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.

Sunday, August 25, 2019
The Blood Connection and Outback Steakhouse Join Forces to Save Lives BLOOD DRIVE
Aug 25 all-day
various

Outback Give Back – Donate, Mate!

There’s never been a better time to stop by your local Outback Steakhouse! And The Blood Connection is giving you an easy way to eat for FREE.

For the entire month of August, TBC and Outback Steakhouse are working together to spread the word about blood donation. Partnerships like this are essential to the community’s blood supply. Outback Steakhouse’s enthusiasm to partner with TBC has helped the blood center reach new donors and save more lives!

The Outback Give Back Promotion runs August 1st – August 29th. Donors who give blood at any TBC center on any Thursday will receive a $20 Outback gift card and a free Bloomin’ Onion ® coupon. To find a center near you, click here.

On August 29th, 18 Outback Steakhouse locations will host a blood mobile for a collective blood drive at the same time, 2-7 P.M. Blood donors will receive a $20 Outback gift card and a free Bloomin’ Onion® coupon. After donating, they can walk right in and enjoy a free dinner at Outback, a thank you for saving lives!

Donors can visit any TBC center in the Upstate of South Carolina, and Raleigh and Asheville in North Carolina: 435 Woodruff Road, Greenville, SC; 341 Old Abbeville Highway, Greenwood, SC; 5116 Calhoun Memorial Hwy, Easley, SC; 1308 Sandifer Boulevard, Seneca, SC; 270 North Grove Medical Park Drive, Spartanburg, SC; 225 Airport Road, Arden, NC; 5925 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC. Centers are open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on the weekends 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Volunteers Needed! Time Travel Gala
Aug 25 all-day
Preservation Society of Asheville
We are looking for a team of volunteers to help with the Time Traveling Gala on September 28th.
Please note, we will not be using volunteer bartenders this year but will need lots of docents/general volunteers to help us keep the evening running smoothly.
Rabbit Hole
Aug 25 @ 2:00 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

“A drama that’s not just a departure but a revelation” – Variety

Becca and Howie Corbett have everything a family could want, until the tragic death of their son turns their world upside down and leaves the couple drifting apart. Rabbit Hole charts their bittersweet journey from a place of uncertainty to a new reality, as they find themselves and each other. In the end, there is always hope. Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize.

We are so excited to work with director Stephanie Hickling Beckman on this production. Stephanie is the Founder and Managing Artistic Director of Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective and has directed several times in 35below. She
shares that “Rabbit Hole has been categorized as a play about parents navigating the loss of a child. Upon closer inspection, it became apparent to me that while the polarizing incident serves as a catalyst for grief, the play can’t be defined by the tragedy that occurs eight months before the opening scene. Rabbit Hole is instead a story about how a family, each in their own way, navigates a life-changing event.”

Love Linda, The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter
Aug 25 @ 2:30 pm
ACT

Love, Linda is a one-woman musical about Linda Lee Thomas, the glamorous spouse and driving force behind renowned American songwriter Cole Porter. The story of their unconventional 35-year marriage interweaves with innovative arrangements of Porter’s timeless music and clever lyrics to create the compelling narrative of Love, Linda.

In the course of the show, Linda takes us behind the glitter of their sensational social life, sharing intimate, and at times heartbreaking moments, such as the dashed dreams of having a child, Cole’s occasional hurtful sexual escapades, his crippling horse accident and her own failing health. To quote Linda from the show, their journey together was far from “a picture-perfect postcard”, but by the end of her story, she has definitively made the case that “just because a love between two people may be difficult to define, that doesn’t mean it didn’t exist.”

Love, Linda is directed by Misty Theisen and stars Karen Covington-Yow.

Seating is limited for this show!

Monday, August 26, 2019
Adult Literacy tutoring
Aug 26 all-day

Interested in a short-term tutoring commitment?

