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.
ABSfest Speakeasy Allstars Burlesque brings you quality burlesque and circus arts performed to LIVE upbeat mountain swing music. Madame Onça, the force behind ABSFest, the Americana Burlesque & Sideshow Festival, brings you a festival sampler, including great variety acts such as silk aerials, acrobatics, comedy songs and burlesque. Hosted by bawdy song and comedy frontman Mark Slomski, this evening will be energizing, amusing, and a great time for all.
This is a seated show for your comfort!
In addition to epic burlesque, music & circus arts, you can feel good about a portion of raffle proceeds going to one of Asheville’s animal-related 501C3s.
The Judy Chops, epic mountain swing band www.thejudychops.com
Satarah, acrobatic aerial bellydance duo from Charlotte, NC
Silver Kitsune, classic acts out of Boone, NC
Bitsy Buttons, hoop artist extraordinaire fro VA
Claire Dima, local bellydance super-heroine
Mark Slomski, That Rascally Vaudevillean from Richmond, VA
And more!
Property: Omni Grove Park Inn
Event Type: Hotel Event
Event Category: Couples,Entertainment
Contact Phone: (800) 438-5800
Link: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/dining/elaines-dueling-piano-bar
Join the non-stop, rock ‘n roll, sing-along party show at Elaine’s! Doors open at 8pm, pianos begin at 9pm.
Property: Omni Grove Park Inn
Event Type: Hotel Event
Event Category: Couples,Entertainment
Contact: (800) 438-5800
Contact Phone: (800) 438-5800
Link: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/dining/elaines-dueling-piano-bar
Join the non-stop, rock n’ roll, sing-along party show at Elaine’s! Doors open at 8:00 pm, show starts at 9:00 pm.
Property: Omni Grove Park Inn
Event Type: Hotel Event
Event Category: Couples,Entertainment
Contact: (800) 438-5800
Contact Phone: (800) 438-5800
Link: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/dining/elaines-dueling-piano-bar
Join the non-stop, rock n’ roll, sing-along party show at Elaine’s! Doors open at 8:00 pm, show starts at 9:00 pm.
Bring Your Lawn Chair and Dancing Shoes! A fun day filled with Live Music, Food Trucks from the region, Craft/Vendor Market and Classic Car Show. On August 25th we will be rocking out at Harmon Field in Tryon, North Carolina from 12-8.
Tickets $8. in advance and $10. at the gate -Children 12 and under are FREE!
Tickets are Available at Landrum Antique Mall & Tile Specialties in downtown Columbus.
You may purchase online at http://carolinafoothillschamber.com/harmon-field-music-festival-tickets/
Musical Line up: Thunder Road 12:20-1:45 | Nobody’s Fault 2:05-3:20 | Dixie Dirt 3:40-4:55 | Jim Peterman Quartet 5:15-6:30 | Shane Pruitt Band 6:45-8:00
Moonshiner Josh Owens, Moonshiner Red Dog and Moonshiner Crazy Charlie will be on hand to sign autographs and selling t-shirts!
Proceeds benefit The Carolina Foothills Chamber of Commerce and our continued mission to provide local exposure and promotion for local business
Property: Omni Grove Park Inn
Event Type: Hotel Event
Event Category: Couples,Entertainment
Contact Phone: (800) 438-5800
Link: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/dining/elaines-dueling-piano-bar
Join the non-stop, rock ‘n roll, sing-along party show at Elaine’s! Doors open at 8pm, pianos begin at 9pm.
Who: Caldwell Arts Council, Lenoir, North Carolina
When: Labor Day Weekend: August 31, September 1 and 2, 2018.
Where: Jones Farm, 3590 NC-268, Historic Happy Valley, Caldwell County, NC
Cost: Friday $5, Saturday $10, Sunday $15
Experience a perfect Labor Day Weekend on the banks of the Yadkin River being surrounded by mountain music, dance, food and beautiful scenery. Festival music begins at 7:00 PM Friday featuring Pam and Brett Riggs, The Sunny Mountain Serenaders, and Jason Cade along with cakewalks and simple mountain dances ($5 adults, 15 & under free). Gates open for primitive camping on Thursday.
