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, March 23, 2024
Spring Awakening + Renewal Forest Bathing Retreat
Mar 23 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum
The changing seasons are rich with wisdom and guidance. Winter is a time for rest and dreaming, followed by spring, ripe with opportunities for renewal and growth. Cultivate those winter dreams and invite them to birth into reality during this enlivening afternoon retreat. Let your most authentic Self emerge from within and flourish amidst the beauty of the early spring! New Graph: Your guide, Christa Hebal, will lead you on a gentle journey through the awakening forest, weaving mindfulness, breathwork, forest bathing (Shinrin Yoku) and nature therapy together for a restorative afternoon on some of the trails less traveled at the North Carolina Arboretum. We’ll celebrate the experience in community, enjoying a wild-foraged tea ceremony and snacks. Bring an open mind and an open heart. All are welcome. Presented through Adult & Continuing Education Programs in collaboration with Asheville Wellness Tours.
Christa Hebal is a certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. Born and raised in the mountains of NE Tennessee, she has lived in Asheville for 23 years. Christa has an adventurous heart, and loves to help others encounter wholeness through embodiment and nature connection practices. She has had a professional bodywork practice for 17 years as a nationally certified Massage Therapist, and is also a practitioner of Ortho-Bionomy®, Usui Reiki Master, Certified Pediatric Massage Therapist, Clinical Aromatherapist, and Certified Traditional Herbalist. She is also certified in CPR and Wilderness First Aid.

Spring Awakening & Renewal Forest Bathing Retreat | ONSITE | Saturday, March 9, 2 – 5 p.m. Or Saturday, March 23, 2 – 5 p.m.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Medicare Updates in 2024 with The Council on Aging
Mar 26 @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Enka-Candler Library

Confused about Medicare or new to Medicare? The Council on Aging will present an informational session on updates in 2024. Each year, Medicare updates prices for premiums, the cost of living is adjusted and prices change! This session will give you the ins and outs of what has changed for 2024.

Who should attend?
People that have been on Medicare, caregivers, and others who help Medicare beneficiaries.

This program is free. We ask that you register so the host knows how many people to expect.
How to register for this event
Go to: https://www.coabc.org/events/ and click on the Events tab at the top, scroll down the page to find this event and register. You can also call COABC and register by phone.

 

Thursday, March 28, 2024
Qi Gong with Allen Horowitz
Mar 28 @ 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Fairview Library

Qigong is like Yoga but done standing and with more movement so it creates a flow of energy and gently increases circulation throughout your body.

The smooth flowing movements are easy to learn as each exercise is performed 8-10 times before proceeding to the next.

It is the grandfather of Tai Chi and other martial arts and is the self-help aspect of Chinese medicine.

Suitable for all fitness levels, the benefits of well-being, relaxation, calmness and improved balance are often felt often during the very first lesson.  And it can be practiced at home in only a few minutes any time you want to improve how you feel.

For information email [email protected]

Friday, March 29, 2024
Massage
Mar 29 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Happy Body

Craving a massage? Explore the rejuvenating world of our cozy Asheville wellness studio! Nestled just outside downtown, our small local studios provide a serene haven for massage, pilates, yoga, and workshops.
Indulge in integrative, restorative, and therapeutic massages available Monday through Saturday. Say goodbye to parking hassles downtown as our peaceful space offers a tranquil escape.
Book your next massage with us online. Can’t find your preferred time slot? Reach out, and we’ll do our best to accommodate you. Experience the bliss of wellness in the heart of Asheville – your relaxation journey begins here!

Saturday, March 30, 2024
Reproductive Freedom Art Show – AVL
Mar 30 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Haiku AVL

We must protect and restore abortion access.
Since the reversal of Roe v Wade, the future of abortion access has been handed to state legislatures. This catastrophic SCOTUS decision is to the detriment of many states across the South.

In fact, now 1 in 3 women live in states without access, and the top ten states with the highest rates of maternal mortality have all passed abortion bans. The 2024 election is critical to abortion access in NC.

The Reproductive Freedom Art Show is an artistic act of defiance. All proceeds raised from the art show will support Planned Parenthood Action PAC NC. The Action PAC supports pro-reproductive health candidates by direct voter contact work, reaching low propensity voters and mobilizing the electorate to vote for pro-choice candidates.

Help protect and restore access to safe, legal abortion and reproductive rights by participating in this show by donating artwork, your time, shopping, or just spreading the word.

