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.
Community is central to the human experience, giving us a sense of belonging to something
greater than ourselves. Connecting with others through shared experiences directly impacts
our physical, emotional and mental health. Join Chow Chow for a delicious meal and
discussion celebrating how community is created and nourished in our region, specifically
around the essential element of food. As you dine, you’ll hear from neighbors Sunil Patel,
who created the village-scale Patchwork Urban Farms in West Asheville; April Jones, founder
of Pinehurst Farmers Market, which addresses food sovereignty in Columbia, SC; and
Jeremy French and his team at Making Whole, a fine furniture studio and addiction recovery
program built into the framework of a traditional apprenticeship program, where every day
includes preparing and enjoying a shared meal around a communal dining table.
Learn to add a special touch to your dinner or cocktail napkins with an embroidery
demonstration and class with Echoview Fiber Mill. Attendees will also learn about natural
dyes, including dyes that can be made from kitchen scraps and plants in your own
backyard. Attendees will receive a kit with naturally dyed threads (five colors), one cloth
napkin, one embroidery needle and stitch templates from Echoview Fiber Mill in the mail
prior to the class. (Must register by August 1 to receive kit).
For the 16th year in a row, artists in this small community will open their studios to the public for the annual Come to Leicester Studio Tour. This free, self-guided event is held every third weekend in August, with this year’s tour dates being August 21st and 22nd, 10 AM to 6PM each day.
Visitors choose their own tour stops using a printed brochure with a full-color map of the area, and bold signs direct to the individual studios. The tour route travels through some of the most scenic rural countryside in Western North Carolina. Along the way, visitors can view beautiful, hand-crafted work and meet the artists who create it. The variety of arts and crafts includes brooms, pottery, painting, furniture, iron work, fiber art, and stained glass. Come join the tour on August 21 & 22!
Explore the world of fermented foods with us! Fermentation is transformation. Fermentation
preserves both our food and our cultural diversity and connects us to thousands of years
of hands-on knowledge and ingenuity. The Southern Appalachian culinary and beverage
community includes many devotees of this time-honored process. Join us for a delicious
and informative dinner that showcases the many creative fermentation processes that are
practiced in our region: kimchi, beer and kombucha, cheeses, chocolates, breads, coffee, sake,
charcuterie, kefir, sour beers, hot sauces, natural wines, miso and pickled Appalachian produce.
Meg Chamberlain of Fermenti will lead an engaging discussion, and guests will enjoy the
opportunity to meet and shop with local makers, to bring some fermented goodness home!
Experience Asheville’s premiere independent film festival! We are a non-profit, competitive festival with the mission to cultivate a spirited collective of homegrown filmmakers. We uplift up-and-coming filmmakers of Asheville and the Southeast with screenings, workshops, music performances and after parties throughout the weekend.
BYOF – Bring Your Own Film
8pm at Fleetwood’s Chapel
496 Haywood Rd
West Asheville, North Carolina
It’s like an open mic, but movies. Bring a USB drive with a film 7 minutes or less and share with the community. First come, first service.
Open to the public and donations go to future festival screenings.
WORKSHOP #1 – INQUEERY
10am-11:30am at Asheville School of Film
45 S French Broad Ave #120, Asheville, NC 28801
INQUEERY is a creative workshop designed for LGBTQIA2S+ people to connect and reflect on their lived experiences through visualizations, creative writing and story. This offering also includes time to read an excerpt from and discuss Asheville-based feature film script Whistle Down Wind, which is currently in development.
Open to the public and 100% of donations go to the instructors.
WORKSHOP #2 – Comrades Help Comrades Make Movies
12pm-3pm at Asheville School of Film
45 S French Broad Ave #120, Asheville, NC 28801
Running an equitable, inclusive, and sustainable set on a hyper indie budget.
Private Work in Progress screening of the feature film E IS FOR with the Co-Writer/Director, Writer/Producer/Lead, DP and EP in attendance with discussion and feedback opportunities.
Pull up a seat at the table and we’ll deep dive into how we made a feature film during the time of COVID and how our intention to honor the insight and labor of our comrades shaped everything from the budget, size of the crew and much of the creative while preserving and sustaining the mental health and experience of everyone on set. We’ll outline resources, cover funding hurdles, pre-production workflow, paperwork and set ethics.
