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.

Tuesday, March 14, 2023
LEGO Builders Club
Mar 14 @ 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Pack Memorial Library

Come down the Pack Memorial Library and play with LEGOs!
Show off your building skills and make new friends with other LEGO maniacs.

Please leave your personal LEGOs at home, because we’ve got plenty.

School Age – (grades K-5)
Quarter Cow Butchery Class
Mar 14 @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Hickory Nut Gap Farm
  • Watch head butcher Kelly demonstrate how to break down each part of the hind quarter of the cow, explaining each step of the process along the way. The hind quarter contains some of the most popular cuts: tenderloin, sirloin, rump roast and more.
  • You’ll learn from our butcher about the differences between each cut, including how they differ in texture, flavor and best preparation methods. 
  • A tasting of both roasts and steak with accoutrements will be served with a local beverage pairing of your choice. 
  • Each participant will take home a portion of different cuts of beef from the class! 

 

Cost: $124$144 ($124 early bird, $144 within a week out) 

Brix Buxx Night for Eblen Charities
Mar 14 @ 5:00 pm
Brix Buxx
Every Tuesday 1/2 off bottles of wine at 131 Main Restaurant
Mar 14 @ 5:00 pm
131 Main Restaurant

Every Tuesday 1/2 off bottles of wine at 131 Main Restaurant

JigJam
Mar 14 @ 8:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

– ALL AGES
– SEATED SHOW
– LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE

JIGJAM
When virtuoso Irish playing jumps the pond running naked through the wide open fields of bluegrass/Americana JigJam is born. Bluegrass and American Folk music originated from their homes and now JigJam are here to take it back!

This Offaly and Tipperary born band have started The first wave of attack in the new Irish invasion of Americana! ‘Foot stomping’, ‘high energy’ and lots of badass is what you’re in for when you see this musical powerhouse live in concert.

Founding members from Offaly Jamie McKeogh (Lead singer and guitar) and Daithi Melia (5 String Banjo and Dobro) were joined by Tipperary born Gavin Strappe (Mandolin and Tenor Banjo) in 2016. Scottish man Danny Hunter (Fiddle) joined JigJam in 2021 to make up this iGrass (Irish Bluegrass) Quartet.

Described as ‘The best Irish band in bluegrass’ and ‘sparkling, infectious’ these lads have been hailed as ‘Ireland’s answer to New Grass Revival’ Bluegrass has it’s roots in Irish music and Irish immigration. iGrass and JigJam is what happens when the Irish find their prodigal son.

Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Summer Camp at Nantahala Outdoor Center Registration Open
Mar 15 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

Teens at a kayak Summer Day Camp

Summer Day Camp is a great option for kids ages 9-17 with any skill level to learn and practice on the iconic rivers and lakes of Western North Carolina. Paddlers from beginner to advanced will receive high-quality instruction from our elite team while having fun and making friends.

 

Wilderness Medicine + Survival Skills at Nantahala Outdoor Center
Mar 15 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

LEARN MORE THIS YEAR

Brush up on your wilderness medicine or learn new survival skills! SOLO Southeast & NOC are offering over 200 courses in 2023 and classes in locations across the southeast.

  • Atlanta, GA
  • Bryson City, NC
  • Chattanooga, TN
  • Collegedale, TN
  • Greenville, SC

Find your next course with SOLO Southeast and be prepared for the unexpected!

MANNA FoodBank’s 2023 Table for Three Raffle
Mar 15 @ 10:00 am
online w/ MANNA FoodBank
Table for Three, MANNA’s popular hunger-ending initiative, returns for its fifth year on March 15! This unique raffle features a grand prize of 52 restaurant gift certificates for a meal for two from the Asheville-area’s finest local restaurants – a value of nearly $3,000!

The $104 ticket price is intentional. Every raffle ticket sold will provide one meal per day for more than a year for a food-insecure neighbor – hence the winning ticket equals a Table for Three. Tickets go on sale March 15 at 10 a.m. Only 500 tickets will be sold. Table for Three tickets sell out every year, so mark your calendars now to be one of the first lucky few to purchase tickets! We’re grateful for our incredible Restaurant Partners – their partnership continues to make this popular fund-raising event possible.

