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.

Thursday, August 10, 2023
Enka-Candler Tailgate Market
Aug 10 @ 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Enka-Candler Tailgate Market
75% of Enka-Candler Tailgate Market proceeds go towards a student and summer camp scholarship fund for Asheville Farmstead School to promote diversity and accessibility to children learning about themselves and nature through farm and forest. The remaining 25% will be given back to the local Enka-Candler community, directed by the Enka-Candler Tailgate Market Advisory Committee.

List of Supporters (Discounts, donat

Flat Rock Farmers Market
Aug 10 @ 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Flat Rock Farmers Market

Join us on Thursdays from 3-6 pm through October

 

Celebrating over 15 years of bringing fresh, local produce and handcrafted goods to the community of Flat Rock NC.
Join us every Thursday, May – October at our location at Pinecrest Presbyterian Church at the corner of Upward Rd and Greenville Hwy. 

Flat Rock Farmers’ Market
Aug 10 @ 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Pinecrest Presbyterian Church

Flat Rock Farmers’ Market, Every Thursday 3pm-6pm, The Flat Rock Farmers Market celebrates over 15 years of bringing fresh,
local produce and handcrafted goods each Thursday through October to Flat Rock, NC. This farmers market is made of a diverse
group of local produce farmers, makers, bread bakers, wild crafters and merry makers. You will love the friendly, informative,
creative vendors that set up for the market. Be sure you stop by each one to introduce yourself and ask questions. Located at
Pinecrest Presbyterian Church

Sklyand Library LEGO HOUR
Aug 10 @ 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Skyland/South Buncombe Library

Join us for free-form LEGO building every other Thursday afternoon, at 3:30pm!  All ages 5 and up are welcome, but anyone under 10 years old will need to be accompanied by a caregiver.

LEGO is provided.  Please leave your personal bricks at home.

Intro to Ukulele
Aug 10 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
LEAF Global Arts

Students will receive a solid foundation in beginner Ukulele skills for vocalists. Chords, Rhythm patterns, and basic theory will be introduced through songs with an uplifting message. Students will also learn to play the song that the Songwriting Class will be writing and get to record it in the One Mic Studio.

Passive Recreation Community Engagement Event at Richmond Hill Park
Aug 10 @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Richmond Hill Park

Join the Buncombe County Open Space Bond team and Parks & Recreation department for an informational event at Richmond Hill Park on Thursday, Aug. 10th, from 4-7 p.m. Anyone interested in attending can experience passive recreation opportunities firsthand and engage with the Open Space Bond team. Share your thoughts on the future of Open Space in Buncombe County and gain deeper insights into passive recreation.

In November 2022, Buncombe County voters approved a general obligation bond to allocate $30 million towards Open Space projects, including greenways, conservation easements, and passive recreation lands.

The Open Space Bond team is currently seeking valuable input from the community, aiming to understand the collective vision for the future of passive recreation lands in Buncombe County. These conversations will help shape the County’s process for evaluating and selecting projects to receive bond funding.

Passive recreation lands promote healthy lifestyles and social outlets for residents, while also boasting long-term cost-effectiveness due to their minimal upkeep requirements. In addition, passive recreation areas play a vital role in minimizing impacts on the natural environment when compared to traditional park developments.

“The people of Buncombe County have shown that they want to see more opportunities that combine conservation and recreation, so we want to know what passive recreation means to you,” explains Jill Carter, the Open Space Bond Project Manager. “This event gives us a great chance to talk with the community and hear what kinds of projects they’d like to see become a reality and how they think these bond funds can best be put to work.”

For more information and to participate in the Passive Recreation survey, click here.

Walking Foundy Tour
Aug 10 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Foundy Tour

Join us on a walking tour of the Foundy in the River Arts District where we learn about the only existing Street Art Gallery in Asheville and all the artists who have created graffiti and mural installations that have made our town an urban art destination.

Members Reception—Celebrating the Opening of Romare Bearden
Aug 10 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

The Van Winkle Law Firm Gallery and Multipurpose Space • Level 1

Museum Members are invited to join us for the reception of our new exhibition—Romare Bearden: Ways of Working. Explore the new exhibition, enjoy the ambiance of Jazz and Blues tunes inspired by the Harlem Renaissance, and a silent film about Romare Bearden throughout the evening. Wine and beverages are available for purchase at the pop-up bar. Please register in advance.

Neighbors for More Neighbors Kickoff Party
Aug 10 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Wedge Brewery at Foundation

 

Neighbors for More Neighbors Kickoff Party
In response to both a severe housing shortage in our region and also the climate crisis, regional environmental organization MountainTrue is launching a new pro-housing program called Neighbors for More Neighbors WNC. The free kickoff party for this new program will be on Thursday, August 10th from 5 – 7pm at the Wedge Brewery at Foundation. We invite everyone who celebrates neighbors and walkable communities to come out and share your vision for a welcoming future for Western North Carolina! The event will feature games, interactive elements, inspiring speakers, and more.

