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.

Friday, January 29, 2021
On-street parking payment to change regarding use of Passport app
Jan 29 @ 9:00 am – 9:30 pm
City Asheville
Person using cellphone in front of parking meter

 

The City of Asheville is committed to offering safe and convenient payment options for our services, including our parking meters.  In order to provide a mobile payment option at our parking meters, the City currently contracts with Passport Labs. This contract is set to expire Dec. 31.

 

In order to continue providing a mobile payment option, the City will enter into an agreement with a national purchasing cooperative, NCPA. We wanted to make our customers aware that under this new agreement, those who use the Passport app will be charged an additional $0.25 per transaction. This does not apply to using cards or coins at the meters.

 

Parking options

There are more than 700 on-street metered spaces in downtown Asheville. All meters are for short term parking (two hours or less, as marked) at a cost of $1.50 per hour.

In City garages, the first hour is free, the second hour or any portion thereof costs $2.50 followed by $1.25 per each additional hour or fraction thereof.  (Daily maximum: $12).

Parking in  City garages remains the better deal.

Also, while the collection booths are not being manned at this time, security and cleaning services remain on site at every garage. And the garages have live remote video assistants at the exits to help with any payment issues that may arise.

 

Where the money goes

Asheville Parking Services is an enterprise fund, and that means that the division supports itself rather than relying on tax money from the City’s general fund. In addition, money collected from Parking Services helps fund the ART bus system.

For more information, please visit the Parking Services webpage on the City of Asheville website.

 

Urgent Need for Blood Donations: Asheville Center
Jan 29 @ 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
The Blood Connection

TBC Rewards

PLEASE SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY: Asheville Center – Donate Blood – The Blood Connection

 

Platelet Information

Mon-Tues: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wed-Fri: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sat-Sun: 7:00 am – 3:00 pm

To make an appointment call: 984.222.1101

General Information

Mon-Tues: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Wed-Fri: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sat-Sun: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Phone: 828-585-8060

Urgent Need for Blood Donations: Hendersonville Center
Jan 29 @ 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
The Blood Connection

TBC Rewards

PLEASE SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY: Hendersonville Center – Donate Blood – The Blood Connection

 

General Information

Mon-Tues: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Wed-Fri: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sat-Sun: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm

Phone: 828-233-5301

Platelet Information

Mon-Tues: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wed-Fri: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sat-Sun: 7:00 am – 3:00 pm

Make an appointment: 854-429-1700

Drop-ins also welcome

Job Fair B.B. Barns The Garden Company Preregistration Required
Jan 29 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
B.B. Barns The Garden Company

We are currently looking for our 2021 seasonal team members.
Positions Available:
Retail Customer Associate
Cashier
Customer Loader
Waterer
Receiving Department Assistant
Nursery & Perennial Support
Installation & Delivery Assistant
Container Garden Installation Assistant
Job Fairs:
These job fairs are to meet potential team members and get to know them before call back interviews.
The job fairs will run:
Fri. Jan. 29th & Sat. Jan. 30th and Fri. Feb. 5th & Sat. Feb. 6th.
You must sign up to claim your spot during these days.
Please visit our Career page for more information on the positions available and how to sign up for your spot.
Make-a-Basket Workshops
Jan 29 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Ronda W Cassada Basketry

Asheville, NC – Creative workshops for beginner and experienced basket weavers! Hands-on stations provide you with all the material, tools and verbal instruction needed to complete a basket in 3-6 hours.
No weaving experience necessary for beginner baskets. Unless otherwise noted, workshops are for those 16 years of age or over.
** Please note: During class masks must be worn and temperatures checked before entering classroom. All tables & tools are sanitized between classes, and hand sanitizers are provided at the door.
Marco Reichert “Man and Machine” Art Exhibit
Jan 29 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Bender Gallery
untitled
2020
78.8 x 59
Marco Reichert
“Man and Machine”, is a solo exhibition featuring new and pivotal works by European painter, Marco Reichert. Berlin-based Reichert is an emerging abstract painter whose current work challenges our ideas of what contemporary art is by using traditional painting techniques in conjunction with experimental “painting machines” to create multi-layered artworks. Reichert’s concept is new and unique, and his paintings exhibit a singular recognizable style. “Man and Machine” opens at the gallery on January 2, 2021 and runs through February 28, 2021.
There are convenient public parking garages located
nearby. The largest is under the Aloft Hotel with an
entrance to the garage on both S Lexington Ave
at the rear of the hotel as well the front of the hotel
on Biltmore Ave. The is also an open air parking lot
at the corner of Aston St and S Lexington Ave.
Pack Memorial Library Opens at 50 Percent Capacity for Grab and Go Service
Jan 29 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library

