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.

Tuesday, June 28, 2022
Pitch Party
Jun 28 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Southern Appalachian Brewery
The Henderson County Chamber of Commerce, Hatch Innovation Hub, Van Winkle Law Firm, BRCC Small Business Center, and Southern Appalachian Brewery have partnered to present this small business opportunity.
Pitch Parties are designed to offer entrepreneurs an opportunity to pitch ideas for a new business, expansions, and reorganization. Each participant will be allowed up to one minute to make a quick pitch, after which the participant will receive feedback from the audience.
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Nominations accepted for the Blue Ridge Business Growth + Rising Star Awards
Jun 29 all-day
online

The Blue Ridge Business Growth Awards (companies in business over 3 years) and Rising Star Awards (companies in business less than 3 years) will be presented to Chamber member businesses that experienced growth in 2020 through quality management, inventiveness, old fashioned hard work and courage. Companies can be recognized for employment growth, revenue growth, or a combination.
Download a nomination form today. Deadline is August 19th
Phase 3 Poll for Comprehensive Plan
Jun 29 all-day
online

There’s a new poll to participate in as part of the Buncombe County Comprehensive Plan 2043 process!  The Phase 3 Comprehensive Plan poll is meant for people who live, work, own property, or go to school in Buncombe County. The information collected will help Buncombe County prioritize the issues, develop land use and character frameworks, and draft The Plan recommendations. Phase 3 of the planning process includes:

  • Explore choices for how the County could change over time (future growth alternatives)
  • Identify how land could be used: where we live, work and play, and what it looks like
  • Develop policies, strategies, and actions to achieve our goals
  • Continue public engagement process
Summer Buzz Breakfast Series: Growth and a Diverse Workforce: Where Are We Now?
Jun 29 @ 8:00 am
Crowne Plaza Resort Asheville, Expo Center

People sitting at tables at a conference

Growing & Retaining A Diverse Workforce For A Vibrant Future

Join us for conversations about how we encourage and grow local talent and recruit others in order to grow our community in equitable, thoughtful, and dynamic ways.

Series Moderator: Clark Duncan, Senior Vice President of Economic Development, Economic Development Coalition, Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce

  • Lakesha McDay, Executive Director Governmental & Community Relations, UNC Asheville
  • Scott McLean, Director, Talent Management, The Biltmore Company
  • Nathan Ramsey, Director, Mountain Area Workforce Development Board, Land of Sky Regional Council
  • Kidada Wynn, Executive Director, Student Services, Asheville City Schools
Virtual business networking meeting
Jun 29 @ 8:30 am – 10:00 am
onlinew/ Asheville Business Referral Networking Meetup Group

Virtual business networking meeting

Join our virtual team of business professionals with the goal of growing your business. We meet every Wednesday via Teams video conferencing at 8:30 for 90 minutes. No fees, just participation and consistency required. Make new connections and generate business in a professional environment

Ground Breaking: Stonecroft Independent +Assisted Living
Jun 29 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Stonecroft

Join us as we celebrated the official groundbreaking ceremony of Stonecroft Independent & Assisted Living.
This new senior living community will offer both assisted living and independent living in a comfortable and luxurious setting where residents will be able to age in place. The two-phase project will begin with the assisted living community, which is projected to open in late 2023, with the second phase to add independent living and open within the year thereafter.
The $19/Hour + Beyond Job Fair
Jun 29 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Virginia Boone Building, WNC Ag Center
Land of Sky Regional Council
Ribbon Cutting: Safelight
Jun 29 @ 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Safelight

Come out to celebrate the Ribbon Cutting of Safelight’s new building that was purchased to house their Child Advocacy Center, Family Advocacy Center, Counseling Center and Administrative Offices. This is the first time these programs have all been under one roof, streamlining care for survivors.
Safelight offers free, confidential help for adults and children affected by interpersonal violence (i.e. domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, etc.). Their services include a 24- hour crisis line, emergency shelter, advocacy, counseling, case management, support groups, job training, and much more.
Thursday, June 30, 2022
Nominations accepted for the Blue Ridge Business Growth + Rising Star Awards
Jun 30 all-day
online

