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.
Join docents for a tour of the Museum’s Collection of American art of the 20th and 21st centuries and discover the richness of Western North Carolina’s unique artistic history. Visit our online collection here.
Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise.
The Lights!
This year’s show features over a million lights and mixes enchanting new displays with old favorites like the 50ft tree and Quilt Garden. Winter Lights is a walk-through light show with countless opportunities for photos. Use our hashtag #NCWinterLights22 to share the magic!
Live performances
Live performances are scheduled nightly at the Education Center, near Bent Creek Bistro. View the music schedule here.
Rocky Cove Railroad*
During Winter Lights, our beloved g-scale model train offers nightly service to the North Pole. All aboard!
Storytime at Woodland Cove
Visit the Education Center for a whimsical window display that follows a young bear’s journey to discover new habitats. This is an educational exhibit that will delight the whole family.
Gift Shops
Still have a bit of shopping to do for the holidays? our Connections Gallery Gift Shop in the Baker Visitor Center and Winter Lights Shop in the Education Center are open 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. daily, and from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. nightly, during Winter Lights.
S’mores and Firepits*
If the winter nights turn a bit chilly, cozy up to the fire pits and heaters throughout the gardens.
S’mores kits are available for purchase at the Bent Creek Bistro, where there’s an especially large fire pit for all your marshmallow-roasting needs!
Wishing Trees
A favorite Winter Lights tradition, the Wishing Trees return this year in a new location! Look for them near Rocky Cove Railroad, and make sure to leave a wish for the coming year.
Eat and Drink**
Looking for something to warm you up while you stroll? Cocoa, beer, and wine are available at both the Cocoa Shack and Bent Creek Bistro.
View the menu for Bent Creek Bistro
Bent Creek Bistro Hours: Full menu: 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. | Snacks: 9:30-10:00 p.m.
*The Rocky Cove Railroad and the fire pits cannot run in certain weather conditions, and may be closed without notice.
**Alcohol purchased on-site may only be consumed in the event area and is not permitted in the parking lot or on the trails. Outside alcohol is prohibited at all times, on all parts of the property. This includes the parking lot and trails.
Celebrate the Wonder of Winter with a live-action immersive story-walk on an outdoor trail complete with live characters, lights, music, and a blustery guest; Jack Frost. The Winter Wonder Walk follows the pages of the storybook of Winterland- full of holiday magic for all ages! Guests will set out on a quest through the kingdom of Winterland to find Jack Frost and stop a terrible blizzard while meeting many wonderful characters along the way.
Presented by Mellow Mushroom and created by Asheville Plays, Winter Wonder Walk is hosted by the Adventure Center of Asheville for the 2nd year.
Families can also enjoy a holiday market, a kids’ play area, and a warm festival tent buzzing with local vendors, tasty concessions, and activities for the whole family.Don’t miss out on the Treetops Adventure Park Glow Trail, which will be available for guests age 4 years or older! Climb on two of our AERIAL trails while they are illuminated with thousands of colorful twinkle and laser lights.This is available with a combo pass only!
Doors and festivities open at 5:30 each night.
The Winter Wonder Walk and Glow Trail will open at 6 pm, with the last entrance to the Winter Wonder Walk to be at 8:30.
This event supports our entire community by raising money for meals for Manna Foodbank with our Memories Making Meals program.
Every ticket purchased donates 4 meals!
IT IS A PERFECT WAY TO CELEBRATE THE WINTER SEASON WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS!
Tickets are $18, 3 and under FREE!
Dec 9-10-11-15-16-17-18
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- We are so grateful to all of our partners who are helping us during this critical time by providing various ways for people to get involved and help provide meals for neighbors this holiday season. Read through the list below to find out ways you can get involved.
- Whole Foods’ Round-Up Campaign (11/30 – 12/20): Whole Foods shoppers are invited to round up their purchase to the nearest dollar. Whole Foods will also match a donation to MANNA when a customer buys a locally made product.