Back to Beer Drinking: Not Dead Yet Asheville’s Women in their 50’s
Mar 15 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Cursus Keme

I’m ready for a calmer event where we can chat with each other. This brewery is chill and by the river near Brother Wolf. Let’s visit a local business and try some new beers!
***ALSO*** I may gather a group for contra dancing the next night (March 16th) at Warren Wilson. We had such a good time I want to go back. This won’t be an official Meetup event so send me a message if you would like to go, and I’ll add you to the list. Or you can leave a comment below.
Beth Jones is who I am :)

Cider Dinner with Rhubarb and Botanist and Barrel Rhubarb
Mar 15 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Rhubarb

Cider Dinner with Rhubarb and Botanist and Barrel

Experience four courses of Appalachian fare from Rhubarb paired with orchard-to-bottle ciders from Botanist and Barrel. The event is hosted in the Rhubarb Event Space.

French Broad Valley Jam
Mar 15 @ 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Oklawaha Brewing Company

Join us for a weekly mountain music JAM with players in a round, where the session is focused on regional fiddle tunes and songs! You are welcome to come and listen or to learn and join in. This event supports the Henderson County Junior Appalachian Musician (JAM) Kids Program. Free but donations are accepted. Weekly event takes place at Oklawaha Brewing Company.

Adults Only Trivia Night Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company
Mar 15 @ 6:30 pm – 8:15 pm
Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company

EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 6:30 pm ~ FREE!

AGES 18+ ADULTS ONLY ~ NO KIDS ALLOWED

ON OUR HUGE SCREEN IN THEATER 2!

ENJOY DINNER & DRINKS (FULL BAR) WHILE PLAYING

There are 3 rounds with new winners each round so you can show up late, miss a round and still be a winner. Plus, we have mid-round prizes to create as many winners as possible.

The questions are presented by a hilarious host on our giant movie screen and includes fun videos in each round.  You haven’t played a trivia night like this one!

Witty Wednesday Trivia
Mar 15 @ 6:30 pm
Sweeten Creek Brewing

Beat the mid week grind with some fun trivia! Win a $25 gift card for our taproom along with a $25 gift card from our resident kitchen, Bears Smokehouse BBQ!

Trivia Night
Mar 15 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Hickory Tavern

Every Wednesday

Trivia Night

Bit Brigade performs “Mega Man II” + “DuckTales” LIVE
Mar 15 @ 8:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY

BIT BRIGADE

Bit Brigade performs rock covers of full NES game soundtracks as their gamer speedruns the game live on stage.

“When was the last time you attended a live music performance with a genuine element of risk involved? And no, going to a Gwar show with a white t-shirt on doesn’t count. When Bit Brigade takes the stage your mind will frantically oscillate between “Oh! Agh!! Please don’t die!!” and “YES! He’s doing it!!” Combining the dread and daring of a live video game speed run with the spot-on technique of a live band covering the musical accompaniment to everything you’re seeing on-screen in real time, Bit Brigade will have you swinging between the two mediums. From thrashing about to live renditions of your favorite stage themes, fingers yearning to the sky in a rock ‘n roll parody of sea anemones seeming to silently plead, “Please, feed us more fretboard pyrotechnics!,” to being locked in stock-still rapture as the infallible maestro of the d-pad, Noah McCarthy, takes on the final boss and risks his video game life under the threat of intense peer scorn (or the reward of night-long glory and a credits score). No matter the outcome, Bit Brigade must play on until the deed is done – which it always is – on the first (and last) try. Once Noah’s NES buzzes on, there’s no turning back.” – Metalhead Mike of The Shizz, summer 2011.

CARTRIDGE FAMILY
four who grew up on the same console video games that you did are now applying their combined musical experience and training to recreating some of your favorite songs from those very games. using electronic instruments, the cartridge family performs deep cuts and time-honored classics alike, taking you back to the days of soda-chugging and button-mashing.

Thursday, March 16, 2023
Summer Camp at Nantahala Outdoor Center Registration Open
Mar 16 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

Teens at a kayak Summer Day Camp

Summer Day Camp is a great option for kids ages 9-17 with any skill level to learn and practice on the iconic rivers and lakes of Western North Carolina. Paddlers from beginner to advanced will receive high-quality instruction from our elite team while having fun and making friends.

 

Wilderness Medicine + Survival Skills at Nantahala Outdoor Center
Mar 16 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

LEARN MORE THIS YEAR

Brush up on your wilderness medicine or learn new survival skills! SOLO Southeast & NOC are offering over 200 courses in 2023 and classes in locations across the southeast.

