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.
Come cheer on the Tourists!
Join Western Carolina Catamounts Tuesday, August 21st as Catamount Nation takes over the Asheville Tourists Baseball Club with WCU Night!
As a part of WCU Night at the Tourists game, we’ll have a special WCU section with 200 seats. Tickets are only $7 for Catamount Nation.
WCU’s new Men’s Basketball Coach Mark Prosser will be throwing out the first pitch. And Paws will be out and about for photo opportunities! Wear your WCU gear to show your purple pride as we get ready for the kick off of Catamount Athletics!
Hosted by: WCU Athletics
Asheville Tourists vs. Augusta Greenjackets
Tuesday, August 21, 7:05 p.m.
#WCUNight
McCormick Field
30 Buchanan Place
Asheville, NC 28801
https://www.facebook.com/events/225237421369612/
Many a Ship w/ Joshua Carpenter
at The Mothlight
August 21st
Doors 8pm/Show 9pm
$5
Many a Ship is an indie-folk-rock band with deep roots in the mountains of Western North Carolina. The band formed in the summer of 2017 when music duo Vickie Burick (guitar, vocals) and Sam Brinkley (drums, vocals) joined forces with Josh Gibbs (lap steel) and Andy Gibbon (bass). Many a Ship features original songs by Burick, brought to fruition through the talent and creativity of Brinkley, Gibbs, and Gibbon. Collectively their music is a sea of stories about life, love, heartache, truth, friendship, despair and hope. “Many a Ship have set sail on these waters, many a ship yet to be”.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1460036337475764/
King Yellowman and The Sagittarius Band
https://www.facebook.com/events/244161609535866/
One of our absolute favorites is back in Asheville 8/21!
Caleb Synan is one of the hottest young comics in the country. (Funny AND good looking!) His unique background as a preacher’s kid from a small southern town gives him the ability to relate to any and every crowd — even though he’s a big old millennial who lives in LA. Want proof? He’s written and starred in two different Comedy Central web series: “Deadliest Chef” and “Wise Words” (That’s the internet!) And he’s performed on CONAN (twice!), Last Comic Standing (once!), and Fuse’s “Uproarious” (TV! That’s right!)
He’s also entertained our troops in South Korea and Japan. What a guy! It’s no wonder he won the title of “Wittiest” in Franklin County High School’s 2009 Yearbook. He even wrote this bio himself. And he’ll have a margarita with you if you play your cards right.
Hosted by Moira Goree The Comedian
Featuring Ryan Cox
18+
Tickets $7 advance, $10 door
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-night-caleb-synan-tickets-49100401623
https://www.facebook.com/events/245294859426119/
For the seventh consecutive year, the Asheville Habitat ReStore at 31 Meadow Road near Biltmore Village is encouraging residents to show off their creativity and talent for a chance to win in the ReStore ReUse Contest. Garden shed, artist studio, chicken coop…tree house, playhouse, tiny house…if you recently built a structure like this using predominantly reused building materials, Habitat wants to know. The contest runs July 1-August 31 and submissions must be sent electronically. Information and entry form will be available on ashevillehabitat.org starting July 1 st . The purpose of the contest is to showcase innovative building projects constructed predominantly of used building materials. “Our customers often tell us about the projects they make using materials purchased at the ReStore. This contest is a great way to showcase their projects and inspire others to reuse, recycle and repurpose usable materials,” said Scott Stetson, ReStore General Manager. Five judges will select winners in the following categories: Furniture, Homesteading, Live and/or Work Space, Home Décor, Youth (age 16 and under), and Best in Show. Winners will be announced in mid-September.
Students at the Visual Arts Preschool at Roots + Wings School of Art and Design engage with pre-K education fundamentals through a dynamic, arts based curriculum. Literacy, numeracy, social skills, community building, cultural and environmental studies are approached through an art and design thinking lens, as students explore learning concepts experientially across multiple platforms.
The Roots + Wings Visual Arts Preschool ‘Best of 2018’ collection is a cross section of the diverse pre-K education program and includes investigations into art movements, community and culture, storytelling, and creative play.
