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.
Back by popular demand, we will be offering a new cohort of our Empowered Self-Defense course that was designed as a partnership with the YWCA of Asheville and OurVoice. This course is a holistic approach to personal safety which teaches tools to combat the whole spectrum of violence, from verbal harassment to physical violence. We teach individuals how to interrupt violence by listening to their intuition, asserting boundaries, using de-escalation strategies, and providing tools for a range of mental, verbal, and physical responses. Register today and don’t let this opportunity pass by.
Register on our YWCA App, by calling (828) 254-7206 ext. 213 or emailing [email protected].
It’s time to transition to Fall! Sacred Sound helps us recalibrate our energy and prepare for the change of seasons. We’ll use this gathering to ease any concerns about what we see happening in our world, shake off fear and anxiety, and claim our peace and calming in this seasonal transition. Join us for a deeply replenishing guided sound healing journey of Tibetan and Crystal bowls, chimes, tank drums and tuning forks. WOMEN only, no children please. ADVANCE TICKETS ONLY available on website through 5 pm Sept 16. Because there is limited space, NO tickets will be available at the event, no exceptions. Please arrive on time. Bring a yoga mat and blanket. All details on website.
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.
There is no instructional cost to attend this class but each participant is required to
purchase the ASIST participant kit, $43.25 each, plus $3.00 shipping costs.
What Will You Learn?
In LivingWorks ASIST you will learn how to help someone thinking about suicide develop
a personalized SafePlan to keep safe-for-now and connect with further help.
You will learn to apply a Safety Framework to guide the development of this
SafePlan through a collaborative helping relationship.
You will also consider how personal and community attitudes about suicide affect
someone’s openness to seek help and your ability to provide it.
This workshop will increase your willingness, confidence, and capacity to provide
suicide first aid.
A growing body of published research and evaluation supports the value of this
training to individuals and organizations while informing program improvements.
More than one million people have attended LivingWorks ASIST globally over 35
years.
How Will You Learn?
We aim to provide a safe learning environment. The learning process includes:
Trainer presentations and powerful videos to stimulate discussion and support
learning
Extensive opportunities for skills practice
Shared participant experiences that enrich learning
Trainer-facilitated workgroups to optimize participation
Direct and honest discussion about suicide is encouraged. While sometimes
challenging, this prepares helpers to openly approach people with thoughts of
suicide, and to help them keep safe.
Commented [AY1]:
Who Should Attend?
Anyone aged 16+ years is encouraged to take LivingWorks ASIST.
It provides a suicide first-aid intervention model for relationships with family,
friends, and co-workers. It can also be incorporated into more formal helping roles
such as counseling, health care, crisis services, or chaplaincy.
You can play a vital role in creating Networks of Safety from suicid
Recommended for Grades 5-12
Experience how a groundbreaking mix of dance styles, music and cultures create an entirely new and exciting vision of human movement! With a diverse repertoire ranging from ballet in toe shoes to street dance, Complexions explores the intersections of the classical and contemporary. Enjoy a selection of their work and connect with the artists after the performance in an engaging Q&A.
Learn more about Complexions Contemporary Ballet here.
Prepare for your visit, learn about the theatre, and get the most out of each performance with this Guide to the Wortham Center.
Performance Length: 60 minutes
This innovative New York City-based company combines remarkably gifted dancers, powerful choreography and the electrifying riffs of rocker Lenny Kravitz in LOVE ROCKS, part of a larger program that re-envisions ballet through technical precision, athletic prowess and sheer passion. “Companies like Complexions are game-changing: They’re forging a path for what ballet can be instead of what it historically has been” (The Guardian).
Connect with Complexions
- Master Class: For intermediate and advanced dance students ages 16 and up. September 24 at 1 p.m. Henry LaBrun Studio. Learn more and register here.
- Pre-show Discussions: September 23 & 24 at 7 p.m. Tina McGuire Theatre.
MSC is an empirically-supported 9-session program that helps participants develop and deepen the skills of self-compassion. Activities include meditation, talks, discussion, and experiential exercises. This class will be held rain or shine outdoors in a beautiful setting over nine Saturdays, 9/17-11/19, skipping 10/15.