This online group is open to everyone, regardless of whether you think you are a writer or not. I will be giving the group writing prompts, and then we will spend 10 to 15 minutes writing as fast as possible without editing. After that, you will have the opportunity to share what you wrote or not; it’s completely up to you. This practice sparks great creativity, and you might discover new things about yourself and exciting possibilities for your writing outside of the group. It’s also a wonderful way to connect to other creatives and build community.
***Trigger Warning: I do not believe in censoring anyone’s writing or self-expression. Sometimes people write on subjects such as sexuality, substances, abuse, etc. Other times we write about more mundane things, like your favorite kind of coffee. With this type of writing, you just never know. If you feel that certain topics will be too triggering for you, you might want to consider joining this group. Or you can just lower the volume if the writing is triggering! And of course, if you write something sensitive, you never have to read it out loud to the group.
Due to the nature of this group the doors will close promptly at 6:40. Thank you for your understanding.
This group is free but as I have to pay meetup fees and zoom fees every month donations are most welcome! The suggested donation amount is $10.00. You can pay me at Venmo, just put in [email protected] or CashApp using AprilHorton123. Looking forward to seeing you there!
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Venture Asheville grows Asheville’s startup community and connects high-growth entrepreneurs to talent, mentors and investors through unique programming and events. The Venture 15 and Venture Asheville Honors is our annual end-of-year party where we announce and rank the 15 fastest growing startups in the area and award Entrepreneur, Mentor, Investor, Resource of the Year, The Shining Rock Award and the Venture Asheville Vanguard Award and Best Startup to Work For.
Let the dance parties, networking and good food and drinks begin! With Jeffrey Kaplan and a special guest as the emcee for the evening, you can expect to hear from our sponsors, winners and finalists all wrapped up in one creative program, along with a few surprises. Buy your tickets now and join us for an exciting, fast-paced evening of awards. Doors open at 6:30 pm, and the show starts at 7:00 pm.
Venture 15 Awards recognize the 15 fastest growing Asheville-area startups. This event celebrates the area’s outstanding entrepreneurs, and it serves as an elite setting where they can share their talent and wisdom as well as offer inspiration to other fledgling companies to be part of this exclusive group.
We can’t do the Venture Asheville Honors without you. We need you to make the nominations for the people and organizations that make this ecosystem run.
- What entrepreneurs are making it rain in this wild year?
- What mentors have been there for you?
- What investors provided capital when you needed it most?
- What resource helped you get through this year?
- And who is an up-and-comer we need to know? (that’s the Shining Rock Award)
- Who’s the best start-up to work for?
Applications and nominations are open until November 21st: www.ventureasheville.com/venture15
This event is open to the public. Tickets are $30 per person, $140 for a reserved cocktail table (5 tickets included) or $230 for reserved seated table (8 tickets included). Table quantities are limited so don’t wait to reserve your space! (Ticket price includes entry to the event, one drink and light food.)
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., event kicks off at 7:00 p.m.
Cedar Bear has been trained in the lineage of Richard Rudis who created the original “Gong Bath™”. Cedar’s Gong Bath’s and concerts include elements from Nada Yoga, DJ mixing, drumming, Tibetan Buddhism, Tantric Hinduism, sacred geometry, and Reiki. This creates a meditative experience in which each participant is acoustically guided via harmonic overtones, into realms of physical & mental/emotional well-being as well as cellular healing. Carefully designed vibrational constructs are used to further entice the brain into Alpha/Theta/Delta wave-scapes of clarity, peace, and wholeness which promotes physIcal, mental, and spiritual awakening, wisdom, and healing.
:: How to Prepare/What to Bring ::
-yoga mat or something soft to lie on and or a pillow.
-we have chairs and back jacks for sitting
-avoid wearing any heavy scents or oils
For more info visit: www.torencollective.com/sound-healing
This club meets in-person and virtually. If you are interested in attending, please email [email protected] for more info and instructions!
Join host and Malaprop’s bookseller Patricia Furnish to discuss a range of books across different periods of history. The club tackles challenging subjects, hence “NOTORIOUS.” Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!
The club meets at Malaprop’s on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm.
- Hop on board the Holly Jolly Christmas Trolley for a fun and festive celebration of the season featuring live music!
- 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!