Open to the public and 100% of donations go to the instructors.
SCREENING – Opening Night
Doors at 7pm, Screening at 8pm at The Barrelhouse at the Funkatorium
147 Coxe Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Arrive dressed to impress in (encouraged) black tie attire to witness the “best of” in indie drama, comedy, and documentary short films.
AFTER DARK
Doors at 10pm at Cultivated Cocktails Tasting Room
25 Page Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Keep the party going into the night. Featuring a local DJ and exclusive Cat Fly projection installation and living gallery highlighting local and regional animated films.
Included with purchase of any screening.
Rooftop Pool Party
12pm-5pm at Aloft Air Level
51 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville, North Carolina 28801 USA
Present your VIP badge or ticket to any screening to hotel check-in for a key to access the pool.
Included with purchase of any screening.
WORKSHOP #3 – Gillybear Presents: “Garbage Monsters”
3pm-5pm at Asheville School of Film
45 S French Broad Ave #120, Asheville, NC 28801
A look at low-budget, big-impact Special Effects for filmmakers who ain’t got two nickels to rub together.
Open to the public and 100% of donations go to the instructors.
SCREENING – Community Night
Doors at 7pm, Screening at 8pm at The Orange Peel
101 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Weird, experimental and off-the-beaten path shorts from up-and-coming filmmakers of Asheville and the Southeast.
Experience Asheville’s premiere independent film festival! We are a non-profit, competitive festival with the mission to cultivate a spirited collective of homegrown filmmakers. We uplift up-and-coming filmmakers of Asheville and the Southeast with screenings, workshops, music performances and after parties throughout the weekend.
BYOF – Bring Your Own Film
8pm at Fleetwood’s Chapel
496 Haywood Rd
West Asheville, North Carolina
It’s like an open mic, but movies. Bring a USB drive with a film 7 minutes or less and share with the community. First come, first service.
Open to the public and donations go to future festival screenings.
WORKSHOP #1 – INQUEERY
10am-11:30am at Asheville School of Film
45 S French Broad Ave #120, Asheville, NC 28801
INQUEERY is a creative workshop designed for LGBTQIA2S+ people to connect and reflect on their lived experiences through visualizations, creative writing and story. This offering also includes time to read an excerpt from and discuss Asheville-based feature film script Whistle Down Wind, which is currently in development.
Open to the public and 100% of donations go to the instructors.
WORKSHOP #2 – Comrades Help Comrades Make Movies
12pm-3pm at Asheville School of Film
45 S French Broad Ave #120, Asheville, NC 28801
Running an equitable, inclusive, and sustainable set on a hyper indie budget.
Private Work in Progress screening of the feature film E IS FOR with the Co-Writer/Director, Writer/Producer/Lead, DP and EP in attendance with discussion and feedback opportunities.
Pull up a seat at the table and we’ll deep dive into how we made a feature film during the time of COVID and how our intention to honor the insight and labor of our comrades shaped everything from the budget, size of the crew and much of the creative while preserving and sustaining the mental health and experience of everyone on set. We’ll outline resources, cover funding hurdles, pre-production workflow, paperwork and set ethics.
Open to the public and 100% of donations go to the instructors.
SCREENING – Opening Night
Doors at 7pm, Screening at 8pm at The Barrelhouse at the Funkatorium
147 Coxe Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Arrive dressed to impress in (encouraged) black tie attire to witness the “best of” in indie drama, comedy, and documentary short films.
AFTER DARK
Doors at 10pm at Cultivated Cocktails Tasting Room
25 Page Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Keep the party going into the night. Featuring a local DJ and exclusive Cat Fly projection installation and living gallery highlighting local and regional animated films.
Included with purchase of any screening.
Rooftop Pool Party
12pm-5pm at Aloft Air Level
51 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville, North Carolina 28801 USA
Present your VIP badge or ticket to any screening to hotel check-in for a key to access the pool.
Included with purchase of any screening.
WORKSHOP #3 – Gillybear Presents: “Garbage Monsters”
3pm-5pm at Asheville School of Film
45 S French Broad Ave #120, Asheville, NC 28801
A look at low-budget, big-impact Special Effects for filmmakers who ain’t got two nickels to rub together.
Open to the public and 100% of donations go to the instructors.
