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.

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- Bryan Traylor, VP of Operations – Gaia Herbs
- Phillip Stokes, Director – Henderson County Salvation Army
- Brent Graves, CEO – Cane Creek

| Business and community leaders come together for this crowning event of the Chamber year!
Join us Wednesday, June 8 at the Omni Grove Park Inn for an evening of celebration, honoring local business and community leaders and featuring two-time Paralympian John Register as our keynote! John Register is a two-time Paralympian, Paralympic Games Silver Medalist, Persian Gulf War veteran, and TEDx Motivational Speaker. He embraced a “new normal mindset” in becoming an amputee following a misstep over a hurdle while training for the 1996 Olympic Games, after participation in two consecutive Olympic trials. Register teaches business professionals through his “Hurdling Adversity” speeches and podcasts to “amputate fear and embrace their new normal,” as they discover “stories within themselves.” He finds that “it is the personal stories that inspire teams more profoundly with greater impact.” We’ll also be presenting the following awards at our Annual Meeting:
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Join Roxanne and her road team for this fun, relaxed and impactful event showcasing RETOOLNC! Get help preparing for and applying to the RETOOLNC program, in addition to strategies and tactics to help you grow your small business in North Carolina.
In partnership with the Western Women’s Business Center and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. Presented by Farm School on Wheels, and Granit Training Group.
For more information contact:
- Roxanne Reed 910-340-0364 [email protected]
- Janice Wright 910-650-7482 [email protected]
RETOOLC: Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) are vital to the community and economy in North Carolina. Since Fall 2020, the North Carolina Small Business Impact Grant Program, RETOOLNC, has helped to address the challenges that certified NC HUBs and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms are facing as they work to recover from the pandemic.
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If you desire to surround yourself with other invigorating, go-getting, amazing women, and are committed to growing your business or career, consider joining this mastermind. The next cohort starts in June 2022. For more information, visit plrconnectevents.com.
In a collaborative and supportive environment, each attendee will have a chance in the “hot seat” where all the brain power at the table is focused on solving your challenge.
Hawthorn+Fox Flower Montessori School is a non-profit, community-based school that serves children 3-12 in Woodfin, NC. Being a teacher-led program, the teachers are also the administration and work hard to blur the lines of home and school and foster deep relationships with the children and their families. Hathorn + Fox Flower is proud to serve a wide variety of socio-economic groups while constantly working towards an anti-racist and anti-bias community.
Hailing from the desert southwest, Juan Holladay writes songs in the tradition of three chords and the truth, but with more chords and more truth. In 2001, he came to Western North Carolina to attend Warren Wilson College, and he stayed in the Asheville area, after graduation, to become a father, and form a much loved local band, the Secret B-Sides. In addition to working as a sideman for family entertainers Billy Jonas and Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, Juan has also been working on beat-driven, down-tempo, solo material. His latest solo album, ‘Beauty Sleep’ is available on most digital platforms, as well as Bandcamp.
Hustle Souls is an Asheville, NC-based soul band who blend dust-covered-vinyl nostalgia with modern sensibility; recently named a Music Connection Magazine Hot 100 Live Unsigned Artists & Bands. Hustle Souls music has been called a “generation-jumping mashup of new school second line funk with old school vintage soul.” American Blues Scene and “intimate soul… with a Curtis Mayfield like warmth.” Bluestown Music. Roaring B3 organ, jubilant brass and ripping electric guitar are balanced with 3-part vocal harmony and a lust for songwriting that earned them spot in the 2020 International Songwriting Competition semi-finals and has been praised as “worthy of being included in that brilliant soul music canon, a heritage that features some of the greatest performers and writers that have ever graced this earth…” Aldora Britian Records. With relentless touring, sold out shows and major festival appearances it is no wonder why the band has earned a reputation as one of the East Coast’s most promising acts.
MANAS is a duo comprised of guitarist Tashi Dorji and drummer Thom Nguyen. “As a duo, MANAS explores lots of improvisational ground, ranging from extreme sideways expansions of sonics texture — with Tashi’s guitar moving decisively outward while Thom’s drums explode in a mostly (but not entirely) parallel plane — to repetative reflecto passages that curl up into a tight ball before achieving escape velocity. The record is a blast, with deceptively arch liner notes by none other than Ben Chasny, who has been one of Tashi’s loudest cheerleaders for many a moon.” – Byron Coley
Few artists have done more to both honor and reinvent the 2000-year history of the pipa than renowned soloist, vocalist and composer Min Xiao-Fen. Classically trained in her native China, Min was an in-demand interpreter of traditional music before relocating to the United States and forging a new path for her instrument alongside many of the leading lights in modern jazz, free improvisation, experimental and contemporary classical music. The Village Voice has lauded her as an artist who “has taken her ancient Chinese string instrument into the future,” while the New York Times has raved that her singular work “has traversed a sweeping musical odyssey.”
Ms. Min’s expressive approach to the four-stringed lute has led to collaborations with such inventive luminaries as Wadada Leo Smith, Derek Bailey, Randy Weston, John Zorn, Christian Marclay, DJ Spooky and Björk. Her Blue Pipa Trio commingles legendary trumpeter Buck Clayton’s Kansas City swing with the music of Li Jinhui, the “Father of Chinese popular music,” in a project titled “From Harlem to Shanghai and Back.” Min’s 2012 album Dim Sum spotlighted the stunning scope of her original compositions, while her latest release, Mao, Monk and Me, is a deeply personal exploration of the music of Thelonious Monk combined with Chinese folk tunes and children’s songs remembered from her childhood in the ancient capital of Nanjing.
In May 2016, Min was the principal soloist with Washington D.C.’s PostClassical Ensemble for the world premiere of Daniel Schnyder’s “Concerto for Pipa & Orchestra,” written expressly for Min by the Swiss-American composer. Still a revered performer of traditional Chinese repertoire, she has been a featured soloist with a number of leading symphony orchestras.
In February 2018, Min premiered her original score, a duo with acclaimed guitarist Rez Abbasi, for the long-lost 1934 Chinese silent film The Goddess. In August, she premiered Alan Chan’s “Moon Walk” for pipa and Jazz Orchestra. That major event follows a fruitful 2017, when Min served as artist-in-residence with the Sound of Dragon Society at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, and was a guiding artists for the Creative Music Studio in New York, performing with founder Karl Berger and his CMS Improvisers Orchestra in the fall. She is the founder of Blue Pipa Inc. and currently lives in New York.

