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.
Included with admission
Back by popular demand, The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad exhibition offers guests:
- An opportunity to view rarely-seen treasures from the Biltmore collection
- A first-hand look at the Vanderbilts’ lifestyle
- Deeper insights into George, Edith, and Cornelia’s personalities, both at home and on their extensive travels
Access to exhibitions at The Biltmore Legacy is included with Biltmore daytime admission.
With special thanks to our training sponsor, YMCA of Western North Carolina, the Chamber is offering personal training opportunities with YMCA’s trainer Suzanne Ion. Meet in the Chamber parking lot for a brief warm-up then head out with the group in a session designed to move you from the couch to the race course!
Sessions are every Tuesday, March 21 thru April 25th. The last session will be a preview run/walk of the actual Chamber Challenge 5k course beginning at the Chamber, winding through historic Montford and finishing in the parking lot once again.
These training sessions are open to anyone — whether you’ve registered to participate in the event or not! But in case you DO want to join in, go here to see more details, more training tips, and to register: www.chamberchallenge.org
We recommend you bring your own water bottle. The doors to the Visitor Center will be open 5:00-5:30 on training days so you can come in to get water, use the restroom, etc.
Grab a friend and join us!
The 2023 Chamber Challenge 5k Race is presented by EATON and Quility.
The UNCA Bluegrass Band will give a free performance at Pack Library on Tuesday, March 28 at 6 p.m. The UNCA Bluegrass Band is a highly energetic and entertaining ensemble made up entirely of university students and their instructor, Wayne Erbsen. The band features red hot instrumentals on banjo, three fiddles, mandolin, guitar dobro, cello, and bass, along with powerful and heartfelt vocals. Their rich repertoire includes traditional bluegrass, western swing, blues, old-time fiddle tunes, and gospel. They have performed at many venues in western North Carolina and at the World of Bluegrass festival in Raleigh, North Carolina. This is a free concert and everyone is welcome.
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
– FULLY SEATED SHOW
– LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE
SHAWN MULLINS
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. 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.
LARRY CAMPBELL AND TERESA WILLIAMS
Multi-instrumentalist-singer-songwriter Larry Campbell and singer-guitarist Teresa Williams’ acclaimed eponymous 2015 debut, released after seven years of playing in Levon Helm’s band – and frequent guesting with Phil Lesh, Little Feat, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, brought to the stage the crackling creative energy of a decades-long offstage union. A whirlwind of touring and promo followed, and when the dust cleared, the duo was ready to do it all again. Which brings us to Contraband Love, a riskier slice of Americana.
Larry, who produced Contraband Love, says, “I wanted this record to be a progression, bigger than the first one. That’s all I knew. I wanted the songwriting to be deeper, the arrangements more interesting, the performances more dynamic. Specifically how to get there, I didn’t know. I did know the songs were different. The subject matter was darker than anything else I’ve written.”
“More painful!” Teresa says, and laughs.
“Yeah,” Larry says with a smile. “I’m proud of our debut, but I felt like the songs were lighter than what I’m capable of doing. As a songwriter, I aspire to a sense of uniqueness: this is a great song and it could only have been written by me. I want to get there. It’s a journey, a goal, a pursuit. The mechanics of that pursuit are figuring out what you need to do to surpass your last body of work.”
Spring at Biltmore, one of the estate’s most glorious seasons, invites you to experience a spring break mountain escape with all the charm of a European retreat. Immerse yourself in thousands of colorful tulips as Biltmore Blooms transforms our gardens and grounds. Explore Italian Renaissance Alive and Ciao! From Italy. Savor our Winery’s award-winning vintages and, of course, the timeless elegance of Biltmore House.
- Daytime access to 8,000 acres of gardens and grounds, including:
- 75+ Acres of formal and informal gardens
- 20+ Miles of hiking, biking, and walking trails
- Antler Hill Village & Winery
- Complimentary Wine Tasting
- Complimentary Parking
Gardens & Grounds admission does NOT include Biltmore House entry.
Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) recently renovated fitness centers at Linwood Crump Shiloh and Stephens-Lee community centers – and community members can enjoy use of cardio equipment, exercise machines, free weights, open gym time, and more through June 30, 2023. During this time, APR will waive membership and daily pass fees so more people can access the necessities for a regular fitness routine. Locals can sign up online or at either community center to receive a fitness center key fob that can be scanned at either location.
“Our team is committed to creating spaces in which everyone feels welcome,” according to D. Tyrell McGirt, APR Director. “We are in the community building business. The gyms and fitness rooms at these two locations are filled with everything you’d expect from other top-notch fitness facilities and dedicated to body positivity and accessible wellness. By waiving the cost to use them for the first six months of the year, we hope more friends and neighbors will be able to connect with each other and maintain healthy lifestyles.”
Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) recently renovated fitness centers at Linwood Crump Shiloh and Stephens-Lee community centers – and community members can enjoy use of cardio equipment, exercise machines, free weights, open gym time, and more through June 30, 2023. During this time, APR will waive membership and daily pass fees so more people can access the necessities for a regular fitness routine. Locals can sign up online or at either community center to receive a fitness center key fob that can be scanned at either location.
“Our team is committed to creating spaces in which everyone feels welcome,” according to D. Tyrell McGirt, APR Director. “We are in the community building business. The gyms and fitness rooms at these two locations are filled with everything you’d expect from other top-notch fitness facilities and dedicated to body positivity and accessible wellness. By waiving the cost to use them for the first six months of the year, we hope more friends and neighbors will be able to connect with each other and maintain healthy lifestyles.”
Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.
- Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
- 90-Minutes – tours run daily
- 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
- $39 per person (ages 13+ only)
Included with admission
Back by popular demand, The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad exhibition offers guests:
- An opportunity to view rarely-seen treasures from the Biltmore collection
- A first-hand look at the Vanderbilts’ lifestyle
- Deeper insights into George, Edith, and Cornelia’s personalities, both at home and on their extensive travels
Access to exhibitions at The Biltmore Legacy is included with Biltmore daytime admission.
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.
Iron & Wine is the musical project of singer-songwriter Sam Beam. Born and raised in South Carolina, Beam was teaching film when his home recorded debut, The Creek Drank the Cradle, was released on Sub Pop records in 2002. Garnering both critical and popular acclaim, Beam was vaulted into the spotlight of the burgeoning indie-folk and Americana scenes. Now entering its 20th year, Iron & Wine have released seven full length recordings, numerous EPs/singles, and collaborations with Calexico, Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses) and Jesca Hoop all on their way to becoming a four-time GRAMMY nominee. Iron & Wine’s music has captured the emotion and imagination of listeners with their distinctly cinematic songs; in particular they’ve become synonymous with the movies Twilight and Garden State and continue to find a home in your favorite film, TV show or streaming playlist. As the world continues to spin — so do Iron & Wine continue on their path of releasing new music and touring.
“John Ford taps the roots of blues, giving those fortunate enough to hear him, a lesson in Blues 101….. ”
— Andrew Benson – Depot BBQ, Cincinnati, Ohio
It’s pre war blues, old school country, southern gospel and the history behind the music. John Ford assimilates the blues of the 1920’s and 30’s, the blues of Robert Johnson and Son House, a bit of 1940’s country and a pinch of gospel rhythm, and comes up with his own brand of the roots experience.
Ford has been writing since his early teens, growing up in New Richmond, Ohio a small river town 20 miles east of Cincinnati. “Whether it be a new song I’ve written or an old song from the 1930’s, I play what I fall in love with.”
John’s most recent album “John Ford Live at Morehead State University” was released in early 2020. With some of the area’s finest musicians playing along, Ford performs some classic blues standards as well as his original tune ” Ma Sibbi’s Chicken and Dumplins” an ode to his grandmother.
In 2016, he released “The John Ford Blues Society”, his first full length album.
John recorded the 2014 EP “Songs From Room 414″ at The Gunter Hotel in San Antonio Texas – the hallowed ground where Robert Johnson recorded 16 out of his 27 songs in November of 1936.
His first EP, “Injection of the Blues” was released in 2011.
Over the past few years he has performed at venues through out the Midwest and South including” The Shack Up Inn” in Clarksdale Mississippi and BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups in St. Louis, as well as opening for Cedric Burnside, Patrick Sweaney, Damon Fowler and Ruthie Foster.
Spring at Biltmore, one of the estate’s most glorious seasons, invites you to experience a spring break mountain escape with all the charm of a European retreat. Immerse yourself in thousands of colorful tulips as Biltmore Blooms transforms our gardens and grounds. Explore Italian Renaissance Alive and Ciao! From Italy. Savor our Winery’s award-winning vintages and, of course, the timeless elegance of Biltmore House.
- Daytime access to 8,000 acres of gardens and grounds, including:
- 75+ Acres of formal and informal gardens
- 20+ Miles of hiking, biking, and walking trails
- Antler Hill Village & Winery
- Complimentary Wine Tasting
- Complimentary Parking
Gardens & Grounds admission does NOT include Biltmore House entry.
LEAF SUMMER CAMPS
IN FULL SWING!LEAF Schools & Streets invites your students to join us at LEAF Global Arts for summer camp. We are offering multiple camps which will run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at LEAF Global Arts at 19 Eagle Street in Downtown Asheville.