SCREENING – Community Night
Doors at 7pm, Screening at 8pm at The Orange Peel
101 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Weird, experimental and off-the-beaten path shorts from up-and-coming filmmakers of Asheville and the Southeast.
Hendersonville is the official home of the North Carolina Apple Festival, a four-day celebration to recognize the importance of the apple industry to Henderson County and North Carolina. The Apple Festival is always held during the Labor Day weekend (Friday through Monday). Festival-goers can choose from a variety of events that feature a street fair on Historic Main Street and surrounding event venues.
Some of the other festivities happening during the Apple Festival include apple breakfasts, Gem & Mineral Spectacular, children’s activities, the Western North Carolina Air Museum Open House and
Please leave your pets comfortably at home.
North Carolina is the 7th largest apple-producing state in the nation and Henderson County is the largest apple-producing county in North Carolina, producing 85 percent of all the apples grown in the state. The County grows more than 40 varieties of apples including; Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Rome Beauty, Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, Stayman, Fuji and Galas.
Asheville’s Goombay Festival has celebrated African & Caribbean heritage here in Western North Carolina. This year, celebrating 40th Goombay Anniversary!
The festival celebrates the richness and diversity found in the food, music, and art across the African Diaspora.
Goombay is free and open to anyone and everyone who wishes to attend!
Hendersonville is the official home of the North Carolina Apple Festival, a four-day celebration to recognize the importance of the apple industry to Henderson County and North Carolina. The Apple Festival is always held during the Labor Day weekend (Friday through Monday). Festival-goers can choose from a variety of events that feature a street fair on Historic Main Street and surrounding event venues.
Some of the other festivities happening during the Apple Festival include apple breakfasts, Gem & Mineral Spectacular, children’s activities, the Western North Carolina Air Museum Open House and
Please leave your pets comfortably at home.
North Carolina is the 7th largest apple-producing state in the nation and Henderson County is the largest apple-producing county in North Carolina, producing 85 percent of all the apples grown in the state. The County grows more than 40 varieties of apples including; Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Rome Beauty, Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, Stayman, Fuji and Galas.
Asheville’s Goombay Festival has celebrated African & Caribbean heritage here in Western North Carolina. This year, celebrating 40th Goombay Anniversary!
The festival celebrates the richness and diversity found in the food, music, and art across the African Diaspora.
Goombay is free and open to anyone and everyone who wishes to attend!
Hendersonville is the official home of the North Carolina Apple Festival, a four-day celebration to recognize the importance of the apple industry to Henderson County and North Carolina. The Apple Festival is always held during the Labor Day weekend (Friday through Monday). Festival-goers can choose from a variety of events that feature a street fair on Historic Main Street and surrounding event venues.
Some of the other festivities happening during the Apple Festival include apple breakfasts, Gem & Mineral Spectacular, children’s activities, the Western North Carolina Air Museum Open House and
Please leave your pets comfortably at home.
North Carolina is the 7th largest apple-producing state in the nation and Henderson County is the largest apple-producing county in North Carolina, producing 85 percent of all the apples grown in the state. The County grows more than 40 varieties of apples including; Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Rome Beauty, Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, Stayman, Fuji and Galas.
Asheville’s Goombay Festival has celebrated African & Caribbean heritage here in Western North Carolina. This year, celebrating 40th Goombay Anniversary!
The festival celebrates the richness and diversity found in the food, music, and art across the African Diaspora.
Mountain Makers Craft Market is a monthly indie art fair designed to cultivate community in Western NC. Located in Downtown Waynesville, we bring together 20+ artisans selling handmade and vintage goods that’ll make you smile! Join us on the first Sunday of each month from 12p-4p at 308 N. Haywood Street, and visit MountainMakersMarket.com
Hendersonville is the official home of the North Carolina Apple Festival, a four-day celebration to recognize the importance of the apple industry to Henderson County and North Carolina. The Apple Festival is always held during the Labor Day weekend (Friday through Monday). Festival-goers can choose from a variety of events that feature a street fair on Historic Main Street and surrounding event venues.
Some of the other festivities happening during the Apple Festival include apple breakfasts, Gem & Mineral Spectacular, children’s activities, the Western North Carolina Air Museum Open House and
Please leave your pets comfortably at home.
North Carolina is the 7th largest apple-producing state in the nation and Henderson County is the largest apple-producing county in North Carolina, producing 85 percent of all the apples grown in the state. The County grows more than 40 varieties of apples including; Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Rome Beauty, Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, Stayman, Fuji and Galas.
