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.

Tuesday, February 20, 2024
NC Arboretum Hiking Trails
Feb 20 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

Located within the wildly-popular and botanically beautiful Southern Appalachian Mountains, The North Carolina Arboretum offers more than 10 miles of hiking trails that connect to many other area attractions such as Lake Powhatan, the Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visitors of all ages and abilities can enjoy their hiking experience at the Arboretum as trail options include easy, moderate, and difficult challenge levels. All trails are dog-friendly and visitors are asked to adhere to the proper waste disposing procedures for pets.

Part of a running group that would like to use the Arboretum as a starting point or parking location? Please review our Running Group Guidance and email [email protected] with any questions.

Toddler Story Time
Feb 20 @ 10:30 am – 11:00 am
Oakley/South Asheville Library

Join us for a fun and interactive story time designed for children ages 18 months to 3 years.

Glen Arden ES – Spring Musical Finding Nemo Kids
Feb 20 @ 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Glen Arden Elementary School

Spring Musical

Finding Nemo KIDS

2nd-4thGrades

Tuesdays

2:30pm-4:00pm

2/6, 2/13, 2/20. 2/27, 3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 3/26, 4/9, 4/16, 4/30, 5/7, 5/14

No Class: 4/2 Spring Break, 4/23 Early Release

Dress Rehearsal: 5/7 2:30-4:00pm

Performance: 5/14/2024 3:30pm

Tuition: $300

Students will learn all about teamwork as they work together with their classmates and a professional Teaching Artist to perform scenes and songs from a short musical. Each actor will receive their own part with lines and songs to learn. Class time will be used for rehearsal and a performance complete with costumes and props will take place on the final class day.

In Person at Glen Arden Elementary School

50 Pinehurst Cir, Arden, NC 28704

Baby Story Time
Feb 20 @ 3:30 pm – 4:15 pm
Weaverville Public Library

Join us for a lively language enrichment story time designed for children ages 4 to 18 months.

Baby Story Time
Feb 20 @ 3:30 pm – 4:15 pm
Weaverville Public Library

Join us for a lively language enrichment story time designed for children ages 4 to 18 months.

LEGO Builders Club
Feb 20 @ 3:30 pm
Pack Memorial Library

Come down the Pack Memorial Library and play with LEGOs!
Show off your building skills and make new friends with other LEGO maniacs.

Please leave your personal LEGOs at home, because we’ve got plenty.

Read to a Dog! with Flora the Golden Retriever
Feb 20 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
East Asheville Library

Trying out your new reading skills in front of other people can be intimidating! But dogs always listen and never judge, even when we make mistakes. Practice reading with a furry pal at the library every Tuesday afternoon and improve your skills with the listening ear of a certified therapy dog from the Alliance of Therapy Dogs.

Read with Flora the Golden Retriever every first and third Tuesday from 4 – 5 p.m.

Read with Rascal the King Charles Spaniel every second and fourth Tuesday from 3 – 4 p.m.

All participants must register and sign a waiver to take part. Call the library at 828-250-4738 or e-mail [email protected] for more information.

Wednesday, February 21, 2024
2024 Carl Sandburg Poetry Contest is open with a theme of “Memory”
Feb 21 all-day
online w/ Carl Sandburg Home

Carl Sandburg wrote countless words in an array of different genres, including poetry, children’s stories, journal articles, as well as a biography and autobiography! He wrote of love and nature, dreams and struggles. This year’s theme of “Memory” is echoed in much of his works. ““Under the summer roses, when the flagrant crimson, lurks in the dusk, Of the wild red leaves, Love, with little hands, comes and touches you with a thousand memories, and asks you beautiful, unanswerable questions.” Carl Sandburg

Poems submitted for the 2024 contest should reflect the theme of “Memory.” By definition, “the process or power of recallling something learned or experienced from the past” Note: Poems do NOT need to be titled Memory, as long as the poem itself relates to the theme.

Students are invited to submit a poem to Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site’s annual Student Poetry Contest. The contest encourages youth to explore writing their own poetry and is open to students nationwide!

  • Submissions are accepted from grades 3-12 and must be submitted by email by Monday March 4, 2024. See below for submission rules.
  • Winners will be notified by April 7, 2024, and will be invited to participate in a virtual celebration program on Sunday, April 28.
Growing Minds: “I Tried Local…” free virtual toolkit
Feb 21 all-day
online

Growing Minds has published “I Tried Local…” a Toolkit for Engaging Kids with Local Food and Farms. This resource—intended for early care and education through second grade classrooms—offers an immersive curriculum designed around 10 crops grown in North Carolina. The print toolkit is currently available to educators in North Carolina who participate in a virtual training with Growing Minds. A free digital version is also available to anyone on the Growing Minds website.