The Biltmore Estate has been planning the largest exhibition in its historic gardens for almost a decade. And finally, last week, Chihuly at Biltmore opened with a mega installation of glass sculptures from the famous artist Dale Chihuly. Tens of thousands of glass pieces from all around the world reside in 14 locations around the Estate (which is the very first large-scale N.C. Chihuly installation).
The exhibition is up from now until Oct. 7th, free admission with a Biltmore day pass (and free for annual pass holders). Chihuly at Nightis a special, ongoing event where the glass sculptures are lit up, plus live music in the gardens + a wine bar. Tickets are $37.50 for kids + range from $65 – 75 for adults ($10 discount for pass holders).
Three new works were blown just for Biltmore, and 6 new compositions were put together.
Asheville, NC—Momentum Gallery in downtown Asheville is pleased to participate in the Summer of Glass, a WNC celebration of glass art in conjunction with the Dale Chihuly exhibition at the Biltmore Estate, May-October 2018. The gallery exhibition, Reflections (July 1-August 25) nods to the Gilded Age, a period during the late 19th Century when the Biltmore Estate was conceived and constructed by railway tycoon George Vanderbilt. This curated exhibition features recent work by some of the country’s top contemporary glass artists with many of the works in the collection speaking to Vanderbilt’s aesthetic of opulence, grandeur, and beauty. Other conceptual pieces examine concepts of memory and history, referencing the “downstairs” or “behind the scenes” of the palatial mansion as well. Sophisticated sculptures and stylish wall pieces incorporate a variety of glass techniques and explore the intricate detailing, ornamentation, and drama indicative of the Gilded Age. This Exhibit is free and open to the public.
Reflections includes works by: Thor & Jennifer Bueno, Amber Cowan, Jennifer Halvorson, Alli Hoag, Joanna Manousis, Andy Paiko, Kit Paulson, Pablo Soto, and Tim Tate.
This exquisite, interactive exhibit is designed to inspire and educate visitors about the storied history and evocative power of scent while taking them on a full sensory journey, literally! Blending flora, fashion and science, Making Scents showcases some of Mother Nature’s most fragrant botanicals and unveils the plants and flowers behind some of the world’s most iconic perfumes. Visitors will explore the mysterious power of the sense of smell, learn about the artistry and science behind the fragrance industry and even compose their own basic fragrance.
From traditional harvest and extraction methods to chemical combinations of synthetic fragrances, Making Scents uncovers the technical processes behind fragrance creation through an immersive, multisensory experience. Art, passion and craft come together inside the exhibit’s iconic bottle display, which showcases the unique designs of more than 100 perfume bottles, some dating back to ancient the Greek and Roman eras. By integrating horticulture, history and pop culture, Making Scents is sure to enlighten the senses and engage the minds of visitors about the fragrance industry and the living world in a fun, dynamic way.
This exhibit showcases the work of three leading fiber artists who explore Western North Carolina’s mountains, meadows and marshes using fabrics and fibers. Their quilted wall art offers a link to familiar images of this region, echoing the Arboretum’s role of connecting people with plants. Through their diverse styles, construction methods and subject matter, artists Mary Stori, Judy Simmons and Kate Weston add a contemporary twist to the area’s rich and storied quilt-making tradition. Their exhibit features pieces of varying sizes, from large focal-point wall hangings to medium-sized wall art to small work suitable for tabletop display. All pieces are for sale, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting The North Carolina Arboretum Society.
About the Artists
Mary Stori
From her home in Clyde, N.C., Mary creates botanical and organic themed art quilts using artisian-made, hand-dyed cotton, linen, silk and rayon fabrics. She also utilizes hand-felted and hand-dyed wool as rich backdrops, offering texture and depth to her work. Bead embellishment is another one of her trademarks. Learn more on her website.
Judy Simmons
Judy creates her own fabric in her Fletcher, N.C. studio using surface design techniques, including fabric marbling, dyeing, color lifting and silk screening. Much of the imagery in her work utilizes her own photography printed on fabric. To learn more about Judy, please click here.
