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.
The NC Natural Products Association (NCNPA) and WNC Medicinal Herb Growers Club present: The Art and Science of Pressed Plant Voucher Preparation.
In this special workshop, you’ll learn how to create plant vouchers from pressed dry plants. Bring your dry flowers, medicinal herbs, hops, roots, and more and turn them into art and identification plant mounts. Did you know vouchers are a verified botanical document of a plants identification? Vouchers are important for your plant based business no matter how small or large and provide gardeners with a helpful way to track their heirloom plants. Keep on file for potential buyers and for your own farm/garden records (or mount as art on your wall!)
All Aboard THE POLAR EXPRESS! This memorable journey will take you on an incredible journey! Believe the magic this Holiday season!
Over 88,000 guests rode THE POLAR EXPRESS with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2017 and we hope to see you in 2018! The 1¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.
THE POLAR EXPRESS begins November 9, 2018, and operates through December 31, 2018.
40 simultaneous events around the great state of North Carolina to celebrate our second annual Two Hearted Day!
Join us as we raise a glass to enjoyingTwo Hearted here in North Carolina for 11 years and celebrate the beer voted the #1 beer in the country by members of the American Homebrewers Association.
Cheers to a beer that introduced so many of us to craft beer and a love of IPAs!
There will be custom glassware, stickers and much more!
For a complete list of events, go here: https://www.bellsbeer.com/events/NC
https://www.facebook.com/events/516525328838313/
Make your holiday shopping and dining go further when you Shop For Equality on December 11, 2018!
Businesses across Asheville will come together to support the Campaign for Southern Equality’s work for LGBTQ lived and legal equality across the South.
Grab a cup of coffee, enjoy a meal or a drink, or do your holiday shopping any time on Tuesday, December 11 at one of these amazing participating businesses and 5% of proceeds will be donated to CSE.
Check out a list of businesses at our website: https://southernequality.org/shopforequality/
Check back often – we are always adding more businesses!
RESTAURANTS: Loretta’s (10% donation); Curate; Button & Co. Bagels; Mayfel’s (participating on Monday, December 10 & donating 10%); Chestnut; Blue Dream Curry (10% donation); Over Easy Cafe (participating Wednesday 12/11)
COFFEE SHOPS, BAKERIES & SWEETS: Cafe Yuzu; Izzy’s Coffee Den (WAVL and Downtown locations); Dynamite Roasting; Liberty House Cafe; Trade & Lore
BARS: The Block Off Biltmore; O’Henrys (10% donation); Crow & Quill (10% donation); Nightbell; MG Road (10% donation); O’Henry’s (10% donation)
SHOPS & OTHER: Adorn Salon; Akira Satake Ceramics; Asheville Emporium; C&Co.; East Fork Pottery (10% from in-store purchases); Hip Replacements; Horse and Hero; Lexington Glassworks; One of a Kind Art Gallery (Micaville); Patton Avenue Pet Company (all 3 locations); SmartSign (Sponsor); WellFit; Cindy Smith, Animal Communicator; Instant Karma (Downtown and West Asheville); The Big Crafty (Sponsor).
SPONSORS: The Big Crafty; SmartSign; JuneBug Retro Resort
If you own a business and want to participate, we’d love to have you. Please email Al Murray @ [email protected] for more information.
After you shop, join the CSE team for our Sip for Equality After Party from 7-9 PM at MG Road in downtown Asheville:
https://www.facebook.com/events/197795367799015/
Thanks and Happy Holidays!
https://www.facebook.com/events/261705991356991/
Reclaimed Creations is a unique sculpture exhibit created by renowned artist Sayaka Ganz. Utilizing reclaimed plastic objects, such as discarded utensils, Ganz creates amazing sculptures that visually appear unified at a distance, but are in fact separated when examined up close. Described as using a “3D impressionistic” style, Ganz’s exhibit includes installations of animals in motion, which are in rich in color and energy, to create an illusion of form.
About the Artist
Born in Yokohama, Japan, Sayaka Ganz grew up living in Japan, Brazil and Hong Kong. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Indiana University, Bloomington, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. A lecturer and teacher, Ganz’s work has been displayed at various institutions around the globe, including the Hermann Geiger Foundation in Cecina, Italy, the Isle Gallery in Isle of Man, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California.