We will meet from 10:30AM-2PM with a 30-minute break for lunch midway through each session. Each class participant will receive a copy of The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook.
Register at mindfulselfcompassionasheville.com by 8/30 for early-bird pricing.
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General Activities
Festival Activities – Discover all our vendors for this year including the juried arts and crafts show, food vendors, and local non-profit organizations. There are over 120 vendors with thousands of unique items to choose from.
Kids Activities – Family fun for all ages! Take a wagon ride, learn traditional crafts, try your hand at old-time mountain skills, learn new dances and more. Be sure to stop by the Children’s Tent for activities.
Cherokee Games – One of the most important elements of Mountain Heritage Day is the influence and culture of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The annual stickball demonstration is a highly ritualized contest you won’t want to miss.
Andy Shaw Ford Classic Car Show – They just don’t make them like they used to! Showcase your classic automobile (25 years or older) in Mountain Heritage Day’s Andy Shaw Ford Classic Car Show. Visitors can stroll amongst the beautiful machines and cast votes for their favorites.
Music – Bluegrass, Acoustic, Old-Time, Roots, Country, Mountain Swing, and Gospel, just to name a few. With two stages and dozens of performers, you’ll want to dance the day away.
5K Race – The 5k Race is organized and hosted by the students at Western Carolina University Sport Management program. The money that is raised will go to help fund the Sport Management Association Scholarship.
McNeely’s Chainsaw Competition – Try your hand at this activity! The competition will be carried out in four categories: Homeowner, Box Stock, Stock Appearing, and Open. There will be ten classes of saws:
- Class “E”
- Class “D”
- Class “C”
- Class “B”
- Class “A”
- Class “AA”
- “Hot Saw”
- AA Modified Motorcycle Parts
- Cross Cut Saw (two person teams)
- One-man Bucking Saw
There is a fee for each entry. Find rules here.
Mountain Heritage Skills, Crafts and Historical Demonstrations
- Ramona Lossiah, Cherokee basketry
- Jeff Gottlieb, Kudzu Crafts and Baskets
- Louise, Butch, and George Edward Goings, Cherokee Basketry, Woodcarving, Flint Knapping
- Brock Martin, Blacksmith
- Nora Mosrie, Cornshuck Crafts
- William Rogers, Coppersmith
- Dede Styles, Natural Dyeing
- Nate Darnell, Tractor Rides
- Nathan Woods and Ethan Fortner: Horse and Mule Demonstrations
- Richard Tichich Quilt Making
- Kevin Fountain, Corn Grinding and Hit and Miss Engines
Stages, Tents & Stickball
Harrah’s Blue Ridge Stage
10:00 AM – Summer Brooke and Brayden
11:00 AM – Whitewater Bluegrass Company
12:00 PM – Apple Blossom Cloggers
12:15 PM – Mountain Heritage Award presentation
12:45 PM – The Queen Family
1:30 PM – Phil and Gaye Johnson
2:15 PM – The Grascals
3:30 PM – The Bailey Mountain Cloggers
3:45 PM – The Merle Monroe Band
Children’s Tent
10:30 AM – Pressley Girls
11:30 AM – Phil and Gaye Johnson
12:00 PM – Blue Ridge Junior Appalachian Musicians
12:30 PM – Bailey Mountain Cloggers
1:00 PM – Dietz Family
1:30 PM – Apple Blossom Cloggers
2:00 PM – Uncle Ted White and Whitewater Bluegrass Co.
