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, May 2, 2020
Carolina Hemp Company Free Delivery + Curb-Side Pickup
May 2 @ 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Carolina Hemp Company
Support Girls on the Run at the Wedge Run 10K!
May 2 @ 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Wedge Brewing
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Support Girls on the Run at the Wedge Run 10K!

 

Join us on Saturday, May 2nd for a flat and fast 10K at the Wedge at Foundation (5 Foundy St). We will host a 1-mile kids run too. Bring your whole family! Register here.

 

Proceeds benefit the Girls on the Run scholarship fund!

The Botanical Gardens Spring Plant Sale
May 2 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
The Botanical Gardens

Redbud

 

The Botanical Gardens and numerous local plant vendors will offer a wide variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers. BGA members will get a 10% discount on BGA-grown plants that we sell at the gazebo. As always, this event will take place rain or shine. The Botanical Gardens receives no city, state or federal funds. Instead, we receive our funding exclusively through memberships, donations, gift shop sales and the spring and fall plant sales. Free admission and parking on site or nearby.

Virtual Cat Yoga Fund Raiser Part 2
May 2 @ 9:30 am – 10:30 am
via zoom

Image may contain: cat, possible text that says 'ASHEVILLE CAT WEIRDOS VIRTUAL CAT YOGA'

Donate and get the Zoom code to our cat yoga-you supply the cats. Local Yoga Teacher & Kitty Lover Katie Wilson

-DONATE, bit.ly/ACWEFGive (OR THROUGH FACEBOOK-JUST SCREENSHOT IT)
-Reserve yourself a spot below,
-MESSAGE US and we will send the Zoom code.

Don’t do yoga – donate and we will provide a slot for someone who can’t donate but wants to join in.

Can’t donate but want to join in-let us know and we will have additional spots that others have donated-just message us.

2020 Workdays at Sandhill Tree Nursery
May 2 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Buncombe County Sports Park

2020 Workdays at Sandhill Tree Nursery

From Asheville GreenWorks:

Looking to get involved, stay active, and meet some new friends? Public workdays at Sandhill Native Tree Nursery and Edible Orchard take place on the first Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. until noon at Buncombe County Sports Park (58 Apac Circle in West Asheville/Candler). 2020 dates include:

  • Feb. 1
  • March 7
  • April 4
  • May 2
  • June 6
  • July 11 (the second Saturday due to July 4)
  • Aug. 1
  • Sept. 5
  • Oct. 3
  • Nov. 7

Join other volunteers in mulching, pruning, and weeding along with special projects. Please wear work clothes to get dirty and close-toed shoes. Sunscreen, water, and hat are also handy items to have on hand. All other tools and gear will be provided. Contact Gabby Fitts with any questions at (828) 232-7144 or [email protected].

The Sandhill tree nursey is supported with a Buncombe County Community Recreation Grant. Specific native trees are grown at the site and planted in public places throughout the county as a larger plan to plant no less than 500 trees annually. The project allows for a greater variety of fruit and shade trees to support a more diverse ecology.

Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram.

Angel Pets Expo 2020 ONLINE EVENT
May 2 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
AngelPetsExpo.com

Angel Pet Expo 2020 in Western North Carolina, covering ‘All things Pets’ with a focus on holistic pet care and inclusive of all stages of pet life including: young and adult life, senior pet, end-of-life care and pet loss grief support. The goal of the Angel Pets Expo is to bring people together with resources, services and products which support and honor our pets, and ourselves as pet parents.

Angel Pets Expo 2020:
• Saturday, May 2nd, 2020, 10-4pm
• WNC AG Center, Expo Building, 761 Boylston Hwy, Fletcher, NC 28732
• “All things pets.” There is a focus on holistic pet care.
• Open to the public. Pet Friendly. Family Friendly.
• Over 70 Vendors, music, food, presentations, fun & more!
• Tickets $7 in advanced on Eventbrite, $10 at door.
An additional goal of the Angel Pets Expo 2020 is to increase the pet loving community, connect with each other, increase the quality of life of our pets and ourselves, as pet parents.

