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.
Registration is now open for The North Carolina Writers’ Network 2024 Fall Conference. The conference will open on Friday, November 1, with a keynote address by Ron Rash, author of The Caretaker, Serena, and The World Made Straight.
The Fall Conference takes place November 1-3, 2024 at the DoubleTree Asheville in Biltmore Village. The organization’s biannual conferences are hosted in different North Carolina cities each year. The last time the conference took place in Asheville was 2019. This weekend event, designed to deepen meaningful connections among attendees, is a three-day celebration of North Carolina’s literary craft with talks, workshops, panels, and resources.
Join over 200 other writers and literature enthusiasts!
The conference welcomes attendees to experience two sides of literary craft: the evolving publishing environment for North Carolina writers, as well as craft technique that makes good writing endure through the ages. Ron Rash will be joined on the conference faculty by more than three dozen award-winning and acclaimed writers, editors, and publicists leading classes on the craft and business of writing.
Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM
Happy Body will be offering more FREE Pilates Reformer classes on Saturday, November 2nd and Sunday, November 3rd both at 11am. Let’s keep taking care of ourselves, Asheville! ❤️
Classes will be held at 1378 Hendersonville Rd. Limited spots available. To secure your spot, text us at 828-215-6773.
Happy Body is offering a donation-based Block Therapy for Trauma Class on Saturday, November 2nd from 1-3pm at 25 Reed St Suite 210. You must register to attend as space is limited. Pay what you can.
This block therapy class will be focusing on the whole body to move stuck energy from pain and trauma. This is a slow and relaxed class focusing on connecting to full conscious breath to open areas where emotions are stored in the fascia. Pain, fear, and stress cause us to hold our breath as a protective mechanism to shield ourselves. When breath becomes paralyzed from trauma pain and stress, there is no movement of that energy out of the body. In this class, we will be releasing past/current patterns of breathing, created by trauma, pain, and stress. Our breath is directly connected to our nervous system, so this practice relaxes the nervous system so the body can get out of flight and flight or freeze and into rest, digest, and heal.
828-277-5741
[email protected]
https://www.ashevillehappybody.com/workshops-events
Time to recalibrate our nervous systems to peace and harmony!
Join your host Kristin Hillegas, for a one-hour Serenity Sound Bath and experience a deeply immersive, full-body sound and vibrational experience. A sound bath can cleanse your soul, restore your balance, surround you with peace and tranquility and stimulate healing.
Note: Please bring a yoga mat/pillow/blanket since you will be lying on the floor. Wear warm, comfortable, and flexible clothing.
The Sound Bath will take place upstairs in the Education Building. Choose your space starting at 1:00 PM, doors close promptly at 1:15 PM.
This service is being offered on a Love Offering basis. (Retail Value $25) Donations allow us to continue to provide these immersive experiences.
*NOTE ON DIRECTIONS* Due to a bridge out on S Bear Creek Rd, you can access Center for Spiritual Living Asheville off Sand Hill Rd & Bear Creek Rd. There is access to upper parking lot from the other side of S. Bear Cr Rd.
There is a boardwalk from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.
Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM
🚨 Back by Popular Demand! 🚨
Our Block Therapy Workshop was such a hit, we’re bringing it back as a 3-part series this fall! Whether you’re looking for deep healing or simply want to explore the benefits, join one, two, or all three sessions with Renata Osorio. Each workshop focuses on different areas of the body to help you release tension and experience lasting relief.
🗓 Workshop Dates:
• Oct 12th | 1-3 PM – Pelvis & Legs
• Oct 26th | 1-3 PM – Shoulders, Arms & Head
• Nov 9th | 1-3 PM – Breast/Pec & Lungs
What is Block Therapy? Block Therapy is a powerful combination of sustained pressure and diaphragmatic breathing that works to release fascial adhesions—tension built up over time that can cause misalignment and pain. This method helps you restore body symmetry by addressing areas where fascia pulls on the bone, blocking blood and oxygen flow.
✨ Benefits Include:
• Improved posture
• Released chronic pain
• Enhanced range of motion
• Boosted lymphatic flow
• Emotional release
Whether you’re seeking relief from tension or exploring somatic healing, Block Therapy offers a unique way to detoxify your mind, body, and soul.
Ready to release what’s holding you back? Sign up today! 🌿
828-277-5741
Ashevillehappybody.com
[email protected]
*All workshops are at our Biltmore Village location – 25 Reed St. Suite 210
The North Carolina Writers Network and The Brandy Bar + Cocktails present
KATHY SMITH BOWERS & LEE STOCKDALE as next in their series “In the Company of Writers.”