- Recurrence: Recurring weekly on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
- Admission: Adults $29; Children (5-11) $13
- Phone:
- Email:
Iconic songwriter Louisa Branscomb is a visionary and pioneer for songwriters and women musicians. Louisa was the first women to front a band in bluegrass, play banjo, and while also writing most of the band’s material. Distinctions include 3 IBMA Awards, two Grammy cuts (Alison Krauss and John Denver), Song of the Year Awards (“Dear Sister,” with Lynch, recorded by Lynch), (“Steel Rails,” recorded by Alison Krauss), and over 250 recorded originals, many holding top 10 chart positions for a year or more. She is joined by award winning vocalists and songwriters Jeanette and Johnny Williams and flat picking guitar champion Allen Shadd, to provide a show that’s elegant while down to earth, refined while power packed. As one fan remarked “it’s more than a show, it’s an experience, and unforgettable.”
Wyatt Easterling’s decades of success in the music industry includes a myriad of roles from performer to songwriter, and as an executive of both a major record label and publishing company. This wealth of experience and accompanying success in all these varying facets of the industry, give him a unique and valuable understanding of the music business.
Come enjoy an evening of live music, food and drinks at the Isis Music Hall.
A magically festive, full-length Nutcracker, featuring professional classical dancers and the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville’s celebrated pre-professional company. A full production with impressive sets and costumes.
A young girl’s holiday dream comes true. Having crept downstairs at midnight to play with her new Nutcracker doll, Clara is swept up in a fantasy of toy soldiers, giant rats, snow fairies, magic and mystery. After saving her beloved Nutcracker from the King of the Rats, she is whisked away to an enchanted land and dances the night away, meeting a host of enchanting and exotic characters.
CAROLING BY GASLIGHT
Written and Directed by Skyler Goff
Everyone knows the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, the tightfisted old miser. But if you thought he was bad, wait until you get a load of his neighbors. Find out what really happened that fateful night in this hilariously devious retelling of the Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol.
Content Warning: Contains explicit sexual content, language, and dialogue. Depicts murder, gore, gun use, conspiracy, prostitution, necrophilia, hallucinogens, psychotic breaks, and other content not suitable for children. Please contact the box office for more information if needed. We do not recommend this show for audiences under 18.
Book by: Thomas Meehan & Bob Martin; Music by: Matthew Sklar; Lyrics by: Chad Beguelin; Directed by: Jeff Catanese
Based on the beloved holiday film, this hilarious fish-out-of-water comedy follows Buddy the Elf in his quest to live joyfully in community as he finds and shares his true identity. Elf The Musical is full of cheer with bright costumes, jolly dancing, and show-stopping songs. This heartwarming holiday tale dazzles and delights all ages!
Accessibility:
All performances: Accessible wheelchair/scooter seating available.
Saturday, Dec 17, 2022: ASL-Interpreted Performance
The WNC tradition continues! This show has become a Playhouse favorite with a brand new show every year. Join the merriment of sleigh bells and mistletoe, miracles and Santa Claus, and so much more. Showcasing a cast of Flat Rock favorites, the Flat Rock Playhouse Chorus, and Pat’s School of Dance, this holiday revue promises to leave you feeling merry and bright!
– FULLY SEATED SHOW
THE MOTH resumes their recurring monthly Asheville StorySLAM at The Grey Eagle on the third Thursday of each month through December at 7:30pm! This month’s theme is….
ANNIVERSARY: Prepare a five-minute story about milestones. Enduring love or loss. The fondness of nostalgia and the lessons of growth. Seconds, minutes, hours, or when time stood still. Paper or silver…extra points if you make it to platinum. Rejoice or reflect on the past while plotting the course ahead. Cheers to many more years!
Darren Nicholson Band is a group of Appalachian musicians who have common respect for and love of American acoustic music. There are GRAMMY and award-winning musicians in this band, and the members each have long track records as credible, national performers; including performances at Carnegie Hall and the Grand Ole Opry. They are known for creatively blending Bluegrass, Folk, Gospel, and Swing, into a new American acoustic music experience. Darren was recently given the “key to the city” in Canton, NC where he was honored for his musical and civic contributions to the community. Recently off Five national #1 songs and more than a dozen top-ten songs, 5 IBMA nominations, 3 IBMA Wins Including Album of the Year, Darren is excited to announce a handful of special dates with some bluegrass all-stars.
