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.
What’s better than wildflowers to mark the beginning of spring? Hickory Nut Gorge comes alive as wildflowers emerge. Grab your camera and join a Park naturalist on this moderate hike. The journey will take you along the Hickory Nut Falls Trail and down the Four Seasons Trail, but you won’t have to hike back to the top lot. Transportation will be provided.
This is one special hike you do not want to miss!
After reading and discussing John Ehle’s work of historical fiction The Road, join WNCHA for a special hike exploring the real history of the incarcerated laborers who toiled and often died constructing the Western NC Railroad. We are joined by a special guest presenter, member of the RAIL Project committee and mayor of Marion, Steve Little.
- We will add a second hike Sunday, April 18 at 1pm should there be enough demand.
Where: We will meet at the Ridgecrest Trailhead (Mill Creek Road, Old Fort, NC 28762) near the Ridgecrest Conference Center. Our hike takes place on the Point Lookout Greenway, a paved trail following the route of former U.S Hwy 70.
Length: 2.5 Hours
Distance: 2 Miles
Details: We will hike just over one mile downhill to Point Lookout, and to the High Ridge and Lick Lock tunnels below. We will stop briefly at various points, and discuss along the way the history of the railroad and road construction and the incarcerated laborers who completed the project. We will walk back uphill to the trailhead afterward.
Bring: Sturdy, closed-toe walking shoes or boots, weather appropriate clothing for changing conditions, plenty of water (24+ ounces), a cell phone, sunscreen, snacks as desired
Gather your favorite hiking buddy, canine or human, and explore the amazing trails in our community thanks to the work of Conserving Carolina and support two organizations at one time!
During the week of April 11-18, hit the trails that have been made possible by Conserving Carolina with your favorite two- or four-legged friend and complete additional challenges for prizes from BRHS and Conserving Carolina.
There are three hike options: Bearwallow Mountain, any segment of the Oklawaha Greenway between Jackson Park and Berkeley Mills Park, and the perimeter trail of the Park at Flat Rock.
Complete one or all of the hikes and walks and discover for yourself the work of Conserving Carolina in our community with your furry friend! Proceeds support Conserving Carolina and the programs of Blue Ridge Humane Society that provide new homes for pets in need, support services for local pets and their owners, and more!
To RSVP, click on https://conservingcarolina.org/event/tails-and-trails-3/
Join us for our 2-day Mountain Cheer and Dance Nationals in Asheville, NC. Our host, the Harrah’s Cherokee Center and exploreasheville.com arena.
All teams will perform twice at this event. Group and solo performances will only perform once.
It will be a spring floor event and a fun ending to your season with jackets awarded to supreme grand champions and rings awarded to grand champions.
We will host an individual, duo, stunt group and team competition for dance and cheer.
On site we will have an event vendor selling custom bows, t-shirts, and awesome other apparel.
Spectator Admission: Each spectator will need to purchase their entry. Use of credit cards may incur additional fees. Children under 3 years old are FREE.
Tentative Awards are (be sure to check the coaches packet for final award details):
We’re Giving away $5000 at each of our National Events
Backpacks for Supreme Grand Champions
Hooded Towels for Grand Champions
Rings for 1st place teams (with a minimum of 3 teams in division)
1st place banners for team and 1st place individual performers
2nd place banners for team
3rd place banners for team
4th place, and below, teams recognized with maximum performance banners
Maximum Cheer and Dance is a non-sanctioned IEP. We follow industry standard rules and guidelines, but do not require USASF membership.
Heidi Nisbett, an accomplished backpacker and talented artist, will not only guide you on a 3-day backpacking trip near Sam’s Knob, she’ll teach you the basics of watercolor painting and painting outdoors along the way. We’ve kept the mileage pretty low – around 14 miles total – to leave a couple hours each day for painting. Highlights of this trip include the Sam’s Knob, Black Balsam Knob, Tennant Mountain, and Laurel Creek. You’ll leave the trip with at least 2-3 finished paintings (and the materials you’ll need to keep painting on your future hikes!), drawing inspiration from subjects including rolling mountain views, rivers and creeks, and early spring flora. This is a beginner-friendly trip, or a chance for more experienced backpackers to try something new! No prior painting experience is necessary.
