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.
Blue Jean Ball is MANNA’s annual “party for a purpose,” with all proceeds benefitting MANNA’s daily work to provide food to thousands of families across Western North Carolina that are struggling to make ends meet. With every dollar raised, MANNA can provide the food for 3.5 meals… your very presence is valuable! So, come party with us. Whether you dress for our theme, wear jeans, or dress like a queen, you can have a great time knowing you are helping provide the most basic necessity in life: food!
Hang Loose with Friends at the Best Outdoor Party of the Year
This annual sell-out event on the sunny shores of MANNA’s waterfront campus along the Swannanoa River features small plate grazing from 20 favorite local restaurants, an open bar with great selections of beer and wine from Empire Distributing, and an amazing live band that keeps the dance floor packed all night long! Tickets move fast, so don’t wait!
Grab your Longboard and catch a wave to MANNA!
Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.
Gangsters and gamblers, missionaries and showgirls are in town and on the Main Stage at Hendersonville Community Theatre, May 18th through June 3rd. Yes, it’s Guys and Dolls – Broadway’s perfect musical comedy about gambling men and the women who long to tame them! Tickets are $15-$26 and are available online at HendersonvilleTheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at (828) 692-1082.
Set against the backdrop of 1940s New York City, Guys and Dolls features one of the greatest musical scores in the history of American theatre, with hits that include: “I’ve Never Been in Love Before,” “Take Back Your Mink” and “Luck, Be a Lady.”
Hendersonville Community Theatre is located at 229 South Washington Street. For tickets or more information contact us at 828-692-1082 or online at HendersonvilleTheatre.org

The 15th annual Hunter Subaru WNC Flyer (formerly called Fletcher Flyer) will be held in the “Cycling Capital of the South”, Brevard, NC. The start/finish will be at Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard, NC. What better way to spend the day than with a Bike Ride, Bluegrass, BBQ and a complimentary first Brew!
Riders will have their choice of a full century, metric century, half century, and half metric rides which wind through the valleys south of Asheville, NC. Although it is the least hilly ride in Western North Carolina, it has plenty of rolling hills to keep all riders interested. There is beautiful mountain scenery without the long mountain climbs. The Flyer is a ride for everyone from first time riders to experience riders.
This is a fully supported ride with six well-stocked rest stops and an after ride party, including BBQ, a Bluegrass band, a beer (1st beer compliments of Oskar Blues) and a root beer float shooter.
Center for Honeybee Research has its Annual Black Jar Honey Tasting & Cocktail Event fundraiser on June 5, 5:30-7:30 at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Asheville (on Woodfin St.). Two ticket levels: Everyone gets to taste the 30 finalist honey entries from all over the world, enjoy appetizers, full bar, music, a silent auction, a raffle and more, surrounded by views from the top floor of the setting sun and the rooftop hives maintained by CHBR; VIP ticketholders also get to vote for the People’s Choice award. Tickets and info available at http://honeybeeresearch.org.
The Whale in West Asheville will host the brewers from TRVE Brewing Co. on Thursday, June 7th. TRVE, out of Denver, CO, is known for making awesome mixed fermentation beers. Draft and package selections available.
Come shoot the breeze about beer, metal, and all things that rock!

Join thousands of animal lovers for a celebration of compassionate living in one of the top vegan-friendly cities in the country: Asheville, NC! Brother Wolf Animal Rescue’s 4th annual Asheville VeganFest, will take place June 8-10th. This year’s tagline “save the animals, save the earth” will focus on animal agriculture as the #1 cause of climate change, mass species extinction, and animal cruelty.
On Friday and Saturday, speakers from around the country will tackle the latest vegan issues at The Orange Peel. Speakers include Jane Velez-Mitchell (of Jane Unchained), Dr. Garth Davis (featured in Forks Over Knives, and medical director of Mission Hospital Weight Management Center), Sailesh Rao (co-producer of Cowspiracy), Earthling Ed (co-founder and co-director of Surge, a creative grassroots animal rights organization), and more!