While the majority of Adult Literacy students require a year-long commitment in order to gain basic literacy skills, we are seeing an increase in students who have their eyes on a more short-term goal: earning their HSE (High School Equivalency). The most well-known of these certifications is the GED, and most Adult Literacy students currently on the waiting list are looking for 1-on-1 tutoring to prepare for one of the four subject tests – Mathematical Reasoning, Reasoning Through Language Arts, Social Studies, or Science. If you have a background in any of these subjects, and you are looking for a more short-term tutoring commitment, HSE tutoring may fit your schedule. It typically takes 4-6 months of tutoring to prepare an Adult Literacy student for a single subject test.
 We’d love to have you!
The Blood Connection and Outback Steakhouse Join Forces to Save Lives BLOOD DRIVE
Aug 26 all-day
various

Outback Give Back – Donate, Mate!

There’s never been a better time to stop by your local Outback Steakhouse! And The Blood Connection is giving you an easy way to eat for FREE.

For the entire month of August, TBC and Outback Steakhouse are working together to spread the word about blood donation. Partnerships like this are essential to the community’s blood supply. Outback Steakhouse’s enthusiasm to partner with TBC has helped the blood center reach new donors and save more lives!

The Outback Give Back Promotion runs August 1st – August 29th. Donors who give blood at any TBC center on any Thursday will receive a $20 Outback gift card and a free Bloomin’ Onion ® coupon. To find a center near you, click here.

On August 29th, 18 Outback Steakhouse locations will host a blood mobile for a collective blood drive at the same time, 2-7 P.M. Blood donors will receive a $20 Outback gift card and a free Bloomin’ Onion® coupon. After donating, they can walk right in and enjoy a free dinner at Outback, a thank you for saving lives!

Donors can visit any TBC center in the Upstate of South Carolina, and Raleigh and Asheville in North Carolina: 435 Woodruff Road, Greenville, SC; 341 Old Abbeville Highway, Greenwood, SC; 5116 Calhoun Memorial Hwy, Easley, SC; 1308 Sandifer Boulevard, Seneca, SC; 270 North Grove Medical Park Drive, Spartanburg, SC; 225 Airport Road, Arden, NC; 5925 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC. Centers are open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on the weekends 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Youth Literacy Tutors Needed
Aug 26 all-day
varies
The Literacy Council seeks caring individuals who are passionate about closing the achievement gap in our schools and communities through educational equity. You do not need any prior experience to become a tutor in our Youth Literacy program.
The Youth Literacy program provides free, one-on-one tutoring to children who live in low-income homes and read, write, and/or spell below grade level. The need for remedial K-12 literacy tutoring is so overwhelming in Buncombe County that we’ve only been able to serve a fraction of students who require this level of support.

Ensuring equity in education is truly a social justice issue. In addition to the shocking national and local literacy statistics, one of our greatest concerns is the growing disparity in achievement in local schools. We are committed to training as many new tutors as possible this fall so they can each keep a child from becoming one of these statistics.

Please join us! If you’d like to change a child’s life in the new school year, contact Rebecca to enroll in the Youth Literacy training this September. Check out our training dates here.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019
The Blood Connection and Outback Steakhouse Join Forces to Save Lives BLOOD DRIVE
Aug 27 all-day
various

Outback Give Back – Donate, Mate!

There’s never been a better time to stop by your local Outback Steakhouse! And The Blood Connection is giving you an easy way to eat for FREE.

For the entire month of August, TBC and Outback Steakhouse are working together to spread the word about blood donation. Partnerships like this are essential to the community’s blood supply. Outback Steakhouse’s enthusiasm to partner with TBC has helped the blood center reach new donors and save more lives!

The Outback Give Back Promotion runs August 1st – August 29th. Donors who give blood at any TBC center on any Thursday will receive a $20 Outback gift card and a free Bloomin’ Onion ® coupon. To find a center near you, click here.

