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 OGS for a Tour of Cuba’s Sustainable Farms
Learn from farmers and food activists about Cuba’s transition to agroecological farming practices and its national policies that prioritize sustainable farming and hunger remediation.
Connect with farmers, consumers, activists, NGOs, policymakers, and experts working to transform the global food system.
Acquire the knowledge and strategies to create just, sustainable, local, and healthy food systems in your own communities.
Join OGS for a Tour of Cuba’s Sustainable Farms
Learn from farmers and food activists about Cuba’s transition to agroecological farming practices and its national policies that prioritize sustainable farming and hunger remediation.
Connect with farmers, consumers, activists, NGOs, policymakers, and experts working to transform the global food system.
Acquire the knowledge and strategies to create just, sustainable, local, and healthy food systems in your own communities.
Presenter: Annie Martin, owner of Mountain Moss Enterprises.
It’s all about moss magic! Asheville native and nationally-recognized expert on moss gardening, Annie Martin, a.k.a. Mossin’ Annie, shares her passion for mosses, blending her knowledge of bryophytes and successful gardening techniques.
The talk is free but registration is required. Please visit www.buncombemastergardener.org/online-seminar-moss-gardening-madness-march-17/ to register.
If you encounter problems registering or have questions, call 828-255-5522.
Organic Growers School is partnering with Mother Earth News to jointly produce the OGS 29th Spring Conference March 18-20, 2022 at Mars Hill University. Attendees will enjoy the usual favorite array of robust workshops, with an added bonus of new speakers and vendors joining the community.
Friday’s pre-conference workshops consist of four deep-dive, all-day opportunities. Choose between “Carbon Farming and Agroforestry,” “Build It, Plumb It, Hack It: The Basics of Fix, Mend, and Make for the Farm and Garden,” “Mushrooms, Mold, and Mycorrhizae,” and “Water Resilience and Mitigation: Practical Adaptations for Farm and Home.”
Saturday and Sunday’s conference programming consist of a wide variety of short sessions and nine half-day workshops. Choose tracks that most align with your interests, such as Cooking, Forest Farming, Herbs, Living on the Land, Permaculture, and more. Presenters include Sandor Katz, Tyson Sampson, Angie Lavezzo, and more.
OGS and Mother Earth News, both organizations with deep roots in the region, are similar in mission, values, and both have deep roots in the region. This conference and partnership allows them to leverage our relationships for the benefit of their audiences.
Learn more and purchase tickets at organicgrowersschool.org/conferences/spring.
Organic Growers School is partnering with Mother Earth News to jointly produce the OGS 29th Spring Conference March 18-20, 2022 at Mars Hill University. Attendees will enjoy the usual favorite array of robust workshops, with an added bonus of new speakers and vendors joining the community.
Friday’s pre-conference workshops consist of four deep-dive, all-day opportunities. Choose between “Carbon Farming and Agroforestry,” “Build It, Plumb It, Hack It: The Basics of Fix, Mend, and Make for the Farm and Garden,” “Mushrooms, Mold, and Mycorrhizae,” and “Water Resilience and Mitigation: Practical Adaptations for Farm and Home.”
Saturday and Sunday’s conference programming consist of a wide variety of short sessions and nine half-day workshops. Choose tracks that most align with your interests, such as Cooking, Forest Farming, Herbs, Living on the Land, Permaculture, and more. Presenters include Sandor Katz, Tyson Sampson, Angie Lavezzo, and more.
OGS and Mother Earth News, both organizations with deep roots in the region, are similar in mission, values, and both have deep roots in the region. This conference and partnership allows them to leverage our relationships for the benefit of their audiences.
Learn more and purchase tickets at organicgrowersschool.org/conferences/spring.
Organic Growers School is partnering with Mother Earth News to jointly produce the OGS 29th Spring Conference March 18-20, 2022 at Mars Hill University. Attendees will enjoy the usual favorite array of robust workshops, with an added bonus of new speakers and vendors joining the community.
Friday’s pre-conference workshops consist of four deep-dive, all-day opportunities. Choose between “Carbon Farming and Agroforestry,” “Build It, Plumb It, Hack It: The Basics of Fix, Mend, and Make for the Farm and Garden,” “Mushrooms, Mold, and Mycorrhizae,” and “Water Resilience and Mitigation: Practical Adaptations for Farm and Home.”