The Blue Ridge Business Growth Awards (companies in business over 3 years) and Rising Star Awards (companies in business less than 3 years) will be presented to Chamber member businesses that experienced growth in 2020 through quality management, inventiveness, old fashioned hard work and courage. Companies can be recognized for employment growth, revenue growth, or a combination.
Download a nomination form today. Deadline is August 19th
Phase 3 Poll for Comprehensive Plan
Jun 30 all-day
online

There’s a new poll to participate in as part of the Buncombe County Comprehensive Plan 2043 process!  The Phase 3 Comprehensive Plan poll is meant for people who live, work, own property, or go to school in Buncombe County. The information collected will help Buncombe County prioritize the issues, develop land use and character frameworks, and draft The Plan recommendations. Phase 3 of the planning process includes:

  • Explore choices for how the County could change over time (future growth alternatives)
  • Identify how land could be used: where we live, work and play, and what it looks like
  • Develop policies, strategies, and actions to achieve our goals
  • Continue public engagement process
Sunday, July 3, 2022
St. John in the Wilderness July Parish Breakfast
Jul 3 @ 9:00 am – 10:30 am
St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church

Join us for another Parish Breakfast hosted by the Chefs of St. John, this one in celebration of the arrival of our new Curate, his family, and our visiting summer scholar. The Chefs will serve up bacon, sausage, eggs, grits, gravy, fruit salad, potatoes, biscuits, French toast and juice/coffee/tea. There is no cost for this breakfast, but donations are welcome and appreciated. Please sign up by Wednesday, June 29 to aid in planning.

Tuesday, July 5, 2022
Nominations accepted for the Blue Ridge Business Growth + Rising Star Awards
Jul 5 all-day
online

The Blue Ridge Business Growth Awards (companies in business over 3 years) and Rising Star Awards (companies in business less than 3 years) will be presented to Chamber member businesses that experienced growth in 2020 through quality management, inventiveness, old fashioned hard work and courage. Companies can be recognized for employment growth, revenue growth, or a combination.
Download a nomination form today. Deadline is August 19th
Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Nominations accepted for the Blue Ridge Business Growth + Rising Star Awards
Jul 6 all-day
online

The Blue Ridge Business Growth Awards (companies in business over 3 years) and Rising Star Awards (companies in business less than 3 years) will be presented to Chamber member businesses that experienced growth in 2020 through quality management, inventiveness, old fashioned hard work and courage. Companies can be recognized for employment growth, revenue growth, or a combination.
Download a nomination form today. Deadline is August 19th
Virtual business networking meeting
Jul 6 @ 8:30 am – 10:00 am
onlinew/ Asheville Business Referral Networking Meetup Group

Virtual business networking meeting

Join our virtual team of business professionals with the goal of growing your business. We meet every Wednesday via Teams video conferencing at 8:30 for 90 minutes. No fees, just participation and consistency required. Make new connections and generate business in a professional environment

Thursday, July 7, 2022
Nominations accepted for the Blue Ridge Business Growth + Rising Star Awards
Jul 7 all-day
online

The Blue Ridge Business Growth Awards (companies in business over 3 years) and Rising Star Awards (companies in business less than 3 years) will be presented to Chamber member businesses that experienced growth in 2020 through quality management, inventiveness, old fashioned hard work and courage. Companies can be recognized for employment growth, revenue growth, or a combination.
Download a nomination form today. Deadline is August 19th
Games, Gifts, + Goodies at First National Bank
Jul 7 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
First National Bank
First National Bank
Join the fun at the Games, Gifts, & Goodies event at First National Bank. Win a $50 gift card to a restaurant in Biltmore Park. Sip on a cold lemonade and challenge your neighbor to a game of cornhole. Meet the community, and learn about a bank that you can trust. Thursday, July 7th & Friday, July 8th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 

 

Summer Scholar-in-Residence: Saintly Hors d’oeuvres
Jul 7 @ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church

Rob MacSwain.jpg

Arrive to the Wilderness Room at 5:00pm for hors d’oeuvres and refreshments. Starting at 5:30pm, Dr. MacSwain will lead a thirty-minute discussion on Christian understandings of the Communion of Saints and how the lives of holy people are a testament to God’s existence.

