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.
The Opal String Quartet presents Beethoven’s monumental Quartet in C# minor, opus 131, at the Masonic Temple in downtown Asheville on Friday, June 8 at 8 pm.
Beethoven’s opus 131 quartet, one of his last and most experimental works, is performed in seven continuous movements without pause. The piece (featured in the film The Late Quartet starring Philip Seymour Hoffmann and Christopher Walken) begins with a brooding fugue and blooms into soaring melodies, an expansive theme and variations movement, a quirky, satirical scherzo, and ferocious finale.
The Opal String Quartet, comprised of four of WNC’s finest professional string players, is the only local ensemble of its kind, performing masterpieces of the string quartet literature with a fiery intensity and voluptuous tonal palette. This rare performance by the Opal String Quartet (well loved by local classical music fans) is the culmination of studying Beethoven’s opus 131 for the better part of a year.
OSQ is dedicated to bringing the art of chamber music to diverse audiences by performing in a wide variety of venues, from schools, bars, and art galleries to street corners and concert halls. They have performed throughout WNC, appearing on several chamber music series and making frequent collaborations with local chamber ensembles Pan Harmonia and AmiciMusic. Quartet members include Mariya Potapova and Karen Pommerich on violin, Kara Poorbaugh on viola, and Franklin Keel on cello, all of whom perform extensively throughout the region, most often with the Asheville, Greenville, and Charlotte Symphonies. The quartet has been featured numerous times on WCQS, and recently recorded an album with the world music trio Free Planet Radio. Opal serves as Artists-in-Residence for the educational outreach programs of the Asheville Chamber Music Series, the Asheville Symphony Guild, and the Brevard Philharmonic. For booking inquiries, fan mail, or existential musings, please contact [email protected].
https://www.facebook.com/opalstringquartet/
Property: Omni Grove Park Inn
Event Type: Hotel Event
Event Category: Couples,Entertainment
Contact: (800) 438-5800
Contact Phone: (800) 438-5800
Link: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/dining/elaines-dueling-piano-bar
Join the non-stop, rock n’ roll, sing-along party show at Elaine’s! Doors open at 8:00 pm, show starts at 9:00 pm.
Toot! Toot! Experience Day Out With Thomas like never before at Tweetsie Railroad. Ride the train behind Thomas the Tank Engine, meet Sir Topham Hat, play in Imagination Station, and enjoy storytelling and live music! PLUS have a full day at Tweetsie Railroad with amusement rides, deer park zoo, panning for gold, live entertainment and more!
This event takes place from June 8 to June 17, 2018. Tickets include one ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, Thomas & Friends themed activities and admission to the theme park. Free for children age 2 and under, $30 for children age 3-12, and $45 for adults age 13 and older.
Event Type: Local Event
Event Category: Art & Culture
Contact: Grovewood Village
Contact Phone: (828) 253-7651
Link: https://www.grovewood.com/
Falling, a solo exhibition of contemporary paintings by Michael Francis Reagan, opens at Grovewood Gallery on Saturday, June 9, with an artist’s reception from 2-5pm (free and open to the public). This show will feature acrylic paintings on canvas from Reagan’s popular Falling Series, inspired by a haunting memory of a childhood encounter with a mourning dove that had fallen from the sky. This exhibition will remain on view through Sunday, July 15, 2018.
Reagan received a degree in art and American literature and an MFA in painting from the University of Arkansas. Aside from his paintings, Reagan has established himself as one of American’s leading mapmakers. As a freelance illustrator, he has been employed by major publications such as National Geographic, The New Yorker, Smithsonian magazine, Travel and Leisure, and The New York Times. Reagan’s bird paintings and environmental maps continue to be commissioned by Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, The National Parks of America, and other conservation organizations.
Bounty & Soul is a nonprofit hunger relief organization that serves Buncombe and McDowell counties, providing fresh, healthy foods, nutrition education and Health & Wellness resources to individuals and families in need through five weekly mobile markets.
Bounty & Soul will be hosting their third annual VegOut fundraiser at Pisgah Brewing Company, presented by Native Kitchen and Social Pub, on Saturday, June 9 from 1:00 – 6:00 pm to celebrate healthy food access and community partnership. This family-friendly event is an opportunity for the community to enjoy live local music, a silent auction, and local food and beverages while supporting Bounty & Soul in their fight against food insecurity and promotion of health education. Featured bands include The Paper Crowns, Chalwa, and The Campfire Reverends. There will also be a variety of kids activities including the LEAF Easel Rider, face-painting, a bounce house and yoga provided by The Yoga Service Movement.
