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.

Saturday, May 4, 2019
CODE BLUE Premier Film Screening!
May 4 @ 7:00 pm
Foster Church

A documentary film that redefines the practice of medicine by highlighting the practice of Lifestyle Medicine to prevent, treat, and manage chronic diseases.

Friday, May 10, 2019
Leadercast 2019 to benefit Eblen Charities
May 10 all-day
Lake Hills Church

Leadercast Live is the largest one-day leadership event in the world. Broadcast live from Atlanta to hundreds of locations around the world each year, Leadercast brings together some of the most recognized and respected global leaders to create a leadership experience unlike any other. This is a simulcast of the Live Event. Ticket proceeds benefit Eblen Charities.

Leadercast Live focuses on the leadership issues most relevant to today’s time-starved leader. It is a place of inspiring messages coupled with rich interaction between fellow leaders that want to be intentional about raising their standard of leadership…all delivered with a creative, energetic and memorable approach. Leaders across all industries and various levels of their career are able to leave this event better equipped to take on their next challenge.

Saturday, May 11, 2019
Spring Fling Plant Sale
May 11 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
American Red Cross

Come celebrate the beginning of a new gardening season at the Spring Fling Plant Sale! The Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County in partnership with the Asheville Blue Ridge Rose Society will host the Spring Fling Plant Sale on Saturday, May 11, from 10 am. to 2 pm. The sale will be held in the parking lot of the American Red Cross, 100 Edgewood Road, off of Merrimon Avenue in Asheville. The sale will be held rain or shine.

The Asheville Blue Ridge Rose Society will sell many varieties of roses, including own-root, fragrant, miniature, and old garden roses. Expert rosarians will be on hand to help you choose the perfect rose and to give practical advice on growing and caring for roses.

Extension Master GardenerSM volunteers will offer a variety of sun and shade perennials, with a focus on natives and pollinator friendly selections. Plants are grown by Master Gardeners with tender loving care. We will also offer a nice selection of garden accessories. Personal shoppers will be available to assist you with the best plants for your special space, give you plant suggestions for Mother’s Day gifts, and answer your gardening questions.

We will also be offering an on-going pruning tool sharpening workshop. Bring your small hand tools (pruners) and loppers to learn how to clean and sharpen them. This is a free workshop but donations are greatly appreciated.

Thursday, May 16, 2019
Wildlife Workshop & Walkabout – Southern Appalachian Salamanders
May 16 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Defenders of Wildlife

Defenders is excited to announce the launch of our 2019 seasonal series: Wildlife Workshops & Walkabouts! In this free, fun and educational series, you’ll have a chance to learn about your local wildlife and the habitat on which they depend. These lectures and hands-on activities will get you out into the great outdoors to discover the amazing world around you. 

Our first event celebrates the salamanders of Southern Appalachia. Join us and special guest presenter, herpetologist and salamander expert R. Graham Reynolds, PhD on Thursday, May 16th to learn about the salamanders of our area – including rare and imperiled species such as the hellbender and green salamander – why they’re important and how we’re addressing conservation challenges they face. Dr. Reynolds is an Assistant Professor of Biology at UNC Asheville and an Associate at Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology in Cambridge, MA. Following his presentation, we will learn how to create backyard salamander sanctuaries of our own. Then, join us on Saturday, May 18th for a walkabout in Rocky Fork State Park, TN. We’ll look for salamanders and explore this important area that supports an array of wildlife.

To learn more about our work to recover the imperiled eastern hellbender salamander, click here. https://medium.com/wild-without-end/diving-in-for-hellbender-conservation-a04219501768

Lecture and Hands-On Activity — Thursday May 16, 2019
5:30-7:00pm
Defenders of Wildlife’s Southeast Office
1 Rankin Avenue, 2nd Floor
Asheville, NC 28801

Refreshments provided.

