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.
We would like to invite everyone out for the First if what will be an annual Benefit Christmas Jam with Jeff Sipe and Friends. Please bring non perishable and canned food items to benefit the Bread of Life or warm clothe to benefit SAFE. This year’s line-up will consist of Jeff Sipe, Sarah Siskind, Raymond Rainey, Blake Anthony Ellege, Howie Johnson, Matt Gardner, Mark McDaniel, @Owen Schultz, and Other Special guests!!
Jeff Sipe began to play drums in the sixth grade. Then In 1975, Jeff’s first stepping stone was attending the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music. — One of Jeff’s dreams finally came true when he was accepted to Berklee in 1977. While at Berklee, Jeff studied under Bob Kaufman and Bill Norine, he attended clinics given by Alan Dawson and was taken under by his mentor Lee Venters. Jeff was lucky enough to attend Berklee with an impressive cast of musicians like Branford Marsalis, Bill Frisell, Mike Stern and Jeff Watts, Kevin Eubanks, Dean Parks, Steve Vai, just to name a few. While studying at Berklee, Jeff met and played in a band with Steve Vai and Baron Brown called “Winter”. This experience turned Jeff on to a wide world of music and rhythm which gave him valuable tools that he still carries with him today. After his stay in Boston, Jeff moved to Atlanta in 1983. There he began gigging and teaching at the Atlanta Institute for Music and at a popular hang out for Atlanta drummers, Atlanta Drums and Percussion. Jeff spent time sitting in with local musicians and was introduced to Bruce Hampton through Dan Wall, a keyboardist that he had been playing with…..and that’s the rest of the story. It seemed too fitting that their first meeting took place at a wedding because not only was there a marriage there was a wedding of vast musical intention. Jeff then asked Oteil Burbridge and Jimmy Herring to sit in on this free willed musical band wagon and the Aquarium Rescue Unit was born. READ MORE
Sarah Siskind continues to be one of today’s most respected and covered songwriters as well as a stand-out independent artist, who Spin Magazine calls “an artist you must hear now”. Armed with a striking vocal style and solid guitar and piano work, Sarah is a regular NPR performer with features on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, World Cafe with David Dye, All Songs Considered, Song Of The Day and most recently NPR’s Mountain Stage. She has toured with Bonnie Raitt, Paul Brady, Grammy winner Bon Iver (who also famously covered her “Lovin’s For Fools”) and The Swell Season and had songs recorded by Alison Krauss (the GRAMMY nominated “Simple Love”), Randy Travis, Madi Diaz and many more. Born and raised in North Carolina, Sarah built her musical career in Nashville, TN. Her 2009 release “Say it Louder” was crowned ‘Americana Album of the Year’ at the Nashville Music Awards. In 2011, Sarah’s album “Novel” highlighted her as the sole musician, producer and engineer. Bonnie Raitt had this to say about it: “With Novel, Sarah has created another extraordinary collection of some of the most beautiful and unique songs you’re likely to hear. She continues to be one of my favorite singers and songwriters. She absolutely knocks me out.” Sarah returned East in 2012 and now resides in her home state of North Carolina. The return to mountains and nature inspired her to write the boutique EP “In the Mountains”, whose title track was quickly picked up and covered by Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers. Performing at SXSW in Austin, TX later that year, Time Magazine called Sarah “one of our favorite 5 voices” at SXSW. READ MORE
https://www.facebook.com/events/1967533513334512/
Mack Kell’s Christmas party
https://www.facebook.com/events/1681764688607584/
Punk / indie karaoke returns to Fleetwood’s on Saturday, December 22!
Video karaoke with The Misfits, The Dead Kennedys, NOFX, The Mountain Goats, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Talking Heads, Screaming Females, Pixies, and more! Sing it, yell it, scream it.
Check out www.SearchAndDestroyKaraoke.com/songlist for the complete catalog… and comment on this event to request your favorites. I’ll try my best to add them by December 22.
