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.

Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Celebrate Cozy Season with Local Author Ashley English
Dec 4 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Black Mountain Library

We are delighted to host a series of workshops with Ashley English, author of books on topics ranging from raising chickens to canning & preserving, and from hosting potlucks to homemade health & wellness products. Get a jump start on holiday gifting. FREE! Refreshments will be served.

Sing Your Heart Out
Dec 4 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
LEAF Global Arts

Sing songs that celebrate Peace & Community, with Resident Teaching Artist Melissa McKinney. Sing, play, drum, and dance while learning songs from the Justice Choir Songbook.

Wednesdays at 6 p.m.
$15 drop-in class
All ages welcome.

Winter Lights
Dec 4 @ 6:00 pm
North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Thursday, December 5, 2024
Holiday Fair & Kringle Village
Dec 5 @ 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Greenville Convention Center

Enjoy a uniquely elevated holiday experience created by the partnership of Greenville Convention Center’s Annual Holiday Fair and Rotary Club of Greenville’s Kringle Holiday Village.

Holiday Fair & Kringle Village will delight locals and draw visitors to the Upstate for three days of holiday fun December 5-7, 2024, at the Greenville Convention Center.

Greenville Convention Center will transform into a Winter Wonderland featuring a massive vendor market, roving performers, a European Bier Garden, the North Pole children’s play area, Santa’s Workshop, The Enchanted Tea Party, Little Miss Kringle Pageant, holiday movie night, snowball fights, main stage entertainment, the Grand Carousel, visits with Santa and more!

Winter Lights
Dec 5 @ 6:00 pm
North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

BLUEGRASS JAM Hosted by Drew Matulich
Dec 5 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Jack of the Wood

BLUEGRASS JAM

Hosted by Drew Matulich


Don’t miss your chance to check out some of the best pickers from all over WNC at our amazing Bluegrass Jam curated by the talented Drew Matulich — every Thursday starting at 7:00 pm! A real show-stopping performance only at Jack of the Wood! Open jam starts at 9:30 pm.

Old Farmer’s Ball Thursday Dance
Dec 5 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Bryson Gym Warren Wilson College

Our Thursday Dance

This dance is fragrance-free (no perfume, cologne, strong deodorant, etc.), out of respect for those with sensitivities.

Schedule

  • Every Thursday night (except as indicated on the calendar)
  • Beginner lesson at 7:30 pm (advanced dancers are welcome to help out during the lesson!)
  • Dance 8 pm – 11 pm

Cost

  • Non-members: $12
  • OFB Members: $10
  • Warren Wilson community: $1

If this is your first time dancing with us, your second dance is free!

Friday, December 6, 2024
DIY River + Road Cleanups
Dec 6 all-day
Asheville Area

Whenever you want!

 

Supplies available at

2 Sulphur Springs Road

If you need to request supplies for the same or next day, please call 828-254-1776.

Organizing a litter cleanup with your friends, neighbors, co-workers, or other community members is easier than you may think! Asheville GreenWorks provides cleanup supplies and safety information, and will coordinate trash pick up as needed. Available supplies include safety vests, gloves, trash grabbers, trash bags, and SHARPs containers (upon request).

Review the attached guides for instructions and safety information.

Need to know

Please review the attached documents and contact [email protected] with any questions. Your supplies will be available for pickup on the date you’ve requested at Asheville GreenWorks’ office at 2 Sulphur Springs Road, Asheville, NC 28806.

All cleanups should be reported using the online form and supplies should be returned after your cleanup.

Community Engagement Market
Dec 6 @ 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Fairview Library

The first Friday of each month Manna Food Bank and other service providers will be at Fairview Public Library, 1 Taylor Rd.

Rising grocery prices, along with rising housing, gas, and other costs are putting the pressure on Buncombe households. For many in our community, no-cost healthy meals and information about County and partner services and resources are a valuable lifeline.

Buncombe County’s Community Engagement Markets offer free food, medical services, and information about mortgage, rental, and weatherization assistance, as well other resources directly to those most in need by meeting them in their neighborhoods.

Mark your calendar and bring your questions!

Holiday Lights and Cozy Movie night
Dec 6 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Burton Street Community Center

Holiday Lights & Cozy Movie Night – December 6, 6-8pm

Burton Street Community Center (134 Burton St.)

FREE | All ages

Take a stroll under festive lights and enjoy a movie on the big screen with popcorn and holiday refreshments.

Winter Lights
Dec 6 @ 6:00 pm
North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Under the Stars 2024
Dec 6 @ 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Asheville Museum of Science

Join us for Under the Stars 2024, a fundraiser for AMOS and the communities in our orbit.

The Asheville Museum of Science invites you to join us for a night at the museum on December 6th, 2024 from 6:30pm – 9:30pm with a VIP reception from 5:30pm – 6:30pm. This year’s Under the Stars fundraiser, rescheduled from October, will include an expanded purpose, with proceeds supporting both our programs and critical community needs. We look forward to hosting you at the museum for a night of coming together and imagining how we can transform this space together.