Pisgah Brewing Company will be donating funds from “Pisgah Pints” and guests will have the opportunity to join a brewery tour throughout the afternoon with a portion of the proceeds going to Bounty & Soul.
Farm to Fender food truck will be onsite providing locally sourced foods with a portion of the proceeds going to Bounty & Soul.
Tickets are $10 at the door with no cost for kids 12 & under.
Looking forward to “Veggin Out” with You!
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (828) 250-4260
Event Location: BC Sports Park – 58 Apac Cir, Asheville, NC
Pop Up Playground – OPEN Play sessions at the Buncombe County Sports Park.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (828) 250-4260
Link: https://www.hikewnc.info/trailheads/short-hikes-near-asheville/
Sleepy Gap
Distance: 3.4 miles out and back
Degree of Difficulty: Moderate,Climbs Moderately, Some Obstacles
Trail Description: https://www.hikewnc.info/trailheads/short-hikes-near-asheville/
Meetup Location: Walnut CoveOverlook, Blue Ridge Parkway
Hike Leader: Buncombe CountyRecreation Services, 828.250.4260, [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (828) 250-4260
Link: http://buncomberecreation.org
Cane Creek Pool
Erwin Pool
Hominy Valley Pool
North Buncombe Pool
Owen Pool
Open for Weekends
Saturday: 11am-6:45pm
Sunday: 1:00pm – 6:45pm
$3 per person
NewSong Music and Blue Ridge Public Radio (BPR) are proud to present the ‘NewSong Sanctuary Sessions,’ a three part weekly concert series and fundraiser for BPR, featuring some of North America’s most talented emerging songwriters. These intimate concerts will be held in the beautiful and acoustically stunning Sanctuary of downtown Asheville’s Central United Methodist Church.
Max Hatt / Edda Glass have “an incomparable spook” (Nashville Scene) and a “unique sound” (Larry Groce, NPR) that’s taken them across the county from NPR Mountain Stage to NYC’s Lincoln Center, DC’s Kennedy Center, and the Sundance Film Festival. Praised for her “impeccable vocal command” (PopMatters) and compared to a gamut of singers from Astrud Gilberto to Billie Holliday, Glass’s voice ultimately “one of a kind…you cannot confuse her with another artist” (New York Theatre Guide). Hatt’s equally distinctive guitar work combines the harmonic innovations of jazz and classical with the melodic resonance of folk, creating music that’s “subtly poignant, elegantly funky, and haunting without trying to be” (Nels Cline, Wilco). Together with Glass’s literate lyrics, this Jazz Americana evokes the grandeur of the western landscape, telling intimate stories of little people on great plains, and leaving audiences with a feeling both light and deep.
maxhatteddaglass.com
Join us for an evening of amazing music and stand up comedy to benefit Brother Wolf Animal Sanctuary during Asheville VeganFest weekend! Featuring Antibalas, an American, Brooklyn-based afrobeat band and Lee Camp, comedian and independent news reporter!
About the Festival:
Asheville VeganFest is a celebration of compassionate living in one of the country’s top-rated vegan-friendly cities. Now in its fourth year, Asheville VeganFest is better than ever, with a broad and diverse mix of A-list speakers and a great line-up of night time entertainment! Over 15,000 visitors from all walks of life are expected to attend this free, family-friendly, inspiring (and not to mention delicious) 3 day long celebration!
About Antibalas:
The musical collective known as Antibalas (Spanish for bullet-proof or anti-bullets) was conceived of in Mexico City and formed in Brooklyn New York. The early nucleus of the group was composed of the band’s founder Martín Perna and included several members from the Soul Providers / Dap Kings band, performing their first show in May 1998 in Harlem, NY. Soon after, Lagos, Nigeria native Amayo joined the band after seeing the band at a neighborhood concert. Fluent in the afrobeat music of Fela, he began composing and performing lyrics and assuming the role of the group’s lead vocalist / frontman.
