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.


Laura Gaskin will be demonstrating her embroidery techniques in the lobby of the Folk Art Center from 10-4pm. Come listen to the stories behind her pieces and watch as she paints scenes with stitches!

Mon-Fri from 2-5pm. You have access to high speed internet, work space and HALF-OFF pastries when you present your college ID.
Our Foundations business planning class helps guide ideas from concept to reality in a participatory, supportive learning environment.
Join a cohort of aspiring and existing entrepreneurs to gain an aerial perspective of your vision and the comprehensive business skills necessary to help bring your visions into reality. Participants will gain a clear aerial perspective of their business operations, financials, research and development, and marketing strategies. They will leave the course with a comprehensive business plan, a clear vision for their business, and concrete tasks for future work.
Throughout the class, emphasis will be placed on developing the social capital of the group. Participants will be encouraged to gather feedback from their peers, creating a strong network of deep support and synergy. For more info, visit the Foundations Business Planning overview page.

In 1905, paper manufacturer Peter Gibson Thomson came to western North Carolina in search of pulpwood and a suitable location for a mammoth pulp mill that would provide pulp for his Champion Coated Paper mill at Hamilton, Ohio. He also planned to build a large chestnut extract plant. This is the story of Thomson’s 420,000 acre timberlands and the railroads the Champion Fibre Company built to transport the wood to the pulp mill and extract plant at Canton, North Carolina. This PowerPoint presentation will feature historical photographs, track maps, and show several of Champion’s railroads that became hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Also included will be the story of the settlement with Champion Fibre that was the key to the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
About the Presenter:
Gerald (Jerry) Ledford earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Mars Hill College in 1977. He earned a Master of Science in Music Education degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign in 1979. Mr. Ledford retired in 2013 from the North Carolina Public Schools after a 32 year career. He has taught high school and middle school band in Cumberland, Graham, Swain, Transylvania, and Henderson counties.
As a boy, Jerry spent many hours down at the station at Canton, NC, where his maternal grandfather, Gerald Fish, worked for most of his 42 year career for Southern Railway on the Murphy Branch. He also had a great uncle who spent his working for Southern on the Murphy Branch. His paternal grandfather Lewis Ledford worked as a mill superintendent for his brother-in-law Louis Carr at Norwood Lumber at Forney Creek and Carr Lumber at Pisgah Forest. Several of his great uncles were employed by the lumber mills during the lumber boom of the early 1900s.
He resides in Etowah, North Carolina with his wife Julie. He and Julie have 3 children and are grandparents to Shannon and Clark Ledford. In retirement, he enjoys hiking old railroad grades. He has been researching the logging railroads in western North Carolina for over 45 years. With Ron Sullivan, he is co-authoring a planned eight volume book series of the history of logging railroads in western North Carolina titled, If Rails Could Talk….. The first 5 volumes are currently in print. He has also provided information and photographs for several authors as well as the Ken Burns Public Television series, “The National Parks; America’s Best Idea.”


Be an Arts AllyJoin or renew your arts council membership between now and December 31st for your chance to win this raffle package, including a Wheel Thrown Shape vase from East Fork, truffles from Chocolate Fetish, a card set from Noir Collective, and two bottles wine from Marked Tree vineyard. |
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Deep Dive into Archives is a living exhibit shining a light on the individuals who were once enslaved at the Smith-McDowell House through primary documentation.
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Laura Gaskin will be demonstrating her embroidery techniques in the lobby of the Folk Art Center from 10-4pm. Come listen to the stories behind her pieces and watch as she paints scenes with stitches!

Mon-Fri from 2-5pm. You have access to high speed internet, work space and HALF-OFF pastries when you present your college ID.

Be an Arts AllyJoin or renew your arts council membership between now and December 31st for your chance to win this raffle package, including a Wheel Thrown Shape vase from East Fork, truffles from Chocolate Fetish, a card set from Noir Collective, and two bottles wine from Marked Tree vineyard. |

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library puts books into the hands and hearts of children across the world. The Imagination Library creates a home library of up to 60 books and instills a love of books and reading from an early age. DPIL is now mailing a free book each month to over 4,400 registered children in Buncombe County. Here is the online registration form.
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Get Started
Dance can be life-changing. We want to show you how. Come try two weeks of classes for just $29.99