Kate Weston
From her home in Statesville, N.C., Kate focuses on the creation of complex cloth through the application of dye, paint and embellishment, such as fabric overlay or manipulation and the application of non-fiber materials. Coupled with skillful machine quilting, Kate’s works create and stunning interplay of color and texture. Please visit Kate’s website to learn more.
Pioneer Women Painters of the River District, curated by Sara Ledonne, is a group exhibit which will highlight five Warehouse Studio artists from the mid 90s. These adventurous, creative, inspirational women found themselves under one roof, painting energetic, extraordinary, thought provoking abstracts.
In the 80’s, Marie Hudson opened her studio in the RAD. She was one of the first artists to plant roots in what has become one of the most popular locations for artists in Asheville. Hudson’s art resonates in the community. Hundreds of locals have collected her art over the years.
Mary Charles Griffin, an abstract expressionist artist that goes by the name of Charlie, is a 91-year-old dynamo who graduated from Western Carolina University with her master’s in studio painting when she was 77. “I started painting professionally after my children left home in 1980. I can’t hear, see or speak, but otherwise I am in pretty good shape for my age.” -Charlie Griffin
“I moved again to a studio in the Riverlink building in 1991. With the leadership of Karen Cragnolian ( Riverlink) and Gayle McCarthy (Highwater Clay) I helped organize the first, soon to be River Arts District, Open Studios. There were five participating artists at that time.” – Betty Clark
“This building, these studios, these women were my first introduction to the artists of Asheville and the River District. It was not yet called the River ARTS District…there were no coffee shops, breweries, or restaurants like today…It was still pretty sketchy after dark if you ventured further down toward what is now Pink Dog… I moved into Warehouse Studios in the fall of 1998, right after I moved to Asheville from Seattle. At that time, there were only about 20 artists in the RAD, scattered in the old buildings. Marie Hudson, Betty Clark , Charlie Griffin and I had been working studios at Warehouse long before there was anything else down there. We became friends as well as critics for each other’s work.”- Barbara Fisher
This exhibit aims to recreate the experience of discovering this artistic hot bed, and pay homage to those early Asheville pioneer women painters. The opening reception for Pioneer Women Painters of the River District will be August 3, 2018 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm. Sara Ledonne will give a curator’s talk at 6:30.
Participating artists: Betty Clark, Marie Hudson, Mary Charles “Charlie” Griffin, Barbara Fisher, Dawn Rentz
The Asheville Art Museum is excited to present Red Hot in the Blue Ridge, an exhibition being held in conjunction with Western North Carolina’s community-wide Summer of Glass celebration. On view at the Asheville Art Museum On the Slope at 175 Biltmore Avenue May 19 – September 30, 2018, Red Hot in the Blue Ridge celebrates Western North Carolina’s unique place in the history of American Studio Glass. Many other organizations and galleries across WNC are also hosting glass-focused events, programs and exhibitions during the region’s Summer of Glass celebration, which coincides with a new exhibition at Biltmore of multi-media artist Dale Chihuly’s monumental glass sculptures. Visit www.ashevilleart.org for details.
If you’ve recently built a structure from predominantly reused building materials, the Asheville Habitat ReStore wants to know. Projects can include garden sheds, artist studios, benches, chicken coops, playhouses and much more. Share your projects with the Habitat ReStore to help showcase innovative building projects made with reused materials and show off your creativity and talent for your chance to win in the 7th annual ReStore ReUse Contest. The contest runs July 1st through August 31st. For information and submission guidelines, visit ashevillehabitat.org
2018 Leadership Asheville Buzz Breakfast Series
Sponsored by:
Ward and Smith P.A. and Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP
“Nurturing Equity and Inclusion”
June 6 – Economic Prosperity: How do we foster it?
July 18 – Sexual and Gender Diversity: How do we promote it?