The band began rehearsing and composing at Desco 41st street studios and later at the first Daptone Studios at Amayo’s Afro Spot venue. They spent their first year performing exclusively in noncommercial spaces in lofts, community centers, parks, art galleries. In August 1999, they created a weekly residence called Africalia at Tribeca club NoMoore that ran for 18 months, where the band and repertoire expanded. In 2001, following their debut record (reissued independently, then licensed to Ninja Tune) they began touring internationally, from Glastonbury, Montreux to Newport Jazz and other renowned rock, jazz and world music festivals. Around 2003, following their third album “Who Is This America,” the Dap Kings and Antibalas both became very busy, each group developed its separate full-time lineup although the groups would remain close, later reuniting with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and Charles Bradley for the 2014 Daptone Super Soul Revue across summer festivals and theaters in Europe and culminating in a three night run at New York’s Apollo Theater. The group toured heavily performing over one hundred shows per year spread across North America and Europe between 2002 and 2007 with the releases of their third album, “Who Is This America”, and fourth, “Security”.
From 2007-2012 many members and former members of the Antibalas participated in the Tony-Award winning Broadway musical FELA!, including the show’s musical director Aaron Johnson, lead saxophonist Stuart Bogie, and assistant MD trumpeter Jordan McLean. In 2011, the group returned to the Daptone House of Soul to record their most recent album, “Antibalas” produced by emeritus member Gabriel Roth. The group toured heavily throughout the US and Europe, and later that year, performed songs from the album live on NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Antibalas has recorded five studio albums on the Daptone, Ninja Tune, Anti-, and Ropeadope labels as well as a number of singles and EPs. The band is currently finishing their sixth studio album due out in mid-2017. Though recognized for their fluency in Afrobeat and funk music, the band is known to collaborate with diverse groups and artists, from Angélique Kidjo to Jovanotti to Medeski Martin & Wood to Public Enemy, and served as the house band at Carnegie Hall in 2014 (Music of Paul Simon), 2015
(Music of David Byrne & Talking Heads) and most recently 2017’s Music of Aretha Franklin. The Antibalas horns have performed on Grammy award-winning albums by Angelique Kidjo, and Mark Ronson and dozens of albums, sound tracks and live guest appearances with artists including The Roots, My Morning Jacket, TV on the Radio, Santigold, Jovanotti, Nneka, Ed Sheeran, Alabama Shakes, The String Cheese Incident and numerous others. Former Antibalas members have gone on to record and perform with The Dap Kings, Arcade Fire, Mark Ronson, the Black Keys, the Arks, Menahan Street Band, the El Michels Affair, Iron and Wine, Bat For Lashes, and Imogen Heap.
antibalas.com
About Lee Camp:
From Redacted Tonight, Comedian & Writer Lee Camp comes to The Orange Peel to perform during Asheville VeganFest to Benefit Brother Wolf Animal Sanctuary. Lee is the head writer and host of the national TV show Redacted Tonight with Lee Camp on RT America. He’s a former contributor to The Onion, former staff humor writer for the Huffington Post, and his web series
“Moment of Clarity” has been viewed by millions. He’s toured the country and the world with his fierce brand of standup comedy, and George Carlin’s daughter Kelly said he’s one of the few comics keeping her father’s torch lit. Bill Hicks’s brother Steve said Lee is one of only a handful with Bill’s “message and passion.”
For more go to leecamp.com
“An incredibly funny man.” –John Oliver
“An amazing writer and a great political thinker. He’s the change you and I want to see.” -Janeane Garofalo
“Imagine Jon Stewart if he gave a damn. He’s like Howard Zinn after 12 beers.” -David Swanson
Property: Omni Grove Park Inn
Event Type: Hotel Event
Event Category: Couples,Entertainment
Contact Phone: (800) 438-5800
Link: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/dining/elaines-dueling-piano-bar
Join the non-stop, rock ‘n roll, sing-along party show at Elaine’s! Doors open at 8pm, pianos begin at 9pm.
Toot! Toot! Experience Day Out With Thomas like never before at Tweetsie Railroad. Ride the train behind Thomas the Tank Engine, meet Sir Topham Hat, play in Imagination Station, and enjoy storytelling and live music! PLUS have a full day at Tweetsie Railroad with amusement rides, deer park zoo, panning for gold, live entertainment and more!
This event takes place from June 8 to June 17, 2018. Tickets include one ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, Thomas & Friends themed activities and admission to the theme park. Free for children age 2 and under, $30 for children age 3-12, and $45 for adults age 13 and older.
