Calendar of Events

Join us in-person at Malaprop’s or live online when NC-based author Kayla E. presents her debut graphic memoir, Precious Rubbish, in conversation with local author Tessa Fontaine.

A landmark graphic novel debut and groundbreaking work of trauma recollection told in the style of post-war children’s comics. “If an exorcism can ever be slow and quiet, then every panel I’ve finished has felt something like an exorcism. The gutters give me space to make sense of things: to connect dots and close gaps. To remember.” Kayla E.’s Precious Rubbish is an experimental graphic memoir drawn in a style that references the aesthetics of mid-century children’s comics and tells the story of a childhood shaped by maternal emotional dysregulation, rural poverty, and incest. The author’s childhood is portrayed as a collection of short-form comics and gag panels punctuated by interactive elements like paper dolls, satirical advertisements, games, and puzzles.

The purpose of the Hendo Earth Fest is to promote community education for all ages on environmental and sustainable practices, inspire action, and renew and expand commitments to protect our planet. Local and regional environmental allies focus on participation/hands-on activities and demonstrations designed to educate, renew and expand action to protect our Western North Carolina environment and natural resources. In our first inaugural 2023 festival, we saw approximately 2,000+ participants!

Come on out and support our local people! Local artisans, crafts, produce, specialty foods, skin care, ets.

Join us on Saturday, April 19th, for a festive & unforgettable 420 block party! Enjoy fantastic vendors, live music and entertainment, delicious food, amazing in-store deals & discounts throughout the day! Plus, there will be exciting surprises, including a limited number of Golden Tickets that are redeemable on 4/19 or 4/20, and will be hidden inside select flower bags/Prerolls. Customers who find a ticket receive a free gram of their choice on 4/19 or 4/20. And on top of that, there will be a drawing for a Grand Prize Chromebook giveaway!
The Caravan Art Bazaar will transform our space into a hub of creativity, featuring live caricatures. Mo’s Magical Manes will add a touch of sparkle with fairy hair and bang trims, and Wyld Heart & Friends will showcase their unique one-of-a-kind creations.
Chill & relax at the traditional smoke sesh with the Asheville Dispensary crew at 4:20 PM. on our spacious deck & enjoy delicious food from The Royal Vegan Food Truck and Dalaya Thai Cuisine.
Whether you come for the art, the food, or the music, take a moment to kick back, unwind, and connect with the community. We’re offering a full day of uplifting experiences to enhance the vibe for 420 weekend 2025! This is one block party you won’t want to miss. We hope to see you there!
Celebrate with us! 919 Haywood Rd., West Asheville, 12 PM to 8 PM.

Grand Opening of Asheville’s ONLY professional Obstacle Course Race Training Center! Stop by and try out the new obstacles, enjoy food, fun, games, and giveaways. Great for the whole family!

Celebrate Easter brunch with the whole family at Kanuga! Enjoy a delicious selection of seasonal favorites, including fresh pastries, savory entrees, and delicious desserts. Gather with loved ones in a warm and welcoming setting as we celebrate this special day together.

Ready to feel renewed and refreshed this Spring? Join me in relaxing your nervous system with a soothing Sound Bath!

Join your host Kristin Hillegas, for a one-hour Serenity Sound Bath and experience a deeply immersive, full-body sound and vibrational experience. A sound bath can cleanse your soul, restore your balance, surround you with peace and tranquility and stimulate healing.

Note: Please bring a yoga mat/pillow/blanket since you will be lying on the floor. Wear warm, comfortable, and flexible clothing.

The Sound Bath will take place upstairs in the Education Building. Choose your space starting at 12:45 PM, doors close promptly at 1:00 PM.
This service is being offered on a Love Offering basis. Donations allow us to continue to provide these immersive experiences.

Accessible parking is available in the Center for Spiritual Living Asheville upper parking lot. The entrance to the upper parking lot is off of S. Bear Creek Rd between Science of Mind Way and Sand Hill Rd.
There is a boardwalk walk-way from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.

Every other month we host a gathering to share what we are doing to RESIST the current attacks on our country, CONNECT with others and strengthen community, and REBUILD the broken pieces of our democracy.

EVERYONE who cares about democracy is invited. Join us!

This month we’ll have updates from our new action teams, including info on specific actions and events, plus updates on upcoming community service projects and other ways to get involved. We’ll also have a mini-training in individual rights and safety tips for taking part in public protests, plus info on an upcoming training in civil disobedience.