  • Atlanta, GA
  • Bryson City, NC
  • Chattanooga, TN
  • Collegedale, TN
  • Greenville, SC

Find your next course with SOLO Southeast and be prepared for the unexpected!

Thursday Productions at A-B Tech
Mar 16 @ 10:00 am
AB Tech

 

The Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts students of A-B Tech present Thursday Productions at The Brumit Center for Culinary Arts and Hospitality on the A-B Tech main campus. The students prepare meals and baked goods for the public on Thursdays in the Spring and Fall semesters. Payments by cash and card. Reservations are required for lunch and dinner productions. Window Market does not require a reservation. To make a reservation, please email [email protected] .

 

Menus for Thursday, March 16:

  • Window Market, Magnolia lobby, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. (items are limited)
    • $2 choice of croissants (menu to be updated Monday, March 13)
    • $2 choice of pastry (menu to be updated Monday, March 13)
    • $1.50 bakers selection (menu to be updated Monday, March 13)
    • Customers Limited To 2 Items Of Each Flavor
  • Noon Market, Magnolia lobby, 12 noon – 12:45 p.m.
    • $1.50 Baker’s Selection (menu to be updated Monday, March 13)
  • Lunch Production 12 noon – 12:45 p.m. (dine-in at Tillman Dining Room, Magnolia 103, or take-out . . . by reservation only)
    (all entrees are $14 and served with Artisan Bread and Chef’s Choice Dessert)

    1. ABC Burger — Ground Beef Patty, Mayo, IPA-infused Apple & Red Onion Jam, and White Cheddar Cheese on a Toasted Brioche Bun
    2. Smoked Pork Chop, Braised Red Cabbage, Pommes Anna, Spiced Cider Reduction
    3. Tagliatelle Pesto, Sunchoke, Spring Pea, Green Tomato, Parmesan, and Romano Cheeses. Seafood option: Shrimp
  • Dinner Production dine-in at Fernihurst House, Brumit Center, main campus. Seatings are at 5 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. Seatings of four persons only. Five-course meals are served with a complimentary glass of wine and bread service. By reservation only.
    • Appetizer: Hachis Parmentier
    • Consomme: Chef’s Choice
    • Main Course: Steak Frite
    • Salad: Frisee Salad with Julienne of Bacon and Poached Egg
    • Dessert: Berry Galette

Thank you for supporting A-B Tech’s Baking & Pastry Arts, Culinary Arts, and Hospitality Service programs!

Mother’s Pizza Thursday Pizza Party!
Mar 16 @ 3:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Oak & Grist Distilling Company

We are absolutely STOKED to announce that Mother’s Pizza is coming back for a series of Pop-Ups this Spring! Come by and get delicious Neapolitan-style pizza paired with your favorite Oak and Grist cocktails. We’re even staying open a little bit later so you can enjoy the beautiful Black Mountain sunset! Make sure you cancel those dinner plans, ‘cause you won’t wanna miss this exclusive pop-up event! Available for dine-in or take-out!

MOTHERS PIZZA WEBSITE

Live Music with Aaron Lafalce
Mar 16 @ 6:00 pm
131 Main Restaurant
Every Thursday
Not Rocket Science Trivia at Highland Brewing Downtown
Mar 16 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Highland Brewing Downtown

Trivia, Singo, tailgate games, and more! Our games are sure to challenge you, but c’mon… it’s not rocket science!

WENDY JONES and THE PAGE BROTHERS TRIO (Jazz)
Mar 16 @ 7:30 pm
White Horse Black Mountain

This remarkable jazz trio will be serving up jazz favorites from bossa novas to blues to songbook standards reminiscent of greats like Joe Pass and Ella Fitzgerald.

The band features:

Wendy Jones on vocals,

Andy Page on guitar,

Zack Page on bass, and

Rick Dilling on drums.

A Swingin good time is in store for all!

Emily Scott Robinson, Alisa Amador and Violet Bell
Mar 16 @ 8:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

– ALL AGES
– SEATED SHOW
– LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE

EMILY SCOTT ROBINSON

An evening of special performances from Emily Scott Robinson, Alisa Amador, and Violet Bell. Fans will hear music from each artist individually and the trio will come together to perform songs from Robinson’s latest release with Oh Boy Records, “Built on Bones.”

“Built on Bones” is a collection of six original songs for the Witches of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The recordings feature Emily Scott Robinson (writer/composer), Alisa Amador (NPR Tiny Desk Contest Winner 2022) and Lizzy Ross (of duo Violet Bell) as the three witches singing through the tragedy of Macbeth in three-part harmony.

