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.


Located in the River Arts District, and surrounded by art galleries and breweries, come find out about Asheville’s favourite mid-week market!
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You can also attend one of our weekly garden workday events:
Pearson Garden and Nursery Garden workdays Wednesdays from 3-5pm. Located at 408 Pearson Dr. in Montford. Please click this link to sign up. Contact [email protected] for more information.
Hall Fletcher Elementary School FEAST Garden Wednesdays 2:45-4:00pm, 60 Ridgelawn Rd. Please click this link to sign up. Contact [email protected] for more information.
Lucy Herring Elementary School Peace Garden (formerly Vance Elementary School) in West Asheville. Workdays Tuesdays 2:45-3:45. The garden will again be closed to the public from 8 AM- 2:30 pm so that classes can use the garden for outdoor learning. Please contact [email protected] for questions and to RSVP
**We give away free produce donated by Mother Earth Food every week at our Sharing Table Mondays after 3 pm
Proudly serving the Weaverville community since 2009
Montford Pre-Teen Afterschool Program
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021 – June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 3:30-6pm
5th-6th graders.
New program designed to meet the needs of your pre-teen.
Providing time dedicated to school assignments, life skills, arts,
communication, leadership, fitness, nutrition, and loads of fun.
Location: Montford
Teen Leadership Program
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021-June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 3:30-6pm
6th-9th graders.
Looking for a cool and enriching alternative for your Teen to attend
this school year? We offer creative activities, diverse projects,
field trips, and more.
Locations: Grant, Shiloh, Stephens-Lee
Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?
Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.
Literacy Together (formerly the Literacy Council of Buncombe County) is a nonprofit organization working with children, youth, and adults to increase comprehensive literacy and English language skills through access to literacy resources and specialized instruction by trained volunteer tutors. Literacy Together relies on volunteer tutors to offer students personal instruction and high-quality materials through various programs.
The Youth Literacy Program is seeking tutors to meet with students K-5 twice a week for 50 minutes, between 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm. The Youth Literacy Program works with two after-school programs that primarily serve youth of color. The two locations are in Asheville.
Youth Literacy tutors work with children from low-income families who read, write, and/or spell below their grade level. Tutors in this program complete an initial orientation and a 16-20 hours training, which includes some pre-course work and/or homework (short articles to read, short videos to watch). They then receive follow-up support and the option to attend in-service training throughout their tutoring commitment. Youth Literacy tutors commit to working with their students for at least one school year.
Time Commitment:
- Twice a week for 50-minute sessions between 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm.
- Youth Literacy tutors commit to working with their students for at least one school year.
Requirements:
- GED or High School diploma
- Excellent customer service skills
- Ability to work patiently with various levels of literacy skills
- Access to reliable internet
- Ability to navigate virtual meetings with minimal distractions
- Complete a background check
Training:
- Tutors must complete 16-20 hours of training prior to being assigned a student

Enjoy a $6 glass of wine and 1/2 off bottles every Wednesday night!

Our Youth Production Classes offer youth theatrical instruction from the first audition to the last curtain call! All productions listed are performed by youth in middle and high school. We will be offering TWO sessions of The Giver – 1 session for middle school students, and one session for high school students. Classes will meet afterschool, and each session will end with two performances on the Mainstage!
Registration for both sessions will begin on Tuesday, February 8, 2022. Tuition will be $350.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.
Directed by: Janice Schreiber
Classes/rehearsals: Meet Monday and Wednesday afternoons March 7-May 4, 2022 from 4:30-6:00 pm
Tech Week: Monday, May 9 – Thursday, May 12, 2022; 4:30-6:30 pm each night
Performances: Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 2:30 pm and Sunday, May 15, 2022 at 6:30 pm