Event Type: Local Event
Event Category: Art & Culture
Contact: Grovewood Village
Contact Phone: (828) 253-7651
Link: https://www.grovewood.com/
Falling, a solo exhibition of contemporary paintings by Michael Francis Reagan, opens at Grovewood Gallery on Saturday, June 9, with an artist’s reception from 2-5pm (free and open to the public). This show will feature acrylic paintings on canvas from Reagan’s popular Falling Series, inspired by a haunting memory of a childhood encounter with a mourning dove that had fallen from the sky. This exhibition will remain on view through Sunday, July 15, 2018.
Reagan received a degree in art and American literature and an MFA in painting from the University of Arkansas. Aside from his paintings, Reagan has established himself as one of American’s leading mapmakers. As a freelance illustrator, he has been employed by major publications such as National Geographic, The New Yorker, Smithsonian magazine, Travel and Leisure, and The New York Times. Reagan’s bird paintings and environmental maps continue to be commissioned by Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, The National Parks of America, and other conservation organizations.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (828) 250-4260
Event Location: BC Sports Park – 58 Apac Cir, Asheville, NC
Property: Omni Grove Park Inn
Event Type: Hotel Event
Event Category: Art & Culture,Entertainment
Wake up to the soothing sounds of classical guitar as Lou Mowad plays gentle melodies for your enjoyment.
Jack of the Wood : Sunday-Irish Session
Sundays
1 till who knows when?
Traditional Irish music is kept alive at Jack of the Wood with our unplugged Sunday session.
Jack of the Wood
95 Patton ave
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 252.5445
“No other record captures that period so perfectly,” says Elbow’s Guy Garvey. “The concerns of the songs. The stories, the experimental sounds. It was so brave for a band to record themselves at that time: it allowed a direct and undiluted account of the band as aspirational, big-hearted friends in love with making music and each other. It dared us to record ourselves. But they did it first. It’s the most deserving recipient of the Mercury Prize in its history: a breathlessly ambitious and lovingly crafted masterpiece. It should be called Bring It ‘The Fuck’ On.”
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Gomez’s Mercury Music Prize winning debut album, Bring It On will be re-mastered and reissued as a super-deluxe 4CD with an accompanying remastered double LP release. The 4CD 20th Anniversary edition of Bring It On contains the original, classic album remastered by Frank Arkwright @ Abbey Road studios and 35 previously unreleased tracks including 25 demos (recorded between January 1996 and August 1997) – 13 of which are appearing on an official Gomez release for the first time.
The band will be playing the album in its entirety on their forthcoming UK & Ireland tour (April/May 2018) plus Australian and US dates.
Twenty years on, the debut album by Gomez sounds not of its time, but ahead of its time. You can hear its echoes in so much of the music that followed it: not just in Elbow, but in any artist who heard Bring it On and realised the possibilities of combining indie and roots music with lo-fidelity electronics: a modern experimental sensibility with a love of the past. Bring It On was an album that synthesised styles in a way that seemed remarkable then, and now sounds utterly unforced and contemporary. Where so many of its contemporaries sound completely of their time, Bring It On sounds as if it could have come out to equal acclaim at any point over the past 20 years. It’s a record that thoroughly merits its expanded 20th anniversary edition.
gomeztheband.com
Toot! Toot! Experience Day Out With Thomas like never before at Tweetsie Railroad. Ride the train behind Thomas the Tank Engine, meet Sir Topham Hat, play in Imagination Station, and enjoy storytelling and live music! PLUS have a full day at Tweetsie Railroad with amusement rides, deer park zoo, panning for gold, live entertainment and more!
This event takes place from June 8 to June 17, 2018. Tickets include one ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, Thomas & Friends themed activities and admission to the theme park. Free for children age 2 and under, $30 for children age 3-12, and $45 for adults age 13 and older.
Event Type: Local Event
Event Category: Art & Culture
Contact: Grovewood Village
Contact Phone: (828) 253-7651
Link: https://www.grovewood.com/
Falling, a solo exhibition of contemporary paintings by Michael Francis Reagan, opens at Grovewood Gallery on Saturday, June 9, with an artist’s reception from 2-5pm (free and open to the public). This show will feature acrylic paintings on canvas from Reagan’s popular Falling Series, inspired by a haunting memory of a childhood encounter with a mourning dove that had fallen from the sky. This exhibition will remain on view through Sunday, July 15, 2018.