This year during VeganFest weekend, Brother Wolf will also be hosting two nights of entertainment at The Orange Peel, featuring comedian Lee Camp on Friday and afrobeat musical guests Antibalas on Saturday. Tickets, starting at $14, can be purchased at www.theorangepeel.net. All proceeds will benefit the Brother Wolf Animal Sanctuary and the work Brother Wolf is doing to save thousands of animals each year.
On Sunday, enjoy an outdoor festival at Pack Square with over 75 vendors showcasing vegan food, beer, lifestyle products, educational speakers, and more!
Asheville VeganFest events are free and open to the public, except for ticketed benefit shows on Friday and Saturday nights.
All proceeds from Asheville VeganFest will benefit Brother Wolf Animal Rescue’s tireless work to promote Uncompromised Compassion and build No-Kill communities.
Visit www.veganfest.bwar.org for a full schedule of the weekend’s events, speakers, and vendors.
Aloha y’all! This June at Highland, you can surf the waves of flavor with Hawaiian Lounge Juice. This extra IPA is a swell of passionfruit, mango, and tropical hop aromas that create the perfect paradise in a glass.
Get your hula skirts and Hawaiian shirts ready to celebrate this totally tubular brew on June 8!
The Blind Pig will be cooking up some Hawaiian classics that’ll go right along with a cold pint of Hawaiian Lounge Juice! Their menu will feature luau roasted pork, fresh poke bowls, honey garlic shrimp, and grilled spam skewers.
Special Affair will be playing live from 7-9pm, so don’t miss out on good vibes, good food, good music, and some most excellent beer!
Tunnel Road Tap Haus will host Sierra Nevada and Farm Burger for a Summer Vacation Takeover on Friday, June 8th from 5:30-8:30pm. Kick off summer with Grass-fed burgers, beer, and live music from Edwards & Minguez!
About the Festival:
Asheville VeganFest is a celebration of compassionate living in one of the country’s top-rated vegan-friendly cities. Now in its fourth year, Asheville VeganFest is better than ever, with a broad and diverse mix of A-list speakers and a great line-up of night time entertainment! Over 15,000 visitors from all walks of life are expected to attend this free, family-friendly, inspiring (and not to mention delicious) 3 day long celebration!
About Lee Camp:
From Redacted Tonight, Comedian & Writer Lee Camp comes to The Orange Peel to perform during Asheville VeganFest to Benefit Brother Wolf Animal Sanctuary. Lee is the head writer and host of the national TV show Redacted Tonight with Lee Camp on RT America. He’s a former contributor to The Onion, former staff humor writer for the Huffington Post, and his web series
“Moment of Clarity” has been viewed by millions. He’s toured the country and the world with his fierce brand of standup comedy, and George Carlin’s daughter Kelly said he’s one of the few comics keeping her father’s torch lit. Bill Hicks’s brother Steve said Lee is one of only a handful with Bill’s “message and passion.” For more go to LeeCamp.net.
“An incredibly funny man.” –John Oliver
“An amazing writer and a great political thinker. He’s the change you and I want to see.” -Janeane Garofalo
“Imagine Jon Stewart if he gave a damn. He’s like Howard Zinn after 12 beers.” -David Swanson
Join us for an evening of amazing music and stand up comedy to benefit Brother Wolf Animal Sanctuary during Asheville VeganFest weekend! Featuring Antibalas, an American, Brooklyn-based afrobeat band and Lee Camp, comedian and independent news reporter!
About the Festival:
Asheville VeganFest is a celebration of compassionate living in one of the country’s top-rated vegan-friendly cities. Now in its fourth year, Asheville VeganFest is better than ever, with a broad and diverse mix of A-list speakers and a great line-up of night time entertainment! Over 15,000 visitors from all walks of life are expected to attend this free, family-friendly, inspiring (and not to mention delicious) 3 day long celebration!
About Antibalas:
The musical collective known as Antibalas (Spanish for bullet-proof or anti-bullets) was conceived of in Mexico City and formed in Brooklyn New York. The early nucleus of the group was composed of the band’s founder Martín Perna and included several members from the Soul Providers / Dap Kings band, performing their first show in May 1998 in Harlem, NY. Soon after, Lagos, Nigeria native Amayo joined the band after seeing the band at a neighborhood concert. Fluent in the afrobeat music of Fela, he began composing and performing lyrics and assuming the role of the group’s lead vocalist / frontman.
