connect people with plants and learn more about what roots us in our special place in nature.

Eco Gardening: Principles in Practice | In Person Version – ONSITE, Three Sessions: Wednesdays, March 6, 20 & April 3, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Or  Asynchronous Version – Open March 6 through May 31.

Emergence: Spring Wildflower Walk | ONSITE | Saturday, March 9, 1 – 3 p.m. or Saturday, March 16, 1 – 3 p.m.

Lifelong Gardening | ONSITE | Wednesday, March 13, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Free! Lunch & Learn: Previewing the Cullowhee Native Plants Conference | ONSITE | Thursday, March 14, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Native Plants for the Vegetable Garden | ONSITE | Thursday, March 14, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Botany Basics | In Person Version – ONSITE, Six Sessions: Tuesdays & Thursdays, March 19 – April 4, 1 – 3 p.m. Or Asynchronous Version – Open April 4 through June 30.

Soil Health Check Up | ONSITE | Wednesday, March 27, 1:30 – 4 p.m.

Free! Arboretum Reads Nature’s Best Hope by Doug Tallamy | ONSITE | Two Sessions: Thursday, April 4 & 18, 3:30 – 5 p.m.

Registration is also open for our signature plant-based core classes in April. Join us for Spring Native Flora ID (field and blended field/online sections), Spring Native Tree ID (online, field and intensive versions). Plan ahead in April to learn about exotics at the Orchid Festival, April 12 – 14, held at the Arboretum, then return to learn about our native azaleas at the Native Azalea Day, April 27. 
Read more
Categories: Education Garden Garden Events
Table for Three raffle
Mar 22 all-day
online

Tickets for our 2024 Table for Three raffle will go on sale March 15, 2024! Table for Three is MANNA’s partnership with the Asheville-area’s nationally-recognized independent restaurant scene. You could win an incredible grand prize: a meal for two at 52 of the Asheville-area’s top local restaurants. That’s a year’s worth of dining out at a value of more than $3,000!

The best part is that each ticket supports MANNA’s vital work to provide food to Western North Carolina neighbors struggling to make ends meet. With every ticket sold, we can provide enough food to feed one person a daily meal … for more than an entire year. That’s why we call it Table for Three!

TICKETS ARE $124

Table for Three raffle tickets are $124 each. This is a very intentional ticket price: $124 is what it costs MANNA to feed one person a meal a day for more than one year. With every ticket purchased, you help set the table for a neighbor facing food insecurity.

THE GRAND PRIZE

The winner will receive gift certificates to 52 different Asheville-area restaurants. The gift certificates are transferrable, so you can share them with friends and family, give them as client gifts, or, of course, use them all yourself!

Gift certificates do not include tax or gratuity and cannot be used for alcohol. Some restaurants may limit use during holidays or special events. Certificates can be used for dine-in or carry-out service in cases where the restaurant offers the carry-out option.

THE WINNER

A single winner will be drawn via livestream on MANNA’s Facebook page on or before Friday, May 15. All raffle ticket holders will be notified in advance of the exact day and time of the drawing. Ticketholders do not need to be tuned into the livestream to win. The winner will be asked to come to MANNA (on a day and time following the drawing, and agreed upon by the winner and MANNA), to claim their prize. And then … let the dining begin!

THE FINE PRINT

Tickets are $124 each. The drawing will take place on/before May 15, 2024, via livestream on MANNA’s Facebook page. Only 500 tickets will be sold. This is a fundraising project, and all ticket sales benefit MANNA FoodBank. Tickets may be sold to MANNA employees, board members, and other affiliated individuals. The Table for Three Raffle is open only to those who are 18 years of age or older as of March 14, 2023, and who possess a valid government-issued ID. Ticketholders do not need to be tuned in to the livestream to win. According to Internal Revenue Service regulations, no portion of the raffle ticket purchase qualifies as a tax-deductible donation.

Read more
Categories: Fundraisers Raffle
The 2024 Broadway Fundraising Raffle
Mar 22 all-day
online

Enter for your chance to see Tony Award winners Hamilton and Hadestown (from incredible seats) and get your travel and lodging expenses covered as well. Don’t miss your chance to enter! Tickets are only $45 and going fast.

The Broadway Raffle is Back!

Secure your chance to win a Broadway trip in May 2024! Each $45 ticket enters you to win:

  • A pair of tickets to see Hadestown at the Walter Kerr Theatre on May 17 at 7pm. Seats in Center Orchestra, Row D, on the aisle
  • A pair of tickets to see Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theater on May 18 at 7pm. Seats in Center Orchestra, Row C, on the aisle
  • $2500 for roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations during your stay
  • Total package value: apx $3800

Raffle drawing to be held at the closing performance of Witch on April 7, 2024 at 2pm

 

THAT SOUNDS GREAT! HOW DO I BUY TICKETS?

