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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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!
Every Wednesday
Trivia Night
– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
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.
The Education program at Flat Rock Playhouse is undergoing a name change! We are excited to streamline our program and we can’t wait to share the news with you!
Our new name will be Playhouse Jr.!

This new name will encompass many things. You might ask….what is Playhouse Jr.?
Playhouse Jr. means many things and we are excited to share this news with our community!

We are introducing a new software system for our Playhouse Jr. families! This new system will make your life easier! Once you have registered you are in our system for good. That means that once you register all you have to do is access your account to purchase any classes and camps moving forward. No need to register every time!
To register for our new system and to enroll in classes please visit this link: https://app.jackrabbitclass.com/regv2.asp?id=548849
Questions? Please email [email protected]!
Want to register over the phone? No problem! You can call our Education Director, Lauren Hopkins at (828)693-0403 ext. 246 starting Monday March 6!
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.
Mission Health is accepting applications from throughout the community for the Kesha Young Health
Careers Scholarship , with the aim of supporting the education goals for high school seniors and college
students of color from Western North Carolina who are pursuing careers in healthcare.
For more than 25 years, Mission Health has been awarding the Kesha Young Health Careers Scholarship,
with more than $1 million given to make college more affordable for high school seniors and college
students of color from Western North Carolina who are pursuing careers in healthcare. The scholarship
is named in honor of Kesha Young, a 22-year-old, bi-racial woman who was born with mental and
physical disabilities and underwent multiple surgeries at Mission Hospital. Kesha died just months
before she was scheduled to earn her high school diploma. Despite her health struggles, Kesha was
described by her adoptive parents as embodying the characteristics that are vital to how healthcare
team members engage with patients, families and visitors, with a strong spirit, warm smile and positive
encouragement.
At Mission Health, we recognize that having a diverse workforce, especially in healthcare, is very
important to provide the best possible care to our patients and communities. This is integral to who we
are as a company. Our mission statement is based around recognizing and affirming the unique and
intrinsic worth of each individual: “Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of
human life.”
The completed application, along with all additional materials, must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday,
April 14th, 2023 for consideration. Recipients will be notified in early May and invited to a reception at
Mission Hospital on Wednesday June 7th.
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LEARN MORE THIS YEAR |
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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.
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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)- ABC Burger — Ground Beef Patty, Mayo, IPA-infused Apple & Red Onion Jam, and White Cheddar Cheese on a Toasted Brioche Bun
- Smoked Pork Chop, Braised Red Cabbage, Pommes Anna, Spiced Cider Reduction
- 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!
We are seeking volunteers to assist us in our small after school program for children in West Asheville in low-income housing. We provide a safe and nourishing environment, healthy snacks, and creative activities. Our program currently meets during the school year on most Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:00-5:00pm. You may volunteer for one or two days a week.
Volunteer Responsibilities:
- Assist with serving snacks
- Interact with children during activity time
- Supervise games and outdoor free time
- For people with background in education, there is also an opportunity to assist with curriculum development and program planning and administration
Requirements:
- Background check
- Orientation booklets will be provided
- Masks are required if unvaccinated
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!
Every Thursday
- Live Music with Aaron Lafalce at 131 Main Restaurant, 6:00 p.m.
Trivia, Singo, tailgate games, and more! Our games are sure to challenge you, but c’mon… it’s not rocket science!
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!
– ALL AGES
– SEATED SHOW
– LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE
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.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library®
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library impacts the pre-literacy skills and school readiness of children under the age of 5 in Buncombe County. The program mails a new, free, age-appropriate book to registered children each month until they turn five years old. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library creates a home library of up to 60 books and instills a love of books and reading from an early age. If you have any questions about the program, please send an email to [email protected].
A national panel of educators selects the Imagination Library titles, which include: The Little Engine that Could, Last Stop on Market Street, Violet the Pilot, As an Oak Tree Grows, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Llama Llama Red Pajama, Look Out Kindergarten, here I come, and many more (take a look at all the titles).
Register your child now!
Program Launch and Expansions
Literacy Together became a Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library affiliate in November 2015 with support from the Buncombe Partnership for Children. Through this program, registered children in Buncombe County receive a free book in the mail each month. Their parents also have the opportunity to attend workshops to learn how to build their children’s early literacy skills. Parents in need of literacy assistance are encouraged to receive tutoring through Literacy Together’s adult programming.
The program served 200 children during the 2015/16 fiscal year. The program expanded to serve 400 children in July 2016, and 600 in August 2017. In July 2018, capacity increased to 1,900 thanks to a special allocation in the North Carolina state budget. We’re now serving 4,600 kids in Buncombe County.
The Growing Minds Intern will assist with implementation of ASAP’s Farm to School program. Activities will include traveling with a team member to schools in the WNC region to deliver training to teachers and engage students around gardening, cooking, and other farm to school components. The Intern will also spend time in the office preparing and organizing materials and resources, as well as completing other various project needs.
Qualifications:
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to talk to children and get them excited about trying new local foods
- Excellent organizational skills
- Valid driver’s license and transportation to local schools
- ASAP requires all staff and interns to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and to follow office guidelines around masks, based on current recommendations
- Ability to regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds without assistance
- Spanish speaking a plus
Note: A background check will be performed for all Growing Mind interns.
How to apply: Email your résumé and cover letter to intern coordinator Growing Minds Program Director Danielle Raucheisen at [email protected].
The Education program at Flat Rock Playhouse is undergoing a name change! We are excited to streamline our program and we can’t wait to share the news with you!
Our new name will be Playhouse Jr.!