Catalog also available on Spotify playlist so you can practice along: https://open.spotify.com/user/128069844/playlist/7qyDhMu6KIt0qG3hKlJ8ml?si=c5q9l0QqQkKw9w-00I9G-g
https://www.facebook.com/events/889508938106476/
Reunion show with special guest Cody Siniard $5 at the door.
https://www.facebook.com/events/210896343143645/
Local metal bands Æsoterra, Systematic Devastation and The Talent are putting on a show to benefit a toy drive for needy children here in Western North Carolina. Let’s show Haywood County that when the metal Community comes together, that they can accomplish great things. Instead of a cover charge at the door the bands have agreed to accept unwrapped toys and clothes for price of admission.I do have some families that have reached out to me that have specific needs for clothes and things like that so if anybody would like to adopt a family get with me. This is shaping up to be a great event with amazing bands and people so don’t miss out and let’s bring some Joy to some children that need our help. There is no greater feeling on this planet than helping people that need it.
https://www.facebook.com/events/358294994932999/
$10 Advance / $12 Day of Show
The Zuzu Welsh Band and Pam Taylor bring a 1-2 punch of blues, rock and soul, mixed in with holiday cheer!
Pam Taylor is an American modern roots musician born and bred in the south, and has been recognized by Roots Music Report, Sirius XM BB King’s Bluesville, and the Blues Rock Review Magazine, among others.
The Zuzu Welsh Band formed in 2014 and is comprised of Mat Sigmon, Brandon Bailey, Johnny Haisman and Zuzu Welsh. With over 300 shows under their belt spread from Nashville TN to Lakeland FL and all points in between, they are seasoned and entertaining with their originals and covers.
Combined these two acts bring energy, warmth and entertainment to the stage by the bushel.
Main Stage Seated :: Limited Tables Available with a Dinner Reservation :: All Other Seating is First Come First Serve General Admission :: Please Call Venue for Dinner (Table) Reservations
https://www.facebook.com/events/265618464145028/
Truth and Salvage Company w/ Pierce Edens at The Grey Eagle
https://www.facebook.com/events/241598316427642/
Genre: Sly and The Family Stone Tribute
Tickets: $15.00
Show: 10PM (Doors: 9PM)
Ages: 21+
A Family Affair featuring:
LINEUP:
Alex Bradley of Empire Strikes Brass
Adam Chase of The James Brown Dance Party, JAZZ is PHSH & The Chase Brothers
CaroMia (of Siamese Sound Club and Goldie & The Screamers)
Jonathan Cole of Dirty Logic – Asheville Steely Dan Tribute
Casey Cramer of Josh Phillips Folk Festival
Adam Dotson formerly of Rubblebucket
Shannon Hoover of Jonathan Scales Fourchestra
Jamar Woods of The Fritz
Special Guest Marcus King of The Marcus King Band
vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXTMjz35apw
https://www.facebook.com/events/2411978585485484/
All Aboard THE POLAR EXPRESS! This memorable journey will take you on an incredible journey! Believe the magic this Holiday season!
Over 88,000 guests rode THE POLAR EXPRESS with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2017 and we hope to see you in 2018! The 1¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.
THE POLAR EXPRESS begins November 9, 2018, and operates through December 31, 2018.
Reclaimed Creations is a unique sculpture exhibit created by renowned artist Sayaka Ganz. Utilizing reclaimed plastic objects, such as discarded utensils, Ganz creates amazing sculptures that visually appear unified at a distance, but are in fact separated when examined up close. Described as using a “3D impressionistic” style, Ganz’s exhibit includes installations of animals in motion, which are in rich in color and energy, to create an illusion of form.
About the Artist
Born in Yokohama, Japan, Sayaka Ganz grew up living in Japan, Brazil and Hong Kong. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Indiana University, Bloomington, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. A lecturer and teacher, Ganz’s work has been displayed at various institutions around the globe, including the Hermann Geiger Foundation in Cecina, Italy, the Isle Gallery in Isle of Man, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California.
My work is about perceiving harmony, even in situations that appear chaotic from the inside. When observing my sculptures up close, one might see gaps, holes and items being held on only by small points; step away, however, and the sculptures reveal the harmony created when the objects are aligned to the same general (but not identical) direction. Similarly, it is important to gain perspective by stepping back from current problems and look at the larger picture. Then one can perceive the beauty and patterns that exist.”
It is not too late to join our half marathon training group! See more info below on how to sign up.
This Sunday the half marathon training group will meet at Bent Creek Hard Times Trailhead for a long run. We meet at 8:30am sharp… so arrive early if possible so that people on a time schedule can meet their following commitments. We’ll have all level of pace groups, so don’t worry what speed you run…Danny with Chi Running guarantees that you won’t be running alone.
