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.
Come join us most Friday evenings, 5-6 for a happy hour yoga class at Rabbit Rabbit in downtown Asheville!
Don’t forget to bring your own mat!
Free Class- Tips Appreciated
The schedule is constantly changing, please follow Asheville Wellness Tours on instragram @ashevillewellnesstours for updates!
Wanna hear the best local music and drink the best local beers? Hop aboard LaZoom’s Purple Bus and rock out with a local band while we take you on a journey to Asheville’s premiere local breweries.
Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center brings a delicious twist with Bingo & Spaghetti Dinner on May 19 from 6-7:30 p.m.
Special Sale: Prices will increase until Race Day (Ranging from $25 to $75)
Traverse the treacherous terrain located in and around the Rocky Mount Sports Complex and throughout Battle Park.
This 5K race is packed with more than 20 obstacles!
For full details, visit us online at www.tacklethetar.com.
Competitive Heats and Fun Runs
2023 Heat Schedule
- 8:45am Kids Run Heat
- 9:00am – Competitive Heat
- 9:10am – Competitive Heat
- 9:20am – Competitive Heat
- 9:30am – Fun Run Heat
- 9:40am – Fun Run Heat
- 9:50am – Fun Run Heat
- 10:00am – Fun Run Heat
- 10:10am – First Responders Run Heat
- 10:20am – College Run
*Note – All Heats Will Be Timed, with the exception of the 1 mile kids run.
How old do you need to be to run?
A: You must be at least 14 years old on the day of the race to run Tackle the Tar 5K Obstacle Race. However, kids ages 8-13 are encouraged to race at 11:15 a.m. in our 1 Mile Kids Obstacle Race.
Participants ages 14-15 must run with a parent or guardian over 18, and are excluded from the competitive heats.
Participants 16-17 may run in the fun run only, but must have completed a Parental Consent Form (DOWNLOAD HERE).
All other participants 18+ are free to run in any race with the completion of the Participant Waiver Form (DOWNLOAD HERE)
If you or your child do not have a photo ID, you must still provide proof of your identity and verification of your age. (We need to know you’re old enough to run and that you are who you claim to be). You may consider bringing a combination of the options listed below:
For identification, we will accept photocopies of your:
- Passport
- Membership Card
- Student ID
- License
For more information about rules, regulations, and what to expect, visit us online at TTT RUNNER CENTRAL.
T-shirt, medal, and goodie bags are not guaranteed for anyone that registers after 5/1/23.
1-Mile Kids Obstacle Race
Kids 8-13 years of age will be racing through a 1 mile obstacle course designed with them in mind. Cost is $25.00.
$1 Hot Dogs presented by Blossman Gas and Mix 96.5
Post Game Fireworks Show presented by ARA Health Specialists
Gov’t Mule will be performing LIVE on the Outdoor Stage at Salvage Station on Friday, May 19th with Neal Francis and Saturday, May 20th with Maggie Rose! Doors open at 5:30PM and the music starts at 6:30PM. This is a General Admission, 12+ show (no exceptions). This is a LARGE EVENT, so please read our FAQs to learn more about parking options and our shuttle service.
Root Down will be serving their delicious twist on Southern Soul food and we’ll have a few rotating food trucks on-site as well! There will also be MULTIPLE full bars open for you to enjoy!
Every Sunday evening Modelface Comedy brings you the best comedians from all over the country
Ryan Brown is a comedian and writer raised in North Carolina, where he’s currently based after 8 years of living and performing in NYC. His jokes combine an analytical worldview with child-like curiosity to create something equal parts insightful and ridiculous. In New York, Ryan was a regular at Comic Strip Live, Broadway Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway and more. He can now be seen performing constantly in the Raleigh area and all over the country. Ryan’s also been featured in numerous festivals including the New York Comedy Festival, Cape Fear Comedy Festival, Laugh Your Asheville Off and Oak City.
ages 18+
Early show: doors at 6:30pm, show at 7pm
GHOST COMEDY BUS TOUR
Grab a local beer, crucifix and a rubber chicken* —You might survive this hour long hilarious haunted ghost tour of Asheville.
- Guided comedy bus tour of Haunted Asheville
- 60 minutes; tours run nightly after dark
- $33 per person (Ages 17+ only)
- Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue
*Legal Note: Crucifix not required to board the bus; we do not condone exorcisms, chickens, rubber, or any combination of the three.
– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
– RAIN OR SHINE
Bluestreak is a 5 piece rock ensemble working through the classic rock songbook and adding their own jamming blues originals to the mix. Their song selections are sure to please your ears no matter what generation you’re from. Sampling Tom Petty, Eagles, ZZ Top, Grateful Dead, REO Speedwagon, and more, this quintet rocks the block with their amazing sound.
– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
THE FOOZER EXPERIENCE
Performed by El Scorcho & February Stars, “The Foozer Experience” is a 2+ hour Weezer/Foo Fighters tribute show based off their 2005 co-headlining tour with the moniker “Foozer.” The songs of both Weezer and Foo Fighters are powerful and memorable rock anthems and sing-a-longs that have proven the test of time over their 20+ year careers. The Foozer Experience delivers anthem after anthem from these two giants of the Alternative Rock era.
The Foozer Experience is a 2-band tribute show, but both bands can deliver a single show as each individual tribute act. Together or separate, El Scorcho & February Stars will leave audiences with an experience only rivaled by Weezer and Foo FIghters.
El Scorcho formed in the summer of 2004 with the goal of creating the highest quality Weezer experience next to actually seeing Weezer live. El Scorcho performs the best of the “Blue” and “Pinkerton” albums as well as classic deeper cuts, rarities, and new songs that the ever prolific Weezer continues to produce. The “Quintessential Weezer Tribute Band” quickly grew into one into one of the highest in-demand tribute acts across the Southeast. After Karl Koch (Weezer’s “5th member” and website administrator) caught word of El Scorcho, he immediately started to post show dates and news clips about the tribute act on Weezer’s website, http://weezer.com. El Scorcho has even had the privilege of performing on-stage with Weezer during their 2008 tour of the “Red” Album. To this day, Karl continues to support the band by tweeting their show announcements.
February Stars deliver the best live Foo Fighters show with songs spanning their entire career. Foo Fighters are arguably keeping the rock n roll torch lit by delivering melodic and guitar riff-based songs that everyone knows. With a catalog of over 12 full-length studio, live, and EP recordings and a 20+ year career, there is no doubt they are one of the most recognized and influential rock bands of the modern era.
By Andrew Lippa and John August
On the Steve Lloyd Stage
Directed by Candice Dickinson
What tall tales will we tell to be the hero of our own stories?
When Will finds out his father is dying of cancer, he is on a mission to find the truth behind the tall tales his father has always told him. Audiences will be in awe as they travel back and forth from Will and Edward’s stark reality to the beautiful and larger than life fantasies of Edward Bloom’s past. This charming, warm hug of a musical features Southern-fried music from Andrew Lippa and is based on the 1998 novel by Daniel Wallace that also inspired the 2003 big-screen adaptation directed by Tim Burton. A musical for dreamers, this show has sweeping melodies, gorgeous dance numbers, and celebrates the imagination, culminating in a thrilling theatrical experience. Full of giants, witches, mermaids, and, of course, an exceptionally large fish, Big Fish is about what’s real and what’s fantastic, what’s true and what’s not true, what’s partially true and how, in the end, it’s all true.
Suitable for all audiences.
Join us with Grammy Award-winners, Confederate Railroad, as we kick off our Summer Concert Series!
Possibly Shakespeare’s wackiest play, CYMBELINE features a panoply of Shakespeare’s greatest hits: orphaned royalty, mistaken identities, a cross-dressing heroine, a beheading, a war against Rome, poison that doesn’t really kill you, and more! Modern-day added characters Actor 1 and Actor 2 provide much-needed plot recaps and commentary on the action, and a rewritten ending provides some necessary catharsis. This whirlwind performance is one you won’t want to miss!
With: Molly Graves, Zak Hamrick, Christine Hellman, Erin McCarson, Alex McDonald, Jon Stockdale, Eric Vik, and Paul Vonasek.
Written (mostly) by: William Shakespeare.
Directed by: Melon Wedick.
All shows will be at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheater in the Montford District of Asheville, and all will be presented absolutely FREE of charge!
Written and Directed by Skyler Goff
This World Premiere was penned by local playwright Skyler Goff and tells of the continuing adventures of our favorite Lost Boy. A fantastical way to kick off our season!
All shows will run Fridays through Sundays and all will be presented at 7:30pm and prime seats can be reserved.
Montford Park Players has been bringing some of theater’s greatest works to Western North Carolina for over 50 years. Montford Park Players continues its mission of bring free theater to the community. The summer season allows everyone to come spend an evening under the stars, seeing some of the best live performances presented in Asheville.