Our Youth Production Classes offer youth theatrical instruction from the first audition to the last curtain call! All productions listed are performed by youth in middle and high school. We will be offering TWO sessions of The Giver – 1 session for middle school students, and one session for high school students. Classes will meet afterschool, and each session will end with two performances on the Mainstage!
Registration for both sessions will begin on Tuesday, February 8, 2022. Tuition will be $350.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.
Middle School Cast:
Please note: Advanced level memorization is required for this class. Most roles will not be split and the number of lines each performer will be expected to memorize may be larger than in past middle school Youth Performance Classes.
Directed by: Michael Jorizzo
Classes/rehearsals: Meet Monday and Wednesday afternoons March 14-May 11, 2022 from 4:30-6:00 pm
Tech Week: Monday, May 16 – Thursday, May 19, 2022; 4:30-6:30 pm each night
Performances: Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 2:30 pm and Sunday, May 22, 2022 at 6:30 pm
Cook teams of 4-6 individuals are invited to bring ingredients and prepare meals onsite or bring meals that have been prepared elsewhere. To meet our dietary standards, we ask that each meal provides a meat, vegetable and starch.
Requirements:
- Background Check
- Brief orientation prior to service
- Ability to Multi-Task
- Friendly Demeanor
Health & Safety:
- We are asking volunteers to wear/bring their own face mask if you have not been fully vaccinated
- Temperatures will be checked and a COVID-19 disclosure will be signed at the volunteer entrance
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Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?
Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.
ABCCM Transformation Village provides up to 100 beds of transitional housing and will provide emergency shelter beds, post Covid-19. Transforming lives is through four developmental phases called Steps to Success including stabilization, life skills, education and reintegration. We are honored to report that 8 out of 10 leave us with a living wage job and permanent housing.
Transformation Village gives hope, healing, health and a home to single women, mothers with children, and female Veterans experiencing homelessness. We provide residents a fresh start and a place to heal surrounded and supported by Christian love, trust, education and companionship.
We are seeking energetic volunteers to prepare and serve meals for our residents for lunch and dinner. This opportunity provides you with the chance to prepare meals in our commercial kitchen alongside our trained staff while serving the women and children of Transformation Village.
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The link required to attend will be emailed to registrants prior to the event.
If you decide to attend and to purchase 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!
In May 1996, Julie Williams and Lollie Winans were brutally murdered while backpacking in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park, adjacent to the world-famous Appalachian Trail. The young women were skilled backcountry leaders and they had met–and fallen in love–the previous summer, while working at a world-renowned outdoor program for women. But despite an extensive joint investigation by the FBI, the Virginia police, and National Park Service experts, the case remained unsolved for years. In early 2002 and in response to mounting political pressure, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that he would be seeking the death penalty against Darrell David Rice–already in prison for assaulting another woman–in the first capital case tried under new, post-9/11 federal hate crime legislation. But two years later, the Department of Justice quietly suspended its case against Rice, and the investigation has since grown cold. Did prosecutors have the right person?
Journalist Kathryn Miles was a professor at Lollie Winans’s wilderness college in Maine when the 2002 indictment was announced. On the 20th anniversary of the murder, she began looking into the lives of these adventurous women–whose loss continued to haunt all who had encountered them–along with the murder investigation and subsequent case against Rice. As she dives deeper into the case, winning the trust of the victims’ loved ones as well as investigators and gaining access to key documents, Miles becomes increasingly obsessed with the loss of the generous and free-spirited Lollie and Julie, who were just on the brink of adulthood, and at the same time she discovers evidence of cover-ups, incompetence, and crime-scene sloppiness that seemed part of a larger problem in America’s pursuit of justice in national parks. She also becomes convinced of Rice’s innocence, and zeroes in on a different likely suspect.
Trailed: One Woman’s Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders is a riveting, eye-opening, and heartbreaking work, offering a braided narrative about two remarkable women who were murdered doing what they most loved, the forensics of this cold case, and the surprising pervasiveness and long shadows cast by violence against women in the backcountry.
Kathryn Miles is the author of five books . Her essays and articles have appeared in publications such as Audubon, Best American Essays, Best American Sports Writing, the Boston Globe, the New York Times, Outside, Politico, and Time. A contributing editor at Down East magazine, Miles also serves as a scholar-in-residence for the Maine Humanities Council and as a faculty member in several MFA programs. Her website is www.kathrynmiles.net.

Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm at Story Parlor
April 13, April 20, April 27, May 4, May 11, May 18*
*Final class on May 18 runs from 6:30-9:30pm
Make up class reserved for May 25
Story Parlor presents Creativity Lab: a six-week exploration of the creative process, common blocks and obstacles, and ways to kickstart and sustain creative momentum.
Focused on the process and the act of doing, opposed to product or outcome, Creativity Lab explores ways to overcome fear, embrace curiosity, and channel our muse in all creative endeavors.
The six-week workshop is experiential, hands-on, and tactile. The Lab will utilize exercises to help cultivate imagination, innovation, and creativity. Each class will focus on a different part of the creativity process all while building a tool kit for dealing with obstacles in our way, creating positive habits for growth, and investigating the ways our personal narratives intersect with our work.
Registration Includes:
A guidebook with supplementary readings, exercises, and activities
A custom Story Parlor notebook
Access to Creativity Mixers
Who Should Attend:
Anyone looking to kickstart or follow-through with a creative project
Anyone wanting to discover more about their habits and approach to creativity
Anyone hoping to learn more about the process of being creative
Anyone wishing to make creativity a part of their daily life
Anyone looking to explore the intersection of art and the human condition
Anyone interested in identifying their core values’ intersection with creative goals and aspirations
Anyone wanting a creative community in which to play, explore, and experiment