 

Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 19, Pack Memorial Library will reopen to the public with limited hours and services. See below for schedule information for most other Buncombe County Public Libraries.

The Pack library schedule will be:

  • Tuesday-Thursday, 1-6 p.m.
  • Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
  • Sunday & Monday, Closed
Volunteer Opportunities at Blue Ridge Humane Society
Jan 29 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Blue Ridge Humane Society
a smiling girl holds up a bag of pet food

Volunteers are an essential part of the Blue Ridge Humane Society family.

Our Volunteer Program offers a wide variety of opportunities to use unique talents and skills to enhance the quality of life for animals in Henderson County.

We love to see families and friends volunteering together! We welcome volunteers ages 7 and up for some of our volunteer roles. Volunteers ages 16 and under must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who has also completed the appropriate volunteer training.

Still wondering whether you should give volunteering a try? Contact [email protected] for more information.

Please note, we do not fulfill pre-trial intervention community service hours.

How to Volunteer at the Blue Ridge Humane Society 

Our volunteers:

  • Improve the quality of living for animals in Henderson County.
  • Make a difference in their community through our community programs like our Spay/Neuter Incentive Program and Meals on Wheels Pet Pals.
  • Provide support for all departments and serve on our board and committees.
  • Help raise crucial funds in our Thrift Store.

It’s easy to get started!

  1. Fill out the Volunteer Application.
  2. Attend a Virtual Volunteer Information Session to learn more about Blue Ridge Humane Society and current volunteer opportunities.
  3. Pick a Volunteer Assignment! Decide what volunteer position works best for you! Some assignments can get started right away and some require prior orientation and training such as animal handling training that you can get started on.
  4. Start Volunteering! Get started in your position. Our volunteers make a huge impact in Henderson County to ensure both pets and their people are happy, healthy, and thriving. We wouldn’t be able to accomplish all we do without them.
Brunch B’yahad Virtual
Jan 29 @ 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Online w/ Asheville Jewish Community Center

Brunch B’Yahad is now available through Zoom meeting here.   

Join new and old friends for light brunch, socialization and lively discussion.  Featured guest speakers, and relevant cultural and timely topics will fill our minds.

Across the Atlantic Exhibition
Jan 29 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Across the Atlantic

Across the Atlantic

American Impressionism Through the French Lens

January 22–April 19, 2021
LOCATION:
Appleby Foundation Exhibition Hall

This extraordinary exhibition, drawn from the collection of the Reading Public Museum, explores the path to Impressionism through the 19th century in France. The show examines the sometimes complex relationship between French Impressionism of the 1870s and 1880s and the American interpretation of the style in the decades that followed. More than 65 paintings and works on paper help tell the story of the “new style” of painting which developed at the end of the 19th century—one that emphasized light and atmospheric conditions, rapid or loose brushstrokes, and a focus on brightly colored scenes from everyday life, including both urban and rural settings when artists preferred to paint outdoors and capture changing effects of light during different times of day and seasons of the year.

Across the Atlantic: American Impressionism through the French Lens is organized by the Reading Public Museum, Reading, Pennsylvania.

Generous support for this project provided by Art Bridges and The Maurer Family Foundation.

Connecting Legacies: A First Look at the Dreier Black Mountain College Archive
Jan 29 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

This exhibition features archival objects from the Theodore Dreier Sr. Document Collection presented alongside artworks from the Museum’s Black Mountain College Collection to explore the connections between artworks and ephemera. This exhibition is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and curated by lydia see, fall 2020 curatorial fellow, with support from a Digitizing Hidden Collections grant through the Council on Library and Information Resources.