The Rev. Dr. Robert MacSwain

2022 Summer Scholar-in-Residence

Dr. Rob MacSwain is the Associate Professor of Theology at the seminary at The University of the South, in Sewanee, TN. For a number of years, Dr. MacSwain has been researching how the lives of holy people serve as evidence of God’s existence.

Dr. MacSwain is no stranger to North Carolina, having been ordained as a priest of the Church in the eastern part of the state in 2002. He holds masters degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary and The University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He completed his Ph.D. at The University of St. Andrews in Scotland in 2010. He has authored and edited several works including his book Solved by Sacrifice: Austin Farrer, Fideism, and the Evidence of Faith (2013). While in Flat Rock, he intends to relax in the mountains of Western North Carolina and he hopes to find time to continue working on his book to be titled The Saint is our Evidence.

Friday, July 8, 2022
Games, Gifts, + Goodies at First National Bank
Jul 8 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
First National Bank
First National Bank
Join the fun at the Games, Gifts, & Goodies event at First National Bank. Win a $50 gift card to a restaurant in Biltmore Park. Sip on a cold lemonade and challenge your neighbor to a game of cornhole. Meet the community, and learn about a bank that you can trust. Thursday, July 7th & Friday, July 8th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 

 

Saturday, July 9, 2022
Appalachian Energy Summit 2022
Jul 9 all-day
Appalachian State University

Since 2012, the Appalachian Energy Summit (AES) — a three-day, annual event envisioned and hosted by App State — has gathered faculty, staff and students from colleges and universities, energy managers and visionaries, and government and industry leaders to share ideas and put into action ecological, financial and social processes designed to improve energy efficiency across the UNC System, the state and beyond. Support from sponsors and private donors has allowed participants to attend free of charge.

Throughout the year, working groups sponsored and supported by the summit continue to advance energy saving initiatives.

Listen to notable AES speakers

  • Amory Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute co-founder and chief scientist; 2013 AES.
  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a world-recognized environmentalist and energy policy expert; 2015 AES.
  • Bill McKibben, a best-selling author and environmental activist; 2016 AES.
  • McKibben and Lovins, an armchair discussion at the 2016 AES.
  • Leith Sharp, director of executive education for sustainability leadership, Harvard University; 2017 AES.
  • Michael Regan, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality; 2017 AES.
  • David Orr, environmentalist, activist and the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics Emeritus at Oberlin College; 2017 AES.
Sunday, July 10, 2022
Appalachian Energy Summit 2022
Jul 10 all-day
Appalachian State University

Since 2012, the Appalachian Energy Summit (AES) — a three-day, annual event envisioned and hosted by App State — has gathered faculty, staff and students from colleges and universities, energy managers and visionaries, and government and industry leaders to share ideas and put into action ecological, financial and social processes designed to improve energy efficiency across the UNC System, the state and beyond. Support from sponsors and private donors has allowed participants to attend free of charge.

Throughout the year, working groups sponsored and supported by the summit continue to advance energy saving initiatives.

Listen to notable AES speakers

  • Amory Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute co-founder and chief scientist; 2013 AES.
  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a world-recognized environmentalist and energy policy expert; 2015 AES.
  • Bill McKibben, a best-selling author and environmental activist; 2016 AES.
  • McKibben and Lovins, an armchair discussion at the 2016 AES.
  • Leith Sharp, director of executive education for sustainability leadership, Harvard University; 2017 AES.
  • Michael Regan, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality; 2017 AES.
  • David Orr, environmentalist, activist and the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics Emeritus at Oberlin College; 2017 AES.
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Nominations accepted for the Blue Ridge Business Growth + Rising Star Awards
Jul 12 all-day
online

