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.
WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) is a farmer-led effort to bring established farmers, farm apprentices, and aspiring farmers together for year-long training in the art and science of sustainable agriculture, straight from the hearts, mouths, and fields of seasoned local farmers in Western North Carolina.
Farmers learn best from other farmers, and aspiring farmers learn best from hearing how successful farmers in the region run their farms. Farm Tours form the core of the WNC CRAFT training program.
WNC CRAFT is a membership program, and its fees cover a whole year of learning and networking opportunities. More details on tours will be provided upon joining CRAFT. Tours & benefits are only available to CRAFT Members.
CRAFT Tour Schedule 2023:
- March 19th: Lambing at Black Thorn Farm & Kitchen
- March 30th: Mental Health First Aid Training with NC Agromedicine Institute at Creekside Farm & Education Center
- April 2nd: Farmer Social at Olivette Farm
- April 16th: Mechanical Weed Control and Tractor Implements for Cultivation at Gaining Ground Farm
- July 30th: Silvopasture at Wild East Farm
- October 29th: Land Access Model and Winter Growing at Olivette Farm

Gardening in the Mountains presents:
Get Going with Grasses!
Presenter: Nancy Duffy – Owner of Muddy Boots Garden Design
Grasses are great garden plants! Learn about specific grasses, their uses, and planting and maintenance.
Based in Asheville, North Carolina, Nancy Duffy is the owner of Muddy Boots Garden Design. Over the last decade she has increasingly focused on natural planting styles and has done many meadow and woodland designs.
Video access:
To access this video on the Buncombe County Master Gardener website, click on the link below:
Get Going with Grasses!
Or go to www.buncombemastergardener.org , click on the ‘Gardening Videos’ tab at the top of the page, and select the video from the list provided.
Presenter: Cynthia Gillooly, floral designer and co-owner of Verde` Designs
Join Cynthia Gillooly, an experienced indoor plant expert, and learn about terrarium containers and plant selection for those high-humidity gardens. Cynthia will teach us about soil, plant care and maintenance, and her tricks, tools and accessories to make your own terrific terrariums.
The Growing Minds Intern will assist with implementation of ASAP’s Farm to School program. Activities will include traveling with a team member to schools in the WNC region to deliver training to teachers and engage students around gardening, cooking, and other farm to school components. The Intern will also spend time in the office preparing and organizing materials and resources, as well as completing other various project needs.
Qualifications:
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to talk to children and get them excited about trying new local foods
- Excellent organizational skills
- Valid driver’s license and transportation to local schools
- ASAP requires all staff and interns to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and to follow office guidelines around masks, based on current recommendations
- Ability to regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds without assistance
- Spanish speaking a plus
Note: A background check will be performed for all Growing Mind interns.
How to apply: Email your résumé and cover letter to intern coordinator Growing Minds Program Director Danielle Raucheisen at [email protected].
Extension Master GardenerSM volunteers will be staffing the Helpline as indicated in the schedule below. You may send an email or leave a voicemail at any time and an Extension Master Gardener volunteer will respond during Garden Helpline hours. When emailing, please include a photo if it helps describe your garden question. Soil test kits can be picked up at the Extension office, 24/7. The kits are located in a box outside the front door.
Three ways to contact the Garden Helpline
Call 828-255-5522
Email questions and photos to [email protected]
Visit the Extension Office at 49 Mt. Carmel Road during Helpline hours, listed below.
Garden Helpline Hours
March – (starts March 6)
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
April through September:
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Wednesday 12:00 Noon – 2:00 p.m.
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
October – (ends October 26th)
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
We are here to help and support you! Please contact us. We look forward to answering your gardening questions.
The Education program at Flat Rock Playhouse is undergoing a name change! We are excited to streamline our program and we can’t wait to share the news with you!
Our new name will be Playhouse Jr.!

This new name will encompass many things. You might ask….what is Playhouse Jr.?
Playhouse Jr. means many things and we are excited to share this news with our community!

