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, September 25, 2021
A Lee Edwards Concert
Sep 25 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
CONTINUUM ART NC

A. Lee Edwards, the songwriter behind the bands Lou Ford (1996 – 2009) and the Loudermilks (2009 – present) has been called a pioneer of the Alt-Country / Americana genre in the North Carolina region. Alan isn’t just versed and influenced by these byproducts, but the old school country and rock origination points of the music, and you can hear this in his sound that is intelligent, lively, and multi-dimensional.

Heart and Soul Dance Company presents Flesh and Conflict Rescheduled
Sep 25 @ 7:30 pm
Diana Wortham Theatre

This performance has been rescheduled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously purchased tickets will be honored for the rescheduled date. 

Flesh & Conflict is a modern dance portrayal of the scarring effects that societal norms can have on people facing different major adversities. From depression of body image and Sexual Orientation to domestic violence and suicide, Flesh & Conflict is created to initiate positive, productive, and constructive conversations to create a community of understanding and support! We are stronger together than we are separate!

Heart+ Soul Dance Co. presents Flesh + Conflict
Sep 25 @ 7:30 pm
Diana Wortham Theatre

Heart & Soul Dance Co. presents Flesh & Conflict

This performance has been rescheduled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously purchased tickets will be honored for the rescheduled date.

Flesh & Conflict is a modern dance portrayal of the scarring effects that societal norms can have on people facing different major adversities. From depression of body image and Sexual Orientation to domestic violence and suicide, Flesh & Conflict is created to initiate positive, productive, and constructive conversations to create a community of understanding and support! We are stronger together than we are separate!

Macbeth + Pericles – The Montford Park Players
Sep 25 @ 7:30 pm
Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre

Macbeth & Pericles – Sept. 3 – Oct. 17

by W. Shakespeare

One of the most-popular plays ever written, this classic tale of murder and madness appears just in time for students to ask their English teachers for some extra credit. Presented in repertory

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK
Sep 25 @ 7:30 pm
The Fangmeyer Theatre at HART

In this transcendently powerful new adaptation, Anne Frank emerges from history a living, lyrical, intensely gifted young girl, who confronts her rapidly changing life and the increasing horror of her time with astonishing honesty, wit, and determination. An impassioned drama about the lives of eight people hiding from the Nazis in a concealed storage attic, The Diary of Anne Frank captures the claustrophobic realities of their daily existence — their fear, their hope, their laughter, their grief. After spending the last year in quarantine, The Diary of Anne Frank offers audiences incredible perspective in a poignant tale suitable for the times.

Contains mature subject matter.

THE SPARROW AND THE WHIPPOORWILL: A BLUEGRASS MUSICAL
Sep 25 @ 7:30 pm
Magnetic Theatre

MAINSTAGE

THE SPARROW AND THE WHIPPOORWILL: A BLUEGRASS MUSICAL

By Tom Godleski
Directed by Victoria Lamberth

Paula is at a crossroads, trying to find her way in the world, as she starts her first nursing job in Asheville. She gets assigned to a patient, Cleo Nicholson, who presents her with a very unusual request. As Paula digs deeper into Cleo’s life, she finds some very surprising information about him – and also herself.

A bluegrass musical featuring beloved band Buncombe Turnpike, The Sparrow and The Whippoorwill is sure to delight audiences of all ages.

 

Ani DiFranco
Sep 25 @ 8:00 pm
The Orange Peel

Thompson Square with Special Guest Joe Lasher
Sep 25 @ 8:00 pm
Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

ABOUT THOMPSON SQUARE
With romantically charged #1 hits like “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” and “If I Didn’t Have You,” multi-platinum international success, and honors as Vocal Duo of the Year from both the ACM and CMA Awards, Country duo Thompson Square admit they don’t have much left on their bucket list.

So for the husband-and-wife team of Keifer and Shawna Thompson, the next chapter of their career is about something different.

“This album is called Masterpiece, and the definition of a masterpiece is an artist’s life’s work,” Keifer explains, hinting at the creative satisfaction behind the duo’s third studio album. “When we’re 80 years old and we look back, we want to be able to say we’re really proud of all the stuff we did.”

Working independently for the first time, Masterpiece arrives at a tipping-point moment for the duo – and it finds them taking skillful control of their acclaimed musical bond.

