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.
Adding a Southeast destination for designer toy makers and collectors, *Assembly Required brings designer, bootleg and art toy artists from around the country, to present and sell their work.
Asheville’s premiere designer toy expo, *Assembly Required, is presented by Unboxing Asheville, Morgan’s Comic’s, 103.3 Asheville FM and Appalachian Pinball Museum. Focusing on this artistic movement, designer toys are a form of lowbrow pop art. These toy makers pull inspiration from a variety of subversive segments of culture, as well as subcultural elements, including (but not limited to) comics, tattooing, street art, and everything related to toys of the 60’s through the 80’s.
Echoing production methods of traditional toy manufacturers, designer toys are usually intended to be displayed as collectibles, rather than to be played with. Toy makers mediums range from resin to vinyl, from plastic to plush; with molding, and production techniques such as kitbash, sofubi and bootleg (recently coined ‘Artisanal Action Figure’, by New York Times writer, Rich Juzwiak [11/23/18]). (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/23/style/bootleg-toys-action-figures.html).
Juzwiak interviews such artists as the Sucklord and Killer Bootlegs, both of whom will be present at *Assembly Required.
Adding a Southeast destination for designer toy makers and collectors, *Assembly Required brings designer, bootleg and art toy artists from around the country, to present and sell their work.
Asheville’s premiere designer toy expo, *Assembly Required, is presented by Unboxing Asheville, Morgan’s Comic’s, 103.3 Asheville FM and Appalachian Pinball Museum. Focusing on this artistic movement, designer toys are a form of lowbrow pop art. These toy makers pull inspiration from a variety of subversive segments of culture, as well as subcultural elements, including (but not limited to) comics, tattooing, street art, and everything related to toys of the 60’s through the 80’s.
Echoing production methods of traditional toy manufacturers, designer toys are usually intended to be displayed as collectibles, rather than to be played with. Toy makers mediums range from resin to vinyl, from plastic to plush; with molding, and production techniques such as kitbash, sofubi and bootleg (recently coined ‘Artisanal Action Figure’, by New York Times writer, Rich Juzwiak [11/23/18]). (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/23/style/bootleg-toys-action-figures.html).
Juzwiak interviews such artists as the Sucklord and Killer Bootlegs, both of whom will be present at *Assembly Required.
Adding a Southeast destination for designer toy makers and collectors, *Assembly Required brings designer, bootleg and art toy artists from around the country, to present and sell their work.
Asheville’s premiere designer toy expo, *Assembly Required, is presented by Unboxing Asheville, Morgan’s Comic’s, 103.3 Asheville FM and Appalachian Pinball Museum. Focusing on this artistic movement, designer toys are a form of lowbrow pop art. These toy makers pull inspiration from a variety of subversive segments of culture, as well as subcultural elements, including (but not limited to) comics, tattooing, street art, and everything related to toys of the 60’s through the 80’s.
Echoing production methods of traditional toy manufacturers, designer toys are usually intended to be displayed as collectibles, rather than to be played with. Toy makers mediums range from resin to vinyl, from plastic to plush; with molding, and production techniques such as kitbash, sofubi and bootleg (recently coined ‘Artisanal Action Figure’, by New York Times writer, Rich Juzwiak [11/23/18]). (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/23/style/bootleg-toys-action-figures.html).
Juzwiak interviews such artists as the Sucklord and Killer Bootlegs, both of whom will be present at *Assembly Required.
Adding a Southeast destination for designer toy makers and collectors, *Assembly Required brings designer, bootleg and art toy artists from around the country, to present and sell their work.
Asheville’s premiere designer toy expo, *Assembly Required, is presented by Unboxing Asheville, Morgan’s Comic’s, 103.3 Asheville FM and Appalachian Pinball Museum. Focusing on this artistic movement, designer toys are a form of lowbrow pop art. These toy makers pull inspiration from a variety of subversive segments of culture, as well as subcultural elements, including (but not limited to) comics, tattooing, street art, and everything related to toys of the 60’s through the 80’s.