Each unit includes an overview of a North Carolina–grown crop, lesson plans, recipes, coloring pages, book recommendations, discussion prompts, and a link to the “Meet Your Farmer” video series featuring North Carolina farmers. The toolkit also offers resources for implementing the core elements of farm to school—gardens, classroom cooking and taste tests, farm field trips and farmer visits, and local foods in meals or snacks.
Growing Minds will host a series of virtual training to support educators interested in using the toolkit. The first will be held on Zoom on Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Register here or contact [email protected] for more information.
Registration for Tanglewood Youth Theatre Classes
Feb 21 all-day
online w/ Asheville Community Theatre

Tanglewood Summer has long been a successful and inspirational part of children’s creative education in Western North Carolina. Our theatre camp has been extremely popular and is well-suited for any young person interested in exploring the exciting world of theatre. Our faculty represents some of the finest talent in the area, and we are thrilled to have them at Tanglewood Summer.

We have something for every kid this summer – whether it’s your first or one-hundred-and-first time trying theatre, Tanglewood Summer is the place for YOU!

NC Arboretum Hiking Trails
Feb 21 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

Located within the wildly-popular and botanically beautiful Southern Appalachian Mountains, The North Carolina Arboretum offers more than 10 miles of hiking trails that connect to many other area attractions such as Lake Powhatan, the Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visitors of all ages and abilities can enjoy their hiking experience at the Arboretum as trail options include easy, moderate, and difficult challenge levels. All trails are dog-friendly and visitors are asked to adhere to the proper waste disposing procedures for pets.

Part of a running group that would like to use the Arboretum as a starting point or parking location? Please review our Running Group Guidance and email [email protected] with any questions.

Puppet Playtime
Feb 21 @ 10:00 am
East Asheville Public Library

Every Wednesday morning, we open up the children’s activity room to give kids time for free play with puppets. Children must be under the supervision or a parent or guardian.

Hora Del Cuento Bilingual Story Time
Feb 21 @ 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Enka-Candler Library

An interactive story time for the whole family featuring books, rhymes, and songs in Spanish and English.

These early literacy programs for kids and their caregivers are designed to develop a joy for learning through books, songs, and activities.

Ms. Kate will host story time in the community room at the library. This will not be a ticketed event.

Pacolet Junior Appalachian Music (PacJAM) Spring Semester
Feb 21 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

Beginning & Intermediate youth music classes on traditional and ol’ time instruments including but not limited to, fiddle, mandolin, banjo and guitar. Students will attend 40 minutes of music enrichment, including multiple flat-footing sessions led by Alice Kexel, story-telling, visits from guest musicians, as well as learn about the heritage of the music and the region. They will have 40 minutes of group music classes, and 40 minutes of singing or JAM rehearsal.

Advanced students will have 40 minutes of group instrument lessons, followed by 30 minutes of advanced singing including harmony and shape-note singing, and finish with 50 minutes of coached, small-ensemble rehearsal.

Classes are $15/session, for a total of $210 for the first student, and a 20% discount of $168 for each additional sibling. Parents may choose to split payments when registering. Inquire with Julie Moore at [email protected] or 864-420-6407 about scholarships.

Youth Classes

Wednesdays, 4-6 pm

Avery’s Creek Community Center Classes: Spring Musical Finding Nemo KIDS
Feb 21 @ 4:30 pm
Avery's Creek Community Center

Students will learn all about teamwork as they work together with their classmates and a professional Teaching Artist to perform scenes and songs from a short musical. Each actor will receive their own part with lines and songs to learn. Class time will be used for rehearsal and a performance complete with costumes and props will take place on the final class day.

Wednesdays

4:30-5:30pm

2/7, 2/14, 2/21, 2/28,

3/6, 3/13, 3/20, 3/27,

4/10, 4/17, 4/24,

5/1, 5/8

**No Class 4/3/2024

Dress Rehearsal: 5/1 5:45-7:15pm (Combined with older class)

Performance: 5/8/2024 6:30pm

Tuition: $250

  Students will learn all about teamwork as they work together with their classmates and a professional Teaching Artist to perform scenes and songs from a short musical. Each actor will receive their own part with lines and songs to learn. Class time will be used for rehearsal and a performance complete with costumes and props will take place on the final class day.