Saturday is packed with great entertainment! The music competition begins at 10:00 AM and includes 12 separate categories. The Youth Tent offers music performances by some extremely talented youngsters. Non-music and children’s activities include hayrides, storytelling, children’s crafts, and rock stacking in the river.
The weekend ends with a Sunday concert starting at 10:00 AM featuring an all-star lineup of folk, blues, gospel, old-time, Cajun and bluegrass musicians including the Kruger Brothers, The Harris Brothers, Strictly Clean and Decent, Irish folk music plus other performances and workshops. This fantastic weekend ends approximately 5:00 PM on Sunday. Friday $5, Saturday $10, Sunday $15, $25 for Weekend Pass, children under 16 free.
When was the last time you had the privilege of sitting on the banks of a mountain river with music echoing throughout the hills around you. So come for a day or camp for the weekend.
Check out the details and directions at www.happyvalleyfiddlers.org
Learn about the historic Happy Valley at http://explorecaldwell.com/
# # #
Who: Caldwell Arts Council, Lenoir, North Carolina
When: Labor Day Weekend: August 31, September 1 and 2, 2018.
Where: Jones Farm, 3590 NC-268, Historic Happy Valley, Caldwell County, NC
Cost: Friday $5, Saturday $10, Sunday $15
Experience a perfect Labor Day Weekend on the banks of the Yadkin River being surrounded by mountain music, dance, food and beautiful scenery. Festival music begins at 7:00 PM Friday featuring Pam and Brett Riggs, The Sunny Mountain Serenaders, and Jason Cade along with cakewalks and simple mountain dances ($5 adults, 15 & under free). Gates open for primitive camping on Thursday.
Saturday is packed with great entertainment! The music competition begins at 10:00 AM and includes 12 separate categories. The Youth Tent offers music performances by some extremely talented youngsters. Non-music and children’s activities include hayrides, storytelling, children’s crafts, and rock stacking in the river.
The weekend ends with a Sunday concert starting at 10:00 AM featuring an all-star lineup of folk, blues, gospel, old-time, Cajun and bluegrass musicians including the Kruger Brothers, The Harris Brothers, Strictly Clean and Decent, Irish folk music plus other performances and workshops. This fantastic weekend ends approximately 5:00 PM on Sunday. Friday $5, Saturday $10, Sunday $15, $25 for Weekend Pass, children under 16 free.
When was the last time you had the privilege of sitting on the banks of a mountain river with music echoing throughout the hills around you. So come for a day or camp for the weekend.
Check out the details and directions at www.happyvalleyfiddlers.org
Learn about the historic Happy Valley at http://explorecaldwell.com/
# # #

Program Highlights:
The evening will feature pianist, Christopher Tavernier. “Exploring New Horizons” with the “Great Piano Classics” and Christopher will astound the classical purists with his grace and technique. The program will begin with some of the most demanding classical music written by the world’s greatest composers and will combine his passion for classical music with today’s musical themes from Hollywood’s Greatest Mega-Hits.
The Music Foundation of WNC is sponsoring its Sixth Annual World Masterwork Series – Exploring New Horizons… the Great Piano Classics from Classical Music to Popular Hollywood Mega-Hits. The performance, an unprecedented and technically challenging piano concert is sure to sell out weeks prior before it comes to the Diana Wortham theatre on Saturday September 1, at 6:45 p.m.
“We are doing something that is very seldom done anywhere in the world,” says Joann Freeburg, Music Foundation of Western North Carolina founder. “You won’t have to be a classical music fan to enjoy this concert. You can appreciate it from a historical, technical and performance perspective. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where you can experience the classical style with today’s current popular music.
The evening will feature pianist Christopher Tavernier. “Exploring New Horizons” with the “Great Piano Classics” and Christopher will astound the classical purists with his grace and technique. The program will begin with some of the most demanding classical music written by the world’s greatest composers and will combine his passion for classical music with today’s musical themes from Hollywood’s Greatest Mega-Hits.