Non-member tickets: $70
Member tickets: $65
VIP tickets: $80

Featuring delicious dinner by Sage and Spice Catering!

Saturday, December 7, 2024
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Free Books for Children ages 0-5
Dec 7 all-day
online w/ Literacy Together

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.  

Breakthrough Breathwork Meditation Workshop with Sound Baths
Dec 7 @ 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Magictown Movement Studio

Embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and inner healing through our groundbreaking Breathwork Meditation Workshop including 2 Sound Baths! During this immersive experience you will be guided through a powerful Breathwork practice to help you massively release stress, heal past wounds and traumas, access deeper levels of awareness, and connect more profoundly to Source.
Led by two professional highly experienced facilitators with over 58 years experience between them, this workshop will
deepen your connection with your breath and unlock its incredible potential for physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Each of the Breathwork Meditation Sessions include sound baths!
Join a group of like-minded individuals on the path to self-discovery in a supportive nurturing environment on the beautiful island in Marshall on one of the world’s oldest rivers.
You may come to the full day (10am-4.30pm, recommended, ) which includes two Breathwork Meditation Sessions with sound baths and a session of Self-discovery. You may also come to the first Breathwork Meditation Session with sound bath only (10am-1pm ) or the second Breathwork Meditation Session with sound bath only (1.30-4.30pm).

Holiday Sale
Dec 7 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Folk Art Center

Explore artist booths in the Folk Art Center auditorium for a variety of gift items including ceramics, jewelry, fiber, apparel, paper, glass, wood, and more for the holidays. This artist market is an opportunity for our member artisans to sell their work at discounted prices, allowing visitors to find great deals on handmade finely crafted items. Join us for the first two Saturdays in December from 10am-4pm for the Holiday Sale! Please note, that this sale does not apply to items in the Allanstand Craft Shop at the Folk Art Center.

Uncommon Holiday Market
Dec 7 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Come celebrate our 10th anniversary with us and support local artists & antique vendors that have been impacted by Hurricane Helene.

The market will be held at the beautiful Haywood Park Hotel Event Space, 46 Haywood Street, from 10 am – 4 pm both days.

Admission is FREE! Park on the street or in the Harrah’s Cherokee Center or Wall Street Parking Decks.

Adoptable puppies with Mountain Pet Rescue. This is an INDOOR market and service dogs only are allowed.

Food & coffee onsite

Artists + Writers Coffee
Dec 7 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM

TFAC Pavilion (park/enter at rear of building)
Free drop-in event
Christmas in the Park
Dec 7 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Bill Moore Community Park

Fletcher Park will have Christmas vendors, Santa Claus, Horse Carriage rides, and live music, food trucks, and more!

Puzzle Palooza
Dec 7 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Burton Street Community Center

Race against the best in Burton Street’s 4th Puzzle Palooza! Find a friend as teams of 2 will compete to be the first to complete a 300 piece puzzle. Winners receive a prize! All participants get to take home their puzzle. REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR JUST ONE TEAM MEMBER. Space is limited to 8 teams. Ages 10+. Arrive between 1-1:30pm. Competition starts promptly at 1:30pm! $5/team. Light refreshments provided. Contact information: Mere Heil (828) 507-9003

Winter Lights
Dec 7 @ 6:00 pm
North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 8, 2024
DIY River + Road Cleanups
Dec 8 all-day
Asheville Area

Whenever you want!

 

Supplies available at

2 Sulphur Springs Road

If you need to request supplies for the same or next day, please call 828-254-1776.

Organizing a litter cleanup with your friends, neighbors, co-workers, or other community members is easier than you may think! Asheville GreenWorks provides cleanup supplies and safety information, and will coordinate trash pick up as needed. Available supplies include safety vests, gloves, trash grabbers, trash bags, and SHARPs containers (upon request).

Review the attached guides for instructions and safety information.

Need to know

Please review the attached documents and contact [email protected] with any questions. Your supplies will be available for pickup on the date you’ve requested at Asheville GreenWorks’ office at 2 Sulphur Springs Road, Asheville, NC 28806.

All cleanups should be reported using the online form and supplies should be returned after your cleanup.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Free Books for Children ages 0-5
Dec 8 all-day
online w/ Literacy Together

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.  

Uncommon Holiday Market
Dec 8 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Come celebrate our 10th anniversary with us and support local artists & antique vendors that have been impacted by Hurricane Helene.

The market will be held at the beautiful Haywood Park Hotel Event Space, 46 Haywood Street, from 10 am – 4 pm both days.

Admission is FREE! Park on the street or in the Harrah’s Cherokee Center or Wall Street Parking Decks.

Adoptable puppies with Mountain Pet Rescue. This is an INDOOR market and service dogs only are allowed.