Sunday, March 31, 2024
68th Annual Easter Sunrise Service
Mar 31 @ 5:30 am
Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park

Time: Gates open at 5:30-6:15 am for 6:45am service; Sunrise at 7:16am

Cost: Free; Parking Passes Must be Reserved
Easter at St. John in the Wilderness
Mar 31 @ 10:00 am
St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church

The Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness welcomes children
of all ages to participate in an Easter Egg Hunt at 10:00am on Easter Sunday, March 31. The
annual event is hosted by St. John's Young Family Ministry. Participants are encouraged to
join the fun in the Rector’s Garden and Parish Hall lawn at 1905 Greenville Highway, across
Rutledge Drive from the church. Parking is available.

"Since our founding, St. John in the Wilderness has been at the heart of fellowship and
community in Flat Rock and beyond,” said Fr. Josh Stephens, Rector. “We invite our friends
and neighbors to join us for Holy Week as we make our journey toward the cross and for
Easter Sunday as we discover that Christ is risen. We also invite children to our Easter Egg
Hunt between our worship services on Easter Sunday. We are so blessed to have such
wonderful neighbors and a beautiful place to live. It will truly be a gift to come together at
this sacred time.

Holy Week begins March 24 with Palm Sunday services at 8:45 and 11:00 a.m. A special
foot washing service is scheduled at 7:00pm on Maundy Thursday, March 28. Good Friday,
March 29 outside and leading to the church, Stations of the Cross begins at 11:00am with
Good Friday Services inside the church at 12:00pm and 5:30pm.
On Easter Sunday, March 31, services will be held at 8:45am and 11am with the Easter Egg
Hunt in between.

Easter Sunday Community Brunch + Egg Hunt
Mar 31 @ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Kanuga

The buffet cost, which includes your meal and access to the grounds for the day, is $45.99 per adult (13 and over), exclusive of alcohol; $19.99 per child (3-12); and free to guests two and under. There is no charge for the egg hunt (children ages 1-6), but please bring a basket and meet us at Kanuga Lake Inn playground.

MENU

Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Innerdance: Altered States of Consciousness with Soundscapes + Energy Work
Apr 2 @ 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
The Horse Shoe Farm Sanctuary

The Innerdance is a music-based, meditative, healing journey, It involves the use of special soundscapes that mimic circadian rhythms and enable people to move effortlessly between different brain wave states. As a result, people experience an expanded sense of awareness and altered states of consciousness.

In this space of unlimited possibilities, very profound and mystical things can happen. Common movements in the Innerdance include drug-free psychedelic experiences, life regressions, circadian rhythms, near-death experiences, kundalini activations, and womb/birth memories.

Benefits may include nervous system regulation, circadian rhythm reset, mental clarity, inner peace, greater neural plasticity, increased intuitive discernment, emotional regulation, improved self-esteem, etc.

Music and Mind: A Conversation with Renée Fleming
Apr 2 @ 7:30 pm
Gunter Theatre

From Alzheimer patients and those with Parkinson’s disease, to young people battling depression, the documented impacts of music on the mind are profound. Scientists continue to use music to gain a better understanding of the brain’s complex functioning.

In Music and Mind, presented in more than fifty cities around the world, soprano and arts & health advocate Renée Fleming invites leading local scientists, physicians, and practitioners to join her, offering illuminating discussions and sharing the latest findings about this growing field. You are invited to join Renée, in conversation with artist and music therapist Kyshona Armstrong, MT-BC; Converse University professor and music therapist Liz Eggerding, PhD, MT-BC; and more to be announced as they discuss the benefits of music and the impact that the arts can have on members of our broader community.

Additional speakers to be announced.

Renée Fleming, recently named a World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Arts and Health, is a leading advocate for the study of the powerful connections between the arts and health. As Artistic Advisor to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Renée has spearheaded the Sound Health collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and she partners with other leading organizations and initiatives to bring attention to research and practice at the intersection of music, health, and neuroscience. Renée is Co-Chair of the Johns Hopkins/Aspen Institute NeuroArts Blueprint and Founding Advisor for the Sound Health Network at UCSF, and her foundation has supported research projects including the NIH Music-Based Intervention Toolkit and the Renée Fleming NeuroArts Investigator Awards. Renée’s advocacy work has earned her Research! America’s Rosenfeld Award for Impact on Public Opinion and the World Economic Forum’s Crystal Award. Her new anthology, Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness, will be published by Viking Penguin on April 9, 2024.

Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Easter Escapade: A Springtime Celebration
Apr 3 all-day
The Omni Grove Park Inn 

Join us for an enchanting Easter celebration at The Omni Grove Park Inn, where the beauty of spring meets the charm of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Purchase the Easter Bunny Bliss package and indulge in a memorable getaway featuring delectable dishes, family-friendly activities, and cherished moments that will last a lifetime. With a generous $150 food and beverage credit, complimentary parking, and a keepsake item to treasure, your extended escape awaits. Delight in our lavish Easter brunch, partake in craft and cookie decorating parties, and be sure to catch a glimpse of Major Bunny himself as he spreads joy throughout the resort. Spring into the season with us and create unforgettable memories this Easter!

Thursday, April 4, 2024
Standup Comedy Contest
Apr 4 @ 7:00 pm
Pulp Lounge

Slice of Life Standup Comedy Contest at The Orange Peel’s Pulp
When: Thursday April 4, 2024.
7p-9p, doors at 6:30p
Where:
The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge, 103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $15 (available at door or The Orange Peel website https://tinyurl.com/2abjkft4)
Cocktails available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!!
Free snacks while availability lasts!
Hosted by Hilliary Begley, featuring professional comics.
Comedy open mic is 3-5m each, comics get in free with free snacks!
The show’s Headliner will be selected by audience in an anonymous ballet after comics perform their sets.
They will write down their favorite top comic of the evening who will be paid & brought back to headline the end of the show with a closing 10-15m set!
.
Contact Michele at [email protected] for details
Host Hilliary Begley-
Hilliary will make you cry with laughter. With her larger that life personality!! Voted repeatedly Asheville’s Favorite comic in the Mountain Xpress. Film debut in the Netflix original Dumplin’ as Aunt Lucy, or “Jennifer Anniston’s fat sister,” In Austin Film Festival winning movie When We Last Spoke with Cloris Leachman, now streaming on Amazon Prime. https ://youtu.be/legRwEg4j-o

Saturday, April 6, 2024
Healing Sound concert inside the Salt Cave
Apr 6 @ 8:00 pm
Asheville Salt Cave

Join us for a beautiful sound healing concert inside the Salt Cave. The concert will be performed by Billy From @Skinny Beats Sound Shop. Come enjoy the sounds of the handpan, gong, crystal bowls as well as many other various instruments. The music will vibrate through the walls of the salt cave and reach to the deepest part of your soul. These two treatments combined create wonderful space for deep healing.

Sunday, April 7, 2024
Serenity Sound Bath
Apr 7 @ 1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
Center or Spiritual Living Asheville

Immerse yourself with the healing vibrations of a Sound Bath!
Join your host Kristin Hillegas, for a one-hour Serenity Sound Bath and experience a deeply immersive, full-body sound and vibrational experience. A sound bath can cleanse your soul, restore your balance, surround you with peace and tranquility and stimulate healing.
Note: Please bring a yoga mat/pillow/blanket since you will be lying on the floor. Wear warm, comfortable, and flexible clothing.
The Sound Bath will take place upstairs in the Education Building. Choose your space starting at 1:00 PM, doors close promptly at 1:15 PM.
This service is being offered on a Love Offering basis. Donations allow us to continue to provide these immersive experiences.
Accessible parking is available in the Center for Spiritual Living Asheville upper parking lot. The entrance to the upper parking lot is off of S. Bear Creek Rd between Science of Mind Way and Sand Hill Rd.
There is a boardwalk walk-way from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.

Monday, April 8, 2024
Dance your way to health with Zumba Gold
Apr 8 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Leicester Library
 

Zumba Gold is a low-impact class recommended for seniors or people just getting started or getting back to exercise. This class is taught by Trish Howey, a senior Zumba instructor with years of experience. Zumba Gold uses Latin and Pop music with choreography to increase strength for body, brain, and balance. The goal is to be fit and to have FUN while exercising. Base strength is recommended.
Space is limited so registration is required.

Thursday, April 11, 2024
Chair Yoga
Apr 11 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Weaverville Library

Join Barbara Schauer from Weaverville Yoga for a free one hour session of Chair Yoga.

No Registration is necessary. Newcomers are welcome!