Tickets are $45 each and there is no limit on the number you may purchase.

Read more
Categories: Fundraisers Raffle Theatre
Growing Minds Farm to School Mini-Grant
Mar 22 @ 6:30 am
online
ASAP’s Growing Minds mini-grants help early childhood education (ECE) centers and K-12 schools throughout the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina provide children positive experiences with healthy local foods through these components of farm to school: school gardens, farm field trips and farmer classroom visits, and local foods served in meals, snacks, and/or taste tests.

Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding. 

Applications due by:

  • November 30, 2023
  • January 30, 2024
  • March 30, 2024

If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year. Learn more and apply here!

Read more
Categories: Community Education Garden Grants
Indoor Tropical Bonsai Display
Mar 22 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

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

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

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

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

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Garden
Saturday, March 23, 2024
Table for Three raffle
Mar 23 all-day
online

Tickets for our 2024 Table for Three raffle will go on sale March 15, 2024! Table for Three is MANNA’s partnership with the Asheville-area’s nationally-recognized independent restaurant scene. You could win an incredible grand prize: a meal for two at 52 of the Asheville-area’s top local restaurants. That’s a year’s worth of dining out at a value of more than $3,000!

The best part is that each ticket supports MANNA’s vital work to provide food to Western North Carolina neighbors struggling to make ends meet. With every ticket sold, we can provide enough food to feed one person a daily meal … for more than an entire year. That’s why we call it Table for Three!

TICKETS ARE $124

Table for Three raffle tickets are $124 each. This is a very intentional ticket price: $124 is what it costs MANNA to feed one person a meal a day for more than one year. With every ticket purchased, you help set the table for a neighbor facing food insecurity.

THE GRAND PRIZE

The winner will receive gift certificates to 52 different Asheville-area restaurants. The gift certificates are transferrable, so you can share them with friends and family, give them as client gifts, or, of course, use them all yourself!

Gift certificates do not include tax or gratuity and cannot be used for alcohol. Some restaurants may limit use during holidays or special events. Certificates can be used for dine-in or carry-out service in cases where the restaurant offers the carry-out option.

THE WINNER

A single winner will be drawn via livestream on MANNA’s Facebook page on or before Friday, May 15. All raffle ticket holders will be notified in advance of the exact day and time of the drawing. Ticketholders do not need to be tuned into the livestream to win. The winner will be asked to come to MANNA (on a day and time following the drawing, and agreed upon by the winner and MANNA), to claim their prize. And then … let the dining begin!

THE FINE PRINT

Tickets are $124 each. The drawing will take place on/before May 15, 2024, via livestream on MANNA’s Facebook page. Only 500 tickets will be sold. This is a fundraising project, and all ticket sales benefit MANNA FoodBank. Tickets may be sold to MANNA employees, board members, and other affiliated individuals. The Table for Three Raffle is open only to those who are 18 years of age or older as of March 14, 2023, and who possess a valid government-issued ID. Ticketholders do not need to be tuned in to the livestream to win. According to Internal Revenue Service regulations, no portion of the raffle ticket purchase qualifies as a tax-deductible donation.

Read more
Categories: Fundraisers Raffle
The 2024 Broadway Fundraising Raffle
Mar 23 all-day
online

Enter for your chance to see Tony Award winners Hamilton and Hadestown (from incredible seats) and get your travel and lodging expenses covered as well. Don’t miss your chance to enter! Tickets are only $45 and going fast.

The Broadway Raffle is Back!

Secure your chance to win a Broadway trip in May 2024! Each $45 ticket enters you to win:

  • A pair of tickets to see Hadestown at the Walter Kerr Theatre on May 17 at 7pm. Seats in Center Orchestra, Row D, on the aisle
  • A pair of tickets to see Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theater on May 18 at 7pm. Seats in Center Orchestra, Row C, on the aisle
  • $2500 for roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations during your stay
  • Total package value: apx $3800

Raffle drawing to be held at the closing performance of Witch on April 7, 2024 at 2pm

 

THAT SOUNDS GREAT! HOW DO I BUY TICKETS?

Tickets are $45 each and there is no limit on the number you may purchase.

Read more
Categories: Fundraisers Raffle Theatre
Indoor Tropical Bonsai Display
Mar 23 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

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

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

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

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

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Garden
Sunday, March 24, 2024
Table for Three raffle
Mar 24 all-day
online

Tickets for our 2024 Table for Three raffle will go on sale March 15, 2024! Table for Three is MANNA’s partnership with the Asheville-area’s nationally-recognized independent restaurant scene. You could win an incredible grand prize: a meal for two at 52 of the Asheville-area’s top local restaurants. That’s a year’s worth of dining out at a value of more than $3,000!

