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.
We are lucky to have incredible Animal Educators to help us spread the word on the important roles they play in the Park. Join one of our Park naturalists for an informal program where your family will love meeting some of our wilder teammates! Kids of all ages are sure to take home some fun facts and special memories. Then, grab a Track Trail brochure at the Animal Discovery Den and round out the day with a hike along our Great Woodland Adventure trail with 12 education stations. Don’t forget your camera!
It’s hard not to crack a smile while enjoying amazing views of Lake Lure and the Hickory Nut Gorge from on top of the Chimney. Capture photos of your family and friends enjoying the Park and enter them into our Smiles of Spring Photo Contest for a chance to win fabulous prizes. We’ll use the winning entries on our website and Facebook album, and you’ll win some fun prizes. Photos must be taken within the Chimney Rock section of the Park.
GREAT PRIZES FOR THE WINNERS:
First Place – An overnight getaway to Hickory Nut Gorge with a stay at the historic 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, two passes to Chimney Rock, brunch for two at the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, and two tickets for a tour with Lake Lure Boat Tours
Second Place – A Chimney Rock prize package including two passes to Chimney Rock, lunch for two at the Old Rock Café and two tickets for a tour with Lake Lure Boat Tours.
People’s Choice – Selected by our Facebook fans, the winning photo will be featured as the cover photo of our Facebook page for two weeks and the cover of our Pinterest board of winning photos. Prize includes two Park admission tickets, lunch for two at the Old Rock Café and a $20 gift certificate for Old Time Photo in Chimney Rock Village.
CONTEST RULES:
There is no fee to enter the contest. All photographs must be taken inside Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park only in areas accessible to guests between June 21, 2018- Sept. 21, 2018. The contest is open to amateur and professional photographers.
Up to three photos per person can be submitted via any of the following ways to be eligible to win:
Facebook: First, like the Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park page and share our photo contest post on your wall. Then post your photo to our wall with the photographer’s name and a brief caption (25-75 words) through your personal Facebook account. Next, send us a private message including your contact information specified in rule #3.
Pinterest: First, re-pin our photo contest pin to one of your boards and follow our 2017 The Different Seasons of Chimney Rock Spring Photo Contest Board so we can easily contact you. Then pin your photo with the hashtags #chimneyrock AND #photocontest with your personal account, and include the photographer’s name and a brief caption (25-75 words).
Twitter: First, follow Chimney Rock Park and retweet our tweet about the photo contest. Then tweet your photo to @ChimneyRockPark with the photographer’s name and the hashtag #photocontest. Next, send us private messages with your brief photo caption.
E-mail: If you don’t have access to any social media sites listed above, you may email your digital photo with your contact information specified in rule #3 to [email protected].
Snail Mail: Send your print photo with the clearly marked photographer’s name, city & state, a brief typed photo caption and a phone number to: Photo Contest, Chimney Rock Management LLC, PO Box 39, Chimney Rock, NC 28720.
Every entry should be clearly labeled with the photographer’s name, city & state, a brief photo caption your photo of the Seasons of Chimney Rock, an email address and the best phone number to reach you.
Photos should be available at a minimum resolution of 1200 x 1600 pixels (1 MB minimum) to be eligible to win. Photos taken via smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices are welcome if they meet minimum requirements.
For entries showing human faces, you must list their name(s) and have written permission from any photographed person(s) to use their image.
Entries should reflect the photographer’s interpretation of a face of Chimney Rock. Emphasis will be placed on quality, composition and creativity. All entries may be used in promotions of Chimney Rock and park-related activities.
Digital images can be optimized but not dramatically altered with photo editing software. Black and white photographs are welcome.
Decisions of the judges are final.
Winners will be notified and announced at chimneyrockpark.com and on Chimney Rock’s social media channels.
For more information, call 1-800-277-9611 or email us at [email protected].
Half Day Camps ($125)
June 25 -29
July 9-13
July 23-27
July 20-Aug. 3
Every Saturday in July the park stays open late, until 9:00 p.m., so you can make more time for family memories. Enjoy evening train and stage shows, rides at dusk, and fun throughout the park.
Property: Omni Grove Park Inn
Event Type: Hotel Event
Event Category: Art & Culture,Entertainment,Family
Contact: Concierge Desk
Contact Phone: (828) 252-2711
Link: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/things-to-do/tours
Our guided history tour covers the history of E.W. Grove, the construction and early years of the Inn, our Arts and Crafts style furniture, and some of our most notable guests.
Sign-up at the Concierge Desk.