It’s time again for EYLA to host our ever popular Game Night! We are proud and excited to have Hi-Wire Brewing RAD, in its newest location, to host our group.
Please bring your favorite games to share and your competitive spirit to make it a fun and exciting evening of game play.
Please be aware that this and all future Game Nights will be held at the River Arts District location. Please Venmo Norque Smith for fees (1.00) or pay in person Cash to the host.
This comedy thriller is a classic gem with exciting twists and turns from beginning to end. Overflowing with hilarity, this Broadway whodunit will have you guessing and laughing from start to finish. An advertising man who has brought his bride to the boss’ mountain lodge for a honeymoon calls in the local police to investigate her sudden disappearance. Enter a pretty young girl who insists over his protests that she is the missing wife. A priest backs up her story. A funny little man who owns a delicatessen enters and before you know it there are two murders at the isolated lodge. Can Inspector Levine riddle out the truth? Can you? Join us for a night of mystery and amusement!
“The final 15 minutes will reward you as a murder mystery should.” The New York Times
*This is not the Frank Abagnale Jr. stor

A determined young fact checker is about to stir up trouble.
His demanding editor has given him a big assignment: apply his skill to a groundbreaking piece by an unorthodox author. Together, they take on the high-stakes world of publishing in this new comedy of conflict. The ultimate showdown between fact and fiction is about to begin—with undeniably delicious consequences.
By purchasing tickets to The Lifespan of a Fact, you are agreeing to abide by the current COVID-19 Policies of NC Stage which include: everyone in your party over the age of 2 wearing an appropriate mask or respirator the entire time you are in the theatre, coming prepared to show proof of full COVID vaccination or a lab-conducted negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of the performance FOR EVERYONE IN YOUR PARTY regardless of age, and showing a photo ID for those in your party over the age of 18.

In a once-in-a-lifetime performance, a Varna International Orchestra will offer a magnificent concert highlighting the “Violins of Hope”. Local musicians will play violins that survived the Holocaust, now restored in Israel by father-son violin makers, Amnon and Avshi Weinstein.
The program will include compositions by Jewish composers: Bloch, Copland, Gershwin, Mendelssohn, Saint Saëns, and Wieniawski. Compositions by the award-winning Bulgarian composer G. Andreev, who composed Varna International’s “A Melancholy Beauty”, will be a feature with Andreev being the soloist performing on a traditional Bulgarian folk instrument.
Bulgaria’s colorful world-renowned “Philip Kutev” National Female Folklore Ensemble is sure to delight audiences performing in their special harmonies and authentic colorful costumes.
Conductor: Dr. Donald Portnoy.

Comedy Open Mic at Asheville Music Hall in downtown Asheville. Every Weds. 8pm. Doors and comic sign up at 7pm. Free

After dedicating his life to music as a kid, Teddy Swims—a.k.a. Atlanta native Jaten Dimsdale—unassumingly knocked on the door of stardom and claimed the payoff of a decades-long grind in 2019. Broadcasting covers from a bedroom studio, he lit up the Internet with hundreds of millions of views and a following of over 4 million. That was just the first step though. Teddy fashioned a show-stopping signature style out of soaring soul, intimate R&B, rock energy, and hip-hop swagger all uplifted by his earthquaking vocals. Leaving tastemakers such as American Songwriter, Billboard, Flaunt, and Idolator and idols like Shania Twain speechless, Rolling Stone christened him a 2021 “Artist To Watch.” During this time, he went from singing covers of his favorite artists on YouTube to performing his own original music The Kelly Clarkson Show and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Teddy continues to spread his wings, unveiling his 2021 debut graphic novel, Teddy Swims: Swimmy and the Valley of the Last Song [Z2 Comics] and hitting the road with GRAMMY® Award-winning Zac Brown Band for a series of stadium gigs. In between, he released his 2021 debut EP Unlearning to critical acclaim. However, he only picks up the pace with the Tough Love EP in 2022 supported by his massive “Tough Love” World Tour.

