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, January 28, 2021
Flat Rock Playhouse 2021 calendar!
Jan 28 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

2021 year calendar with photo of the Flat Rock Playhouse Mainstage covered in snow.

Start the year off right with a Flat Rock Playhouse 2021 calendar! This beautiful image of our Mainstage was taken by longtime Vagabond and Flat Rock Playhouse favorite, Scott Treadway. Enjoy the view of the Rock all year round in your office, on the kitchen wall, or above your desk. This quality printed calendar is 20″x16″ and supports the arts in North Carolina.

 

Free transportation to COVID-19 Immunization Clinics throughout Henderson County
Jan 28 @ 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Henderson County

Fre

You have a spot – Need a lift?

WCCA cares about our community’s health! Apple Country Transportation is offering free rides to Henderson County vaccination sites for Covid-19 immunizations. A pre-scheduled vaccination appointment is required. Call Apple Country Transportation at (828) 698-8571 for more info and schedule a ride today!

Seniors (65+) in Henderson County can schedule an immunization appointment in one of 4 ways:
1) Pardee UNC Health: Call (828) 694-8222 or visit: www.pardeehospital.org/covid-19
2) Advent Health: Visit: www.AdventHealthNC.com
3) Henderson County Health Dept: Call (828) 585-4700

Once a vaccine appointment is scheduled, individuals may contact Apple Country Transportation
at (828) 698-8571 to schedule to immunization clinic sites in Henderson County including East
Henderson High School, Blue Ridge Community College, Apple Valley Middle, North Henderson
High School and other community sites as they become available.

LEAF Global Arts center CLOSED for the month of January
Jan 28 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
LEAF Global Arts center
If the last ten months has taught us anything, it’s the fact that we must be willing to make hard decisions in the present so that we can have a brighter future. And with that said, out of an abundance of caution and with respect to Governor Cooper’s new executive order, LEAF has decided to close our LEAF Global Arts center for the month of January.

We hope that this will allow the COVID-19 numbers in our community to decrease and restrictions to be lifted. We encourage everyone who can to stay home, wear a mask, wash your hands, and practice social distancing. In standard LEAF fashion, music & arts won’t stop. We will continue to offer virtual programming and resources to our community. To stay up to date with all things LEAF, be sure to follow our Instagram and Facebook and catch up on all our past videos on our YouTube page.

Mel Chin’s Wake Sculpture
Jan 28 @ 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Downtown Asheville

Wake, Mel Chin’s giant animatronic sculpture, installed in New York City’s Times Square last summer, will be on view in Asheville through March 15, 2021, at 44 Collier Avenue. Chin, a WNC based conceptual artist, was named a MacArthur Fellow in September 2019.

Wake was commissioned as part of Mel Chin: All Over the Place, a multi-site survey of his works from across many decades that took place in several New York City locations. A collaborative group, led by UNC Asheville’s STEAM Studio and The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, formed to plan and raise funds for the sculpture to be seen locally.

Wake – 60 feet long, 34 feet wide and 24 feet high, conceived and designed by the artist – was engineered, sculpted and fabricated by an interdisciplinary team of UNC Asheville students, faculty, staff and community artists led by Chin. The sculpture is interactive and features decks and places to sit and contemplate.

Wake evokes the hull of a shipwreck crossed with the skeletal remains of a marine mammal. The structure is linked with a carved, 21-foot-tall animatronic sculpture, accurately derived from a figurehead of the opera star Jenny Lind that was once mounted on the 19th century clipper ship, USS Nightingale. Jenny Lind moves subtly as she breathes and scans the sky.

Visitors can experience Wake daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 44 Collier Avenue. For more details and a schedule of programming, visit ashevillearts.com.

Mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC National Mentoring Month
Jan 28 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC various branches

January is National Mentoring Month, and this year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina is celebrating it by recruiting more adult and high school volunteers, as well as children and youth who need an extra someone on their side.


“One truth I know,” said Lelia Duncan, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North
Carolina, “is that we are all called to take care of one another, to encourage, to uplift, to hold a space for
others to be listened to and valued. There is nothing more important, nothing closer to the divine, than
to be present and to take a moment to nurture those around us, especially children and youth.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC is especially effective in helping young people feel valued and heard.
Surveys of school personnel in the 2018-2019 school year show that, among BBBSWNC Littles in
community- and school/site-based programs

National Mentoring Month is the time of year where engagement from community members interested
in becoming a mentor is highest. This year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina is
encouraging the public to go beyond just digital engagement – and become involved in real life.
Mentoring relationships are at their best when connections are made between a caring adult and a
young person who knows that someone is there to help guide them through real-life decisions.