Fairy Tales In Clay Clay Camp Ages 4-8 with Cassie Mazur
July 23-27
Monday- Friday, 9am-12pm
What is your favorite fairy tale? Jack and the Beanstalk? The Princess and the Pea? Alice in Wonderland? Maybe one of the new classics, like Trolls! Cassie will be your guide to this exciting world of fantasy where magic and mystery reign. You will learn to sculpt with skill and bring your favorite characters to life.
Garden Helpline Open for Calls
Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County are ready to answer your
gardening questions.
Beginning March 1, the Garden Helpline is open Monday through
Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., during the gardening season—March through September. Our
Master Gardener volunteers are available for phone calls, walk-ins, and emails.
Call 828-255-5522 or visit the Extension office at the location shown below. If you bring a plant
sample to the office, please be sure it is large enough for plant identification. You can also email
your questions and plant photos to [email protected].
Each year, Extension Master Gardener volunteers answer hundreds of gardening questions.
From October through February when the Helpline is not open, your questions will be
answered by Alison Arnold, Extension Agent, Consumer Horticulture. The Extension office and
our Helpline are closed on N.C. state holidays.
Phone: (828) 250-4754
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Story Time for Kids
Age Group: Preschool – (ages 3-5)
Location: 749 Fairview Rd. – Asheville
Library: Oakley / South Asheville
Preschool story times are geared towards 3-5 year-olds and include singing, stretchers, and creative activities.

To mark the 10th Anniversary of the Windgate Fellowship, the Center for Craft awarded a total of ten, $10,000 Project Grants. This exhibition showcases how the next generation of craft artists used their funds to explore scale, installation, and community practice.
Artists: Andrea Donnelly (Richmond, VA), Josh Copus (Marshall, NC), Dustin Farnsworth (Montreal, QC), Brian Fleetwood (La Mesilla, NM), Ani Geragosian (Salem, MA), Adam Ledford (Philadelphia, PA), Rebecca Manson (Bedford Hills, NY), Rachel Mauser (Louisville, KY), Aaron McIntosh (Richmond, VA), and Mark Reigelman II (Brooklyn, NY).
Phone: (828) 250-4752
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Story Time for Kids
Age Group: Toddler – (ages 18 mos.-2 yrs.)
Location: 1030 Merrimon Ave. – Asheville
Library: North Asheville
Toddler Times are interactive story times for children ages 18 months to 3 years.
Phone: 828-250-4756
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Story Time for Kids
Age Group: Preschool – (ages 3-5)
Location: 105 N. Dougherty St. – Black Mountain
Library: Black Mountain
Preschool story times are geared towards 3-5 year-olds and include singing, stretchers, and creative activities.
Phone: (828) 250-6480
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Story Time for Kids
Age Group: Preschool – (ages 3-5)
Location: 1561 Alexander Rd. – Leicester
Library: Leicester
Preschool story times are geared towards 3-5 year-olds and include singing, stretchers, and creative activities.
Phone: (828) 250-4758
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Story Time for Kids
Age Group: Preschool – (ages 3-5)
Location: 1404 Sandhill Rd. – Candler
Library: Enka-Candler
Preschool story times are geared towards 3-5 year-olds and include singing, stretchers, and creative activities.
Phone: (828) 250-6488
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Story Time for Kids
Age Group: Toddler – (ages 18 mos.-2 yrs.)
Location: 260 Overlook Rd. – Asheville
Library: Skyland / South Buncombe
Toddler Times are interactive story times for children ages 18 months to 3 years.
Phone: (828) 250-6482
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Story Time for Kids
Age Group: Baby – (ages 4 mos.-18 mos.)
Location: 41 N. Main St. – Weaverville
Library: Weaverville
Mother Goose Time is a lively language enrichment story time serving our youngest folks–the 4 month-old to 18 month-old set.

Chihuly at Biltmore represents the first art exhibition in Biltmore’s historic gardens, and the first garden exhibition of Dale Chihuly’s works in North Carolina. The world-renowned American artist’s work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide, and now, for a limited time only, they can be seen at Biltmore.
We invite you to immerse yourself in this unique visual experience, an absolute must-see presentation of unparalleled artistic expression.
Dazzling in daylight, the exhibition takes on an entirely new dimension when viewed after nightfall; experience the brilliance and beauty of these awe-inspiring marvels of color, form, and light.
Phone: (828) 250-4752
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Story Time for Kids
Age Group: Preschool – (ages 3-5)
Location: 1030 Merrimon Ave. – Asheville
Library: North Asheville
Preschool story times are geared towards 3-5 year-olds and include singing, stretchers, and creative activities.
Phone: (828) 250-4738
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Story Time for Kids
Age Group: Preschool – (ages 3-5)
Location: 902 Tunnel Rd. – Asheville
Library: East Asheville
Preschool story times are geared towards 3-5 year-olds and include singing, stretchers, and creative activities
Phone: (828) 250-4754
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Story Time for Kids
Age Group: Toddler – (ages 18 mos.-2 yrs.)
Location: 749 Fairview Rd. – Asheville
Library: Oakley / South Asheville
Toddler Times are interactive story times for children ages 18 months to 3 years.
Phone: (828) 250-4750
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Story Time for Kids
Age Group: Toddler – (ages 18 mos.-2 yrs.)
Location: 942 Haywood Rd. – Asheville
Library: West Asheville
Toddler Times are interactive story times for children ages 18 months to 3 years.
Phone: (828) 250-6484
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Story Time for Kids
Age Group: Family – (children of all ages)
Location: 1 Taylor Rd. – Fairview
Library: Fairview
A movement based story time for children of all ages.
Property: Omni Grove Park Inn
Event Type: Hotel Event
Event Category: Family,Recreation,Wellness & Fitness
Contact: Golf Pro Shop ext. 1034
Contact Phone: (800) 438-5800
Link: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/golf
Let our golf professionals open the world of golf to you. This introduction to the game of golf is a clinic that covers the basic rules, etiquette, and the PGA’s of golf (posture, grip, and alignment). Clubs will be provided. Proper golf attire is required. Please sign-up at least one (1) day in advance by calling (800) 438-5800 ext. 1034.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (828) 774-3000
Link: http://www.leicestercommunitycenter.com
Welcome Table Free Meal every Wednesday 11:30am-1:30pm