What makes a place idyllic?
Start with an emerald river that flows from ancient mountains. Add an abundance of living creatures that co-evolved over millennia. Bring in humans who honor their place in the interconnected web. And rebuild a vital stream that supports us all.
Your support and engagement helps ensure the health of this watershed for the ages! We can’t do it without you.
Stories from the House is a virtual tour of our 1840s-era brick mansion as seen through the eyes of many of the people who walked these same hallways over a century ago and whose stories represent a microcosm of the history of western North Carolina.
In 1918 vs. 2020, we took an in-depth look at the 1918 influenza epidemic in Western North Carolina through newspaper clippings, advertisements, ephemera, photographs, and oral history and place the events of 1918 into context with our present-day response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Old Shiloh was one of Asheville’s first communities established by emancipated people. The community moved to its present-day location – New Shiloh – after George Vanderbilt, in an effort to expand his land holdings as he planned to build his Biltmore Estate, purchased the land and buildings and agreed to relocate the Shiloh church and cemetery.

If you’re behind on your water bill or afraid your water might get cut off, a new resource might be able to help you. On Jan. 4, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved more than $450,000 in federal funding for the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). The initiative is aimed at preventing water disconnections and helping reconnect drinking and wastewater services.
The LIHWAP will be administered by Buncombe County-based Eblen Charities. The nonprofit will make payments directly to utilities on behalf of qualifying households. The program is slated to run through Sept. 30, 2023 or until funds are exhausted.
Eligibility requirements
Households that currently receive Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Work First services, or those that received Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) services from Oct. 1, 2020-Sept. 30, 2021, are automatically eligible to receive this benefit if their water services have been cut off or are in danger of being cut off.
For additional eligibility information or to apply, please contact Eblen Charities at (828) 255-3066.
NC State Parks’ Year of the Tree continues with a celebration of spring trees. Break out your camera and capture the transformation of trees from winter to spring as they show off their gorgeous blooms throughout the next few months. You may even win a prize for your efforts!
GREAT PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED TO 3 WINNING ENTRIES
1st Prize: The winning photo will be our Facebook cover photo for two weeks, and the photographer will receive two annual passes to Chimney Rock State Park, two boat tour tickets from Lake Lure Tours, and dinner for two at the Old Rock Café.
2nd Prize: After the first place photo, the second place photo will be our Facebook cover photo for one week. The photographer will receive two annual passes to Chimney Rock State Park and dinner for two at the Old Rock Café.
3rd Prize: The third place photographer will receive two adult day passes (or one family pack of day passes) to Chimney Rock State Park and dinner for two at the Old Rock Café.
CONTEST RULES:
- There is no fee to enter the contest. All photographs must be taken of Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park only in areas accessible to guests between April 1, 2022 – May 31, 2022.
The contest is open to amateur and professional photographers. - Up to three photos per person can be submitted via any of the following ways to be eligible to win:
- Facebook: First, like the Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park page. Next, send us a private message including your contact information specified in rule #3.
- E-mail: If you don’t have access to social media, you may email your digital photo with your contact information specified in rule #3 to [email protected].
- Every entry should be clearly labeled with the photographer’s name, city & state, a brief photo caption, an email address and the best phone number to reach you.
- Photos should be available at a minimum resolution of 1200 x 1600 pixels (1 MB minimum) to be eligible to win. Photos taken via smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices are welcome if they meet minimum requirements.
- For entries showing human faces, you must list their name(s) and have written permission from any photographed person(s) to use their image.
- Entries should reflect the photographer’s interpretation of the theme. Emphasis will be placed on quality, composition and creativity. All entries may be used in promotions of Chimney Rock and park-related activities.
- Digital images can be optimized but not dramatically altered with photo editing software. Black and white photographs are welcome.
- Finalists will be chosen by Chimney Rock staff and the winner will be voted on by the public. Decisions regarding winners are final.
Winners will be notified personally and announced on Chimney Rock’s social media. For more information, call 1-828-625-9611, ext. 1812 or email us at [email protected].
The Blood Connection (TBC) now has an urgent need for O negative blood donations specifically in its Upstate region, which includes Greenville, Spartanburg, Lexington, Easley, Greenwood, and Seneca in South Carolina as well as Asheville and Hendersonville in western North Carolina. TBC is the exclusive blood provider for all hospitals in these regions.
O negative blood is the most transfused blood type for traumas and emergencies, so the demand never wavers. O negative blood donors are often referred to as the “universal donor” since everyone, no matter their blood type, can receive O negative blood. TBC now finds itself with dangerously low inventory levels of O negative blood and blood products caused by continued low donor turnout and recent trauma cases at TBC hospital partners in South Carolina.
The only way for the O negative blood supply to be replenished is for the public to donate blood. Anyone who knows they have O negative blood is urged to donate blood with TBC immediately. If potential donors do not know their blood type, they can donate with TBC and blood type information will be shared.
TBC has spent the past year battling historically low blood donor turnout. After many pleas with the South Carolina and North Carolina community, TBC has seen some recovery from these low collection numbers, but not enough to comfortably sustain the local hospital blood supply. TBC aims to have a 5-7 day supply of O negative blood but has recently had a 2-3 day supply. In some instances, one trauma case alone can use up that supply. Only about 7% of the world’s population has O negative blood.
To find a donor center or mobile unit location to donate, go to thebloodconnection.org/donate, call 864-751-1154, or walk into any donor center or mobile unit. TBC has eight donor center locations in the Upstate and western North Carolina regions.

