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.
There’s more than Chunky Monkey and New York Super Fudge Chunk in downtown Asheville’s Ben & Jerry’s this summer.
Art created by Vance Elementary School fifth grade students of art educator Robbie Lipe is now on display on the brick walls opposite the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. The exhibit depicts the students’ interpretation of the artist Kehinde Wiley and the contemporary portraits he creates inspired by traditional Baroque paintings. It will be featured through the end of the summer.
“Ben & Jerry’s is excited about showcasing art from the community inside our scoop shop,” said general manager Chris Carter. “Making use of our walls to show what local artists are creating complements our social mission — to be actively involved in the places we live and do business. I hope this is the first of many art exhibits on our walls.”
Carter gave all the credit for the exhibit to Ms. Lipe, who teaches kindergarten through 5th-grade students at Vance Elementary. She was named the North Carolina Arts Educators Association “Art Educator of the Year” in 2017-2018.
Ben & Jerry’s is located at 19 Haywood Street. Current hours are Monday-Thursday 12 pm to 10 pm; Friday 12 pm – 11 pm; Saturday 11:30 am – 11 pm; Sunday 11:30 am – 10 pm.
For more information, call Carter at 310-601-6247.

This comedy is often viewed as Shaw’s wittiest play! This is a borderline farce that will stimulate serious thinking about the nature of both romance and war. What is Raina to do when she finds that an enemy soldier has taken refuge in her room? What will her fiancée say? The plot, of course, thickens! Directed by Jim Reid and performed as Readers Theatre as a part of The Autumn Players’ Readers Theatre Showcase Series.

September and October are a special time of year at the farm. Beginning Labor Day weekend, we welcome guests to experience the fall through our many on-site activities:
– Hay Rides
– Baby Farm Animals
– Bouncy House
– Kiddie Cart Rides
– Horseback Rides
– Pumpkin picking
– Apple Tasting and picking
– Corn Maze
– Lawn Games
– Trike Track
– Scavenger Hunt
– Corn Pit
Ticket price includes cost of fall admission, dinner*, rides, and entertainment. Horseback rides are separate and will be scheduled at time of arrival based on availability.
*Adult Plate= 1 Meat, 2 Sides, Bread, Tea/Water
Child Plate = 1 Meat, 1 Side, Bread, Tea/Water
Join us for “Saturday Night Lights,” a family-friendly event at Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, NC, happening every Saturday evening May through October featuring FREE carousel rides, pony rides, bounce house, face painting, entertainers and live music, plus horse show competition. General admission and parking are also free and open to the public. With onsite dining options, concessions, shopping, and lodging, come for the night or for a vacation getaway! Learn more at Tryon.com/SNL.
Phone: 828-863-1000
Email: [email protected]

Spend some time with your family detoxing naturally in the Salt Cave. Adults $25, 4-12 years old $15, 3 and younger are free.

This comedy is often viewed as Shaw’s wittiest play! This is a borderline farce that will stimulate serious thinking about the nature of both romance and war. What is Raina to do when she finds that an enemy soldier has taken refuge in her room? What will her fiancée say? The plot, of course, thickens! Directed by Jim Reid and performed as Readers Theatre as a part of The Autumn Players’ Readers Theatre Showcase Series.

The big North Carolina Mountain State Fair in Asheville is the official “state fair” of the western part of NC. More than 180,000 people attend the 10-day event that celebrates our people, agriculture, art and tradition. It’s fun for all ages, with plenty of exhibits, animals, food, rides and more. The fair is held at the Western North Carolina Agriculture Center, near the Asheville Regional Airport (I-26 East, exit 40). It’s a big place, so wear comfy walking shoes and allow time to see it all. Tip: Bring cash since credit card use is limited.
Hours
- Friday: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 1 AM
- Saturdays: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close Midnight
- 1st Sunday: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 11 PM
- 2nd Sunday (Closing Night): Gates open at 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 9 PM
- Monday-Thursday: Gates open at 3 PM; Rides open 4 PM, close 11 PM
Parking
FREE parking is available on fairground property and satellite property. Parking is located on Highway 280 at Gate 6. Satellite parking is located 1 mile South of Gate 6 (follow the signs) with free bus transportation to the fairgrounds (shuttle runs every 10-15 minutes).