The piano that Tavernier will be playing on is especially noteworthy. Made in Boston, MA provided by Freeburg Pianos in Hendersonville, is the latest American-made Mason and Hamlin model CC-94 Concert Grand piano and is making its premier “Main Stage” performance at the Diana Wortham Theatre this September. It is the third longest handmade piano in the world at nine-feet-four-inches long. The piano will be tuned to the Equal-Beating Victorian temperament, a tuning method that was preferred in Europe during the 1800s and still by many classical performers. The resulting rich sound to both the trained and untrained ear is often described as more vibrant that tuning commonly used today.
Christopher Tavernier made his orchestral debut with the Tar River Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of thirteen in Rocky Mount, NC, performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in the opening concert of the orchestra’s Fall 2013 season. Since then he has won the Hendersonville, Asheville, Augusta, and Charlotte Symphony concerto competitions, and second prize in the National Elizabeth Harper Vaughn Concerto Competition in Kingsport, Tennessee, where he was the youngest performer in the history of the competition. In the summer of 2017 he was one of two pianists who won the Brevard Music Festival Jan and Beattie Wood Concerto Competition, competing in a field that included college undergraduate and graduate students.
In addition to a growing solo repertoire, Christopher has performed concerti by Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev. Also, a dedicated chamber musician, he performs frequently with the Rutherford Chamber Consort. In addition, he has performed benefit concerts in support of the Mission Foundation’s “Ladies Night Out” — a collaboration of women helping women who provide free mammograms and health screenings for uninsured/underinsured women, the Hunger Coalition of Henderson County and Music Education Programs throughout Western North Carolina.
Christopher has been featured on ABC affiliate television station WLOS, CBS affiliate WSPA in Spartanburg (Scene on 7), Carolinas CW62 (Studio 62), and Carolina Live NPR radio, and WCQS in Asheville, NC. In 2015 he was named the first International Perzina Artist in the company’s 147 year history. Christopher has published recordings in DVD and CD formats.
This Saturday at Grovewood Gallery, Asheville fiber artist Karen Kennedy, a graduate of Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Program, will demonstrate needle felting using locally dyed wool to create fall pumpkins and leaves. Pre-made versions will be available to purchase, a perfect addition to your Halloween and Thanksgiving décor.
https://www.facebook.com/events/326354097954572/
Who: Caldwell Arts Council, Lenoir, North Carolina
When: Labor Day Weekend: August 31, September 1 and 2, 2018.
Where: Jones Farm, 3590 NC-268, Historic Happy Valley, Caldwell County, NC
Cost: Friday $5, Saturday $10, Sunday $15
Experience a perfect Labor Day Weekend on the banks of the Yadkin River being surrounded by mountain music, dance, food and beautiful scenery. Festival music begins at 7:00 PM Friday featuring Pam and Brett Riggs, The Sunny Mountain Serenaders, and Jason Cade along with cakewalks and simple mountain dances ($5 adults, 15 & under free). Gates open for primitive camping on Thursday.
Saturday is packed with great entertainment! The music competition begins at 10:00 AM and includes 12 separate categories. The Youth Tent offers music performances by some extremely talented youngsters. Non-music and children’s activities include hayrides, storytelling, children’s crafts, and rock stacking in the river.
The weekend ends with a Sunday concert starting at 10:00 AM featuring an all-star lineup of folk, blues, gospel, old-time, Cajun and bluegrass musicians including the Kruger Brothers, The Harris Brothers, Strictly Clean and Decent, Irish folk music plus other performances and workshops. This fantastic weekend ends approximately 5:00 PM on Sunday. Friday $5, Saturday $10, Sunday $15, $25 for Weekend Pass, children under 16 free.
When was the last time you had the privilege of sitting on the banks of a mountain river with music echoing throughout the hills around you. So come for a day or camp for the weekend.
