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.
This exquisite, interactive exhibit is designed to inspire and educate visitors about the storied history and evocative power of scent while taking them on a full sensory journey, literally! Blending flora, fashion and science, Making Scents showcases some of Mother Nature’s most fragrant botanicals and unveils the plants and flowers behind some of the world’s most iconic perfumes. Visitors will explore the mysterious power of the sense of smell, learn about the artistry and science behind the fragrance industry and even compose their own basic fragrance.
From traditional harvest and extraction methods to chemical combinations of synthetic fragrances, Making Scents uncovers the technical processes behind fragrance creation through an immersive, multisensory experience. Art, passion and craft come together inside the exhibit’s iconic bottle display, which showcases the unique designs of more than 100 perfume bottles, some dating back to ancient the Greek and Roman eras. By integrating horticulture, history and pop culture, Making Scents is sure to enlighten the senses and engage the minds of visitors about the fragrance industry and the living world in a fun, dynamic way.
This exhibit showcases the work of three leading fiber artists who explore Western North Carolina’s mountains, meadows and marshes using fabrics and fibers. Their quilted wall art offers a link to familiar images of this region, echoing the Arboretum’s role of connecting people with plants. Through their diverse styles, construction methods and subject matter, artists Mary Stori, Judy Simmons and Kate Weston add a contemporary twist to the area’s rich and storied quilt-making tradition. Their exhibit features pieces of varying sizes, from large focal-point wall hangings to medium-sized wall art to small work suitable for tabletop display. All pieces are for sale, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting The North Carolina Arboretum Society.
About the Artists
Mary Stori
From her home in Clyde, N.C., Mary creates botanical and organic themed art quilts using artisian-made, hand-dyed cotton, linen, silk and rayon fabrics. She also utilizes hand-felted and hand-dyed wool as rich backdrops, offering texture and depth to her work. Bead embellishment is another one of her trademarks. Learn more on her website.
Judy Simmons
Judy creates her own fabric in her Fletcher, N.C. studio using surface design techniques, including fabric marbling, dyeing, color lifting and silk screening. Much of the imagery in her work utilizes her own photography printed on fabric. To learn more about Judy, please click here.
Kate Weston
From her home in Statesville, N.C., Kate focuses on the creation of complex cloth through the application of dye, paint and embellishment, such as fabric overlay or manipulation and the application of non-fiber materials. Coupled with skillful machine quilting, Kate’s works create and stunning interplay of color and texture. Please visit Kate’s website to learn more.
Join Grammy-winning pianist/composer Peter Kater for a very intimate 90 minute home concert followed by a meet & greet reception with wine and light snacks. Don’t miss this opportunity to sit just a few feet away or to lie under the piano while he plays his soulful masterful music. Doors open at 7 pm. The 90-minute concert begins at exactly 7:30 pm. Reception at 9pm. Donations for wine and snacks will go to Girls Rock Asheville, a music camp for kids.
For more info call: 828-777-0452
Process is a collaborative exhibit by Erica Stankwytch Bailey, Asheville Makers, The Bright Angle with special guest artist Emily Rogstad.
This exhibition offers insight into the working worlds of creative collaborations and independent makers. Artifacts demonstrating inception of idea, design and making will be shown alongside finished pieces to illustrate the inherent value of the creative process.
“The creative process is not just iterative; it’s also recursive. It plays out “in the large” and “in the small”—in defining the broadest goals and concepts and refining the smallest details. It branches like a tree, and each choice has ramifications, which may not be known in advance.” -Dubberly Design Office
Erica Stankwytch Bailey is a Metalsmith and small business owner who designs and makes handmade artisan jewelry. Many of her pieces are inspired by an intense fascination with the building blocks of our world, most specifically molecular and crystalline structures.
The Bright Angle is a modern design company focused on showcasing the process and story behind the makers and products. At The Bright Angle we emphasize practical utility and technology to offer handmade lifestyle goods through carefully curated designer-maker collaborations.
Emily Rogstad graduated in 2013 with a BFA in Metalsmithing + Jewelry from Maine College of Art. After some traveling she moved to Penland School of Crafts for two years for the Core Fellowship. Now a resident of Asheville, North Carolina she spends her time maintaining an inquisitive studio practice, and enjoying the mountains. She is currently the new Design Resident with The Bright Angle.
Asheville Makers is a makerspace in the Asheville area. They are a community of tinkerers, makers, engineers, educators, scientists, artists, hackers, geeks, etc. Anyone who is, aspires to be, or just wants to hang around with local smart, creative, friendly mad scientist folk is welcome!