ABOUT JOE LASHER
Born and raised in Weaverville, NC, country music entertainer and songwriter Joe Lasher has been calling the stage home since he was a teenager. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, a southern gospel singer, and father, the member of a 90’s rock band, Joe has set his sights on capturing the attention of country music lovers.

Drawing inspiration from icons such as Rodney Atkin, Eric Church, Jon Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams, Joe’s music is influenced by a variety of genres ranging from traditional country to gospel and from rock to heavy metal, creating a sound that is all his own. Joe has been actively touring the country since the age of 16, where he is focused on creating a full-sensory show filled with big sound and bright lights giving his audience a reason to sing and dance.

Already, Joe has shared the stage with Brett Young, Locash, Ashley McBryde, Russell Dickerson, Hardy, and Old Dominion. His latest single “Messed up” was released in February and will be followed by an acoustic EP titled The Waiverly Sessions, available in April.

Between his time on the stage and in the studio, Joe lives on and works a 300-acre farm outside of Nashville, where he hunts and fishes like every true country boy should.

Into The Fog at The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall
Sep 25 @ 10:00 pm
The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall

Into The Fog makes their long-awaited return to The One Stop bringing a new album to get your toes tappin’ and hips shakin’

About the band:
Into The Fog is a genre-jumping string band located in Raleigh, North Carolina. With its members having various backgrounds ranging from bluegrass, country, rock, to funk, Into The Fog creates a musical melting pot of sounds in an acoustic/newgrass setting.
The band is made up of Brian Stephenson on Vocals and Guitar, Winston Mitchell on Vocals, Mandolin and Dobro, and Derek Lane on Vocals and Bass. The original iteration of the band was formed in Wilmington, NC late in 2017 around an opportunity to play in the band competition for the prestigious Telluride Bluegrass Festival. That cross country trip was recorded by friend of the band and videographer Mason Godwin in his documentary Band #7:The Ride to Telluride.
After the Telluride trip, the band’s lineup restructured around the trio of Stephenson, Mitchell, and Lane. In November 2018 the band went to a cabin outside of Waynesville, NC and spent a week recording their debut album Wishin’ It Would Rain, which was released on February 22, 2019.
“The trio crafts a dynamic mix of songs and sounds, from the gypsy feel of “Caawphonation” to the running-from-Johnny-Law feel of instrumental “Cedar Island Rendezvous.”- Brian Tucker(Star News)
The trio went on to play over 175 shows in 2019 making a name for themselves by frequenting breweries and venues throughout North Carolina and Virginia. By August they were looking to round out momentum through festival performances like Shakori Hills, Groove in the Garden, and The Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival, along with opening slots for acts like Jon Stickley Trio and Sam Bush Band.
With their 14 track sophomore album Runnin’ Blind and Chasin’ Time due out in May of 2021 they are looking to make a statement about their sound and gear up for the next chapter of their musical journey.
“While purists might label label their sound as Newgrass, those in attendance respond to the gospel they are preaching and seem perfectly content with the foggy genre, since the sound is so clear”- Donna Davis(The Daily Reflector)

More about the band…
Music & merch: http://www.intothefogmusic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Intothefogmusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intothefogmusic
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/intothefogmusic

Sunday, September 26, 2021
Driving Tour with Smith-McDowell House
Sep 26 all-day
Online w/ Western North Carolina Historical Association
The residents of the Smith-McDowell House and grounds were woven in to the fabric of Asheville.

This driving tour begins at the Smith-McDowell House Museum on the campus of A-B Tech and continues through historic sites related to early occupants of the house.

RAIL: The Railroad and Incarcerated Laborer Memorial Project
Sep 26 all-day
Online w/ Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA)

The construction of the Mountain Division of the Western North Carolina Railroad is widely considered one of the greatest human accomplishments in regards to both engineering and construction ever undertaken at the time it occurred. The project took place over a period of several years in the late 1800s. Many people are aware that the railroad provided the first dependable access to and from much of Western North Carolina for the rest of the state as well as much of the nation. Many also know the names of some of those who were instrumental in seeing through the completion of this ambitious project. Names such as Colonel Alexander Boyd Andrews, of Andrews’ Geyser fame. However, what most people are unaware of is that at least 95% of the labor which built the railroad across the Blue Ridge Escarpment was completed by inmates from the North Carolina State Penitentiary… and approximately 98% of those inmates were African American men… the majority of whom were unjustly imprisoned…

This project was created to share the true story behind this human endeavor and to honor the memory of those who labored and those who died here.