Check out the details and directions at www.happyvalleyfiddlers.org
Learn about the historic Happy Valley at http://explorecaldwell.com/
# # #
Asheville VegFest, presented by the Asheville Vegan Society, is a celebration of compassionate eating and sustainable living, where vegetarians, vegans, and the veg-curious alike can explore and celebrate the benefits of plant-based eating. Held in gorgeous Pack Square Park in beautiful downtown Asheville, this family-friendly event will feature live music, speaker sessions, local beer, a kids’ activity area, and best of all—food!
Who: Caldwell Arts Council, Lenoir, North Carolina
When: Labor Day Weekend: August 31, September 1 and 2, 2018.
Where: Jones Farm, 3590 NC-268, Historic Happy Valley, Caldwell County, NC
Cost: Friday $5, Saturday $10, Sunday $15
Experience a perfect Labor Day Weekend on the banks of the Yadkin River being surrounded by mountain music, dance, food and beautiful scenery. Festival music begins at 7:00 PM Friday featuring Pam and Brett Riggs, The Sunny Mountain Serenaders, and Jason Cade along with cakewalks and simple mountain dances ($5 adults, 15 & under free). Gates open for primitive camping on Thursday.
Saturday is packed with great entertainment! The music competition begins at 10:00 AM and includes 12 separate categories. The Youth Tent offers music performances by some extremely talented youngsters. Non-music and children’s activities include hayrides, storytelling, children’s crafts, and rock stacking in the river.
The weekend ends with a Sunday concert starting at 10:00 AM featuring an all-star lineup of folk, blues, gospel, old-time, Cajun and bluegrass musicians including the Kruger Brothers, The Harris Brothers, Strictly Clean and Decent, Irish folk music plus other performances and workshops. This fantastic weekend ends approximately 5:00 PM on Sunday. Friday $5, Saturday $10, Sunday $15, $25 for Weekend Pass, children under 16 free.
When was the last time you had the privilege of sitting on the banks of a mountain river with music echoing throughout the hills around you. So come for a day or camp for the weekend.
Check out the details and directions at www.happyvalleyfiddlers.org
Learn about the historic Happy Valley at http://explorecaldwell.com/
# # #
Fall is just around the corner and we couldn’t be more excited! To celebrate the beginning of our favorite time of year we are kicking off our countdown to fall mimosa series this Tuesday! Each week leading up to the first day of Fall we’ll feature a different Mimosa dedicated to all those delicious Fall flavors we love! This week our feature is an Apple Cider Mimosa- with local Apple cider, Simonet Blanc de Blanc and a cinnamon-sugar rim.
Plus, each week we offer wine specials, food specials and a complimentary champagne bar with fresh juices, fruits and Bitters for you to add to your sparkling wine (sparkling wines purchased separately).
Sept 4th- Apple Cider Mimosas
Sept 11th- Vanilla Bean Pear Mimosa
Sept 18th- Pumpkin Pie Mimosa
https://www.facebook.com/events/679259562446616/
New Belgium Brewing of Asheville and the Center for Cultural Preservation are hosting a special-benefit film-screening and musical performance to help support the Center for Cultural Preservation’s new documentary film: The River Heroes of the South. Music will be performed by acclaimed local singer/songwriter David (da6d) Wiseman following by a screening by the Center’s award-winning film, “Come Hell or High Water: Remembering the Great Flood of 1916”.
Join us for a special evening of music, film and local beer by the area’s leading brewery and help us raise funds for our current project, The River Heroes of the South Film Project.
Dates: Friday to Saturday, September 7–8, 2018
Time: 9:30AM to 4:30PM (both days)
Location: Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC
Cost: $165 for Friday and Saturday —or— $105 for Friday only (prices include $15 materials fee)
There will be three immersive two-day workshops:
1. Mushrooms, Molds, and Mycorrhizae, taught by Tradd Cotter
Mushrooms offer us nearly infinite possibilities for innovation, including high-quality food and alcohol production, water filtration, antibiotic development, invasive management, myco-pesticides, pollution and toxin remediation, and more. Whether you’re engaged on a home-, garden-, or farm-scale, beginners and advanced students alike will walk away with the knowledge and skills needed to accomplish a range of personal or professional goals. Participants are strongly encouraged to attend both days. The workshop builds on itself and all of these components work in harmony to create optimal understanding of the power of the fungi community.