The program offers a series of personal and conversational dialogues featuring guest writers/poets followed by an open mic forum that occurs the 2nd Wednesday of each month. These inspirational gatherings will elucidate and entertain those attending. The guest author speaks from 7-8 PM with an open mic from 8 -9 PM. The Chicago blues music of “Hollywood Johnny Cosgrove” (accompanied by Charlie Wilkinson) welcomes you, continues during intermission, and closes the evening. Sign-ups for the open are available at the entrance.
Cathy Smith Bowers, a former Poet-Laureate of North Carolina, lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The North Carolina Writers Network and The Brandy Bar + Cocktails present
KATHY SMITH BOWERS & LEE STOCKDALE as next in their series “In the Company of Writers”
The program offers a series of personal and conversational dialogues featuring guest writers/poets followed by an open mic forum that occurs the 2nd Wednesday of each month. These inspirational gatherings will elucidate and entertain those attending. The guest author speaks from 7-8 PM with an open mic from 8 -9 PM. The Chicago blues music of “Hollywood Johnny Cosgrove” (accompanied by Charlie Wilkinson) welcomes you, continues during intermission, and closes the evening. Sign-ups for the open are available at the entrance.
Cathy Smith Bowers, a former Poet-Laureate of North Carolina, lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM
Immerse yourself with the healing vibrations of a Sound Bath!
Join your host Kristin Hillegas, for a one-hour Serenity Sound Bath and experience a deeply immersive, full-body sound and vibrational experience. A sound bath can cleanse your soul, restore your balance, surround you with peace and tranquility and stimulate healing.
Note: Please bring a yoga mat/pillow/blanket since you will be lying on the floor. Wear warm, comfortable, and flexible clothing.
The Sound Bath will take place upstairs in the Education Building. Choose your space starting at 9:15 AM, doors close promptly at 9:30 AM.
This service is being offered on a Love Offering basis.(Suggested Value $25) Donations allow us to continue to provide these immersive experiences.
Accessible parking is available in the Center for Spiritual Living Asheville upper parking lot. The entrance to the upper parking lot is off of S. Bear Creek Rd between Science of Mind Way and Sand Hill Rd.
There is a boardwalk walk-way from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.
Making connections is key to meeting business goals and building brand awareness. Mega Networking lets you do just that. In a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, you’ll meet business contacts from a variety of industries, gain exposure for your company and learn about other local businesses.
Held just twice a year, Mega Networking’s structured, “round robin” approach allows you to make valuable connections in a small group. Each person has a chance to share about their business, and a table leader moderates to put you at ease and keep the group on track. As you rotate from table to table, you’ll interact with most of the attendees, allowing you to make numerous connections in just one morning.
You’ll leave with great leads, great ideas and positive energy to keep your business moving forward.
Helpful tips:
- * Practice your “elevator speech” ahead of time so you can share your most important information in one minute.
- * Bring a little something to help others remember you and your business (something visual yet simple, AND your business card).
- * Stay “portable” — you’ll be moving from table to table throughout the morning.
- * If you’re a newcomer to this event, arrive a little early so you can settle in comfortably at your first table and learn the flow of the event without being rushed.
- * Schedule time now on your calendar to follow up soon with those you meet.
Cost is $50 per Chamber member, $85 for other attendees.
Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM
Enjoy a whole day of free wellness practices and therapies at the Madison County Wellness Day, from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Prama Wellness Center, located at 161 Wellness Way, Marshall, NC 28753. This event aims to honor and support the local community in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, providing essential wellness services free of charge.
This Wellness Day will offer a variety of services designed to promote healing and recovery. Attendees can enjoy the following holistic health modalities for free:
Acupuncture
Massage Therapy
Yoga and Meditation
Counseling
Herbalism
And much more!
A free vegetarian/vegan lunch will be served.
WHERE: Prama Wellness Center and Neohumanist College of Asheville – 161 & 160 Wellness Way, Marshall N.C.
WHEN: November 24, 10 AM – 4 PM
Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM
Dark City Poets Society is a completely free poetry group that is open to writers of all ages and experience levels.
Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6:00-7:30 pm on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) feedback group.
Join us for our next Smart Series session, “Your People, Your Power – How Lifting Up Your Employees Attracts Clients & Talent” on Wednesday, December 4, from Noon to 1 PM at the Chamber.
This session will reveal how highlighting your employees’ unique stories can drive recruitment, strengthen marketing, and build a positive workplace culture. Learn why people connect with people—more than just brand logos—and how that connection can translate to growth for your organization.