The big North Carolina Mountain State Fair in Asheville is the official “state fair” of the western part of NC. More than 180,000 people attend the 10-day event that celebrates our people, agriculture, art and tradition. It’s fun for all ages, with plenty of exhibits, animals, food, rides and more. The fair is held at the Western North Carolina Agriculture Center, near the Asheville Regional Airport (I-26 East, exit 40). It’s a big place, so wear comfy walking shoes and allow time to see it all. Tip: Bring cash since credit card use is limited.
Hours
- Friday: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 1 AM
- Saturdays: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close Midnight
- 1st Sunday: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 11 PM
- 2nd Sunday (Closing Night): Gates open at 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 9 PM
- Monday-Thursday: Gates open at 3 PM; Rides open 4 PM, close 11 PM
Parking
FREE parking is available on fairground property and satellite property. Parking is located on Highway 280 at Gate 6. Satellite parking is located 1 mile South of Gate 6 (follow the signs) with free bus transportation to the fairgrounds (shuttle runs every 10-15 minutes).
Caldwell Arts Council announces the 34th annual Sculpture Celebration in Lenoir, NC on Saturday September 7, 2019 at the T.H. Broyhill Walking Park in Lenoir, North Carolina.
Sculptors are invited to bring up to 3 sculptures for this one-day competition for $11,000 in cash awards, along with potential sales and commissions.
This annual event attracts sculptors and buyers from the eastern United States to Lenoir, North Carolina. Last year, over 4,000 people attended the family-friendly celebration.
Early registration discounts are available.
?Saturday, September 7th 11am-6:30pm
✨ASHEVILLE✨
Hickory Nut Gap Farm Renaissance Faire
57 Sugar Hollow Rd, Fairview, North Carolina 28730
***PLEASE NOTE THERE IS AN ENTRANCE FEE***
Sign up here to reserve your spot and for more information:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B044BA5AB2FA1FA7-hickory3

Attention all knights, pages, jesters, jousters, kings, queens, princesses and princes! Get your costumes ready, and come out and have some fun on September 7th! Boys, girls, moms, dads, come one, come all to the First Annual Renaissance Fair at the Farm. We have all sorts of fun demonstrations planned, such as fencing, sword fighting, and juggling. Other activities to be announced, including a costume contest!
Join us for “Saturday Night Lights,” a family-friendly event at Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, NC, happening every Saturday evening May through October featuring FREE carousel rides, pony rides, bounce house, face painting, entertainers and live music, plus horse show competition. General admission and parking are also free and open to the public. With onsite dining options, concessions, shopping, and lodging, come for the night or for a vacation getaway! Learn more at Tryon.com/SNL.
Phone: 828-863-1000
Email: [email protected]

The big North Carolina Mountain State Fair in Asheville is the official “state fair” of the western part of NC. More than 180,000 people attend the 10-day event that celebrates our people, agriculture, art and tradition. It’s fun for all ages, with plenty of exhibits, animals, food, rides and more. The fair is held at the Western North Carolina Agriculture Center, near the Asheville Regional Airport (I-26 East, exit 40). It’s a big place, so wear comfy walking shoes and allow time to see it all. Tip: Bring cash since credit card use is limited.
Hours
- Friday: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 1 AM
- Saturdays: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close Midnight
- 1st Sunday: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 11 PM
- 2nd Sunday (Closing Night): Gates open at 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 9 PM
- Monday-Thursday: Gates open at 3 PM; Rides open 4 PM, close 11 PM
Parking
FREE parking is available on fairground property and satellite property. Parking is located on Highway 280 at Gate 6. Satellite parking is located 1 mile South of Gate 6 (follow the signs) with free bus transportation to the fairgrounds (shuttle runs every 10-15 minutes).

Spend some time with your family detoxing naturally in the Salt Cave. Adults $25, 4-12 years old $15, 3 and younger are free.

The big North Carolina Mountain State Fair in Asheville is the official “state fair” of the western part of NC. More than 180,000 people attend the 10-day event that celebrates our people, agriculture, art and tradition. It’s fun for all ages, with plenty of exhibits, animals, food, rides and more. The fair is held at the Western North Carolina Agriculture Center, near the Asheville Regional Airport (I-26 East, exit 40). It’s a big place, so wear comfy walking shoes and allow time to see it all. Tip: Bring cash since credit card use is limited.
Hours
- Friday: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 1 AM
- Saturdays: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close Midnight
- 1st Sunday: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 11 PM
- 2nd Sunday (Closing Night): Gates open at 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 9 PM
- Monday-Thursday: Gates open at 3 PM; Rides open 4 PM, close 11 PM
Parking
FREE parking is available on fairground property and satellite property. Parking is located on Highway 280 at Gate 6. Satellite parking is located 1 mile South of Gate 6 (follow the signs) with free bus transportation to the fairgrounds (shuttle runs every 10-15 minutes).