Echoing production methods of traditional toy manufacturers, designer toys are usually intended to be displayed as collectibles, rather than to be played with. Toy makers mediums range from resin to vinyl, from plastic to plush; with molding, and production techniques such as kitbash, sofubi and bootleg (recently coined ‘Artisanal Action Figure’, by New York Times writer, Rich Juzwiak [11/23/18]). (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/23/style/bootleg-toys-action-figures.html).
Juzwiak interviews such artists as the Sucklord and Killer Bootlegs, both of whom will be present at *Assembly Required.
? Thursday, March 21st 5:00pm-8:00pm
✨ASHEVILLE✨
Bhramari Brewing
101 S. Lexington Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
http://bit.ly/BhramariMarch
Blue Echo Radio’s annual music festival hosted on UNCA campus. All ages & free and open to the community.
16+ Bands including The Love Language, Linqua Franqa, Kitty Tsunami, Infinity Crush, The Eccentrics, and more!
Echofest will also feature food trucks, family friendly activities, and community vendors including Honey Pot Vintage, Word Emporium as well as Tarot and Henna Artists.
More information as well as the full lineup can be found on the Echofest event page via Facebook.
Echofest is hosted by Blue Echo, UNCA’s student run radio station and co-hosted by Asheville FM.
The Western North Carolina Orchid Society will host its 21st annual Asheville Orchid Festival, Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The North Carolina Arboretum. This year’s event, entitled “An Orchid Expedition,” will feature educational programs, lectures and orchid exhibits from world-class orchid growers and breeders, as well as regional orchid societies. Orchids will also be available for purchase.
2:00 p.m. Ticketed Magic Show ($8 per person, all ages)
3:00-5:00 p.m. Drop-In Pop-Up Adventure Playground (free and open to the community)
Join us to celebrate the Week of the Young Child and support young children in Buncombe County!
Children ages 2+ will enjoy The Professor Whizzpop Magic Show, which placed in the Mountain Xpress “Best of WNC” poll for 10 years.
Afterward, drop in for a FREE Pop-Up Adventure Playground where kids build their own place space using imagination, loose parts, and in collaboration with their peers. There is no charge to join the playground.
Roots Hummus will be served at no charge and sweet treats from The Hop Ice Cream Cafe will be available for purchase.
AIA South Atlantic’s new ASPIRE EXPERIENCE is a one-of-a-kind conference using Asheville’s art scene, historical architecture, craft breweries, popular parks, and local businesses to create and present a program of education, inspiration, and engagement for the design and construction community. The ASPIRE EXPERIENCE offers designers the opportunity to impact change and make a difference to their community. This is a time for transformation.
Attend this dynamic EXPERIENCE and create new relationships and ideas that can be into your work and daily lives throughout the year. Meet, network, and experience the industry’s leading experts all in one place.
Transform your thinking and ideas with demonstrations of cutting-edge solutions and new, innovative methods. EXPERIENCE how you can help change your community and profession with the leading though innovators in the area.
Look beyond the event as you get inspired to make a difference in your community. Engage with visionaries and walk away with solutions and the understanding of the power you hold to create meaningful change.
Earth Day Kid’s Festival began 5 years ago as a way to bring the community together in celebration of our natural environment. A variety of environmental non-profits and organizations have come together to foster environmental consciousness and encourage the next generation of stewards to cherish our natural resources.
We invite families and people of all ages to come out and enjoy environmental education, arts and crafts, games, performances and more! There will be live music from Susana and Timmy Abell / Silver Trout Arts. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. We invite you to come out and enjoy this free festival!
We are fortunate to have our generous sponsors, Prestige Subaru Black Orthodontics, and venue sponsor, Salvage Station who make this event possible.
This festival is hosted in conjunction with “Earth Month,” a month long series of service days, workshops, and events throughout April organized by WNC for the Planet, a collective of environmental non-profits within Western North Carolina.
Festival will happen rain or shine.
Come celebrate 4/20 and get Sparkled with Finklepott’s Original Fairy Hair!! The MOST MAGICAL Fairy Hair in the World! Not tinsel.