The band began rehearsing and composing at Desco 41st street studios and later at the first Daptone Studios at Amayo’s Afro Spot venue. They spent their first year performing exclusively in noncommercial spaces in lofts, community centers, parks, art galleries. In August 1999, they created a weekly residence called Africalia at Tribeca club NoMoore that ran for 18 months, where the band and repertoire expanded. In 2001, following their debut record (reissued independently, then licensed to Ninja Tune) they began touring internationally, from Glastonbury, Montreux to Newport Jazz and other renowned rock, jazz and world music festivals. Around 2003, following their third album “Who Is This America,” the Dap Kings and Antibalas both became very busy, each group developed its separate full-time lineup although the groups would remain close, later reuniting with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and Charles Bradley for the 2014 Daptone Super Soul Revue across summer festivals and theaters in Europe and culminating in a three night run at New York’s Apollo Theater. The group toured heavily performing over one hundred shows per year spread across North America and Europe between 2002 and 2007 with the releases of their third album, “Who Is This America”, and fourth, “Security”.
From 2007-2012 many members and former members of the Antibalas participated in the Tony-Award winning Broadway musical FELA!, including the show’s musical director Aaron Johnson, lead saxophonist Stuart Bogie, and assistant MD trumpeter Jordan McLean. In 2011, the group returned to the Daptone House of Soul to record their most recent album, “Antibalas” produced by emeritus member Gabriel Roth. The group toured heavily throughout the US and Europe, and later that year, performed songs from the album live on NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Antibalas has recorded five studio albums on the Daptone, Ninja Tune, Anti-, and Ropeadope labels as well as a number of singles and EPs. The band is currently finishing their sixth studio album due out in mid-2017. Though recognized for their fluency in Afrobeat and funk music, the band is known to collaborate with diverse groups and artists, from Angélique Kidjo to Jovanotti to Medeski Martin & Wood to Public Enemy, and served as the house band at Carnegie Hall in 2014 (Music of Paul Simon), 2015
(Music of David Byrne & Talking Heads) and most recently 2017’s Music of Aretha Franklin. The Antibalas horns have performed on Grammy award-winning albums by Angelique Kidjo, and Mark Ronson and dozens of albums, sound tracks and live guest appearances with artists including The Roots, My Morning Jacket, TV on the Radio, Santigold, Jovanotti, Nneka, Ed Sheeran, Alabama Shakes, The String Cheese Incident and numerous others. Former Antibalas members have gone on to record and perform with The Dap Kings, Arcade Fire, Mark Ronson, the Black Keys, the Arks, Menahan Street Band, the El Michels Affair, Iron and Wine, Bat For Lashes, and Imogen Heap.
antibalas.com
About Lee Camp:
From Redacted Tonight, Comedian & Writer Lee Camp comes to The Orange Peel to perform during Asheville VeganFest to Benefit Brother Wolf Animal Sanctuary. Lee is the head writer and host of the national TV show Redacted Tonight with Lee Camp on RT America. He’s a former contributor to The Onion, former staff humor writer for the Huffington Post, and his web series
“Moment of Clarity” has been viewed by millions. He’s toured the country and the world with his fierce brand of standup comedy, and George Carlin’s daughter Kelly said he’s one of the few comics keeping her father’s torch lit. Bill Hicks’s brother Steve said Lee is one of only a handful with Bill’s “message and passion.”
For more go to leecamp.com
“An incredibly funny man.” –John Oliver
“An amazing writer and a great political thinker. He’s the change you and I want to see.” -Janeane Garofalo
“Imagine Jon Stewart if he gave a damn. He’s like Howard Zinn after 12 beers.” -David Swanson
Get ready to move to the beat with Hip Hop at Highland! Instructor Illysa Hamlin will lead you through an hour-long workout routine that will burn those calories and prepare you for your next music video audition. No previous dance experience is necessary and all are welcome. And, of course, stay around afterward for a cold pint of Highland beer. You’ll have earned it!