Scholarships are available! Qualifications include:
- Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch
- Two of more siblings attending the same week of camp
- Students registering for 4+ LEAF Summer Camps in 2023 (must pay in full)
To inquire about scholarships, email [email protected].
Snacks will be provided, and students should bring a peanut free bagged lunch and a water bottle to camp each day, and wear clothes and shoes they can move in.
In addition to the main focus of the camp, each week will explore elements of theater art, music, and dance from around the world.
Cost: $230 per week. Extended Day: $60 per week.
• July 10th – 14th: Hip-Hop (FULL)
• July 24th – 28th: A LEAF International Experience
• August 7th – 11th: Songwriting & Recording
• August 14th – 18th: West African Drumming (ALMOST FULL)
• August 21st – 25th: Songs for Peace
Register for Summer Camps
Day camp is one of the joys of summer — a chance to learn new skills while making new friends in a fun and supportive atmosphere. LEAF Global Arts Summer Camp registration is live on our website. The week-long camps take place Monday-Friday, June 12-Aug. 25.
This summer, students will dive into music, art, theatre, and dance from around the world and in our community. Camp themes include celebrating diversity, songs for peace, black history, hip-hop culture, West African drumming, and more. Each camp will culminate in a Friday performance for friends and families, in addition to original recordings made in our ONEmic studio! LEAF’s ONEmic studio is funded by the Bed Gradison Memorial Fund and generous support of LEAF members
Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) recently renovated fitness centers at Linwood Crump Shiloh and Stephens-Lee community centers – and community members can enjoy use of cardio equipment, exercise machines, free weights, open gym time, and more through June 30, 2023. During this time, APR will waive membership and daily pass fees so more people can access the necessities for a regular fitness routine. Locals can sign up online or at either community center to receive a fitness center key fob that can be scanned at either location.
“Our team is committed to creating spaces in which everyone feels welcome,” according to D. Tyrell McGirt, APR Director. “We are in the community building business. The gyms and fitness rooms at these two locations are filled with everything you’d expect from other top-notch fitness facilities and dedicated to body positivity and accessible wellness. By waiving the cost to use them for the first six months of the year, we hope more friends and neighbors will be able to connect with each other and maintain healthy lifestyles.”
Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) recently renovated fitness centers at Linwood Crump Shiloh and Stephens-Lee community centers – and community members can enjoy use of cardio equipment, exercise machines, free weights, open gym time, and more through June 30, 2023. During this time, APR will waive membership and daily pass fees so more people can access the necessities for a regular fitness routine. Locals can sign up online or at either community center to receive a fitness center key fob that can be scanned at either location.
“Our team is committed to creating spaces in which everyone feels welcome,” according to D. Tyrell McGirt, APR Director. “We are in the community building business. The gyms and fitness rooms at these two locations are filled with everything you’d expect from other top-notch fitness facilities and dedicated to body positivity and accessible wellness. By waiving the cost to use them for the first six months of the year, we hope more friends and neighbors will be able to connect with each other and maintain healthy lifestyles.”
Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.
- Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
- 90-Minutes – tours run daily
- 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
- $39 per person (ages 13+ only)
Included with admission
Back by popular demand, The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad exhibition offers guests:
- An opportunity to view rarely-seen treasures from the Biltmore collection
- A first-hand look at the Vanderbilts’ lifestyle
- Deeper insights into George, Edith, and Cornelia’s personalities, both at home and on their extensive travels
Access to exhibitions at The Biltmore Legacy is included with Biltmore daytime admission.
Every Thursday
- Live Music with Aaron Lafalce at 131 Main Restaurant, 6:00 p.m.
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.
Mile Twelve is back in motion. From the first manic, dissonant downbeat of their virtuosic new record, Close Enough to Hear, you’ll discover a band that is ready to explode from a restless pandemic-induced hiatus. The first track “Romulus,” glides and rages as the narrator wrestles with the ultimate impermanence of the empire he’s forged.
Next comes the magical realism of “Johnny Oklahoma,” the youth who volunteers to be fired out of a cannon for the good of his community, in one big beautiful nihilistic burst. These musicians are clearly working through some hard questions posed by the last few years. You’ll hear the same warmth and innovation that earned the band IBMA’s 2019 Album of the Year nomination and 2020 New Artist of the Year Award, and that’s gained them an international reputation as one of the most dynamic groups in contemporary acoustic music. The title track “Close Enough to Hear,” is a stripped down dream of all that we missed so dearly in those early, terrifying months of lockdown.