Colorado songwriter Emily Scott Robinson beckons to those who are lost, lonely, or learning the hard way with American Siren, her first album for Oh Boy Records. With hints of bluegrass, country, and folk, the eloquent collection shares her gift for storytelling through her pristine soprano and the perspective of her unconventional path into music. American Siren landed her on multiple 2021 “best-of” lists – including NPR, Rolling Stone, Sterogum, and more. Robinson’s follow up, Built on Bones (October 2022 via Oh Boy Records), is a collection of six original songs for the Witches of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Originally commissioned as a live piece for theater by director Colin Sullivan, it features Emily Scott Robinson (writer/composer), Alisa Amador (NPR Tiny Desk Contest Winner 2022) and Lizzy Ross (of duo Violet Bell) as the three witches singing through the tragedy of Macbeth in three-part harmony.

Friday, March 17, 2023
NOC Paddling School
Mar 17 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

Voted “Best Place to Learn” by Outside, NOC Paddling School has taught more paddlers than anyone else, with 50 years of experience going into every class. Our commitment to the sport and to providing the best possible instruction has not waivered. So come and let us be your respected and experienced instructor.

Summer Camp at Nantahala Outdoor Center Registration Open
Mar 17 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

Teens at a kayak Summer Day Camp

Summer Day Camp is a great option for kids ages 9-17 with any skill level to learn and practice on the iconic rivers and lakes of Western North Carolina. Paddlers from beginner to advanced will receive high-quality instruction from our elite team while having fun and making friends.

 

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour
Mar 17 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Porter Center

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour -BREVARD

Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival is one of the largest and most prestigious mountain festivals in the world! Hot on the heels of the Festival that is held every fall in beautiful Banff, Alberta, the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour hits the road. With stops planned in about 550 communities and more than 40 countries across the globe, the Banff World Tour celebrates amazing achievements in outdoor storytelling and filmmaking worldwide! From the over 400 entries submitted into the Festival each year, award-winners and audience favorites are among the films that are carefully selected to play in theatres around the world. Traveling to remote vistas, analyzing topical environmental issues, and bringing audiences up-close and personal with adrenaline-packed action sports the 2022/2023 World Tour is an exhilarating and provocative exploration of the mountain world.

PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATION
Mar 17 @ 7:00 pm
White Horse Black Mountain

We love celebrating traditional Irish song and Irish poetry and we’ll pay

special tribute to legendary Irish Poet Laureate WB Yeats this year.

The Southern Highlanders perform a music tapestry of Scotland, Ireland and the

Southern Appalachians, as well as more recent compositions in the traditional

mode. All are singers and instrumentalists, including the guitar, mountain

dulcimer, hammered dulcimer, piano, concertina, jaw harp and various percussive

instruments.

Doug and Darcy Orr have been performing music for over 30 years through their

previous Celtic/Appalachian band Maggie’s Fancy in Charlotte, as they recorded

and toured through several states, and during subsequent years at Warren Wilson

College where Doug served as president from 1991 to 2006. There he founded the

Swannanoa Gathering summer music camp now in its 31st year with attendees

from throughout the world. Doug co-authored the New York Times best-selling

book, Wayfaring Strangers with Fiona Ritchie, host of NPR’s The Thistle &

Shamrock, about the musical connections between Scotland, Ireland and the

Southern Appalachians. Darcy, an oil and watercolor painter, is the book’s art

editor.

Joe Holbert is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and a music educator. He and his wife, Karen, have performed over the years at many venues and events throughout the region including the Asheville Mountain Dance and Folk Festival where they won awards for their performances, and now return each year with the Southern Highlanders. Joe and Karen can be heard on numerous recordings by other folk musicians plus their own, Appalachian Saga. Joe retired after 30 plus years as a public and private school music educator, and has taught a variety of musical instruments to adults at summer music camps including the Swannanoa Gathering and the Augusta Heritage Workshop in West Virginia.

————————-

THE BELFAST BOYS are

Alyn Mearns (guitar & vocals) and Adrian Rice (mandolin, bodhran & vocals).

Mearns and Rice both hail from the Troubled streets of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Mearns has lived in the States since his late teens, but Rice only settled in Hickory (NC) in 2005, having come to Lenoir-Rhyne College as their Visiting Writer-in-Residence. Both men have been happily ‘captured’ by lovely American brides. The men met in a local Hickory bookstore and quickly formed a strong bond based on their shared Ulster heritage and ‘Belfast-speak’.

