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.

Saturday, March 15, 2025
The Comedy Zone – Collin Moulton
Mar 15 @ 8:00 pm
Wortham Center for Performing Arts

Wortham Presents The Comedy Zone – Collin Moulton

Friday & Saturday, March 14 & 15, 2025 at 8 p.m.

The nation’s largest comedy club network is back! After a popular run in Tina McGuire Theatre the past two seasons, this hilarious collective returns, bringing top-notch comedians for four weekends of laughter. Some of the hottest stand-up comedians of today — seen in specials on Comedy Central, HBO Comedy, Netflix, Hulu and more — deliver witty one-liners, preposterous punchlines, and hysterical anecdotes that you’ll never forget. Contains adult content.

Sunday, March 16, 2025
2025 Spring Conference | Organic Growers School
Mar 16 all-day
Mars Hill University

Join the Southeast’s largest gathering of farmers, gardeners, and sustainability advocates at Organic Growers School’s (OGS) 2025 Spring Conference! This year’s theme, Resilience, Recovery, and Renewal, focuses on building stronger, more sustainable communities.

Highlights include:
🌱 32+ workshops across 8 tracks (Gardening, Soils, Mushrooms, and more)
🌱 New tracks on off-grid systems, mutual aid, and resilience practices
🌱 Inspiring expert speakers like Dan Brisebois, Pam Dawling, and Chris Smith

Special Features:
Community Room, exhibitor hall, Southeastern Seed & Plant Exchange, and delicious local meals.

🎟️ Early Bird Deal: 50% off weekend and single-day passes! Register now: organicgrowersschool.org/spring-conference

Online Art Auction
Mar 16 all-day
Online

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Yancey County’s thriving artistic community has been left reeling. Home to more artists per capita than any other county in the U.S., the region saw studios destroyed, tools lost, and livelihoods shattered. Now, the Yancey County Chamber of Commerce is stepping up with an initiative to help these creatives rebuild.

As part of its Annual Gala, the Chamber is hosting a special online auction featuring exquisite handcrafted works by local artisans. With 70% of proceeds going directly to the artists, this event is not just an auction—it’s a lifeline. Funds will help artists replace lost materials, restore their workspaces, and reignite the creative spirit that defines Yancey County.

“This is an opportunity for art lovers to own a one-of-a-kind piece while directly supporting the artists who make our community so unique,” said Elaine Mann, Executive Director of the Yancey Chamber of Commerce. “Every bid helps restore not just a livelihood, but a legacy of craftsmanship.”

Bidding is now open! To participate and browse the incredible selection of artwork, visit Auction Page: https://event.auctria.com/70f4000b-8d9b-417a-95f4-9da0e9f2aefd/.

Event Details:

 Auction Last Day- Sunday, March 16th.

 Online Auction: Open to all

 Featuring: Handcrafted works from Yancey County’s finest artists

Join us in this powerful act of resilience and renewal. Bid now, support local artists, and help Yancey County rise stronger than ever.

Ignite Dance Competition
Mar 16 @ 8:00 am
Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville

Ignite Dance Competition doors open at 7am. Event starts at 8am.

8 Silk Brocades Weekend Workshop
Mar 16 @ 10:00 am
Shaolin Kung-fu of Asheville

8 silk brocades qi gong workshop is open to all levels. Each movement in this set of 8 represents our ancestry, epigenetics, and destiny. Learn all 8 exercises or drop in for just a few. Stance training, posture and meditative movements for your health. It’s a super sophisticated qi gong form but simple to learn. I would love to invite anyone who’s new to internal martial arts or is simply searching for more comfortable safe and inclusive space for LGBTQ plus. The class will be offered in person at Shaolin kung fu in West Asheville starting on Feb 16 on Sundays at 10am for six weeks. Suggested donation for each class but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Drawn to Nature
Mar 16 @ 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Drawn to Nature with Matt Reyna

ON-SITE  |  Sunday, March 16  |  10am – 12:30pm

Join us for a Sunday morning reserved for creative self-care. Using basic mark-makers (pencils, graphite, etc) we’ll explore the instinctual, yet undervalued act of drawing–through the lens of nature. Choose your own focus – capture grand mountain views from our classroom, work on a collective nature still life, or hone in on the small details of nature on your own. Weather depending, students may choose to sketch outside.