AND

Walkabout — Saturday, May 18, 2019
7:30am – 3:00pm
Rocky Form State Park, TN
501 Rocky Fork Rd., Flag Pond, TN 37657

For more info, email Tracy at [email protected]

This 2019 series is sponsored by weilerwoodsforwildlife.com

Saturday, May 18, 2019
Tryon International Film Festival – 5th Annual BBQ, Music & Movie Fundraiser
May 18 @ 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Mountain Brook Vineyard

5 th Annual Tryon International Film Festival BBQ Fundraiser
Brought to you by the Polk County Film Initiative
Join us for the 5 th Annual, Tryon International Film Festival BBQ Fundraiser, at Mountain Brook Vineyards
in Tryon.
Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, bell bottom jeans, tie-dyed shirts and free spirit, as we trip back to
1969 for a special screening of “Woodstock”.
Rap with all your friends and dig the music of Michael Baughman. Then munch out on the classic BBQ of
Bird Mountain and Tim Wright. Soak in the fabulous wines which are grown, bottled and produced on
Mountain Brooks’ spectacular seven-acre vineyard.
Asheville’s Power Band, “The Paper Crowns” will take the stage as the evening gets rolling. Then, as the
sun goes down, toss down a blanket let the Polk County Film initiative take you on a trip to
“Woodstock”. See how 50,000 tickets holders brought along 500,000 of their friends and turned
Woodstock into a pivoting point of the pop culture.
It will be a groovy evening to remember. Please support Year 5 of the Tryon International Film Festival.

Monday, May 20, 2019
2019 Assaults on Mt Mitchell
May 20 all-day
Race starts at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium

The 44th Annual Assaults, presented by Greenville Health System, will be held on Monday, May 20, 2019.
The Assault on Mt Mitchell is one of the most intense, premier cycling experiences that draws a full field of upward of 1,000 cyclists from across the world each year. The Assault on Mt. Mitchell is a 102.7-mile self-paced ride — not race — from Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, along the Blue Ridge Parkway, to the summit at Mt. Mitchell State Park in North Carolina —a total vertical ascent of more than 10,000 feet.

The Assault on Marion is a simultaneous 74.2-mile self-paced ride starting from Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina and ending at the 5th rest stop at the Tom Johnson Rally Park Pavilion in Marion, North Carolina.

Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Movie Night at The Collider: Seeds of Time
May 21 @ 6:30 pm
The Collider

The Collider hosts a monthly climate and environmental film series, open to the public. In collaboration with The Utopian Seed Project, The Collider will show Seeds of Time, a film by Sandy McLeod.

Seeds of Time: A man’s journey to save the future of our food
A perfect storm is brewing as agriculture pioneer Cary Fowler races against time to protect the future of our food.Seed banks around the world are crumbling, crop failures are producing starvation and rioting, and the accelerating effects of climate change are affecting farmers globally. Communities of indigenous Peruvian farmers are already suffering those effects, as they try desperately to save over 1,500 varieties of native potato in their fields.

With little time to waste, both Fowler and the farmers embark on passionate and personal journeys that may save the one resource we cannot live without: our seeds.

“Seeds of Time offers a vital, clear-headed look at the effects of climate change on global food security.” – The Los Angeles Times

The Utopian Seed Project
The Utopian Seed Project is a hands-in-the-earth organization committed to trialing crops and varieties in the Southeast to support diversity in food and farming. Its utopian vision is create an engaged network of growers, gardeners, farmers, foodies, cooks and chefs to help us educate and celebrate this diversity. Based in Asheville, NC, The Utopian Seed Project works towards achieving its overarching vision to support food security in the face of climate change through diverse and regenerative agriculture.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with refreshments provided. The screening begins at 7 p.m. The event is free & open to the public, with a suggested donation of $10/person.

Saturday, June 1, 2019
3rd Annual Prama Day
Jun 1 all-day
3rd Annual Prama Day

The Prama Institute and Wellness Center will hold an all-day festival on Saturday, June 1st, 2019 to celebrate health and wellness. Join us for this free celebration, taking place from 8:30am-6pm at Prama’s double-domed facility, located at 310 Panhandle Rd., just south of Marshall and 20 minutes from Asheville.

There will be a variety of free yoga, dance, music, workshops, playshops, sound healing, nature walks, and many more activities taking place throughout the day from which to choose from. We will have local vendors and information booths, as well as a children’s tent. Participants will also be able to purchase a delicious and nutritious lunch prepared by Prama’s chefs.

Since 2007, the Prama Institute has become a landmark retreat and conference center in the Southeast, hosting events that promote holistic health, spirituality, the arts, environmentalism, and social activism. In 2012, it opened the Prama Wellness Center, an innovative health center that promotes positive lifestyle changes through its retreats and individualized coaching. Both facilities are located on 130 acres of idyllic, secluded rolling hills that border the French Broad River. The land is interlaced with hiking trails that connect the many affiliated projects of the Prama community.