We are introducing a new software system for our Playhouse Jr. families! This new system will make your life easier! Once you have registered you are in our system for good. That means that once you register all you have to do is access your account to purchase any classes and camps moving forward. No need to register every time!
To register for our new system and to enroll in classes please visit this link: https://app.jackrabbitclass.com/regv2.asp?id=548849
Questions? Please email [email protected]!
Want to register over the phone? No problem! You can call our Education Director, Lauren Hopkins at (828)693-0403 ext. 246 starting Monday March 6!
After six years of hard work, the dream of using The Learning Garden as a hub for public gardening education is finally a reality. The Learning Garden, located at the Extension Office, 49 Mt. Carmel Road, is offering the public the opportunity to Visit and Learn in the garden on selected 2nd and 4th Thursdays, February – October. The Thursday in-person programs will consist of five garden-specific series. Visitors can walk around before or after the program and soak in our lovely gardens. Our gardens will open at 9:00 a.m. and all the demonstration programs run between 10-11:30 a.m. To ensure a good learning experience, attendance will be limited and registration will be required.
Dahlia Series
February 23 – Getting Your Dahlias Ready for Planting
August 3 – Disbudding Dahlias for Better Blooms
October 26 – Dividing and Storing Dahlias
Dye Garden Series
May 4 – Planning Your Dye Garden
June 22 – Introduction to Natural Dyeing
July 27 – Fresh Indigo
August 24 – Botanical Printing: Printing with Leaves and Flowers
September 28 – Dyeing with Hopi Black Sunflower
November 9 – The Magic of Indigo
Rose Garden Series
March 9 – Pruning Roses
April 6 – Climbing Roses
April 13 – Rose Pests and Pathogens
May 20 – Growing Beautiful Roses (Saturday Seminar)
Sun & Shade Garden Series
May 11 – Planting a Native Butterfly Host Plant Garden
June 29 – Foodscaping Edible Plants in Flower Beds
August 31 – Dealing with “the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” Plants
Sept 14 – Native Butterfly Life Cycles in the Fall Garden
Vegetable Garden Series
March 23 – Building an ADA Compliant Raised Garden
April 26 – Planting Root Crops: Leeks, Onions, Carrots, Parsnips
May 25 – Planting a Seed Saving Garden
June 8 – Common Vegetable Garden Pests
July 13 – Kid Friendly Gardening
August 10 – Preserving Your Vegetable Harvest
In addition to the Thursday programs listed above, The Learning Garden will present a series of ninety minute (+/-) hands-on seminars covering various gardening topics. These in-person programs will be held at The Learning Garden on selected Saturday mornings, February – September.
Saturday Seminars
February 18 – Tool Selection and Sharpening
March 18 – Pruning Trees and Shrubs
April 22 – Gardening for the Birds
May 20 – Growing Beautiful Roses
June 17 – Pollinator Plants in The Learning Garden
September 16 – Bulbs for All Seasons
Each of the programs in The Learning Garden will be announced individually through this blog and on our website two weeks before each program. Each announcement will include instructions on how to register. Mark your calendar and register to attend as many as you can.