Basic art materials, hot tea, and a welcoming atmosphere will be provided. All skill levels welcome! Feel free to bring your own materials, but kindly keep wet media (paints, etc) at home.

This program takes place both indoors and out. Please come prepared to walk on gentle, yet uneven terrain, and dress appropriately for the weather.

Asheville Strong: Celebrating Art and Community After Hurricane Helene
Mar 16 @ 11:00 am
The Asheville Art Museum

The Asheville Art Museum is proud to present Asheville Strong: Celebrating Art and Community After Hurricane Helene, a poignant and inspiring exhibition on view February 13–May 5, 2025, in the Appleby Foundation Exhibition Hall. This non-juried exhibition
showcases the works of artists from the Helene-affected Appalachia region, celebrating their
resilience, creativity, and strength while highlighting the power of art to inspire and bring communities
together.

Greetings From Asheville
Mar 16 @ 11:00 am
The Asheville Art Museum

This exhibition explores how the land, the people, and the built environment of Asheville and its surrounding environs were interpreted through early 20th century vintage postcards. Some images show the sophisticated architecture of the region, including views of downtown Asheville, the Biltmore Estate, and Grove Park Inn. Other images show views of the scenic mountains and landscapes that first drew tourists and outdoor enthusiasts to the region.

2025 Banff Film Festival: QUARTZITE
Mar 16 @ 1:00 pm
Brevard Music Center
The Brevard College Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education (WLEE) program is excited to host the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour on the Brevard College campus at the Paul Porter Center for Performing Arts. Proceeds go to the Brevard College Outing Club and other WLEE initiatives.

 

World Fiddle Tunes
Mar 16 @ 1:00 pm
Asheville Music School

World Fiddle Tunes

Taught by: Madelyn Ilana

55.00

Ages 15+ (for Intermediate to Advanced fiddle players)

Workshop Overview

In this dynamic fiddle class, we will explore a wide variety of traditional tunes from across the globe. Students will learn pieces from genres including old-time and bluegrass, Celtic, Romanian, Russian and Ukrainian, Klezmer, and Middle Eastern music.

The class will focus on:

  • Fiddle Techniques: Unique bowing and fingering styles specific to each tradition.
  • Scales and Modes: Exploring the different scales and modes used in these world traditions (e.g., Dorian, Phrygian, etc.).
  • Rhythmic Structures: Understanding the distinct rhythmic patterns and time signatures often used in folk music from these cultures.
  • Ensemble Play: Playing together as a group, learning how to blend styles and rhythms in a collaborative setting.
The Lehman Trilogy
Mar 16 @ 2:00 pm
NC Stage Company

Winner of the 2018 Tony Award for Best Play

Weaving together nearly two centuries of family history, this epic theatrical event charts the humble beginnings, outrageous successes and devastating failure of the financial institution that would ultimately bring the global economy to its knees. 

Performances of The Lehman Trilogy will be held on the days and times listed below. The lobby and concessions area will open one hour prior to showtime. Concessions may be taken into the theatre during the performance.

March 13 – April 6, 2025

Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 7:00pm (please note, the 7pm start time is earlier than for other shows)

Sundays at 2pm

Friday 3/14 and 3/21 at 7:00pm

Friday 3/18 and 4/4 at 2pm

Celtic Angels Ireland
Mar 16 @ 3:00 pm
Wortham Center for Performing Arts

CMI Entertainment Presents Celtic Angels Ireland – A History of Ireland

Sunday, March 16, 2025 at 3:00 p.m.

An evening of Craic (fun) Ceol (music) and Traidisiún (tradition). Get swept away in the enchanting harmonies of the Celtic Angels as they present an impassioned homage to their beloved Emerald Isle.

This gloriously evocative journey will captivate audiences and have them clapping their hands, wiping their tears and stamping their feet. Escape to Verdant Valleys and Heathery Highlands. Step back in time to the Land of Saints and Scholars. Lose yourself in the alluring Angels’ magical melodies.

With over 30 Irish traditional and contemporary tunes masterfully intertwined and
performed fully live by the Trinity Ensemble, the Heavenly Celtic Angels and the
Dynamic Celtic Knights Dancers, the spectacular Celtic Angels Ireland is guaranteed to
entertain and delight.