Saturday and Sunday’s conference programming consist of a wide variety of short sessions and nine half-day workshops. Choose tracks that most align with your interests, such as Cooking, Forest Farming, Herbs, Living on the Land, Permaculture, and more. Presenters include Sandor Katz, Tyson Sampson, Angie Lavezzo, and more.
OGS and Mother Earth News, both organizations with deep roots in the region, are similar in mission, values, and both have deep roots in the region. This conference and partnership allows them to leverage our relationships for the benefit of their audiences.
Learn more and purchase tickets at organicgrowersschool.org/conferences/spring.
Compost at Home with Patryk Battle. Join the Organic Growers School for their second Summer class in their Gardening Series.
In this workshop, Patryk Battle of Living Web Farms will walk you through a comprehensive overview of the requirements, benefits, and downsides of various composting methods. Then, he will take a deeper dive into thermophilic and worm composting systems.
You will have an opportunity to construct a thermophilic pile and set up a worm box during class, as well as evaluate the quality of the finished compost product. You will leave with a lot more confidence about which approaches to composting work best for your garden, and with the knowledge to start up your own pile!
May 10, 2022, 6-8pm
Smith Mill Works Greenhouse
https://organicgrowersschool.org/product/gardening-may/
Join Craig Mauney, NC Extension Area Specialized Agent, to learn how to add edible plants to a new or existing landscape. Edible landscaping is an option for gardeners with limited space or those who want to incorporate some fruits and vegetables into their gardens without dedicating space to edibles alone. The presentation will include information about how to select and use plants to enrich your WNC landscape with incredible edibles.
The talk is free; registration is required. For more information, and to register, go to:
https://www.buncombemastergardener.org/upcoming-events/
Plants, plants, & more plants will be showcased at the Black Mountain Garden Sale on Friday, May 20, 4 -8pm and Saturday, May 21, 9am-4pm at the Town Square Parking Lot at the corner of E. State St. and Richardson Blvd.
Hosted by Black Mountain Beautification Committee the sale will feature annuals, herbs, native plants, perennials, shrubs, trees, and vegetable starts from specialty plant vendors. Plus garden décor including garden containers, wood carvings, and other special items.
The popular Clothesline Sale will have personal services for sale. Buy raffle tickets to take a chance to win plants. Proceeds help support the Seed Money Award and to keep the town beautiful!
More info at blackmountainbeautification.org. Let us help you create the garden of your dreams!
Plants, plants, & more plants will be showcased at the Black Mountain Garden Sale on Friday, May 20, 4 -8pm and Saturday, May 21, 9am-4pm at the Town Square Parking Lot at the corner of E. State St. and Richardson Blvd.
Hosted by Black Mountain Beautification Committee the sale will feature annuals, herbs, native plants, perennials, shrubs, trees, and vegetable starts from specialty plant vendors. Plus garden décor including garden containers, wood carvings, and other special items.
The popular Clothesline Sale will have personal services for sale. Buy raffle tickets to take a chance to win plants. Proceeds help support the Seed Money Award and to keep the town beautiful!
More info at blackmountainbeautification.org. Let us help you create the garden of your dreams!
Seventy percent of the material going to landfills is organic and most of that is kitchen and yard waste that can be composted at home and returned to your soil. Join this “in the garden” program to learn to compost with a multi-bin system: what to use and what not to use, how to mix it, how to monitor the pile, when is it ready, and how to use the finished product.
In-person event. The talk is free, but attendance is limited and registration is required.
https://www.buncombemastergardener.org/upcoming-events/
During this in-person workshop, participants will learn about growing 2 types of indigo for your dye gardens. You will have hands-on experience collecting the plant matter and with 2 methods of dying silk scarves with fresh indigo. If there is time, there will be a discussion about creating an organic indigo dye vat.
To ensure a good learning experience, attendance is limited. Registration is required, using Eventbrite.
The event is free ($5 donation gratefully accepted).
Extension Master Gardener (EMG) volunteers will be at the Asheville City Market with answers to all of your gardening questions and concerns. Feel free to bring plant or insect samples for identification and/or problem resolution. Soil test kits and information about the EMG Learning Garden activities and Gardening in the Mountains seminars will be available! Please stop by to learn more!
Stop by to learn more about composting at home!
There are five different composting methods on display at the site: a single bin unit, a tumbling composter, a wood pallet bin and a classic 3-bin system — usually an example of vermiculture is available on each demo day.
Extension Master Gardener (EMG) volunteers will be at the Asheville City Market with answers to all of your gardening questions and concerns.