Vendor and Sponsorship opportunity still available.

70+ vendors specializing in unique pet related services and products, pet artists, veterinarians, pet nutritional supplements, dog rehab specialist, pet trainers, senior pet care needs, end-of-life, pet insurance specialist, caregiver support, grief healing, animal communicators, pet items and jewelry, pet memorabilia, pet supplies and other pet supportive topics.

Select featured vendor presentations throughout the day for pet parent education. List of Vendors and Featured Vendor Presentation schedule can be found at AngelPetsExpo.com.

Angel Pets Expo 2020 is very proudly presented by Bright Star Studio, llc – a Life enhancement center, offering Life Coaching, Intuitive Counseling sessions, Guided meditations, Healing Energy work, Classes, Private sessions, and more. ‘Be the Best You!’ Learn more: https://brightstarstudio.net/

Curious George: The Golden Meatball CANCELLED
May 2 @ 10:00 am
South Carolina Children's Theatre

curious-660.jpg

Curious George is back and ready to cook as he helps Chef Pisghetti get ready for his once-a-year All-You-Can-Eat Meatball Day! But a new, corner-cutting meatball maker intercepts Pisghetti’s crowd and ruins the day.

Admitting defeat, Pisghetti announces he will hang up his apron for good. But George believes his friend is the best meatball chef, and decides to enter him in the Golden Meatball Contest to prove it.

When Pisghetti gets lost on his way to the contest, George must stand in for him, and cook the meatballs on his own. The determined little monkey tries his very hardest, but can he help win the contest without the Pisghetti’s super-secret ingredient?

This musical story of encouragement, determination and selfless love will warm hearts and tummies alike!


Music by John Kavanaugh; Book and Lyrics by Jeremy Desmon; Based on the Books by Margret and H.A. Rey and the Play Owned by Universal Stage Productions; Theatre for Young Audiences; Presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com.


Most enjoyed by children, ages 3 and up.
Visit scchildrenstheatre.org for further details.

Free Pet Food for Buncombe County Residents
May 2 @ 10:00 am – 6:30 pm
ASPCA

Distribution is BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, so please call the ASPCA hotline at 800-738-9437 between 8am and 8pm to request an appointment. Responding to this event page does not qualify as an appointment.❗️❗️

As part of the ASPCA’s Relief and Recovery Initiative, we’re offering free dog and cat food for Buncombe County residents impacted by COVID-19. Supplies are being provided by appointment, subject to eligibility and availability.

CLIENT INFORMATION:

– Open to residents of Buncombe County.
– Order pick up is drive-thru: You will stay in your car with the windows up while your food order is put into your trunk.
– However, if your vehicle’s trunk does not open, you’ll be asked to load the order into your car yourself.
– You’ll be required to provide your appointment time, name, and zip code at order pickup.
– Please bring a photo ID.
– No same-day appointments.
– Transport is not provided.
– Do not bring pets.
– Do not arrive early.
– Call the hotline if you are running late.
– Please do not come if you are symptomatic. You may send a different family member in your place.

North Carolina in the Great War Exhibit
May 2 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Smith-McDowell House

The exhibit is on loan from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and has been supplemented with artifacts from the Smith-McDowell House collection. Entrance to the exhibit is included with Smith-McDowell House admission – and is always free for members – and runs through May 16, 2020.

The exhibit seeks to put the local men and women who served in context with the larger events happening in North Carolina, the United States, and the world. In the exhibit, visitors will find displays and interactive elements telling the stories of just a few of our hometown heroes.

Storytimes Online with Buncombe Librarians
May 2 @ 10:30 am – 11:00 am
Buncombe Librarians Online

Image may contain: 5 people, people sitting, child and indoor

Every day we’ll be featuring a video recording or a live Zoom storytime or song by your favorite Buncombe County librarians!

Information to access the storytime on Zoom will be posted in the discussion section of this page. To get notifications for Zoom codes and to know when new videos are posted, follow this event page!