Fantastical Forms: Ceramics as Sculpture Asheville Art Museum
Jan 29 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum
Left: Virginia Scotchie, Object Maker Series, 2020, glazed stoneware. Asheville Art Museum. © Virginia Scotchie. Right: Jane Palmer, Untitled, circa 1990, glazed stoneware, 41 × 14 ¼ × 21 ½ inches. Asheville Art Museum. © Estate of Jane Palmer.

The Asheville Art Museum presents Fantastical Forms: Ceramics as Sculpture on view at the Museum November 4, 2020 through April 5, 2021. The 25 works in this exhibition—curated by associate curator Whitney Richardson—highlight the Museum’s Collection of sculptural ceramics from the last two decades of the 20th century to the present. Each work illustrates the artist’s ability to push beyond the utilitarian and transition ceramics into the world of sculpture.

North and South Carolina artists featured include Elma McBride Johnson, Neil Noland, Norm Schulman, Virginia Scotchie, Cynthia Bringle, Jane Palmer, Michael Sherrill, and Akira Satake. Works by American artists Don Reitz, Robert Chapman Turner, Karen Karnes, Toshiko Takaezu, Bill Griffith, and Xavier Toubes are also featured in the exhibition.

The Gallery at Flat Rock: Porch Portraits sessions donates to Flat Rock Playhouse
Jan 29 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
The Gallery at Flat Rock
Man and woman smiling as
                    their infant son poses in front of them.The Goodrum Family, photo by Suzanne Camarata

Thank you Suzanne Camarata of The Gallery at Flat Rock whose Porch Portraits sessions raised $2835 for the Playhouse! Suzanne began this series when the pandemic made traditional photo sessions a challenge and inspired photographers used social distancing to create a new way to capture memories. “Porch Portraits by Suzanne brings the fun of a casual, light-hearted photoshoot right to your home – literally to your front porch or in your front yard. ” Suzanne is continuing her sessions this year, so make sure to visit the link below to get (or gift) a session today.

Transcendence: An Artistic Celebration of the U.N. International Year of Peace and Trust Exhibit
Jan 29 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
The Gallery at Flat Rock
Painting of multi-colored
                    birds.Into the Light by Cynthia Wilson; one of the many works in this exhibit.

The Gallery at Flat Rock Offers Virtual and In-Person Exhibit

On January 21, The Gallery at Flat Rock opened their latest exhibit, Transcendence: An Artistic Celebration of the U.N. International Year of Peace and Trust. The in-person and virtual exhibit features, “over two dozen Gallery at Flat Rocks artists, who will each provide one artwork for the show that they believe evokes themes of peace and mutual trust among members of humanity.”

Winter Hours:
Wed – Sat 11am – 4pm
Sun 11am – 3pm
Open by appointment
or by chance

Bringing in the Light Asheville Gallery of Art
Jan 29 @ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Asheville Gallery of Art

Asheville Gallery of Art’s January show, “Bringing in the Light”, features four new artists to the gallery: Olga Dorenko, Rebecca Gottesman, Donny Luke, and Susan Voorhees.
The variety of work displayed contains common themes of light, joy, and optimism for the year ahead.
December 31-January 31
Gallery Hours: Thurs-Sun Noon-5pm
Cabin Fever Defeater Series
Jan 29 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Black Mountain Recreation
Defeat Cabin Fever this winter by joining us on an adventure! Beginning in January, we will be offering two programs each week for adventure-seekers of all ages. On Wednesdays, we will be alternating between indoor rock climbing and riverbank cleanups. While on Fridays, we will be taking advantage of the clear winter views in the mountains by going on a local hike! For our indoor rock climbing sessions, we are super excited to be partnering with the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly for allowing us to use their equipment and facilities. The registration fee for a two-hour indoor rock climbing session is $12. There are no fees associated with the hikes or riverbank cleanups. Space is limited for each of these programs (10 or less), and registration is required. All participants will be screened for COVID-19 before participating in each of the programs. Face coverings will also be required when participants are within six feet of others. For questions on programs or how to sign up, contact us at 828-669-2052.
Ingles – Burnsville Mobile Drive
Jan 29 @ 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Ingles - Burnsville

TBC Rewards

Sharing Life. Saving Lives.