August 22 – Racial Equity: How do we embrace it?
https://www.facebook.com/events/212718956006940/?event_time_id=212718966006939
We are lucky to have incredible Animal Educators to help us spread the word on the important roles they play in the Park. Join one of our Park naturalists for an informal program where your family will love meeting some of our wilder teammates! Kids of all ages are sure to take home some fun facts and special memories. Then, grab a Track Trail brochure at the Animal Discovery Den and round out the day with a hike along our Great Woodland Adventure trail with 12 education stations. Don’t forget your camera!
It’s hard not to crack a smile while enjoying amazing views of Lake Lure and the Hickory Nut Gorge from on top of the Chimney. Capture photos of your family and friends enjoying the Park and enter them into our Smiles of Spring Photo Contest for a chance to win fabulous prizes. We’ll use the winning entries on our website and Facebook album, and you’ll win some fun prizes. Photos must be taken within the Chimney Rock section of the Park.
GREAT PRIZES FOR THE WINNERS:
First Place – An overnight getaway to Hickory Nut Gorge with a stay at the historic 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, two passes to Chimney Rock, brunch for two at the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, and two tickets for a tour with Lake Lure Boat Tours
Second Place – A Chimney Rock prize package including two passes to Chimney Rock, lunch for two at the Old Rock Café and two tickets for a tour with Lake Lure Boat Tours.
People’s Choice – Selected by our Facebook fans, the winning photo will be featured as the cover photo of our Facebook page for two weeks and the cover of our Pinterest board of winning photos. Prize includes two Park admission tickets, lunch for two at the Old Rock Café and a $20 gift certificate for Old Time Photo in Chimney Rock Village.
CONTEST RULES:
There is no fee to enter the contest. All photographs must be taken inside Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park only in areas accessible to guests between June 21, 2018- Sept. 21, 2018. The contest is open to amateur and professional photographers.
Up to three photos per person can be submitted via any of the following ways to be eligible to win:
Facebook: First, like the Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park page and share our photo contest post on your wall. Then post your photo to our wall with the photographer’s name and a brief caption (25-75 words) through your personal Facebook account. Next, send us a private message including your contact information specified in rule #3.
Pinterest: First, re-pin our photo contest pin to one of your boards and follow our 2017 The Different Seasons of Chimney Rock Spring Photo Contest Board so we can easily contact you. Then pin your photo with the hashtags #chimneyrock AND #photocontest with your personal account, and include the photographer’s name and a brief caption (25-75 words).
Twitter: First, follow Chimney Rock Park and retweet our tweet about the photo contest. Then tweet your photo to @ChimneyRockPark with the photographer’s name and the hashtag #photocontest. Next, send us private messages with your brief photo caption.
E-mail: If you don’t have access to any social media sites listed above, you may email your digital photo with your contact information specified in rule #3 to [email protected].
Snail Mail: Send your print photo with the clearly marked photographer’s name, city & state, a brief typed photo caption and a phone number to: Photo Contest, Chimney Rock Management LLC, PO Box 39, Chimney Rock, NC 28720.
Every entry should be clearly labeled with the photographer’s name, city & state, a brief photo caption your photo of the Seasons of Chimney Rock, an email address and the best phone number to reach you.
Photos should be available at a minimum resolution of 1200 x 1600 pixels (1 MB minimum) to be eligible to win. Photos taken via smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices are welcome if they meet minimum requirements.
For entries showing human faces, you must list their name(s) and have written permission from any photographed person(s) to use their image.
Entries should reflect the photographer’s interpretation of a face of Chimney Rock. Emphasis will be placed on quality, composition and creativity. All entries may be used in promotions of Chimney Rock and park-related activities.
Digital images can be optimized but not dramatically altered with photo editing software. Black and white photographs are welcome.
Decisions of the judges are final.
Winners will be notified and announced at chimneyrockpark.com and on Chimney Rock’s social media channels.
For more information, call 1-800-277-9611 or email us at [email protected].
We’ve teamed up with our community partners once again to benefit area children who are uninsured or underinsured.
The Eblen Charities/Ingles Pharmacy Immunization Project will provide free vaccines that are required for children who begin Kindergarten or 7th grade this year.