Bring your own yoga mat if you have one, but don’t worry if you don’t. We’ll have extra mats on hand for participants.

This simple practice does a myriad of things we all know are necessary: building strength, improving posture, developing better balance, healing the body by lowering stress and deepening breath, enhancing mood, and lifting energy calmly.

Everyone feels better after a yoga practice.

Huge thanks to the Friends of the Weaverville Library for sponsoring this program! 

Saturday, April 13, 2024
Deep Being: A Journey to Wholeness
Apr 13 @ 10:00 am – 1:30 pm
Happy Body

Join us as we move beyond wellness as an individual experience and explore it as wholeness in every dimension of being – personally, socially, ecologically, and cosmologically.
Guided by embodied Self-awareness and creative Self-expression, we practice an integrated form of Self-care.
Learn how to move from disconnection to reconnection with yourself, others, and the larger world around you with playful invitations to:
• Author Your Cosmic Story
• Venture Into Your Embodied Wisdom
• Weave a Community Vision
• Design a Personal Wholeness Practice

Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Innerdance: Altered States of Consciousness with Soundscapes + Energy Work
Apr 17 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
The Horse Shoe Farm Sanctuary

The Innerdance is a music-based, meditative, healing journey, It involves the use of special soundscapes that mimic circadian rhythms and enable people to move effortlessly between different brain wave states. As a result, people experience an expanded sense of awareness and altered states of consciousness.

In this space of unlimited possibilities, very profound and mystical things can happen. Common movements in the Innerdance include drug-free psychedelic experiences, life regressions, circadian rhythms, near-death experiences, kundalini activations, and womb/birth memories.

Benefits may include nervous system regulation, circadian rhythm reset, mental clarity, inner peace, greater neural plasticity, increased intuitive discernment, emotional regulation, improved self-esteem, etc.

Spring Clearing Sound Bath
Apr 17 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Center or Spiritual Living Asheville

Cleanse your mind, body and spirit from the heaviness of winter and move forward into the freshness of Spring with a soothing Sound Bath!
Join your host Kristin Hillegas, for a one-hour Serenity Sound Bath and experience a deeply immersive, full-body sound and vibrational experience. A sound bath can cleanse your soul, restore your balance, surround you with peace and tranquility and stimulate healing.
Note: Please bring a yoga mat/pillow/blanket since you will be lying on the floor. Wear warm, comfortable, and flexible clothing.
The Sound Bath will take place upstairs in the Education Building. Choose your space starting at 6:15 PM, doors close promptly at 6:30 PM.
This service is being offered on a Love Offering basis. Donations allow us to continue to provide these immersive experiences.
Accessible parking is available in the Center for Spiritual Living Asheville upper parking lot. The entrance to the upper parking lot is off of S. Bear Creek Rd between Science of Mind Way and Sand Hill Rd.
There is a boardwalk walk-way from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.

Saturday, April 20, 2024
She Slays 5K
Apr 20 @ 8:00 am
Pardee Cancer Center

Uniting Communities: Inaugural She Slays 5K and One-Mile Fun Run Empowers Women

In a celebration of solidarity and empowerment, the inaugural She Slays 5K and One Mile Fun Run is set to kick off on April 20th, bringing together individuals from all walks of life to support the Women Helping Women program at UNC Health Pardee.

This exciting event aims to foster a sense of community while raising crucial funds for a program dedicated to uplifting and supporting women in need.

Participants of all ages and fitness levels are invited to lace up their running shoes and join in the festivities. Whether racing to beat personal records or strolling leisurely, everyone’s participation contributes to the greater cause of empowering women in our community.

Registration for this event is now open – Register for She Slays Now.

Download the She-Slays Sponsorship Pledge Form Here

Earth Day Fair for Families
Apr 20 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Buncombe County Sports Park

The fair will feature environmental education workshops, free eco crafting, bird house and feeder building activities, a greenhouse effect activity, and more. Supplies are limited. Admission is free, no registration required.

Pilates – Online or In Person at the Library
Apr 20 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library

Join Alexis from Cisco Pilates Asheville for a free Pilates mat class! The class is beginner friendly. This will be offered in-person at Pack Library or from the comfort of your own home. You choose!

To register for these classes, please go to: www.ciscopilates.com…

These classes are offered to the public free of charge.

We will have some yoga mats on hand for the in-person participants, but feel free to bring your own equipment and water bottle!

If you have any questions, please call Jen at 828-250-4700 or email [email protected].