Award-winning writer and director Chris Bainbridge will guide the discussion, sharing strategies to showcase your team’s personal stories. By celebrating employees’ achievements and lives beyond work, organizations create a culture that attracts top talent and builds customer loyalty.
Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM
Hear from economist and author, Ben Harris, from the Brookings Institution at this year’s Annual Economic Outlook at the Omni Grove Park Inn on Wednesday, December 11th.
In light of Hurricane Helene’s impact on our region, Ben will not only provide insights into the economic trends shaping the nation and beyond but will also address the importance of community resiliency in the face of natural disasters.
Please join us for this timely discussion on strengthening our economy and building resilience for the future.
Typically, our year-end event is the Venture 15 Awards. This event celebrated the fastest-growing companies in Asheville, spotlighting achievements in high growth and entrepreneurial success. However, following the challenges brought by Hurricane Helene, our community’s priorities have shifted toward resilience, renewal, and long-term impact. In response, Venture Asheville is excited to present the The Venture Asheville Honors – A Telethon Celebrating Entrepreneurial Resilience—a dynamic re-imagining of our annual celebration.
This year’s event is more than an award show; it’s a rallying call to rebuild and strengthen Western North Carolina’s business ecosystem. Join us for an unforgettable evening featuring live entertainment from bluegrass to hip-hop, tarot card readings, and inspiring interviews with entrepreneurs and community leaders. Hosted live on Facebook and in person, the telethon invites everyone to participate as we aim to raise $1 million in mixed funding for Optimist Ventures, a groundbreaking community-first fund. Come be part of a pivotal moment as we move from recovery to reinvention, championing companies that are committed to growing sustainably and making Asheville a beacon of resilience.
This is a theater-style show with individual tickets (no tables) networking, drinks, and food before and after the show.
Ticket includes entry to the show, one drink ticket, and light food.
Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM
Celebrate the Full Moon by immersing yourself with the healing vibrations of a Sound Bath! The full moon offers a boost in healing to our energy field.
Join your host Kristin Hillegas, for a one-hour Serenity Sound Bath and experience a deeply immersive, full-body sound and vibrational experience. A sound bath can cleanse your soul, restore your balance, surround you with peace and tranquility and stimulate healing.
Note: Please bring a yoga mat/pillow/blanket since you will be lying on the floor. Wear warm, comfortable, and flexible clothing.
The Sound Bath will take place upstairs in the Education Building. Choose your space starting at 9:15 AM, doors close promptly at 9:30 AM.
This service is being offered on a Love Offering basis. Donations allow us to continue to provide these immersive experiences. (Retail value $25)
Accessible parking is available in the Center for Spiritual Living Asheville upper parking lot. The entrance to the upper parking lot is off of S. Bear Creek Rd between Science of Mind Way and Sand Hill Rd.
There is a boardwalk walk-way from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.
AdventHealth is committed to whole person care – body, mind and spirit. This promise to provide our community with high
quality health care includes sharing knowledge to empower people to feel whole through
FREE nutritional education. Learn how to keep you and your family healthy and feeling
whole through incorporating a simple, delicious, Mediterranean diet.
This free and informative class will explore the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Eating
like those who live in the Mediterranean region has been shown to promote health and
decrease the risk of many chronic diseases, including certain types of cancers,
Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease.
These classes will explore how to incorporate the Mediterranean way of eating into our
everyday life. Together, we will look at simple, delicious, and satisfying recipes followed
by a cooking demonstration and taste test.
Please join us for our last class of this series on December 18 as we learn exciting holiday
snacks to enjoy with friends and family this season. These fun, healthy snacks are an
easy way to introduce others to the tasty and healthy Mediterranean diet. Classes are
free and registration is required.
Cooking and Nutrition Class:
Eating the Mediterranean Way – Holiday Snacks Class
Wednesday, December 18 | 2 to 3 pm
AdventHealth Medical Group Multispecialty at Laurel Park
1881 Pisgah Drive, Hendersonville, NC
Please register by visiting AdventHealthWNC.com/Events or call 855-774-LIFE (5433)
Join me in celebrating the Winter Solstice with a restorative Sound Bath! This Solstice offers a time of renewal, hope, & the triumph of light over darkness. It’s an auspicious time to let go of what’s no longer serving you and welcome new beginnings.
We will begin at 10:00 am to be in close alignment with the time of the Solstice and the coming of the Light.
For the meditation, we will experience the energies of the stars as the warmth of the sun rises basking you in it’s gentle rays & penetrating your body with healing energy.