Regional Resources: Historical Research
Sep 26 all-day
Online w/ Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA)

Western North Carolina has a rich assortment of county historical societies, archives, and museums. The Western North Carolina Historical Association seeks to help researchers, historians, genealogists, and the general public take full advantage of these resources.

 

The Gathering Festival At Paint Rock Farm
Sep 26 all-day
Paint Rock Farm
Victoria: The Forgotten Town Walking Tour
Sep 26 all-day
Online w/ Western North Carolina Historical Association
Contained by its larger growing neighbor (Asheville), the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, and the Southern Railway line, the Town of Victoria existed from 1887 until 1905, when it was absorbed into Asheville. The community—which included the Smith-McDowell House and Fernihurst mansion—originally incorporated into a town to prevent unwanted development (particularly from the Vanderbilts).
Sharing Life. Saving Lives. Donate Blood
Sep 26 @ 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Blood Connection

We are Asheville’s Community Blood Center.

 

We’re proud to call Western North Carolina home. Our dedicated staff work and live in the area, just like you. Whether you’re here for the breath-taking mountain views or the cooler weather, we’re glad you’re here to help us save the lives of your neighbors.

Our centers are the perfect places to give back and kick back. Open every day, yes weekends too, makes it easy to fit donating into your schedule.

You could probably use a little peace, and every Blood Connection center offers that. Clean, spacious, and comfortable, a center getaway may be exactly what you need…it’s exactly what 3 blood recipients need too.

Every donation has the power to save up to 3 lives. Every 2 seconds, someone in the U.S. is in need of a life-saving blood transfusion. You’re 1 person who can make a difference!

HawkWatch
Sep 26 @ 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Grandfather Mountain

All throughout September, guests are invited to join the mountain’s naturalists as they count and celebrate the annual spectacle of the fall raptor migration. Participants can meet daily across the Mile High Swinging Bridge on Linville Peak, weather permitting.

Hendersonville Farmers Market
Sep 26 @ 8:00 am – 1:00 pm
Hendersonville Farmers Market

The market will take place every Saturday from May 8-Oct 30, 8am-1pm at the Historic Train Depot on Maple Street in downtown Hendersonville.
Shoppers can expect at least 30 vendors, live music and kids activities every Saturday. We are a producer-only market, so all vendors are offering homegrown or handmade products!
We’ll be offering Double SNAP again this year, so come double up on your SNAP/EBT dollars (thanks to Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project)!
All vendors accept cash. A few vendors accept card. If you don’t have cash, come to the Information Booth to pay with a card for tokens. All vendors will accept tokens.
For more information about the market, or to become a sponsor, volunteer or vendor, visit downtownhendersonville.org or contact the market manager at [email protected].
Hendersonville Farmers Market is sponsored by:
Hendersonville Community Coop
Carolina Farm Credit
Duke Energy
Charlotte Sheppard, REALTOR, Keller Williams Mountain Partners
GiveSmart
One Health Direct Primary Care
Underground Baking Co
The Learning Garden Opens to the Public
Sep 26 @ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Buncombe Extension Center
The Learning Garden at Buncombe Extension Center
Vegetable gardening at The Learning Garden

Visit The Learning Garden! The gardens are in full summer mode with ripening tomatoes, blooming roses, giant sunflowers, and many other perennials and plants of interest.

The Learning Garden is a dedicated, on-site teaching garden at the Buncombe Extension Center located at 49 Mt. Carmel Road, Asheville. It is managed and cared for by the Extension Master GardenerSM volunteers (EMGVs) of Buncombe County.

Everyone is welcome to visit the gardens Monday and Wednesday mornings from 9 to 12 when temperatures are cool and Master Gardeners are working in the gardens. Or come visit on your own Monday through Friday, 8 to 5.

The Learning Garden (TLG) surrounds the Extension building, includes 8 distinct gardens, and a composting demonstration site. Each garden offers plants that grow well in our region. You will gather new ideas and learn successful horticultural practices that lead to beautiful, healthy gardens.