RTS: Hay Fever
By Noel Coward
Friday and Saturday performances are held at Asheville Community Theatre; Sunday performances are held at the Reuter Center on the campus of UNCA.
Hay Fever is presented as readers theatre by The Autumn Players.
David Bliss and his wife, Judith, find their quiet family weekend in the country interrupted when their high-spirited children, Simon and Sorel, arrive with uninvited guests. Drama unfolds for the Bliss family as comedic misunderstandings and tempers flare in the countryside.
Tickets The Vagina Monologues Tickets | Asheville, NC | The Orange Peel (etix.com)
FULLY SEATED SHOW
The Vagina Monologues is a play written by Eve Ensler, and is based on interviews with over 200 women. The purpose of the Monologues is to raise funds and awareness for anti-violence groups in our local communities in an effort to end domestic and sexual violence against women. 100% percent of the proceeds from this production will go directly to Helpmate of Asheville (www.helpmateonline.org), and all of our cast are volunteers.
This is not just a show for women; men are especially encouraged to attend. These are issues that affect your mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, and friends. And you know what? Although there are aspects of the show that are heart-wrenching, the majority of it is absolutely hilarious!
This event is a fundraising effort spearheaded by Allison Taylor of WNC Weddings & Events (www.wncweddings.net) and Skillful Solutions, LLC (www.skillfulsolutions.net), who is managing the casting, directing, and producing, as well as contributing on-stage. She will be joined by a phenomenal cast of local women, who will make you laugh hysterically, cringe in empathy, and emerge with passion and hope. Her productions have raised almost $45,000 for local women’s shelters in previous years.
Prices are $25 for General Admission (in advance) or $35 (at the door), and $15 for students (in advance) or $20 (at the door). The Monologues definitely contain mature material, and it is recommended for ages 17 and up. Anyone age 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) is a farmer-led effort to bring established farmers, farm apprentices, and aspiring farmers together for year-long training in the art and science of sustainable agriculture, straight from the hearts, mouths, and fields of seasoned local farmers in Western North Carolina.
Farmers learn best from other farmers, and aspiring farmers learn best from hearing how successful farmers in the region run their farms. Farm Tours form the core of the WNC CRAFT training program.
WNC CRAFT is a membership program, and its fees cover a whole year of learning and networking opportunities. More details on tours will be provided upon joining CRAFT. Tours & benefits are only available to CRAFT Members.
CRAFT Tour Schedule 2023:
- March 19th: Lambing at Black Thorn Farm & Kitchen
- March 30th: Mental Health First Aid Training with NC Agromedicine Institute at Creekside Farm & Education Center
- April 2nd: Farmer Social at Olivette Farm
- April 16th: Mechanical Weed Control and Tractor Implements for Cultivation at Gaining Ground Farm
- July 30th: Silvopasture at Wild East Farm
- October 29th: Land Access Model and Winter Growing at Olivette Farm
Did you know that three Buncombe County Libraries have a seed library so you can check out seeds? Each seed library offers vegetable, herb, and flower seeds that you can take home and plant.
If you’re a gardener or want to be a gardener, you can borrow seeds from the library at planting time. At the end of the growing season, save seeds from the plants and return a portion of the seeds to the library to be loaned out the next year. If you don’t have any seeds at the end of the season, that’s OK too. It’s not a requirement, it just helps the seed libraries grow. There is no charge to use the seed library, just visit the Weaverville, Black Mountain or Leicester Libraries and sign up. You’ll find different seeds at each location and you don’t need a library card to use the seed library.
The benefits of a seed lending library are many: it’s a way to have fun, build community with fellow gardeners, and support people who are new to gardening. It also preserves rare, open-pollinated or heirloom seeds and encourages local gardeners to save quality seeds that are suited to our growing area.
For more information on any of our seed libraries, contact the Black Mountain Library, the Leicester Library, or the Weaverville Library.