This will coincide with the Eblen Charities Tools for Schools distribution on Wednesday, August 22 from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Professionals will be on-site to provide health screenings and life-saving vaccines. Please bring your child’s vaccination record and insurance or Medicaid information with you.
The Tools for Schools distribution and Immunization Clinic will take place at the Westgate Shopping Center.
Call Eblen Charities at 828-255-3066 or email them at [email protected] to learn more.
Special thanks to our partners: Ingles Pharmacy, Eblen Charities, Family Care Black Mountain, and the Buncombe County Health Department.
Ingles Markets Eblen-Kimmel Charities Buncombe County Government Asheville City Schools
https://www.facebook.com/events/921571748049508/
Property: Omni Grove Park Inn
Event Type: Hotel Event
Event Category: Art & Culture,Entertainment,Family
Contact: Concierge Desk
Contact Phone: (828) 252-2711
Link: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/things-to-do/tours
Our guided history tour covers the history of E.W. Grove, the construction and early years of the Inn, our Arts and Crafts style furniture, and some of our most notable guests.
Sign-up at the Concierge Desk.
Garden Helpline Open for Calls
Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County are ready to answer your
gardening questions.
Beginning March 1, the Garden Helpline is open Monday through
Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., during the gardening season—March through September. Our
Master Gardener volunteers are available for phone calls, walk-ins, and emails.
Call 828-255-5522 or visit the Extension office at the location shown below. If you bring a plant
sample to the office, please be sure it is large enough for plant identification. You can also email
your questions and plant photos to [email protected].
Each year, Extension Master Gardener volunteers answer hundreds of gardening questions.
From October through February when the Helpline is not open, your questions will be
answered by Alison Arnold, Extension Agent, Consumer Horticulture. The Extension office and
our Helpline are closed on N.C. state holidays.
This class is now full.
Mary Martin will lead this workshop on using plants and other natural dyes to make stunning and unique silk scarves.
Each participant will dye 2 scarves and select another already done. $50. Limited to 12.
https://www.facebook.com/events/327679754431073/
When reflecting on the current state of the environment, it seems that we have entered into times of seismic sorrows. Carbon emissions, water pollution, fracking, and changing climate patterns all point to a troubling reality with serious consequences for human and non-human populations. Through weavings, installations, sculpture, and print, artists Rena Detrixhe and Tali Weinberg (Tulsa, OK) explore the complex relationship between humans and the planet, offering insights, expressing grief, and creating space for resilience and change.
In Time of Seismic Sorrows is curated by Marilyn Zapf and organized by the Center for Craft. The Center for Craft is supported in part by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Together with the coalition of local chefs known as “Chefs @ Downtown Welcome Table,” Haywood Street Congregation is hosting WelcomeFEST 2018 on Wednesday, August 22nd from 10:30 am – 2:00 pm.
To be held as an annual event, this outdoor festival will feature live music and meals prepared on-site by seven local food trucks. WelcomeFEST will take place in the parking lot of Haywood Street Congregation (297 Haywood Street), where the free community meal known as the Downtown Welcome Table takes place, inside, every Wednesday and Sunday.
Participating food trucks include: Appalachian Chic, Bun Intended, Cecilia’s Kitchen, Gypsy Queen, Mountain View BBQ, Out of the Blue Peruvian Fusion, and Root Down. Music will be provided by Ashley Heath and Her Heathens; Alex Krug, featuring Bill Berg.
Lunch tickets will operate on a buy one/give one philosophy, with each $20 ticket feeding a member of the Asheville community in need, as well as the purchaser. Donations will support the ongoing operations of the Downtown Welcome Table, typically serving 700+ weekly.
Wicked Weed Brewing will provide a trolley to shuttle guests from four pickup points in the downtown Asheville area to the event site, as parking is extremely limited in the vicinity and not offered at the location. Pickup points include: French Broad Chocolate Lounge; the Aloft Hotel; Coxe Ave. across and slightly North from the US Post Office; on Haywood Street across from the Woolworth Walk.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1995451930465637/
Chihuly at Biltmore represents the first art exhibition in Biltmore’s historic gardens, and the first garden exhibition of Dale Chihuly’s works in North Carolina. The world-renowned American artist’s work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide, and now, for a limited time only, they can be seen at Biltmore.