If you’d like to stream multiple videos in a row, visit the Buncombe County Government YouTube page and find “At Home with the Library.” All of our recorded videos are available at:
https://www.youtube.com/user/bcgovtv/search?query=at+home+with+the+library

We miss you at the libraries! We hope you’re well.

Asheville Hemp Farms Free Shipping and Free Delivery Local Community
May 2 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Hemp Farms
Meals for Non-Contact Pick Up or Delivery #AVLTakeout #Ashevilletakeout
May 2 @ 11:00 am – 9:30 pm
Strada
Strada will be closed for dine-in service until further notice. For curbside carryout please call the restaurant at
(828) 348-8448. For delivery, please visit takeoutcentral.com
Pack Memorial Library: ‎Daily Activities Log for the whole family
May 2 @ 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library Online

Image may contain: possible text that says '#YourStoryMatters Remember to Read, Write, or Create Something Every Day Log of AM & PM activities to do daily! Created and tested by *yours truly *Buncombe County librarians, some of ftheir family, and maybe even some of their friends'

If you’re looking for a fun project to do with materials you already have at home, check out what we have planned!

Every day, Monday through Friday, we’ll post an AM and a PM activity to our Facebook page, followed with examples of what we’ve made for the activity. All of the activities are kid, adult, and family friendly.

We know how creative and talented all of you are, we want to see what you made as well, so send images of your creations back to us in the comments. When the libraries are open again, we’ll make a chapter book with all of the images we’ve gathered throughout this pandemic. The book will be on display at each of our Buncombe County Public Libraries. Creativity and community will get us through this and we’ll have a book to prove it!

Be a part of it! Remember to read, write, and create something every day! #yourstorymatters

Hopefully, social distancing and self quarantine just got a little easier. We’re in this together friends. Be safe.

Margaret & Maxwell retail wine store is open
May 2 @ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Margaret & Maxwell

Scoop: Open For Business

Service Industry Heroes Complimentary Meal w/ Food Connection
May 2 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
The Asheville Masonic Temple · Asheville, North Carolina

Image may contain: possible text that says 'SERVICE INDUSTRY HEROES complimentary meal by WICKED WEED BREWING'

To our friends who’ve lost their jobs including those in the service industry and hospitality workers: Please join Food Connection for a free “to go” meal lovingly prepared by Wicked Weed Brewing’s Cultura thanks to a generous gift from an anonymous donor! We will be setting up in the parking lot against the Asheville Masonic Temple. We will be offering curbside service distributing meals from 12:00 pm until 2:00 pm or until they run out.

For the safety of our beautiful community:
* If you come by car, please stay in your car at all times.
*There is 1 Entrance In By AMT and you will drive through and exit at the back of the lot.
• If you come by foot, please keep a social distance of at least 6 feet.
* Wear a mask if you have one
Thanks, y’all! We hope to see you Saturday!

Venardos Circus LIVE Online
May 2 @ 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm
online

VENARDOS CIRCUS IS LIVE ONLINE! We are so grateful for your past support when we visited Asheville. Our live shows are currently on hiatus due to social distancing recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic, but we miss our audience terribly!

Once we determined we needed to pause the tour, we immediately started planning how we could continue our mission to bring joy, positivity and light, as well as some comfort and distraction, to our circus family during this uncertain time via social media.

FIRST VIDEO IS LIVE! We hope you enjoy and we’d LOVE your feedback on our social channels.

Please SHARE!

New videos will be posted weekly on Thursdays at 10:00am Pacific/1:00pm Eastern.

Content is meant to entertain the whole family, as do our shows, but a great resource for the kids to enjoy some high quality, trustworthy entertainment. Storyboard images from this week’s story which you can print at home as coloring sheets after watching the video. Content will change each week. These will be available on our Facebook page. Here is the Facebook event you can RSVP to as well for each week. We hope you will enjoy it and subscribe to our page for future content. We’d LOVE your ideas for future content – please share your feedback on email, the video comments or DM us on Facebook or Instagram.