Montford Park Players allows patrons to bring their favorite food and beverages to their shows and sells beer, wine and concessions at the shows. If you’ve never been to the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre for a Montford show, there’s no better season than this one. If you have been, you know why you should come back and catch everything we have to offer!
(adjacent to Swannanoa Library). Movie at dark. Arrive about 7:30 p.m. to secure your spot and enjoy pre-movie festivities. Popcorn and light refreshments available for purchase. Rated PG. Free.
Come and enjoy an evening under the stars while you watch one of the highest earning and rated animated films in 2014. “Big Hero Six” is an adventure story for the whole family. Refreshments will be available for sale. Please bring a blanket or camp chair if you like.
By Lauren Gunderson
Produced by Immediate Theatre Project
Four badass women lose their heads in this irreverent, girl-powered comedy set during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen (and fan of ribbons) Marie Antoinette, and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle hang out, murder Marat, and try to beat back the extremist insanity in 1793 Paris. It’s a true story. Or total fiction. Or a play about a play. Or a raucous resurrection…that ends in a song and a scaffold.
From the people who brought you Silent Sky comes this grand and dream-tweaked comedy about violence and legacy, art and activism, feminism and terrorism, compatriots and chosen sisters, and how we actually go about changing the world.
Discretionary Content: Adult themes and badass ladies
Born October 7, 1951 in Seymour, Indiana, John Mellencamp fell in love with music at an early age and was gigging in local bars and fronting a soul band by the time he was 14. His professional music career began in earnest in 1976 when MCA Records released his first album, The Chestnut Street Incident. After releasing a few albums, he broke out in 1979 with his first hit, “I Need A Lover.” In 1982, his fifth album American Fool was the year’s best-selling album on the strength of two huge hits, “Hurts So Good,” and the number 1 single “Jack & Diane.” The albums that followed in the 80’s, Uh-Huh, Scarecrow, Lonesome Jubilee, and Big Daddy included singles: “Crumblin Down,” “The Authority Song,” “Small Town,” “Rain On The Scarecrow,” “Lonely Ol Night,” “”R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A.,” “Paper In Fire,” “Check It Out,” “Cherry Bomb,” “Pop Singer,” and “Jackie Brown.”
Mellencamp took the music on the road with a band that many considered the best in the business, playing approximately 1,000 shows around the globe during the decade. He toured regularly until suffering a mild heart attack in 1994 that forced him to take a break from music, but returned strong in 1996. He continued to write and record frequently, releasing critically acclaimed albums that featured his band’s unique instrumentation and his poignant songs about everyday life in the American heartland.
Mellencamp was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 and is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He’s a Grammy-winner and the recipient of numerous awards including The Woody Guthrie and John Steinbeck Awards, ASCAP Foundation’s Champion Award and their highest honor the Founders Award, the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting and the Billboard Century Award, amongst a host of other honors.
“Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.” Written in just 10 days as a tribute to his sister Susan by playwright Robert Harling, Steel Magnolias explores the relationships between a tight-knit group of Louisiana southern ladies who gather in Truvy’s small-town beauty parlor, celebrating the milestones in each other’s lives. Filled with hilarious repartee and humorously acerbic verbal lacerations, the play deepens when the spunky Shelby (who is diabetic) contradicts her doctor’s advice and risks pregnancy. Steel Magnolias exemplifies the universal and unconditional strengths of sisterhood, resilience, and love.
This public star gaze will be held at Grassland Mountain Observatory in Madison County, with a weather backup night of Saturday, 20 May. This event is free and open to everyone — registration is not necessary to attend. A temporary gate code, required for entry, will be provided here on the day of the star gaze by 5:00 p.m. Directions to Grassland Mountain Observatory can be found here. Sunset occurs at 8:31 p.m.
– ALL AGES
– LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED
ABBY POSNER
Abby Posner is a queer, working musician in Los Angeles. Best known for her ability to play any instrument that she can find, twisting genres, and pushing the boundaries of folk, roots, and pop music making her “Genre Fluid.” From banjo riff to looping pedal she does it all.
Absolutely outstanding! The full package – instrumentation, songwriting, chatter, stage presence. Just an outstanding musician and human being. Concerts at Our House
The Blue Ridge Mountains are home to a very unique creature that some say resembles a tribe of fairies carrying blue candles through the forest.
The Blue Ghost Firefly (Phausis reticulata) is a secretive, hard-to-find native insect that calls our area home, and for a very short amount of time in early summer, they inhabit our surrounding woodlands of Transylvania County.
You’ll experience an educational presentation at our outdoor amphitheater starting at 9:00pm and then use the cover of darkness and special flashlights to go in search of the Blue Ghost fireflies while hiking on a paved trail through the forest. Cradle of Forestry team members will be stationed at key locations around the trail to provide further information about this amazing natural phenomenon. Please feel free to congregate near these areas with your fellow firefly enthusiasts or go explore on your own! We require everyone to stay on the trail to prevent habitat damage, and team members will clear the trail and require everyone to depart by 10:30pm.
Ticket Purchase/Pre-registration is required. This is a light rain or shine, family-friendly event!
In order to maximize our participant experience while minimizing our impact on the resource, we limit each night to 125 participants.
Killer garage punk bill with The Whiffs (KC) Rocky MTN Roller, Pleasure House (CLT) and Jonny Couch touring down from NYC!
The Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer program in Buncombe County is now accepting applications for initial training this fall. We are looking for individuals who want to serve their community, expand and share their gardening knowledge, and work in a team environment.
To become a certified Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer, individuals accepted into the program are required to complete the 40-hour initial training program, pass an examination, and complete an internship of 40 hours of volunteer service. Additional continuing education (15 hours) and volunteer service to the community (30 hours) are required for annual recertification.
Training will be held in-person, during the day Tuesdays, August through November.
The application deadline is June 1, 2023. Completed applications should be emailed or printed and mailed or delivered to the Cooperative Extension Office at 49 Mount Carmel Road, Suite 102, Asheville, NC 28806.
A training fee of $150 is due upon acceptance into the training program. Scholarships are available, please inquire.
More information on the Master Gardener program in Buncombe County, including Frequently Asked Questions and Activities to Fulfill Your Volunteer Requirements, is available on the Buncombe County Extension website. Click here: Buncombe County Extension website
Download and print an application: 2023 EMG Application and Certification Agreement
Helping Gardeners Put Knowledge to Work
The free, definitive resource for finding local food and farms also features farm stories and recipes.
The 2023 Local Food Guide, ASAP’s annual free publication for finding local food and farms, hits newsstands this week. This definitive resource lists hundreds of Appalachian Grown certified farms, farmers markets, restaurants, groceries, travel destinations, and more throughout Western North Carolina and surrounding counties in Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. A digital version of the print Guide may be viewed at asapconnections.org/guide.
In addition to the listing content, the 2023 edition features stories that highlight the variety of farming across the region. Jake Puckett, of Crow Fly Farms in Marion, NC, details his passion for holistic animal management. Malcolm Banks, of Yellow Mountain Gardens in Franklin, NC, describes his mission to teach his neighbors—and the world—to grow their own food. Gwen and Jay Englebach, of Black Trumpet Farm in Leicester, NC, talk about building a business and customer relationships. Rounding out the issue are seasonal recipes from chefs at Cultura, Little Chango, The Montford, and Red Fiddle Vittles.
Find Local Food Guide copies at farmers markets, visitors centers, libraries, community centers, groceries, restaurants, and other partner businesses throughout the region. They are also available to pick up in the lobby of ASAP’s office in Asheville at 306 W. Haywood St., Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact ASAP if you need help locating a copy in your area.
In addition to the print Guide, ASAP maintains the online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org. This database, with more than 1,400 listings, is updated throughout the year and is searchable by products, locations, activities, and more.
The 2023 Local Food Guide is made possible in part with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Agricultural Marketing Service and Beginning Farmer Rancher Development Fund, as well as the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina and Asheville Regional Airport.
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Celebrate with us by contributing to the future of the arts in Western North Carolina.
Make your 75th Anniversary Spring Annual Fund donation today! |
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! The Diamond Anniversary is a time to honor our rich heritage and—more importantly—envision our future as the premier visual arts organization in this vibrant, creative region.
Founded in 1948 by a group of local artists to showcase the scope and depth of creativity in Western North Carolina (WNC), the Museum brings art of international significance to the region and encourages lively, diverse dialogue.
The Museum’s original home was a modest, unheated, three-room building on Charlotte Street in the former sales office of Dr. E.W. Grove. The building was designed by Richard Sharp Smith and provided to the Museum by the City of Asheville. Exhibitions by local painters and sculptors could only be staged in warmer weather, and Sunday afternoon receptions gave the community an opportunity to view original art and to listen to artists talk about their work. By the 1950s, the Museum had become an invaluable part of Asheville’s cultural life. It also began acquiring artworks for its Collection.
