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.

Sunday, August 2, 2020
Animal Habitats VIP Tours
Aug 2 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Grandfather Mountain

See where the cougars and otters sleep overnight, meet black bears that are not commonly on display, learn the ins and outs of what it takes to care for the animals year-round, observe a training session and find out why the animals call Grandfather Mountain home.

Offered on weekends, April – October.

Environmental Impact II Exhibit
Aug 2 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

This exhibit will reopen on Wednesday, July 1, and will be on display daily through Sunday, August 2. On display daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. inside the Baker Exhibit Center, Environmental Impact II features more than 50 artworks, including paintings, photography, sculptures and film, focused on generating public attention surrounding environmental issues and unintended consequences…

To help protect the safety of our guests and staff, a one-way route will be enforced inside the exhibit hall. All guests ages 11 years and older will be required to wear a face covering while inside the Baker Exhibit Center. Thank you for your cooperation! 

Live Stream Yoga in the Park Asheville
Aug 2 @ 9:00 am – 10:15 am
live stream

Live Stream Yoga

Join me

for a 75 minute live yoga class:

Wednesday

April 29th @ 7:00 a.m.

Rise n’ Shine Mindful Wake-up Flow

(all-levels)

Friday

May 1st @ 12:00 p.m.

Vinyasa Pick-Me-Up Hour

(some experience recommended)

Sunday

May 3rd @ 9:00 a.m.

Mindful Wake-up Flow

(all-levels)

Monday

May 4th @ 7:30 p.m.

Vinyasa n’ Yin Yoga

(some experience recommended)

(More classes to be added, join my facebook page for current event listings: https://www.facebook.com/ceceyogini/ )

All live streams are suggested

$5

Send me an email to receive a free zoom link or connect with me on facebook to follow along with on-going class events. zoom links will be posted in class events on facebook.

NC Mineral and Gem Festival
Aug 2 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Spruce Pine Commons

Since the early 1950’s Spruce Pine, North Carolina has been the host of the Festival and welcomed visitors to shop for beautiful jewelry, gemstones, minerals, beads, crystals, fossils and more! Even celebrities have been spotted at the Festival selecting their jewelry, gemstones and gifts! The Festival features gem, jewelry and mineral dealers from across the country showcasing their merchandise to fit every budget. Whether you are shopping for an engagement ring, a special stone for your own setting, a custom designed piece of jewelry or a special crystal display for your home, you can’t miss the NC Mineral and Gem Festival. Mine tours to area mines will be held July 30-31. Reservations are required.

Bluegrass Brunch
Aug 2 @ 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall

Image

Bluegrass Brunch
hosted by Aaron Woody Wood & The Sufi Brothers

Pickin’ on the Porch w/ Chicken Coop Willaye 1030AM
Bald Mountain Boys 11AM – 12:30PM
Sufi Brothers 12:45PM – 3PM

Be sure to check out our Bloody Mary Bar, the BEST selection of pickled products and other additions in Asheville. The MOJO Kitchen will be serving a special Brunch menu until 3PM as well.

Food & music start at 10:30am
ADULT beverages at Noon.

Brunch of Jokers Comdey Show
Aug 2 @ 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

Brunch Of Jokers Comedy Show

Rocky Cove Railroad Exhibit
Aug 2 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

On exhibit Saturdays and Sundays from 12 – 4 p.m. (weather permitting), Rocky Cove Railroad is a G-Scale (garden scale) model train that demonstrates the coming of trains to western North Carolina at the turn of the 20th century. The exhibit is located below the Grand Garden Promenade.

West Side Story POSTPONED to 2021 Season
Aug 2 @ 2:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse
Ben’s Big Pop Up at The Odd
Aug 2 @ 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
The Odditorium

Image may contain: 1 person, sitting, food and indoor

Join us at The Odd as Chef Ben Hester presents tasty treats to tantalize your socially distant taste buds! Pop-up food event with music, drinks and food! Limited seating, bring your mask and behave yo ass!

Jack of the Wood : Sunday-Irish Session
Aug 2 @ 3:00 pm
Jack of the Wood

 

Jack of the Wood : Sunday-Irish Session 

Sundays

1 till who knows when?

Traditional Irish music is kept alive at Jack of the Wood with our unplugged Sunday session.

Jack of the Wood

95 Patton ave

Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 252.5445

http://www.jackofthewood.com/

Grateful Sunday with Phuncle Sam
Aug 2 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
UpCountry Brewing

Image may contain: text that says 'PHUNCLE SAM ASHEVILLE, NC'

Join us at UpCountry Brewing’s Asheville taproom for a Grateful Sunday with Phuncle Sam! There’s NO COVER for this show and we’re serving up delicious craft beer all day. Come boogie!