Canna Comic Cuisine?–Infused Dinner Show
Apr 20 @ 7:30 pm
Rezonanance

Rezonance & Slice of Life Comedy present **Canna Comic Cuisine —4.20 Infused Dinner Comedy Show**! Get ready for a night of laughter, delicious food, and a touch of cannabis-infused fun. Join us on **Sat Apr 20 2024** at **7:30 PM** for a unique experience that combines comedy with a gourmet dinner featuring cannabis-infused dishes. Our talented comedians will keep you entertained throughout the evening, while our chefs prepare a mouthwatering meal that will tantalize your taste buds. Don’t miss out on this one-of-a-kind event that promises to be a memorable and hilarious night out!
Saturday 4.20.24
Held at a secret location in downtown Asheville, 21+
Your $42 ticket includes infused vegetarian dinner and a canned drink. Location given out with ticket purchase. Tickets are very limited so book this date now.
Standup Comedy Hosted by Hilliary Begley (netflix Amazon Prime, Votedt Avl Best Comic 5+) featuring Cayla Clark, Miranda Allison & Cody Hughes
Your Comedy Host Hilliary Begley-
Hilliary will make you cry with laughter with her larger than life personality!! Voted repeatedly Asheville’s Favorite comic in the Mountain Xpress, Hilliary’s reach goes well beyond the city to all over the country. Film debut in the Netflix original Dumplin’ as Aunt Lucy, or “Jennifer Anniston’s fat sister,” and in Austin Film Festival winning movie When We Last Spoke with Cloris Leachman, now streaming on Amazon Prime. https ://youtu.be/legRwEg4j-o
Featuring Cayla Clark-
a California native (through no fault of her own), moved to Asheville three years ago and quickly fell in love with the local comedy scene. She created and co-produces Blind Date Live, a quarterly comedic dating show, Bad Date Mic, and several other dating-related events around town. She is also a playwright, and has had original works in the Fringe Festival for the past three years.
Feature Cody Hughes-
Cody is a comedian from Asheville NC. He’s lived in a few different big cities and a lot of comedians like him and a lot of other comedians have heard good things about him from the comedians who like him. A few comedians don’t like him and he can’t do anything about that. Oh well. He has opened for Lewis Black, John Oliver, Maria Bamford, and many others
Feature Miranda Allison-
Sweet but sassy, Miranda Allison is an up and coming stand up comedian with a timid, yet audacious sense of humor. From right here in Asheville, NC, Miranda is quickly becoming a fan favorite in the comedy scene. You can find her co-hosting The Hot Seat on Mondays and at other comedy shows in the area.

Canna Comic Cuisine?–Infused Dessert Show
Apr 20 @ 9:30 pm
Rezonanance

Rezonance & Slice of Life Comedy present **Canna Comic Cuisine —4.20 Infused Dessert Comedy Show**! Get ready for a night of laughter, delicious food, and a touch of cannabis-infused fun. Join us on **Sat Apr 20 2024** at **9:30 PM** for a unique experience that combines comedy with a gourmet dinner featuring cannabis-infused dishes. Our talented comedians will keep you entertained throughout the evening, while our chefs prepare a mouthwatering dessert that will tantalize your taste buds. Don’t miss out on this one-of-a-kind event that promises to be a memorable and hilarious night out!

Saturday 4.20.24

Held at a secret location in downtown Asheville, 21+

Your $42 ticket includes infused dessert and a canned drink. Location given out with ticket purchase. Tickets are very limited so book this date now.

Standup Comedy Hosted by Hilliary Begley (netflix Amazon Prime, Votedt Avl Best Comic 5+) featuring Cayla Clark, Miranda Allison & Cody Hughes

Your Comedy Host Hilliary Begley-

Hilliary will make you cry with laughter with her larger than life personality!! Voted repeatedly Asheville’s Favorite comic in the Mountain Xpress, Hilliary’s reach goes well beyond the city to all over the country. Film debut in the Netflix original Dumplin’ as Aunt Lucy, or “Jennifer Anniston’s fat sister,” and in Austin Film Festival winning movie When We Last Spoke with Cloris Leachman, now streaming on Amazon Prime. https ://youtu.be/legRwEg4j-o

Featuring Cayla Clark-

a California native (through no fault of her own), moved to Asheville three years ago and quickly fell in love with the local comedy scene. She created and co-produces Blind Date Live, a quarterly comedic dating show, Bad Date Mic, and several other dating-related events around town. She is also a playwright, and has had original works in the Fringe Festival for the past three years.