Balsam/Circle Tent
10:00 AM – Ann Woodford: African American history and stories
11:00 AM – Deitz Family
12:00 PM – Roots and Branches Circle with Kristin Scott Benson, Daniel Grindstaff, Adam Haynes, Brayden McMahan and Phil Jamison
1:00 PM – Sparky Rucker: Mountain Voices storytelling
2:00 PM – Suffering and Hope Circle with the Deitz Family, Jeanette Schrock and Mark Queen, Tim Raybon and Phil Jamison
3:00 PM – Roots and Branches
4:00 PM – Community Square Dance
Shape Note Tent
10:30 AM – Shape Note Singing with Will Peebles
12:15 PM – Calliope Shorts Ethel Brown: A Singer Needs a Song
12:30 PM – Calliope Shorts Moonshine and a Grey Duck
1:00 PM – Shape Note Singing with Will Peebles
Stickball Field
11:00 AM – “Kolanvyi” Big Cove Indian Ball Team
2:00 PM – “Kolanvyi” Big Cove Indian Ball Team
McNeely’s Chainsaw Competition
9:00 – 10:00 AM – Registration (after 10:00 AM, a penalty will occur)
10:00 AM – Until all registered contestants have participated
10:00 AM – Homeowner Class Competition Begins
Andy Shaw Ford Classic Car Show
9:00 – 10:00 AM – Registration
10:00 AM –12:00 PM – Encouraging participation from the public to vote for their favorite car; collect ballots; engage with participants
12:00 PM – Voting closes
2:00 PM – Awards Announced (People’s Choice, Top 3)
It’s time for some Inclusion, Y’all! That’s the theme of this year’s Blue Ridge Pride Festival, taking place at Asheville’s Pack Square Park on Saturday, September 24 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. This is Western North Carolina’s largest Pride event, typically attracting 14,000 to 18,000 people.
Two stages feature some of the most noted musical and DRAG talent in the region. Over 100 organizations that focus on social justice, community service, health care, faith, education, and the LGBTQ community will be on hand. Another 100 local employers, merchants, artists, food concessions, and service providers will round what may Asheville’s largest, most diverse collections of exhibitors to gather for a day of advocacy, service, education, and celebration.
With a diverse repertoire ranging from ballet in toe shoes to street dance, Complexions Contemporary Ballet explores the intersections of classical and contemporary music and movement. In this master class for experienced dancers, students will learn a variety of exercises from the Complexions repertoire including center, adagio, and across the floor combinations, as well as jumps and turns.
Skill Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Ages: 16+
Duration: 1.5 hrs.
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Join us for some Dungeons & Dragons at Pack Memorial Library! All players aged 13-17 are eligible |
This innovative New York City-based company combines remarkably gifted dancers, powerful choreography and the electrifying riffs of rocker Lenny Kravitz in LOVE ROCKS, part of a larger program that re-envisions ballet through technical precision, athletic prowess and sheer passion. “Companies like Complexions are game-changing: They’re forging a path for what ballet can be instead of what it historically has been” (The Guardian).
Connect with Complexions
- Master Class: For intermediate and advanced dance students ages 16 and up. September 24 at 1 p.m. Henry LaBrun Studio. Learn more and register here.
- Pre-show Discussions: September 23 & 24 at 7 p.m. Tina McGuire Theatre.
Join us every Monday night for Singo (Musical Bingo)!
Singo will run from 7-8:15 pm.
No reservations needed, just get ready for a good time and a chance to win some Down Dog prizes!
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Come down the Pack Memorial Library and play with LEGOs! Please leave your personal LEGOs at home, because we’ve got plenty. |
This 10-week course will introduce basic principles that are foundational to all Tai Chi movements. Tai Chi is proven to be effective in decreasing pain, stiffness, and risk for falls while improving balance, postural stability, strength, cognitive focus, immune system function, and more. Wednesdays noon -1 pm; August 24th-October 26th. This course has a general public cost of $60. There is no additional cost for members, the course is included.
Register before September 31st on our YWCA App, by calling (828) 254-7206 ext. 213 or emailing [email protected].
We Are a Peer Support Recovery Community Rooted in Respect
Love and Respect exists to assist any person seeking recovery from substance use, mental health struggles, and/or reentering society after incarceration through authentic Peer Support. We humanize these challenges with love and respect for the individual. We encourage, advocate, and instill hope, meeting people right where they are with person-centered, strength-based support. Our hope is to support the wellbeing of the whole person through the sharing of our lived experiences.
MSC is an empirically-supported 9-session program that helps participants develop and deepen the skills of self-compassion. Activities include meditation, talks, discussion, and experiential exercises. This class will be held rain or shine outdoors in a beautiful setting over nine Saturdays, 9/17-11/19, skipping 10/15.