Dale Ann Bradley
Aug 2 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

Dale Ann Bradley

Monday, August 3, 2020
100 Days and 100 Ways to Get Ready for Election Day
Aug 3 all-day
Online

100 Days and 100 Ways to Get Ready for Election Day

FIND INFO AT:  https://www.lwv.org/blog/100-days-and-100-ways-get-ready-election-day?utm_source=MonthlyHighlights&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=July2020

7th Annual Business Plan Contest
Aug 3 all-day
Online

The Henderson County Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the 7th Annual Business Plan Contest. A well-written business plan lays the foundation for a financially successful business. A well prepared and executed business plan will grow sales, employment, and improve the bottom line. The business – start-up or existing – with the winning business plan will receive business services including advertising, tax, legal, and marketing for free, a value of over $5,000!

Please email your plan to Hoyle Adams at the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce
204 Kanuga Road, Hendersonville, NC 28739 • [email protected] (828) 692-1413

The 7th Annual Business Plan Contest is open to start-ups as well as existing businesses. You DO NOT have to be a Chamber member to participate. Electronic submissions are due to the Chamber by Friday, August 21, 2020. A panel of judges will select the winner and present the award at a reception on Monday, September 14 – part of Henderson County’s Small Business Week.
Beyond the Bag Challenge: $1 Million in Funding for Innovative Solutions
Aug 3 all-day
Online
The Challenge aims to identify innovative new design solutions that serve the function of today’s single-use plastic retail bag, delivering ease and convenience for consumers while striving to lessen the impact on the environment.
The Challenge is a part of the Beyond the Bag Initiative, a global initiative launched by Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy with Founding Partners CVS Health, Target, and Walmart. Kroger joins as Grocery Sector Lead Partner and Walgreens as a Supporting Partner, alongside Conservation International and Ocean Conservancy as Environmental Advisory Partners.
Solutions can be submitted from August 3 to September 10, 2020. Selected winners are eligible to receive a portion of $1 million in funding, participate in a Circular Accelerator to receive further assistance in scaling their solutions, and potential access to testing and piloting opportunities.

 

More Info at: https://www.openideo.com/challenge-briefs/beyond-the-bag-challenge?utm_source=oi-direct-outreach&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=beyond-the-bag&utm_source=July+2020+Newsletter&utm_campaign=june+2020&utm_medium=email

Buncombe County Area Meal Sites
Aug 3 all-day
Buncombe County

Find locations around Buncombe County working hard to feed our community.

FOR STUDENTS: text FOODNC to 877-877 to locate nearby free meal sites. The texting service is also available in Spanish by texting COMIDA to 877-877.

View meal sites by geographical area, day of the week, and/or service type offered.

COVID-19 Relief: NC Help Keep Your Recycling Program Going
Aug 3 all-day
 
The NC Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service (DEACS) recently a new grant funding opportunity available to North Carolina local governments and private recycling businesses through the COVID-19 Recycling Relief Grant Program.
Proposals are now being accepted for projects to purchase equipment and/or resources to support residential recycling programs that have been stopped or impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. DEACS is seeking grant projects that support or improve an existing recycling program operated by a local government or a private recycling business.  There is no deadline for grant proposals.  Proposals will be continuously accepted, and awards will be made for the winning proposals on a rolling basis while funding is available.
For more information, contact:
Matt James at (919) 707-8133, [email protected]
Dogwood Alliance: Woods + Wilds: The Podcast!
Aug 3 all-day
Online

https://www.dogwoodalliance.org/2020/07/woods-wilds-the-podcast-episode-one/?fbclid=IwAR1i8UtIuKNXhpfQPJbkQB4jw5XW4tWGLyXBTqpSz3hWejTTWROWIeYOAa8

For the safety and well-being of our supporters, Dogwood Alliance will not hold our annual Woods & Wilds live storytelling event this year. It’s an event we look forward to every year because it’s an opportunity to celebrate the magic of forests with our community. We still wanted to find a way to bring that same kind of magic to people wherever they are, so we teamed up with SlayTheMic to launch Woods & Wilds: The Podcast! We will be releasing an episode every other Monday.

The podcast will sometimes offer tales of the forest and other times will be an interview with our guests about their unique connection to nature – often touching on the connection between hip hop and nature.

We were overjoyed to welcome our very first guest, Dr. Thomas RaShad Easley aka RaShad Eas, also known as the Hip Hop Forester and the Assistant Dean of Community and Inclusion at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, where he helps strengthen community diversity and develops programming around workplace equity. He’s also the author of the incredible article How Hip Hop Can Bring Green Issues To Communities of Color.

Don’t Waste Durham: Reduce Waste Survey
Aug 3 all-day
Online
Customer Survey about Takeout “Extras”
This survey is 17 questions long and should take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Responses will be recorded anonymously unless contact information is provided following completion.