As their friendship grew, the two men discovered their shared love of Irish traditional music. Back in Belfast, Rice had played in an Irish band in his college and post-college years; while Mearns has written and produced a successful Irish CD, entitled ‘The Tree’. So it was only a matter of time before the idea of an Irish duo would surface: thus – The Belfast Boys.

In performance, the boys work hard to deliver a serious traditional Irish set of jigs, reels, polkas and songs. They pay their own particular homage to folk classics from the likes of Planxty, The Bothy Band, and Christy Moore, mixed in with some tastefully popular pub numbers like ‘Molly Malone’ and ‘Tell Me Ma’. They even manage to breathe memorable new life into folk favourites like ‘Danny Boy’ and ‘The Wild Mountain Thyme’. The duo also incorporate some of Rice’s own poetry, and create plenty of good wholesome ‘craic’ (fun!) from the stage. They also encourage audience participation and love to share the stage with any local musicians who may want to get up there and do their little bit to make the evening hum.

————————

Bob Hinkle is a musician, poet, and celebrant of the creative spirit…..and he’s also

the owner and manager of White Horse Black Mountain. His wit and charm combined

with original music and poetry and songs of others are always an audience favorite. Bob began his musical career while still in high school, in Asheville, After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill he headed straight to New York, NY with a recording contract already secured for his trio, The Good Earth. After touring and recording with The Good Earth, Bob released his own solo LP in the early 70’s. Then he moved into artist management, serving as manager of many important artists including Harry Chapin, Etta James, and The J Geils Band. Bob’s career in music has many other highlights which you can read HERE.

Note: Bob is also renowned for telling some of the worst jokes you’ve ever heard.

ST PATTYS DAY Dinner and Murder Mystery
Mar 17 @ 7:00 pm
The Breedloves Deli
Greenville Swamp Rabbits vs. South Carolina Stingrays
Mar 17 @ 7:05 pm
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Greenville Swamp Rabbits  vs.  South Carolina Stingrays

 

The Greenville Swamp Rabbits are much more than a professional hockey franchise playing in Upstate South Carolina; it is truly Greenville’s hockey team. Formerly known as the Road Warriors, the club rebranded to the Swamp Rabbits on August 26, 2015 in an effort to really ingrain itself in the fabric of the community. The name is inherently Greenville – specific to the city and unique in the sports world.

It’s the electrifying energy and unstoppable passion of Swamp Rabbits fans inside The Well combined with the award-winning game presentation that make attending a Swamp Rabbits game the BEST fan experience in the ECHL! From the moment you step inside the arena, you’ll find FREE concourse activities for the whole family, including sign-making, temporary tattoos, interactive games, music and there’s always a good chance you’ll run into the Swamp Rabbits mascot Stomper! Throughout the season, fans can also expect a lineup of special theme nights and exciting giveaways.

The Vagina Monologues
Mar 17 @ 8:00 pm
The Orange Peel

Tickets The Vagina Monologues Tickets | Asheville, NC | The Orange Peel (etix.com)

FULLY SEATED SHOW

The Vagina Monologues is a play written by Eve Ensler, and is based on interviews with over 200 women. The purpose of the Monologues is to raise funds and awareness for anti-violence groups in our local communities in an effort to end domestic and sexual violence against women. 100% percent of the proceeds from this production will go directly to Helpmate of Asheville (www.helpmateonline.org), and all of our cast are volunteers.    

This is not just a show for women; men are especially encouraged to attend. These are issues that affect your mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, and friends. And you know what? Although there are aspects of the show that are heart-wrenching, the majority of it is absolutely hilarious!   

This event is a fundraising effort spearheaded by Allison Taylor of WNC Weddings & Events (www.wncweddings.net) and Skillful Solutions, LLC (www.skillfulsolutions.net), who is managing the casting, directing, and producing, as well as contributing on-stage. She will be joined by a phenomenal cast of local women, who will make you laugh hysterically, cringe in empathy, and emerge with passion and hope. Her productions have raised almost $45,000 for local women’s shelters in previous years.         

Prices are $25 for General Admission (in advance) or $35 (at the door), and $15 for students (in advance) or $20 (at the door). The Monologues definitely contain mature material, and it is recommended for ages 17 and up. Anyone age 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult.