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.

Friday, July 31, 2020
French Broad River Brewing will be donating a portion of all of their sales to LEAF
Jul 31 @ 1:00 pm – 9:00 pm
French Broad River Brewery

French Broad River Brewery has been brewing quality craft beer in the heart of Asheville, North Carolina since 2001. They consider themselves one of the original breweries to shape the craft beer culture that flourishes in WNC today.  Named after the iconic French Broad River, they are continuously inspired by its rolling waters and thriving wildlife. FBRB embodies the life and spirit of the river in all that we do and we are proud to call them a partner.

Next week, French Broad River Brewing will be donating a portion of all of their sales – online and in their taproom – to LEAF, in an effort to help support our mission and our community. Please consider supporting this local Asheville business, as they support LEAF.

Fused Silver Earrings
Jul 31 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Ignite Jewelry Studios

Join me in the studio as we use hammers, saws, files and fire to transform silver wire into a beautiful pair of silver drop earrings. Class price includes all materials.

ODYSSEY CLAYWORKS 2020–Kids Clay Camp — The Secret Life of Clay Pets — Ages 6 – 10
Jul 31 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
ODYSSEY CLAYWORKS

Instructor: Sara Ballek

Calling all animal lovers! This is the camp for you! In this class, students will create animals out of clay while learning all about the clay studio. We will be focusing on using handbuilding methods to create colorful creatures and habitats! We’ll also use the potter’s wheel to create bowls and plates so you can feed them! Join Sara for this week on the wild side!

Tuition: $225
$25 discount for siblings enrolled in the same class
Use promo code “claycamp25”

Buncombe County Outdoor Swimming
Jul 31 @ 2:15 pm – 5:15 pm
Buncombe County Pools Various

Child in pool

Buncombe County Recreation Services will open its five outdoor swimming pools. Safety and sanitation measures have been taken to comply with Buncombe County’s Stay Safe, Stay Smart order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pool visitors will be required to practice the Three Ws: wear a cloth face covering when entering/exiting the pool and when not in the pool, wait at least six feet apart from and avoid close contact with anyone who does not live in your household, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often.
Pool will open for two sessions Monday-Saturday, closing between sessions for a sanitation period that includes wiping down all common touch points. Sunday hours include one session. Admission for each session is $3 per guest. Due to limited capacity, guests are highly encouraged to purchase tickets online. If a pool is unable to open for any reason or is forced to close within the first hour of operation, all guests will receive a raincheck via the email address provided when purchasing the original ticket. Booking are currently available through July 10.
Monday-Friday
10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
2:15-5:15 p.m.
Saturday
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
3-6 p.m.
Sunday
1-6 p.m.
“While this summer is different in nearly every way for local families, we’re happy to safely and responsibly open our pools to the community,” said Josh O’Conner, Director of Buncombe County Recreation Services. “While we are not allowing toys, balls, noodles, dive sticks, and other communal items inside pools, the guest experience should be enhanced as visitors will be able to enjoy pools with a capacity limit of roughly 30% normal occupancy.”
Cane Creek Pool
590 Lower Brush Creek Road
Fletcher, NC 28732
Erwin Pool
58 Lees Creek Road
Asheville, NC 28806
Hominy Valley Pool
25 Twin Lakes Road
Candler, NC 28715
North Buncombe Pool
892 Clarks Chapel Road
Weaverville, NC 28787
Owen Pool
117 Stone Drive
Swannanoa, NC 28778
Asheville Gallery of Art July Show 2020
Jul 31 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Asheville Gallery of Art

Asheville Gallery of Art July Show 2020

Asheville Gallery of Art

July Show

“Infinite Possibilities”

Asheville Gallery of Art’s July show, “Infinite Possibilities,” is a multi-member show highlighting the insights artists gained during increased time in their home studios during the COVID-19 pandemic. The show runs July 1-31 during gallery hours.

Change can be good! As members of a cooperative, the 31 artists of Asheville Gallery of Art are used to being and working together to keep the gallery functioning. With COVID-19, everyone is working in their home studios and finding that they have the chance to do what they might not have tried before. Many say they have found infinite possibilities within their work as well as new ways to sell work they’ve been creating.

Hemp Xpress Trolley:  Cruisin’ Asheville 
Jul 31 @ 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Carolina Hemp Company

 The Hemp X Hot Box:Roll with us Fridays from 5-10pm as we coast a route through West Asheville and Downtown. Stops at UpCountry Brewing, One World Brewing West, Foggy Mountain, and The One Stop. We’ll have smokable and edible hemp products for purchase to enjoy alongside any wine or beer you bring yourselves (closed containers only). We’re happy to provide an affordable way for locals and visitors to Roll Up, Stay Safe and Party Down! Cruisin Asheville July 10th, July 31st, August 7th, August 21st. More dates to come! 

Purchase Tickets on board! One Way Pass $3 and All Night Unlimited Pass $5

Private Rentals: Spark up your next Asheville area celebration with our personalized rental platform! We offer several packages at different price tiers to best cater to your party’s needs! Our team is dedicated to working with you to create an experience that will leave your guests (and your smoke) blown away!

The Hemp Xpress is dedicated to the safety of the Asheville community; public routes and experiences are operating at half capacity within social distance guidelines. Hand sanitizer is readily available to riders, and surfaces are regularly sanitized. Buncombe County requires a face mask be worn in public places.

Free Dead Fridays
Jul 31 @ 5:30 pm
The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall

Join us at The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall every Friday at 5:30PM for our FREE Acoustic Grateful Dead series Featuring members of Phuncle Sam and great drink and food specials.

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Live exterior Music + Local BBQ
Jul 31 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Little Switzerland Orchard & Winery LLC

Live music by local legend Don Vallarta playing classic covers from 6-9 plus local catered BBQ .
Your favorite ciders wines will be available as always !
Seating each night limited to 25 ,
Please bring lawn chairs
Nonrefundable, rain or shine .
Contact through messenger to purchase

Image may contain: outdoor

Buddy Guy with Jonny Lang
Jul 31 @ 6:45 pm – 10:00 pm
Salvage Station
Drive-Up Dance Performance at the Asheville Outlets- Stewart/Owen Dance
Jul 31 @ 7:00 pm
Asheville Outlets

Experience an immersive dance performance from the comfort of your car at the Asheville Outlets. Drive-In passes are sold per car and include a parking space to enjoy the performance from inside your vehicle. Wearing of face-masks is required at any Wortham Center performance and event. All guests will be required to wear masks except when in personal vehicle.

Stewart Owen Dance

Stewart/Owen Dance: What Remains


Vanessa Owen and Gavin Stewart are the co-founders of the WNC based Stewart/Owen Dance, where they co-produce original dance, film and music. Their careers span many genres of concert dance, and most notably took them across the globe on fifteen U.S. State Department tours to teach, perform and choreograph contemporary dance with Washington DC-based Company E. Their work abroad influences them to share dance as a universal language that can connect people across different cultures and beliefs and they use this as a driving force in their collaborations. They won the Audience Choice Award at the Dance Gallery Festival 2018 in New York City and were commissioned to create new work as Level UP Artists for Dance Gallery 2019. Vanessa and Gavin are recipients of a McDowell Regional Artist Grant and were voted “Artists Who Most Pushed the Boundaries with the Human Body” by Asheville Fringe Arts Festival.

Greetings from Wilkesboro with The Kruger Brothers
Jul 31 @ 7:00 pm
Online

Since their formal introduction to American audiences in 1997, The Kruger Brothers’ remarkable discipline, creativity and their ability to infuse classical music into folk music has resulted in a unique sound that has made them a fixture within the world of acoustic music. The honesty of their writing has since become a hallmark of the Wilkesboro, NC-based trio’s work. In their ever-expanding body of work — Jens Kruger (banjo and vocals), Uwe Kruger (guitar and lead vocals), and Joel Landsberg (bass and vocals) — The Kruger Brothers personify the spirit of exploration and innovation that forms the core of the American musical tradition.

To learn more about The Kruger Brothers: https://www.krugerbrothers.com/

Available via Facebook Live, appsummer.org

Life Like Water at The Grey Eagle [Patio Show]
Jul 31 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

Image may contain: 3 people, people standing, outdoor, nature and water

Life Like Water perform on The Grey Eagle patio stage on July 31! A very limited number of tickets are available now.

– ALL AGES
– 7PM SHOW / 6PM DOORS
– OUTDOOR PATIO SHOW (LIMITED CAPACITY, WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES IN PLACE. ADVANCE TICKETS ARE ENCOURAGED.)

LIFE LIKE WATER
Life Like Water is the creation of David Matters and is a musical response to a life in transition.

From his early days of living in a van and playing punk rock music, to hitchhiking across the country with a banjo strapped on his back, to his current attempt at wedding his family life with the unsteady path of a folk musician, David continues to use his own transience as a source of inspiration for his songwriting.

Together, with his bandmates Megan Drollinger and Charles Furtado, Life Like Water has developed a sound that straddles the edges of contemporary folk and traditional music from around the world. With a focus on trance-inducing, finger-style guitar, elegant vocal harmonies, and melodies that contain flavors of Africa and the Middle East, the music of this eclectic trio possesses a dark edge with a wonderfully uplifting finish.

Music On Main
Jul 31 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Main Street, Hendersonville
Note:  Some or all of the Summer Music Series Concerts may be cancelled or postponed.  Events will be held in accordance with North Carolina restrictions, of crowd size and distancing, to help limit the spread of COVID-19. Check regularly for updates.

The Music on Main concerts feature a diverse line-up ranging from pop, oldies, rock, to contemporary music – there’s something for every musical taste. The concerts this year will be held August 21 – September 25 at the Visitor Center, located at 201 South Main Street in Downtown Hendersonville, NC.

Several modifications have been made this year to comply with state and federal health guidelines. To accommodate these mandates, the designated dance area in front of the stage will be used to distance the audience from the performers. Dancing will not be allowed for public safety. In addition to the Visitor Center parking lot, the block in front of the Visitor Center, between Allen & Barnwell Streets, will be dedicated to seating, which will give the audience more room for seating to listen to the concert.

Music on Main features Johnnie Blackwell Band
Jul 31 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Hendersonville Visitor Center

The weekly Music on Main concert series on July 31 will feature the Johnnie Blackwell Band.

Bring a chair and enjoy an evening of live music from 7pm-9pm.  The audience seating area opens after 5:30pm, early admission is prohibited.  Admission is free. Alcoholic beverages, backpacks, or coolers are prohibited. Please leave your pets comfortably at home. A Hendersonville City ordinance allows event organizers to exclude animals from the event space for the health, safety and welfare of the community, dogs, patrons, and vendors and their products.

The concert series is held every Friday evening from  through September 18, at the Visitor Center, located at 201 South Main Street in Downtown Hendersonville, NC.

In case of inclement weather the concert will be postponed until 8pm.  If the weather does not improve by 8pm the performance will be cancelled.

The Get Right Band – Live from The Orange Peel
Jul 31 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Online

Image may contain: 3 people, people standing and outdoor

OPTV & Iamavl presents:

The Get Right Band PERFORMING ‘ITCHY SOUL’ IN ITS ENTIRETY – GRB will be performing their new album from start to finish, as well as songs from throughout their catalog. They will be joined by special guest Matt Lane.

Streaming live from The Orange Peel!

Streaming thanks to Iamavl.
Donations can be made direct to the artist.
https://www.paypal.me/TheOrangePeelAVL

Streaming options:
Website
www.iamavl.com
Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/Iamavl/
YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/iamavl

https://thegetrightband.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thegetrightband/

An Evening With Jill Andrews (Album Release Show) POSTPONED to 4/11/21
Jul 31 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

An Evening With Jill Andrews (Album Release Show)

ArborEvenings
Jul 31 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

The Arboretum’s popular ArborEvenings summer after hours series will return this season with a special LEGO twist. Held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July through September, from 8 to 11 …

West Side Story POSTPONED to 2021 Season
Jul 31 @ 8:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse
Saturday, August 1, 2020
“Say Their Names” Art Exhibit
Aug 1 all-day
Online

The “SAY THEIR NAMES” display at The Oak Street Gallery lists the names of more than 60 Black Americans killed by police officers and the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

#SaveOurStages Action Requested
Aug 1 all-day
Online

Music.

It brings us all together. 

Today, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced the bipartisan Save Our Stages Act. We need you to contact your elected representatives through SaveOurStages.com asking them to support this bill.

The Save Our Stages Act provides Small Business Administration grants for independent venues, promoters, and festivals affected by COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. These grants offer at least six months of financial support to keep us afloat, pay employees, and preserve a critical economic sector and our ecosystem for communities across America.

Through SaveOurStages.com, more than 1 million emails have been sent letting all 538 members of Congress know that constituents want to keep independent venues, promoters, and festivals alive.

Please help us and continue to push. 

Call, Email, Write, Shout!  

Help us to get the Save Our Stages and RESTART Acts passed.

PLEASE CLICK BELOW NOW 

to contact your legislators and help #SaveOurStages

www.SaveOurStages.com

This link will automatically populate with your Senators and Congressional Representative based on your zipcode.

Thank you so very much for your continued support!

7th Annual Business Plan Contest
Aug 1 all-day
Online

The Henderson County Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the 7th Annual Business Plan Contest. A well-written business plan lays the foundation for a financially successful business. A well prepared and executed business plan will grow sales, employment, and improve the bottom line. The business – start-up or existing – with the winning business plan will receive business services including advertising, tax, legal, and marketing for free, a value of over $5,000!

Please email your plan to Hoyle Adams at the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce
204 Kanuga Road, Hendersonville, NC 28739 • [email protected] (828) 692-1413

The 7th Annual Business Plan Contest is open to start-ups as well as existing businesses. You DO NOT have to be a Chamber member to participate. Electronic submissions are due to the Chamber by Friday, August 21, 2020. A panel of judges will select the winner and present the award at a reception on Monday, September 14 – part of Henderson County’s Small Business Week.
Anti-Racisim: Resources Literacy Council
Aug 1 all-day
Online

Recognizing and understanding racism, and actively unlearning the everyday, built-in mechanisms of systemic racism is an ongoing effort that must be made by every single one of us. It can be difficult to navigate issues, origins, and solutions surrounding systemic racism, especially with so many different angles portrayed by the media.
There are countless truthful resources to help us find our way to social justice and equity. Here are just a few educational resources and ways to help our Black communities:
Educational reading:
The above photo has an excellent list of books!
Community:
Media:
Follow Black activists and voices on social media! Please reach out to us if you’d like suggestions on whom to follow.
Apply Now for a Preservation Grant
Aug 1 all-day
Online
Our second and final grant round of 2020 is now open.  We will be accepting grant applications through August 9th in the following categories:
1. Bricks and Mortar -Rehabilitation, restoration and repair of structures that are 50 years of age or older
2. Public Education -Development of educational materials and programs that advance knowledge of our shared history
3. Planning, Survey and Designation -Planning and design for building rehabilitation and restoration projects, historic resource surveys and local or national designations
Artists Collective | Spartanburg 2020 Juried Exhibition Calling Artists
Aug 1 all-day
Online
showtime

Artists Collective | Spartanburg 2020 Juried Exhibition

4 state exhibit – SC, NC, TN, GA

We have struggled with whether to cancel this exhibit or not. We know that artists need this type of exhibit more than ever so we are continuing as planned. The dates are Sept. 15 – Oct. 17. There will not be an awards reception this year, but we will make the awards announcements online at a given time. The exhibit can be viewed during normal business hours. Last year this was a very successful event and prizes totaled $4500. We plan the same this year.

Asheville Art Museum: #MuseumFromHome
Aug 1 all-day
Online

Now more than ever, we’re striving to provide you with inspiration, education, relaxation, and solace through art. Until we reopen to Members and visitors, we invite you to explore our Collectionvirtual programsblog, and art activities through the Museum From Home page on our website. Here’s a sample of our latest virtual offerings:

Work of the Week: Assistant Curator Whitney Richardson examines the history of craft and its ability to let historically silenced people express themselves artistically. When craft allows artists to make their voices actively heard, it can serve an even higher purpose. The pottery of Upstate South Carolina artists known as Pottery by Eugene offers husband-and-wife team Rosa & Winton Eugene a way not only to share their skills and creativity but also to communicate their voices as African Americans. Read more here.
#MakerMonday: In the 1960s, artist Ray Johnson began to create small collages and drawings. He mailed them to friends and other artists. Sometimes he would ask them to add something and mail it back. What began as a simple and creative form of communication developed into what is now known as “mail art.” For instructions and inspiration to create your own mail art click here. Look for a new art activity on our website this Monday.
Black Lives Matter mural around Vance Monument completed
Aug 1 all-day
Vance Monument

Black Lives Matter mural around Vance Monument completed

This week, 3 local Asheville artists completed a Black Lives Matter mural in Pack Square downtown. The mural wraps around the now-shrouded Vance Monument.

The mural was approved by Asheville City Council, and coordinated via the Asheville Area Arts Council. The push for the mural comes on the heels of weeks of protests over the death of George Floyd, heated debate over the Vance Monument and the memorial to Confederate soldiers in front of the Buncombe County Courthouse, and Asheville’s recent commitment to reparations.

Each artist took the lead on a different word in the mural.  Joseph Pearson was the lead artist for the word Black, Jenny Pickens for the word Lives, and Marie T. Cochran for the word Matter.

Black Lives Matter Street Mural Project
Aug 1 all-day
Online

BLM Street Mural

In alignment with the community’s commitment to uplift racial healing and communal reconciliation, Councilwoman Sheneika Smith, along with other community groups and leaders, will be coordinating a public art installation in Asheville’s central business district. The purpose of this installation is to galvanize solidarity and celebrate our collective movement towards addressing systemic issues locally.

Upon final approval from the City of Asheville, the proposal envisions a street mural located at Pack Square Park on N. Pack and S. Pack Square – an area previously planned as part of the city’s public space initiative.

We need financial support to help make this happen! Our goal is to raise $24,000 for supplies, documentation, maintenance, removal, and most importantly to make sure the artists get paid. The Asheville Area Arts Council is the fiscal agent for this project. Please donate what you can and help us spread the word!

One of the main purposes of the Black Lives Matter mural is to elevate the voices of black artists and make sure they are paid for their work. But, it is much more than that. “The artists who will put their hands to this street mural represent many untold stories,” said Councilwoman Smith. “It is my hope that all eyes that connect with this piece will experience and appreciate the bloody truths released from our collective memory onto a hard canvas. Yet, this is more than a painting or bold expression. It’s an altar that observes the most sacred social movement of my lifetime.”

 

BUDGET

$  6,000 Painting supplies and other event day expenses
$  1,900 Documentation (live stream video, photographer)
$  2,000 Maintenance (This temporary installation could be in place for up to a year. Because of wear and tear from vehicular traffic it will require additional maintenance.)
$  6,000 Removal (As part of the approval process, we must provide a maintenance and removal plan. This expense is based on quotes we have collected from other similar projects.)
$  8,100 Artist Honorariums ($1,000 for 1 lead artist per word & $300 per letter for supporting artists)
$24,000 TOTAL*

 

Brevard Music Center 2020 Car Raffle
Aug 1 all-day
Online

Audi

https://secure.brevardmusic.org/online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=675AE1B4-86F1-415C-A143-14C5CF72B47E&_ga=2.241774155.834414944.1593434306-1167664433.1585669593&_gac=1.238887476.1589811935.EAIaIQobChMIwrfu-8696QIViZ-zCh0qEQQPEAAYASAAEgKAs_D_BwE&utm_source=Brevard+Music+Center&utm_campaign=38bda965b2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_1_31_2018_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b154873bc5-38bda965b2-131688489

Our 2020 Raffle is happening now! We are proud to partner with Hunter Automotive Group in Hendersonville, NC, in this year’s raffle! Only 1,500 tickets will be sold, so get yours online today! You may also call 828-862-2100 to order tickets over the phone.

Our winner will have ultimate flexibility in choice of model: ANY New 2020 Volvo or Subaru from Hunter Automotive Group with a MSRP up to $50,000!

Proceeds

This raffle is a fundraising event, and all net proceeds benefit the Brevard Music Center (BMC). Brevard Music Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Drawing

The drawing will take place on Tuesday, December 1, 2020 at 3:00pm EST. All mail, phone, and internet orders must be received by 11:59pm EST on Monday, November 30.

Buncombe County Area Meal Sites
Aug 1 all-day
Buncombe County

Find locations around Buncombe County working hard to feed our community.

FOR STUDENTS: text FOODNC to 877-877 to locate nearby free meal sites. The texting service is also available in Spanish by texting COMIDA to 877-877.

View meal sites by geographical area, day of the week, and/or service type offered.

Buncombe County Cooperative Extension Video Propagation From Stem Cuttings
Aug 1 all-day
Online

Join John Bowen, Extension Master Gardener in Buncombe County NC as he demonstrates a few simple steps for taking stem cuttings to propagate some of your favorite annuals and shrubs. When and how to take cuttings and how to make a simple “greenhouse” for individual plants are covered. It’s easy and fun!

VIDEOS FOR ALL GARDENERS!
Extension Master Gardener volunteers have created several gardening videos to help gardeners learn about vegetable gardening in raised bed and straw bales.