Feature Cody Hughes-

Cody is a comedian from Asheville NC. He’s lived in a few different big cities and a lot of comedians like him and a lot of other comedians have heard good things about him from the comedians who like him. A few comedians don’t like him and he can’t do anything about that. Oh well. He has opened for Lewis Black, John Oliver, Maria Bamford, and many others

Feature Miranda Allison-

Sweet but sassy, Miranda Allison is an up and coming stand up comedian with a timid, yet audacious sense of humor. From right here in Asheville, NC, Miranda is quickly becoming a fan favorite in the comedy scene. You can find her co-hosting The Hot Seat on Mondays and at other comedy shows in the area.

Sunday, April 21, 2024
Sixth Annual Drive Electric Earth Day Car Show
Apr 21 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Tanger Outlets Asheville

Tanger Outlets Asheville will host the sixth annual Drive Electric Earth Day Car Show on Sunday, April 21 from noon – 4 p.m. The event, sponsored by Sugar Hollow Solar and Hunter Volvo, will showcase electric vehicles and the latest innovations in personal electric transportation. Organized in collaboration with the Blue Ridge EV Club, Land of Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, attendees will have the opportunity to explore a variety of electric cars, bikes, scooters, hoverboards, one wheels and more.

 

This event is FREE and open to the public.

Connect with Tanger Asheville on Facebook and Instagram. For more information, visit tanger.com/asheville.

Earth Day with Bountiful Bowls
Apr 21 @ 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Sherrill Center at UNCA

Bountiful Bowls 

On Sunday April 21st 1-5pm UNCA’s Health and Wellness Department and the Student Environmental Center will host Bountiful Bowls, an Earth Day and Food Waste Reduction Month event and fundraiser to benefit Bountiful Cities.

This FREE event is open to all. Community members and students are invited to come and celebrate outside the Sherrill Center at UNCA where they can enjoy some “stone soup.” Participants are encouraged to bring a vegetable or pantry item that can be part of the stone soup. We will celebrate Food Waste Reduction month using donated up-cycled produce to make the soup and a Panzanella Salad for attendees. Firefly Valley Pottery will lead participants in a hands-on experience with clay, and participants can take hand built pots with them. The Student Environmental Center will lead Earth Day activities and share information about sustainability.

Participants can purchase beautiful ceramic hand-made bowls (on a sliding scale) to support Bountiful Cities work, then fill it with soup or salad!

Tickets ($25 each) are also on sale for cooking classes with Plant-Based Nutrition Expert and Professor Amy Joy Lanou in the Teaching Kitchen at the Sherill Center at UNCA. Lanou will explore techniques to reduce food waste and cook delicious dishes with fresh and local produce. You can purchase a ticket to the cooking class and add on a ceramic bowl for $40.

Special thanks to our co-sponsor Firefly Valley Pottery. Thanks also to UNCA Ceramics department, AB Tech Ceramics department, Asheville High School Ceramics department, and many local ceramic artists for donating bowls for this event. And thanks to the Food Equity Initiative at UNCA for donating supplies.

Please RSVP, purchase bowls and tickets today! You may choose your bowl on a first come first served basis on the day of the event. If we don’t sell out, bowls will be available for purchase on the day of the event and pick up at one of our up coming events

2nd Annual Back Alley Hempfest
Apr 21 @ 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Back Alley Boutique & Bud Bar

Back Alley Boutique & Bud Bar is hosting the 2nd Annual Back Alley Hempfest on Sunday 04/21/2024 from 2-7pm. Join us for this free event at 28 Oak St. and at the Depot Plaza right across Trade St. There will be live music, local vendors, live glass-blowing, fire-spinning, stilt-walking, and more! About 30 Local Vendors will be offering a wide variety of arts, crafts, gifts, & goodies! There will be a scavenger hunt to enter for door prizes scattered among the vendors with hourly prizes! There will also be a rolling competition & 420 special smoke session in the back Bud Bar & Lounge area of Back Alley Boutique & Bud Bar. Come check out all the festivities!