You can wash it,
brush it,
comb it,
curl it,
flat iron, (up to 450°!)
color it,
straighten it,
perm it,
blow it dry, get your haircut, etc.
Do whatever you normally do to your hair, but most of all; ENJOY IT!
?Saturday, April 20th 4:30pm-9:30pm
at
Weaver House Hemp Fest-FREE EVENT!
56 N Main Street, Weaverville, NC 28787
Sign up here to reserve your spot and for more information:
http://bit.ly/hempfest4202019
Join us for Asheville’s first Drive Electric Earth Day Sunday, April 28th, from 12 noon to 4:00 p.m. at Asheville Outlets (ShopAshevilleOutlets.com)! Along with local EV drivers and their vehicles, electric bicycles and yard equipment will be on display. Featured electric vehicles will include the Tesla Model 3, Chevy Bolt and the 2019 Nissan Leaf. Plus, the latest all electric Jaguar IPace! Owners will be available to answer questions about the EV lifestyle including charging, costs and performance.
Several hotels have special rates for those attending Drive Electric Earth Day, including Holiday Inn Express & Suites Asheville SW – Outlet Ctr Area, Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott – Asheville South and Lake Powhatan Recreational Area & Campground. The event is free and open to the public.
In the mountains of North Carolina you’ll find one of America’s hippest cities. On this fun-filled Asheville scavenger hunt, we loop around the city center in search of the city’s best sights and hidden gems.
Does an obelisk impress? Where can you play 75 pinball machines? Find out on this scavenger hunt of Asheville!
Summit Coffee Asheville will be donating a portion of all proceeds throughout out the day to Dogwood Alliance to protect Southern forests and communities from destructive industrial logging. Come grab a cup of coffee to support our work protecting Southern wetlands, forests, and communities!
In celebration of American Wetlands Month, we’ll be sharing with Summit Coffee patrons the newest episode in our “Wetland Wanderer” video series! The Wetland Wanderer herself, Lucia Ibarra, will make a special guest appearance to talk about her adventures in our amazing wetland forests across the South, exploring the interconnection of wetland forest protection, climate change, and community justice
Wetlands give so much to our communities – climate regulation, clean water, flood control, and more. In this new episode, Lucia continues to explore all that wetlands have to offer as she ventures through Congaree National Park, a wetland filled with history and adventure. We’ll be screening this throughout the event, so come learn all about all Congaree!
Mayfest is the one of the longest running festivals in N.C., drawing visitors from across the region for a full day of springtime, family fun. Annual entertainment and traditions will be enjoyed including live music from Rutherford County Line and the Houston Bernard Band, a Car, Truck and Bike Show, and a variety of artisans and crafters showcasing their one-of-a-kind items. Youngsters will have a ball in the Kids Playland featuring inflatables and rock climbing walls, plus obstacle courses, face painting, and the Pinewood Derby Race. Local dancers, gymnasts and cheerleaders will perform, a Doggie Kissing booth will be open, and friendly fur babies will take the spotlight during the 4 Paws Kingdom Pet Contest. No festival is complete without fabulous food vendors. Indulge yourself with delicious BBQ, turkey legs, roasted corn, stir-fry, funnel cakes, kettle corn, cotton candy, homemade ice cream, and much more.
Come celebrate the beginning of a new gardening season at the Spring Fling Plant Sale! The Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County in partnership with the Asheville Blue Ridge Rose Society will host the Spring Fling Plant Sale on Saturday, May 11, from 10 am. to 2 pm. The sale will be held in the parking lot of the American Red Cross, 100 Edgewood Road, off of Merrimon Avenue in Asheville. The sale will be held rain or shine.
The Asheville Blue Ridge Rose Society will sell many varieties of roses, including own-root, fragrant, miniature, and old garden roses. Expert rosarians will be on hand to help you choose the perfect rose and to give practical advice on growing and caring for roses.
Extension Master GardenerSM volunteers will offer a variety of sun and shade perennials, with a focus on natives and pollinator friendly selections. Plants are grown by Master Gardeners with tender loving care. We will also offer a nice selection of garden accessories. Personal shoppers will be available to assist you with the best plants for your special space, give you plant suggestions for Mother’s Day gifts, and answer your gardening questions.