Feel free to bring plant or insect samples for identification and/or problem resolution. Soil test kits and information about the EMG Learning Garden activities and Gardening in the Mountains seminars will be available! Please stop by to learn more!
Celebration and education of Blue Ridge Mountain culture, arts, & nature.
jacksonartsmarket.com for more information
The 13th West Asheville Garden Stroll is Saturday, September 10 from 11AM to 4 PM. With the theme “Connecting Neighbors,” the Stroll links two historic West Asheville neighborhoods – Burton Street and Brucemont-Dorchester. The kick-off begins at 10:30 on the grounds of Trinity United Methodist Church, 587 Haywood Road. Stroll Guides with a map and garden descriptions will be available at the church from 11:00 until 3:30. The Garden Stroll is free, and all are welcome to join in this community event, rain or shine.
This year’s Stroll features 14 creative, quirky, wonderfully West Asheville gardens, including three distinctive community gardens. The gardens showcase solutions for sunny and shady environments and for large and small yards, as well as strategies for growing vegetables, fruit, herbs, and ornamentals that include eclectic art and innovative hardscaping.
The family-friendly kickoff at Trinity Methodist includes songs, the Faerie Kin stilt-walkers who celebrate Mother Earth and uplift hearts, and Street Creatures’ giant Tree-Hugger puppet, ready to give hugs to all tree lovers. Local organizations will be on hand to offer resources for gardeners and possibly some items for sale.
The Learning Garden offers the public the opportunity to Drop-In and Learn in the garden Topics include: Basic Composting; Harvesting and Preserving Dye Plants, Dividing Perennials, Fall Seed Starting, Plant Propagation
No registration required; just drop in and learn!
Come to The Learning Garden to celebrate the end of the growing season. Enjoy fun activities for children and adults. Explore the gardens filled with Master Gardener volunteers to answer your gardening questions. Activities will include: Free Flower Seeds, Pumpkin Decorating, Flower Seed-Saving Activity, Winter Sowing Demonstration, Vermicomposting, Scavenger Hunts for kids of all ages … and more!
No registration required. Just stop by . . .
The Learning Garden offers the public the opportunity to Drop-In and Learn in the garden Topics include: Getting Your Roses Ready for Winter, Cover Crops
No registration required; just drop in and learn!
ASAP’s Annual Business of Farming Conference brings together professional farmers from across the Southeast region to network and share resources to grow their farm businesses. Farmers learn about marketing, business planning, and financial management from regional experts and innovative peers. The conference is designed for beginning and established farmers as well as those seriously considering farming as a profession. Scholarships are available for BIPOC and limited-resource farmers. Find out more and apply.
Interested in sponsoring the conference? Sponsorships are a great way to get your product or services in front of farmers and establish you as a leader of the local food movement. Contact Nora Scheff for details.
Interested in being an exhibitor at the conference? Exhibitors can connect directly with more than 200 farmers and agricultural professionals. Fill out an exhibitor application.
Workshops for Beginning and Established Farmers
Choose from workshops on business planning, farm financials, marketing, branding, legal considerations, and much more, led by regional business and marketing professionals and innovative farmers. Workshops are rotated regularly with some new workshops offered each year. See a preview of 2023 workshops here (additional workshops and speakers will be added).
Grower-Buyer Meeting
Meet with restaurant owners, chefs, distributors, and grocers to discuss sourcing and possible matches between what you produce and what each buyer needs. (It’s like speed dating for local sourcing!) Many farmers have made connections with participating buyers, and many more have improved their ability to serve wholesale accounts. Find out more.
Farmers Market Summit
The summit brings together farmers market managers from across the Appalachian Grown region for peer-sharing, technical assistance support, and annual planning. The summit is free for market leadership, but does require pre-registration. Each market may send two representatives to the summit. Contact Mike McCreary to learn more.
Networking and 1:1 Consulting
Attendees have the opportunity to meet, connect, and form supportive relationships. Experts are available to provide your farm with individual support on a variety of business, legal, marketing, and management topics.
Exhibitors Hall
Connect with representatives from a variety of regional agricultural and business services in our exhibitor hall.
Organic Growers School is now accepting work trade applications for the 30th Annual Spring Conference & Market!
The OGS Spring Conference will be held at Mars Hill University from February 24-26, 2023.
In exchange for each shift worked you will be compensated for the same day of the Conference. For example; if you work trade on Saturday, you will have access to the Conference on Saturday and will be free to attend workshops throughout the day, as long as they don’t conflict with your shift hours.