2. The Sustainable Poultry Flock, taught by Jim Adkins
The workshop will include a lecture, hands-on experience, and a farm tour. The hands-on components will happen on Saturday and will include a breeding analysis and a slaughter and butcher demo. Students will receive a training manual filled with resources, including budget overviews, facility plans, pasture-growing strategies, feeding instructions, and proper feed recipes.
3. Tending Your Inner Garden, taught by Monica Corrado
True health begins and ends in the gut. In fact, there is mounting evidence that chronic illnesses such as cancer, depression, allergies, and autism spectrum disorder find their origin in the digestive system. The gut—which acts as a “second brain”—functions independently of the actual brain and plays a huge role in whether we struggle or thrive. In this accessible and non-clinical workshop, Monica Corrado—teaching chef, holistic nutritionist, and certified GAPS™ practitioner—will uncover the secrets of a traditional whole-foods diet and nutrient-dense cooking through simple, do-it-yourself techniques that address health issues holistically. This high-energy workshop is comprised of a lecture, cooking demos, tastings, and handouts that will help you will learn how to heal your gut. Participants are strongly encouraged to attend both days. The workshop builds on itself, and all of these components work in synergy with each other to create optimal healing.
Facebook events: https://www.facebook.com/pg/organicgrowersschool/events/?ref=page_internal
Join Dogwood Alliance on Saturday, September 8th for our annual Woods & Wilds Storytelling event at the Grey Eagle in Asheville from 7-11pm! The evening will feature regional storytellers, live music from Earthcry! Join us as we celebrate 22 years of standing with the people and forests of the South!
Dates: Friday to Saturday, September 7–8, 2018
Time: 9:30AM to 4:30PM (both days)
Location: Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC
Cost: $165 for Friday and Saturday —or— $105 for Friday only (prices include $15 materials fee)
There will be three immersive two-day workshops:
1. Mushrooms, Molds, and Mycorrhizae, taught by Tradd Cotter
Mushrooms offer us nearly infinite possibilities for innovation, including high-quality food and alcohol production, water filtration, antibiotic development, invasive management, myco-pesticides, pollution and toxin remediation, and more. Whether you’re engaged on a home-, garden-, or farm-scale, beginners and advanced students alike will walk away with the knowledge and skills needed to accomplish a range of personal or professional goals. Participants are strongly encouraged to attend both days. The workshop builds on itself and all of these components work in harmony to create optimal understanding of the power of the fungi community.
2. The Sustainable Poultry Flock, taught by Jim Adkins
The workshop will include a lecture, hands-on experience, and a farm tour. The hands-on components will happen on Saturday and will include a breeding analysis and a slaughter and butcher demo. Students will receive a training manual filled with resources, including budget overviews, facility plans, pasture-growing strategies, feeding instructions, and proper feed recipes.
3. Tending Your Inner Garden, taught by Monica Corrado
True health begins and ends in the gut. In fact, there is mounting evidence that chronic illnesses such as cancer, depression, allergies, and autism spectrum disorder find their origin in the digestive system. The gut—which acts as a “second brain”—functions independently of the actual brain and plays a huge role in whether we struggle or thrive. In this accessible and non-clinical workshop, Monica Corrado—teaching chef, holistic nutritionist, and certified GAPS™ practitioner—will uncover the secrets of a traditional whole-foods diet and nutrient-dense cooking through simple, do-it-yourself techniques that address health issues holistically. This high-energy workshop is comprised of a lecture, cooking demos, tastings, and handouts that will help you will learn how to heal your gut. Participants are strongly encouraged to attend both days. The workshop builds on itself, and all of these components work in synergy with each other to create optimal healing.
Facebook events: https://www.facebook.com/pg/organicgrowersschool/events/?ref=page_internal
Asheville Outlets (www.shopashevilleoutlets.com) will team up with the Blue Ridge EV Club, Land of Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy to celebrate the 5th annual Drive Electric Car Show on September 9, 2018 from 12 noon to 4 p.m.