Process will be open in the Front Gallery of the Refinery Creator Space from June 1 – July 27, 2018 with an opening reception on Friday, June 1 from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm.
2018 marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center. As the last exhibition to be held in our 56 Broadway gallery before we move to 120 College Street on Pack Square Park in downtown Asheville, Shared History highlights not just the museum’s origins, collection, programs, and exhibitions but also the many ways that this organization has created a space for connection and experimentation. This fulfills our early promise to BMC alumni to be not merely a museum memorializing the past, but a center geared towards building community and fostering forward-thinking creativity in the present. An Opening Reception will be held on June 1st from 5:30PM – 8PM, with a Gallery Talk by Exhibition Curator, Erin Dickey, at 6:30PM. We welcome all who have been a part of our history, and hope that new audiences will gain insight into the scope of BMCM+AC’s reach, both locally and around the globe. This event is FREE and Open to the Public
By highlighting these and other works, Brevard Music Center is presenting some of Bernstein’s greatest output and showing a wonderful variety of his music that is at the core of American classical music experience. We spend so much time celebrating the works of European masters like Beethoven, Mozart, Mahler, and Dvôrak. And those works all deserve to be celebrated. But they must stand alongside Bernstein, Copland, and Gershwin—these masters gave American classical music its voice.
It’s wonderful for Brevard to be joining in with orchestras and institutions all around the world in celebrating the birth of one of the most compelling musicians of our time…or any other time.
THE 2018 BREVARD MUSIC CENTER | LEONARD BERNSTEIN FESTIVAL
Sun., June 24: Beloved Bernstein
Mon., July 9: Bernstein & Friends
Thurs., July 12: Leonard Bernstein/An American Icon (free lecture/details to come)
Fri., July 13: A Bernstein Celebration
Sat., July 14: West Side Story (movie + live symphony)
Sun., July 15: Bernstein the Educator
Thurs., July 26 & Sat., July 28: Candide (opera with English supertitles)
Sun., August 5: Season Finale: Bernstein’s Mass
It’s hard not to crack a smile while enjoying amazing views of Lake Lure and the Hickory Nut Gorge from on top of the Chimney. Capture photos of your family and friends enjoying the Park and enter them into our Smiles of Spring Photo Contest for a chance to win fabulous prizes. We’ll use the winning entries on our website and Facebook album, and you’ll win some fun prizes. Photos must be taken within the Chimney Rock section of the Park.
GREAT PRIZES FOR THE WINNERS:
First Place – An overnight getaway to Hickory Nut Gorge with a stay at the historic 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, two passes to Chimney Rock, brunch for two at the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, and two tickets for a tour with Lake Lure Boat Tours
Second Place – A Chimney Rock prize package including two passes to Chimney Rock, lunch for two at the Old Rock Café and two tickets for a tour with Lake Lure Boat Tours.
People’s Choice – Selected by our Facebook fans, the winning photo will be featured as the cover photo of our Facebook page for two weeks and the cover of our Pinterest board of winning photos. Prize includes two Park admission tickets, lunch for two at the Old Rock Café and a $20 gift certificate for Old Time Photo in Chimney Rock Village.
CONTEST RULES:
There is no fee to enter the contest. All photographs must be taken inside Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park only in areas accessible to guests between June 21, 2018- Sept. 21, 2018. The contest is open to amateur and professional photographers.
Up to three photos per person can be submitted via any of the following ways to be eligible to win:
Facebook: First, like the Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park page and share our photo contest post on your wall. Then post your photo to our wall with the photographer’s name and a brief caption (25-75 words) through your personal Facebook account. Next, send us a private message including your contact information specified in rule #3.
Pinterest: First, re-pin our photo contest pin to one of your boards and follow our 2017 The Different Seasons of Chimney Rock Spring Photo Contest Board so we can easily contact you. Then pin your photo with the hashtags #chimneyrock AND #photocontest with your personal account, and include the photographer’s name and a brief caption (25-75 words).
Twitter: First, follow Chimney Rock Park and retweet our tweet about the photo contest. Then tweet your photo to @ChimneyRockPark with the photographer’s name and the hashtag #photocontest. Next, send us private messages with your brief photo caption.
E-mail: If you don’t have access to any social media sites listed above, you may email your digital photo with your contact information specified in rule #3 to [email protected].