Look for plant labels in the garden. Find more information and brochures at the kiosk near the building and in the garden mailboxes.

GARDENERS ARE IN THE GARDEN.

Wild Art Sculpture Showcase
Sep 26 @ 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
NC Arboretum

The North Carolina Arboretum is going wild for art and nature in 2021 with Wild Art! On view April 1 through September 26, this outdoor sculpture exhibition features works by 17 local and national artists drawing inspiration from the natural environment. Situated throughout the Arboretum’s spacious, open-air gardens, the show offers guests a doorway into the wild world from the comfort and safety of cultivated landscapes transformed by art.

The 18 sculptures on display represent a variety of approaches to the theme of “wild art,” from the literal to the abstract, and are crafted from a diverse array of materials that will delight and inspire. Let your imagination take you on a wild journey into the world of plants and animals near and far with Wild Art at The North Carolina Arboretum.

The exhibit is available to all guests during normal Arboretum hours, and there is no admission cost to view the sculptures beyond our usual parking fee of $16 per personal vehicle.

WNC Farmers Market Open Daily
Sep 26 @ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
WNC Farmers Market

NCDA&CS - Marketing Division - Western North Carolina Farmers Market

With the convenience of being open year-round, 7 days a week, the WNC Farmers Market offers a selection of farm-fresh produce at the lowest prices in Western N.C. Our popular retail buildings, providing a selection of non-perishables, fruits, vegetables, crafts and more, are open daily.

Arbor Huescapes: Paintings by Michael Fowler
Sep 26 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Artist Michael Fowler creates evocative abstract landscape paintings by incorporating vibrant colors with subtle, complex details. His semi-large-scale approach invites viewers to step into his work and build a sense of wonder and contemplation surrounding the natural world. Fowler’s artistic response in contemplating nature is to capture something of a landscape’s pleasantness, which is often unexpected harmonies of color and shape. In his latest exhibit, Arbor Huescapes, Fowler highlights the distinctive vegetation – primarily trees – and topography of North and South Carolina’s midlands and piedmont regions.

Fowler received his Bachelor of Arts from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas with a focus in Advertising Design. He then attended the University of Nebraska where he received a Master’s degree in Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing with a minor in Art History. From there, he attended the University of Memphis where he earned a Doctorate in Higher Education. Based in North Augusta, South Carolina, Fowler is currently an associate professor of design and computer graphics and serves as the Mary Durban Toole Chair of Art at the University of South Carolina in Aiken. His paintings are in a number of public and private collections nationally, and he actively exhibits in regional and national shows.

Please note: Arbor Huescapes has been rescheduled due to the COVID-19 crisis and will now open in fall 2021. The exhibit is on display daily September 18, 2021 – January 9, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. inside the Baker Exhibit Center. All works are available for purchase and a portion of sales will be donated to The North Carolina Arboretum Society.

Garden Pots Needed! GreenWorks
Sep 26 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sand Hill Nursery / Buncombe County Sports Complex

Garden pots are essential to our operations at the tree nursery, and we’re running low! Do you have extra plastic nursery pots lying around your house?

 

Please drop your pots off at our Sand Hill Nursery in the “Return Pots” section (Buncombe County Sports Park, 24 Apac Circle, Asheville) look for a sign on the fence.

Grab Brunch at River’s End
Sep 26 @ 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
River’s End Restaurant

River's End Restaurant exterior

River’s End Restaurant is an iconic spot for locals and visitors to Bryson City. Enjoy spectacular views of the gorge, with paddlers passing through as they complete their Nantahala River Rafting trip. Stop in for year-round lunch and dinner, with weekend brunch during the summer season, and choose from a wide range of appetizing entrees, burgers, salads, pizza, and sandwiches. Hang out for a while and enjoy a large selection of signature cocktails, wine, and beer, including local favorites.

In River’s End Restaurant, every seat has a view of the river! Enjoy music by the river and views of paddlers passing through as they complete their Nantahala River Rafting trip. Join our waitlist online to reserve a table or order online and grab your meal to go, for a sunny lunch right by the river!