To learn more about becoming a Big Brother or a Big Sister in Henderson County, contact Program
Coordinator Morgan Harris at (828) 507-6644 or email [email protected]. You can learn more
about serving across the 18 county region by visiting www.bbbswnc.org.

On-street parking payment to change regarding use of Passport app
Jan 28 @ 9:00 am – 9:30 pm
City Asheville
Person using cellphone in front of parking meter

 

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

 

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

 

Parking options

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

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

Parking in  City garages remains the better deal.

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

 

Where the money goes

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

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

 

COVID-19 Testing is Available in Buncombe County
Jan 28 @ 9:30 am – 1:30 pm
Buncombe County Sports Park

Testing Site Locations in Buncombe County: Appointment required at these sites

South West Buncombe

58 Apac Dr., Asheville (Buncombe County Sports Park)
Every Thursday
9:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.

 

Early Bird Yoga at Asheville Art Museum 
Jan 28 @ 9:45 am – 10:30 am
Asheville Art Museum

Early Bird Yoga is back inside the Museum! Join us in our spacious Windgate Foundation Atrium for family-friendly yoga and mindfulness. Bring your own mat (required) and props (optional). Face coverings and social distancing are required. More info and register at ashevilleart.org/events.

Marco Reichert “Man and Machine” Art Exhibit
Jan 28 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Bender Gallery
untitled
2020
78.8 x 59
Marco Reichert
“Man and Machine”, is a solo exhibition featuring new and pivotal works by European painter, Marco Reichert. Berlin-based Reichert is an emerging abstract painter whose current work challenges our ideas of what contemporary art is by using traditional painting techniques in conjunction with experimental “painting machines” to create multi-layered artworks. Reichert’s concept is new and unique, and his paintings exhibit a singular recognizable style. “Man and Machine” opens at the gallery on January 2, 2021 and runs through February 28, 2021.
There are convenient public parking garages located
nearby. The largest is under the Aloft Hotel with an
entrance to the garage on both S Lexington Ave
at the rear of the hotel as well the front of the hotel
on Biltmore Ave. The is also an open air parking lot
at the corner of Aston St and S Lexington Ave.
Volunteer Opportunities at Blue Ridge Humane Society
Jan 28 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Blue Ridge Humane Society
a smiling girl holds up a bag of pet food

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

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

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

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

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

How to Volunteer at the Blue Ridge Humane Society 

Our volunteers:

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

It’s easy to get started!

  1. Fill out the Volunteer Application.
  2. Attend a Virtual Volunteer Information Session to learn more about Blue Ridge Humane Society and current volunteer opportunities.
  3. Pick a Volunteer Assignment! Decide what volunteer position works best for you! Some assignments can get started right away and some require prior orientation and training such as animal handling training that you can get started on.
  4. Start Volunteering! Get started in your position. Our volunteers make a huge impact in Henderson County to ensure both pets and their people are happy, healthy, and thriving. We wouldn’t be able to accomplish all we do without them.
Across the Atlantic Exhibition
Jan 28 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Across the Atlantic

Across the Atlantic

American Impressionism Through the French Lens

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

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

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

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

Connecting Legacies: A First Look at the Dreier Black Mountain College Archive
Jan 28 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

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

Fantastical Forms: Ceramics as Sculpture Asheville Art Museum
Jan 28 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum
Left: Virginia Scotchie, Object Maker Series, 2020, glazed stoneware. Asheville Art Museum. © Virginia Scotchie. Right: Jane Palmer, Untitled, circa 1990, glazed stoneware, 41 × 14 ¼ × 21 ½ inches. Asheville Art Museum. © Estate of Jane Palmer.

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

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

The Gallery at Flat Rock: Porch Portraits sessions donates to Flat Rock Playhouse
Jan 28 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
The Gallery at Flat Rock
Man and woman smiling as
                    their infant son poses in front of them.The Goodrum Family, photo by Suzanne Camarata

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

American Red Cross Hosts Virtual Volunteer Fair
Jan 28 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Online w/ American Red Cross

Virtual Teams Session
RSVP required by 1/26/21

As we enter the new year, join Red Cross Team Members in a virtual session to learn how to use your skills and talents for others in the community. Volunteers can choose to be involved with blood drives, disaster response, leadership opportunities, and more!
– Must be 18+ to attend
– Volunteers can choose to assist virtually from home or in the community
– Interested volunteers must apply online at redcross.org/volunteer

Bringing in the Light Asheville Gallery of Art
Jan 28 @ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Asheville Gallery of Art

Asheville Gallery of Art’s January show, “Bringing in the Light”, features four new artists to the gallery: Olga Dorenko, Rebecca Gottesman, Donny Luke, and Susan Voorhees.
The variety of work displayed contains common themes of light, joy, and optimism for the year ahead.
December 31-January 31
Gallery Hours: Thurs-Sun Noon-5pm
Streamkeepers Informational Training Seminar
Jan 28 @ 12:00 pm
Online w/ GreenWorks
Alternate text

Asheville GreenWorks has spent the last 47 years organizing river, creek, and roadside cleanups. We know the sources of pollution and now we have a device that can keep most of it from reaching our river. As this program grows, we need additional support to help us maintain these new devices, manage projects, and keep an eye on our fragile waterways.