The Town of Canton Mayor and Board of Aldermen/women are excited to announce that the 114th Canton Labor Day Festival will take place September 5th and 6th! This event will be bigger and better than ever and we hope that you make your plans to join us!
The forests of Appalachia can host an incredible diversity of delicious foods, making our region
ideal for the practice of forest farming–a sustainable production system which helps keep a
forest healthy by introducing more biodiversity. This practice introduces cultivated crops into
forest settings by integrating trees and shrubs, offering up inventive ingredients to the food
system while also offering environmental, economic and social benefits. Almost any plant or
fungus that needs shade can be grown in a forest farming system. Join Chow Chow for
mouth-watering tastes of the forests as you learn from Craig Mauney, local forest farmer and paw paw
ambassador, and Bill Whipple, of the Acornucopia Project and Asheville Nuttery.
Dive in with us for a tasting feast exploring sustainable seafood and fish from the mountains
to the sea. Learn about the best choices you can make to ensure you are eating seafood and
fish that are well managed and caught or farmed responsibly. Conversation will address the
challenges and opportunities in the fish and seafood industry, and how we all, from the water
to the plate, can work together for a more sustainable future.
Root to bloom eating encourages us to enjoy our food to its full potential by using forgotten or
often discarded parts of fruits, flowers and vegetables. This practice can increase the amount
of edible food for consumption, using the same amount of resources, while also reducing food
waste. Join Chow Chow for a flavorful vegetarian whole plant dinner, taking guests on a multisensorial dining journey starting from the seed in the ground all the way to the flower and
its essence. This experience will leave you more mindful about food waste and aware of the
benefits derived from eating plants in their entirety. Learn about natural plant-based dyes with
a demonstration from Echoview Fiber Mill, including indigo and black walnuts, and dyes that
can be made from vegetable scraps including onion skins and avocado pits.
The 14th annual Art in Autumn Outdoor Arts and Crafts Festival is a much loved event held on Main Street in downtown Weaverville, North Carolina, located in Buncombe County 7 miles from downtown Asheville. The festival features over 100 juried artists and craftspeople, and live music.
Join us from 10 am-4 pm for a celebration of Southern Appalachian culture on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This festival has old-time music and demonstrations of the crafts of yesteryear.
Activities:
Chairmaking, quilting, heirloom apples, sheep shearing, cornshuck dolls, woodcarving, blacksmithing, weaving, stone carving, soap making, crocheting, knitting, spinning, rifle making, natural dyeing, basketry.
Band Schedule:
10:00-11:00 Cary Fridley and Old Time Friends
11:15-12:15 Highland Highlights
12:30-1:30 Split Rail
2:00-2:45 World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Competition
3:00-4:00 Buncombe Turnpike
Don’t Miss the World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Competition at 2:00 pm!!
Opened in 1948 by Fred “Rabbit” Simpson, Rabbit’s Motel was a crown jewel of Black-owned
Tourist Courts for African-American travelers in the segregation-era South, and provided
lodging and soul-food dining for many Black travelers. Rabbit’s Motel sat in the heart of
Southside, a flourishing African-American community that was one of many early-Asheville
vibrant Black communities in Asheville. SoundSpace@Rabbit’s, opened in 2020, will create a
creative arts hub in Asheville including music rehearsal studio space, soul food kitchen and
artist studios, and will promote historic pride while embracing a model of diversity in the most
authentic way possible, through music, art, community, and food. Join us for a lively event
featuring music, drinks and bites inspired by the original Rabbit’s Motel and Cafe
Guest Appreciation Festival is our annual celebrating bringing together guests, visitors, paddlers, and staff for a weekend festival of incredible sales, whitewater, outdoor fun, and gratitude!
Snag the best in outdoor gear and apparel at stunningly low prices from our new and used gear sale with names including The North Face, Chaco, Dagger Kayaks, KEEN and more. Boaters can take advantage of free shuttles for the Cascades and Upper Nantahala recreational releases. Shop crafts and handmade goods from regional and local vendors. Join in on the fun with our family-friendly riverside games and activities including giant Jenga, face painting, and more! Dance the night away to live music on the banks of the Nantahala River. Enjoy a weekend of fun and community in the Nantahala Gorge!