Curious George: The Golden Meatball CANCELLED
May 2 @ 1:30 pm
South Carolina Children's Theatre

curious-660.jpg

Curious George is back and ready to cook as he helps Chef Pisghetti get ready for his once-a-year All-You-Can-Eat Meatball Day! But a new, corner-cutting meatball maker intercepts Pisghetti’s crowd and ruins the day.

Admitting defeat, Pisghetti announces he will hang up his apron for good. But George believes his friend is the best meatball chef, and decides to enter him in the Golden Meatball Contest to prove it.

When Pisghetti gets lost on his way to the contest, George must stand in for him, and cook the meatballs on his own. The determined little monkey tries his very hardest, but can he help win the contest without the Pisghetti’s super-secret ingredient?

This musical story of encouragement, determination and selfless love will warm hearts and tummies alike!


Music by John Kavanaugh; Book and Lyrics by Jeremy Desmon; Based on the Books by Margret and H.A. Rey and the Play Owned by Universal Stage Productions; Theatre for Young Audiences; Presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com.


Most enjoyed by children, ages 3 and up.
Visit scchildrenstheatre.org for further details.

YWCA Free Community Family Swim CANCELLED
May 2 @ 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
YWCA
Community Family Swim
Every Saturday, YWCA of Asheville, in partnership with City of Asheville Parks and Recreation, is offering free Community Open Swim to the public. Winter/Spring 2020 hours are: Saturdays 1:30-3:30 pm through May 16th, 2020. Join us in our solar-heated, indoor pool and bring a friend! You do not need to RSVP or be a member of the YWCA to enjoy community open swim.
Million Dollar Quartet CANCELLED
May 2 @ 2:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse
Zentangle®: Basics (Online Workshop)
May 2 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Online

Zentangle® is an easy-to-learn, relaxing way to turn structured patterns—called “tangles”—into tiny (3.5” x 3.5”) masterpieces.

In this workshop, Certified Zentangle Teacher® Susan Goodman will give a brief history and overview of the Zentangle® Method, including minimal material and tool requirements, and explain the benefits of using higher quality materials and tools. Then, you will learn how to use “strings” to create boundaries within a paper tile and how to create several tangles. Finally, if time permits, Susan will demonstrate how to shade your designs to increase their depth and richness.

No drawing or previous Zentangle® experience necessary!

For more information, or to register, visit the Purple Crayon website: www.purplecrayonavl.com/workshops.

Grassroots Aid Partnership (GAP) plans to serve free, plant-based food every Friday – Sunday from 4 -7 p.m.
May 2 @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Asheville

Grassroots Aid Partnership (GAP) plans to serve free, plant-based food every Friday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 1022 Haywood Road.

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VIVIAN OPEN for takeout + groceries
May 2 @ 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Vivian

Scoop: VIVIAN OPEN for takeout + groceries

VIVIAN is open for takeout and grocery offerings with curbside service. Check out their Facebook page for daily menus and updates. https://www.facebook.com/vivianasheville

New Adult Studio Class: Asheville Art Museum  Cultivating Digital Photography Skills: Light
May 2 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Online with Asheville Art Museum 

This four-part class led by Learning & Engagement Assistant Paige Taylor explores natural and artificial lighting approaches using digital photography. Through a series of weekly assignments, hone your observation skills, and capture landscapes, portraits, and more in a variety of lighting situations. Use images from the Museum’s Collection and other sources for inspiration. Class time includes instruction, group shares, and discussions; individual preparation between classes includes responding to weekly photo prompts, short readings, and journaling. This virtual class is designed with beginners, hobbyists, and those with some photography experience in mind.

MAY 6, 13, 20, & 27—Wednesdays, 6–8pm
Registration deadline: May 5

Iamavl Restreams on FB
May 2 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
facebook

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Fontana Trestle Train ft. BBQ & Brews
May 2 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Great Smokey Mountain Railroad

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 will be available on this experience!

