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.

Sunday, October 3, 2021
Show & Tell Pop Up Shop & Market
Oct 3 @ 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Rabbit Rabbit

Show & Tell returns to Rabbit Rabbit in Downtown Asheville for the fall! Join us at our new favorite outdoor venue in Downtown Asheville with a one-day celebration of local + indie craft, design, and vintage.

Sunday, October 3rd
12-6pm
Rabbit Rabbit
75 Coxe Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
FREE! No admission

Featuring the the best in handmade, vintage and fair trade with 50+ vendors in our curated pop up shop or the market area featuring a selection of in-person vendors. Shop vintage clothes, housewares, handmade jewelry, ceramics, apparel and more.

Grab some tacos from AVL Tacos and a brew from Asheville Pizza & Brewing while you’re there!

Monday, October 4, 2021
LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Oct 4 all-day
online
Tuesday, October 5, 2021
LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Oct 5 all-day
online
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Oct 6 all-day
online
Thursday, October 7, 2021
LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Oct 7 all-day
online
Friday, October 8, 2021
LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Oct 8 all-day
online
Saturday, October 9, 2021
LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Oct 9 all-day
online
Jump Off Rock Music Festival
Oct 9 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Jump Off Rock
Sunday, October 10, 2021
Hominy Rising – Arts & Awareness on the Hominy Greenway
Oct 10 all-day
Hominy Creek Greenway

Hominy Rising – Arts & Awareness on the Greenway
The Friends of Hominy Creek Greenway is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a reflection on the history, ecology and beauty of our Greenway. As part of this celebration we are hosting an art exhibition which will consist of temporary, outdoor art installations and performances.

LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Oct 10 all-day
online
Monday, October 11, 2021
LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Oct 11 all-day
online
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Oct 12 all-day
online
LIVE, LEAF…Weekend Program, Ticket Update + New Adventure Pass
Oct 12 all-day
LEAF
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Oct 13 all-day
online
LIVE, LEAF…Weekend Program, Ticket Update + New Adventure Pass
Oct 13 all-day
LEAF
Thursday, October 14, 2021
LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Oct 14 all-day
online
LEAF Outdoor Festival
Oct 14 all-day
Lake Eden

Fall LEAF Festival Tickets are NOW OPEN!

**Important Things to Note**

  1. You MUST be a CURRENT LEAF Member to purchase a Weekend Plus Ticket.
  2. You MUST be signed into your LEAF Account (little yellow silhouette in the upper right corner)
  3. Tickets at each tier are LIMITED! Discount Ticket Pricing ends when tickets set for this level sell out (typically end of August).
  4. You MUST, absolute MUST bring your best most fun LEAFy attitude!!

Redeeming credit? You must call the office (or send us an email with a good time to call) 828-68-MUSIC  [828-686-8742]

LIVE, LEAF…Weekend Program, Ticket Update + New Adventure Pass
Oct 14 all-day
LEAF
Friday, October 15, 2021
LIVE, LEAF…Weekend Program, Ticket Update + New Adventure Pass
Oct 15 all-day
LEAF
Saturday, October 16, 2021
Faith in Arts Institute. An Exploration of the Intersections of Art, Faith, and Spirit
Oct 16 all-day
varies

Faith in Arts Institute 2021

This fall, the Faith in Arts Institute will bring together artists, creatives, and scholars to celebrate and explore the intersections of faith and arts. The multi-day festival, happening October 13-16, 2021 in the heart of Asheville, NC, will feature a combination of free public performances, lectures, and film screenings, plus intimate registration-only institute workshops and contemplative practices. Events will take place on campus at the University of North Carolina Asheville and downtown at the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center. A full lineup of participants and performers is below.

Can our experience of the arts – as creators, listeners, viewers, readers – and the ways we talk about those experiences, offer us a way to also talk across what might otherwise divide us? The Faith in Arts Institute proposes this question while providing a platform to celebrate artists and creatives who draw on spiritual or religious practices as an influence in their work and exploring ways that arts have played a role in spirituality and religion. Through workshops, lectures, performances, and exhibitions, the Faith in Arts Institute engages attendees in contemplative and reflective practices while providing a welcoming space intended to evoke open and honest dialogue. Together, performers and presenters will join institute participants in thoughtful discussions, powerful performances, and evocative film screenings.

