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.

Thursday, April 20, 2023
Common Word Community Read: “Being, Researching, Writing About, and Advocating for Dr. Gilmer” w/ Wiley Cash + Benjamin Gilmer
Apr 20 @ 7:00 pm
UNC Asheville’s Reuter Center in the Manheimer Room.

Join New York Times Bestselling author and UNC Asheville alumnus, Wiley Cash ’00 in conversation with author Benjamin Gilmer on Thursday, April 20 at 7 p.m. at UNC Asheville’s Reuter Center in the Manheimer Room.

This event is part of the Common Word Community Read, curated by Cash. The program brings the UNC Asheville community together to engage in a collective educational experience. Each semester, one book will serve as the focus of numerous virtual and in-person lectures and discussions that will allow participants to delve deeper into the text. Over the course of the academic year, participants will read one book each semester, gaining insights and sharing ideas in a welcoming and respectful environment. Spring 2023’s selection is The Other Dr. Gilmer: Two Men, a Murder, and an Unlikely Fight for Justice.

Saturday, April 22, 2023
Gatherings of Artists + Writers Coffee
Apr 22 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.

The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.

No RSVP needed, just drop by!

Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Sunday, April 23, 2023
Earth Day Plant Identification + Yoga Hike
Apr 23 @ 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Bearwallow Mountain Trail |

Join Ali McGhee and Tara Eschenroeder for this special Earth Day adventure!

About the adventure…

Earth my body, water my blood, air my breath, and fire my spirit!

We are surrounded by so much beauty that we so often overlook as we are distracted by so many things to do and tasks to accomplish. We forget that we are human beings (not human doings) grounded in place and inherent, effortless purpose.

This hike will excite our senses and our minds as we gather deep wisdom about area plants and discover their powerful potential. On our journey up the mountain, we’ll meet several of our local and native plant species and learn their medicinal and magical uses, from healers that help us reconnect with the land – and ourselves – to a few storied (and poisonous) allies.

At the top of the majestic Bearwallow bald, we will share a meditation on the land and flow together in asana, then celebrate with fresh herbal tea brewed from plants we’ve met. Not only will we interact and commune with nature, but we will also come together as a beautiful community celebrating new friends and old.

This adventure is limited to 20 participants.

We can’t wait to share this experience with you!

Sign up here!

Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Dark City Poet’s Society
Apr 25 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Black Mountain Library

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

Thursday, April 27, 2023
Creative Writing Workshop: EcoFiction
Apr 27 @ 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Fairview Library

In this series, we will write about encounters with the natural world through workshops in poetry, fiction, and autobiography. Drawing from the experiences you bring to class, and using a naturalist’s eye for observation and detail, you will capture encounters with vast mountain ranges and lush forests, garden insects and backyard bears, moon phases and songbird migrations. We will read example texts and practice writing prompts to deepen our relationship with nonhuman nature. We will also discuss how “eco” writing supports climate activism, environmental justice, conservation, and related issues.”

Spring creative writing workshops with Fairview author and teacher, Dr. Beth Keefauver, will be offered the last Thursdays of March, April and May.  The classes may be taken individually or as a series. The April class will focus on Eco Fiction.

Registration is required for these classes.  For more information call 828-250-6484.

This class is sponsored in part by the Friends of Fairview Library.

Saturday, April 29, 2023
Gatherings of Artists + Writers Coffee
Apr 29 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.

The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.

No RSVP needed, just drop by!

Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Tuesday, May 2, 2023
Dark City Poet’s Society
May 2 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Black Mountain Library

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

Saturday, May 6, 2023
Gatherings of Artists + Writers Coffee
May 6 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.

The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.

No RSVP needed, just drop by!

Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Sunday, May 7, 2023
Bend + Brew at Hillman Beer
May 7 @ 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Hillman Beer in Old Fort

Ayurveda-Influenced yoga designed for the spring season.

Bring a mat and stay afterward for community

Avoid the fee by sending a venmo to @burning-sage-yoga and put Hillman 5/7 in the notes.

Your amazing instructor Claudia will lead you through a spring flow designed to help you detox your winter and energize your spring.

Stay at Hillman for a great time afterwards!

Tuesday, May 9, 2023
Dark City Poet’s Society
May 9 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Black Mountain Library

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

Friday, May 12, 2023
Yoga with a View
May 12 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Chimney Rock State Park
Advance registration required.

Enjoy the quiet of the Park after the gates have closed at this outdoor class led by Namaste in Nature. Enjoy a practice suitable for all levels of expertise as you overlook Lake Lure and Hickory Nut Gorge. You won’t find a view like this in any studio! Lightweight yoga mats will be provided by your certified yoga teacher.

Saturday, May 13, 2023
Gatherings of Artists + Writers Coffee
May 13 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.

The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.

No RSVP needed, just drop by!

Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Dark City Poet’s Society
May 16 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Black Mountain Library

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

Old Buncombe County Genealogical Society Writers Group
May 16 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
online

Old Buncombe County Genealogical Society Writers Group: 6:30-8 p.m. via Zoom. Email [email protected] for connection details if you want to join the meeting.

Friday, May 19, 2023
Free Yoga at Rabbit Rabbit w/ Asheville Wellness Tours
May 19 @ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Rabbit Rabbit

Come join us most Friday evenings,  5-6 for a happy hour yoga class at Rabbit Rabbit in downtown Asheville!

Don’t forget to bring your own mat!  

?? Free Class- Tips Appreciated ??

The schedule is constantly changing, please follow Asheville Wellness Tours on instragram @ashevillewellnesstours for updates!