Three quarters of a century later, the Museum has evolved into the preeminent cultural and educational hub for WNC—welcoming tens of thousands of visitors annually, hosting several major exhibitions each year, holding scores of special programs, and housing its Collection of more than 7,500 works in its state-of-the-art Pack Square location. From its humble beginnings on Charlotte Street to its breathtaking permanent home in the heart of downtown Asheville, the Museum has remained dedicated to Its mission to engage, enlighten, and inspire individuals and enrich the community through dynamic experiences in American art of the 20th and 21st centuries.
The Asheville Art Museum was built, cherished, and supported by the community throughout the past 75 years. Our anniversary celebration will give back through community partnerships and special programs, and by creating new reasons to visit or become a Member. We hope you’ll join us at one (or all) of our Diamond Anniversary special events: the 2023 Gala on June 17th, the 75th Anniversary Community Day Celebration in August, and the 75th Anniversary Dance Party in November!
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Raffle: Trip to NYC 2023
Enter to win a fabulous trip for two to New York!
Raffle tickets on sale through Sunday, August 6, 2023!
Tickets are $50 and only 500 will be sold.
Travel package for Thanksgiving 2023, with check-in on Wednesday, November 22, 2023 and check-out on Sunday, November 26, 2023.
Prize includes:
- Two round-trip Business Class tickets to New York from Asheville Regional Airport
- Transfers to and from the airport to your hotel
- Accomodations for four nights in Midtown at The Lotte New York Palace, with a choice of one king bed or two double beds
- VIP Macy’s Parade Day experience, including brunch and complimentary drinks, access to indoor and outdoor VIP viewing areas, and access to the Inflation Celebration of parade balloons on Wednesday afternoon
- Orchestra seating tickets to the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular
- Tickets to a Broadway show
- Up to $500 to spend on guided tours or additional theatre tickets
- Personal consultation with Foothills Travel to customize your trip
- On-site concierge provided through MyBucketListEvents
The drawing will take place the week of August 7, 2023. Winner will be notified by phone call and email.
Asheville Merchandise Guide
All the wearable merch in Asheville in one place.
We love a souvenir T-shirt
So much so that we were inspired to create this guide, first published in May 2023. We’ll be updating it a few times a year, and we encourage you to check in with the businesses listed in the guide about availability. Often merch sells out quickly or is a limited edition.
While these items aren’t strictly secondhand, we love supporting local businesses and know firsthand how lovely it is to hold on to a memory of a special place you visited on a trip.
If you know of some merch we’re missing or have feedback or questions, fill out the form below to let us know!
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We’re offering TWO grade levels this summer for our workshops:
- Younger Ages (Rising First – Third Grade) and
- Older Ages (Rising Fourth – Tenth Grade)
Pricing
First Student: $350 per week
Sibling & Multiple Week Camp Discounts are available
Madagascar Workshop
June 12-16 & July 17-21
Get read to MOVE IT, MOVE IT!
Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and, of course, those hilarious, plotting penguins in this crack-a-lackin’ adventure from New York City to Madagascar.
Matilda Workshop
June 19-23 & July 24-28
It’s time to act like REVOLTIN’ CHILDREN!
Matilda is a little girl with astonishing wit, intelligence and psychokinetic powers. Matilda’s school life isn’t completely smooth sailing, however – the school’s mean headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, hates children and just loves thinking up new punishments for those who don’t abide by her rules. But Matilda has courage and cleverness in equal amounts, and could be the school pupils’ saving grace!
Shrek Workshop
June 26-30 & July 31-August 4
Come and let your FREAK FLAG FLY!
It’s a “big bright beautiful world” as everyone’s favorite ogre, Shrek, leads a cast of fairytale misfits on an adventure to rescue a princess and find true acceptance. When Shrek sets off with a wisecracking donkey to confront Farquaad, he’s handed a task — if he rescues feisty princess Fiona, his swamp will be righted. Shrek tries to win Fiona’s love and vanquish Lord Farquaad, but a fairytale wouldn’t be complete without a few twists and turns along the way.
The Little Mermaid Workshop
July 10-14 & August 7-11
Discover what it means to be PART OF YOUR WORLD!
In a magical underwater kingdom, the beautiful young mermaid, Ariel, longs to leave her ocean home — and her fins — behind and live in the world above. But first, she’ll have to defy her father, King Triton, make a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, and convince the handsome Prince Eric that she’s the girl whose enchanting voice he’s been seeking.
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