We will also be offering an on-going pruning tool sharpening workshop. Bring your small hand tools (pruners) and loppers to learn how to clean and sharpen them. This is a free workshop but donations are greatly appreciated.
Defenders is excited to announce the launch of our 2019 seasonal series: Wildlife Workshops & Walkabouts! In this free, fun and educational series, you’ll have a chance to learn about your local wildlife and the habitat on which they depend. These lectures and hands-on activities will get you out into the great outdoors to discover the amazing world around you.
Our first event celebrates the salamanders of Southern Appalachia. Join us and special guest presenter, herpetologist and salamander expert R. Graham Reynolds, PhD on Thursday, May 16th to learn about the salamanders of our area – including rare and imperiled species such as the hellbender and green salamander – why they’re important and how we’re addressing conservation challenges they face. Dr. Reynolds is an Assistant Professor of Biology at UNC Asheville and an Associate at Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology in Cambridge, MA. Following his presentation, we will learn how to create backyard salamander sanctuaries of our own. Then, join us on Saturday, May 18th for a walkabout in Rocky Fork State Park, TN. We’ll look for salamanders and explore this important area that supports an array of wildlife.
To learn more about our work to recover the imperiled eastern hellbender salamander, click here. https://medium.com/wild-without-end/diving-in-for-hellbender-conservation-a04219501768
Lecture and Hands-On Activity — Thursday May 16, 2019
5:30-7:00pm
Defenders of Wildlife’s Southeast Office
1 Rankin Avenue, 2nd Floor
Asheville, NC 28801
Refreshments provided.
AND
Walkabout — Saturday, May 18, 2019
7:30am – 3:00pm
Rocky Form State Park, TN
501 Rocky Fork Rd., Flag Pond, TN 37657
For more info, email Tracy at [email protected]
This 2019 series is sponsored by weilerwoodsforwildlife.com
Looking for the perfect plants to enhance your garden, need vegetable starts. This is western North Carolina’s one stop garden jubilee. Come to the 14th Annual Black Mountain Garden Show and Sale on Friday, May 17, 4 to 8 PM and Saturday, May 18, 9 AM to 4 PM on the grounds of the Monte Vista Hotel. Bring your questions and your gardening dreams to this annual celebration of spring.
The Montford Festival will celebrate its 16th year as the largest free street festival in Asheville. Held on the main street of the historic Montford district, it features food trucks, arts and crafts vendors, children’s activities and continuous music until 7pm. Free parking on neighborhood streets or at the Asheville Visitors Center.
5 th Annual Tryon International Film Festival BBQ Fundraiser
Brought to you by the Polk County Film Initiative
Join us for the 5 th Annual, Tryon International Film Festival BBQ Fundraiser, at Mountain Brook Vineyards
in Tryon.
Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, bell bottom jeans, tie-dyed shirts and free spirit, as we trip back to
1969 for a special screening of “Woodstock”.
Rap with all your friends and dig the music of Michael Baughman. Then munch out on the classic BBQ of
Bird Mountain and Tim Wright. Soak in the fabulous wines which are grown, bottled and produced on
Mountain Brooks’ spectacular seven-acre vineyard.
Asheville’s Power Band, “The Paper Crowns” will take the stage as the evening gets rolling. Then, as the
sun goes down, toss down a blanket let the Polk County Film initiative take you on a trip to
“Woodstock”. See how 50,000 tickets holders brought along 500,000 of their friends and turned
Woodstock into a pivoting point of the pop culture.
It will be a groovy evening to remember. Please support Year 5 of the Tryon International Film Festival.
The 44th Annual Assaults, presented by Greenville Health System, will be held on Monday, May 20, 2019.
The Assault on Mt Mitchell is one of the most intense, premier cycling experiences that draws a full field of upward of 1,000 cyclists from across the world each year. The Assault on Mt. Mitchell is a 102.7-mile self-paced ride — not race — from Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, along the Blue Ridge Parkway, to the summit at Mt. Mitchell State Park in North Carolina —a total vertical ascent of more than 10,000 feet.