Chimney Rock’s Spring Homeschool Day is the perfect time to explore the Park and get to know other homeschool families. The morning engages students through hands-on programs designed to help foster their appreciation of the natural world around us. Stay for a fun-filled afternoon with your choice of options. Morning Programs are from 9:30am – 12:30pm; some afternoon times will also be available and may vary based on demand. Program details can be found online. Advance registration required, reserve your spot below. Registration closes April 13.
Supplies Needed: Internet connection, enough space to move around, comfortable clothes, and light sneakers, jazz, or ballet shoes.
Grades: 4th – 8th
Virtual Platform: Zoom
Instructor: Anna Kimmell
Supplies Needed: Internet connection, a small, designated space to safely move around during class.
Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.
Join professional photographer Buddy Morrison for an interactive session on learning advanced settings and strategies for smartphone photography. Whether you’re an Android or iPhone user, you’re sure to take away some great skills from this three-hour class. This photographic odyssey will take you to various spots in the Park, so be prepared to do some moderate hiking.
This class does require advance registration as space is limited.
With over 30 years of dance convention and competition experience, EDS has integrated the positive aspects of both, and eliminated the unfavorable. We strive to present a fun, friendly atmosphere with fair results! Using a system that acknowledges studio size, you are guaranteed to compete on a “level playing field”. You will be categorized in a division with studios of comparable size, much like the divisions in college sports. Finally, the stress of competing against studios much larger or smaller than yours is removed! In addition to our 3 levels of competition, we will have 2 divisions of overall awards!!! With cash prizes, scholarships, fun games, and more, we’re sure your “Epic” experience will be one you will want to relive each year!
TheaterUNCA will present its spring dance performance “Changes: A Night of Dance and Media Performance” virtually on April 24 at 6 p.m.
The performance innovatively blends and utilizes Projected Media, Lights, Sound, and Dance with spoken words. It is a student-led collaboration between the Advanced Lighting, Media, and Sound Class and the Dance Minor Classes. The performance will be directed by Mustapha Braimah, visiting assistant professor, and Robert Bowen.
Come observe the Park under a shadow of darkness and watch as it comes alive. Join a Park naturalist as you hike along the Hickory Nut Falls trail, a moderate hike. You never know what nocturnal animals you may hear or see. You will want to bring a headlamp or flashlight, dress appropriately for the weather, wear comfortable hiking shoes and bring water. Space is limited to 15, and advance registration is required.
With over 30 years of dance convention and competition experience, EDS has integrated the positive aspects of both, and eliminated the unfavorable. We strive to present a fun, friendly atmosphere with fair results! Using a system that acknowledges studio size, you are guaranteed to compete on a “level playing field”. You will be categorized in a division with studios of comparable size, much like the divisions in college sports. Finally, the stress of competing against studios much larger or smaller than yours is removed! In addition to our 3 levels of competition, we will have 2 divisions of overall awards!!! With cash prizes, scholarships, fun games, and more, we’re sure your “Epic” experience will be one you will want to relive each year!
Born at the height of the civil rights movement, the Dance Theatre of Harlem conveys a message of empowerment for all through the arts. Leave students in awe with the language of movement in this forward-thinking, impassioned and compelling performance that celebrates African American culture.
If you had already purchased tickets for the original May 5 & 6, 2020 performances:
1. Do nothing. Your tickets will be automatically transferred to the new dates.
Tickets for Tuesday, May 5, 2020 —> New date: Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Tickets for Wednesday, May 6, 2020 —> New date: Wednesday, April 28, 2021
If you are holding tickets to the Tuesday, May 5, 2020 performance, your tickets will automatically be transferred to the Tuesday, April 27, 2021 performance. If you are holding tickets to the Wednesday, May 6, 2020 performance, your tickets will automatically be transferred to the Wednesday, April 28, 2021 performance. Tickets can be exchanged between both new dates, based on availability. Exchanging show dates must be confirmed through the box office: [email protected] or 828-257-4530.