$8 per person
Every Monday at Bhramari Brewing, enjoy a team-style “pub quiz” with Geeks Who Drink. Prizes will be given out for the top 3 teams!
Join Burial Beer at the taproom for a discussion of all things beer and non-beer related. They’ll be joined by TRVE Brewing and Troubadour Maltings from CO, the collaborators for the fifth release of the Ambient Terrain Series.
Tickets are $10 at the door and include a branded glass to keep, access to the talk, and shared beers from TRVE. Tickets will be available starting at 5pm.
On Tuesday, June 12th, Wicked Weed Brewing will host Common Thread: A Sour Beer and Wine Dinner in the Funkatorium Biergarten.
The dinner will be “4 course family style” and each course will be paired with a hand selected sour beer and wine.
Featuring:
Founder of Wicked Weed Brewing, Walt Dickinson
Founder of Mouton Noir Wines, André Hueston Mack
James Beard Nominated Chef Jacob Sessoms of Table
Menu:
Wood roasted early summer vegetables & bitter greens with trout caviar crema.
Carolina corn & buckwheat polenta, smoked pork, sheep’s cheese and herbs.
Grilled game birds, summer mushrooms, warm grains.
Hearth-baked breads, Victor’s cheese, Fraise Morte poached strawberries.
This non traditional pairing dinner will begin upon arrival for individual parties.
Please select your reservation time at checkout.
$55 per person

On Tuesday, June 12th join Wicked Weed Brewing for a Four-Course Family Style Dinner, each course will be paired with a hand selected sour beer and wine. Walt Dickinson, Founder of Wicked Weed Brewing and André Hueston Mack, Founder of Mouton Noir Wines will walk diners through the wine and beer selections. Food will be prepared by Jacob Sessom, the James Beard Nominated Chef from Table. We hope to see you there!
What: A four-course dinner, each course paired with a hand selected sour beer and wine
When: Tuesday, June 12th from 6-10pm
Where: Wicked Weed Funkatorium Biergarten – 147 Coxe Ave, Asheville, North Carolina 28801
Price: $55 per person
Tickets: https://www.universe.com/events/common-thread-sour-beer-and-wine-dinner-tickets-asheville-DZF6K5
Menu:
Wood roasted early summer vegetables & bitter greens with trout caviar crema
Carolina corn & buckwheat polenta, smoked pork, sheep’s cheese and herbs
Grilled game birds, summer mushrooms, warm grains
Hearth-baked breads, Victor’s cheese, Fraise Morte poached strawberries
Head to The Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park on Tuesday, June 12th at 7pm for Monk Beer Academy. The topic this month will be Fermented Foods and Beer Pairing! Continuing the theme of pairing delicious foods with equally tasty beers, this month they’ve decided to go all in with fermentation. Explore how foods are preserved through fermentation techniques, find out which beer styles are compatible with various types of fermented foods, and discuss why they complement or contrast each other so well.
Space is limited, so go ahead and grab your ticket now!
Phone: (828) 250-4718
Email: [email protected]
Age Group: Adult
Like beer and books? Come join our non-fiction book club! The club meets every second Tuesday of the month at the Wedge at Foundation.
The book we’re reading for June is “I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life” by Ed Yong. Books are available to be picked up at Pack Library. Come join us! Anyone over 21 is welcome to attend. Cheers!
Hillman Beer is hosting Tuesday Trivia Night from 7pm-9pm! Get ready to drink some beer, test your wit, and have some fun!
Details:
– Please arrive at 6:30pm
– Max 6 people per team
– First place gets a $50 Hillman Beer Gift Card and other fun chances to win
Every 2nd Wednesday of each month through the end of summer, Fhiit Life (Biltmore Village) will be hosting Barre to Bar with Hillman Beer!
Join for a barre class at 6pm at the studio, then head over to Hillman Beer for a burger and a brew right after! This barre class will be discounted to $10, and you will receive a cold brew, tasty burger, and a side at Hillmans for only $12!