The Assault on Marion is a simultaneous 74.2-mile self-paced ride starting from Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina and ending at the 5th rest stop at the Tom Johnson Rally Park Pavilion in Marion, North Carolina.
The Collider hosts a monthly climate and environmental film series, open to the public. In collaboration with The Utopian Seed Project, The Collider will show Seeds of Time, a film by Sandy McLeod.
Seeds of Time: A man’s journey to save the future of our food
A perfect storm is brewing as agriculture pioneer Cary Fowler races against time to protect the future of our food.Seed banks around the world are crumbling, crop failures are producing starvation and rioting, and the accelerating effects of climate change are affecting farmers globally. Communities of indigenous Peruvian farmers are already suffering those effects, as they try desperately to save over 1,500 varieties of native potato in their fields.
With little time to waste, both Fowler and the farmers embark on passionate and personal journeys that may save the one resource we cannot live without: our seeds.
“Seeds of Time offers a vital, clear-headed look at the effects of climate change on global food security.” – The Los Angeles Times
The Utopian Seed Project
The Utopian Seed Project is a hands-in-the-earth organization committed to trialing crops and varieties in the Southeast to support diversity in food and farming. Its utopian vision is create an engaged network of growers, gardeners, farmers, foodies, cooks and chefs to help us educate and celebrate this diversity. Based in Asheville, NC, The Utopian Seed Project works towards achieving its overarching vision to support food security in the face of climate change through diverse and regenerative agriculture.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with refreshments provided. The screening begins at 7 p.m. The event is free & open to the public, with a suggested donation of $10/person.
We are celebrating Memorial Day Weekend the most LaZoom way ever… with silliness!!!
Four nights, four very different and fantastic shows!
5/23 Home Groan Pun Battle with Kelly Morgan and Glenn Reed
8pm free
https://www.facebook.com/events/815196242197824/
5/24 Paul Ollinger, 9pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/304240486963098/
5/25 Tim Northern, 9:30pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/665380333912623/
5/26 Red, White & Boobs, Women of DC Comedy Showcase 9pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/757375191297128/
Click on the individual events for tickets or buy a pass for the whole weekend and get an awesome LaZoom koozie for keeping your beers cold through all four shows and a Modelface Comedy & Events button!!!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-weekend-tickets-61324208358
Paul Ollinger is a nationally-touring comedian, podcaster and corporate refugee. After 15 years selling advertising for companies like Yahoo! and Facebook, Paul launched the comedy career that has taken him all over North America, opening for legends like Norm Macdonald, Dave Attell, Daniel Tosh and Roseanne Barr. He has performed in the Laughing Skull, Asheville, Cleveland, DC, and North Carolina comedy festivals. Earlier this year, he headlined the legendary Carolines on Broadway in New York City. Paul is the host of the Crazy Money podcast in which he interviews celebrities, authors, and everyday people to find out how they think about money. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and two kids.
Also featuring James Harrod and hosted by Kelly Morgan
ages 18+
Tickets $10 advance, $14 day of
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-night-paul-ollinger-tickets-58205311654
Tim Northern is 6’3″, 200 pounds of manly man with what is often described as an obscure sense of humor. He is articulate, smart and deceptively witty, but most importantly he’s funny. The combination of his gruff exterior and his easy on the ears style could be catastrophic, but this mixture works well.
His opening line ‘I love y’all’ leaves audiences wondering what’s next. They soon realize he’s sincere.
Tim is a regular performer on the national comedy club circuit. He performed as the opening act for Rodney Carrington in Honky Tonks all over the country from February 1999 through July 2000.
Tim performed at the Chicago Comedy Festival 2002 as part of the Fresh Mugs Showcase, and showcased for the 2003 Montreal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival. In the spring of 2003 Tim was chosen to appear on CBS’s Star Search where he advanced to the Finals.