On August 29th, 18 Outback Steakhouse locations will host a blood mobile for a collective blood drive at the same time, 2-7 P.M. Blood donors will receive a $20 Outback gift card and a free Bloomin’ Onion® coupon. After donating, they can walk right in and enjoy a free dinner at Outback, a thank you for saving lives!

Donors can visit any TBC center in the Upstate of South Carolina, and Raleigh and Asheville in North Carolina: 435 Woodruff Road, Greenville, SC; 341 Old Abbeville Highway, Greenwood, SC; 5116 Calhoun Memorial Hwy, Easley, SC; 1308 Sandifer Boulevard, Seneca, SC; 270 North Grove Medical Park Drive, Spartanburg, SC; 225 Airport Road, Arden, NC; 5925 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC. Centers are open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on the weekends 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Youth Acting For ages 8-12
Aug 27 all-day
ACT

In this class, students will learn a variety of acting techniques with a focus on character development and relationships, deciding what your character wants and how you are going to achieve it, and making choices in scenes to fully develop the scene with specific blocking and movement. Students will work on scenes and monologues from a variety of popular youth plays and musicals, including Charlotte’s Web, Peter Pan, Into the Woods, The Secret Garden, and Beauty and the Beast, taking them from auditions to performance. They will also write their own original, creative scenes to perform in a final showcase during the last class.

Class Schedule:

Classes: September 7​ –​November 9, 2019: Saturdays from 1​1​:00 am-1​2​:00 ​pm
Final Showcase: Saturday, ​November 16, 2019 at 11:​0​0 am (combined with improv)
Cost: $150

Youth Improv For ages 10-15
Aug 27 all-day
ACT

This class will include instruction on improv skills, including character development, connecting in scenes, “Yes and…” acceptance technique, and building the beginning, middle, and end of a scene. We will play a variety of fun and interactive improv games, including Freeze, Murder Mystery, Props, Styles, ABC game, Changing Channels, Survivor, and Slide Show. Some of the games will be similar to the show, Whose Line it Anyway? The last class will be open for parents to watch a mini improv show to demonstrate the games and skills learned during each class. This class is open to all levels of improv from beginning to advanced.

Class Schedule:

Classes: September 7​ –​November 9, 2019: Saturdays from 10:00-11:00 am
Final Showcase: Saturday, ​November 16, 2019 at 11:​0​0 am (combined with acting)
Cost: $150

Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Adult Improv Classes Asheville Community Theatre
Aug 28 all-day
ACT

We’re offering three progressive levels of classes, Basic Improv, Beyond Basic, and The Performance Lab. There’s room for everyone in these classes, no matter your experience level!

The Blood Connection and Outback Steakhouse Join Forces to Save Lives BLOOD DRIVE
Aug 28 all-day
various

Outback Give Back – Donate, Mate!

There’s never been a better time to stop by your local Outback Steakhouse! And The Blood Connection is giving you an easy way to eat for FREE.

For the entire month of August, TBC and Outback Steakhouse are working together to spread the word about blood donation. Partnerships like this are essential to the community’s blood supply. Outback Steakhouse’s enthusiasm to partner with TBC has helped the blood center reach new donors and save more lives!

The Outback Give Back Promotion runs August 1st – August 29th. Donors who give blood at any TBC center on any Thursday will receive a $20 Outback gift card and a free Bloomin’ Onion ® coupon. To find a center near you, click here.

On August 29th, 18 Outback Steakhouse locations will host a blood mobile for a collective blood drive at the same time, 2-7 P.M. Blood donors will receive a $20 Outback gift card and a free Bloomin’ Onion® coupon. After donating, they can walk right in and enjoy a free dinner at Outback, a thank you for saving lives!

