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.

Saturday, December 18, 2021
Inversion Workshop with instructor Renee
Dec 18 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Down Dog Yoga Studio and Dog Bar

Inversion Workshop with instructor Renee - $35

Want to work on your handstands and other inversions to get your feet up and work on your strength? This one’s for you!

This will be a workshop for all levels! We’ll learn breathwork to prep the body for practice/inversions, as well as poses, drills and transitions.

Everything is optional, and the class will be taught from the ground up and yoga buffet style. Meaning, the most accessible posture is taught first, moving up towards inversions. The practitioner has full autonomy over how far they want to go and are cued to stay or play, knowing they can come out or take it up whenever they choose.

The Layout

2 Hours

Intro and Breathwork-20-30 minutes

Asana-1 Hour and 15 minutes

Breathwork and Savasana-15 minutes

This workshop is $35. If you have a yoga membership, email or DM us for a 10% off discount code!

Sweeten Creek Brewing Anniversary Holiday Pop-Up Brewery!
Dec 18 @ 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Sweeten Creek Brewing Co

This year we are doing something a little different to celebrate our 6TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

Come out on Saturday, December 18th and show you’re love for us, while also indulging in all the Holiday cheer!

We will have special beer releases. Food specials by Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ. All the holiday music. Photo opportunities and allllll the ugly sweaters!

FREE Photos with Santa at Asheville Outlets
Dec 18 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Asheville Outlets

Visit Asheville Outlets for FREE photos with Santa by TapSnap Phototainment from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, November 28, 2021 and Saturdays & Sundays, December 4 & 5, December 11 & 12 and December 18 & 19, 2021. Located in the center circle in front of Nike Factory Store. Visitors will receive one FREE 4” by 6” photo and digital download of a single image (while supplies last). For more information, visit ShopAshevilleOutlets.com.

FREE SANTA PHOTOS
Dec 18 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Asheville Outlets

FREE SANTA PHOTOS

 

Visit Asheville Outlets for FREE photos with Santa by TapSnap Phototainment from on Saturdays and Sundays, November 27 & 28, December 4 & 5, December 11 &12, and December 18 & 19, located in the center circle in front of Nike Factory Store.

Visitors receive one FREE  4” by 6” photo and digital download of a single image (while supplies last).

 

PUBLIC TOUR Intersections in American Art
Dec 18 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Heather Carson, light/ALBERS: Cool White/Neutral White/Warm White, 2009, fluorescent lights, aluminum pipe, Speed-Rail, and conduit fittings, edition 2 of 3, 31 × 31 × 7 ½ inches. 2020 Collectors’ Circle purchase. © Heather Carson.

Today’s public tour is led by Bonnie Cooper, touring docent.

PUBLIC TOURS

Join docents for tours of the Museum’s Collection and special exhibitions. No reservations are required.

Public Tour at Asheville Art Museum: Intersections in American Art
Dec 18 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Heather Carson, light/ALBERS: Cool White/Neutral White/Warm White, 2009, fluorescent lights, aluminum pipe, Speed-Rail, and conduit fittings, edition 2 of 3, 31 × 31 × 7 ½ inches. 2020 Collectors’ Circle purchase. © Heather Carson.

Today’s public tour is led by Bonnie Cooper, touring docent.

PUBLIC TOURS

Join docents for tours of the Museum’s Collection and special exhibitions. No reservations are required.