Note: the 6pm class is the $10 discounted barre class.
Sign up now! Class will fill up fast! Spaces are limited.
The best way to confirm your spot is to sign up online or with the MindBodyOnline app! Or you can call the studio and book! Here’s the link to purchase online:
https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/ws?studioid=990129&stype=-7&sTG=32&sView=day&sLoc=0&date=05/09/18
Bring your friends and your family to One World Brewing every Wednesday night for Game Night!
They have a selection of board games, card games, darts and Sjoelbak (dutch shuffleboard), and you are more than welcome to bring your own favorite game.
Each week a different beer will be on special for $3.50 a pint.
At 7PM every Wednesday, there will also be a Sjoelbak Tournament. The competition is free to enter, and prizes will be given for First and Second place. Don’t know the rules? No problem! The rules on how to play and score will be explained at the beginning of each tournament.
Gather with your community for a FREE tasty meal, lessons on healthy eating and information on Double Up Food Bucks (a new program through SNAP)! Community Dinners are held on the second Wednesday of each month from 6 – 7:30 pm. FREE childcare provided.
Seating is limited. Reserve your seat online.
For more information, contact Leah Berger-Singer, Preventive Health Coordinator at (828) 254-7206 ext. 212 or [email protected].
Join Burial Beer for their Moonlit Art Markets -a celebration of all of the local talent our community has to offer. Artists of all mediums will be showcasing their crafts for purchase from 8-11pm every second Wednesday from May-October.
Come enjoy a beer, live music, and support local.
Join AMOS at Highland Brewing for the 5th annual “Under the Stars” benefit, taking place June 14th, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. Proceeds from the event will directly contribute to the museum’s comprehensive education programs and exhibits, increasing access to science for students in Asheville and throughout the region.
For $35/person, the fundraiser includes dinner, tickets for two drinks, live music, a visit inside the museum’s portable planetarium, and access to premier silent auction items.
Back by popular demand our BBQ & Brews now featured on the Fontana Trestle Train, will roll out this Summer! Featuring slow-cooked BBQ prepared fresh and beer tastings showcasing our local breweries! Family friendly seating is be available on this experience!
Departing from Bryson City, these trains will travel to the Fontana Trestle and arrive just around sunset for a spectacular view! A delicious BBQ meal will be served during the trip. Returning back to the Bryson City Depot at 9pm.
In the Basket
Each of you will get your own basket of Southern-style barbeque goodness with hand-pulled pork slider, a couple pork ribs, and chicken drumstick accompanied by baked beans and house-made coleslaw.
And, of course, no respectable Southern barbeque would forget to warm up some apple cobbler for dessert.
Back by popular demand our BBQ & Brews now featured on the Fontana Trestle Train, will roll out this Summer! Featuring slow-cooked BBQ prepared fresh and beer tastings showcasing our local breweries! Family friendly seating is be available on this experience!
Departing from Bryson City, these trains will travel to the Fontana Trestle and arrive just around sunset for a spectacular view! A delicious BBQ meal will be served during the trip. Returning back to the Bryson City Depot at 9pm.
In the Basket
Each of you will get your own basket of Southern-style barbeque goodness with hand-pulled pork slider, a couple pork ribs, and chicken drumstick accompanied by baked beans and house-made coleslaw.
And, of course, no respectable Southern barbeque would forget to warm up some apple cobbler for dessert.
Enjoy Burgers & Beers all summer long at the Tunnel Road Tap Haus (inside Whole Foods). Every Saturday from noon to 2pm you can grab a $5 Grass-fed Burger and $3 drafts. The featured brewery will change weekly.
Sierra Nevada Beer Camp returns to Mills River on Saturday, June 16th from 12-5! It’s an epic adult day camp like you’ve never seen before. This year they’re shaking things up with dozens of games, a ropes course, keg bowling, Hammer-Schlagen®, climbing wall, Strider pump course, and more. Enjoy full-sized pours of your favorite Sierra Nevada beers, special collaboration beers created just for Beer Camp, and awesome culinary creations. Come ready to party, get a little dirty, and experience Beer Camp in a whole new way.