 

Saturday, May 20, 2023
Gatherings of Artists + Writers Coffee
May 20 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.

The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.

No RSVP needed, just drop by!

Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Sunday, May 21, 2023
5-Day Juice Cleanse + Yoga Retreat
May 21 all-day
Prama Wellness Center

Appropriate for beginner to advanced Yoga students. Meditation, vegetarian meals. $. Visit www.prama.org. Limited number of sliding scale scholarships offered. Email [email protected].

Looking Glass Rock Writers Conference
May 21 all-day
Brevard College--Porter Center

 May 18-21. Nationally renowned writers give public readings of their work and lead workshops in fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Begins at 7:30 p.m.

Pop Up Outdoor Yoga + Sound Therapy
May 21 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Asheville Salt Cave

Enjoy outdoor yoga + sound therapy in the beautiful Peace garden of Asheville Salt Cave. This 60minute class includes brain-nourishing breathwork, centering meditation, body opening posture flow and guided relaxation under a sound bath by Billy Zanski of Skinny Beats. Open to all levels. Bring your own mat if you are able.

Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Dark City Poet’s Society
May 23 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Black Mountain Library

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Tom Tenbrunsel Virtual Writers Workshop: Poetry on my Mind
May 24 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
online w/ Carl Sandburg Home

You will find Tom Tenbrunsel a delightfully refreshing poet with a wide variety of subject matter and a style somewhere between Sandburg, Frost and the late Appalachian poet James Wright. Tom challenges one’s whit with a refreshing array of non-conforming rhyme, structure, rhythm and oft made-up words and hidden meanings. Uniquely Tom includes a photo and Author’s Notes with each poem. Join us in May to engage the spirit and myth of poetry with Tom’s “Poetry on my Mind”

Casual Poetry/Poetry on my Mind. Tom will read a couple poems for fun. He will ask guests to write a
short poem from a prompt with feedback from the group. Tom would like guests to feel free to bring short
poems to read and discuss. He encourages questions about writing poetry, about a poem of his or his
journey as a poet or his Self Help Series. So familiarize yourself with his works by scanning his website,
tenbrunsel.com Comments or questions are welcomed. Or feel free to email him in advance at
[email protected].  Check out his website tenbrunsel.com before the workshop. Send in one of your
poems to be commented on by Tom.

This workshop is open to writers of all skill levels and is a fun way to find inspiration from a new prompt or revise current work. It is hosted by the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara and will use Microsoft Teams for the virtual connection. Sign up to attend the workshop here!

A writer and a poet, Dr. Tenbrunsel enjoyed a long successful career in Clinical Psychology. Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Tom graduated from Bellarmine University, obtained his doctorate from St Louis University in 1969. He taught, published and was in administration at Michigan State University and was VP for Advancement at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. He and his wife reside in the Appalachians of Western North Carolina. They have three successful children and eight grand grandchildren. Dr T. enjoys photography, gardening, cycling, hiking, camping and stalking the elusive trout. His writings and publications speak for themselves. He has published numerous books including:  Casual Gardening,  Poetry on My Mind, The Fund Raising Resource Manual,  The Fund Raising Handbook, Fund-Raising and Grantsmanship:  Getting Money from the Community for the Community, The Lansing Area Doctors Directory, 1&2,   Dissertation “A Group Coupon Economy Program in Treating Mental Illness:  An Experiment in Social Innovation”,   A Wrinkle in My Time: My Memoirs (a work in progress)

Friday, May 26, 2023
Free Yoga at Rabbit Rabbit
May 26 @ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Rabbit Rabbit

Come join us most Friday evenings,  5-6 for a happy hour yoga class at Rabbit Rabbit in downtown Asheville!

Don’t forget to bring your own mat!

?? Free Class- Tips Appreciated ??

The schedule is constantly changing, please follow Asheville Wellness Tours on instragram @ashevillewellnesstours for updates!

 

Saturday, May 27, 2023
Gatherings of Artists + Writers Coffee
May 27 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.

The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.

No RSVP needed, just drop by!

Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Dark City Poet’s Society
May 30 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Black Mountain Library

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

Friday, June 2, 2023
Yoga with a View
Jun 2 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Chimney Rock State Park
 Advance registration required.

Enjoy the quiet of the Park after the gates have closed at this outdoor class led by Namaste in Nature. Enjoy a practice suitable for all levels of expertise as you overlook Lake Lure and Hickory Nut Gorge. You won’t find a view like this in any studio! Lightweight yoga mats will be provided by your certified yoga teacher.

Saturday, June 3, 2023
Gatherings of Artists + Writers Coffee
Jun 3 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.

The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.

No RSVP needed, just drop by!

Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Tuesday, June 6, 2023
Dark City Poet’s Society
Jun 6 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Black Mountain Library

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

Saturday, June 10, 2023
Gatherings of Artists + Writers Coffee
Jun 10 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.

The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.

No RSVP needed, just drop by!

Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Summer Bend + Brew at Hillman Beer
Jun 10 @ 10:30 am
Hillman Beer

Ayurveda-Influenced yoga designed for the summer.

Bring a mat and stay afterward for community

Avoid the fee by sending a venmo to @burning-sage-yoga and put Hillman 6/4 in the notes.

Your amazing instructor Claudia will lead you through a summer flow designed to help you stay cool & balanced this summer.

Stay at Hillman for a great time afterwards!

Tuesday, June 13, 2023
Dark City Poet’s Society
Jun 13 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Black Mountain Library

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.