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? Don’t Waste Durham thanks you VERY much for taking this survey. Your responses are important to understanding whether and how much people are using the takeout “extras” (plastic forks, paper napkins, etc) that restaurants give you with your takeout/delivery. THANK YOU!

Grounding and Centering Morning Meditation
Aug 3 all-day
Online

Enjoy a relaxing 20 minute guided meditation with didgeridoo from Robin and Corey, recorded live from their home in Asheville.

Grove Arcade Makers Market Accepting Vendor Applications
Aug 3 all-day
Online

The Battery Park end of the Grove Arcade is home to the Makers Market, an outdoor bazaar with a dozen stalls filled by artisans selling their craft directly to the public. The market is now accepting vendor applications for local artist to sell their wares, and the application fee is currently waived due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn more about the process and vendor regulations, as well as how to apply, here.

North Carolina COVID-19 Resources for Renters Facing Eviction
Aug 3 all-day
Online

From NCDHHS

If you are a renter in North Carolina facing eviction due to COVID-19 economic impacts, there may be resources available to you.

Rental and Utility Assistance

If you were unable to pay your rent and/or utilities due to COVID-19 or its economic impacts, you may qualify for assistance. Call NC 2-1-1 to learn of resources in your community for emergency needs, including rental and utility assistance.

Stay Active with Your Library Card
Aug 3 all-day
Online

You don’t need to give up your fitness or workout routine just because COVID-19 has you spending more time at home. If you’ve got a library card and access to WiFi, it’s easy to stay active with digital resources. (If you need a new library card or renewal, call Ask a Librarian at (828) 250-4700 or follow these steps.)

North Carolina Digital Library

YMCA offers flexible, affordable childcare options for school reopening
Aug 3 all-day
varies
 As the state’s largest provider of licensed school-age childcare, the YMCA of Western North Carolina is enhancing its childcare programs to meet the needs of working parents as area schools reopen under Plan B and Plan C.
The Y is working with its school partners to create a flexible program that can accommodate changes to school plans and offer consistent care that meets children’s social, emotional, and academic needs for the 2020-2021 school year.
Starting Aug. 17, the Y will offer childcare options for the state’s Plan B (in-person and remote) and Plan C (fully remote). As always, the programs are affordable and accessible to all.

The Y’s childcare programs vary by school system and are subject to change. Here’s an overview:

  • Asheville City Schools
    As of July 23, ACS plans to reopen in Plan C for all grades for the first nine weeks of school. During this time, the Y will operate “School’s Out” care at the YMCA Youth Services Center for ACS students in K-5.
  • Buncombe County Schools
    As of July 28, BCS will implement an enhanced version of Plan B. After one week in Plan B for onboarding and orientation, all K-8 students will switch to Plan C until Sept. 28. During Plan B weeks, the Y will offer onsite afterschool programs as well as full-day care at the YMCA Youth Services Center at Beaverdam and the Reuter Family YMCA. During Plan C the Y will operate “School’s Out” locations in the Roberson, Reynolds, Enka, and North Buncombe districts.
  • Henderson County Public Schools
    As of July 20, HCPS will reopen in Plan C for all grades for the first six weeks of the school year. Under Plan C, the Y will offer full-day care at the UNC Asheville Kellogg Center. When HCPS moves to Plan B, the Y will offer afterschool and full-day care at the Kellogg Center.
  • Hours of operations will vary by school system, and will adjust to meet local school day requirements. The Y will provide afterschool care during Plan B weeks. During Plan B and Plan C weeks, the Y will also offer full-day care.
    Families can sign up for afterschool care, full-day care, or both. In Buncombe and Henderson, afterschool is $95/week per child and full-day care is $200.
  • Community donations fund scholarships, which are available for each program on a sliding scale.
Nature Connects®: Art with LEGO® Bricks
Aug 3 @ 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Please note: Nature Connects®: Art with LEGO® Bricks has been postponed until July; however, the exhibit will have an extended schedule and will be open until November 1. We look forward to seeing you!

The Arboretum is excited to welcome back the widely popular traveling exhibit, Nature Connects®: Art with LEGO® Bricks by Sean Kenney. Featuring 14 larger-than-life-size sculptures place created with nearly 500,000 LEGO Bricks, this family-friendly exhibit draws inspiration from the living world and combines art, play and science to create an inspiring intersection of education, entertainment and the environment. New sculptures include a 5-foot tall colorful peacock, giant dragonfly, bonsai tree and more!