My work is about perceiving harmony, even in situations that appear chaotic from the inside. When observing my sculptures up close, one might see gaps, holes and items being held on only by small points; step away, however, and the sculptures reveal the harmony created when the objects are aligned to the same general (but not identical) direction. Similarly, it is important to gain perspective by stepping back from current problems and look at the larger picture. Then one can perceive the beauty and patterns that exist.”
Christmas at Biltmore Daytime Celebration*
Saturday, November 3, 2018 – Sunday, January 6, 2019 (daily)
*Included with estate admission.
*Does not include “Candlelight Christmas Evenings”
Experience the holidays wreathed with the wonder of Biltmore. Our celebration presents Christmas on a grand scale with more than 55 trees decorated by our talented staff, accented with miles of ribbon, garlands, and lights. Festive menus in our restaurants and holiday wine tastings make for a memorable visit.
Learn more about #ChristmasAtBiltmore or plan your visit: biltmore.com/Christmas
https://www.facebook.com/events/104655743803303/?event_time_id=104655793803298
This is what realtor.com had to say about this meeting…97% of attendees would recommend this workshop to their fellow realtor/agent. We share and explain several free tools for all attendees. These workshops are always more successful when the MLS/association sends an email invite out to all of their members.
https://www.facebook.com/events/2012038855529615/
When reflecting on the current state of the environment, it seems that we have entered into times of seismic sorrows. Carbon emissions, water pollution, fracking, and changing climate patterns all point to a troubling reality with serious consequences for human and non-human populations. Through weavings, installations, sculpture, and print, artists Rena Detrixhe and Tali Weinberg (Tulsa, OK) explore the complex relationship between humans and the planet, offering insights, expressing grief, and creating space for resilience and change.
In Time of Seismic Sorrows is curated by Marilyn Zapf and organized by the Center for Craft. The Center for Craft is supported in part by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
The South has always been home to a blend of cultures — from Native Americans here by 14,000 years ago to Europeans 500 years ago, followed by Africans forced to migrate. By 1500, cultures in the South included Creek, Cherokee, Catawba, Choctaw, Chitimacha, and Coushatta, from Europe English, Scottish, Irish, and German, and Africans from Senegal to Congo. Baskets were integral in daily life, as agricultural equipment for gathering, sifting, storing, and serving the finished product or as receptacles for tools, clothes, sacred objects, and even infants.
Initially each culture had its own preferred basket material and method of manufacture — twilled rivercane for Native Americans, plaited oak for Europeans, and coiled grasses for Africans. Interaction between groups spurred adaptations to changing circumstances, such as the use of white oak by the Cherokee in the 1800s, as rivercane stands were decimated by European settlements. Native Americans also adopted the European picnic, flower, egg, and market baskets to sell in the 20th-century art market. Native and European Americans wove honeysuckle into baskets after 1854, when introduced from Japan. By the 17th century African Americans discovered bulrush along the coasts, coiling it into large, round “fanners” to winnow rice. Later bulrush was one medium among sweetgrass, pine needles, and palmetto, giving rise to the name “sweetgrass baskets” along the coast.
Baskets were woven not only for use in the fields and homes or for sale in art galleries but also as a connection to ancestors and spirits, as designs were said to come from inside one’s head, from memories of one’s mother’s motifs, or from the Creator. Indeed, working with one’s hands in nature to gather materials and to form them into a basket was considered spiritually and physically healthy, becoming a part of the practice of occupational therapy around World War I.
Today, basketweavers in the South from all three traditions are teaching the next generation to continue this art. Artists from across the region work with old and new materials in old and new forms, innovating for their legacy, for art’s sake, and for political causes, as embodied in the varied vessels in this gallery and epitomized in the virtuosic miniature examples in the case at right.
We’re back this holiday season popping up at the Asheville Masonic Temple!
Shop our festive 20-day pop up shop featuring some of the area’s best in handmade and vintage. We’ve curated goods featuring over 125 local & indie makers, designers, and vintage wares including clothing, jewelry, decor, greeting cards, and more. You’re sure to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list!