We invite you to immerse yourself in this unique visual experience, an absolute must-see presentation of unparalleled artistic expression.
Dazzling in daylight, the exhibition takes on an entirely new dimension when viewed after nightfall; experience the brilliance and beauty of these awe-inspiring marvels of color, form, and light.
Scientists need YOUR help in studying animals everywhere, including your own backyard!
Join us for an introduction to entomology, the study of insects. You’ll learn all about our creepy and crawly friends and even meet a few live insects! You can also join our crew of ecoEXPLORERS — kids who submit observations of plants and animals for scientists to study and earn prizes while they do it.
Find out how you can earn your Entomology Field Badge and a free pass to Monarch Butterfly Day on September 8th. For ages 5 to 13 but all ages are welcome to attend.
https://www.facebook.com/events/183220652337690/
Chicken and Donuts catered by HenDough
https://www.facebook.com/events/283106918940623/
Property: Omni Grove Park Inn
Event Type: Hotel Event
Event Category: Family,Recreation,Wellness & Fitness
Contact: Golf Pro Shop ext. 1034
Contact Phone: (800) 438-5800
Link: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/golf
Let our golf professionals open the world of golf to you. This introduction to the game of golf is a clinic that covers the basic rules, etiquette, and the PGA’s of golf (posture, grip, and alignment). Clubs will be provided. Proper golf attire is required. Please sign-up at least one (1) day in advance by calling (800) 438-5800 ext. 1034.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (828) 774-3000
Link: http://www.leicestercommunitycenter.com
Welcome Table Free Meal every Wednesday 11:30am-1:30pm
Visitors to Grovewood Village will have the opportunity to learn the story of Biltmore Industries on a guided history tour, offered Wednesday – Saturday at 1pm during April – November. The tour includes a visit to Biltmore Industries’ production facility (aka Dye House), where guests can peek into the past and view the original looms, carding machines, spinning mule and dye vats used to make the famed Biltmore Handwoven Homespun.
The tours last approximately 45 minutes and operate on a first-come, first-served basis, open to 25 people. There is no charge to take the tour, but donations are appreciated. Tours begin at the Homespun Museum in Grovewood Village, where a docent will give a detailed overview of Biltmore Industries’ historic importance before leading guests into the 100-year-old Dye House (usually closed to the public).
Private group tours are also offered for a fee and should be scheduled at least one week in advance.
Event Type: Local Event
Event Category: Family
Contact: Grovewood Village
Contact Phone: 828.253.7651
Link: https://www.grovewood.com/
Grovewood Village is housed in the historic weaving and woodworking complex of Biltmore Industries, a noteworthy enterprise in the history of American Craft and textiles, founded by Edith Vanderbilt and two inspired teachers, Eleanor Vance and Charlotte Yale. At the height of its success in the late 1920s, Biltmore Industries had a total of 40 looms in steady operation, producing bolts of some of the finest handwoven wool fabric in the country. Orders were shipped as far as China and Uruguay, and customers included the likes of Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Helen Keller, and several U.S. presidents and first ladies.
Learn the story of Biltmore Industries on a guided history tour, offered Wednesday – Saturday at 1pm during April – November. The tour includes a visit to our historic Dye House (usually closed to the public), where you’ll peek into the past and view the original looms, carding machines, spinning mule and dye vats used to make the famed Biltmore Handwoven Homespun. Tours last approximately 45 minutes and operate on a first-come, first-served basis, open to 25 people. Meet your guide at the Biltmore Industries Homespun Museum next door to Grovewood Gallery.
TOURS ARE FREE, but donations are greatly appreciated.
Private Group Tours
We gladly offer private group tours for a fee. These tours offer the exact same experience as the public tours, only in a private setting. Contact us for rates, and please schedule your group tour at least one week in advance.
Please Note: Our historic Dye House (Biltmore Industries’ production facility) is not handicap accessible or heated. Warm attire on cold days and comfortable walking shoes are strongly recommended.