If you haven’t already signed up for the half marathon or full marathon training program – please sign up before you attend the training runs – Get signed up here -> https://idaph.net/product/asheville-marathon-half-community-training-plans/
Long Runs are Sunday morning at 8:30am and will meet at Bent Creek – Hardtimes Trailhead Parking Lot unless otherwise notified.
We will have staff from Fleet Feet Asheville and Danny Dreyer with ChiRunning/ChiWalking as group leaders at all Sunday runs.
Directions to Trailhead are here – https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hard+Times+Trailhead/@35.4876945,-82.6263392,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x88599247298909e5:0x5663696471e707c7!8m2!3d35.4876945!4d-82.6241452?shorturl=1
https://www.facebook.com/events/368229887316596/?event_time_id=368229890649929
The Asheville Marathon Training will begin on Sunday, October 28th! It isn’t too late to join in on the training group and program.
We will also have a kick-off party at Fleet Feet Asheville on Thursday, October 25th at 6pm if you would like to get more information on the marathon and the half marathon training programs. https://www.facebook.com/events/158349081761555/
Long Runs are Sunday morning at 8:30am and will meet at Bent Creek – Hardtimes Trailhead Parking Lot unless otherwise notified.
We will have staff from Fleet Feet Sports Asheville and ChiRunning/ChiWalking as group leaders at all Sunday runs.
Directions to Trailhead are here – https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hard+Times+Trailhead/@35.4876945,-82.6263392,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x88599247298909e5:0x5663696471e707c7!8m2!3d35.4876945!4d-82.6241452?shorturl=1
If you haven’t already signed up for the half marathon or full marathon training program – please sign up before you attend the training runs – Get signed up here -> https://idaph.net/product/asheville-marathon-half-community-training-plans/
Fleet Feet Asheville ChiRunning/ChiWalking Chi Running
https://www.facebook.com/events/2155420058111252/?event_time_id=2155420104777914
At Christmas, we have the opportunity to find renewed hope and joy in the overwhelming love of a God who is with us. Join us for our Christmas Services as we discover hope and life through the story and through the songs of Christmas. Service times include: 9:00 & 11:00 a.m. | 1:00 p.m.
Christmas Services at BCC are a wonderful time to invite your family and friends to sit with you at church. Come celebrate with us! Experience practical teaching and excellent music. Children’s programming available at all services.
https://www.facebook.com/events/220178288896555/?event_time_id=220178292229888
Christmas at Biltmore Daytime Celebration*
Saturday, November 3, 2018 – Sunday, January 6, 2019 (daily)
*Included with estate admission.
*Does not include “Candlelight Christmas Evenings”
Experience the holidays wreathed with the wonder of Biltmore. Our celebration presents Christmas on a grand scale with more than 55 trees decorated by our talented staff, accented with miles of ribbon, garlands, and lights. Festive menus in our restaurants and holiday wine tastings make for a memorable visit.
Learn more about #ChristmasAtBiltmore or plan your visit: biltmore.com/Christmas
https://www.facebook.com/events/104655743803303/?event_time_id=104655827136628
Check our Holiday Hours to plan your shopping trips to Asheville Outlets! *Store hours may vary.
SPECIAL DATES:
Thursday, November 22 (Thanksgiving Day) | 6pm-2am
Friday, November 23 (Black Friday) | 9am-9pm
Saturday, November 24 | 9am-9pm
Saturday, December 22 | 9am-9pm
Sunday, December 23 | 9am-6pm
Monday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) | 9am – 6pm
Tuesday, December 25 (Christmas) | CLOSED
Monday, December 31 (New Year’s Eve) | 10am – 6pm
Tuesday, January 1, 2018 (New Year’s Day) | 10am – 9pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/2207665626141222/?event_time_id=2207665649474553
FREE Santa Photos will be available at the center through December 24 at the The North Carolina Arboretum sponsored Santa Set. Every family who visits Santa at Asheville Outlets will receive two FREE 4” x 6” Santa photo prints and a digital download of a single image. Free Santa Photos is hosted by Great Beginnings Lead To Great Smiles.