Slow Art Friday with Asheville Art Museum: Observation or Hidden Meaning
Jan 29 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Online w/ Asheville Art Museum

John Sloan, Fun, One Cent, 1905, etching on cream colored paper, edition of 100 (60 printed), 5 ¼ × 7 inches. Museum purchase in memory of Nat C. Myers and Dick Albyn with funds provided by Leah Karpen, Fran Myers, Kenneth Myers, Russell & Ladene Newton, and Ute Roth, 2009.06.63. © John Sloan Trust / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Join Shana Hill, touring docent, for an interactive conversation about three artworks in our Collection. Before the discussion, find a quiet space. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Now open your eyes, and engage with the artworks in the image gallery; click on the thumbnail for a larger image, and spend about 15 minutes looking slowly at each.

  • What’s going on in this artwork? What do you see that makes you say that?
  • What do you think the artist wanted you to see? Why?
  • How does the artwork make you feel? Why?
  • What sounds do you hear? What smells do you smell? What would the textures feel like?
UniHorn at One World West
Jan 29 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
One World Brewing West

Outside, Socially distanced show!! Featuring a rotating cast of members of the 9-piece band Empire Strikes Brass, this 4-5 piece band delivers funk, jazz, soul, and R&B for any occasion!

Son’s of Ralph
Jan 29 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Jack of the Wood

The Sons of Ralph are the sons of Bluegrass pioneer Ralph Lewis. In the heart of WNC, these masters of Bluegrass are “The Sons of Ralph”. Martin and Don Lewis, Cousin Steve Moseley, and the “other brother” Ozzie Orengo, Jr. have been playing and singing the unique style of bluegrass music since Ralph’s upbringing in Madison County.

Greenville Swamp Rabbits vs. Orlando Solar Bears
Jan 29 @ 7:00 pm
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Swamp Rabbits Hockey offers fantastic fun for the whole family! The Greenville Swamp Rabbits play in the South Division of the Eastern Conference of the ECHL, the premiere AA hockey league. For more information on Swamp Rabbits hockey, visit swamprabbits.com

 

Raise a Glass to Blue Ridge Virtual Beer Tasting
Jan 29 @ 7:00 pm
Online

Raise a Glass to Blue Ridge! Virtual Beer Tasting Friday, January 29 at 7pm; $45 ticket includes three 32oz cans of beer from local breweries, two tasting glasses, and snacks.

Virtual Beer Tasting

The Educational Foundation, in partnership with Blue Ridge’s Brewing Program and local breweries, is hosting a Virtual Beer Tasting.

$45 ticket includes:
Three 32 oz. cans of beer from local breweries, two tasting glasses, and snacks.

Zoom with us from the comfort of your own home for an evening with
Blue Ridge Brewing Instructor Bryan McMahan, and special guests Scott Treadway and Mark Warwick.

Saturday, January 30, 2021
28th Annual Organic Growers School Spring Conference Online REGISTRATION OPEN
Jan 30 all-day
Online w/ Organic Growers School

March 13-21, 2021 – Online
Kick-off Live Event
March 13, 2021
  • Three Live Keynote Talks
  • Teaser Videos for our 11 Themed Tracks
  • Lunchtime Entertainment
  • A Live Q&A With our Keynote speakers
  • A video social with other attendees
  • Access to our Exhibit Hall
Track Workshops
March 14-19, 2021
View 3 pre-recorded hour long workshops in each of 11 Themed Tracks:
  • Cherokee Foods
  • Cooking
  • Farming
  • Food Systems
  • Gardening
  • Herbs
  • Livestock
  • Mushrooms
  • Permaculture
  • Soils
  • Sustainable Living

Live Panel Discussion Sessions

March 20-21, 2021

Join a live Panel Discussion with each speaker from the Track workshops. Interact directly with panelists during the live Q & A portion!
A Virtual Sandburg Story Slam
Jan 30 all-day
Online w/ Carl Sandburg House