Tickets are $25 and include ALL games and activities, entertainment, and FREE shuttles.
For more information and a full list of musical acts and beers, click here.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp returns to our breweries in Chico and Mills River! It’s an epic adult day camp like you’ve never seen before. We’re shaking it up with dozens of games, a ropes course, keg bowling, Hammer-Schlagen®, climbing wall, Strider pump course, and more. Enjoy full-sized pours of your favorite Sierra Nevada beers, special collaboration beers created just for Beer Camp, and awesome culinary creations. Come ready to party, get a little dirty, and experience Beer Camp in a whole new way.
ADMISSION IS $25 – includes access to all of the activities, entertainment, and FREE shuttles!
BEER: We’re serving up full-sized pours of your favorites Sierra Nevada beers alongside six exclusive beers brewed in collaboration with Sierra Nevada’s amazing employees! Beer Camp will be your one chance to try these beers and once they’re gone…well, they’re gone!
Sierra Nevada Beer List:
• Pale Ale
• Summerfest
• Hazy Little Thing IPA
• Tropical Torpedo IPA
• Southern Gothic
• 3 Weight Session IPA
• Sierraveza
• Otra Vez Lime & Agave
• Ovila Abbey White
MUSIC: Festival vibes will be monitored and maintained by these super talented entertainers!
LIVE MUSIC:
• Headliner: Zach Deputy -known for his live looping shows, and his musical style is self-described as “island-infused drum n’ bass gospel ninja soul.” Zach will be playing a selection from his latest album Wash It in the Water.
• Show Opener: The Broadcast – these Asheville sensations will rock the festival with their spirited and high energy rock stylings.
SILENT DISCO DJ’S:
• DJ Marley Carroll
• DJ Push/Pull
THE FUN STUFF: Some of Sierra Nevada’s rad versions of traditional day camp activities:
• Ropes course – It’s pretty high up, and pretty far out!
• Rock climbing wall – It’s massive. It’s probably too tall for you to climb. Wanna prove us wrong?
• Keg bowling – It’s back and it’s actually “keg chucking,” but bowling sounds more legit.
• Human foosball – Get your friends ready, or make a few new ones.
• Hammer-Schlagen ® – Yeah, this is a thing, just Google it!
• Strider pump track – This is gonna get rowdy and you’re gonna love it.
• Corn hole – Because this is one of our favorite sports.
• Arts & crafts – brought to you by Skunk Trunk Artist Collective
• Hammock lounge stations – Naptime is back and better than ever!
• Silent disco – grab some headphones and dance to the beats of one of two DJ’s spinning at the same time!
• Collaboration beer sampling tent – festival style sampling area
• MORE RAD STUFF COMING SOON!
SHUTTLES: PLEASE DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE. Really, we can’t stress this enough, if you overindulge, leave your car or bike overnight and come back for it the next day. Take the free shuttle or a taxi; you’ll make some new friends and keep everyone safe. We also created these great options for you:
1. ASHEVILLE FREE SHUTTLE – Shuttles are continuously looping, taking off at 11:30 am from the A-B Tech Community College – 340 Victoria Rd. Asheville, NC 28801. Use parking lot B-7 in front of the Dogwood Building. Free overnight parking is included. 2. HENDERSONVILLE FREE SHUTTLE – Shuttles are continuously looping taking off at 11:30 am from the Courthouse Annex Parking Lot adjacent to Fourth Avenue and Grove Street.
3. PARKING OR TAXI – Complimentary parking available at the WNC Agricultural Center located two miles from the brewery. Shuttles will run continuously 11:30 am – 5 pm. Free overnight parking is included. All taxi/Uber/personal car pick-up will be at the WNC Ag Center.
***FESTIVAL SPECIFICS, PARKING, AND SHUTTLE INFORMATION SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
***THERE IS NO PARKING ON SITE AT SIERRA NEVADA***
***PLEASE FEST RESPONSIBLY!***
BearWaters Brewing in Canton will celebrate their 6th Anniversary in style on June 16th. Get ready to get spicy with some steaming hot Blues and Gumbo with The Sauce Boss.