Donors can visit any TBC center in the Upstate of South Carolina, and Raleigh and Asheville in North Carolina: 435 Woodruff Road, Greenville, SC; 341 Old Abbeville Highway, Greenwood, SC; 5116 Calhoun Memorial Hwy, Easley, SC; 1308 Sandifer Boulevard, Seneca, SC; 270 North Grove Medical Park Drive, Spartanburg, SC; 225 Airport Road, Arden, NC; 5925 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC. Centers are open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on the weekends 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Youth Acting For ages 8-12
Aug 28 all-day
ACT

In this class, students will learn a variety of acting techniques with a focus on character development and relationships, deciding what your character wants and how you are going to achieve it, and making choices in scenes to fully develop the scene with specific blocking and movement. Students will work on scenes and monologues from a variety of popular youth plays and musicals, including Charlotte’s Web, Peter Pan, Into the Woods, The Secret Garden, and Beauty and the Beast, taking them from auditions to performance. They will also write their own original, creative scenes to perform in a final showcase during the last class.

Class Schedule:

Classes: September 7​ –​November 9, 2019: Saturdays from 1​1​:00 am-1​2​:00 ​pm
Final Showcase: Saturday, ​November 16, 2019 at 11:​0​0 am (combined with improv)
Cost: $150

Youth Improv For ages 10-15
Aug 28 all-day
ACT

This class will include instruction on improv skills, including character development, connecting in scenes, “Yes and…” acceptance technique, and building the beginning, middle, and end of a scene. We will play a variety of fun and interactive improv games, including Freeze, Murder Mystery, Props, Styles, ABC game, Changing Channels, Survivor, and Slide Show. Some of the games will be similar to the show, Whose Line it Anyway? The last class will be open for parents to watch a mini improv show to demonstrate the games and skills learned during each class. This class is open to all levels of improv from beginning to advanced.

Class Schedule:

Classes: September 7​ –​November 9, 2019: Saturdays from 10:00-11:00 am
Final Showcase: Saturday, ​November 16, 2019 at 11:​0​0 am (combined with acting)
Cost: $150

Thursday, August 29, 2019
Adult Improv Classes Asheville Community Theatre
Aug 29 all-day
ACT

We’re offering three progressive levels of classes, Basic Improv, Beyond Basic, and The Performance Lab. There’s room for everyone in these classes, no matter your experience level!

Homework Diners Volunteers Needed Asheville City Buncombe County Schools
Aug 29 all-day
various see web site

Homework Diners take place weekly (except on school holidays or early release days). Families are invited to the cafeteria of the middle school during the scheduled time each week. No pre-registration is required to attend. Homework Diners currently take place at four area middle schools: Asheville, Enka, Erwin and Owen Middle. All are open to any family with a K-12 student in the surrounding school district with an adult family member in attendance with the participating student.


The 2019-20 Homework Diner schedule:

  • Erwin Middle on Monday nights starting September 23, 2019 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
  • Asheville Middle on Tuesday nights starting September 24, 2019 from 5-7:00 p.m.
  • Enka Middle on Tuesday nights starting September 24, 2019 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
  • Owen Middle on Thursday nights starting September 26, 2019 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
The Blood Connection and Outback Steakhouse Join Forces to Save Lives BLOOD DRIVE
Aug 29 all-day
various

Outback Give Back – Donate, Mate!

There’s never been a better time to stop by your local Outback Steakhouse! And The Blood Connection is giving you an easy way to eat for FREE.

For the entire month of August, TBC and Outback Steakhouse are working together to spread the word about blood donation. Partnerships like this are essential to the community’s blood supply. Outback Steakhouse’s enthusiasm to partner with TBC has helped the blood center reach new donors and save more lives!

The Outback Give Back Promotion runs August 1st – August 29th. Donors who give blood at any TBC center on any Thursday will receive a $20 Outback gift card and a free Bloomin’ Onion ® coupon. To find a center near you, click here.

On August 29th, 18 Outback Steakhouse locations will host a blood mobile for a collective blood drive at the same time, 2-7 P.M. Blood donors will receive a $20 Outback gift card and a free Bloomin’ Onion® coupon. After donating, they can walk right in and enjoy a free dinner at Outback, a thank you for saving lives!