Gardening in the Mountains presents:
Get Going with Grasses!
Presenter: Nancy Duffy – Owner of Muddy Boots Garden Design
Grasses are great garden plants! Learn about specific grasses, their uses, and planting and maintenance.
Based in Asheville, North Carolina, Nancy Duffy is the owner of Muddy Boots Garden Design. Over the last decade she has increasingly focused on natural planting styles and has done many meadow and woodland designs.
Video access:
To access this video on the Buncombe County Master Gardener website, click on the link below:
Get Going with Grasses!
Or go to www.buncombemastergardener.org , click on the ‘Gardening Videos’ tab at the top of the page, and select the video from the list provided.
Presenter: Cynthia Gillooly, floral designer and co-owner of Verde` Designs
Join Cynthia Gillooly, an experienced indoor plant expert, and learn about terrarium containers and plant selection for those high-humidity gardens. Cynthia will teach us about soil, plant care and maintenance, and her tricks, tools and accessories to make your own terrific terrariums.
The Growing Minds Intern will assist with implementation of ASAP’s Farm to School program. Activities will include traveling with a team member to schools in the WNC region to deliver training to teachers and engage students around gardening, cooking, and other farm to school components. The Intern will also spend time in the office preparing and organizing materials and resources, as well as completing other various project needs.
Qualifications:
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to talk to children and get them excited about trying new local foods
- Excellent organizational skills
- Valid driver’s license and transportation to local schools
- ASAP requires all staff and interns to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and to follow office guidelines around masks, based on current recommendations
- Ability to regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds without assistance
- Spanish speaking a plus
Note: A background check will be performed for all Growing Mind interns.
How to apply: Email your résumé and cover letter to intern coordinator Growing Minds Program Director Danielle Raucheisen at [email protected].
Extension Master GardenerSM volunteers will be staffing the Helpline as indicated in the schedule below. You may send an email or leave a voicemail at any time and an Extension Master Gardener volunteer will respond during Garden Helpline hours. When emailing, please include a photo if it helps describe your garden question. Soil test kits can be picked up at the Extension office, 24/7. The kits are located in a box outside the front door.
Three ways to contact the Garden Helpline
Call 828-255-5522
Email questions and photos to [email protected]
Visit the Extension Office at 49 Mt. Carmel Road during Helpline hours, listed below.
Garden Helpline Hours
March – (starts March 6)
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
April through September:
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Wednesday 12:00 Noon – 2:00 p.m.
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
October – (ends October 26th)
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
We are here to help and support you! Please contact us. We look forward to answering your gardening questions.
The Education program at Flat Rock Playhouse is undergoing a name change! We are excited to streamline our program and we can’t wait to share the news with you!
Our new name will be Playhouse Jr.!

This new name will encompass many things. You might ask….what is Playhouse Jr.?
Playhouse Jr. means many things and we are excited to share this news with our community!

We are introducing a new software system for our Playhouse Jr. families! This new system will make your life easier! Once you have registered you are in our system for good. That means that once you register all you have to do is access your account to purchase any classes and camps moving forward. No need to register every time!
To register for our new system and to enroll in classes please visit this link: https://app.jackrabbitclass.com/regv2.asp?id=548849
Questions? Please email [email protected]!
Want to register over the phone? No problem! You can call our Education Director, Lauren Hopkins at (828)693-0403 ext. 246 starting Monday March 6!
We’re putting our build crew back together and we’d love to have you join us. Every 2 weeks, we’ll meet at 9 am for hands-on set construction! Whether your talents are building, painting, or you just want to learn, come out and join us every other Saturday for some creative fun. Tools and work gloves are helpful but not required
Join local Lighting Designer Abby Auman for the first workshop of our Magnetic U Designer series, and learn some basic lighting design tricks of the trade. Walk away from this empowering session feeling confident that you understand basic lighting design principles and the importance of the artistic, conceptual, and collaborative side of the craft. Students will learn functional basics of design and programming that can be put to practical use.
About the instructor: Abby is the Technical Director of The Magnetic Theatre. She also works as a lighting designer in theaters all over WNC.
Set your growing dreams in motion this Spring with this four-part Gardening Series led by Laura Ruby and supported by Reems Creek Nursery! In our region, with most warmth-loving plants ready to go outside in mid-May, March is the right time to begin planning your garden, starting your seeds, and prepping your growing area. Discover when to seed and transplant, which vegetables and perennials to plant, site location based on natural water and sun flows in your space, and simple techniques for keeping your garden healthy as the season progresses.
Soil Management and Care
In this class, we will dive into soil management. We will talk about the principles of healthy soil and how to amend your soil naturally and affordably, including discussions on composting, compost tea, and vermicompost. We will discuss different strategies to build a raised bed, clear space for a new one, or revive an old garden bed.
Meet your Instructor!
Laura was born with a strong, inborn love of plants and animals. But it wasn’t until she earned her Permaculture Design Certificate in 2002 from Crystal Waters EcoVillage in Australia that she understood how to work with them sustainably through whole systems design. In 2013, she moved to Western North Carolina and immediately started working with other landscapers and nurseries in the Asheville area. Through volunteering with The Fruit and Nut Club, she took a position with The Roots Foundation as their Director of Curriculum from 2015-2018. Through the foundation, she worked with teachers in Asheville City Schools developing multi-disciplinary, real world, project based learning lessons for grades K-7. She also co-designed many of the outdoor learning classrooms at the Lucy Herring Elementary School of Ecology.
Laura is a Certified Permaculture Teacher, and co-facilitates the Wild Abundance Permaculture Design Course along with Natalie Bogwalker. She also co-owns a 56-acre Permaculture education center and event space, The Ruby Roost, with her sister and mother.
With this experience, YummyYards was started to support those that want to create and expand their aesthetic and edible gardens. We believe these two types of gardens do not need to be separate. Instead, they can ebb and flow to create a more resilient, productive, and beautiful outdoor living space.