The best part is that each ticket supports MANNA’s vital work to provide food to Western North Carolina neighbors struggling to make ends meet. With every ticket sold, we can provide enough food to feed one person a daily meal … for more than an entire year. That’s why we call it Table for Three!

TICKETS ARE $124

Table for Three raffle tickets are $124 each. This is a very intentional ticket price: $124 is what it costs MANNA to feed one person a meal a day for more than one year. With every ticket purchased, you help set the table for a neighbor facing food insecurity.

THE GRAND PRIZE

The winner will receive gift certificates to 52 different Asheville-area restaurants. The gift certificates are transferrable, so you can share them with friends and family, give them as client gifts, or, of course, use them all yourself!

Gift certificates do not include tax or gratuity and cannot be used for alcohol. Some restaurants may limit use during holidays or special events. Certificates can be used for dine-in or carry-out service in cases where the restaurant offers the carry-out option.

THE WINNER

A single winner will be drawn via livestream on MANNA’s Facebook page on or before Friday, May 15. All raffle ticket holders will be notified in advance of the exact day and time of the drawing. Ticketholders do not need to be tuned into the livestream to win. The winner will be asked to come to MANNA (on a day and time following the drawing, and agreed upon by the winner and MANNA), to claim their prize. And then … let the dining begin!

THE FINE PRINT

Tickets are $124 each. The drawing will take place on/before May 15, 2024, via livestream on MANNA’s Facebook page. Only 500 tickets will be sold. This is a fundraising project, and all ticket sales benefit MANNA FoodBank. Tickets may be sold to MANNA employees, board members, and other affiliated individuals. The Table for Three Raffle is open only to those who are 18 years of age or older as of March 14, 2023, and who possess a valid government-issued ID. Ticketholders do not need to be tuned in to the livestream to win. According to Internal Revenue Service regulations, no portion of the raffle ticket purchase qualifies as a tax-deductible donation.

Read more
Categories: Fundraisers Raffle
The 2024 Broadway Fundraising Raffle
Mar 24 all-day
online

Enter for your chance to see Tony Award winners Hamilton and Hadestown (from incredible seats) and get your travel and lodging expenses covered as well. Don’t miss your chance to enter! Tickets are only $45 and going fast.

The Broadway Raffle is Back!

Secure your chance to win a Broadway trip in May 2024! Each $45 ticket enters you to win:

  • A pair of tickets to see Hadestown at the Walter Kerr Theatre on May 17 at 7pm. Seats in Center Orchestra, Row D, on the aisle
  • A pair of tickets to see Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theater on May 18 at 7pm. Seats in Center Orchestra, Row C, on the aisle
  • $2500 for roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations during your stay
  • Total package value: apx $3800

Raffle drawing to be held at the closing performance of Witch on April 7, 2024 at 2pm

 

THAT SOUNDS GREAT! HOW DO I BUY TICKETS?

Tickets are $45 each and there is no limit on the number you may purchase.

Read more
Categories: Fundraisers Raffle Theatre
Indoor Tropical Bonsai Display
Mar 24 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

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

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

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

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

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Garden
Monday, March 25, 2024
Buncombe Extension Master GardenerSM Helpline Opens for 2024 Gardening Season
Mar 25 all-day
NC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener

Have your garden and plant questions answered. There are three ways to contact the Master Gardener Helpline:

Call 828-255-5522

Email questions and photos to [email protected] or stop by the extension office hours:

Mondays – 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Tuesdays – 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Thursdays – 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Read more
Categories: Community Education Garden Garden Events
Dining Out for Life Fundraiser for WNC AIDS Project
Mar 25 all-day
Various Locations

On Thursday, April 25th, the Western North Carolina AIDS Project (WNCAP) will host our annual Dining Out For Life event. Partnering again with the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association (AIR), Dining Out For Life 2024 will encourage residents of Asheville and Western North Carolina to eat out at Participating Restaurants.

This celebration supports both the local restaurants that host the events and raises money for WNCAP’s life-saving services.

 

Now in its 22nd year, Dining Out for Life has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The money raised by WNCAP’s annual Dining Out for Life is more critical than ever. Your donations provide care, rental assistance, and education in our fight against HIV/AIDS. Dine Out. End HIV.