HOLIDAY POP UP SHOP
Open November 30 – December 19
10am-8pm everyday
The Asheville Masonic Temple
80 Broadway St, Asheville, NC 28801
OPENING PARTY
Saturday, December 1 | 6-9pm
Join us Saturday evening for our Opening Party, December 1st from 6-9pm and enjoy complimentary Bhramari Brewing Co beer, sweet bites, live music, and fairy hair.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Saturday, December 1 | 12-7pm
Take a timeless portrait with Revelry Tintype
Sundays, December 2, 9, and 16 | 1-3pm
Take some time for your self during this busy season with a relaxing chair massage with LMBT Massage by Amy Gallagher Massey
For more details and a full list of vendors visit: https://www.showandtellpopupshop.com/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2336118139996988/?event_time_id=2336118199996982
Come celebrate Bells with us, get cool swag, drink a variety of Bells beers including a Two Hearted Cask, Official, and Larry’s Latest Belgian Ale. Trivia starts at 7pm as well!
https://www.facebook.com/events/338105920305568/
FREE Santa Photos will be available at the center through December 24 at the The North Carolina Arboretum sponsored Santa Set. Every family who visits Santa at Asheville Outlets will receive two FREE 4” x 6” Santa photo prints and a digital download of a single image. Free Santa Photos is hosted by Great Beginnings Lead To Great Smiles.
(Additional photos and Christmas merchandise are available for purchase. One giveaway per family, per Christmas season. Some restrictions may apply. Valid only through December 24, 2018.)
https://www.facebook.com/events/337462147058287/?event_time_id=337462220391613
FREE Santa Photos are back at Asheville Outlets (ShopAshevilleOutlets.com)! From November 17th through December 24th, every family who visits Santa will receive two FREE 4”x6” Santa photo prints and a digital download of a single image. Additional photos and Christmas merchandise are available for purchase. FREE Santa photo is sponsored by Great Beginnings Great Smiles; the FREE Santa photo set is sponsored by North Carolina Arboretum Winter Lights.
Santa’s Photo Hours are:
11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday – Saturday, Sundays, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. and Christmas Eve, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Santa takes a break to feed his reindeer weekdays and Saturdays: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. + 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Sundays, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Located at food court. One giveaway per family, per Christmas season. Some restrictions may apply, valid only through December 24, 2018.
Join us in spreading holiday cheer!
This holiday season Farm Burger and Irene Wortham Center, Inc. have teamed up to help provide presents to kids in need. Help us raise money for gifts by donating cash or bring in a toy for our toy drive! We will be accepting donations through December 12th
#christmas2018 #holidayseason #givingback #kidsrule #fundraising #ashevilleNC
https://www.facebook.com/events/2191487771105456/
As Virginia Woolf said, “one cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” Food and water are essential for survival, but mankind’s relationship to food has transformed over time from one of sustenance to one laden with personal and cultural significance.
A Matter of Taste explores depictions of food and drink in art and reveals how images of fruits and vegetables can function as complex metaphors for excess, status, memory, and politics. Drawn from southern museums and private collections, this exhibition showcases over 35 paintings, decorative arts, and works on paper by artists such as Andy Warhol, Wayne Thiebaud, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Claes Oldenburg.
This show spans 400 years and multiple continents, revealing the evolving role of food and drink in various media and cultural contexts. While depictions of fruit and vegetables appeared in ancient times, still life painting as an independent genre dates to 16th-century Holland.
In 19th-century America, still life paintings remained popular but evolved in terms of subject matter, media, and message. Painters such as Thomas Wightman, George Forster, and De Scott Evans embraced Dutch still lifes and used food as commentary on the current political climate and the transient state of the human condition.
Illustrated newspapers led to an increase of cartoons by artists such as Winslow Homer and William Hogarth, who utilized food and drink as social satire. The 20th-century modern art movement further changed the perception of food. The culture of mass production enabled Pop artists to elevate seemingly mundane foodstuffs to high art. Yet, other contemporary artists explored the symbolic and nostalgic role of food seen in works by Tim Tate, Linda Armstrong, and Laquita Thomson.