A limited number of Faith in Arts Institute passes are now on sale for $60 at faithinarts.unca.edu/ and blackmountaincollege.org/faith-in-arts/. Passholders will be admitted to all events including intimate workshops, contemplative practices, and small group conversations which will be limited to Institute participants only. A variety of other performances, screenings, and talks will be free and open to the public as indicated.

For more information including a full schedule, visit faithinarts.unca.edu/

Faith in Arts Institute 2021 Participants and Performers

Kimberly Bartosik – Choreographer

Julie Levin Caro – Art historian, Warren Wilson College

Curt Cloninger – New Media Artist and Author (Hot-Wiring Your Creative Process), UNC Asheville

Marie T. Cochran – Installation Artist and Culture Pollinator

David Hinton – Poet and Translator

Rachel Elizabeth Harding – Historian, Poet, and Essayist

Jessica Jacobs – Poet (Take Me with You, Whenever You’re Going)

Kay Larson – Art Critic and Author (Where the Heart Beats: John Cage, Zen Buddhism, and the Inner Life of Artists)

Thomas Moore – Pianist

Alicia Jo Rabins – Poet, Musician and Filmmaker, A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff

Christopher-Rasheem McMillan – Performance artist

Aaron Rosen – Writer and scholar

LIVE, LEAF…Weekend Program, Ticket Update + New Adventure Pass
Oct 16 all-day
LEAF
Apple Harvest Festival
Oct 16 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Downtown Waynesville

Join us in beautiful downtown Waynesville on October 16, 2021 at the Annual Apple Harvest Festival. The Apple Harvest Festival is in its 34th year of operation. This fun, family friendly festival is owned, operated and organized by the Haywood Chamber of Commerce.

The streets of downtown Waynesville, NC are filled with almost 200 arts and craft booths, food concessions, music, cloggers, and more. Local apple growers set up on the street to sell delicious mountain grown apples of a vast variety. In addition, many vendors offer apple cider, cake, pies, and other delectable apple goodies!

Sunday, October 17, 2021
Fall LEAF Festival
Oct 17 all-day
LEAF

Fall LEAF Festival Tickets are NOW OPEN!

 

Ethno is one of the most amazing music programs on the planet and in 30 Countries. The 1st Ethno USA is happening in conjunction with Fall LEAF October 14-17, 2021.

Are you a young Musician 18-30 years old? Apply to participate in Ethno USA 2021 and you will also be a musician at fall LEAF! If you need Financial Assistance check this link. Experience Ethno where Kinobe of Uganda got his roots in building his worldwide network– stay curious and explore!

LEAF Outdoor Festival
Oct 17 all-day
Lake Eden

Fall LEAF Festival Tickets are NOW OPEN!

**Important Things to Note**

  1. You MUST be a CURRENT LEAF Member to purchase a Weekend Plus Ticket.
  2. You MUST be signed into your LEAF Account (little yellow silhouette in the upper right corner)
  3. Tickets at each tier are LIMITED! Discount Ticket Pricing ends when tickets set for this level sell out (typically end of August).
  4. You MUST, absolute MUST bring your best most fun LEAFy attitude!!

Redeeming credit? You must call the office (or send us an email with a good time to call) 828-68-MUSIC  [828-686-8742]

Sunday, October 24, 2021
Mountain Makers Craft Market
Oct 24 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Haywood Square Plaza

What: Mountain Makers Craft Market

When: Sunday October 24th, from 12p-4p

Where: Downtown Waynesville at Haywood Square (308 N. Haywood St)

Cost: FREE to attend!

Description: Mountain Makers Craft Market is a monthly indie art fair designed to cultivate community in Western NC. Located in Downtown Waynesville, we bring together 35+ artisans selling handmade and vintage goods that’ll make you smile! We encourage attendees to bring a canned food item for our October Food Drive benefiting MANNA Food Bank! Join us on the first Sunday of each month from 12p-4p at 308 N. Haywood Street, and visit MountainMakersMarket.com for details, special market themes, and vendor opportunities.

Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Audition for Readers Theatre
Oct 26 @ 10:30 am – 2:30 pm
ACT Mainstage

Director Elliot Weiner seeks a cast of 7 for the Readers Theatre Showcase series production of The Outsider. This production will be performed as readers theatre – no script memorization required! – and will have two performances on the Mainstage and one at the Reuter Center at UNCA.

No previous experience required!

READERS THEATRE SHOWCASE

All performances at 2:30 pm. Friday and Saturday performances are held at Asheville Community Theatre; Sunday performances are held at the Reuter Center on the campus of UNCA in conjunction with OLLI Asheville.

The Outsider

By Paul Slade Smith; Directed by Elliot Weiner
About the show

AUDITION DATE: Tuesday, October 26, 2021; 10:30 am-2:30 pm

PERFORMANCE DATES: November 19-21, 2021; 2:30 pm

REHEARSAL DATES: November 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18, 2021; 10:30 am -2:30 pm

DIRECTOR SEEKS: Cast of 7 (3W, 4M) * Note: To attend a face-to-face program at OLLI Asheville, you must be vaccinated for COVID-19. Since the Sunday matinee performance is at OLLI, all actors will need to be vaccinated.

Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Fall Festival at Mills River
Oct 27 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Mills River United Methodist Church
Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Auditions READERS THEATRE SHOWCASE On Golden Pond
Nov 2 @ 10:30 am – 2:00 pm
ACT

READERS THEATRE SHOWCASE

All performances at 2:30 pm. Friday and Saturday performances are held at Asheville Community Theatre; Sunday performances are held at the Reuter Center on the campus of UNCA in conjunction with OLLI Asheville.

On Golden Pond

By Ernest Thompson; Directed by RoseLynn Katz

AUDITION DATE: Tuesday, November 2, 2021; 10:30 am-2:30 pm

PERFORMANCE DATES: December 17-19, 2021; 2:30 pm

REHEARSAL DATES: December 2, 7, 9, 14, 16, 2021; 10:30 am -2:30 pm

DIRECTOR SEEKS: TBD * Note: To attend a face-to-face program at OLLI Asheville, you must be vaccinated for COVID-19. Since the Sunday matinee performance is at OLLI, all actors will need to be vaccinated.

Saturday, November 6, 2021
10th Annual Tryon Beer Festival
Nov 6 @ 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Tryon Depot Plaza

What better way to celebrate fall than enjoying a cold beer in the crisp mountain air? Tryon’s 10th Annual Beer Fest, presented by Tryon Downtown Development Association and New View Realty, will take place at the Historic Tryon Depot on Saturday, November 6, 2021 from 1pm-6pm. Join us for regional and local craft beer, local food truck favorites, fun games and live music. Event organizers will be closely monitoring state and national COVID-19 guidelines, and staff will adhere to hygienic practices throughout the event (hand sanitizer provided, contactless pours, etc.). Contact Paige Henderson at [email protected] for questions. Early bird and VIP tickets will be available August 1, 2021

Sunday, November 7, 2021
Dogwood Alliance 25th Anniversary Virtual Festival
Nov 7 all-day

Dogwood Alliance has partnered with SlaytheMic to bring you exclusive access to our virtual 25th Anniversary festival including our award-winning documentary film, stories, musical performances, and more to celebrate with you!

During this time you will be able to view all the event materials at your own convenience.

We will host one live discussion with the director of our Stories Happen in Forests film and a few of those featured in the film. That conversation is slotted to take place on Nov. 12th at 5:30pm. A recording of that conversation will be made available for those that can’t make it at that time.

This is an all-inclusive virtual event. All-access passes are a suggested donation of $15 each. A $50 donation grants you all-access, AND we’ll mail you some exclusive Dogwood merchandise. We also offer comped all-access tickets.

WHAT YOU’LL GET WITH YOUR ALL-ACCESS PASS:

🌳Access to exclusive videos including our documentary film Stories Happen in Forests, musical performances, a cooking show, and more.
🌳A raffle entry to win a beautiful vase from East Fork Pottery or a special copy of Sami Grover’s We Are All Climate Hypocrites Now.
WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU DONATE $50 OR MORE:
🌳All of the above plus!
🌳A special 25th Anniversary Dogwood Alliance travel mug.
🌳A navy blue Dogwood Alliance beanie.
Get your all-access pass today!