The Blue Ridge Business Growth Awards (companies in business over 3 years) and Rising Star Awards (companies in business less than 3 years) will be presented to Chamber member businesses that experienced growth in 2020 through quality management, inventiveness, old fashioned hard work and courage. Companies can be recognized for employment growth, revenue growth, or a combination.
Download a nomination form today. Deadline is August 19th
Ribbon Cutting: Blue Ridge Community College NEW facility
Jul 12 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Blue Ridge Community College

After two years of renovation and construction, a new learning facility will be unveiled at Blue Ridge Community College. Following the outdoor ribbon cutting event, guests will be welcome to enter and tour the building. The public and media are invited to attend.
The $23.4M Patton Building project was funded by the Henderson County Board of Commissioners and features 78,739 square feet of new and renovated modern educational space. The facility’s carefully designed learning environments and technological features will engage and support the students of Blue Ridge Community College while positioning the institution as a strong economic development and industry recruitment partner for Henderson County.
Please park in Lot A near the West Entrance. In case of inclement weather, we will celebrate inside the Patton lobby.
Wednesday, July 13, 2022
Nominations accepted for the Blue Ridge Business Growth + Rising Star Awards
Jul 13 all-day
online

The Blue Ridge Business Growth Awards (companies in business over 3 years) and Rising Star Awards (companies in business less than 3 years) will be presented to Chamber member businesses that experienced growth in 2020 through quality management, inventiveness, old fashioned hard work and courage. Companies can be recognized for employment growth, revenue growth, or a combination.
Download a nomination form today. Deadline is August 19th
Business Morning Update
Jul 13 @ 8:00 am – 9:00 am
The Elk's Lodge

 

This monthly event is co-sponsored with Blue Ridge Community College’s Small Business Center, the City of Hendersonville Main Street program, and the Hendersonville Merchants & Business Association features several speakers on timely community events and issues affecting our business community.
This month’s speakers are:
Lauren Wilkie – Executive Director of Safelight
Angela Prodick – Executive Director of Blue Ridge Humane Society
Sheriff Lowell Griffin – Henderson County Sheriff’s Department
Virtual business networking meeting
Jul 13 @ 8:30 am – 10:00 am
onlinew/ Asheville Business Referral Networking Meetup Group

Virtual business networking meeting

Join our virtual team of business professionals with the goal of growing your business. We meet every Wednesday via Teams video conferencing at 8:30 for 90 minutes. No fees, just participation and consistency required. Make new connections and generate business in a professional environment

Young Professionals Monthly Social
Jul 13 @ 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Jackson Park

The YPHC’s Pop-Ups offers a chance for young professionals to meet through a laid-back networking opportunity. Join us each month on the 2nd Wednesday from 5:00 – 6:00 pm in Henderson County.
This July, we are meeting at Henderson County’s Jackson Park for a friendly game of disc golf! We will meet at near the HC Parks and Rec Office/Hola Carolina house around 5:00. Bring your own disc!
*Participation is limited to those under 40*
A big thanks to AdventHealth Hendersonville and Spectrum Reach for presenting this program for the 2022 year!
Thursday, July 14, 2022
Nominations accepted for the Blue Ridge Business Growth + Rising Star Awards
Jul 14 all-day
online

The Blue Ridge Business Growth Awards (companies in business over 3 years) and Rising Star Awards (companies in business less than 3 years) will be presented to Chamber member businesses that experienced growth in 2020 through quality management, inventiveness, old fashioned hard work and courage. Companies can be recognized for employment growth, revenue growth, or a combination.
Download a nomination form today. Deadline is August 19th
WomanUP Virtual Workshop: Building Diverse + Equitable Culture
Jul 14 @ 9:00 am – 10:00 am
online

WomanUP Workshop: Building Diverse & Equitable Culture

We all know how hard it is to build a business right now – especially now with all the taxes, regulations etc.  We all want to build that business that is diverse and has equity – that draws expert employees and attracts our customers, too.  Is there a secret sauce to do this in today’s world and meet all the expectations and protocols for a diverse and equitable culture?  These women are doing it the tenBiz Way. Join us for a conversation with Tonya Wilson Snider and Sharon Oxendine to hear how they continue to create and build the culture of the future.