Spring Musical 2024 3rd-6th Grades

Finding Nemo KIDS

Wednesdays

5:45-7:15pm

2/7, 2/14, 2/21, 2/28,

3/6, 3/13, 3/20, 3/27,

4/10, 4/17, 4/24,

5/1, 5/8

**No Class 4/3/204

Dress Rehearsal: 5/1 5:45-7:15pm (Combined with younger class)

Performance: 5/8/2024 6:30pm

Tuition: $325

 

 

Wofford Terriers vs. Kennesaw State University
Feb 21 @ 5:30 pm
Russell C. King Field

Follow the Terriers on Twitter at @WoffordBaseball

An Intimate Evening With David Foster + Katharine McPhee
Feb 21 @ 7:30 pm
Peace Concert Hall

16-time Grammy® award-winning musician, composer, and producer DAVID
FOSTER and acclaimed singer, television, and Broadway star, KATHARINE
MCPHEE are bringing their viral Instagram show on the road.

Coming directly from the Living Room to the stage, this intimate show with
the powerhouse duo will be packed with David‘s hits from Chicago,
Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé, etc. and Kat’s
biggest songs from American IdolSmash, and Waitress. Plus some of their
favorites that they just love!

About David Foster
Few other individuals can claim to have their fingerprints on more major moments in all of popular music than David Foster. He has created hit songs for a diverse array of artists including Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, Diana Krall, Natalie Cole, Michael Bolton, Seal, Chaka Khan, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Chicago, Hall & Oates, Brandy, ’N Sync, Boz Scaggs, and Gloria Estefan.

Foster is gearing up to take on Broadway with several projects including writing the music for a new musical about the iconic animated character “Betty Boop.” He is also writing the music for a musical based on the Amy Bloom novel and New York Times bestseller Lucky Us.

About Katharine McPhee
Katharine McPhee can most recently be seen starring in the Netflix Original Series Country Comfort. Previously she starred as “Paige Dineen” on the CBS’ spy drama Scorpion and was featured in NBC’s award-winning musical series Smash, executive produced by Steven Spielberg. Her other television credits include CSI: NYCommunity, and Family Guy.

McPhee appeared on the big screen in Columbia’s romantic comedy The House Bunny. In addition to her acting career, she finds great success in the music space after her turn on Season 5 of American Idol. McPhee’s first single debuted at #2 on the Billboard’s Hot Singles Sales chart. Her debut album landed on the Billboard 200 chart and went gold in 2008.

McPhee also has a presence in theater, having recently starred in both the U.S. and U.K. productions of Waitress.

Thursday, February 22, 2024
Registration open:The Summer Family Musical theatre camp style production
Feb 22 all-day
online

Dads, Moms, Grandparents, Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Siblings of all ages are invited to participate in this family theatre camp style production! There are roles for kids, teenagers and adults of all ages. Current, past, and new Playground Stage Families are invited to join!

Show Title: To be revealed at the 5 Year Birthday Celebration!
Dates and Times
Info Sessions & Auditions:

(Participants must choose one date to attend an info session) (Speaking role auditions are optional)

June 12, 2024 – Summer Family Musical Info Session & Speaking Role Auditions

or

June 19, 2024 – Summer Family Musical Info Session & Speaking Role Auditions

Rehearsals:

Evenings July 22nd – August 2nd

Located at Avery’s Creek Community Center

899 Glenn Bridge Rd SE, Arden, NC

Evenings August 5th-8th

Located at Asheville High School Theatre

Performances: August 9th & 10th

Asheville High School Theatre

Optional music learning rehearsals will take place every Wednesday from 6:00-7:30pm throughout the summer starting June 26th 2024

NC Arboretum Hiking Trails
Feb 22 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

Located within the wildly-popular and botanically beautiful Southern Appalachian Mountains, The North Carolina Arboretum offers more than 10 miles of hiking trails that connect to many other area attractions such as Lake Powhatan, the Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visitors of all ages and abilities can enjoy their hiking experience at the Arboretum as trail options include easy, moderate, and difficult challenge levels. All trails are dog-friendly and visitors are asked to adhere to the proper waste disposing procedures for pets.

Part of a running group that would like to use the Arboretum as a starting point or parking location? Please review our Running Group Guidance and email [email protected] with any questions.

Tiny Tots Yoga with Ms. Brandon
Feb 22 @ 10:15 am – 12:00 pm
Weaverville Public Library

Join us at the Weaverville Library for Tiny Tots Yoga with Ms. Brandon. This program is designed for children ages 1-3 and their caregivers. Space for this program is limited. Registration is required for individual sessions and dates. Please stop by the Weaverville Library or call (828) 250-6482 to reserve your space.

Baby Storytime
Feb 22 @ 10:30 am – 11:00 am
Black Mountain Library

A lively language enrichment story time designed for children ages 4 to 18 months.

Toddler Story Time
Feb 22 @ 10:30 am – 11:15 am
Leicester Library

Join us for a fun and interactive story time designed for children ages 18 months to 3 years.