The Hop releases Bountiful Cities Series Sweet Potato Candied Pecan Ice Cream
Dec 18 @ 1:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Hop- various locations see below
An Online Store Release!
The Bountiful Cities Series consists of regular, small-batch ice cream flavors made with ingredients grown and harvested from the local elementary school FEAST gardens! It is also meant to be a tool to help promote the food-related programs for the schools/students in Asheville and Buncombe County.
What is the newest flavor?
Sweet Potato w/ Candied Pecans

North Asheville

640 Merrimon Ave
Asheville, NC 28804

828.254.2224

More Info »


West Asheville

721 Haywood Rd
Asheville, NC 28806

828.252.5155

More Info »


Downtown Asheville

S&W Building
56 Patton Ave
Asheville, NC 28801

More Info »


Black Mountain

114 Cherry Street
Black Mountain, NC 28711

828.357.5461

More Info »


The Creamery

167 Haywood Road
Asheville, NC 28806

828.774.5058

More Info »

‘HOLIDAY’ HEY ASHEVILLE TOUR
Dec 18 @ 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
LaZoom

Start your new holiday tradition with LaZoom! Our top rated Hey Asheville Tour gets an extra dose of holiday cheer for the season. We’ll laugh all the way as the purple bus roams the historical streets of Asheville as you learn new holiday traditions, and meet colorful characters that are sure to bring joy to the world.

Historical and hysterical, The Hey Asheville tour features outrageously entertaining tour guides, outlandish comedy skits complete with special appearances and loads of Asheville information. You’ll get to see the best of downtown Asheville and the rarely seen but stunningly beautiful Montford neighborhood, not to mention the burgeoning River Arts District! You’ve never had a ride like this. It’s like a vaudeville show on wheels!

Find out what makes Asheville so unique on LaZoom’s City Comedy Tour. It’s the perfect mix of history, comedy, and entertainment. Our guides are trained professional actors working with an original script. It’s like a theatre on wheels! The tour highlights downtown Asheville, historic neighborhoods, the South Slope, and the River Arts District.

5th Annual Ugly Sweater Bar Crawl
Dec 18 @ 2:00 pm – 10:00 pm
South Slope Bars

Join us for the 5th Annual Ugly Sweater Crawl! Get that Goodwill sweater, find those tacky holiday pants, and get ready to jingle bell ROCK on Dec. 18th, 2021. And make it to the end and get your holiday T-shirt!

Ticket Includes:
🎅 Holiday T-shirt (design coming soon)*
🎅 Ugly Sweater Crawl Koozie
🎅 Christmas movie live stream trivia during crawl for prizes
🎅 Registration party to kick off the crawl
🎅 Themed Discounted Drink specials at participating bars
🎅 DJ’s playing holiday music at multiple stops
🎅 Ugly Sweater Digital Crawl Map to help guide you bar to bar
🎅 Ugly Sweater After Party
*Sizes S-3X available. All get a shirt at after party but sizes not guaranteed.

A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas
Dec 18 @ 2:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas

A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas

Please note: Proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test and masks will be required at the performance. For more information on our COVID-19 safety protocols, please click here.

The tradition continues on the Rock after going virtual! Bring the whole family to this dazzling holiday celebration, Playhouse-style! An all-new show with the same great spirit and quality, A Playhouse Christmas 2021 will feature many seasonal classics along with several new adaptations and medleys. Showcasing a cast of Flat Rock favorites, this song and dance revue is sure to bring you great holiday joy!

Carolina Christmas Show
Dec 18 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Municipal Event Center

Share the joy & magic of the Christmas season with your friends & family at the 2021 Carolina Christmas Show, a dazzling production of live music, dance, & comedy! This heartwarming Broadway-style show features the finest performers from Western NC & special guest artists presenting sacred and secular Christmas favorites, including Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, O Holy Night, Jingle Bells, and Go Tell it On the Mountain. Relax, unplug, & experience the Carolina Christmas Show, a celebration of the true spirit of Christmas that’s sure to become an annual tradition! Now in its fourth season, the show will be performed at the Municipal Event Center in downtown Marion, North Carolina (approx. 40 minutes from Asheville) on Friday, December 17th at 7:30 PM, Saturday, December 18th at 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM, and Sunday, December 19th at 2:00 PM, 2021.

Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory
Dec 18 @ 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
The Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness

a christmas memory.jpg

Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory

Truman Capote’s story, A Christmas Memory, will be presented as a one-man show by actor and theologian E.R. Haire, Jr. at The Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness. Performances will be held in the Wilderness Room at the following times:

  • Friday, December 17 at 7pm

  • Saturday, December 18 at 2pm and 7pm

  • Sunday, December 19 at 2pm

The show is free to the public, but attendance is limited to 35 people per performance and RSVP is required. Face masks covering nose and mouth and physical distancing are required.  Temperatures will be taken at the door.

A Christmas Memory  takes place during the Great Depression of the 1930s.  Until he was ten years old, Truman Capote lived with elderly relatives in a small town in rural Alabama. The story is a frankly autobiographical account of those years, especially of his relationship with one of the elderly cousins, Miss Sook Faulk.

UNCA Men’s Basketball vs. East Tennessee State University
Dec 18 @ 2:00 pm
KIMMEL ARENA

UNC Asheville | Athletics Ticketing

On Golden Pond a Readers Theatre Showcase
Dec 18 @ 2:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

On Golden Pond

Tickets are not on sale yet. Please check back closer to the event date.

Only Ethel has found the key to humoring and being supportive of her husband, Norman, a disagreeable and difficult retiree. When their grown daughter, Chelsea, visits them at their vacation cabin on beautiful Golden Pond along with her new fiance’ Billy Ray, and his son Billy Ray Jr., she hopes that Billy Ray Jr. and Norman will bond. As for Chelsea, she tries to repair the long strained relationship she’s had with her aging father before it’s too late.


Friday and Saturday performances are held at Asheville Community Theatre; Sunday performances are held at the Reuter Center on the campus of UNCA. All shows at 2:30 pm.


Please come prepared to wear a mask for the entire performance. Masking requirements at ACT may change based on the recommendation of federal and/or state health officials; please check our website for ACT’s most up-to-date masking policy. **Reuter Center at UNCA may have different masking requirements than ACT, please check the UNCA website for venue policies.**


All sales final. No exchanges or returns.

Spider-Man: No Way Home
Dec 18 @ 3:00 pm
Asheville Pizza Brewing Co

Visual search query image

BE ONE OF THE FIRST IN WNC TO SEE IT!

THE MOST ANTICIPATED MOVIE OF THE YEAR!

For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a Superhero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange, the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.  (Running Time = 2 hours 30 minutes)

Asheville’s Winter Wonder Walk – A Family Holiday Event
Dec 18 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Adventure Center of Asheville

December 10, 11, 17, 18, and 19th.

The Winter Wonder Walk transports you inside a winter storybook where our actors bring to life the wonderful world of Winterland, and set you on a quest to find Jack Frost. Your senses will be dazzled by this completely immersive experience. After the Winter Wonder Walk Trail, a warm cozy festival tents welcomes you back to Mrs. Clause’s Kitchen with Cookies For A Clause, kids activities, a stocking stuffer market with local vendors, and concessions.
For more information, visit www.winterwonderwalk.com.

Our Memories Making Meals program will donate 4 meals to MANNA Foodbank from each ticket. Memories Making Meals is a continuation of The Haunted Trail’s BOO To Hunger program which has donated 38,400 meals in 2 years. Have a memorable family friendly night out while supporting MANNA Foodbank!

The Winter Wonder Walk is produced in collaboration with Asheville Plays!, the creators of The Haunted Trail, The Conundrum, and The Adventure Center of Asheville. We are excited to bring you another treasured part of your family’s holiday tradition.

For more information, visit www.winterwonderwalk.com.

Festival of Lights at Lake Julian Park
Dec 18 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Image result for Festival of Light lake julian

Tickets must be purchased online this year. Your ticket is valid for a one-time use any night of the festival; tickets are not date-specific.

  • $10 for personal vehicles (standard cars/vans)
  • $25 for sprinter vans, trailblazers, and conversion vans
  • $50 for buses and motorcoaches
  • 20% of the proceeds benefit Special Olympics Buncombe County

Lake Julian Festival of Lights has become a tradition for many mountain families and visitors. Visitors are invited to watch the lights twinkle over the lake and listen to their favorite seasonal tunes while driving through the magical wonderland.