We will meet from 10:30AM-2PM with a 30-minute break for lunch midway through each session. Each class participant will receive a copy of The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook.
Register at mindfulselfcompassionasheville.com by 8/30 for early-bird pricing.
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Join us for some Dungeons & Dragons at Pack Memorial Library! All players aged 13-17 are eligible |
Join us in our new monthly social swing event on the 1st Saturdays of every month, The
music, open vintage space and wood floors and is guaranteed to have you dancing East Coast and/or Lindy all night long, A free
lesson is offered to kick things off and will include a different combination of moves each time, No partner or rhythm needed and
dress is casual, $10 for lesson and/or social dance.
Join us every Monday night for Singo (Musical Bingo)!
Singo will run from 7-8:15 pm.
No reservations needed, just get ready for a good time and a chance to win some Down Dog prizes!
Nonprofits, schools, and community organizations, you’re invited to join a special training on Tuesday, October 4th, hosted by the Cleveland, Henderson, McDowell, and Rutherford County Chambers of Commerce and Meta’s Forest City Data Center.
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Come down the Pack Memorial Library and play with LEGOs! Please leave your personal LEGOs at home, because we’ve got plenty. |
This 10-week course will introduce basic principles that are foundational to all Tai Chi movements. Tai Chi is proven to be effective in decreasing pain, stiffness, and risk for falls while improving balance, postural stability, strength, cognitive focus, immune system function, and more. Wednesdays noon -1 pm; August 24th-October 26th. This course has a general public cost of $60. There is no additional cost for members, the course is included.
Register before September 31st on our YWCA App, by calling (828) 254-7206 ext. 213 or emailing [email protected].
Come check out for yourself the popular West Coast Swing dance style that can be done to a
wide variety of music, including pop, country, blues, and contemporary music, come at 7pm for a group classes: intermediate
classes with Pflumm and Alain Rogozhin and beginner classes with Rachel Harris and Tola Sun, Followed by a social dance at
8pm, Dress is casual and no partner is needed, BYO wine or beer,
*Enjoy dynamic speakers and networking while spending a gorgeous WNC fall day rejuvenating*
HEAL presents professional development and networking opportunities as well as education for the general public.
Our conference addresses disordered eating and eating disorders recovery by presenting experts from various sectors of the industry.
This year we are hosting a 1/2 day of CE sessions and a 1/2 day retreat with care-for-the-provider sessions and connection!
The Adventure Center of Asheville is excited to host the 10th annual Haunted Trail, Asheville’s only family friendly haunt! This event is ideal for Halloween lovers of all ages, 3-12 being the suggested age range. This is the third year in a row the Adventure Center has hosted this one of a kind live outdoor theatrical experience where guests are promised an entirely immersive and interactive spooky night out while also ensuring no contact. Every year the show is loved by boils and ghouls from all over WNC and we hope to see you there! For younger guests who still aren’t sure about being scared, even for fun, a “Sweet Peek Tour’ is offered nightly at 6:45 pm. The trail is actor free at this time and they can decide if they would like to re enter the line and receive the full show. The Treetop Adventure Park Aerial Glow Trail is also available for guests 4 years or older to enjoy at this event! Climb on two of our aerial trails while they are illuminated with thousands of colorful twinkle and laser lights. If you want to enjoy both of these amazing activities, combo passes are available and WILL sell out, so make sure you reserve your tickets early! *The Haunted Trail does not sell out, however the entrance closes at 9 pm. Don’t miss PIRATES COVE! Featuring a 30 ft Pirate Ship Escape Room- Test ‘yer wit mateys! 10 voyages available nightly for purchase (groups of up to 6 per voyage) Live Mermaid Encounter with photo opportunity. Pirate activities including a walk the plank obstacle course and shark feeding In addition to the Haunted & Aerial Glow Trails and Pirates Cove, there will be a giant festival tent with several local vendors, delicious Mellow Mushroom Pizza and more! Ticket sales to this event raise meals for MANNA food bank, come have fun and help us say BOO! to hunger!