Visitors will also experience an elaborately set dining table fit for a sumptuous feast. Dining became its own art form over time and communicated one’s social standing and wealth. Each of the table’s six place settings represent a different culture and offer a glimpse into global dining customs. Selective drinkware will accompany this section revealing how tea sets and even punch bowls reflected an owner’s prestige.
DISCUSSION BOUND
Second Tuesdays, 12pm
Free
Meet at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café (55 Haywood Street, Asheville 28801)
This monthly discussion is a place to exchange ideas about readings that relate to artworks and the art world, and to learn from and about each other. Pick up some tasty local fare at the Malaprop’s Café to make the most of your midday break! Books are available at Malaprop’s for a 10% discount.
DECEMBER 11
Looking at Mindfulness: Twenty-Five Paintings to Change the Way You Live by Christophe André
“Stop doing, stop moving, stop twisting and turning.” These are the first steps toward inner calm and increased mental clarity, says psychiatrist and leading meditation practitioner André, who in this book guides us through the art of mindfulness, beginning with art itself. Looking at Mindfulness collects classic and esoteric paintings, from Rembrandt to Hopper to Magritte, and offers a lucid commentary on the inner workings of each. André describes the dynamic on the canvas, and turns to the viewer’s own reactions, exploring the connection between what we see and what we feel. Moving beyond the art on the page, André teaches us what it means to consider our surroundings, our daily interactions and obligations, and their effect on our inner well-being. The paintings are a visual and tangible first step to understanding mindfulness and the benefits of living in the moment. In practicing mindfulness, within ourselves and out in the world, each of us can make immediate, meaningful, and permanent changes in our well-being and the well-being of others. Beautifully written, wonderfully accessible for any novice or expert, Looking at Mindfulness delivers practical steps and a comprehensive understanding of the practice and meaning of mindfulness and meditation. An authentic and effortless voice, André brings clarity to what it means to live mindfully and how we can make a more conscious effort to do so.
https://www.facebook.com/events/588695164917871/
Overview
This presentation will discuss key topics surrounding ethical marketing and will explore some of the most common ethical decisions that social impact organizations face when executing popular marketing strategies and tactics.
Key Takeaways
Deeper understanding of the ethics of marketing both from a strategic and branding perspective but also at the tactical level for SEO, email marketing, and digital advertising.
Who Should Attend?
Entrepreneurs and marketing professionals
Presenter Bio
Justin Belleme oversees marketing strategy for JB Media Group projects in content marketing, SEO, digital advertising, social media, event marketing, and email campaigns for social enterprises, mission-driven companies, and nonprofits. Justin is a graduate of the StartingBloc Institute and Hive Global Leaders programs and was named Entrepreneurs of the Year by the Asheville Chamber of Commerce in 2014 and was inducted into Asheville’s 40 Under Forty in 2012.
The Collider is a 501c(3) organization. Lunch & Learns are free and open to the public, but we appreciate if you can give a suggested donation of $5!
https://www.facebook.com/events/725720097766455/
The Blue Ridge Ringers, a regional hand bell ensemble, will present a concert of Christmas music. Due to the popularity of this program, tickets will be issued one hour prior to the performance on a first come first served basis. 1 ticket per person; all family or group members should be present to ensure tickets for admittance. Ticket Distribution begins at 1 PM. Doors open at 1:30 PM.
This free program is sponsored by the Friends of the
Library.
https://www.facebook.com/events/2208991072681602/
The ACW Cat Pantry will be set up outside the Thrift Hound to hand out cat food, litter, non prescription flea and worm medication, and other donations we may have available. We will also be accepting donations at this time. Any questions or requests can be emailed to [email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/events/753260878340378/
So sorry but this concert is cancelled because we are stuck at home digging out of the snow. Please come to either the concert at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Brevard on Friday the 14th at 7 or the concert on Sunday the 16th at Hendersonville Presbyterian Church at 4 pm instead. Hope to see you there!
https://www.facebook.com/events/503187200181000/
Tuesdays 3-5:30pm
October 23- December 11
A good casserole bakes and presents your food beautifully and certainly impresses at potlucks. But casseroles are complex forms to create and get just right. Join Cayce as he demystifies the process step-by-step, with plenty of one-on-one instruction. Techniques demonstrated will include throwing hollow, making a tight fitting lid, and plenty of variations for knobs and handles. Soon you will be creating beautiful, functional casseroles to use and enjoy for years to come.