It’s time for the community to have a larger say in the health of their waterways.

We will be holding two Zoom introduction meetings on Jan 28thOne at 12pm and the other at 6pm that same day, where we will go over the following topics:

 

1) Equipment

2) Safety (COVID, SHARPS etc)

3) Point Source Pollution

4) How to clean out the Trash Trout

5) Reporting

6) Cleanups / Restorations

 

After the introduction meeting you can decide if you want to join in on this program. You can support this local initiative at your own pace. StreamKeepers will receive ongoing training seminars, access to AGW resources and tools, plus special GreenWorks gear.

Pack Memorial Library Opens at 50 Percent Capacity for Grab and Go Service
Jan 28 @ 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library

 

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

The Pack library schedule will be:

  • Tuesday-Thursday, 1-6 p.m.
  • Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
  • Sunday & Monday, Closed

 

Books and Wine! – A Book That Is The First In A Series
Jan 28 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Online

Come join us for a fun afternoon sampling some wine(s) and talking about books. As always, the book can be fiction or non-fiction ….. whatever……just so that it somehow involves whatever topic we’ve chosen for the month. And if you just want to join us to hear about the books we’ve read but haven’t read any yet yourself, come along anyhow. You’ll have a chance then to suggest a topic for us to read books on for future times. For now during these COVID times, we will be meeting via Zoom. When COVID is more under control, we will talk about starting to meet at Metro Wines again.

What we’re about

A non-committal Book Club! No pressure to finish a book or host a meeting. Just show up, Sip and swap! Bring books you’ve read. Sip wine (beer or cider) and swap books and conversation. There will be a monthly topic-specified event on the 2nd Thursday from 2-4 with other meetings thrown in from periodically.

Lifesaving Blood Donations
Jan 28 @ 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
American Red Cross Chapter Office

American Red Cross

Because of the busy holidays and cold and flu season, winter is traditionally hard on the nation’s
blood supply. Add in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and healthy blood donors can play a
big part in ensuring lifesaving treatments are available for patients throughout the winter
months.
Come to give Jan.1-31 and you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win an exciting Super
Bowl LVI getaway in LA for you and a guest! Terms apply, visit RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl for
more.
To make an appointment or to learn more, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor
App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood
Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. Completion of a RapidPass® online health history
questionnaire is encouraged to help speed up the donation process. To get started, follow the
instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.

A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who
are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh
at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High
school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height
and weight requirements.

Bite Nite! 1/2 off Select Appetizers
Jan 28 @ 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Wild Wing Cafe

1/2 Priced Appetizers from our “Start Me Up” menu Thursday Nights from 4-10pm.
(Dine in Only)

Deli Llammma’s first Alpaca Series
Jan 28 @ 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Catawba Brewing Company - South Slope

Image may contain: text that says 'D E L I ALPACA SUPPER SERIES LlaMMMa FAMILY MEALS EVERY THURSDAY STARTING NEW YEAR'S EVE! CATAWBA brewing h ca. Sn'

Our Asheville South Slope Tasting Room has teamed up with the AVL Llammma Mammas to offer you delicious take home family-style meals and beer every Thursday!
.
Deli Llammma’s first Alpaca Series will start on New Year’s Eve with a 4-course dinner guaranteed to bring you luck in 2021!! Each dinner comes with 25% off any to-go beers at Catawba.
.
Pre-Order online at https://www.delillammma.com/alpaca-supper-series before Tuesday 12/29 5pm.
Out with the OLD in with the GOLD!!! Hello 2021!
Free Covid Testing for Uninsured
Jan 28 @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Brevard Music Center

Free Drive-thru COVID-19 Testing

The Brevard Music Center in association with the Pisgah Health Foundation announces a free drive-thru COVID-19 testing site for everyone – the insured and uninsured, those on Medicare and Medicaid – everyone!

Keystone Laboratory of Asheville will administer the COVID-19 tests and antibody tests, with results typically available within 5 business days depending on volume.

When: Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Please no early arrivals.

Where: Brevard Music Center Main Parking lot (entrance on Music Camp Road off Probart Street)

Who: Anyone who wants a test.