Snail Mail: Send your print photo with the clearly marked photographer’s name, city & state, a brief typed photo caption and a phone number to: Photo Contest, Chimney Rock Management LLC, PO Box 39, Chimney Rock, NC 28720.
Every entry should be clearly labeled with the photographer’s name, city & state, a brief photo caption your photo of the Seasons of Chimney Rock, an email address and the best phone number to reach you.
Photos should be available at a minimum resolution of 1200 x 1600 pixels (1 MB minimum) to be eligible to win. Photos taken via smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices are welcome if they meet minimum requirements.
For entries showing human faces, you must list their name(s) and have written permission from any photographed person(s) to use their image.
Entries should reflect the photographer’s interpretation of a face of Chimney Rock. Emphasis will be placed on quality, composition and creativity. All entries may be used in promotions of Chimney Rock and park-related activities.
Digital images can be optimized but not dramatically altered with photo editing software. Black and white photographs are welcome.
Decisions of the judges are final.
Winners will be notified and announced at chimneyrockpark.com and on Chimney Rock’s social media channels.
For more information, call 1-800-277-9611 or email us at [email protected].
Half Day Camps ($125)
June 25 -29
July 9-13
July 23-27
July 20-Aug. 3
Every Saturday in July the park stays open late, until 9:00 p.m., so you can make more time for family memories. Enjoy evening train and stage shows, rides at dusk, and fun throughout the park.
Property: Omni Grove Park Inn
Event Type: Hotel Event
Event Category: Art & Culture,Entertainment,Family
Contact: Concierge Desk
Contact Phone: (828) 252-2711
Link: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/things-to-do/tours
Our guided history tour covers the history of E.W. Grove, the construction and early years of the Inn, our Arts and Crafts style furniture, and some of our most notable guests.
Sign-up at the Concierge Desk.

Fairy Tales In Clay Clay Camp Ages 4-8 with Cassie Mazur
July 23-27
Monday- Friday, 9am-12pm
What is your favorite fairy tale? Jack and the Beanstalk? The Princess and the Pea? Alice in Wonderland? Maybe one of the new classics, like Trolls! Cassie will be your guide to this exciting world of fantasy where magic and mystery reign. You will learn to sculpt with skill and bring your favorite characters to life.
Phone: 828-250-4756
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Story Telling,Summer Reading Programs
Age Group: Family – (children of all ages)
Location: 105 N. Dougherty St. – Black Mountain
Library: Black Mountain
The bedrock of humanity’s heart lies in its stories passed down generation after generation. Ms. Lulu will share a few of her favorite stories and folktales from around the world-antics included for your entertainment and education. All ages welcome.
Phone: (828) 250-6488
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Story Time for Kids
Age Group: Preschool – (ages 3-5)
Location: 260 Overlook Rd. – Asheville
Library: Skyland / South Buncombe
Preschool story times are geared towards 3-5 year-olds and include singing, stretchers, and creative activities.
Phone: 828-250-4756
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Story Time for Kids
Age Group: Toddler – (ages 18 mos.-2 yrs.)
Location: 105 N. Dougherty St. – Black Mountain
Library: Black Mountain
Toddler Times are lively interactive story times for children ages 18 months to 3 years.
Phone: (828) 250-4700
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Story Time for Kids
Age Group: Toddler – (ages 18 mos.-2 yrs.)
Location: 67 Haywood St. – Asheville
Library: Pack Memorial
Toddler Times are interactive story times for children ages 18 months to 3 years.
Property: Omni Grove Park Inn
Event Type: Hotel Event
Event Category: Family,Recreation,Wellness & Fitness
Contact: Golf Pro Shop ext. 1034
Contact Phone: (800) 438-5800
Link: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/golf
Let our golf professionals open the world of golf to you. This introduction to the game of golf is a clinic that covers the basic rules, etiquette, and the PGA’s of golf (posture, grip, and alignment). Clubs will be provided. Proper golf attire is required. Please sign-up at least one (1) day in advance by calling (800) 438-5800 ext. 1034.
As nearly every object on the planet acquires the ability to sense its surroundings, relentlessly gathering data on everything, existing business models are changing and thousands of start-ups are focused on disrupting the status quo. Learn to look at this new sensor-enabled world through the eyes of an entrepreneur and apply it to your own business, before someone else does.