(Additional photos and Christmas merchandise are available for purchase. One giveaway per family, per Christmas season. Some restrictions may apply. Valid only through December 24, 2018.)
https://www.facebook.com/events/337462147058287/?event_time_id=337462170391618
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.
The South has always been home to a blend of cultures — from Native Americans here by 14,000 years ago to Europeans 500 years ago, followed by Africans forced to migrate. By 1500, cultures in the South included Creek, Cherokee, Catawba, Choctaw, Chitimacha, and Coushatta, from Europe English, Scottish, Irish, and German, and Africans from Senegal to Congo. Baskets were integral in daily life, as agricultural equipment for gathering, sifting, storing, and serving the finished product or as receptacles for tools, clothes, sacred objects, and even infants.
Initially each culture had its own preferred basket material and method of manufacture — twilled rivercane for Native Americans, plaited oak for Europeans, and coiled grasses for Africans. Interaction between groups spurred adaptations to changing circumstances, such as the use of white oak by the Cherokee in the 1800s, as rivercane stands were decimated by European settlements. Native Americans also adopted the European picnic, flower, egg, and market baskets to sell in the 20th-century art market. Native and European Americans wove honeysuckle into baskets after 1854, when introduced from Japan. By the 17th century African Americans discovered bulrush along the coasts, coiling it into large, round “fanners” to winnow rice. Later bulrush was one medium among sweetgrass, pine needles, and palmetto, giving rise to the name “sweetgrass baskets” along the coast.
Baskets were woven not only for use in the fields and homes or for sale in art galleries but also as a connection to ancestors and spirits, as designs were said to come from inside one’s head, from memories of one’s mother’s motifs, or from the Creator. Indeed, working with one’s hands in nature to gather materials and to form them into a basket was considered spiritually and physically healthy, becoming a part of the practice of occupational therapy around World War I.
Today, basketweavers in the South from all three traditions are teaching the next generation to continue this art. Artists from across the region work with old and new materials in old and new forms, innovating for their legacy, for art’s sake, and for political causes, as embodied in the varied vessels in this gallery and epitomized in the virtuosic miniature examples in the case at right.
Thanks to a special arrangement with the North Pole, Santa Claus will be visiting the Aquarium every day (except for Wednesdays and Thursdays) from November 24 to December 23 during the hours of 10:00am to 4:00pm! Stop by to let him know what you want for Christmas!
Photos with Santa are available
*General Admission Required
https://www.facebook.com/events/311043353071258/
Come get your Fairy Hair Sparkles!
Sing up below!
At Christmas, we have the opportunity to find renewed hope and joy in the overwhelming love of a God who is with us. Join us for our Christmas Services as we discover hope and life through the story and through the songs of Christmas. Service times include: 9:00 & 11:00 a.m. | 1:00 p.m.
Christmas Services at BCC are a wonderful time to invite your family and friends to sit with you at church. Come celebrate with us! Experience practical teaching and excellent music. Children’s programming available at all services.
https://www.facebook.com/events/220178288896555/?event_time_id=220178295563221
That’s right, all-you-can-eat CRAB LEGS! ? ? Our mouths are already watering here at #TIEC. Join us every Sunday at Campagna Italian Cuisine from 11am-8pm to feast on delicious crab legs along with salad, corn, potatoes and green beans for $32.95 a person. For questions, call 828-863-1127 or email [email protected].
https://www.facebook.com/events/713047739051461/
FREE Santa Photos are back at Asheville Outlets (ShopAshevilleOutlets.com)! From November 17th through December 24th, every family who visits Santa will receive two FREE 4”x6” Santa photo prints and a digital download of a single image. Additional photos and Christmas merchandise are available for purchase. FREE Santa photo is sponsored by Great Beginnings Great Smiles; the FREE Santa photo set is sponsored by North Carolina Arboretum Winter Lights.
Santa’s Photo Hours are:
11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday – Saturday, Sundays, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. and Christmas Eve, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Santa takes a break to feed his reindeer weekdays and Saturdays: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. + 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Sundays, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Located at food court. One giveaway per family, per Christmas season. Some restrictions may apply, valid only through December 24, 2018.
During the month of December, local artist Scott Mills will be featured in the FW Gallery at Woolworth Walk.