The big North Carolina Mountain State Fair in Asheville is the official “state fair” of the western part of NC. More than 180,000 people attend the 10-day event that celebrates our people, agriculture, art and tradition. It’s fun for all ages, with plenty of exhibits, animals, food, rides and more. The fair is held at the Western North Carolina Agriculture Center, near the Asheville Regional Airport (I-26 East, exit 40). It’s a big place, so wear comfy walking shoes and allow time to see it all. Tip: Bring cash since credit card use is limited.
Hours
- Friday: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 1 AM
- Saturdays: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close Midnight
- 1st Sunday: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 11 PM
- 2nd Sunday (Closing Night): Gates open at 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 9 PM
- Monday-Thursday: Gates open at 3 PM; Rides open 4 PM, close 11 PM
Parking
FREE parking is available on fairground property and satellite property. Parking is located on Highway 280 at Gate 6. Satellite parking is located 1 mile South of Gate 6 (follow the signs) with free bus transportation to the fairgrounds (shuttle runs every 10-15 minutes).

Set amid the most turbulent social and political period of modern times, Ninth Street Women is the impassioned, wild, sometimes tragic, always exhilarating chronicle of five women who dared to enter the male-dominated world of 20th-century abstract painting—not as muses but as artists. These women changed American art and society, tearing up the prevailing social code and replacing it with a doctrine of liberation. In Ninth Street Women, acclaimed author Mary Gabriel tells a remarkable and inspiring story of the power of art and artists in shaping not just postwar America but the future.

The big North Carolina Mountain State Fair in Asheville is the official “state fair” of the western part of NC. More than 180,000 people attend the 10-day event that celebrates our people, agriculture, art and tradition. It’s fun for all ages, with plenty of exhibits, animals, food, rides and more. The fair is held at the Western North Carolina Agriculture Center, near the Asheville Regional Airport (I-26 East, exit 40). It’s a big place, so wear comfy walking shoes and allow time to see it all. Tip: Bring cash since credit card use is limited.
Hours
- Friday: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 1 AM
- Saturdays: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close Midnight
- 1st Sunday: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 11 PM
- 2nd Sunday (Closing Night): Gates open at 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 9 PM
- Monday-Thursday: Gates open at 3 PM; Rides open 4 PM, close 11 PM
Parking
FREE parking is available on fairground property and satellite property. Parking is located on Highway 280 at Gate 6. Satellite parking is located 1 mile South of Gate 6 (follow the signs) with free bus transportation to the fairgrounds (shuttle runs every 10-15 minutes).
| A mystery novel set in Yonah, N.C.

The big North Carolina Mountain State Fair in Asheville is the official “state fair” of the western part of NC. More than 180,000 people attend the 10-day event that celebrates our people, agriculture, art and tradition. It’s fun for all ages, with plenty of exhibits, animals, food, rides and more. The fair is held at the Western North Carolina Agriculture Center, near the Asheville Regional Airport (I-26 East, exit 40). It’s a big place, so wear comfy walking shoes and allow time to see it all. Tip: Bring cash since credit card use is limited.
Hours
- Friday: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 1 AM
- Saturdays: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close Midnight
- 1st Sunday: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 11 PM
- 2nd Sunday (Closing Night): Gates open at 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 9 PM
- Monday-Thursday: Gates open at 3 PM; Rides open 4 PM, close 11 PM
Parking
FREE parking is available on fairground property and satellite property. Parking is located on Highway 280 at Gate 6. Satellite parking is located 1 mile South of Gate 6 (follow the signs) with free bus transportation to the fairgrounds (shuttle runs every 10-15 minutes).
?Thursday, September 12th 5:00pm-7:00pm
✨HENDERSONVILLE✨
Elite, Luxury Consignment & Boutique
178 Four Seasons Mall , Hendersonville, NC 28792
Sign up here to reserve your spot and for more information:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B044BA5AB2FA1FA7-elite1