Note: Please bring a mat/blankets/pillow since you will be lying on the floor.
Wear comfortable and flexible clothing.
Choose your space starting at 9:45 am, doors close promptly at 10:00 am.
NOTE: Accessible parking is available in the Center for Spiritual Living Asheville upper parking lot. The entrance to the upper parking lot is off of S. Bear Creek Rd between Science of Mind Way and Sand Hill Rd. (see map in comments).
There is a boardwalk walk way from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.
Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM
Start your New Year off with self love by immersing in the healing vibrations of a Sound Bath!
Join your host Kristin Hillegas, for a one-hour Serenity Sound Bath and experience a deeply immersive, full-body sound and vibrational experience. A sound bath can cleanse your soul, restore your balance, surround you with peace and tranquility and stimulate healing.
Note: Please bring a yoga mat/pillow/blanket since you will be lying on the floor. Wear warm, comfortable, and flexible clothing.
The Sound Bath will take place upstairs in the Education Building. Choose your space starting at 1:00 PM, doors close promptly at 1:15 PM.
This service is being offered on a Love Offering basis.(Suggested Value $25) Donations allow us to continue to provide these immersive experiences.
Accessible parking is available in the Center for Spiritual Living Asheville upper parking lot. The entrance to the upper parking lot is off of S. Bear Creek Rd between Science of Mind Way and Sand Hill Rd.
There is a boardwalk walk-way from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.
Every Monday, Ivy Rozen, Senior Editor of The Black Mountain Press, will host a poetry-specific open mic from 6:30pm-9pm. Each poet will be able to share 2-3 poems, and occasionally we will have local celebrity poets close out our night with a featured reading (email Ivy at [email protected] if you’d like to be a featured poet)!
Incredible Business Networking: IBN Biz Lunch – East Asheville
1st Tuesday monthly. 11:30am – 1pm, Suwana Asian Cuisine (https://www.suwanaasiancuisine.com), 45 Tunnel Rd., Asheville 28805
Meeting Leader:
Steve Jencks, Incredible Towns of WNC
Why Attend IBN Biz Lunches?
Free To Attend, No Dues Or Fees
No Membership Required
No Attendance Requirements
No Category Restrictions
No Exclusions – All Inclusive!
Buy Food/Drink If You Wish (Optional)
All are invited to attend and promote their business, products, and services, and meet new referral contacts. Bring a big stack of business cards / flyers and invite your business contacts to attend.
Have a Door Prize? (optional) Bring one if you like.
Incredible Business Networking – Western North Carolina is Sponsored by the following fine companies that make it possible for everyone else to attend for free!:
Mr. Rooter Plumbing WNC https://www.mrrooter.com/asheville
One Health Direct Primary Care https://www.onehealthdpc.com
PMI Mountain & Main Property Management https://www.ashevillepropertymanagementinc.net
Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More https://www.bigfrog.com/asheville
Pisgah Roofing and Restoration https://pisgahroofingandrestoration.com
NC Writers Network & The Brandy Bar + Cocktails feature author Tony Robles as the next poet in their series “In the Company of Writers.” The program offers a series of personal and conversational dialogues featuring guest writers/poets followed by an open mic forum. These inspirational gatherings will elucidate and entertain those attending. The guest author speaks from 7-8 PM with an open mic from 8 -9 PM. The Chicago blues music of “Hollywood Johnny Cosgrove” (accompanied by Charlie Wilkinson) welcomes you, continues during intermission, and closes the evening. Sign-ups for the open mic are available at the entrance.
Born in San Francisco, Tony Robles now makes his home in Hendersonville. His latest poetry collection, Where the Warehouse Things was published in late 2024 by Redhawk Publications in Hickory, NC. This book focuses on masculinity, set against the backdrop of mechanical parts, tools, and the rough language of men. This, his fourth poetry collection, follows the 2023 collection Thrift Store Metamorphosis (Redhawk Publications). Among his honors, Tony was short-listed for Poet Laureate of San Francisco in 2017, named Carl Sandburg Writer in Residence by the Carl Sandburg Historic Home in 2020 and twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He holds an MFA in creative writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is working on his first novel.
Blood Drive at AdventHealth Hendersonville
Thursday, January 9 | 10 am to 3 pm
100 Hospital Drive, Hendersonville
Look for The Blood Connection Mobile Donor Unit near the Valet parking lot.
All donors will receive $40 in rewards!
To make an appointment, visit thebloodconnection.org and search for the Sponsor Code 23AC.