Carl Sandburg Home NHS will host a virtual story slam in honor of Carl Sandburg’s January 6th birthday. Throughout the month of January, storytellers are invited to prepare a true five-minute story, take a video of themselves reading the story, and submit the video to be shared here on the official Carl Sandburg Home Facebook page.
Videos will be posted on Facebook from January 27-29, and the winners announced on Saturday, January 30, at 10am. Stories should reflect the theme of “seasons,” such as nature’s change of seasons, a story from a favorite season, or the seasons of life. Visit www.nps.gov/carl/planyourvisit/slam.htm for submission information and video formatting tips. Submissions are due by January 22, 2021.
A panel of judges will rate the stories, with first place awarded $100, second place $75, and third place, $50. All storytellers will receive a small thank you gift for participating.
Support for the Slam is provided by the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, the park’s fundraising partner, and Eastern National, the non-profit partner that operates the park store.

Apply for a Preservation Grant Today!
Jan 30 all-day
Online w/ Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County
The Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County
We are accepting grant applications until March 5th.  Grants from $500 – $5000 will be offered to the public in three categories:
  1. Bricks-And-Mortar
Rehabilitation, restoration and repair of structures that are 50 years of age or older
  1. Public Education
Development of educational materials and programs that advance knowledge of our shared history
  1. Planning, Survey and Designation
Planning and design for building rehabilitation and restoration projects, historic resource surveys and local or national designations
Asheville 2020 in review: Response to pandemic, protests and more
Jan 30 all-day
Online w/ Asheville City Government

2020 in review photo illustration

Asheville has not seen a year like 2020 in a hundred years — literally.
 On March 11, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Not since the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1919 has the world — including our corner of it — experienced this kind of public health challenge.
Working with Buncombe County health officials, City of Asheville employees rolled up their sleeves, crafted creative solutions and showed up to serve this community.
The year was also marked by national and local social unrest
following the death of George Floyd during an arrest in Minneapolis.
But that’s not all that happened. The City made strides in solar energy, social and environmental justice and completed a massive dam improvement project.
Voters elected an all-woman City Council.
Here’s a look back at your City government in 2020.Asheville 2020 in review: Response to pandemic, protests and more | The City of Asheville (ashevillenc.gov)
Asheville Independent Restaurants: AIR Fundraiser
Jan 30 all-day
Online

Support AIR! 

AIR Friends is a brand-new giving campaign designed to support the Asheville Independent Restaurants Association (a 501C 3-6 trade association) in its mission to sustain, elevate and advocate for the city’s dynamic community of chefs and restaurants. Now more than ever, AIR’s work is vital to the health and longevity of Asheville’s one-of-a-kind culinary scene.

Won’t you join us at the table?

 

Black History Month – Book List for Young Readers
Jan 30 all-day
Online
Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King and Black History Month
Jan 30 all-day
Online

Join us for the 11th Annual Kenilworth Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King! The theme of this year’s event is: ”Don’t Be Afraid to Change the World” Throughout the celebration participants will be introduced to emerging artists, filmmakers, chefs, local business owners, museums, on-line activities, non-violence training and so much more!
To honor legendary educators, Dr. Dolly Mullen and Dr. Dwight Mullen, the collection taken will be donated to help fund the new Drs. Mullen “Don’t Be Afraid to Change the World Scholarship” at UNC Asheville! Donations may be made online at kenilworthchurch.org. When giving, please write MLK in the notes section.
Respond to the event so you will have access to exciting daily content to explore. Let’s gather virtually to learn how so many individuals and organizations are continuing the dream Of Martin Luther King, Jr. and advancing his legacy of hope into our collective future!
Cinema Verde International Environmental Film Festival
Jan 30 all-day
Online w/ Dogwood Alliance

Cinema Verde Laurel
                  2021-OffSel-Color72dpi5in

Our documentary Stories Happen in Forests is enjoying a lot of acclaim, which means more and more people are hearing the powerful message of the beautiful human connection to forests. Most recently our film was announced as an Official Selection at the 2021 Cinema Verde International Environmental Film Festival. Cinema Verde’s mission is to provide environmental education to increase public awareness of environmental practices that enhance public health and improve quality of life in urban, suburban, and rural settings. Stay tuned for more opportunities to watch Stories Happen in Forests!

Stories Happen in Forests Trailer – YouTube