RTS: Hay Fever
By Noel Coward
Friday and Saturday performances are held at Asheville Community Theatre; Sunday performances are held at the Reuter Center on the campus of UNCA.
Hay Fever is presented as readers theatre by The Autumn Players.
David Bliss and his wife, Judith, find their quiet family weekend in the country interrupted when their high-spirited children, Simon and Sorel, arrive with uninvited guests. Drama unfolds for the Bliss family as comedic misunderstandings and tempers flare in the countryside.
WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) is a farmer-led effort to bring established farmers, farm apprentices, and aspiring farmers together for year-long training in the art and science of sustainable agriculture, straight from the hearts, mouths, and fields of seasoned local farmers in Western North Carolina.
Farmers learn best from other farmers, and aspiring farmers learn best from hearing how successful farmers in the region run their farms. Farm Tours form the core of the WNC CRAFT training program.
WNC CRAFT is a membership program, and its fees cover a whole year of learning and networking opportunities. More details on tours will be provided upon joining CRAFT. Tours & benefits are only available to CRAFT Members.
CRAFT Tour Schedule 2023:
- March 19th: Lambing at Black Thorn Farm & Kitchen
- March 30th: Mental Health First Aid Training with NC Agromedicine Institute at Creekside Farm & Education Center
- April 2nd: Farmer Social at Olivette Farm
- April 16th: Mechanical Weed Control and Tractor Implements for Cultivation at Gaining Ground Farm
- July 30th: Silvopasture at Wild East Farm
- October 29th: Land Access Model and Winter Growing at Olivette Farm
Presenter: Cynthia Gillooly, floral designer and co-owner of Verde` Designs
Join Cynthia Gillooly, an experienced indoor plant expert, and learn about terrarium containers and plant selection for those high-humidity gardens. Cynthia will teach us about soil, plant care and maintenance, and her tricks, tools and accessories to make your own terrific terrariums.
The Growing Minds Intern will assist with implementation of ASAP’s Farm to School program. Activities will include traveling with a team member to schools in the WNC region to deliver training to teachers and engage students around gardening, cooking, and other farm to school components. The Intern will also spend time in the office preparing and organizing materials and resources, as well as completing other various project needs.
Qualifications:
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to talk to children and get them excited about trying new local foods
- Excellent organizational skills
- Valid driver’s license and transportation to local schools
- ASAP requires all staff and interns to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and to follow office guidelines around masks, based on current recommendations
- Ability to regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds without assistance
- Spanish speaking a plus
Note: A background check will be performed for all Growing Mind interns.
How to apply: Email your résumé and cover letter to intern coordinator Growing Minds Program Director Danielle Raucheisen at [email protected].
Extension Master GardenerSM volunteers will be staffing the Helpline as indicated in the schedule below. You may send an email or leave a voicemail at any time and an Extension Master Gardener volunteer will respond during Garden Helpline hours. When emailing, please include a photo if it helps describe your garden question. Soil test kits can be picked up at the Extension office, 24/7. The kits are located in a box outside the front door.
Three ways to contact the Garden Helpline
Call 828-255-5522
Email questions and photos to [email protected]
Visit the Extension Office at 49 Mt. Carmel Road during Helpline hours, listed below.
Garden Helpline Hours
March – (starts March 6)
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
April through September:
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Wednesday 12:00 Noon – 2:00 p.m.
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
October – (ends October 26th)
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
We are here to help and support you! Please contact us. We look forward to answering your gardening questions.
The Education program at Flat Rock Playhouse is undergoing a name change! We are excited to streamline our program and we can’t wait to share the news with you!
Our new name will be Playhouse Jr.!