Beyond the Garden Gate – Garden Tour!
Jun 1 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Asheville Visitors Center

Come and be inspired with new ideas for your garden! Join us for, Beyond the Garden Gate, tour starting at 9 am to 3 pm on Saturday, June 1, 2019. Coordinated by Buncombe County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers (EMGV), this year’s self-guided garden tour showcases 5 diverse gardens, including The Learning Garden. The Learning Garden is a newly developed group of gardens established by EMGVs which are intended to demonstrate to the public sustainable gardening practices relevant to our area.

This biennial event features unique home gardens designed and tended by Master Gardener volunteers, as well as The Learning Garden. Learn while you explore the private gardens and educational demonstration sites at The Learning Garden. The Master Gardener volunteers will be on hand to answer your gardening questions and provide helpful information.

Tickets for this special event are $20 and available for purchase beginning on April 15th online at buncombemastergardener.org, NC Cooperative Extension Buncombe County Center at 49 Mt. Carmel Rd., and at EMGV events. Tickets may also be purchased on garden tour day at the Tour Registration Table at the Asheville Visitor Center, 36 Montford Avenue in Asheville. The tour is held rain or shine. For more information visit our website or call 828-255-5522.

All proceeds help support EMGV programs, such as School Garden Grants which benefits children in Buncombe County, continued development and maintenance of demonstration gardens at The Learning Garden, and other programs.

Please bring a friend, sun hat, bottle of water, and spend the day enjoying a selection of some of the most beautiful gardens in Buncombe County!

Friday, June 7, 2019
Day Out With Thomas
Jun 7 @ 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Tweetsie Railroad

Experience everyone’s favorite train like never before as Thomas the Tank Engine chugs his way through the NC Mountains. Children can meet and take pictures with Sir Topham Hatt, listen to Thomas and Friends storytelling, and enjoy activities in the Imagination Station.

Saturday, June 8, 2019
Day Out With Thomas
Jun 8 @ 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Tweetsie Railroad

Experience everyone’s favorite train like never before as Thomas the Tank Engine chugs his way through the NC Mountains. Children can meet and take pictures with Sir Topham Hatt, listen to Thomas and Friends storytelling, and enjoy activities in the Imagination Station.

Concerts in the Park Series
Jun 8 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Cecil Park, Biltmore Park Town Square

We invite you to bring your family, friends and neighbors to enjoy a musical evening in Biltmore Park Town Square. Grab a blanket and join us in Cecil Park, the green space near Hickory Tavern and Brixx Wood Fired Pizza. We will be hosting the Marsha Morgan Band – MMB plays a variety of music including beach, dance, rock, country and more. Come enjoy two full hours of live music, dancing and fun – free for everyone!

Park in the Dark
Jun 8 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park

Celebrate the beginning of summer vacation by seeing day turn to night from the top of the Rock!

Enjoy an extraordinary evening of stargazing, hands-on nature activities, and storytelling around the campfire during this fundraiser for the Friends of Chimney Rock State Park.

Camp Fires, Marshmallows & S’mores!
Storytelling with Doug Elliot & Brian Bockhahn!
Cherokee Legends!
Stargazing with Astronomy Club of Asheville!
Live Nocturnal Animals!
Naturalist Programs!
Night Time Gear Demonstration with Frugal Backpacker

Cost: $20 per adult;
$8 per child ages 5-15;
Free for children ages 4 and under.
(Please print your receipt for purchase OR have the receipt available on your mobile device in order to redeem at our front gate.)

Get your ticket soon, this event usually sells out quickly!

Thanks to Ingles, Frugal Backpacker and Chimney Rock Management for supporting this amazing event!

https://www.facebook.com/events/2386226444781600/

Sunday, June 9, 2019
Day Out With Thomas
Jun 9 @ 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Tweetsie Railroad

Experience everyone’s favorite train like never before as Thomas the Tank Engine chugs his way through the NC Mountains. Children can meet and take pictures with Sir Topham Hatt, listen to Thomas and Friends storytelling, and enjoy activities in the Imagination Station.

Party in the River Arts District! Tattoos, Live Music, Free Beer + more!
Jun 9 @ 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Girl and Goblin

We wanted to invite you to the biggest party the River Arts District has ever seen!