2024 Participating Restaurants (List Updated Daily)
* MEMBER OF ASHEVILLE INDEPENDENT RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION 
*12 Bones Smokehouse and Brewing (South)

*Farm Burger Downtown
*Farm Burger South AVL
*Gan Shan West
Glass Onion
*Haywood Common
*Haywood Country Club
*Jettie Rae’s Oyster House
Juicy Lucy’s Burger Bar and Grill
Laila Asheville
*Limones
Little Pearl
*Laughing Seed
Mad Co. Brew House
O’Henry’s

*Pack’s Tavern
*Plant
*Posana
*RendezVous
*Salt Face Mule Brewing Co.
* Sovereign Remedies
*Sunny Point Cafe
*The Cantina
The Noodle shop
*Twisted Laurel Downtown AVL
*Vinnie’s Italian
*Vinnie’s South
Vivian Asheville
* Wicked Weed Brewing
*Wicked Weed Funkatorium

Read more
Categories: Food & Drink Fundraisers
Learn + Grow ADULT + CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Mar 25 all-day
NC Arboretum

Plants Connect Us in Place

Throughout Southern Appalachia this month, the first spring ephemerals — floral harbingers of the colorful season to come — begin their journey toward the light. Trillium, Trout Lily, Bloodroot, Dicentra: All appear the most delicate of flowers, yet they are mighty enough to push through heavy layers of damp leaf duff to reach the sun’s rays. Usher in the brightening days like these first flowers with courses that extend the Arboretum’s mission to connect people with plants and learn more about what roots us in our special place in nature.

Eco Gardening: Principles in Practice | In Person Version – ONSITE, Three Sessions: Wednesdays, March 6, 20 & April 3, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Or  Asynchronous Version – Open March 6 through May 31.

Emergence: Spring Wildflower Walk | ONSITE | Saturday, March 9, 1 – 3 p.m. or Saturday, March 16, 1 – 3 p.m.

Lifelong Gardening | ONSITE | Wednesday, March 13, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Free! Lunch & Learn: Previewing the Cullowhee Native Plants Conference | ONSITE | Thursday, March 14, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Native Plants for the Vegetable Garden | ONSITE | Thursday, March 14, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Botany Basics | In Person Version – ONSITE, Six Sessions: Tuesdays & Thursdays, March 19 – April 4, 1 – 3 p.m. Or Asynchronous Version – Open April 4 through June 30.

Soil Health Check Up | ONSITE | Wednesday, March 27, 1:30 – 4 p.m.

Free! Arboretum Reads Nature’s Best Hope by Doug Tallamy | ONSITE | Two Sessions: Thursday, April 4 & 18, 3:30 – 5 p.m.

Registration is also open for our signature plant-based core classes in April. Join us for Spring Native Flora ID (field and blended field/online sections), Spring Native Tree ID (online, field and intensive versions). Plan ahead in April to learn about exotics at the Orchid Festival, April 12 – 14, held at the Arboretum, then return to learn about our native azaleas at the Native Azalea Day, April 27. 
Read more
Categories: Education Garden Garden Events
Table for Three raffle
Mar 25 all-day
online

Tickets for our 2024 Table for Three raffle will go on sale March 15, 2024! Table for Three is MANNA’s partnership with the Asheville-area’s nationally-recognized independent restaurant scene. You could win an incredible grand prize: a meal for two at 52 of the Asheville-area’s top local restaurants. That’s a year’s worth of dining out at a value of more than $3,000!

The best part is that each ticket supports MANNA’s vital work to provide food to Western North Carolina neighbors struggling to make ends meet. With every ticket sold, we can provide enough food to feed one person a daily meal … for more than an entire year. That’s why we call it Table for Three!

TICKETS ARE $124

Table for Three raffle tickets are $124 each. This is a very intentional ticket price: $124 is what it costs MANNA to feed one person a meal a day for more than one year. With every ticket purchased, you help set the table for a neighbor facing food insecurity.

THE GRAND PRIZE

The winner will receive gift certificates to 52 different Asheville-area restaurants. The gift certificates are transferrable, so you can share them with friends and family, give them as client gifts, or, of course, use them all yourself!

Gift certificates do not include tax or gratuity and cannot be used for alcohol. Some restaurants may limit use during holidays or special events. Certificates can be used for dine-in or carry-out service in cases where the restaurant offers the carry-out option.

THE WINNER

A single winner will be drawn via livestream on MANNA’s Facebook page on or before Friday, May 15. All raffle ticket holders will be notified in advance of the exact day and time of the drawing. Ticketholders do not need to be tuned into the livestream to win. The winner will be asked to come to MANNA (on a day and time following the drawing, and agreed upon by the winner and MANNA), to claim their prize. And then … let the dining begin!

THE FINE PRINT

Tickets are $124 each. The drawing will take place on/before May 15, 2024, via livestream on MANNA’s Facebook page. Only 500 tickets will be sold. This is a fundraising project, and all ticket sales benefit MANNA FoodBank. Tickets may be sold to MANNA employees, board members, and other affiliated individuals. The Table for Three Raffle is open only to those who are 18 years of age or older as of March 14, 2023, and who possess a valid government-issued ID. Ticketholders do not need to be tuned in to the livestream to win. According to Internal Revenue Service regulations, no portion of the raffle ticket purchase qualifies as a tax-deductible donation.

Read more
Categories: Fundraisers Raffle