Queer Music Exploration
Aug 10 @ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
LEAF Global Arts

Queer Music Exploration – Students will explore guitar, bass, drums, singing and piano with a focus on learning music by artists from the LGBTQ+ community. Students will have the chance to interact with their peers and share their experiences through music.

Rhythm + Percussion Class with The Rhythmic Arts Project (TRAP) AVL
Aug 10 @ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Leicester Library

Sign Up

Join us for a fun hour of drumming! This class with The Rhythmic Arts Project is for teens and adults.
This program is free, but registration is required and class size is limited.
Please register so our instructor can provide enough percussion instruments. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own drums if they are able.

ArborEvenings
Aug 10 @ 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Sip and stroll through the Arboretum’s gardens in the glow of the golden hour, all while listening to live music from a variety of local and regional artists! ArborEvenings runs Thursdays and most Fridays through September 30, 2022 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.

There is no additional cost to attend ArborEvenings beyond our standard parking fee. As always, Arboretum Society members and their accompanying guests can enter for FREE (guests must be in member vehicles to receive free entry). Proceeds from ArborEvenings help support the The North Carolina Arboretum Society and further advance the Arboretum’s mission.

Beverage Service

Beer, Wine, and soft drinks will be for sale onsite at the Green Gardener’s Shed from 5:30 to 8:15 p.m. each night of the event. Outside alcohol is strictly prohibited, but guests are welcome to bring in water or a favorite non-alcoholic beverage.

Food Available for Pre-Order, Picnics Welcome

Although the Bent Creek Bistro will not be open during the event, they will be offering their delicious dining options at ArborEvenings via pre-order! Simply place your online order — including alcoholic beverages — up until 11 a.m. on the date you plan to attend, then pick up your order at the Baker Information Desk between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. (In the event of rain cancellation, pre-orders will be fully refunded.)

Guests are welcome to bring in outside food and non-alcoholic beverages. However, outside alcohol is strictly prohibited. 

Find more information here. 

Exhibition Tour: Feast Your Eyes On The Art of Food
Aug 10 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Art enthusiasts and foodies alike can explore the many identities of food in daily life: whether a source of pleasure, a reason for gathering, a mass-produced commodity, or a reflection of social ideologies and divisions.

This exhibition features works from influential postwar artists, including Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, John Baldessari, Ed Ruscha, and more.  This exhibition includes over 100 artworks in mediums, including drawings, paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures, and ceramics by 37 artists.

Live Music specialty martinis all day at Leo’s Italian Social
Aug 10 @ 6:00 pm
Leo's Italian Social
Zahner Lecture Series South Carolina’s Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area
Aug 10 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Highlands Nature Center

Featured Speaker: Tim Lee; Interpretive Ranger/Naturalist; Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area

 

Sponsored by Martha & Michael Dupuis, Monte & Palmer Gaillard, and Melanie & Tom Mauldin.

Located in an area along the Blue Ridge Escarpment, the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area provides a habitat for a diversity of biological communities adapted for life along the Blue Ridge Escarpment. With high average rainfall, diverse topography, and miles of streams and rivers many species found there are rare within the state and some are found in few other places in the world.

Asheville Tourists vs. Hickory Crawdads— Asheville Hippies
Aug 10 @ 6:30 pm
McCormick Field

Join us for Thirsty Thursday presented by Catawba Brewing Co. and 105.9 The Mountain. $1 Domestic Beer, $1 Coca-Cola and $3 Craft Beer.

Come watch your Tourists take the field as the Asheville Hippies for one night only this season!

Black Mountain Park Rhythms
Aug 10 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Black Mountain Veterans Park

FINAL_Park_Rhythms2023
Concert-goers are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets to each show. The 2023 series is made possible by the following sponsors: Pisgah AVL, Mark Kleive DDS, Cup of Jomo, Dough House, LEAF Global Arts, Greybeard Realty, Four Sisters Bakery, Acoustic Corner, The Red Radish, and Sarah Sunshine Pottery.

Code with Asheville Monthly Meeting
Aug 10 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
online

Are you curious or even passionate about using advocacy, technology and sensible design to create more equitable social and civic structures in Western North Carolina?
Whether you call yourself an organizer, a technologist, a designer, planner, concerned resident, all of the above or something else entirely, we want to be in relationship and build community together with you.
Check out a list of our current projects: https://github.com/CodeForAsheville/projects
What to expect:
Since project work takes place asynchronously—individually and in smaller squads—the goals of our monthly gatherings are to:

  • build relationships and learn about each other’s skills, interests and goals,
  • learn what we are doing across the organization (project updates),
  • provide opportunities to get involved with and/or initiate projects, and
  • shape where we are going as an organization, co-creating the culture and course of our work together.