Reagan received a degree in art and American literature and an MFA in painting from the University of Arkansas. Aside from his paintings, Reagan has established himself as one of American’s leading mapmakers. As a freelance illustrator, he has been employed by major publications such as National Geographic, The New Yorker, Smithsonian magazine, Travel and Leisure, and The New York Times. Reagan’s bird paintings and environmental maps continue to be commissioned by Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, The National Parks of America, and other conservation organizations.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (828) 250-4260
Event Location: BC Sports Park – 58 Apac Cir, Asheville, NC
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (828) 250-4260
Link: http://buncomberecreation.org
Cane Creek Pool
Erwin Pool
Hominy Valley Pool
North Buncombe Pool
Owen Pool
$3.00 per person
Multi Visit Passes available at each location
Toot! Toot! Experience Day Out With Thomas like never before at Tweetsie Railroad. Ride the train behind Thomas the Tank Engine, meet Sir Topham Hat, play in Imagination Station, and enjoy storytelling and live music! PLUS have a full day at Tweetsie Railroad with amusement rides, deer park zoo, panning for gold, live entertainment and more!
This event takes place from June 8 to June 17, 2018. Tickets include one ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, Thomas & Friends themed activities and admission to the theme park. Free for children age 2 and under, $30 for children age 3-12, and $45 for adults age 13 and older.
Event Type: Local Event
Event Category: Art & Culture
Contact: Grovewood Village
Contact Phone: (828) 253-7651
Link: https://www.grovewood.com/
Falling, a solo exhibition of contemporary paintings by Michael Francis Reagan, opens at Grovewood Gallery on Saturday, June 9, with an artist’s reception from 2-5pm (free and open to the public). This show will feature acrylic paintings on canvas from Reagan’s popular Falling Series, inspired by a haunting memory of a childhood encounter with a mourning dove that had fallen from the sky. This exhibition will remain on view through Sunday, July 15, 2018.
Reagan received a degree in art and American literature and an MFA in painting from the University of Arkansas. Aside from his paintings, Reagan has established himself as one of American’s leading mapmakers. As a freelance illustrator, he has been employed by major publications such as National Geographic, The New Yorker, Smithsonian magazine, Travel and Leisure, and The New York Times. Reagan’s bird paintings and environmental maps continue to be commissioned by Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, The National Parks of America, and other conservation organizations.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (828) 250-4260
Link: http://buncomberecreation.org
Cane Creek Pool
Erwin Pool
Hominy Valley Pool
North Buncombe Pool
Owen Pool
$3.00 per person
Multi Visit Passes available at each location
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (828) 250-4260
Event Location: Lake Julian Park – 406 Overlook Extension Arden, NC
Toot! Toot! Experience Day Out With Thomas like never before at Tweetsie Railroad. Ride the train behind Thomas the Tank Engine, meet Sir Topham Hat, play in Imagination Station, and enjoy storytelling and live music! PLUS have a full day at Tweetsie Railroad with amusement rides, deer park zoo, panning for gold, live entertainment and more!
This event takes place from June 8 to June 17, 2018. Tickets include one ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, Thomas & Friends themed activities and admission to the theme park. Free for children age 2 and under, $30 for children age 3-12, and $45 for adults age 13 and older.
Event Type: Local Event
Event Category: Art & Culture
Contact: Grovewood Village
Contact Phone: (828) 253-7651
Link: https://www.grovewood.com/
Falling, a solo exhibition of contemporary paintings by Michael Francis Reagan, opens at Grovewood Gallery on Saturday, June 9, with an artist’s reception from 2-5pm (free and open to the public). This show will feature acrylic paintings on canvas from Reagan’s popular Falling Series, inspired by a haunting memory of a childhood encounter with a mourning dove that had fallen from the sky. This exhibition will remain on view through Sunday, July 15, 2018.
Reagan received a degree in art and American literature and an MFA in painting from the University of Arkansas. Aside from his paintings, Reagan has established himself as one of American’s leading mapmakers. As a freelance illustrator, he has been employed by major publications such as National Geographic, The New Yorker, Smithsonian magazine, Travel and Leisure, and The New York Times. Reagan’s bird paintings and environmental maps continue to be commissioned by Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, The National Parks of America, and other conservation organizations.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (828) 774-3000
Link: http://www.leicestercommunitycenter.com
Welcome Table Free Meal every Wednesday 11:30am-1:30pm