This new name will encompass many things. You might ask….what is Playhouse Jr.?
Playhouse Jr. means many things and we are excited to share this news with our community!

We are introducing a new software system for our Playhouse Jr. families! This new system will make your life easier! Once you have registered you are in our system for good. That means that once you register all you have to do is access your account to purchase any classes and camps moving forward. No need to register every time!
To register for our new system and to enroll in classes please visit this link: https://app.jackrabbitclass.com/regv2.asp?id=548849
Questions? Please email [email protected]!
Want to register over the phone? No problem! You can call our Education Director, Lauren Hopkins at (828)693-0403 ext. 246 starting Monday March 6!
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.
Mission Health is accepting applications from throughout the community for the Kesha Young Health
Careers Scholarship , with the aim of supporting the education goals for high school seniors and college
students of color from Western North Carolina who are pursuing careers in healthcare.
For more than 25 years, Mission Health has been awarding the Kesha Young Health Careers Scholarship,
with more than $1 million given to make college more affordable for high school seniors and college
students of color from Western North Carolina who are pursuing careers in healthcare. The scholarship
is named in honor of Kesha Young, a 22-year-old, bi-racial woman who was born with mental and
physical disabilities and underwent multiple surgeries at Mission Hospital. Kesha died just months
before she was scheduled to earn her high school diploma. Despite her health struggles, Kesha was
described by her adoptive parents as embodying the characteristics that are vital to how healthcare
team members engage with patients, families and visitors, with a strong spirit, warm smile and positive
encouragement.
At Mission Health, we recognize that having a diverse workforce, especially in healthcare, is very
important to provide the best possible care to our patients and communities. This is integral to who we
are as a company. Our mission statement is based around recognizing and affirming the unique and
intrinsic worth of each individual: “Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of
human life.”
The completed application, along with all additional materials, must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday,
April 14th, 2023 for consideration. Recipients will be notified in early May and invited to a reception at
Mission Hospital on Wednesday June 7th.
After six years of hard work, the dream of using The Learning Garden as a hub for public gardening education is finally a reality. The Learning Garden, located at the Extension Office, 49 Mt. Carmel Road, is offering the public the opportunity to Visit and Learn in the garden on selected 2nd and 4th Thursdays, February – October. The Thursday in-person programs will consist of five garden-specific series. Visitors can walk around before or after the program and soak in our lovely gardens. Our gardens will open at 9:00 a.m. and all the demonstration programs run between 10-11:30 a.m. To ensure a good learning experience, attendance will be limited and registration will be required.
Dahlia Series
February 23 – Getting Your Dahlias Ready for Planting
August 3 – Disbudding Dahlias for Better Blooms
October 26 – Dividing and Storing Dahlias
Dye Garden Series
May 4 – Planning Your Dye Garden
June 22 – Introduction to Natural Dyeing
July 27 – Fresh Indigo
August 24 – Botanical Printing: Printing with Leaves and Flowers
September 28 – Dyeing with Hopi Black Sunflower
November 9 – The Magic of Indigo
Rose Garden Series
March 9 – Pruning Roses
April 6 – Climbing Roses
April 13 – Rose Pests and Pathogens
May 20 – Growing Beautiful Roses (Saturday Seminar)
Sun & Shade Garden Series
May 11 – Planting a Native Butterfly Host Plant Garden
June 29 – Foodscaping Edible Plants in Flower Beds
August 31 – Dealing with “the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” Plants
Sept 14 – Native Butterfly Life Cycles in the Fall Garden
Vegetable Garden Series
March 23 – Building an ADA Compliant Raised Garden
April 26 – Planting Root Crops: Leeks, Onions, Carrots, Parsnips
May 25 – Planting a Seed Saving Garden
June 8 – Common Vegetable Garden Pests
July 13 – Kid Friendly Gardening
August 10 – Preserving Your Vegetable Harvest
In addition to the Thursday programs listed above, The Learning Garden will present a series of ninety minute (+/-) hands-on seminars covering various gardening topics. These in-person programs will be held at The Learning Garden on selected Saturday mornings, February – September.
Saturday Seminars
February 18 – Tool Selection and Sharpening
March 18 – Pruning Trees and Shrubs
April 22 – Gardening for the Birds
May 20 – Growing Beautiful Roses
June 17 – Pollinator Plants in The Learning Garden
September 16 – Bulbs for All Seasons
Each of the programs in The Learning Garden will be announced individually through this blog and on our website two weeks before each program. Each announcement will include instructions on how to register. Mark your calendar and register to attend as many as you can.
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.

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.