Presented by Scott Shwarts
Event Type: Local Event
Event Category: Family
Contact: Grovewood Village
Contact Phone: 828.253.7651
Link: https://www.grovewood.com/
Grovewood Village is housed in the historic weaving and woodworking complex of Biltmore Industries, a noteworthy enterprise in the history of American Craft and textiles, founded by Edith Vanderbilt and two inspired teachers, Eleanor Vance and Charlotte Yale. At the height of its success in the late 1920s, Biltmore Industries had a total of 40 looms in steady operation, producing bolts of some of the finest handwoven wool fabric in the country. Orders were shipped as far as China and Uruguay, and customers included the likes of Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Helen Keller, and several U.S. presidents and first ladies.
Learn the story of Biltmore Industries on a guided history tour, offered Wednesday – Saturday at 1pm during April – November. The tour includes a visit to our historic Dye House (usually closed to the public), where you’ll peek into the past and view the original looms, carding machines, spinning mule and dye vats used to make the famed Biltmore Handwoven Homespun. Tours last approximately 45 minutes and operate on a first-come, first-served basis, open to 25 people. Meet your guide at the Biltmore Industries Homespun Museum next door to Grovewood Gallery.
TOURS ARE FREE, but donations are greatly appreciated.
Private Group Tours
We gladly offer private group tours for a fee. These tours offer the exact same experience as the public tours, only in a private setting. Contact us for rates, and please schedule your group tour at least one week in advance.
Please Note: Our historic Dye House (Biltmore Industries’ production facility) is not handicap accessible or heated. Warm attire on cold days and comfortable walking shoes are strongly recommended.

On Your Mark, Get Centered, Throw! Clay Camp Ages 6-10 with Sara Ballek
July 23-27
Monday- Friday, 2-5pm
Your dreams of becoming a Clay DJ will come true in this week full of wheel throwing! Not only will students learn how to use the potter’s wheel, but they will also create fun, funky objects for daily use! After the pots come off the wheel, lively decorating and sculpting will add the finishing touches to their masterpieces!
Property: Omni Grove Park Inn
Event Type: Hotel Event
Event Category: Art & Culture,Culinary,Family,Recreation,Wellness & Fitness
Contact: http://notastelikehome.org/
Contact Phone: (828) 209-8599
Link: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/things-to-do/resort-activities/wild-food-adventures
Learn how to safely gather, prepare, and serve wild mushrooms, plants, and other extreme cuisine with No Taste Like Home. Discover the bounty nature provides on the beautiful Sunset Mountain Trail, located adjacent to the Historic Main Inn. Deliver your found ingredients to our Guest Services desk upon returning to The Inn and our chef will create a personalized, complimentary appetizer just for you.
This film, based on the song by Arlo Guthrie and starring the musician as himself, captures the essence of late 1960’s counter-culture. Starting with a trip to the dump on a fateful Thanksgiving Day, the film follows Guthrie and his friends through a frenetic series of events that lampoon the Vietnam War and American society. $8 for BMCM+AC members + students w/ID / $10 for non-members. Tickets are available through the Fine Arts Theatre Box Office

Folkmoot USA, The State International Festival of North Carolina, is a two-week celebration of the world’s cultural heritage through folk music and dance. Held each summer across the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina, Folkmoot features performers demonstrating cultural heritage through colorful, authentic, and original reproduction costumes, lively dance, and traditional music.

In partnership with the Fine Arts Theatre, we’re celebrating the work of Black Mountain College alumnus Arthur Penn with two screenings of his classic films on the big screen. The films will be preceded by a short talk on Arthur Penn’s legacy in American film, a legacy rooted in his experiences at Black Mountain College.
July 12th – “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967). Arthur Penn’s modern classic was revolutionary in its time, opening the door for the hyper-violent, morally ambiguous films produced throughout the 1970s. Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway star as two star-crossed lovers on a doomed crime spree across Depression-era America. They’re Young, They’re In Love, They Kill People.
July 26th – “Alice’s Restaurant” (1969). This film, based on the song by Arlo Guthrie and starring the musician as himself, captures the essence of late 1960’s counter-culture. Starting with a trip to the dump on a fateful Thanksgiving Day, the film follows Guthrie and his friends through a frenetic series of events that lampoon the Vietnam War and American society.
Come cheer on the Tourists!

Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.
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.
Shelby Lynne Moorer was born in Quantico, Virginia, on October 22, 1968, and raised in Frankville, Alabama. She came from a musical family and her house was filled with the sounds of classic country music as well as The Beatles and Elvis. Her mother was a natural singer, and her father began teaching her to play guitar around age seven. Lynne once said in an interview, “I was singing before I could talk.”