Toddler Story Time
Feb 22 @ 10:30 am – 11:00 am
Fairview Library
  Join us for a story time designed for children ages 3 to 5 years as we share books, songs, rhymes, and activities.
Production classes: DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID JR Grades: 1st-12th
Feb 22 @ 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Asheville Performing Arts Academy
Willy Wonka JR 2
DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID JR

Grades: 1st-12th

Auditions: February 15 from 4:30pm-6:00pm
*All students will receive a role and be cast in Cast A or Cast B

Rehearsals: Thursdays, 3:30pm-6:00pm
*Exact Rehearsal times will be determined after casting

Rehearsals Start: February 22, 2024

Shows: May 17-19, 2024 (Tech May 13-16, 2024) – each cast will have 2 performances

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers
Feb 22 @ 7:00 pm
PNC Arena

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers

Pride Night: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers
Feb 22 @ 7:00 pm
PNC Arena

 

Join the Hurricanes on Pride Night, as we aim to drive positive social change and foster more inclusive communities with the belief that Hockey is for Everyone. Presented by UNC Health.

Greenville Swamp Rabbits vs. Rapid City Rush
Feb 22 @ 7:05 pm
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Greenville Swamp Rabbits vs. Rapid City Rush

Rapid City Rush
Greenville Swamp Rabbits

Rapid City Rush @ Greenville Swamp Rabbits

City Dance
Feb 22 @ 7:30 pm
Landmark Hal

Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.

Itzhak Perlman
Feb 22 @ 7:30 pm
Peace Concert Hall

Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to his irrepressible joy for making music.

Having performed with every major orchestra and at concert halls around the globe, Mr. Perlman was granted a Presidential Medal of Freedom – the Nation’s highest civilian honor – by President Obama in 2015, a Kennedy Center Honor in 2003, a National Medal of Arts by President Clinton in 2000, and a Medal of Liberty by President Reagan in 1986. Mr. Perlman has been honored with 16 GRAMMY® Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Kennedy Center Honor, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Genesis Prize.

In the 2022/23 season, Mr. Perlman conducts the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and the Houston Symphony on Mozart’s Requiem, and is joined by an illustrious group of collaborators — Emanuel Ax, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and the Juilliard String Quartet — in a special Itzhak Perlman and Friends program appearing in only three locations: Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall, UMS Ann Arbor and Carnegie Hall. He continues touring An Evening with Itzhak Perlman, which captures highlights of his career through narrative and multi-media elements intertwined with performance, to Boston, Philadelphia, Long Island, Akron, Austin and Naples (Florida). He plays season-opening concerts for the Colorado Symphony, Vancouver Symphony and Florida Orchestra, and recitals across the United States with longtime collaborator Rohan De Silva.

He currently serves as Artistic Partner of the Houston Symphony in a partnership that commenced in the 2020/21 season and culminates at the end of 2023/24. He performs 9 programs across three seasons that feature him in versatile appearances as conductor, soloist, recitalist and presenter.

Mr. Perlman has an exclusive series of classes with Masterclass.com, the premier online education company that enables access to the world’s most brilliant minds including Gordon Ramsay, Wolfgang Puck, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Helen Mirren, Jodie Foster and Serena Williams, as the company’s first classical-music presenter.

James McMurtry
Feb 22 @ 7:30 pm
Gunter Theatre

James McMurtry is a Grammy-nominated folk-rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bandleader, and occasional actor. A luminary in the Americana space, he weaves stories that resonate with gritty authenticity and emotional depth. His songwriting is celebrated by critics and fellow artists alike, with John Mellencamp raving, “James writes like he’s lived a lifetime,” and Jason Isbell lauding, “I don’t think anybody writes better lyrics.”

In August 2021, McMurtry released The Horses and the Hounds, his first collection in seven years. The album showcases his seasoned songwriting, seamlessly blending personal narratives with elegance (“Canola Fields”) and high energy (“If It Don’t Bleed”), and his ability to inhabit characters from various walks of life, as noted by critics who describe his work as subversive, funny, vulnerable and always poignant.

The release follows in the footsteps of McMurtry’s albums Complicated Games (2015), Just Us Kids (2008) and Childish Things (2005), all of which scored endless critical praise. Just Us Kids earned McMurtry his highest Billboard 200 chart position in two decades (since eclipsed by Complicated Game) and notched Americana Music Award nominations. Childish Things spent six full weeks topping the Americana Music Radio chart in 2005 and 2006, and won the Americana Music Association’s Album of the Year, with “We Can’t Make It Here” named the organization’s Song of the Year. Other accolades include a 1996 Grammy nomination for Long Form Music Video for Where’d You Hide the Body and an American Indie Award for Best Americana Album for It Had to Happen (1997).

Touring year-round, McMurtry consistently throws down powerhouse performances backed by his band.

McMurtry will be joined by opening act BettySoo.