How:

  • Appointments are not necessary. Participants will be served in the order of their arrival.
  • Participants can choose to be tested for COVID-19 via nasal swab or have the COVID-19 antibody test via blood sample.
  • Participants will receive their test results at the contact information provided at check-in, typically within 5 business days depending on volume.

What:

  • A driver’s license is helpful, but not required.
  • A doctor’s order is not required.
  • If you have private insurance, please bring your insurance card with you.
  • If you have Medicare or Medicaid, please bring your card with you.
  • If you do not have insurance, you will be asked to sign an affidavit stating so.
  • Please wear a mask and stay in your vehicle while on BMC’s campus.
  • If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, please seek medical attention from your medical provider, urgent care, or the hospital.
  • Please leave pets at home.

Questions: Please email [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

ONLINE Lecture Series – “Bonsai at The North Carolina Arboretum: More Than Meets the Eye”
Jan 28 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Online w/ NC Arboretum

Join us for “Bonsai at The North Carolina Arboretum: More Than Meets the Eye,” a six-part series of online lectures led by Bonsai Curator Arthur Joura and special guests who will be taking an inspiring in-depth look into the ancient art of Bonsai and the creative ways in which the practice has been adapted here at the Arboretum.
The series kicks off this Thursday, January 28, at 4 p.m., and Adult Education is thrilled to present this first session FREE to Arboretum members!
Asheville Fit Tribe Group: 60 minute of strength training
Jan 28 @ 4:15 pm – 5:15 pm
Carrier Park

Join the Asheville Fit Tribe Group for a 60 minute of strength training. You will get personalized training with the power of the group to positively motivate you. Get ready to get a full body workout in for all fitness levels. So, no matter where you are at from beginner to collegiate athlete Trainer Preston will make sure you get a phenomenal workout. For Strength day we focus on slow controlled weight lifting. Learning how to become more aware of our bodies. We hope you give us a shot and see what we are all about!! For any question shoot Preston a text/call (984)204-0591.

Virtual Business After Hours
Jan 28 @ 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Online w/ Henderson County Chamber
Main Logo
Your Chance to Build Great Connections Virtually – You Don’t Want to Miss This Event!
Business After Hours is the Chamber’s premier networking event and the best chance for your to make valuable connections to build your business – all while having a great time! Steve Smith with the Henderson County Health Department will also give a COVID Update. This event will be hosted virtually using Zoom. There is no cost to attend but registration is required.
*Meeting log-in information will be provided via registration confirmation email.
Virtual Musical Theatre 3rd – 5th Grades w/ Studio 52
Jan 28 @ 4:30 pm – 5:15 pm
Online

Picture

“Getting to know you…” Meaningfully connect and collaborate with young artists from across the country in this virtual musical theatre class featuring Broadway songs about friendship! In high-energy zoom classes combining singing, acting, and movement, students will hone their theatrical skills while developing a virtual musical revue shared with friends and family at the end of the semester. 

Asheville Fit Tribe Group: 60 minute of strength training
Jan 28 @ 5:15 pm – 6:15 pm
Carrier Park

Join the Asheville Fit Tribe Group for a 60 minute of strength training. You will get personalized training with the power of the group to positively motivate you. Get ready to get a full body workout in for all fitness levels. So, no matter where you are at from beginner to collegiate athlete Trainer Preston will make sure you get a phenomenal workout. For Strength day we focus on slow controlled weight lifting. Learning how to become more aware of our bodies. We hope you give us a shot and see what we are all about!! For any question shoot Preston a text/call (984)204-0591.

Acting: Virtual Theatre 6th – 8th Grades w/ Studio 52
Jan 28 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Online

Picture

Push your imagination to the limits as you collaborate with artists from across the country to devise original, virtual theatrical performance art. With inspiring, out-of-the-box artistic challenges, this class encourages artists of all kinds to use their voices and talents in new and unexpected ways. Whether you’re an actor, writer, dancer, comic, storyteller, artist, musician, or editor, this class led by improviser and actor TJ Simba-Medel will encourage you to create art from anywhere! 

January 28 – March 25

Virtual Platform: Zoom
Instructor: TJ Simba-Medel


Supplies Needed: Internet connection, a device (mobile phone, tablet, or computer) with a working camera for video submissions.

Scent Work Beginner Course
Jan 28 @ 6:00 pm
Ruff Life Dog Training Services
🐶 Scent work is a course where you and your four legged friend work together as a team to locate a target. This course builds on detection training methods and turns it into fun game. We use positive encouragement and your dog’s wonderful sense of smell to channel that energy for good. After this 6 week course you and your dog will have a new game to play and your bond will be greater than ever! 🐾

🦴 Sign up by email: [email protected]