Cider & Cheese Pairing at Barn Door Ciderworks
Mar 16 @ 3:00 pm
Barn Door Ciderworks

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring! It’s time for cider and cheese so Barn Door is partnering with the WNC Cheese Trail for our first pairing of the year. Join us for a relaxing afternoon at the cidery where we’ll sip cider and nibble on local cheese from cheesemaker members of the WNC Cheese Trail. Katie and Dan, Barn Door Ciderworks co-owners, experienced with both cider and cheese making, will walk their guests through four cider and cheese pairings. Your hosts will explain tasting techniques, how the cider and cheese are made, and why they pair well. Cider and cheese will be available for purchase. Guests must be over 21 to participate. The tasting will begin promptly at 3 pm.
Please note: Ticket price includes taxes and fees.

Julia Nunnally Duncan booksigning
Mar 16 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Flood Gallery Fine Art Center

Julia Nunnally Duncan will be featured author at Flood Gallery Fine Art Center on Sunday, March 16, 3-5 p.m. She will read from her latest books, All We Have Loved and When Time Was Suspended. A book signing will follow the reading.

Jimmy Vivino Band
Mar 16 @ 8:00 pm
Grey Eagle
The Grey Eagle and Worthwhile Sounds Present: Jimmy Vivino Band. For All ages.
Doors: 7pm // Show: 8pm
$20.21 to $29.25

Grey Eagle Music Hall
SEATED SHOW
LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE
Monday, March 17, 2025
Max Adrian: RIPSTOP
Mar 17 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Center for Craft
The Center for Craft is thrilled to announce the opening of Max Adrian: RIPSTOP. Adrian (he/they), a textile artist who was awarded a Windgate-Lamar Fellowship by the Center in 2015 and a Career Advancement Fellowship in 2022, will bring the playful, experiential, and provocative solo exhibition of textiles and inflatable sculptures to the Bresler Family Gallery beginning July 26, 2024 through March 29, 2025.

Pieces made from nylon fabric ripstop, which keeps tears from spreading, invite viewers into created, fantastical worlds, only to highlight the complex—even impossible—architectures of their construction. Before the pandemic, Adrian primarily focused on personal experiences and interrogations of queerness, identity, and sexuality. Since then, the work has zoomed out in its scope, still centering identity but placed in larger infrastructure and surveillance systems that mediate, manipulate, and control desire.

Adrian counts queer fiber art, BDSM and kink culture, theatre, camp horror, puppetry, and drag among his many influences. Works in RIPSTOP, like the modernist bounce house sculpture A Fallible Complex (2021), evoke spaces for play, beckoning visitors in through their alluring aesthetic and then blocking their entrance or revealing structural instabilities, like missing floors. Others, like The Sensational Inflatable Furry Divines (2017-19), use sensual materials, like faux fur, spandex, and pleather, which connect to theatrical performance and counterculture. The materials “play on people’s initial associations and serve as a gateway into greater conversations about identity construction, performance, desire, and technology,” he shares.Pieces also nod to the history of quilting, including the AIDS Memorial Quilt, another influence on Adrian’s work. “Even when pieces aren’t explicitly making quilt references, I want the history of quilting and sewing-based craft to be part of the conversation of the work,” he says. “Craft is so much about the processes and histories behind materials. It’s about connecting with communities of people who practice those techniques. It’s about material and technique being a doorway into a greater relationship with an object.”

Themes of transformation—of structures, identities, and bodies—run throughout the show. “What I love about drag and puppetry is the sense of transformation and play, specifically with bodies,” Adrian says. “Within these art forms, a body can become mutable and capable of performing and becoming in unexpected states.” The sculptures also transform throughout viewers’ experiences, going through stages of inflation and deflation and existing in many different states.

RIPSTOP’s constant interplay between surface and depth, assumption and reality, are all a part of what Adrian describes as “looking behind the curtain,” which they trace back to the theatre. “When I’m thinking about systems, and the systems desire fits into, I’m thinking of stage construction, the backstage, the things that go on behind the show, and performance of our desires,” they explain.

As a craft artist, Adrian’s philosophy “comes down to having an intentional relationship with material, process, and technique,” he says. “Those aspects of art making are just as – if not more – important than an intellectualized concept being illustrated by an artwork.”