Visitors to Grovewood Village will have the opportunity to learn the story of Biltmore Industries on a guided history tour, offered Wednesday – Saturday at 1pm during April – November. The tour includes a visit to Biltmore Industries’ production facility (aka Dye House), where guests can peek into the past and view the original looms, carding machines, spinning mule and dye vats used to make the famed Biltmore Handwoven Homespun.
The tours last approximately 45 minutes and operate on a first-come, first-served basis, open to 25 people. There is no charge to take the tour, but donations are appreciated. Tours begin at the Homespun Museum in Grovewood Village, where a docent will give a detailed overview of Biltmore Industries’ historic importance before leading guests into the 100-year-old Dye House (usually closed to the public).
Private group tours are also offered for a fee and should be scheduled at least one week in advance.
Event Type: Local Event
Event Category: Family
Contact: Grovewood Village
Contact Phone: 828.253.7651
Link: https://www.grovewood.com/
Grovewood Village is housed in the historic weaving and woodworking complex of Biltmore Industries, a noteworthy enterprise in the history of American Craft and textiles, founded by Edith Vanderbilt and two inspired teachers, Eleanor Vance and Charlotte Yale. At the height of its success in the late 1920s, Biltmore Industries had a total of 40 looms in steady operation, producing bolts of some of the finest handwoven wool fabric in the country. Orders were shipped as far as China and Uruguay, and customers included the likes of Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Helen Keller, and several U.S. presidents and first ladies.
Learn the story of Biltmore Industries on a guided history tour, offered Wednesday – Saturday at 1pm during April – November. The tour includes a visit to our historic Dye House (usually closed to the public), where you’ll peek into the past and view the original looms, carding machines, spinning mule and dye vats used to make the famed Biltmore Handwoven Homespun. Tours last approximately 45 minutes and operate on a first-come, first-served basis, open to 25 people. Meet your guide at the Biltmore Industries Homespun Museum next door to Grovewood Gallery.
TOURS ARE FREE, but donations are greatly appreciated.
Private Group Tours
We gladly offer private group tours for a fee. These tours offer the exact same experience as the public tours, only in a private setting. Contact us for rates, and please schedule your group tour at least one week in advance.
Please Note: Our historic Dye House (Biltmore Industries’ production facility) is not handicap accessible or heated. Warm attire on cold days and comfortable walking shoes are strongly recommended.
Organization: FOLKMOOT USA
Organizer: [email protected]
Expected Headcount: 300
Categories: HOT EVENT, COMMUNITY EVENT, SPECIAL EVENT, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, SEMINARS
Event State: Confirmed
Event Name: FOLKMOOT
Contract Required?: TRUE
Web Site: www.folkmoot.org
Folkmoot Performance
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit:

On Your Mark, Get Centered, Throw! Clay Camp Ages 6-10 with Sara Ballek
July 23-27
Monday- Friday, 2-5pm
Your dreams of becoming a Clay DJ will come true in this week full of wheel throwing! Not only will students learn how to use the potter’s wheel, but they will also create fun, funky objects for daily use! After the pots come off the wheel, lively decorating and sculpting will add the finishing touches to their masterpieces!
Phone: (828) 250-4700
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Family Fun
Age Group: Teen – (grades 6-12)
Location: 67 Haywood St. – Asheville
Library: Pack Memorial
Join us for Dungeons & Dragons on the second Saturday of the month from 1-4pm, and last Wednesday of the month from 4-6pm.
For ages 12 and up. This event is free, but registration is required. Please call the library to register at 250-4720.
Phone: (828) 250-6482
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Classes
Age Group: Adult
Location: 41 N. Main St. – Weaverville
Library: Weaverville
Learn how to tune, strum and play basic chords and many songs on the ukulele. We’ll continue to meet on Wednesdays at least through August and maybe beyond!
Phone: (828) 250-4752
Email: [email protected]
Event Type: Summer Reading Programs
Age Group: School Age – (grades K-5)
Location: 1030 Merrimon Ave. – Asheville
Library: North Asheville
Our sense of sight is key to our feeling of security; we often fear things we only hear. Learn why animals make different sounds, how sounds change seasonally, and what you can interpret just by listening. Then we’ll use natural instruments to create a soundscape for a group story. Look for a visiting animal guest! Presented by the Nature Center. Ages 6-11. No groups please.