In this meeting, we will:

  • gather virtually using Zoom for group video chat,
  • do brief introductions, with a prompt,
  • share updates about the projects that we’re working on, highlighting deliverables for the next month and areas where additional resources would be useful, and
  • discuss proposals and new opportunities to engage with local government and community organizations.

It isn’t all glamorous, but the stakes are low for showing up and we’d be delighted to join together with you in this work.

Jazz Jam
Aug 10 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
LEAF Global Arts Center

Our jazz trio with Thommy Knoles on keys, Felix Pastorius on bass, and Paul Gladstone on drums will perform an opening set from about 7-8:15 pm.

An open jam session follows. Drop-ins are welcome and encouraged for a suggested donation of $10.

Jazz Jam will feature a diverse array of music from jazz’s rich history, ranging from 1940s bebop up to 1970s jazz fusion, as well as material from prominent present-day composers. Bring your instruments and jam with us, or just come and enjoy!

LAZOOM Tours: GHOST COMEDY BUS TOUR
Aug 10 @ 7:00 pm
LaZoom Room


GHOST COMEDY BUS TOUR

Grab a local beer, crucifix and a rubber chicken* —You might survive this hour long hilarious haunted ghost tour of Asheville.

  • Guided comedy bus tour of Haunted Asheville
  • 60 minutes; tours run nightly after dark
  • $33 per person (Ages 17+ only)
  • Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue

*Legal Note: Crucifix not required to board the bus; we do not condone exorcisms, chickens, rubber, or any combination of the three.

Steve Simon + The Kings of Jazz
Aug 10 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The DFR Lounge

Steve Simon & The Kings of Jazz are Brevard’s newest and most exciting and entertaining jazz band with a sound that combines the funkiness of George Benson, the soulfulness of Ray Charles and the smoothness of Diana Krall all wrapped together in big Count Basie style arrangements of American and Latin jazz classics. If you are looking for an amazing live jazz experience then check out the hottest jazz band in the coolest city in North Carolina performing every Thursday at The DFR Lounge from 7pm to 9pm

The Campfireball
Aug 10 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Story Parlor

The Campfireball is an immersive storytelling show created live and in the moment out of stories from the audience. No two shows are alike, none will ever be seen again!

DAVID CODY AND MICHAEL J (Music and Comedy)
Aug 10 @ 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
White Horse Black Mountain

A delightful evening of music and comedy by two local favorites, David Cody and Mike Lytle. David and Mike are talented musicians, published songwriters, and long-time favorites of friends and fans throughout Western North Carolina. Now they are teaming up to bring both music and comedy to audiences in our region and beyond.

David Cody and Michael J are a new musical comedy duo very much in the vein of The Smothers Brothers, who were talented musicians who also enjoyed bringing joy and laughter to audiences of all ages.

Tonight’s event will be rare opportunity to be part of a video shoot for the duo. You will get a behind the scenes look at the process of making a video, while also experiencing the hilarity and musical brilliance of the duo.

So, be prepared to see:

  • camera men moving in and out to get just the right shot;
  • multiple takes of segments to capture key moments from various camera angles;
  • starts and restarts which are part of all videos, films, tv shows, etc

Plus, you will also be in the video yourself. Your smiles and laughter will be key parts of the final product.

So, come enjoy music, come enjoy laughter and come celebrate two of the Swannanoa Valley’s own as they launch a new phase of their careers.

David Cody and Mike Lytle
Aug 10 @ 7:30 pm
White Horse Black Mountain

A delightful evening of music and comedy by two local favorites, David Cody and Mike Lytle. David and Mike are talented musicians, published songwriters, and long-time favorites of friends and fans throughout Western North Carolina. Now they are teaming up to bring both music and comedy to audiences in our region and beyond.

David Cody and Michael J are a new musical comedy duo very much in the vein of The Smothers Brothers, who were talented musicians who also enjoyed bringing joy and laughter to audiences of all ages.

Tonight’s event will be rare opportunity to be part of a video shoot for the duo. You will get a behind the scenes look at the process of making a video, while also experiencing the hilarity and musical brilliance of the duo.

So, be prepared to see:

  • camera men moving in and out to get just the right shot;
  • multiple takes of segments to capture key moments from various camera angles;
  • starts and restarts which are part of all videos, films, tv shows, etc

Plus, you will also be in the video yourself. Your smiles and laughter will be key parts of the final product.