Literacy Together Little Libraries
Sep 26 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Various "little" libraries throughout the community

Biltmore Gardens Railway
Sep 26 @ 9:30 am – 6:00 pm
Biltmore

Included with admission

Our fun-for-all-ages botanical model train displays invite you to experience our grounds in an engaging new way. Located in the Conservatory in the Walled Garden, the displays feature replicas of structures connected with Biltmore and its founder George Vanderbilt. Each beautifully executed piece was handcrafted from such natural elements as leaves, bark, and twigs.

In compliance with state and local mandates related to COVID-19, all guests must enter the Conservatory via the ADA entrance in the back and follow a one-way route.

Biltmore: Stickwork by Patrick Dougherty
Sep 26 @ 9:30 am – 6:00 pm
Biltmore

Image result for Stickwork by Patrick Dougherty

Included with admission

A unique-to-Biltmore, large-scale outdoor sculpture will be crafted and installed in Antler Hill Village this spring by Patrick Dougherty. Over the last three decades, this internationally-acclaimed artist has combined his carpentry skills and love of nature to build over 300 of these wondrous works, captivating the hearts and imaginations of viewers worldwide.

Image: Close Ties (2006) Scottish Basketmakers Circle, Dingwall, Scotland. Photo: Fin Macrae
NOTE: This is an example of Patrick Dougherty’s work; the artist will create Biltmore’s unique structure in Antler Hill Village this spring.

Summer at Biltmore
Sep 26 @ 9:30 am – 6:00 pm
Biltmore

See the source image

Summer at Biltmore offers an abundance of opportunities to explore our 8,000-acre Blue Ridge Mountain backyard and create the kind of memories that last a lifetime. Wander through historic gardens, along winding trails, and within the spacious halls of America’s Largest Home®. Enjoy extraordinary experiences and peace of mind in one spectacular setting: only at Biltmore.

Aston Park Tennis Center
Sep 26 @ 10:00 am – 7:30 pm
Aston Park Tennis Center
people playing on the courts at aston park tennis center

 

Asheville Parks & Recreation is pleased to announce the opening of Aston Park Tennis Center on April 1 for the 2021 season.  The tennis facility will be open seven days a week with two sessions of court availability — a morning session from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and an afternoon session from 3 to 7:30 p.m. with a one-hour break for midday cleaning.

Visitors can expect some changes to typical operations to meet current state and local health guidelines including enhanced cleaning, social distancing and mandatory mask wearing except while actively engaged in tennis activity on the court.  The Pro Shop will remain closed to foot traffic, however basic tennis supplies, drinks, and racquet drop-off for restringing will be available at the window.  Court fees will also be accepted at the window by credit card only and water fountains and showers will not be available.

 

Tennis Center prices are the same as they were in 2019, with hourly rates beginning at $6 and $7 and season passes starting at $299 and $399 for City of Asheville residents.  For more information and to purchase a season pass, visit the City’s Parks & Recreation website at www.ashevillenc.gov/parks.

 

The Aston Park Tennis Center, 336 Hilliard Ave.,  is one of the finest public clay tennis court facilities in the US.  The complex is open from April through November and offers 12 lighted courts for play.

 

The City of Asheville Parks & Recreation Department is committed to providing quality facilities and programs in a safe environment for everyone in our community.  For more information about everything Asheville Parks & Recreation offers, visit the website at www.ashevillenc.gov/parks,  Facebook page at www.facebook.com/APRCA or call 828-259-5800.

BLACK + WHITE 4
Sep 26 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Folk Art Center

Main Gallery show featuring members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild.

Equinox ~ In Person Outdoor Dance Wave!
Sep 26 @ 10:00 am
Carrier Park

Equinox

COVID AGREEMENTS
We are practicing Covid-conscious protocols which follow North Carolina law.
Per NC guidelines.

Please respect each other’s choices.

Physical distancing is encouraged.

Please no alcohol, weapons, tobacco, or shaming!

Individuals, or pods of 2-10 people, will be asked to mark out their space with string, rope, blankets etc. Bring these items if you want !

Honor your needs and take care of yourself. Respect individual and energetic boundaries of whatever distance other folks need – check in and seek consent!

If you have symptoms in the 5 days before the event, please stay home and take care of yourself, and come to the next one! Let us know.