The big North Carolina Mountain State Fair in Asheville is the official “state fair” of the western part of NC. More than 180,000 people attend the 10-day event that celebrates our people, agriculture, art and tradition. It’s fun for all ages, with plenty of exhibits, animals, food, rides and more. The fair is held at the Western North Carolina Agriculture Center, near the Asheville Regional Airport (I-26 East, exit 40). It’s a big place, so wear comfy walking shoes and allow time to see it all. Tip: Bring cash since credit card use is limited.
Hours
- Friday: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 1 AM
- Saturdays: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close Midnight
- 1st Sunday: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 11 PM
- 2nd Sunday (Closing Night): Gates open at 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 9 PM
- Monday-Thursday: Gates open at 3 PM; Rides open 4 PM, close 11 PM
Parking
FREE parking is available on fairground property and satellite property. Parking is located on Highway 280 at Gate 6. Satellite parking is located 1 mile South of Gate 6 (follow the signs) with free bus transportation to the fairgrounds (shuttle runs every 10-15 minutes).
September 13-22
Welcoming Week is all about what the Y does best – helping people
reach their potential and bringing the community together!
Welcoming Week, an initiative of Y-USA’s national partner Welcoming America, celebrates the growing movement of communities across the U.S. that fully embrace new Americans and their contributions to the social fabric of our country. During Welcoming Week, communities bring together immigrants and U.S.-born residents to promote cross-cultural understanding raise awareness of the benefits of welcoming everyone.
| Corpening Memorial Y
Sept. 20
Sept. 21
Reuter Family Y Sept. 16
Sept. 17
Sept. 18
Sept. 20
Y at Mission Pardee Health Campus Snacks from around the world, cooking demonstrations, arts and crafts, and more. Ferguson Family Y Sept. 15
Sept. 20
Sept. 21
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| Woodfin Y
Games from across the globe, voter registrations, and more. Hendersonville Family Y Family-friendly events all week long. Asheville Y Sept. 18
Black Mountain Y Sept. 16
|
Friday Night- 6:30-8:30pm, Full Retreat (9/13 and 9/14)- 9:30am-5:30pm
Based his new book, Drinking from the River of Light, this Mark Nepo workshop will center on the lifelong process of listening, reflecting, and expressing, and on how bearing witness to the truth of living reveals the mysteries of life.
As no one can live without inhaling and exhaling, no one can live without feeling and expressing. The life of expression is how the heart breathes and how our spirit grows in the life that carries it. The life of feeling, dialogue, and writing, whatever form they take—poetry, story, memoir, or reflection—open us to a personal form of expression, a necessary conversation with the Universe that helps us move through obstacles and transitions. As meditation is an ancient art that deepens our relationship to how we breathe, writing and storytelling are ancient arts that deepen our relationship to all that matters. And just as the reward for practicing meditation is not that we’ll become great breathers but that we’ll become clear vessels of life-force, the reward for practicing a personal form of expression is not that we’ll become great writers or great storytellers but that such practice will help us be more resilient and wake closer to life.
In this Mark Nepo workshop, Mark will open a heart space through which participants can discover their own rhythms of expression. Through poetry, stories, and metaphors, Through reflection, journaling, and dialogue, each participant will have the chance to practice listening and expressing. We are constantly being shaped by life into finer instruments of care and expression. The deeper we go, the more attuned we become, and the more we join with everything around us. This workshop will help you to inhabit a personal form of expression, by which you can strengthen your connections and find your way.
Topics in this Mark Nepo workshop include “The Chord in Our Heart,” “What It Means to See,” “Bearing Witness,” “Unraveling the Self,” “Giving and Getting Attention,” “Breaking Surface,” “Understanding Practice,” and “Fitting Things Together.”
Mark Nepo is a poet and philosopher who has taught in the fields of poetry and spirituality for forty years. A New York Times #1 bestselling author, he has published fourteen books and recorded eight audio projects. Recent work includes: Reduced to Joy (2013), Seven Thousand Ways to Listen which won the 2012 Books for a Better Life Award, Staying Awake (2012), Holding Nothing Back (2012), As Far As the Heart Can See (2011), Finding Inner Courage (2011),and Surviving Has Made Me Crazy (2007), as well as audio books of The Book of Awakening, Finding Inner Courage, and As Far As the Heart Can See (2011). As a cancer survivor, Mark devotes his writing and teaching to the journey of inner transformation and the life of relationship.
Sponsored and coordinated by The Carolina Foothills Chamber of Commerce, the team lovingly refers to this year’s event as the Second-THIRD-ANNUAL HARMON FIELD MUSIC FESTIVAL. On Saturday, September 14 (12:00 noon to 8:00 pm), five great bands all headline the event Rich Nelson Band, Nobody’s Fault, Citizen Mojo, Lecretia w/Thunder Road, Shane Pruitt and Gregory Hodges. The music offerings are a blend of Country, Rock and Blues.
Bring your dancing shoes, a pop-up chair and a great attitude to enjoy Harmon Field at its very best! The music festival is going to be a BLAST! An assortment of food trucks will be on site. Beer and wine will also be available for purchase. A car show and craft/vendor market will also be available for perusing during the day.
Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online at CarolinaFoothillsChamber.com. Tickets are also available at the Carolina Foothills Chamber of Commerce office, One of the goals was to make this event affordable for attendees. Starting at 12:00 noon and running until 8:00 pm – it runs about a $1 an hour! Tickets are $8. In advance and $10. at the gate. Children 12 and under are free.
Band schedule:
Nobody’s Fault
12:20-1:45
Rich Nelson Band
2:05-3:20
Lecretia w/ Thunder Road
3:40-4:55
Citizen Mojo
5:15-6:30
SHANE PRUITT w/ Gregory Hodges
6:45-8:00 pm
Festival gate and parking will be near the Tryon Arts & Crafts Building. For more information, contact the Carolina Foothills Chamber of Commerce at 828-859-6236 or visit the chamber’s website and Facebook Page.