“Broadened definitions of craft that highlight communities of practice are foundational for the Center for Craft’s new strategic direction,” explains Executive Director Stephanie Moore. “Max Adrian’s work in RIPSTOP exemplifies the expansive and meaningful forms craft can take.” The Center for Craft is an institution Adrian credits for their professional growth. “The Center for Craft has felt like such a supporting institution for me specifically and for so many other craft artists I know,” they note. “To be able to bring this amount of work to Asheville is pretty cool.”

See Max Adrian: RIPSTOP at the Center for Craft Beginning July 26. A reception will be held on August 15. RIPSTOP is organized by Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and curated by Sarah Darro.

# # #
ABOUT CENTER FOR CRAFT Founded in 1996, the Center for Craft’s mission is to resource, catalyze, and amplify how and why craft matters. As a 501(c)3 national nonprofit that increases access to craft by empowering and resourcing artists, organizations, and communities through grants, fellowships and programs that bring people together. The Center is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential organizations working on behalf of craft in the United States. For more information, visit www.centerforcraft.org.
Grow Your Own: Basics of Vegetable Gardening
Mar 17 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Bullington Gardens

Late winter is the perfect time to start planning for summer gardens, and what better way to begin than with our Basics of Vegetable Gardening class! Join us to learn the essentials of starting your own vegetable garden, including information about plants that do best in our area.

In this class, experienced teacher and former director John Murphy will guide you through the fundamentals of vegetable gardening. You’ll discover the best practices for soil preparation, seed selection, planting, and maintaining a thriving garden. This class will provide you with the knowledge and confidence to grow your own fresh and healthy vegetables.

Get ready to dig in and start your journey to a bountiful summer harvest. March 17, 2025, 1-3pm.

St. Paddy’s Celebration with Lyndsay Pruett Express
Mar 17 @ 7:30 pm
Grey Eagle

Grey Eagle Events Presents: St. Paddy’s Celebration with Lyndsay Pruett Express

All Ages

Doors: 6:30pm // Show: 7:30pm
$13.80

Grey Eagle Music Hall – Special Event

STANDING ROOM ONLY

Lyndsay Pruett Express

Come kick it with us at The Grey Eagle for St. Patrick’s Day with Lyndsay Pruett Express! Lyndsay Pruett is a fiddler about town who plays in the Jon Stickley Trio and the John Henry’s. She’s put together a band of local bluegrass boys featuring Jason Flournoy, Drew Matulich and Rick Cooper just for this occasion.

Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Chamber Networking meeting
Mar 18 @ 8:30 am
Holiday Inn Biltmore West

If you’re looking to grow your network and boost your business, join us on Tuesday, March 18, from 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM at the Holiday Inn Biltmore West for Mega Networking, a fast-paced, structured event designed to maximize your connections in just one morning.

Held only twice a year, Mega Networking’s round-robin format allows you to meet professionals from a variety of industries, gain exposure for your business, and leave with valuable leads – all in a friendly, low-pressure setting.

Registration is required. $50 for Chamber members, $85 for non-members. Space is limited to one attendee per organization and five per business category!

Max Adrian: RIPSTOP
Mar 18 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Center for Craft
The Center for Craft is thrilled to announce the opening of Max Adrian: RIPSTOP. Adrian (he/they), a textile artist who was awarded a Windgate-Lamar Fellowship by the Center in 2015 and a Career Advancement Fellowship in 2022, will bring the playful, experiential, and provocative solo exhibition of textiles and inflatable sculptures to the Bresler Family Gallery beginning July 26, 2024 through March 29, 2025.

Pieces made from nylon fabric ripstop, which keeps tears from spreading, invite viewers into created, fantastical worlds, only to highlight the complex—even impossible—architectures of their construction. Before the pandemic, Adrian primarily focused on personal experiences and interrogations of queerness, identity, and sexuality. Since then, the work has zoomed out in its scope, still centering identity but placed in larger infrastructure and surveillance systems that mediate, manipulate, and control desire.

Adrian counts queer fiber art, BDSM and kink culture, theatre, camp horror, puppetry, and drag among his many influences. Works in RIPSTOP, like the modernist bounce house sculpture A Fallible Complex (2021), evoke spaces for play, beckoning visitors in through their alluring aesthetic and then blocking their entrance or revealing structural instabilities, like missing floors. Others, like The Sensational Inflatable Furry Divines (2017-19), use sensual materials, like faux fur, spandex, and pleather, which connect to theatrical performance and counterculture. The materials “play on people’s initial associations and serve as a gateway into greater conversations about identity construction, performance, desire, and technology,” he shares.Pieces also nod to the history of quilting, including the AIDS Memorial Quilt, another influence on Adrian’s work. “Even when pieces aren’t explicitly making quilt references, I want the history of quilting and sewing-based craft to be part of the conversation of the work,” he says. “Craft is so much about the processes and histories behind materials. It’s about connecting with communities of people who practice those techniques. It’s about material and technique being a doorway into a greater relationship with an object.”