It can be ruff out there for our canine companions, but we have pawsitively great news. Buncombe County’s first-ever dog park is now open at our Sports Park in Candler. While this is a soft open, the park features two fenced-in play areas; one for large dogs and one for smaller pups. “We do have plans to add other amenities and water fountains,” exclaims Recreation Services Program Coordinator Mac Stanley. “People are very excited about this new opportunity. Since it was announced, we have gotten letters of support as well as many emails questioning when will the project be completed.”
So join us in a round of apaws as we celebrate the opening of this new venue for hot dogs and cool people. “It’s an amazing place to bring your dog to run free without a leash and interact with other dogs,” says Stanley. “One of my favorite aspects of this new dog park is being able to cultivate a community. Hopefully, this dog park will be instrumental in connecting dogs as well as people within the community.” Paw-yeah, sounds great.
Location: Buncombe County Sports Park, 58 Apac Circle
Hours of operation: Monday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. (same as the Sports Park)
Dog park drools rules
Dogs must be:
- On a leash at all times until safely in the fenced-in dog park area
- Vaccinated, licensed, and in good health
- At least four months old to enter
- Wearing a collar with ID tags
- Under voice control of their human and not aggressive
Humans must:
- Be with dogs at all times
- Remove dogs at first sign of aggression
- Pick up poop and dispose of it in receptacles provided
- Be liable for any and all injuries caused by their dogs
Not Allowed:
- Pronged, spike or choke collars
- Aggressive dogs, aggressive humans, or dogs in heat
- Unsupervised children 12 years of age or younger
This survey is being sent to organizations in 10 counties in western North Carolina. It is being supported by the Mountain Area Workforce Development Board, the Land of Sky P-20 Council, the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County, and over 90 regional partners.Please respond based on your experience at your current facility – there are no right or wrong answers. The goal is to understand skills and hiring needs faced by your organization to better inform local leaders and create a strong pipeline of workers for the region.All responses will be confidential and anonymous. You and your organization’s name and identifying information will not be shared.Participants who complete the survey can choose to be entered to win gifts and experiences from WNC makers and businesses including Kimpton Hotel Arras, Biltmore Estate, Navitat Canopy Adventures, Hot Springs Resort and Spa, East Fork, Highland Brewing, and Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn.The survey is being conducted by RTI International, a North Carolina-based independent non-profit research institute, and is funded by Land of Sky Regional Council in cooperation with economic development, industry, and workforce partners across the region.For question about completing the survey, please email Michael Hogan, the research director at [email protected]. If you have questions about your role or rights as a research participant, you can call RTI’s office of research protection at 919.316.3358 or 1.866.214.2043.

Who was the visionary who designed some of America’s most iconic gardens and parks? Find out at an all-new exhibit celebrating the life and work of Frederick Law Olmsted (FLO).
The exhibit on the man who planned both Central Park (his first major design) and Biltmore in Asheville (his final one), takes center stage in the Baker Visitor Center Exhibit Hall and at select locations in the landscape on the occasion of his 200th birthday. Thanks FLO features a retrospective of Olmsted’s life through landmarks and key moments and shows off a selection of his most iconic designs through vintage postcards, maps and green screen technology.
Step into the designing game and build a park using interactive tools and take a selfie that puts you front and center in iconic Olmsted parks. Outdoor exhibits await discovery and illustrate the design principles Olmsted used while designing and building parks, greenways, campuses and private estates across the United States.
The exhibit is created in conjunction with the National Association for Olmsted Parks (NAOP) in celebration of Olmsted’s 200th birthday on April 26, 2022.
Thanks FLO: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted is presented in participation with Olmsted 200, a nationwide celebration taking place in parks and public spaces across the United States.

The WNC Farmers Market is the premier destination for buying and selling the region’s best agriculture products directly from farmers & food producers to household & wholesale customers in an environment that celebrates the region’s diverse culture, food & heritage.
House of Operation:
WNC Farmers Market: 24/7, 361 days a year market access for farmers
Office: Monday- Friday, 8am-5pm
Market Shops: 7 days a week, 8 am-5 pm
Wholesale and Truck Sheds: 7 days a week

Featured Artists: Guild Members from the WNC Fiber Handweavers Guild