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A quick but in-depth real estate market recap from the Ruiz Report and a panel discussion about buying real estate without a traditional bank. Community haves/wants/needs with networking to follow.
Learn how to fund your real estate deals without using traditional financing. Learn about the difference between hard money and private money. The benefits and possible frustrations of working with individuals or established lending companies.
Our panelists for our May meeting are Craig Peters, Derek Robinson, and George Lycan!
Craig Peters: As investor relations specialist and loan originator, Craig is responsible for expanding ALFIE’s reach between the Asheville and Upstate SC markets.
Derek Robinson: Private lending has been a natural progression. Derek has the equity built from many years of buying and selling property, the knowledge of markets he invests in and the cost to buy/rehab/sell properties, and a network of qualified and experienced home flippers.
George Lycan: He has been involved in private money for 11 years as a lender and borrower. He has participated in flipper loans, seller finance transactions, straight acquisition loans – both sides – of his deal – and as the broker. George also serves as the leader of the CREIA private money focus group.
The final block party is held in conjunction with the Brevard Police Department and Transylvania County Sheriff’s Department’s National Night Out Celebration.
Attendees can expect a lineup of live music, delicious local food and children’s activities, creating a fun community gathering for all. The June events feature LEAF Global Arts and the July and August events feature our beloved Old Time Street Dances. Block parties will be held weekly from 6-8pm on East Main Street. Many downtown retail businesses and restaurants will also be open for the block party.
HOB and LEAF Global Arts invites everyone to experience a world without borders! From dance, to drumming to arts & crafts, LEAF’s performing artists will bring a new lineup of cultural art experiences and live music to the June block parties. Each week will feature a different band and the LEAF Easel Rider, a mobile arts & crafts lab.
LEAF performances will feature an eclectic mix of music that is different each week, ranging from blues and rock toNew Orleans style jazz.
LEAF resident artist Melissa McKinney kicks off the series on June 14th. “We are so excited to bring the energy of LEAF Global to downtown Brevard,” shares McKinney, “connecting community is part of our mission and we believe downtown Brevard holds the same values. Music is the best way to bring people together.”
Old Time Street Dances, a long-time community favorite, returns to the Heart of Brevard at our July 5th block party. The dances offer free, family-friendly fun that celebrates our Appalachian heritage and is sure to move your feet.
Old Time Street Dances in downtown Brevard are an 80-year tradition. This summer, Whitewater Bluegrass Co. returns to the stage as the host band to lead the crowds in a collection of square dance and contra-style dancing. Evenings will include classic songs, a chance for clogging and traditional Appalachian-called dance. Old Time Street Dances are geared toward participation at every age and skill level.
The Tuesday Night Block Parties are free and open to the public. For more information about LEAF, Old Time Street Dances and other upcoming events, follow Heart of Brevard on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to their newsletter here.
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Heart of Brevard 501(c)(3) is a North Carolina Main Street Community, designated by the NC Department of Commerce and Main Street & Rural Planning Center. Heart of Brevard is a recognized leading program among the national network of more than 1,200 neighborhoods and communities who share both a commitment to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. All Main Street America™ programs meet a set of National Accreditation Standards of Performance as outlined by the National Main Street Center.