Donors can visit any TBC center in the Upstate of South Carolina, and Raleigh and Asheville in North Carolina: 435 Woodruff Road, Greenville, SC; 341 Old Abbeville Highway, Greenwood, SC; 5116 Calhoun Memorial Hwy, Easley, SC; 1308 Sandifer Boulevard, Seneca, SC; 270 North Grove Medical Park Drive, Spartanburg, SC; 225 Airport Road, Arden, NC; 5925 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC. Centers are open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on the weekends 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Volunteers Needed! Time Travel Gala
Aug 29 all-day
Preservation Society of Asheville
We are looking for a team of volunteers to help with the Time Traveling Gala on September 28th.
Please note, we will not be using volunteer bartenders this year but will need lots of docents/general volunteers to help us keep the evening running smoothly.
Youth Acting For ages 8-12
Aug 29 all-day
ACT

In this class, students will learn a variety of acting techniques with a focus on character development and relationships, deciding what your character wants and how you are going to achieve it, and making choices in scenes to fully develop the scene with specific blocking and movement. Students will work on scenes and monologues from a variety of popular youth plays and musicals, including Charlotte’s Web, Peter Pan, Into the Woods, The Secret Garden, and Beauty and the Beast, taking them from auditions to performance. They will also write their own original, creative scenes to perform in a final showcase during the last class.

Class Schedule:

Classes: September 7​ –​November 9, 2019: Saturdays from 1​1​:00 am-1​2​:00 ​pm
Final Showcase: Saturday, ​November 16, 2019 at 11:​0​0 am (combined with improv)
Cost: $150

Youth Improv For ages 10-15
Aug 29 all-day
ACT

This class will include instruction on improv skills, including character development, connecting in scenes, “Yes and…” acceptance technique, and building the beginning, middle, and end of a scene. We will play a variety of fun and interactive improv games, including Freeze, Murder Mystery, Props, Styles, ABC game, Changing Channels, Survivor, and Slide Show. Some of the games will be similar to the show, Whose Line it Anyway? The last class will be open for parents to watch a mini improv show to demonstrate the games and skills learned during each class. This class is open to all levels of improv from beginning to advanced.

Class Schedule:

Classes: September 7​ –​November 9, 2019: Saturdays from 10:00-11:00 am
Final Showcase: Saturday, ​November 16, 2019 at 11:​0​0 am (combined with acting)
Cost: $150

Batter Up! Rounding Third at Flat Rock Playhouse!
Aug 29 @ 2:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

Rounding Third, starring FRP favorites Scott Treadway and JP Sarro. This good-humored and sincere story about a Little League coach, his team of youngsters, and his new assistant coach, is sure to hit a home run, says Rounding Third Director, Charlie Flynn-McIver. “They say that life imitates art but what is really happening here is that the art has gotten it right about life. Sports are a great metaphor for many things and when it comes to youth sports, even more so.”

Batter Up! Rounding Third at Flat Rock Playhouse!
Aug 29 @ 7:30 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

Rounding Third, starring FRP favorites Scott Treadway and JP Sarro. This good-humored and sincere story about a Little League coach, his team of youngsters, and his new assistant coach, is sure to hit a home run, says Rounding Third Director, Charlie Flynn-McIver. “They say that life imitates art but what is really happening here is that the art has gotten it right about life. Sports are a great metaphor for many things and when it comes to youth sports, even more so.”

Friday, August 30, 2019
11th Annual Blue Ridge Pride Festival Volunteer Opportunity
Aug 30 all-day

Give us 2-4 hours. Enjoy a day of music and memories — and the knowledge that you helped to bring a community together! You’ll also get a little swag: a 11th Annual Festival Tee Shirt, snacks, a drink ticket, and our new Blue Ridge Pride Center buttons and stickers. Volunteer roles include: setup and breakdown, selling wristbands, beverages or merchandise, and assisting with volunteer check-in or VIP. Learn more and sign up here.