This new name will encompass many things. You might ask….what is Playhouse Jr.?
Playhouse Jr. means many things and we are excited to share this news with our community!

We are introducing a new software system for our Playhouse Jr. families! This new system will make your life easier! Once you have registered you are in our system for good. That means that once you register all you have to do is access your account to purchase any classes and camps moving forward. No need to register every time!
To register for our new system and to enroll in classes please visit this link: https://app.jackrabbitclass.com/regv2.asp?id=548849
Questions? Please email [email protected]!
Want to register over the phone? No problem! You can call our Education Director, Lauren Hopkins at (828)693-0403 ext. 246 starting Monday March 6!

RTS: Hay Fever
By Noel Coward
Friday and Saturday performances are held at Asheville Community Theatre; Sunday performances are held at the Reuter Center on the campus of UNCA.
Hay Fever is presented as readers theatre by The Autumn Players.
David Bliss and his wife, Judith, find their quiet family weekend in the country interrupted when their high-spirited children, Simon and Sorel, arrive with uninvited guests. Drama unfolds for the Bliss family as comedic misunderstandings and tempers flare in the countryside.
WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) is a farmer-led effort to bring established farmers, farm apprentices, and aspiring farmers together for year-long training in the art and science of sustainable agriculture, straight from the hearts, mouths, and fields of seasoned local farmers in Western North Carolina.
Farmers learn best from other farmers, and aspiring farmers learn best from hearing how successful farmers in the region run their farms. Farm Tours form the core of the WNC CRAFT training program.
WNC CRAFT is a membership program, and its fees cover a whole year of learning and networking opportunities. More details on tours will be provided upon joining CRAFT. Tours & benefits are only available to CRAFT Members.
CRAFT Tour Schedule 2023:
- March 19th: Lambing at Black Thorn Farm & Kitchen
- March 30th: Mental Health First Aid Training with NC Agromedicine Institute at Creekside Farm & Education Center
- April 2nd: Farmer Social at Olivette Farm
- April 16th: Mechanical Weed Control and Tractor Implements for Cultivation at Gaining Ground Farm
- July 30th: Silvopasture at Wild East Farm
- October 29th: Land Access Model and Winter Growing at Olivette Farm
Did you know that three Buncombe County Libraries have a seed library so you can check out seeds? Each seed library offers vegetable, herb, and flower seeds that you can take home and plant.
If you’re a gardener or want to be a gardener, you can borrow seeds from the library at planting time. At the end of the growing season, save seeds from the plants and return a portion of the seeds to the library to be loaned out the next year. If you don’t have any seeds at the end of the season, that’s OK too. It’s not a requirement, it just helps the seed libraries grow. There is no charge to use the seed library, just visit the Weaverville, Black Mountain or Leicester Libraries and sign up. You’ll find different seeds at each location and you don’t need a library card to use the seed library.
The benefits of a seed lending library are many: it’s a way to have fun, build community with fellow gardeners, and support people who are new to gardening. It also preserves rare, open-pollinated or heirloom seeds and encourages local gardeners to save quality seeds that are suited to our growing area.
For more information on any of our seed libraries, contact the Black Mountain Library, the Leicester Library, or the Weaverville Library.