 

Fairy Trail at Bullington Gardens
Aug 3 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Bullington Gardens

The Fairy trail is open Monday thru Saturday, 9am-4pm. We encourage all visitors to be patient as there will be limits to the number of people allowed on the trail at the same time. While the trail is outdoors, there are some small spaces and we want to ensure our guests and fairies are safe. Please practice appropriate social distancing and bring a mask in case. Masks are not required, but are considerate in a close area. Our restrooms are not open to the public at this time. Please make arrangements prior to visiting.

 

Rules of the trail:

Do not move or rearrange fairy displays. The fairies are very fond of their own decorating.

Do not leave trash on the trail. Fairies do not like litter in their town.

Please ensure children and pets are supervised at all times. Dogs and loud noises can scare the fairies into hiding.

Do not disturb wildlife or vegetation. The fairies depend on the vegetation to build their homes.

The trail is one way only. Please stay on the trail at all times.

 

The Fairies can’t wait to see you all here!

P.S. the Fairies would like us to remind you that we are a non-profit and donations are greatly appreciated. Help us keep the fairies living in the style with which they’ve become accustomed.

Throwing Bigger Pots w/ Tori Motyl: 2 Hour Live Stream
Aug 3 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Online
“Apprentices Plugged-In”
Aug 3 @ 6:00 pm
Online

Ranging from the Class of 1960 to 2019, tune in from the comfort of your home for an inspirational performance featuring past Apprentices. For almost 70 years, the Apprentice Program has offered rising arts professionals a unique educational and career development summer intensive that leads the way from education to employment. Enjoy a cabaret-style performance in an evening of entertainment, heart, and the chance for the Vagabond Family of patrons and performers to stay connected. Featuring special guests Lisa K. Bryant, Scott Treadway, Paige Posey, Dennis C. Maulden, and more!

Proceeds directly support Flat Rock Playhouse by maintaining our iconic 14-acre historic property, safeguarding the return of Broadway-quality entertainment, and ensuring future access to arts education in our community. Together, let’s keep the lights on and Vagabonds at the ready until we can once again open our doors to the public.

$50 / household – Includes a viewing link. Registration is 100% tax deductible.

$75 / household for Henderson County Residents – Includes a viewing link as well as a gourmet vegetarian dinner box which will be delivered to your door on the day of the event by a representative of FRP. Contactless delivery guidelines observed.

1. Click the link to register online today.

2. Mail a check made out to Flat Rock Playhouse with “Apprentices Plugged-In” in the memo line. The deadline to mail in payment is July 24th. Please provide your best email address for follow up information.

Attn: Development Office Flat Rock Playhouse

PO Box 310

Flat Rock, NC 28731

3. Call our box office at 828.693.0731 between 10 AM and 4 PM, Monday through Thursday. Thank you for your understanding and patience with our reduced hours during this time. Please note, registration confirmations will be sent via email from [email protected]Reminders will be sent via email the day before and the day of the event.

Fall Organic Gardening Series: Prepare Your Garden for Winter
Aug 3 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Dr. John Wilson Community Garden
  • Fall Organic Gardening Series: Prepare Your Garden for Winter

    Western NC plant hardiness zones range from 6 to 8 which means that no matter where you live in our region, a wide range of vegetables can overwinter without much fuss. Discover when to seed and transplant, which vegetables to plant, site location based on the hours of sunlight, and simple techniques for winter protection. And don’t forget that winter months are perfect for planning your spring garden. Possible additional topics as time allows:
  • Raised beds
  • Fertilization and water
  • Mulching systems
  • Three-season cover cropping
  • Harvesting tips and timelines
  • Fall and winter pest pressure
  • Increasing plant hardiness

 

Monday Night Live! Concert Series features Mojo Brothers Blues Band
Aug 3 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Visitors Center

Experience an array of talented music artists on a pleasant summer night at the Monday Night Live! concert series. The concert series features a diverse line-up of folk, country and blues. The eclectic line-up of free live performances happen every other Monday evening from July 20, August 3, 17 & 31  at the Visitor Center, 201 South Main Street, from 7pm-9pm.  Enjoy the fresh air, bring a chair and delight in the one-of-a-kind experience you’ll get from this unique outdoor music venue.

Bring a chair and sit back, relax and enjoy mountain heritage music and dancing from 7:00-9:00pm. Seating area opens after 5:30pm, early admission is prohibited. Admission is free. No alcoholic beverages, backpacks/tote bags or coolers allowed.

Please leave your pets comfortably at home. A Hendersonville City ordinance allows event organizers to exclude animals from the event space for the health, safety and welfare of the community, dogs, patrons, and vendors and their products.

In case of inclement weather the dance will be postponed until 8pm; if the weather does not cooperate by 8pm the performance will be cancelled.

For additional information call the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority at 828-693-9708The Monday Night Live concert series is coordinated, produced, and sponsored by Henderson County Tourism Development Authority.