Work traders can select two shifts if they would like to attend on Saturday and Sunday, or three shifts, if they would like to participate the whole weekend.
General work trade shifts do not require special skills or backgrounds. They do, however, require timeliness and a friendly demeanor. Classroom Assistants/Moderators require training and classroom experience.
You should expect to be working during some of the class time unless you are approved for a pre-or post-conference shift, or come as a paying participant.
Please review the website for shift descriptions and complete the Work Trade Application if you are interested.
Work Trade at Spring Conference – Organic Growers School
We appreciate your interest in work trading for the 30th Annual Spring Conference & Market. Work traders play a vital role in the success of this event!
Thanks for your support,
Work Trade Deposit:
All volunteers are required to submit a $40 deposit. Please complete one registration and submit only one deposit. You may include any additional interest shifts in the additional notes section of the work trade application. Deposits are refunded once you complete your work trade shift. Once your schedule and duties are confirmed, it is up to you to show up for your shifts on time and to complete your shift as asked. In the unfortunate event that you do not fulfill your shift, we will process your credit card for the deposit amount. If providing a deposit is not possible, please email [email protected] so we may consider other options.
Accessible gardens such as raised beds offer a chance for wheelchair bound and individuals with physical limitations grow vegetables and enjoy gardening. Join Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Alan Wagner and other members of the EMGV team in The Learning Garden for this program covering all the significant points on how to build an ADA compliant raised bed, including height, dimensions, and the materials to use.
Portions of this program may be held outside; please dress appropriately for the weather.
The presentation is free, but attendance is limited and registration is required.
3rd Annual Spring Fling with over 20 craft artists, live music & food truck. 22 Living Greenhouses full of exotic plants, annuals, perennials, veggie starts, bushes and trees. Our very own Appalachian Standard CBD products for purchase.
Raffle with proceeds benefiting Asheville’s very own Dementia Partners!
Our annual Spring Fling! is just a few weeks away (April 29th). We’ve got a great line up of performers and local vendors…and of course there will be loads and loads of plants!
Things kick off at 11am with the puppet show and will wind down sometime around 5 pm. As always, plants are available on sliding scale honor system – and all proceeds go to support our free CSA and youth programs.
We are delighted to welcome Andrew Wakefield to Bloom WNC Outdoor Summer Concert Series!
Andrew Wakefield is a guitarist, songwriter and singer based in Asheville, NC. He has an extensive and eclectic catalogue of compositions ranging from guitar-driven bluegrass to folk, old-time, newgrass, rock, american, and more!
2023 SPRING FLING PLANT SALE, sponsored by the Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Buncombe County, the Asheville-Blue Ridge Rose Society, and The Men’s Garden Club of Asheville.
Extension Master Gardener volunteers will offer a huge selection of plants for any garden spot. Choose among perennials, ground covers, native plants, vegetable starts, herbs, shrubs. Garden art, books and some hard goods will also be available. Master Gardeners will help you select the right plant for the right place and answer your gardening questions.
The Asheville Blue Ridge Rose Society will sell many varieties of roses, including own-root, fragrant, and miniature roses. Expert rosarians will be on hand to help you choose the perfect rose and to give practical advice on growing and caring for roses.
The Men’s Garden Club of Asheville will be selling popular annual flowering plants in a wide variety of colors including Sunpatiens, impatiens, geraniums, marigolds, begonias, non-flowering sweet potato vines, and several others.
A planting activity for children will be offered. Parental supervision required.
Rain or shine, we’ll see you there! Don’t forget to bring your wagon.
While the county mask mandate has been lifted, participants for all events and activities are welcome to wear a mask to feel more comfortable.
Black Mountain Garden Sale, one of the most popular gardening sales in WNC, will be held on Friday, May 19, 4-8pm and Saturday, May 20, 9am-4pm at the Town Square Parking Lot at the corner of E. State St. and Richardson Blvd.
Hosted by Black Mountain Beautification Committee the sale will feature annuals, carnivorous plants, cut flowers, edible shrubs, herbs, native plants, perennials, shrubs, trees, and vegetable starts from specialty plant vendors. Plus garden décor including bee cabins, garden art and containers, wood carvings, and other specialty items.
The popular Members’ Market will have personal services and baked goods for sale. Purchase raffle tickets to take a chance to win plants. Proceeds help support the Seed Money Award, Community Improvement Award, and to keep the town beautiful!
Additional information at blackmountainbeautification.org. Let us help you create the garden of your dreams!