Lake Julian Festival of Lights takes place nightly from December 1-23 from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Please check our Facebook page for information on closings due to winter weather.

RISING APPALACHIA
Dec 18 @ 6:00 pm
Salvage Station

Rising Appalachia

A NOTE FROM RISING APPALACHIA:

We bring you music, cheer, warm fires, and hot harmonies in celebration of the longest night of the year.  After 2 years of break, we bring our solstice celebration back to the people of the south to warm the internal hearth for the winter to come.  Featuring the full band and songs from our new album, come cozy and dressed in your finest to celebrate joy and revelry with us. This concert is in support of MANNA Food Bank.

MANNA FoodBank, based in Asheville, NC, serves communities across the 16 western-most counties of North Carolina through a network of 250+ dedicated partners, providing food with hope and dignity to people struggling to afford groceries. For every dollar donated, MANNA helps provide 4 meals to our neighbors across the mountains ($1 = 4 MEALS). In 2020-2021, MANNA served more than 125,000 people each month, and distributed enough food for more than 21 million meals. To learn more about MANNA and to get involved, visit mannafoodbank.org.

ABOUT RISING APPALACHIA:

As world travelers for nearly two decades, Rising Appalachia have merged multiple global music influences with their own southern roots to create the inviting new folk album, Leylines. Remarkably the band has built its legion of listeners independently — a self-made success story that has led to major festival appearances and sold-out shows at venues across the country.

Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum
Dec 18 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights returns to the gardens November 19-January 1

Tickets are now sold PER VEHICLE, not per person.

We are thrilled to announce that the 2021 Winter Lights holiday event will welcome members and guests back into the gardens as it returns to the traditional outdoor walk-through open-air show format. The famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden will be back, outfitted with new designs in lights, while throughout the gardens, popular arrangements will mingle with ones never seen before.

You can find everything you need to know about Asheville’s Brightest Holiday Tradition at the tabs above, and be sure to secure your tickets now.

We hope you will join us this holiday season!

 

Winter Lights is the Arboretum’s largest annual fundraiser, and supports many parts of its mission driven programming.

The Montford Moppets: A (slightly chaotic) Christmas Carol!
Dec 18 @ 6:30 pm
Wesley Grant Southside Center

Our best rising stars are still going and are bringing you this seasonal classic. This year it’s the Moppets own interpretation of Dickens’ well-known story, and they are keen to bring you something that’s great fun for the whole family.

This year, a cast of 10 youth actors will randomly draw their roles for each performance just before showtime, giving every audience a fresh take on the heart-warming holiday tale every time!

This one’s going to be GREAT!
Chelsea Handler: Vaccinated and Horny Tour
Dec 18 @ 7:00 pm
Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

 

 

Chelsea Handler

Kings vs. Hurricanes
Dec 18 @ 7:00 pm
PNC Arena

More Info for Hurricanes vs. Kings

Local Experimental Music
Dec 18 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Revolve

A night of experimental ambient music with three of Asheville’s best: Kimathi Moore, Spectral Habitat and Farewell Phoenix!

The show begins at 7pm, with a $5-$10 suggested donation for the artists. Masks required, all ages.

Hope to see you there!

Spider-Man: No Way Home
Dec 18 @ 7:00 pm
Asheville Pizza Brewing Co

Visual search query image

BE ONE OF THE FIRST IN WNC TO SEE IT!

THE MOST ANTICIPATED MOVIE OF THE YEAR!

For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a Superhero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange, the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.  (Running Time = 2 hours 30 minutes)

 

The Holly Jolly Christmas Trolley Tour
Dec 18 @ 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm
Departs From: Olde World Christmas Shoppe

  • FACE COVERINGS REQUIRED ONBOARD AT ALL TIMES.