After high school, Lynne decided to leave her Alabama life behind, for Nashville in 1989, so she could pursue her musical dreams. Once in Tennessee, Lynne met veteran songwriter Bob Tubert, and she gave him her demo tape. Tubert liked it and played it for the TV producer of Nashville Network’s Nashville Now, who invited Lynne to perform on the show. The performance caught the attention of CBS Records, and Lynne was offered a contract with the label.
Over the next three years, Lynne produced an album a year: Sunrise (1989), Tough All Over (1990) and Soft Talk (1991), landing a few hits along the way. In 1991, she won the Academy of Country Music’s Top New Female Vocalist award.
Never complacent, after two more albums, Lynne became hungry for a change from the Nashville system, and for her next album she enlisted producer Bill Bottrell, who had worked with such artists as Michael Jackson, Madonna and Sheryl Crow. The resulting album, I Am Shelby Lynne (1999), recorded far away from Nashville on the Northern California coast, earned Lynne the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2000—which was especially poignant as she had been in the music business nearly 13 years.
Love, Shelby was released in 2001, followed by two self-produced albums:Identity Crisis (2003) and Suit Yourself (2005). Just a Little Lovin’, her critically acclaimed tribute to Dusty Springfield, was released in 2008. And the same year Suit Yourself came out, Lynne made her acting debut in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, playing Cash’s mother. She has also appeared on the TV shows Head Case (2007) and Army Wives(2009).
Again showcasing her need to take a different path, Lynne founded her own label, Everso Records, and its first release, Tears, Lies, and Alibis, debuted at No. 16 on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart in April 2010. The album resonated with critics as well, and Newsday called it “her strongest album in a decade.” After this critical success, Lynne released her first-ever holiday collection, Merry Christmas, in time for 2010’s holiday season.
In 2011, Everso released Revelation Road, and Lynne headed out on a year-long solo acoustic tour. In 2013, a five-song EP, Thanks, came out to rave reviews from the likes of Mother Jones and The New York Times. Lynne said of the album: “These songs are a way to express my love and gratitude to the universe and to all of the music appreciating souls out there for the friendship and fellowship that music brings us.”
In 2014, I Am Shelby Lynne got the deluxe reissue treatment.
I Can’t Imagine was released in the spring of 2015, it was her first album for Rounder. The tour that followed included complete concert performances of the new recording and I Am Shelby Lynne in a single set.
Lynne and sister Moorer teamed for the Side by Side tour, and considered recording an album together. The plan was shelved until 2017 when they got together in Los Angeles with producer Teddy Thompson and a small group of invited guest musicians including Benmont Tench, Erik Deutsch, Doug Pettibone, and Val McCallum. The sisters chose to record a host of covers from the classic country canon, alongside contemporary fare by pop and Americana songwriters. Their lone co-written original was the set closer “Is It Too Much?” Titled Not Dark Yet, the album was released by Thirty Tigers in August. They sold out venues across the U.S. And U.K. Lynne recently wrapped her first starring film role called Here I Am, a rock and Roll saga, directed by Cynthia Mort (Nina, Tell Me You Love Me). Lynne co-wrote the music and film score. The new single Off My Mind is currently available online.
shelbylynne.com

The 2018 Cashiers Designer Showhouse will take place from July 27th – August 5th at a wonderful, historic home that truly embodies all that is Cashiers. Worthy of being preserved and appreciated, the home is an elegant estate with a traditional gothic style, making it the ideal palette for local and visiting design professionals that the Cashiers Historical Society, in partnership with Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine, have invited to unleash their creativity. The enriching week full of energy and style will kick off with an Opening Night Gala on July 27th, feature numerous lectures, book signings, and workshops throughout the week with notable artists and designers, and will close off with a Closing Croquet Brunch on August 5th with Mark D. Sikes.

Named by USA Today as one of the Top Twenty Festivals in North Carolina, Folkmoot is a ten-day event, held across the mountains of Western North Carolina in Waynesville, Clyde, Lake Junaluska, Maggie Valley, Canton, Cherokee, Franklin, Hickory, Asheville, and Hendersonville. The 2018 festival dates are July 19 – 29 and feature cultural ambassadors/dance performing groups from Ghana, Italy, Czech Republic, Mexico, Venezuela and Northern Cyprus, Thailand and local Appalachian and Cherokee dancers and musicians.
Tickets are now on sale for all performances and can be purchased at Folkmoot.org, in person at the Folkmoot Friendship Center, or by calling 828-452-2997.