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These artworks will be featured in the Spring 2022 Art Auction & Benefit, hosted by Brunk Auctions.
Exquisite works of art by celebrated local artists will be on the auction block to support local organizations and their conservation efforts along the French Broad River.
This is a unique opportunity to purchase some wonderful art, support the artists who have contributed their work, and contribute to the protection of natural landmarks in the beautiful mountains we call home!
For each piece sold, the artist will receive 50% of the sale, and a designated organization will receive 50%. Organizations who will benefit:
Tickets to the event also include a drawing for over $1000 worth of prizes:
- Dinner for two at Chestnut Restaurant
- Dinner for two at Corner Kitchen Restaurant
- A fine reprint of the original 1873 French Broad serial
- A copy of PAPA’s celebrated modern version of the French Broad serial, including all 15 current art interpretations
- Original artwork of Lovers Leap by PAPA founder, Scott Varn
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Beverages, hors d’oeuvres, and bidding card are included in the price.
This is a unique opportunity to purchase original works of art by celebrated local artists. The auction will benefit local organizations and their conservation efforts along the French Broad River, including GreenWorks. Thanks to PAPA for hosting an event to contribute to community-wide efforts to protect natural landmarks in the beautiful mountains we call home! |
All proceeds from Reproductive Freedom Jam 2022 directly fund the NC ACTION PAC. This PAC supports the advocacy and voter contact work by endorsing NC candidates who advocate for accessible reproductive healthcare, protect access to abortion, support LGBTQ+ rights, and work for equity of people and their families.
Hosted by Barbie Angell, the event will feature performances from Ken Kahn, Melissa Hyman and Dulci Ellenberger, Daniel Shearin (of River Whyless), Lo Wolf, Life Like Water, Kendra Penland and Friends, Greg Cartwright (of Reigning Sound), The Smoky Mountain Sirens, and more!

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ATHENA of Henderson County Presents:
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The final block party is held in conjunction with the Brevard Police Department and Transylvania County Sheriff’s Department’s National Night Out Celebration.
Attendees can expect a lineup of live music, delicious local food and children’s activities, creating a fun community gathering for all. The June events feature LEAF Global Arts and the July and August events feature our beloved Old Time Street Dances. Block parties will be held weekly from 6-8pm on East Main Street. Many downtown retail businesses and restaurants will also be open for the block party.
HOB and LEAF Global Arts invites everyone to experience a world without borders! From dance, to drumming to arts & crafts, LEAF’s performing artists will bring a new lineup of cultural art experiences and live music to the June block parties. Each week will feature a different band and the LEAF Easel Rider, a mobile arts & crafts lab.
LEAF performances will feature an eclectic mix of music that is different each week, ranging from blues and rock toNew Orleans style jazz.
LEAF resident artist Melissa McKinney kicks off the series on June 14th. “We are so excited to bring the energy of LEAF Global to downtown Brevard,” shares McKinney, “connecting community is part of our mission and we believe downtown Brevard holds the same values. Music is the best way to bring people together.”
Old Time Street Dances, a long-time community favorite, returns to the Heart of Brevard at our July 5th block party. The dances offer free, family-friendly fun that celebrates our Appalachian heritage and is sure to move your feet.
Old Time Street Dances in downtown Brevard are an 80-year tradition. This summer, Whitewater Bluegrass Co. returns to the stage as the host band to lead the crowds in a collection of square dance and contra-style dancing. Evenings will include classic songs, a chance for clogging and traditional Appalachian-called dance. Old Time Street Dances are geared toward participation at every age and skill level.
The Tuesday Night Block Parties are free and open to the public. For more information about LEAF, Old Time Street Dances and other upcoming events, follow Heart of Brevard on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to their newsletter here.
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Heart of Brevard 501(c)(3) is a North Carolina Main Street Community, designated by the NC Department of Commerce and Main Street & Rural Planning Center. Heart of Brevard is a recognized leading program among the national network of more than 1,200 neighborhoods and communities who share both a commitment to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. All Main Street America™ programs meet a set of National Accreditation Standards of Performance as outlined by the National Main Street Center.

Riverdance: The New 25th Anniversary Show is a powerful and stirring reinvention of the beloved family favourite, celebrated the world over for its Grammy Award-winning music and the thrilling energy and passion of its Irish and international dance. Composer Bill Whelan has rerecorded his mesmerising soundtrack while producer Moya Doherty and director John McColgan have completely reimagined the ground-breaking show with innovative and spectacular lighting, projection, stage and costume designs and many of the cast for this rescheduled tour are so young that they were not even born in the year that the show first opened – 1995 at the Point Theatre in Dublin!

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Apply by Friday, June 24, 2022Show Us Your Design Skills!We are seeking 5 local graphic designers to help create the look of our upcoming 2022-23 Mainstage Season marketing assets. This is a paid, collaborative project and rising, emerging, and/or student designers are encouraged to apply! ACT’s 2022-23 Mainstage season consists of 5 productions. Guided by Dena Rutter of Dena Rutter Design, each designer will create one typographical logo for the title of a Mainstage production. Logos will be highly public facing and used across all digital (website, social media banners, billboards) and print (large scale posters, sandwich board, lobby posters, postcards) applications. ACT seeks local designers, defined as anyone living in Western North Carolina. Rising, emerging, and/or student designers are encouraged to apply. ACT values and welcomes diversity in its workforce, and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all individuals based on job-related qualifications and the ability to perform a job. ACT does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, religion, race, skin color, age or disability in any of its activities or operations. Timeline for project:
Compensation:
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