Bring your questions and ideas, hopes and dreams. We want your input. We can get through this when we work together!

If your organization is interested in collaborating with us, please reach out, and be sure to join us Tuesday if you can.

Check-in/happy hour: 5:30-6 pm. For those who can’t attend in person, the meeting will be livestreamed starting at 6 pm. Visit youtube.com/@indivisibleavl/streams.

Event is free but tickets are REQUIRED.

Price:
Free: USD 0.00

You’re invited to join CenterWell Senior Primary Care as we celebrate the opening of our new center in Asheville. Come see how CenterWell delivers primary care centered on seniors! Join us and meet the CenterWell physician and Care Team, tour our senior primary care center and enjoy free music, food, giveaways and more. Plus, meet Mister Moon, the mascot from the Asheville Tourists! We look forward to seeing you there!

Wortham Presents The Magic of Jeki Yoo

Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.

Join Reiki Master Teacher and Yoga Nidra Facilitator, Kate Wargo of Woven Light in a soothing Yoga Nidra (Yogic Sleep) practice guiding you into the “in-between”; that space between being awake and asleep. Within this space, a dream will be induced taking you into a state of consciousness that can bring about immense healing in your conscious, subconscious, and unconscious mind.

The cave will transform into a “Nidra Nest” with comfy reclining loungers, blankets, and bolsters to fully support you, whether sitting or lying down, for the entire experience. During this session, Kate will also offer Reiki to those who desire it. Reiki feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. This divine energy treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind, and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security, and well-being.

Release stuck emotions, rest, and rejuvenate!

In collaboration with Pardee Hospital Foundation and Hunter Subaru, we are thrilled to present the 2nd Annual She Slays 5K. This event is all about celebrating the strength, courage, and fierce determination of women fighting cancer. Whether you walk or run, you’re making a difference for those who are in the midst of this battle. This event aims to empower people to take charge of their health and well-being, while also raising funds for Hendersonville women who are fighting cancer.

While this event supports women with cancer, everyone is welcome to participate!

Join Blue Ridge Roller Derby for a double header featuring a Blue Ridge Junior Roller Derby match up followed by an adult competitive bout against the Soul City Sirens of Augusta, Georgia.

When: Saturday, April 26, at 3 p.m.
Where: Smoky Mountain Event Center (758 Crabtree Rd, Waynesville, NC 28785)

Event Schedule:
2:00 p.m. Doors Open
3:00 p.m. Juniors Exhibition Bout
5:00 p.m. BRRD vs. the Soul City Sirens

All ages welcome. Admission to this special double header is free but donations will be gladly accepted.

BRRD is a non-profit organization that relies on the support of our community to provide action-packed, family-friendly fun on four wheels.

Already play bridge? Want to up your game? Come learn Duplicate Bridge – the smarter, more social way to play! Join us for a two-week introduction designed for bridge players who want to level up their game by learning Duplicate Bridge.

Come visit The Blood Connection for a blood drive on Thursday, May 1, from 10 am to 3 pm. Look for The Blood Connection mobile unit in front of the hospital at 100 Hospital Drive. Look for The Blood Connection Mobile Donor Unit near the Valet parking lot.
All donors will receive a standard $20 e-gift card, and an additional $20 e-gift card – $40
in rewards! To make an appointment, visit thebloodconnection.org and search for the Sponsor Code
23AC.

Law Day, Thursday May 1, 2025, 12-1p.m.
Join Local Lawyers as they Retake their Oath to Defend the Constitution and host a non-partisan rally with featured speakers in support of the Rule of Law and Judicial Independence.
The oath is the cornerstone of the legal profession, and it represents the promise to support the Constitution of the United States. It encompasses a duty to defend the Constitution, protect constitutional rights, ensure due process, and oppose laws or actions that undermine it. By retaking the oath, local attorneys will be reiterating their role as a guardian of the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law.
Asheville will join cities across the Country on Law Day May 1 standing for the Rule of Law. For a full listing of participating cities, see https://lawdayofaction.org/

Wortham Center Student Series Gaspard&Dancers

Inaugural Program of the Four-Part Series “What Can Become of Us?”
Co-presented by Stanford Institute for Advancing Just Societies, Zócalo Public Square, and Asheville Art Museum

Moderated by Tomás Jiménez, Founding Faculty Co-Director, Stanford Institute for Advancing Just Societies

As people move to and around the U.S., they transform communities, perhaps nowhere as strikingly as in fast-growing North Carolina. As the long-established Native, Black, and white citizens of the state welcome Latino and Asian newcomers into this “new Southern immigrant gateway,” once-separated groups are building new futures together—and understanding themselves anew through the eyes of their neighbors.