Come join us in celebrating the grand opening of Girl and Goblin, Asheville’s one and only Tattoo Studio and Oddities Shop! See for yourselves our new location containing over 2,300 square feet of peculiar curiosities.

Joining the celebration will be local food trucks, free beer (21+) from local breweries, live music, multiple tattooers working all day, giveaways, sideshow performers and more! Everyone is welcome, all ages, all people!

It all goes down Sunday June 9th from 12-9.
375 Depot Street
We hope to see you there!
Email or call us for more info:
(828)691-5083
[email protected]

Monday, June 10, 2019
Day Out With Thomas
Jun 10 @ 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Tweetsie Railroad

Experience everyone’s favorite train like never before as Thomas the Tank Engine chugs his way through the NC Mountains. Children can meet and take pictures with Sir Topham Hatt, listen to Thomas and Friends storytelling, and enjoy activities in the Imagination Station.

Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Day Out With Thomas
Jun 11 @ 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Tweetsie Railroad

Experience everyone’s favorite train like never before as Thomas the Tank Engine chugs his way through the NC Mountains. Children can meet and take pictures with Sir Topham Hatt, listen to Thomas and Friends storytelling, and enjoy activities in the Imagination Station.

Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Day Out With Thomas
Jun 12 @ 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Tweetsie Railroad

Experience everyone’s favorite train like never before as Thomas the Tank Engine chugs his way through the NC Mountains. Children can meet and take pictures with Sir Topham Hatt, listen to Thomas and Friends storytelling, and enjoy activities in the Imagination Station.

“Beyond my Dreams – the African American Experience in Ballet”
Jun 12 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
the BLOCK off Biltmore

A rare opportunity to meet Claudia Foltz, co-author of dance icon Mel Tomlinson’s autobiography, “Beyond My Dreams”. Come here his story of how talent, determination and hard work broke through walls, making him one of the first African Americans featured at the NYC Ballet. Terpsicorps dancers Keith Reeves and Lydia McRae will join the discussion to share their view of life in today’s world of ballet from an African American perspective.

Thursday, June 13, 2019
Day Out With Thomas
Jun 13 @ 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Tweetsie Railroad

Experience everyone’s favorite train like never before as Thomas the Tank Engine chugs his way through the NC Mountains. Children can meet and take pictures with Sir Topham Hatt, listen to Thomas and Friends storytelling, and enjoy activities in the Imagination Station.

Friday, June 14, 2019
Day Out With Thomas
Jun 14 @ 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Tweetsie Railroad

Experience everyone’s favorite train like never before as Thomas the Tank Engine chugs his way through the NC Mountains. Children can meet and take pictures with Sir Topham Hatt, listen to Thomas and Friends storytelling, and enjoy activities in the Imagination Station.

Disney’s Newsies
Jun 14 @ 7:00 pm
Diana Wortham Theatre

Presented by the Asheville Performing Arts Academy and sponsored by Express Employment Professionals.

It’s time to carry the banner on your stage with Disney’s Newsies! Set in turn-of-the century New York City, Newsies is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenaged “newsies.”

When titans of publishing raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions and fight for what’s right! Based on the 1992 motion picture and inspired by a true story, Newsies features a Tony Award-winning score by Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Sister Act) and Jack Feldman and a book by Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein (Kinky Boots). Featuring the now classic songs“Carrying the Banner,” “Seize the Day,” and “Santa Fe,” Newsies is packed with non-stop thrills and a timeless message, perfect for thewhole family and every audience.

Saturday, June 15, 2019
Just Brew It
Jun 15 all-day
Wedge at Foundation

Homebrew Festival and tasting. Proceeds of this event benefit Just Economics, an Asheville-based non-profit organization whose mission is to build a more just and sustainable local economy that works for all in WNC.
– Sample over 100 unique home brewed beers
– Vote for your favorite for People’s Choice Award!
– Learn about Just Economics’ work and how to engage

Day Out With Thomas
Jun 15 @ 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Tweetsie Railroad

Experience everyone’s favorite train like never before as Thomas the Tank Engine chugs his way through the NC Mountains. Children can meet and take pictures with Sir Topham Hatt, listen to Thomas and Friends storytelling, and enjoy activities in the Imagination Station.