Something else is close enough to hear on this new album. You’ll notice the presence of two new members: fiddler and vocalist Ella Jordan and mandolinist Korey Brodsky. Take note of the new dimension they add to the band, and their ability to lock in with founding members Evan Murphy (guitar, vocals), Catherine Bowness (banjo), and Nate Sabat (bass, vocals). These aren’t session players; this album captures the formation of a new coherent unit.
In 2022, the band was an official showcase artist at the IBMA World of Bluegrass, featured guest artists for the Davidson College Holiday Gala, as well as hosts of A Swannanoa Solstice at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. Their fifth studio album, Songs of Our Grandfathers, is set to release in May of 2023 on Organic Records, just before their international debut in Northern Ireland.
Zoe & Cloyd delight audiences with soaring harmonies and heartfelt songwriting, seamlessly combining original bluegrass, klezmer, old-time and folk with sincerity and zeal.
The Sitkovetsky Trio has established itself as one of today’s exceptional piano trios, with sensational performances in the foremost concert halls around the world. The thoughtful and committed approach of violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky, pianist Wu Qian, and cellist Isang Enders has brought the ensemble critical acclaim and invitations to renowned concert halls around the world, such as the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Frankfurt Alte Oper, Palais des Beaux Arts, Musée du Louvre, l’Auditori Barcelona, Wigmore Hall and Lincoln Center, to name but a few. First prize-winners of the International Commerzbank Chamber Music Award, the trio is also a recipient of the NORDMETALL Chamber Music Award at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival and the Philharmonia-Martin Chamber Music Award.
The Sitkovetsky Trio has established itself as one of today’s exceptional piano trios, with sensational performances in the foremost concert halls around the world. The thoughtful and committed approach of violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky, pianist Wu Qian, and cellist Isang Enders has brought the ensemble critical acclaim and invitations to renowned concert halls around the world, such as the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Frankfurt Alte Oper, Palais des Beaux Arts, Musée du Louvre, l’Auditori Barcelona, Wigmore Hall and Lincoln Center, to name but a few. First prize-winners of the International Commerzbank Chamber Music Award, the trio is also a recipient of the NORDMETALL Chamber Music Award at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival and the Philharmonia-Martin Chamber Music Award.
Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.
– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
When we lean on one another, we don’t fall. The Collection derives an inimitable musical language from the unbreakable bond between its members. Fronted by David Wimbish, the Saxapahaw, NC-based band places just as much emphasis on interpersonal community and relationships as it does on the music itself.
On their new EP How To Survive An Ending (Nettwerk Music Group, January 2023), The Collection emanates positivity from a place of pure love encoded in a pastiche of alternative, pop, folk, and roots.
This isn’t an overnight success story. This is generating tens of millions of streams across various releases, logging tens of thousands of miles on the road, earning praise from American Songwriter, Glide, Parade, and more, and landing on NPR Tiny Desk Judges’ Picks – all before signing their first record deal.
Over the years, the group has fine-tuned their approach to making music and being together on the road to the point of codifying a signature set of “rules for how to be a band.” Wimbish notes these rules maintain “good boundaries and foster better relationships, better shows, and overall better conditions amongst the crew.”
He reveals, “The first rule is a strict ‘No Sarcasm Rule’. We don’t put each other down or act passive aggressively.” Instead, they’re honest, direct, and open. They take time for therapy and mental health as another rule. “We’re always supportive of each other. We’re listening, we’re trying our best to show up for one another.” It’s clear when you speak to Wimbish about his bandmates that they are real friends. It isn’t just about music or the shows. They really do care for one another.
“We try to give each other constant encouragement, especially on the road” notes Wimbish. “If someone needs a cheerleading session, we pitch in and encourage that person. Before we get on stage, we’ll do breathing exercises together and get everyone in the same place mentally. In general, we try to implement healthy practices—whether we’re on tour or at home. It’s part of who we are and it’s part of our community.”
And that community has only continued to blossom. Following 2014’s full-length debut Ars Morendi, the band attracted a devout fanbase with Listen To The River [2017] and Entropy [2018]. Among many highlights from the latter, standout single “Beautiful Life” has gathered 6.5 million Spotify streams and counting. At the same time, they became renowned for raucous and rowdy performances. The group has lit up festival stages and crisscrossed the country with The Oh Hellos, RIPE, Tall Heights, and Sammy Rae & The Friends, to name a few.
Of “Blue Day,” the first of the bunch, Parade proclaimed, “Breezy acoustic guitar and a sweet melancholy sentiment help paint this pristine vocal landscape,” and American Songwriter noted, “The raw track evokes a sense of serenity with lofty vocals that eloquently deliver a timely reminder of kindness.” “GET LOST” came along next, which Alfitude hailed as “a song with deeply meaningful lyricism, emotive vocals and a beautifully constructed melody.”