The big North Carolina Mountain State Fair in Asheville is the official “state fair” of the western part of NC. More than 180,000 people attend the 10-day event that celebrates our people, agriculture, art and tradition. It’s fun for all ages, with plenty of exhibits, animals, food, rides and more. The fair is held at the Western North Carolina Agriculture Center, near the Asheville Regional Airport (I-26 East, exit 40). It’s a big place, so wear comfy walking shoes and allow time to see it all. Tip: Bring cash since credit card use is limited.
Hours
- Friday: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 1 AM
- Saturdays: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close Midnight
- 1st Sunday: Gates open 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 11 PM
- 2nd Sunday (Closing Night): Gates open at 9 AM; Rides open 10 AM, close 9 PM
- Monday-Thursday: Gates open at 3 PM; Rides open 4 PM, close 11 PM
Parking
FREE parking is available on fairground property and satellite property. Parking is located on Highway 280 at Gate 6. Satellite parking is located 1 mile South of Gate 6 (follow the signs) with free bus transportation to the fairgrounds (shuttle runs every 10-15 minutes).
September 13-22
Welcoming Week is all about what the Y does best – helping people
reach their potential and bringing the community together!
Welcoming Week, an initiative of Y-USA’s national partner Welcoming America, celebrates the growing movement of communities across the U.S. that fully embrace new Americans and their contributions to the social fabric of our country. During Welcoming Week, communities bring together immigrants and U.S.-born residents to promote cross-cultural understanding raise awareness of the benefits of welcoming everyone.
| Corpening Memorial Y
Sept. 20
Sept. 21
Reuter Family Y Sept. 16
Sept. 17
Sept. 18
Sept. 20
Y at Mission Pardee Health Campus Snacks from around the world, cooking demonstrations, arts and crafts, and more. Ferguson Family Y Sept. 15
Sept. 20
Sept. 21
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| Woodfin Y
Games from across the globe, voter registrations, and more. Hendersonville Family Y Family-friendly events all week long. Asheville Y Sept. 18
Black Mountain Y Sept. 16
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The event begins and ends at Bold Rock Cidery in Mills River. Registration begins at 9am and is $25. First riders will go out at 10am with final riders to be out by 12 noon. The ridge will travel along the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway.
Motorcycles and car clubs are welcome. There will be a free end of ride celebration at Bold Rock from 4 to 6P.M. with live music and prizes. The celebration is open to the public.
All proceeds will enable our Veterans of Valor to fly to Washington, D.C. on a Blue Ridge Honor Flight to visit their memorials and return home with lasting memories.
Established in 2006, Blue Ridge Honor Flight’s mission is to transport America’s veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to honor the sacrifices of themselves and their comrades. For more information about how to get involved in Blue Ridge Honor Flight, make a donation, or to get a veteran signed up for a flight, please visit blueridgehonorflight.com.