Themes of transformation—of structures, identities, and bodies—run throughout the show. “What I love about drag and puppetry is the sense of transformation and play, specifically with bodies,” Adrian says. “Within these art forms, a body can become mutable and capable of performing and becoming in unexpected states.” The sculptures also transform throughout viewers’ experiences, going through stages of inflation and deflation and existing in many different states.

RIPSTOP’s constant interplay between surface and depth, assumption and reality, are all a part of what Adrian describes as “looking behind the curtain,” which they trace back to the theatre. “When I’m thinking about systems, and the systems desire fits into, I’m thinking of stage construction, the backstage, the things that go on behind the show, and performance of our desires,” they explain.

As a craft artist, Adrian’s philosophy “comes down to having an intentional relationship with material, process, and technique,” he says. “Those aspects of art making are just as – if not more – important than an intellectualized concept being illustrated by an artwork.”

“Broadened definitions of craft that highlight communities of practice are foundational for the Center for Craft’s new strategic direction,” explains Executive Director Stephanie Moore. “Max Adrian’s work in RIPSTOP exemplifies the expansive and meaningful forms craft can take.” The Center for Craft is an institution Adrian credits for their professional growth. “The Center for Craft has felt like such a supporting institution for me specifically and for so many other craft artists I know,” they note. “To be able to bring this amount of work to Asheville is pretty cool.”

See Max Adrian: RIPSTOP at the Center for Craft Beginning July 26. A reception will be held on August 15. RIPSTOP is organized by Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and curated by Sarah Darro.

# # #
ABOUT CENTER FOR CRAFT Founded in 1996, the Center for Craft’s mission is to resource, catalyze, and amplify how and why craft matters. As a 501(c)3 national nonprofit that increases access to craft by empowering and resourcing artists, organizations, and communities through grants, fellowships and programs that bring people together. The Center is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential organizations working on behalf of craft in the United States. For more information, visit www.centerforcraft.org.
IBN Biz Lunch – Arden
Mar 18 @ 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Wild Wing Cafe

Incredible Business Networking: IBN Biz Lunch – Arden

3rd Tuesday Monthly, 11:30am-1pm, Wild Wing Cafe (https://www.wildwingcafe.com/location/asheville-south-nc), 65 Long Shoals Rd., Arden 28704

Meeting Leaders:
Mark and Cheryl Chambers of XP League (https://asheville.xpl.gg/home)

Why Attend IBN Biz Lunches?

Free To Attend, No Dues Or Fees
No Membership Required
No Attendance Requirements
No Category Restrictions
No Exclusions – All Inclusive!
Buy Food/Drink If You Wish (Optional)

All are invited to attend and promote their business, products, and services, and meet new referral contacts. Bring a big stack of business cards / flyers and invite your business contacts to attend.
Have a Door Prize? (optional) Bring one if you like.

IBN Biz Lunch events are free to attend thanks to these companies, our Incredible Business Networking Sponsors!

Mr. Rooter Plumbing WNC
https://www.mrrooter.com/asheville

One Health Direct Primary Care
https://www.onehealthdpc.com

PMI Mountain & Main Property Management
https://www.ashevillepropertymanagementinc.net

Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More

Home

Pisgah Roofing and Restoration

Home

The Super Signguy

Home

Michael Freas Photography
https://michaelfreas.com

Get Lifted Auto Sales and Repair
https://www.getliftedavl.com

Scouting the First Signs of Spring
Mar 18 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Scouting the First Signs of Spring with Lauren Lampley

ON-SITE  |  Tuesday, March 18  |  2 – 4 pm

Blue Ridge Naturalist – Elective Credit

Spring is an exciting time of the year and even more so this year after the destruction following Tropical Storm Helene last year. Join Lauren on an exploration to find the first signs of spring! During this class we will also discuss the study of phenology and it is important to record the timing of spring’s events especially for climate scientists.