    Highlights

    • Hop on board the Holly Jolly Christmas Trolley for a fun and festive celebration of the season featuring the sights and sounds of the holidays!
    • This seasonal favorite features an entertaining blend of holiday storytelling and traditional Christmas caroling.  Enjoy stories of local lore and holiday traditions, then join-in with our on-board musician singing classic carols and songs of Christmas. And all the while the Holly Jolly Trolley is rolling past festive holiday decorations in downtown Asheville, Biltmore Village and the Montford and Grove Park neighborhoods.
    • This has all the makings of a jolly good family tradition!

    Good to Know

    • Haven’t been caroling in a while?  Not to worry! Songbooks will be provided for use during the tour.
    • Please note, you will see Christmas lights on this tour, however, it is not a “lights tour.” Caroling and storytelling take center stage on the Holly Jolly Trolley.
    • Trolleys are heated and enclosed with clear vinyl roll-down curtains.

    Exclusions

     

    • Gratuities
Carolina Christmas Show
Dec 18 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Municipal Event Center

Share the joy & magic of the Christmas season with your friends & family at the 2021 Carolina Christmas Show, a dazzling production of live music, dance, & comedy! This heartwarming Broadway-style show features the finest performers from Western NC & special guest artists presenting sacred and secular Christmas favorites, including Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, O Holy Night, Jingle Bells, and Go Tell it On the Mountain. Relax, unplug, & experience the Carolina Christmas Show, a celebration of the true spirit of Christmas that’s sure to become an annual tradition! Now in its fourth season, the show will be performed at the Municipal Event Center in downtown Marion, North Carolina (approx. 40 minutes from Asheville) on Friday, December 17th at 7:30 PM, Saturday, December 18th at 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM, and Sunday, December 19th at 2:00 PM, 2021.

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol A Play With Music
Dec 18 @ 7:30 pm
North Carolina Stage Company w/ Virtual option

This two man adaptation is a fast-paced and imaginative production that combines Dickens’ brilliant original text with both traditional and unexpected Christmas music, along with  old-fashioned foley-style sound effects. These dynamic performers beautifully impart this epic, timeless story of discovery of the heart, appealing to both adults and children in a fresh way.

$25.00 Virtual Tickets at See Upcoming Dates for Zoom – A Christmas Carol at North Carolina (thundertix.com)

Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some)
Dec 18 @ 7:30 pm
Haywood Arts Regional Theater

 

HART’s Main Stage

 

We all love Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday classic, but sometimes we need to switch it up… and why tell one story when we can tell them all?! In this madcap holiday romp, three actors decide to perform every Christmas story ever told — plus Christmas traditions from around the world, seasonal icons from ancient times to topical pop-culture, and every carol ever sung.  Hold on tight as you take a tinsel-covered roller coaster ride bursting with laughter, carols, and joy, and prepare to leave with more Holiday spirit than you can carry.

GREENVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA HOLIDAY AT PEACE
Dec 18 @ 7:30 pm
Peace Center Concert Hall

Holiday at Peace

WSPA TV’s Jamarcus Gaston hosts a program filled with your holiday favorites including music from “The Nutcracker” and “Frozen.” Special guests include International Ballet, acclaimed soprano and South Carolina native Karen Parks, and Santa himself!

IT’S THE MOST _____ TIME OF THE YEAR: OIL ON CANVAS
Dec 18 @ 7:30 pm
Magnetic Theatre

It’s Thanksgiving Eve, and Jean and Doug couldn’t be more excited about the holiday season. The halls are decked, the trees are up, and the kids, Rosemary and Bing, will be arriving any minute. Son-in-law Mike and new grandbaby Suzie round out the family gathering, and loving tolerance and charity abounds. But Jean has arranged a surprise for them all that makes them question her sanity, and as Thanksgiving Day dawns, the family must decide: How far will they go to make Jean’s ultimate Christmas wish come true?