Music Schedule:
28 Oak St.
King Chewie 2-3:30pm
Nina Gi 3:45-5:15pm
Acklen Walker 5:30-7pm
Depot Plaza
Moonshine State 2-4pm
The Ribald Riffers 4:20-7pm

Thank You to our growing list of Sponsors!:
Tettra Hydra Glass, Astria Farm, Kaleidoscope Studios Art, Hypnotic Massage Sleep Boutique, Yetees Design Screenprinting, Carrie Bass Photography, eARThly Minds Gallery, Social Shay Photography, The Moth Queen, and Back Alley Boutique & Bud Bar.

Monday, April 22, 2024
2024 Explore Asheville Travel + Hospitality Earth Day Cleanup
Apr 22 @ 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Asheville Asheville, NC

Explore Asheville invites you and your organization to contribute to the stewardship of our destination by participating in the inaugural 2024 Explore Asheville Travel & Hospitality Earth Day Cleanup, hosted by Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, with support from Asheville GreenWorks and RiverLink.

We encourage you to recruit two to three staff members to represent your business by taking part in the cleanup. Participants can choose the area of town they wish to clean up; each neighborhood will have a host venue for a pre and post-cleanup meetup.

Cleanup and Host Venue locations include:

  • Downtown: Embassy Suites by Hilton Asheville Downtown
  • South Slope: Burial Beer Co.
  • River Arts District: The Radical
  • Amboy Road: Wrong Way River Lodge and Cabins
  • West Asheville: Cellarest Beer Project

The program will include welcome remarks and instructions, an approximately one-hour clean-up, and a post-clean up social with local brews and light bites.

What You Need to Know:

  • The clean up will take place in five locations throughout Asheville
  • Each location will have a host venue for gathering before and after the cleanup
  • All participants will receive a free custom event t-shirt
  • Participants will meet at their host venue at 2pm to check in and receive instructions and supplies
  • The clean up will last one hour, after which participants will meet back at their host venue to return supplies. Social hour and networking to follow.

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Check-In


At 2pm, participants will meet at their host venue to check in and get their t-shirt; participants will also be given a safety vest, gloves, grabber, and trash bag.

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Cleanup


Participants will clean up their neighborhood for 1 hour.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Earth Day Social


Snacks and drinks provided by each location’s host venue will be available for all participants as a token of our appreciation for taking part in the stewardship of our destination.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
ASAP: How Does Western North Carolina Shop for Food SURVEY
Apr 25 all-day
online

ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) has released a survey to learn more about how people in Western North Carolina shop for food and why they choose the food they do. The survey, part of a three-year project by ASAP’s Local Food Research Center, is for any resident of Western North Carolina over the age of 18, no matter where or how they shop for food. It can be completed online at surveymonkey.com/r/WNCFoodASAP or over the phone by calling ASAP at 828-236-1282. It should take approximately 8 to 12 minutes to complete and will be open through Oct. 31, 2024. Respondents are encouraged to share the survey widely with families, friends, and co-workers.

 

“By completing this survey, you are helping local farmers understand and connect with consumers,” said Amy Marion, ASAP Associate Director and lead researcher. “The challenges of our food system are constantly evolving. Improving it requires active participation from all community members. With this research we can better understand consumer values and the barriers they face, and help farmers and food producers improve communications with their customers and their communities.”

 

The survey is part of a three-year research project, “Connections in Direct Markets: Assessing the feedback loop between consumer values and farmers’ marketing strategies,” which will examine and improve communication and alignment between farmers and consumers in Western North Carolina. The research phase will also employ consumer focus groups, farmer interviews and case studies, and more targeted surveying. The broad consumer survey provides an update to the last consumer survey conducted by the Local Food Research Center in 2014. Results from the current research project will be shared in 2025.

 

ASAP founded the Local Food Research Center in 2011 to study the economic, environmental, and social impacts of localizing food systems. From its inception, ASAP’s programs and services have been grounded in research and evaluation, adjusting based on a strong feedback loop and observation of current conditions in the food system.

 

This project is supported in part by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2022-38640-37488 through the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number LS23-382. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.

“The Last Ecstatic Days” Film Screening and Discussion
Apr 25 @ 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Stillpoint Wellness

On Thursday, April 25, 2024, Stillpoint Wellness will host an in-person screening of “The Last Ecstatic Days.” Doors will open at 5:30 and the screening will begin at 6:00 pm.

After the screening will be a community discussion facilitated by Tiffany Sauls and Tandy Wells, which will wrap around 8:00 – 8:30 pm.

Come early to find parking!