This program takes place outdoors. Please come prepared to walk on gentle, yet uneven terrain, and dress appropriately for the weather.

Birdsong Vespers
Mar 18 @ 5:00 pm
Kanuga

Birdsong Vespers offers an inclusive, informal and earth-based evening service with Kanuga’s musician-in-residence Rev. Simon Ruth de Voil. Guests are invited to sing, share poetry and prayer and experience the gifts of birdsong and the sounds of nature as spring returns to the mountains. Experience this free event in person or online. Learn more at kanuga.org/celtic.

She Has A Voice – Junior League of Asheville
Mar 18 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Eaton Corporation

Women seeking a bold and confident approach to their business and profession know creating meaningful connections is key to gaining respect, making sales, and building a tribe of supportive colleagues, clients, and team members. That requires confidence, calm, and the ability to present a compelling and well-articulated vision for the work the Junior League does in Buncombe County.
Women are especially vulnerable to beliefs rooted in cultural conditioning, to play small, speak softly, and accommodate others. This belief system manifests itself in our posture, how we show up, and in how we frame our conversations and presentations.
In “She Has a Voice” Barrie leads attendees through interactive practices to help embody confidence, express authenticity, and articulate a compelling message. Barrie believes in living boldly. She knows you have something to say and she wants to help you say it!
In this 2-hr. session, attendees will:
Improve and expand speaking skills.
Understand how non-verbal communication undermines authority.
Apply proven methods to turn down nervousness and amplify poise and presence.
Learn and apply the framework of crafting a speech.
Understand and utilize the persuasive power of stories.

WNC Real Estate Investing Expo
Mar 18 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Highland Brewing - Event Center

Details
🌟 WNC’s Largest Real Estate Investing Expo! 🌟 Calling all real estate investors—whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned pro! This is your opportunity to build your dream team and gain expert insights from WNC’s most successful real estate professionals. What to Expect:
🏗️ Build Your Team: Connect with construction pros, wholesalers, STR experts, mortgage brokers, and more to support your investing journey.
🎙️ Learn from the Best: Attend sessions led by 5 local real estate investing experts on a variety of topics to help you take your investments to the next level.
💼 Expert Lounge: Have burning questions? Get personalized advice from our seasoned members in the exclusive Expert Lounge. Includes food and drink ticket.
🤝 Network & Partner: Meet like-minded investors, form valuable connections, and grow your network to open doors to new opportunities.
🎟️ Tickets: This is a FREE event for all attendees. Expert Lounge is an additional $25 charge at the door.
Don’t miss WNC’s premier event for real estate investing professionals! It’s time to dream bigger, invest smarter, and build stronger partnerships.
👉 Register now and take your investing to the next level!: https://bit.ly/creia-expo
🌟WANT TO BE A VENDOR: Learn more here: 🌟https://www.creianc.org/Page.aspx?ID=Vendor-EXPO-2025

Charlotte Hornets vs. Atlanta Hawks
Mar 18 @ 7:00 pm
Spectrum Center

Come check out the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center.

Gregory Alan Isakov with Asheville Symphony Orchestra
Mar 18 @ 8:00 pm
Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville

2024—Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and musician Gregory Alan Isakov will embark on a special headline tour next year, featuring Isakov and his band performing with full symphony orchestras in each city. Newly confirmed stops include Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Chicago’s The Auditorium, Asheville’s Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Charleston’s Gaillard Center, Atlanta’s Atlanta Symphony Hall (two nights), and Los Angeles’ Walt Disney Concert Hall among others.

The Magic School Bus
Mar 18 @ 10:00 pm
Wortham Center for Performing Arts

Wortham Center Student Series TheaterWorksUSA presents The Magic School Bus. Tuesday, March 18, 2025 at 10 a.m. & 12 p.m.*

Grades K–5 • Show Length: 60 min.

*Please note: These Student Series performances are currently wait list only.

Take your class on an interplanetary field trip, guided by Ms. Frizzle, in this latest live-action installment of the classic book and TV series.

Reservations for individuals (10 people or less): $12 each. To reserve, call the box office at 828-257-4530 ext. 1, or email [email protected].

Reservations for groups (11 people or more): $11 each. To reserve, complete the Student Series Reservation Form. Please note that all group reservations require a deposit of $1 per ticket. Please contact the box office if you have questions.

Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Step into Spring
Mar 19 @ 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Bullington Gardens

Spring can be a time where life starts to suddenly speed up as the winter chill melts away. Take some time for a guided mindful walk through the garden with short therapeutic horticulture activities incorporated throughout the walk. This class is great for anyone needing to take time to slow down, anyone curious about what therapeutic horticulture actually is, or anyone wishing to get to know Bullington Gardens better.

Two different dates to choose from!

Tuesday, March 18th, 9:00-11:00 or Wednesday, March 19th, 9:00-11:00. $20/$15 for Friends of Bullington Gardens.

Max Adrian: RIPSTOP
Mar 19 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Center for Craft
The Center for Craft is thrilled to announce the opening of Max Adrian: RIPSTOP. Adrian (he/they), a textile artist who was awarded a Windgate-Lamar Fellowship by the Center in 2015 and a Career Advancement Fellowship in 2022, will bring the playful, experiential, and provocative solo exhibition of textiles and inflatable sculptures to the Bresler Family Gallery beginning July 26, 2024 through March 29, 2025.

Pieces made from nylon fabric ripstop, which keeps tears from spreading, invite viewers into created, fantastical worlds, only to highlight the complex—even impossible—architectures of their construction. Before the pandemic, Adrian primarily focused on personal experiences and interrogations of queerness, identity, and sexuality. Since then, the work has zoomed out in its scope, still centering identity but placed in larger infrastructure and surveillance systems that mediate, manipulate, and control desire.

Adrian counts queer fiber art, BDSM and kink culture, theatre, camp horror, puppetry, and drag among his many influences. Works in RIPSTOP, like the modernist bounce house sculpture A Fallible Complex (2021), evoke spaces for play, beckoning visitors in through their alluring aesthetic and then blocking their entrance or revealing structural instabilities, like missing floors. Others, like The Sensational Inflatable Furry Divines (2017-19), use sensual materials, like faux fur, spandex, and pleather, which connect to theatrical performance and counterculture. The materials “play on people’s initial associations and serve as a gateway into greater conversations about identity construction, performance, desire, and technology,” he shares.Pieces also nod to the history of quilting, including the AIDS Memorial Quilt, another influence on Adrian’s work. “Even when pieces aren’t explicitly making quilt references, I want the history of quilting and sewing-based craft to be part of the conversation of the work,” he says. “Craft is so much about the processes and histories behind materials. It’s about connecting with communities of people who practice those techniques. It’s about material and technique being a doorway into a greater relationship with an object.”

Themes of transformation—of structures, identities, and bodies—run throughout the show. “What I love about drag and puppetry is the sense of transformation and play, specifically with bodies,” Adrian says. “Within these art forms, a body can become mutable and capable of performing and becoming in unexpected states.” The sculptures also transform throughout viewers’ experiences, going through stages of inflation and deflation and existing in many different states.

RIPSTOP’s constant interplay between surface and depth, assumption and reality, are all a part of what Adrian describes as “looking behind the curtain,” which they trace back to the theatre. “When I’m thinking about systems, and the systems desire fits into, I’m thinking of stage construction, the backstage, the things that go on behind the show, and performance of our desires,” they explain.

As a craft artist, Adrian’s philosophy “comes down to having an intentional relationship with material, process, and technique,” he says. “Those aspects of art making are just as – if not more – important than an intellectualized concept being illustrated by an artwork.”

“Broadened definitions of craft that highlight communities of practice are foundational for the Center for Craft’s new strategic direction,” explains Executive Director Stephanie Moore. “Max Adrian’s work in RIPSTOP exemplifies the expansive and meaningful forms craft can take.” The Center for Craft is an institution Adrian credits for their professional growth. “The Center for Craft has felt like such a supporting institution for me specifically and for so many other craft artists I know,” they note. “To be able to bring this amount of work to Asheville is pretty cool.”

See Max Adrian: RIPSTOP at the Center for Craft Beginning July 26. A reception will be held on August 15. RIPSTOP is organized by Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and curated by Sarah Darro.

# # #
ABOUT CENTER FOR CRAFT Founded in 1996, the Center for Craft’s mission is to resource, catalyze, and amplify how and why craft matters. As a 501(c)3 national nonprofit that increases access to craft by empowering and resourcing artists, organizations, and communities through grants, fellowships and programs that bring people together. The Center is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential organizations working on behalf of craft in the United States. For more information, visit www.centerforcraft.org.