 

This virtual workshop will allow participants to engage with this real-life example of building a diverse and equitable culture and consider what they can do in their own businesses.

 

About our speakers

 

Tonya Wilson Snider, MBA, is founder and CEO of tenBiz, Inc., a firm of business professionals that provides training, consulting and project management services to small businesses. She has 25 years of experience in business development and consulting, with expertise in commercial lending, leadership development and entrepreneurship. Her philosophy in creating tenBiz was to build a “one-stop-shop” for business owners and leaders by having a team of vetted experts who are well-established in their respective fields.  tenBiz operates on the belief that every company is different, just like every company’s growth looks different- therefore, helping clients choose the right strategy and tools to tackle each situation is critical.  She and her team have spent the last two years researching the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on US small businesses, and developing programs to assist their clients navigate through these challenging times.  One such program was quickly picked up across the entire state of NC and has served as a resource to hundreds of small businesses.  When Tonya isn’t running tenBiz, she teaches in the College of Business as a Professor at Western Carolina University.

 

Sharon Oxendine is a Business Development Associate with tenBiz, Inc. with over thirty years of non-profit management experience and almost twenty years alongside the Small Business Administration in business lending, development and program management.  Her education and experience include business, financials and a BS in Human Resources Management.  Sharon received the 2008 “SBA Women’s Business Champion for the State of NC” recognition and in 2018 was awarded the “Advocate of the Year Award from the SBA for the State of NC”.  She was also awarded the only “Community and Small Business Leadership Award” ever given by Carolina Small Business Development Fund for her work with small businesses.  Sharon started her own business in 2020 – Bow and Arrow Consulting Services.  Sharon currently focuses on consulting small businesses and non-profits, creating platforms to elevate small business and building programs that create business communities.  She is a proud First Nations woman from the Lumbee Tribe in NC.  Sharon considers herself a Tribe Builder and is always advocating for women and people of color in the small business landscape.

Summer Scholar-in-Residence: Saintly Hors d’oeuvres
Jul 14 @ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church

Rob MacSwain.jpg

Arrive to the Wilderness Room at 5:00pm for hors d’oeuvres and refreshments. Starting at 5:30pm, Dr. MacSwain will lead a thirty-minute discussion on Christian understandings of the Communion of Saints and how the lives of holy people are a testament to God’s existence.

The Rev. Dr. Robert MacSwain

2022 Summer Scholar-in-Residence

Dr. Rob MacSwain is the Associate Professor of Theology at the seminary at The University of the South, in Sewanee, TN. For a number of years, Dr. MacSwain has been researching how the lives of holy people serve as evidence of God’s existence.

Dr. MacSwain is no stranger to North Carolina, having been ordained as a priest of the Church in the eastern part of the state in 2002. He holds masters degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary and The University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He completed his Ph.D. at The University of St. Andrews in Scotland in 2010. He has authored and edited several works including his book Solved by Sacrifice: Austin Farrer, Fideism, and the Evidence of Faith (2013). While in Flat Rock, he intends to relax in the mountains of Western North Carolina and he hopes to find time to continue working on his book to be titled The Saint is our Evidence.

Business After Hours
Jul 14 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
HomeSource Design Center

July Business After Hours

Tim Alexander & The HomeSource brand have served Asheville and Western North Carolina for nearly three decades with exceptional custom home building and remodeling. They also offer a full range of high-performing, industry-leading finishes, materials, and colors for your home from HomeSource Design Center, regardless of your budget. The design center showroom is open to the public and builders alike, and our experienced kitchen and bath designers will work together with you and your builder to help bring your dream home to life.

This networking opportunity is perfect for members to tour HomeSource’s showroom, build industry partnerships and meet other Chamber Members and leaders in the Asheville-Buncombe County Community. Feel free to bring a door prize gift to be given away near the close of the event. Bring your business cards for networking and to have a chance to win door prizes. Get ready to eat, drink and mingle!