5:30 PM Check-in and Art Viewing

6:00 PM Artist Talk

6:30 PM Panel Conversation

7:30 PM Reception

She’s Crafty AVL is beyond thrilled to announce the grand opening of AVL Hat Bar—Asheville’s first and
only dedicated hat bar—located in the heart of the vibrant and creative South Slope.

🎩 What Is a Hat Bar?
A hat bar is a fun, hands-on experience where you get to design a hat that’s uniquely you. From choosing
the perfect style and color to adding bands, charms, pins, feathers, burning, branding, and more—you’ll
create a wearable work of art that reflects your personality.

💫 What to Expect:
● A stunning collection of customizable and ready-to-wear hats plus handmade size inclusive gold
and sterling jewelry
● A warm, welcoming vibe that celebrates creativity and community
● Light refreshments, and all the good vibes
● First dibs on exclusive designs and grand opening specials

Bring your friends, your style, and your curiosity—and come be part of something truly special. AVL Hat
Bar is ready to become your go-to destination for all things hats, where every piece is a statement and
every visit is an experience.

How far can your imagination take you? This renowned company, known for its works of haunting beauty and emotional force, dares to find out in one of many pieces planned for its Asheville program. The company’s founder, Haitian-born former Pilobolus dancer Gaspard Louis, has earned international acclaim for his versatile and inventive choreography, drawing inspiration from — among many other sources — the idea of believing in magic, the search for self-acceptance and the spiritual practices of his home country.

Connect with the art and artists in a dance master class and pre-show discussions.

“The depth and breadth of Gaspard Louis’ choreography, the number of accomplished dancers and collaborations with artists in other fields reaches a new level.” – The Herald-Sun

The performances by Gaspard&Dancers are funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the North Carolina Arts Council.

Join us for an amazing day featuring locally grown trees, flowers, shrubs, herbs and veggies, as well as hand-crafted works of art, knife and tool sharpening – all provided by LOCAL vendors! Throughout the day we will feature educational presentations including “Conservation in 2025,” and “Container Planting: Tips and Tricks” which includes a quick and easy way to maintain your garden pruners. All of this combined with live music from Asheville Ukulele Society!
​
Help support our WNC communities by supporting its small business owners. Our local growers are thoroughly vetted in sustainable growing practices and are experts in their field. Our local artists are dynamically creative and talented, showcasing kitchen and garden gifts, original paintings and pottery, homemade and organic botanicals, honeys and vinegar, mobile knife and tool sharpening, and more! Join these talented individuals as we welcome Spring back to WNC.

The French Broad River Garden Club Foundation, Inc. is excited to host its Spring Plant Sale & Marketplace on May 3, 2025 from 9AM – 3PM. Join us for an amazing day featuring locally grown trees, flowers, shrubs, herbs and veggies, as well as hand-crafted works of art. Throughout the day we will feature a variety of educational talks along with live music, a food truck, and of course all LOCAL vendors!
This event helps to support the WNC community by supporting its small business owners. Our vendors are thoroughly vetted in sustainable growing practices. Join us for a day of fun, education, and entertainment. Vendors will offer a huge variety of plants and artwork including:
– Rare specialty plants, boxwoods, and unusual perennials;
– Stately conifers, dwarf conifers, and trees;
– Premium fruit trees and flowering shrubs;
– Japanese Maples and other fine ornamental trees;
– Edibles, grasses & groundcovers;
– Early spring herbs & vegetable starts;
– Fresh-cut, locally-grown flowers;
– WNC natives & landscaping plants;
– Wildcrafted, certified organic skincare options;
– Planted containers, unique floral designs and plant materials;
– Honeys and vinegars;
– Hand-crafted wrought iron and functional garden art;
– Knife and tool sharpening.
This one of a kind event is not to be missed! Rain or shine so please dress accordingly.  Supporting local scholarships and community grants focusing on horticulture, conservation, and the environment.

Explore 22 beautiful greenhouses filled with mixed patio planters, hanging baskets, perennials, houseplants, shrubs, and plant starters. Enjoy live music, food from Smashville Food Truck and Mountain Man BBQ, a craft fair featuring jewelry and home goods, kids’ activities including a scavenger hunt and potting station, plus a mechanical bull! Appalachian Standard CBD products also available. With 600-900 attendees expected, carpooling is recommended. Free admission.