Departing from Bryson City, these trains will travel to the Fontana Trestle and beyond remaining parallel to the Fontana Lake stopping at the perfect viewing spot 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.

Featured Breweries

                                

 

March 14                     May 2                      May 23(S)

              

    June 19 and 20       July 17&18(S)                                                 August 22
Nate Bargatze: Good Problem to Have
May 2 @ 7:00 pm
Peace Center

Hailing from Old Hickory, Tennessee, rising stand-up star Nate Bargatze’s comedy is both clean and relatable. He has been featured as one of Esquire’s “Best New Comedians” by Jim Gaffigan, Rolling Stone’s “Comedians to Watch” by Marc Maron, Variety’s “10 Comics to Watch” for 2015, and as #1 on Vulture‘s “50 Comedians You Should Know” in 2015.

Following the showbiz footsteps of his dad, a former clown turned world-class magician, Bargatze’s debut TV special, Full Time Magic, and debut album, Yelled at By a Clown, came out in 2015. The album reached #1 on the iTunes Comedy Charts and remained on Billboard’s Top Ten Comedy Charts for weeks. His first half-hour Netflix special, The Standups, premiered in 2017, and his first solo one-hour Netflix special, The Tennessee Kid, came out this year. He currently has a deal with 20th Century Fox to develop his own TV show.

Bargatze has made multiple appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Conan, and @midnight. Off-screen, he performed as part of Fallon’s Clean Cut Comedy Tour and Chris Rock’s Total Blackout Tour, along with live shows for the troops in Iraq and Kuwait. He regularly appears at Bonnaroo, SXSW, Oddball Comedy Festival, Sasquatch, Clusterfest, and the Just For Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival.

Official Website

The Lifespan of a FACT
May 2 @ 7:30 pm
NC Stage Company

A determined young fact checker is about to stir up trouble. The demanding editor has given him a big assignment: apply his skill to a groundbreaking piece by the unorthodox author. Together, they take on the high-stakes world of publishing in this new comedy of conflict. The ultimate showdown between fact and fiction is about to begin—with undeniably delicious consequences.

“stinging relevance to so much of what’s been happening for years now in American social, cultural and political discourse” – The Hollywood Reporter

Discretionary Warning: Adult themes and language

Avl and WNC Go Outside and Howl at 8 Support essential front-line workers
May 2 @ 8:00 pm – 8:15 pm
Online

“Go Outside and Howl at 8” is a national call for communities to recognize all essential front-line workers! Let’s join this call, Asheville! Show people in this community who are putting their lives at risk that we see them, and we love them! Let’s hear y’all howl at 8pm every night!!

Feel free to add pictures and/or videos to the Discussion in this event!

Much love, y’all!

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Fabulously Funny Comedy Festival Rescheduled
May 2 @ 8:00 pm
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

The show has been rescheduled to May 7, 2021. All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new date.

Comedy heavyweight Mike Epps brings “The Fabulously Funny Comedy Festival” to Bon Secours Wellness Arena on May 2. Epps will lead the show with an all-star lineup including Sommore, Gary Owen, Lavell Crawford and Kountry Wayne. The veteran entertainers will bring down the house with their sharp wit, unbridled humor and hysterical storytelling for a comedy show fans won’t want to miss!

Click HERE for our standard arena policies and our most frequently asked questions. Ticket prices are always subject to change without notice. Additional fees apply.

Livestream: Third Coast Percussion
May 2 @ 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
livestream

Image may contain: 4 people, people sitting

Grammy Award-winning quartet Third Coast Percussion performs a live stream concert featuring John Cage’s iconic masterpiece “Third Construction,” a new work composed for TCP by composer and modular synth practitioner Bana Haffar entitled “Shed,” and an early work by TCP ensemble member David Skidmore, “Ritual Music.”

Bookmark this link to watch the concert from the comfort of your own home: https://bit.ly/2SbV7Wp

You can also catch the performance live  on the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center and Third Coast Percussion Facebook pages