So, come enjoy music, come enjoy laughter and come celebrate two of the Swannanoa Valley’s own as they launch a new phase of their careers.

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, Live and In-Conversation With Blue Ridge Health CEO Dr. Richard Hudspeth
Aug 10 @ 7:30 pm
Bo Thomas Auditorium at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, NC

Pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha who exposed the Flint, Michigan water crisis will be in conversation
with Blue Ridge Health’s CEO Dr. Richard Hudspeth and Pediatric Neurologist Dr. Lisa
Abraham as she shares her moving, personal story of research, heartbreaking discovery, and
moral outrage while caring for the children of one of Michigan’s poorest cities.

“Dr. Mona” is the author of the 2018 book What the Eyes Don't See, which The New York Times
listed as as one of the 100 Most Notable Books of the Year. She was named one of Time
Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and one of USA Today’s Women of the
Century. The event is a gift to the community in celebration of Blue Ridge Health’s 60 th
anniversary of service to the WNC region. All who attend will receive a complimentary copy of
Dr. Mona’s book, while supplies last.

Mark Chesnutt
Aug 10 @ 7:30 pm
Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium

The Magnetic One Act Play Festival
Aug 10 @ 7:30 pm
The Magnetic Theatre

The Magnetic Theatre presents its 4th Annual One Act
Festival. The festival will take place over two weekends with a Best of the Fest closing show
chosen entirely by the audience.
The process began with an open call for plays. A team of readers poured through hundreds of
submissions to select a group of plays that varied in theme, subject matter, and style. The result?
A two-weekend extravaganza featuring 24 playwrights, 17 directors, and 70+ actors, all working
to bring a kaleidoscope of stories to Asheville!
The featured playwrights are as varied and wonderful as the pieces they submitted, and the group
includes local authors and writers from around the country – and Japan! But that’s not all…for
the first time this year, The Magnetic is partnering with The Moppets (a local company focused
on teen performance and writing) to produce one of this year’s short plays.
One act plays present a unique opportunity and a clear path for developing playwrights to hone
their craft and get their work seen by a larger audience. Past One Act Play Festival participants
have since been inducted into The Magnetic Theatre’s New Play Development Program and/or
taken part in our Main Stage Season.
The Festival will run August 4-13, 2023: Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 4pm
and 7:30pm, and Sundays at 4pm. There will be two shows, a Show A and a Show B, which will
run from August 4-12, 2023, with the August 13th performance being a Best of the Fest show
featuring audience voted favorites from both Show A and B! Be sure to come out and vote for
your favorites.
To purchase tickets, visit: https://themagnetictheatre.org/2023-mainstage-season. All sales
directly benefit the production and continuation of local theatre and the local artists that make it
possible.

WICKED
Aug 10 @ 7:30 pm
Peace Concert Hall

So much happened before Dorothy dropped in.

WICKED, the Broadway sensation, looks at what happened in the Land of Oz…but from a different angle.  Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin—smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships…until the world decides to call one “good” and the other one “wicked.”

From the first electrifying note to the final breathtaking moment, WICKED—the untold true story of the Witches of Oz—transfixes audiences with its wildly inventive story that USA Today cheers is “a complete triumph! An original musical that will make you laugh, cry, and think.”

Poetry Open Mic Hendo
Aug 10 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Shakedown Lounge

Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the
longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at
Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.

The 15th Annual Asheville Comedy Festival
Aug 10 @ 8:00 pm
Diana Wortham Theatre

 

The 15th Annual Asheville Comedy festival! Featuring comedians from all over the country. No two shows are the same. Every show features a different lineup of the countries fastest rising stars in the comedy world.

Famous Showcase #1 

Wednesday, August 9th @ 8PM

Featuring: Adam Muller, Holly Ballantine, Lanny Farmer, Lee Tillman, Nathan Luft, Ngozi, Reggie Kush, and Yoni Heisler

Famous Showcase #2

Thursday, August 10th @ 8PM

Featuring: Annelise Dekker-Hernandez, Brandon Jarrell, Farzin Moradi, Gabe Davis, Lukas Arnold, Maria Palombi, Ryan Brown, and Tony Sykowski

Famous Showcase #3 –

Friday, August 11th @ 8PM

Featuring: EricB Owens, Gus Tate, Hayden Arrington, Jessica Rosas, Julia Stone, Lee Paul, Leonard Smith Jr., Raj Suresh, and Sasha von Didkovsky

Famous Showcase #4

Saturday, August 11th @ 8PM

Featuring: Austin Kress, Drew Morgan, FreddyG, Ian Aber, Jackie Pirico, Jordan Cerminara, Meka Mo, and Tyler Groce