2. Can’t make the rescheduled dates? No problem. Convert your tickets into a credit to be used for another performance in the future (good until June 30, 2022).
3. Transform your tickets into a donation to the Wortham Center.
4. Request a refund.
Supplies Needed: Internet connection, enough space to move around, comfortable clothes, and light sneakers, jazz, or ballet shoes.
Click here to RSVP for this event. On the day of the event, we will send a reminder email with the link required to attend.
Like most of our events, this event is free. If you decide to attend and to purchase the authors’ books, we ask that you purchase from Malaprop’s. When you do this you make it possible for us to continue hosting author events and you keep more dollars in our community. You may also support our work by purchasing a gift card or making a donation of any amount below. Thank you!
Inspiring, revealing, and deeply relatable, Being a Ballerina is a firsthand look at the realities of life as a professional ballet dancer. Through episodes from her own career, Gavin Larsen describes the forces that drive a person to study dance; the daily balance that dancers navigate between hardship and joy; and the dancer’s continual quest to discover who they are as a person and as an artist.
Starting with her arrival as a young beginner at a class too advanced for her, Larsen tells how the embarrassing mistake ended up helping her learn quickly and advance rapidly. In other stories of her early teachers, training, and auditions, she explains how she gradually came to understand and achieve what she and her body were capable of.
Larsen then re-creates scenes from her experiences in dance companies, from unglamorous roles to exhilarating performances. Working as a ballerina was shocking and scary at first, she says, recalling unexpected injuries, leaps of faith, and her constant struggle to operate at the level she wanted–but full of enormously rewarding moments. Larsen also reflects candidly on her difficult decision to retire at age 35.
An ideal read for aspiring dancers, Larsen’s memoir will also delight experienced dance professionals and fascinate anyone who wonders what it takes to live a life dedicated to the perfection of the art form.
Gavin Larsen was a professional ballet dancer for 18 years before retiring in 2010. A principal dancer with the Oregon Ballet Theatre, she also danced with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet and Alberta Ballet and as a guest artist with Ballet Victoria. She has written for Pointe, Dance Teacher, Dance Spirit, Dancing Times, Oregon ArtsWatch, Dance/USA’s From the Green Room, the Maine Review, and The Threepenny Review, among others. She writes and teaches in Asheville, North Carolina.
Born at the height of the civil rights movement, the Dance Theatre of Harlem conveys a message of empowerment for all through the arts. Leave students in awe with the language of movement in this forward-thinking, impassioned and compelling performance that celebrates African American culture.
If you had already purchased tickets for the original May 5 & 6, 2020 performances:
1. Do nothing. Your tickets will be automatically transferred to the new dates.
Tickets for Tuesday, May 5, 2020 —> New date: Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Tickets for Wednesday, May 6, 2020 —> New date: Wednesday, April 28, 2021
If you are holding tickets to the Tuesday, May 5, 2020 performance, your tickets will automatically be transferred to the Tuesday, April 27, 2021 performance. If you are holding tickets to the Wednesday, May 6, 2020 performance, your tickets will automatically be transferred to the Wednesday, April 28, 2021 performance. Tickets can be exchanged between both new dates, based on availability. Exchanging show dates must be confirmed through the box office: [email protected] or 828-257-4530.
2. Can’t make the rescheduled dates? No problem. Convert your tickets into a credit to be used for another performance in the future (good until June 30, 2022).
3. Transform your tickets into a donation to the Wortham Center.
4. Request a refund.
Grades: 4th – 8th
Virtual Platform: Zoom
Instructor: Anna Kimmell
Supplies Needed: Internet connection, a small, designated space to safely move around during class.
Gather your troop, pack your camping equipment and head out to Chimney Rock State Park for our annual Spring Boy Scout Day. Join us to explore new places, meet new friends and spend the night under the stars during this special event.
Click here for detailed program information. Registration closes April 23 and is limited to 150 scouts. So reserve your spot below! $30 reservation fee is non-refundable but will be applied to your final total amount.