Adult Improv Classes Asheville Community Theatre
Aug 30 all-day
ACT

We’re offering three progressive levels of classes, Basic Improv, Beyond Basic, and The Performance Lab. There’s room for everyone in these classes, no matter your experience level!

Homework Diners Volunteers Needed Asheville City Buncombe County Schools
Aug 30 all-day
various see web site

Homework Diners take place weekly (except on school holidays or early release days). Families are invited to the cafeteria of the middle school during the scheduled time each week. No pre-registration is required to attend. Homework Diners currently take place at four area middle schools: Asheville, Enka, Erwin and Owen Middle. All are open to any family with a K-12 student in the surrounding school district with an adult family member in attendance with the participating student.


The 2019-20 Homework Diner schedule:

  • Erwin Middle on Monday nights starting September 23, 2019 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
  • Asheville Middle on Tuesday nights starting September 24, 2019 from 5-7:00 p.m.
  • Enka Middle on Tuesday nights starting September 24, 2019 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
  • Owen Middle on Thursday nights starting September 26, 2019 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Volunteers needed urban scavenger hunt
Aug 30 all-day


This urban scavenger hunt will take teams of four around the downtown area via a series of clues to sixteen different locations where they will be required to complete a task before receiving their next clue.  Two volunteers will staff each secret location, checking teams in and out, throughout the day. Contact [email protected] directly if you are interested in assisting with this event or sign up by CLICKING HERE.

Volunteers Needed! Time Travel Gala
Aug 30 all-day
Preservation Society of Asheville
We are looking for a team of volunteers to help with the Time Traveling Gala on September 28th.
Please note, we will not be using volunteer bartenders this year but will need lots of docents/general volunteers to help us keep the evening running smoothly.
Youth Acting For ages 8-12
Aug 30 all-day
ACT

In this class, students will learn a variety of acting techniques with a focus on character development and relationships, deciding what your character wants and how you are going to achieve it, and making choices in scenes to fully develop the scene with specific blocking and movement. Students will work on scenes and monologues from a variety of popular youth plays and musicals, including Charlotte’s Web, Peter Pan, Into the Woods, The Secret Garden, and Beauty and the Beast, taking them from auditions to performance. They will also write their own original, creative scenes to perform in a final showcase during the last class.

Class Schedule:

Classes: September 7​ –​November 9, 2019: Saturdays from 1​1​:00 am-1​2​:00 ​pm
Final Showcase: Saturday, ​November 16, 2019 at 11:​0​0 am (combined with improv)
Cost: $150

Youth Improv For ages 10-15
Aug 30 all-day
ACT

This class will include instruction on improv skills, including character development, connecting in scenes, “Yes and…” acceptance technique, and building the beginning, middle, and end of a scene. We will play a variety of fun and interactive improv games, including Freeze, Murder Mystery, Props, Styles, ABC game, Changing Channels, Survivor, and Slide Show. Some of the games will be similar to the show, Whose Line it Anyway? The last class will be open for parents to watch a mini improv show to demonstrate the games and skills learned during each class. This class is open to all levels of improv from beginning to advanced.

Class Schedule:

Classes: September 7​ –​November 9, 2019: Saturdays from 10:00-11:00 am
Final Showcase: Saturday, ​November 16, 2019 at 11:​0​0 am (combined with acting)
Cost: $150

Arms and The Man Readers Theatre ACT
Aug 30 @ 2:30 pm
ACT: 35below

This comedy is often viewed as Shaw’s wittiest play! This is a borderline farce that will stimulate serious thinking about the nature of both romance and war. What is Raina to do when she finds that an enemy soldier has taken refuge in her room? What will her fiancée say? The plot, of course, thickens! Directed by Jim Reid and performed as Readers Theatre as a part of The Autumn Players’ Readers Theatre Showcase Series.