Food & coffee onsite

Robert Beatty Book-Signing Event
Dec 8 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Barnes & Noble-Asheville Mall

Join Robert Beatty, the #1 best-selling author of the Serafina Series, for a book-signing event, 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, at Barnes & Noble-Asheville Mall. Rescheduled from October due to Hurricane Helene, this free, open house-style event is the first and only opportunity to meet Robert and get signed and personalized copies of his new book, SYLVIA DOE AND THE 100-YEAR FLOOD. It’s also the perfect time to get a one-of-a-kind gift for all the readers on your holiday list and to support storm relief efforts here in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee.

Robert is donating all earned royalties from sales of Sylvia Doe to the Helene Rebuild Collaborative, an Asheville-based grassroots initiative focused on providing immediate and direct relief to the people and communities hardest hit by the storm. Learn more about HRC: https://hurricanehelenewnc.com/

English Country Dance
Dec 8 @ 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Harvest House Community Center

Our mission is to bring joy to our community by cultivating folk and social dance and music traditions.

Our vision is of people coming together to experience the joy of dance and music.

Winter Lights
Dec 8 @ 6:00 pm
North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Monday, December 9, 2024
DIY River + Road Cleanups
Dec 9 all-day
Asheville Area

Whenever you want!

 

Supplies available at

2 Sulphur Springs Road

If you need to request supplies for the same or next day, please call 828-254-1776.

Organizing a litter cleanup with your friends, neighbors, co-workers, or other community members is easier than you may think! Asheville GreenWorks provides cleanup supplies and safety information, and will coordinate trash pick up as needed. Available supplies include safety vests, gloves, trash grabbers, trash bags, and SHARPs containers (upon request).

Review the attached guides for instructions and safety information.

Need to know

Please review the attached documents and contact [email protected] with any questions. Your supplies will be available for pickup on the date you’ve requested at Asheville GreenWorks’ office at 2 Sulphur Springs Road, Asheville, NC 28806.

All cleanups should be reported using the online form and supplies should be returned after your cleanup.

Winter Lights
Dec 9 @ 6:00 pm
North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Monday Night Dance: Community contra dance
Dec 9 @ 8:15 pm – 10:30 pm
St. George's Center for Art and Spirit

Welcome to our weekly community contra dance in West Asheville!  The Monday Night Dance has been around for decades, and we are carrying the torch forward! We are a loving, kind, and safe dance community and highly encourage masking during the dance. No derogatory comments in relation to masking will be tolerated! We encourage non-maskers to mask while partnering with a dancer wearing a mask, or to at least ask if the person would like them to mask while they dance with them.

Practicalities

Time: Contra dancing 8:15–10:30pm, with a beginner lesson starting at 7:45 and a waltz session ending the evening.

Location: St. George’s Center for Art and Spirit, 1 School Rd., Asheville, NC 28806

Cost: $12–$45 sliding scale, CASH ONLY. Please pay as much as you can afford to cover the cost of the wonderful live music, the caller, sound person, rent, and other expenses! ATMs are available at banks on Patton Ave., as well as cash back options at local gas stations and grocery stores.

Requirements: Face masks and sign-in agreeing to the dance’s Safety Guidelines.

Please enter through the front red doors to the sanctuary. Extra parking available in the lots between Moore’s Foot and Ankle and St. George’s (please avoid parking in front of their practice.) This is a scent-free dance. Please bring your own water and water bottle. Beginners are encouraged to attend! Beginner-friendly dances start the contra dancing in lieu of a lesson.

Community Focus

The Monday Night Dance is more than just a dance; the community is deeply rooted. Folks are welcome to sell their wares, like jewelry, dance shoes, dance clothes, pottery, etc. They are also welcome to leave business cards and help wanted or work needed ads. Additionally, the Take Some Leave Some Closet is a new feature of the MND. You can take any clothes, food, produce, feminine products or first aid supplies that we have, and as you are able you can also leave some to replenish. Private times to receive from the closet can also be arranged during the week depending on to the dance organizer’s availability.

Safety

We emphasize safety here at the MND. Mask wearing is strongly encouraged, and courtesy to those choosing to mask is required. No discrimination to those wearing masks will be tolerated! In addition, this is a family and LGBTQ-friendly dance and a safe event for ALL races, ethnicities, genders, ages, shapes, and sizes. Accordingly, no discrimination, inappropriate sexually predatory behavior, racist or discriminatory comments, bullying, or verbal or physical abuse of ANY kind will be tolerated. See our Safety Guidelines for more info.

Volunteers and Donations

Ours is a dance built on volunteerism, and we need your help to survive! Please consider volunteering or becoming a patron by giving a monetary gift. Opening, door and closing help are some of the volunteer jobs available. Those completing their entire shift dance free! Email [email protected] for more info and to sign up. 

Finally, please follow, like and join us on Facebook!

Thanks so much and see you on the dance floor!

Tuesday, December 10, 2024
THANK YOU NIGHT service industry friends
Dec 10 @ 3:00 pm – 10:00 pm
DSSOLVR

Join us every Tuesday for some sweet sweet deals as a way for us to thank you and all of our fellow service industry friends!