Come enjoy an evening of live music, food and drinks at Isis Music Hall . Advanced Reservations are highly recommended.
Equipped with catchy hooks and powerhouse vocals, Couch aims to reshape familiar pop tropes in fresh ways. The Boston-based septet infuses pop songs with funk, R&B, jazz, and rock influences. Their vibrant sound is further defined by the members’ personal training in jazz, a cappella, and musical theatre.
Until Spring 2021, Couch members were scattered across the country at various universities; they tackled the challenges of being a “long-distance” band, writing and even recording virtually for three years. Despite these challenges, they celebrated the release of their debut EP, “COUCH,” in February 2021. The band injected each track with their signature flavor: expressive horns, warm vocals, and bubbling synths—crafting an oasis of joy for musicians and non-musicians alike.
Buncombe County is excited to announce the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022 is now available.
The ACFR offers an in-depth analysis of Buncombe’s financial process and contains an independent auditor’s report from the audit firm CliftonLarsonAllen LLP.
Go to the full report.
We invite you to come downtown and experience one or more temporary installations from the Art in the Heart program. Share your thoughts on the artwork by clicking on the second tab below. Art in the Heart is a temporary art program specifically designed to help stimulate conversations about themes like identity, community, inclusion, healing, unity, and resilience. It’s also a way to start conversations about how public spaces can, or don’t, help reflect or express a community’s past, present, and future.
You can find more background and information about the Pack Square Visioning Project here.
Asheville Asks: How do I get an issue addressed or find out about services in my neighborhood?
Our new Neighborhood Resources web page is a “one-stop-shop” resource to answer residents’ questions, from development projects to trash pick up.
This webpage gives you quick access links to some of the most frequently requested community resources and information.
Residents have a variety of questions and opportunities to get involved, and having the answers and information all in one place empowers residents to stay informed and help the City make improvements that the community wants to see.
The Neighborhood Resources web page can be accessed at ashevillenc.gov/neighborhoodresources.
Did we miss something? Let us know how we can improve this page by contacting us at [email protected].
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From 11/15 – 12/31, we’re offering a Holiday Special on our subscriptions! Get tickets at a discounted price, AND get a free ticket voucher for our next play, Native Gardens! Check our website on 11/15 to purchase this limited-time deal!
The Asheville Fire Department is conducting a survey this month to understand how residents like you feel about the services provided by the City of Asheville Fire Department.
It’s a quick 2 question survey which allows you to rate service and make suggestions as to how AFD can better serve the community.
Have thoughts?
It’s the Season for Giving
Join us in helping to ensure members of the WNC community have enough nutritious food to eat this holiday season. In partnership with MANNA Food Bank, we’re hosting a holiday food drive and requesting donations of healthy, non-perishable food items as well as personal hygiene products. Donations will be delivered to MANNA, weighed, and distributed to those in need. Collection barrels are set up inside the lobbies of REI Co-op and Regal Biltmore Grande through December 19th.
We want everyone to Experience More Joy this season so while you’re out shopping this weekend, find the giant, pre-lit ornament located in the median of Town Square Blvd. Not only is it a festive and fun photo backdrop but just by following a few simple prompts and entering our photo contest, you could win a $100 gift card to one Biltmore Park Town Square business of your choice. So, gather your friends, family, beloved pet, or just yourself and get creative!
How to enter the Instagram Photo Contest:
1. Take a photo at the ornament
2. Follow @biltmoreparktownsq on Instagram by December 18th
3. Post your photo on Instagram
4. Tag your photo using the hashtag #MoreJoyBPTS
*Contest ends December 18th and the winner will be randomly selected and notified on December 21st.
Organizing a litter cleanup with your friends, neighbors, co-workers, or other community members is easier than you may think! Asheville GreenWorks provides cleanup supplies and safety information, and will coordinate trash pick up as needed. Supplies include gloves, safety vests, trash bags, trash grabbers, and a SHARPs container. Register now to learn more about borrowing supplies to organize your own cleanup!