Scott Mills was born in Detroit, MI in 1977. He works predominately in the mediums of oil and acrylic paints. Scott is completely self-taught in his artistic career and credits his study of music as a young child for opening his imagination and leading to his love for the visual arts. His work is derived from a deep love of nature and a desire to turn the feelings of awe, mystery, gratitude and love into visual depictions that can inspire the same feelings in the viewer. Scott has his artwork included in private collections across North America and Europe. He regularly takes part in group exhibitions and solo shows across the United States. He resides in the mountains of Asheville, NC with his wife and two children.
Come meet Scott and enjoy the opening reception on First Friday, December 7th from 5-7 pm.
https://www.facebook.com/events/333772250534934/?event_time_id=333772340534925
Our last brunch of the year takes place on Sunday, December 23rd! We know lots of folks will have family and friends in town for Christmas, so let us feed ’em on Sunday while you put the finishing touches on your Christmas eve and Christmas day menus. Tasty eats, good company, and plenty of mimosas to be had. Walk-ins are welcome, but if you want to ensure your spot or have a large group, email us at [email protected].
https://www.facebook.com/events/351408395623788/
As Virginia Woolf said, “one cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” Food and water are essential for survival, but mankind’s relationship to food has transformed over time from one of sustenance to one laden with personal and cultural significance.
A Matter of Taste explores depictions of food and drink in art and reveals how images of fruits and vegetables can function as complex metaphors for excess, status, memory, and politics. Drawn from southern museums and private collections, this exhibition showcases over 35 paintings, decorative arts, and works on paper by artists such as Andy Warhol, Wayne Thiebaud, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Claes Oldenburg.
This show spans 400 years and multiple continents, revealing the evolving role of food and drink in various media and cultural contexts. While depictions of fruit and vegetables appeared in ancient times, still life painting as an independent genre dates to 16th-century Holland.
In 19th-century America, still life paintings remained popular but evolved in terms of subject matter, media, and message. Painters such as Thomas Wightman, George Forster, and De Scott Evans embraced Dutch still lifes and used food as commentary on the current political climate and the transient state of the human condition.
Illustrated newspapers led to an increase of cartoons by artists such as Winslow Homer and William Hogarth, who utilized food and drink as social satire. The 20th-century modern art movement further changed the perception of food. The culture of mass production enabled Pop artists to elevate seemingly mundane foodstuffs to high art. Yet, other contemporary artists explored the symbolic and nostalgic role of food seen in works by Tim Tate, Linda Armstrong, and Laquita Thomson.
Visitors will also experience an elaborately set dining table fit for a sumptuous feast. Dining became its own art form over time and communicated one’s social standing and wealth. Each of the table’s six place settings represent a different culture and offer a glimpse into global dining customs. Selective drinkware will accompany this section revealing how tea sets and even punch bowls reflected an owner’s prestige.
Whit’s Asheville South in Gerber Village just turned 3 years old & we’re celebrating our birthday by having our BIGGEST SALE of the year! ?? ONLY this Sunday, Dec. 23rd, BUY 1 GET 1 FREE on all Menu Board items AND Quarts & Pints (excludes Whitties & cakes). Celebrate with us and SAVE BIG! Stop in TODAY! We’re open from noon until 9 PM. This offer good ONLY at Whit’s Asheville South in Gerber Village Shopping Center. #itsourbirthday #bogosale #whitsashevillesouth #gerbervillage
https://www.facebook.com/events/2034389269973151/
Asheville’s newest downtown market!
Featuring Conscious Consumption, Craft & Conversation.
Calling all revolutionary hearts and wild spirited folks! Join us for craft and creative makers, mountain medicine, and metaphysics. This is an opportunity to get cozy with an amazing community of local vendors. Come for your handcrafted holiday gifts and stay for personal enjoyment!
Visit us on 2nd & 3rd SUNDAYS after your brunch or church of choice and see what’s happening!
Hey Sinners!
Alright now. For the third year in a row our pals in Asheville Second Line will be adding some NOLA-tinged brassiness to our December Gospel Brunch at Redneck Mimosa. A ridiculously embarrassing amount of fun will be had by all in attendance. Don’t miss this one, friends. Do not falalalalalalalala miss this one.
Sunday, December 23, 12noon-3pm
Gospel Brunch with Redneck Mimosa and Asheville Second Line
Food + Music + Beer = Hallelujahtime!
No cover charge of any sort or manner
https://www.facebook.com/events/2200476153316764/