Level: Intermediate and Advanced
Tuition: $310 + $50 Lab Fee
Each individual who donates more than $25 worth of toys will be given a 10% discount, that day, toward their entire tab.
https://www.facebook.com/events/563935094055904/?event_time_id=563935137389233
Grand opening and ribbon cutting of our NEW MTN Merch location! Chat with artists and do some holiday shopping!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1395247687277283/
Join us next Tuesday, December 11th from 4:30 to 6:30 PM for a social gathering celebrating you! Our work across the region would not be possible without you, so please come have a drink and snacks and let us refect on all we’ve accomplished together over the years!
https://www.facebook.com/events/582190035569083/
A fun drawing class that doesn’t take itself seriously, learn to draw figures, objects, and draw from your thoughts. Listen to a selected album and draw what you hear, have a timed switch draw with other people in the class and see what is created. Materials are supplied or bring your own drawing materials! Program will be held in our auditorium downstairs. If you cannot make the full 2 hours, come when you can! Please just be sure to sign up so we have enough supplies for everyone and the instructor can prepare properly.
Older teens and Adults only.
Registration is required. **Registration signs you up for this one class, not a series of classes. Sign up at the link posted:
https://www.buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/library/branch-locations/pack-memorial.aspx?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D130154131
https://www.facebook.com/events/1083036961862452/
- Nearly one million twinkling lights
- Countless decorative images
- Holly Jolly Christmas Parade
- Animated Story Tree
- Animal Characters
- Nightly visits with Santa (start at 6:00PM through December 23)
- Warm memories and holiday cheer around the Jingle Bell Bonfire
- Hot cocoa, s’mores and other festive foods available for purchase
While you may spot a few night owls during Lights, most of our residents will be off-exhibit to catch some zzz’s.
Open 5:00 – 10:00 p.m. Advance Tickets Required. Enjoy the wonder of the park dazzlingly lit for the holidays, with a nighttime train and more.
Our monthly meeting for December will be at the Salvage Station. We’ll gather at 5:00 pm. A nacho bar starts at 6 pm and for ones that want to hang around afterward, Trivia starts at 7 pm. We’re going to do an Ugly Christmas Sweater contest and a Chinese Christmas Gift Exchange.
THE GIFTS:
1. The gift value limit is $25.00. 2. The gift should be something someone would actually want or use. 3. It should be in new or good condition. 4. The gift should be wrapped before arriving to the party. Gift bags are OK. 5. Gift certificates are OK. 6. As guests arrive to the party, the gifts should be placed in an area where few people can see who brought which gift. All efforts should be made to avoid linking gift to donor.
https://www.facebook.com/events/508098606335197/
Candlelight Christmas Evenings*
Saturday, November 3, 2018 – Saturday, January 5, 2019 (Select Dates)
*Check website for availability/dates
*By reservation only.
*Pricing varies by date.
Candlelight, firelight, and live music bring holiday warmth to the extravagant holiday décor of Biltmore House, creating an evening to remember. Evening guests can also take advantage of Antler Hill Village & Winery to enjoy free wine tastings. Advance reservations are required for evening visits.
Learn more about #ChristmasAtBiltmore or plan your visit: biltmore.com/Christmas
https://www.facebook.com/events/1524627331014393/?event_time_id=1524627387681054
For our Holiday Christmas party this year, Amplified Media is teaming up with Sleep Tight Kids for a blanket drive. Drop by our studio in the River Arts District for drinks, snacks, and networking. Please remember to bring a blanket or cash donation to help support our friends at Sleep Tight Kids and spread a little warmth this holiday season!
Here is a link to their website if you would like to find out more about their organization: http://sleeptightkids.org
We hope to see you there!!
https://www.facebook.com/events/306572686626640/