Momentum – a Party for Terpsicorps
Jun 15 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
East West Vintage Rentals

Join us for an elegant evening of good food, new friends, and remarkable entertainment at a wonderfully quirky vintage venue in the heart of West Asheville. Savor gourmet heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine and champagne cocktails while listening to the music of Secret B-Sides’ own Juan Holladay.

Our amazing guest of honor, Harry Brown, will be the auctioneer for the evening, presiding over live and silent auctions filled with irresistible items.

And for the highlight of the evening, sit back and enjoy the critically acclaimed Terpsicorps dancers up close in an intimate setting. Proceeds support the 2019 summer season of Asheville’s contemporary ballet company, Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance.

Cost of admission includes FREE childcare at the Academy at Terpsicorps’ Parents Night Out event.

Disney’s Newsies
Jun 15 @ 7:00 pm
Diana Wortham Theatre

Presented by the Asheville Performing Arts Academy and sponsored by Express Employment Professionals.

It’s time to carry the banner on your stage with Disney’s Newsies! Set in turn-of-the century New York City, Newsies is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenaged “newsies.”

When titans of publishing raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions and fight for what’s right! Based on the 1992 motion picture and inspired by a true story, Newsies features a Tony Award-winning score by Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Sister Act) and Jack Feldman and a book by Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein (Kinky Boots). Featuring the now classic songs“Carrying the Banner,” “Seize the Day,” and “Santa Fe,” Newsies is packed with non-stop thrills and a timeless message, perfect for the whole family and every audience.

Sunday, June 16, 2019
Day Out With Thomas
Jun 16 @ 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Tweetsie Railroad

Experience everyone’s favorite train like never before as Thomas the Tank Engine chugs his way through the NC Mountains. Children can meet and take pictures with Sir Topham Hatt, listen to Thomas and Friends storytelling, and enjoy activities in the Imagination Station.

Asheville Outlets Presents Monthly Cruise ‘In Car Show
Jun 16 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Asheville Outlets

Do you love cars? If so, then join us at Asheville Outlets (ShopAshevilleOutlets.com) for Cruise ‘In, a monthly car show featuring an exciting display of cars, trucks, motorcycles and special interest vehicles behind the Food Court on Sundays, May 19, June 16, July 21, August 18, September 15, October 20 and November 17, 2019 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Cruise ‘In is free to car owners and spectators.

Thursday, June 20, 2019
Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance presents “HUNGER”
Jun 20 @ 8:00 pm – Jun 22 @ 8:00 pm
Diana Wortham Theatre

Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance, NC’s summertime professional contemporary ballet company, is thrilled to be re-staging Heather Maloy’s HUNGER, a work that dares to ask the question, “What do you hunger for?” This partnership with MANNA Food Bank was created to call attention to or region’s food insecurity crisis. At the root, we are all hungry. Most of us not in the strict use of the term, but we all have something that we crave. Told through high energy vignettes that range from funny to shocking, this audience favorite inspires the viewer to inspect the needs and desires that forge the trajectory of their lives, while contemplating how that path would be altered if the most basic needs, such as food, water and shelter, were not met.

Friday, June 21, 2019
Summer Concert Series: Hearts Gone South
Jun 21 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Hickory Nut Gap Farm

Live music, food, and family fun! Join us on July 5th for Hearts Gone South, Asheville’s hony tonk darlin’s!

Hearts Gone South plays original classic-style country and honky tonk full of heart and soul, laced with wit and woe.

Hearts Gone South’s sound has been described as “ the sweet spot between vintage country and modern production values — that make the band’s original tunes sound and feel warmly familiar.” – Bill Kopp, author, music journalist, historian, collector, and musician.

Led by vocalist Tricia Tripp, this cast and crew of all star players (JP Parsons,-tele, Casey Saulpaugh – pedal steel, Scott Thomas- drums, and Landon George- bass) bring fire and feeling to the age-old stories of heartbreak, love, and victory for the underdog. From tear-soaked ballads, to heartfelt dance tunes, to twangy barn burners, Hearts Gone South shoots straight from the hip with impassioned vocals, a tight rhythm section, and smoking leads, to hit their target dead on.

A band rooted in a love of old country, and branching out into their own firebrand of the genre, Hearts Gone South will win your heart over with their original country, shining like diamonds in a rhinestone world.