Also featuring Cary Goff and hosted by Becca Steinhoff
ages 18+
Tickets $10 advance, $14 day of
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-night-tim-northern-tickets-61208984721
It’s AVL Beer Week and we are celebrating local beer the best way possible.. by pairing it with local comedy! Come enjoy a pint or three of Pisgah’s special Blonde Ale (brewed just for this event!) and all your favorite local Asheville comedians.
Featuring Jacob H. Koll, Bethany Kathleen Vance, Jess Cooley, Moira Goree, Blaine Perry and more!
Hosted by Lily Campbell
Tickets $10
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pisgah-ha-ha-comedy-showcase-tickets-61210212393
Doors at 8pm, show at 9pm
The Prama Institute and Wellness Center will hold an all-day festival on Saturday, June 1st, 2019 to celebrate health and wellness. Join us for this free celebration, taking place from 8:30am-6pm at Prama’s double-domed facility, located at 310 Panhandle Rd., just south of Marshall and 20 minutes from Asheville.
There will be a variety of free yoga, dance, music, workshops, playshops, sound healing, nature walks, and many more activities taking place throughout the day from which to choose from. We will have local vendors and information booths, as well as a children’s tent. Participants will also be able to purchase a delicious and nutritious lunch prepared by Prama’s chefs.
Since 2007, the Prama Institute has become a landmark retreat and conference center in the Southeast, hosting events that promote holistic health, spirituality, the arts, environmentalism, and social activism. In 2012, it opened the Prama Wellness Center, an innovative health center that promotes positive lifestyle changes through its retreats and individualized coaching. Both facilities are located on 130 acres of idyllic, secluded rolling hills that border the French Broad River. The land is interlaced with hiking trails that connect the many affiliated projects of the Prama community.
Come and be inspired with new ideas for your garden! Join us for, Beyond the Garden Gate, tour starting at 9 am to 3 pm on Saturday, June 1, 2019. Coordinated by Buncombe County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers (EMGV), this year’s self-guided garden tour showcases 5 diverse gardens, including The Learning Garden. The Learning Garden is a newly developed group of gardens established by EMGVs which are intended to demonstrate to the public sustainable gardening practices relevant to our area.
This biennial event features unique home gardens designed and tended by Master Gardener volunteers, as well as The Learning Garden. Learn while you explore the private gardens and educational demonstration sites at The Learning Garden. The Master Gardener volunteers will be on hand to answer your gardening questions and provide helpful information.
Tickets for this special event are $20 and available for purchase beginning on April 15th online at buncombemastergardener.org, NC Cooperative Extension Buncombe County Center at 49 Mt. Carmel Rd., and at EMGV events. Tickets may also be purchased on garden tour day at the Tour Registration Table at the Asheville Visitor Center, 36 Montford Avenue in Asheville. The tour is held rain or shine. For more information visit our website or call 828-255-5522.
All proceeds help support EMGV programs, such as School Garden Grants which benefits children in Buncombe County, continued development and maintenance of demonstration gardens at The Learning Garden, and other programs.
Please bring a friend, sun hat, bottle of water, and spend the day enjoying a selection of some of the most beautiful gardens in Buncombe County!
Bears Bees + Brews and UpCountry Brewing are celebrating National Black Bear Day, Saturday, June 1st. Join us for a fun and educational evening with two live interactive brewery talks, trivia, and much more:
> NC Wildlife Resources Commission biologist Ashley Hobbs: Coexisting with Black Bears
> Wildands Network scientist Liz Hillard: The Importance of Habitat Connectivity for Wildlife
> Frugal Backpacker: Leave No Trace workshop
> Center for Honeybee Research shares world honey for you tasting pleasure.
> Grift Town Goods live printing Bears Bees + Brews t-shirts to raise funds for our continued wildlife conservation efforts.
> UpCountry brews will be flowing all night long!
Brewery Bear Talks start at 6pm and live music at 8pm.
Come one, come all! Let’s party… FOR BEARS!
Experience everyone’s favorite train like never before as Thomas the Tank Engine chugs his way through the NC Mountains. Children can meet and take pictures with Sir Topham Hatt, listen to Thomas and Friends storytelling, and enjoy activities in the Imagination Station.