The show will include local EV (electric vehicle) drivers displaying the latest in electric vehicle technology, showcasing the Tesla model 3, the Chevy Bolt, the 2018 Nissan Leaf, the Chrysler Pacifica Plug in Electric Hybrid (PHEV) and the Mini Cooper Countryman PHEV, among others and some surprise electric vehicles as well. Owners will be available to answer questions about the EV lifestyle from charging, costs, performance and more. The event is free and open to the public. Event rain date is September 16, 2018.
The Asheville Affiliates, was founded in 1999 as a social networking group for young professionals to benefit area nonprofits. The organization has grown into a community network of more than 3,000 members. The organization has raised more than $265,000 for 50 nonprofits. Membership is free and all Affiliates fundraising events are open to the public. More information at ashevilleaffiliates.com.
Cost covers 11×14 canvas, step-by-step instructions and all supplies!
https://www.facebook.com/events/322109515014065/
The King is Returning
https://www.facebook.com/events/260360611276551/
Revelry: Unique Downtown Events is proud to present Grammy-nominated artist Shawn Mullins with Special Guests Jane Kramer and Jeff Thompson in the historic theatre at The Asheville Masonic Temple.
Come celebrate Shawn Mullin’s “Souls Core” 20th Album Anniversary (release: July 17, 1998). He always performs songs from Soul’s Core in his live sets including “Lullaby” (Rockabye), “Gulf of Mexico,” “Twin Rocks Oregon,” “Shimmer” and “Anchored in You”. The song arrangements have evolved through the years as he continues to perform them live and grow as an artist.
Date: Friday, September 14, 2018
Doors: 6:30pm
Show: 7pm-10pm
Advance Tickets:
VIP/Floor- $30 plus tax/Eventbrite processing fee
Balcony- $20 plus tax/Eventbrite processing fee
Door Tickets:
VIP/Floor (based on availability): $35 plus tax
Balcony: $25 plus tax
Shawn Mullins Bio:
After a series of indie record releases, Shawn Mullins’ critical breakthrough came when 1998 Soul’s Core
album shot him to fame on the strength of its Grammy-nominated No. 1 hit, “Lullaby” followed by
AAA/Americana No. 1 “Beautiful Wreck” from 2006’s 9th Ward Pickin Parlor. His song, “Shimmer” was used in
promotion of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and was included on the Dawson’s Creek soundtrack. He
co-wrote “All in My Head” which was featured in episode one of the hit TV sitcom “Scrubs.” Mullins also co-
wrote the Zac Brown Band’s No. 1 country tune “Toes.” In early 2002, he formed super group The Thorns with
Matthew Sweet and Peter Droge. Mullins’ most recent album My Stupid Heart, was released in 2015, the
theme of which, Mullins says, can be summed up most succinctly by the song title, “It All Comes Down To
Love,” the guiding force behind just about every song on the album.
Mullins is currently embarking on a recording project in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the release of
his album Soul’s Core, which came out July 17, 1998!
For the 20th anniversary, Shawn will revisit the music on Soul’s Core and record two new versions of the
album. He is calling this Soul’s Core Revival. This is not a remix or a remaster of the original, but rather brand
new recordings with new arrangements of the songs – one album will be new stripped down solo
performances, some on guitar, some on piano and maybe one a cappella and the second will be a new studio
recording with his full band, Soul Carnival.
Mullins has partnered with PledgeMusic to reach out to fans to join him in the process of making these records.
Supporters of the project can take part by pre-ordering a download of the records, signed CDs, high-quality
vinyl, a live guitar or vocal lesson online with Shawn, Soul’s Core Revival swag – t-shirts, caps, mugs and
sweatshirts, a visit to the studio while he records the albums, a personalized Platinum record plaque of Soul’s
Core, handwritten lyrics to “Lullaby” – these and many more options to participate in the making of these
records are available on the Shawn Mullins PledgeMusic page at www.pledgemusic.com/projects/shawn-
mullins.
Photography Credit: David McClister Photography