Fall/Winter Schedule 2021/2022
Additional Information
ATTD New Fall 2021-2022 Class Schedule – August 22, 2021- May 27, 2022
*Note that ages serve only as a guideline. Below represents our Curriculum based ballet programs. Look for additional class offerings of Int/Adv Tap, Jazz & Hip- Hop TBA. Combo I – Elementary II placement is based on age. Level 1 and above are skill based placement. All schedules are subject to change.
Combo I : Pre- Ballet/Pre- Tap Curriculum (Age 3-4 )
Monday 4:00-5:00
OR
Wednesday 5:00-6:00
OR
Saturday 9:45-10:45
OR
Saturday11:00-12:00
Combo II : Ballet/Tap Curriculum Age (5-6)
Monday 4:00-5:00
OR
Wednesday 5:00-6:00
OR
Saturday 9:45-10:45
OR
Saturday 11:00-12:00
Elementary I : Introduction to Classical Technique w/Tap & Jazz (Age 6-7)
Monday 5:00-5:45 Ballet: Section A
5:45-6:30 Tap & Jazz : Section A
Wednesday 5:00-5:45 Ballet: Section B
5:45-6:30 Tap & Jazz : Section B
Elementary II: Introduction to Classical Technique w/ Tap, Jazz & Repertoire(Age 7-8)
Monday 5:00-5:45 Ballet:
5:45-6:30 Tap / Jazz
Thursday 5:00-6:15 Ballet
6:15-7:00 Repertoire
Boys Class:
Wednesday 6:00-6:45 w/Mr. Merz Elementary I- Level II
Level I : Classical Ballet Technique, with Repertoire and one enrichment class (Age 8-10 placement required)
Tuesday 4:30-5:30 Conditioning w/ Jazz Contemporary
5:30-6:30 Ballet Technique
Thursday 5:00-6:15 Ballet
6:15-7:00 Repertoire
Level II : Classical Ballet Technique, w/ Repertoire and 2 enrichment classes (Age 9-11 placement required)
Tuesday 4:30-5:30 Conditioning w/ Jazz Contemporary
5:30-6:30 Ballet Technique
Thursday 5:00-6:15 Ballet
Friday 4:00-5:30 Ballet Technique
5:30-6:30 Repertoire
Level III : Classical Ballet Technique w/Repertoire, pre-pointe, conditioning, specialty classes (Age 10-12 placement required)
Monday 5:00-6:30 Ballet Technique
6:30-7:15 Pre- Pointe/Variations
Tuesday 4:30-5:30 Conditioning w/ Jazz Contemporary
5:30-6:30 Ballet Technique
Friday 4:30-5:30 Ballet Technique
5:30-6:15 Repertoire
Level IV/V : Classical Ballet Technique w/ Repertoire, pointe, conditioning, specialty classes ( Placement required)
Monday 4:30-6:00 Ballet Technique
6:00-7:00 Repertoire
Tuesday 4:30-6:00 Ballet Technique
6:00-7:00 Modern
Wednesday 4:30-6:00 Ballet Technique
6:00-7:00 Pointe/Conditioning
Thursday 4:30-6:00 Ballet Technique
6:00-6:45 Pointe
*Saturday 11:00-12:15 Warm-up Technique **ONLY WHEN CALLED**
12:30-2pm Rehearsal **ONLY WHEN CALLED**
PreProfessional Day Program : Vocational Ballet Training ( Age 14- audition required)
Monday: 2:00-3:30 Ballet Technique
3:30-4:30 Pointe-Conditioning/Pointe
4:30-6:00 2nd Technique barre en pointe
Tuesday 2:00-3:30 Ballet Technique center en pointe
3:30-4:30 Modern
4:30-6:00 2nd Technique barre en pointe
Wednesday 2:00-3:30 Ballet Technique
3:30-4:30 Pointe/Repertoire
4:30-6:00 2nd Technique
Thursday 2:00-3:30 Ballet Technique
3:30-4:30 Pointe Variations
4:30-6:00 2nd Technique
Friday 2:00-3:30 Ballet Technique
3:30-4:30 Pas de Deux
*Saturday 11:00-12:15 Warm-up Technique
12:30-2pm Rehearsal

The exhibit was developed as part of the celebration of the 450th anniversary of the Juan Pardo expeditions. Several years ago, archaeologists identified a site near Morganton as the location of Joara, one of the largest Native American towns in what is today Western North Carolina.
Joara was occupied from approximately 1400-1600 A.D. Two Spanish expeditions led respectively by Hernando de Soto and Juan Pardo visited the town in the 1500s. The Pardo expedition was part of a larger effort to establish a string of forts from the coast of present-day South Carolina all the way to Mexico. In 2013, archaeologists confirmed that Joara was also the site of Fort San Juan, established by Pardo in 1567, nearly 20 years before the English settlement at Roanoke on the coast of North Carolina and 40 years before the settlement at Jamestown.
Through various artifacts uncovered by the archaeology, the exhibit showcases the Spanish occupation of Fort San Juan and the lives of the native people who lived in the Joara area.
The exhibit is on loan from the Exploring Joara Foundation Inc. Exploring Joara engages the public in archaeology in the Carolinas, and emphasizes the discovery of the Native American town of Joara and Fort San Juan. The exhibit will be on display at the Western North Carolina Historical Association’s gallery inside the Smith-McDowell House through December 15.
The gallery is open for visitation Thursday, Friday, and Saturday between 10:30am and 4:00pm. Reservations are recommended.
No cost due to sponsor support
Are you building a WordPress website or blog and feel frustrated with achieving the look and feel you have envisioned? If you’ve heard about the Divi theme and other visual builders but are not sure how to start the process, this class is for you. We’ll walk through the basics of activating Divi and building out a website using their pre-built layouts as well as build a layout from scratch. Divi can bring a level of professionalism to your site in just a few hours compared to hammering away for days or weeks on an inferior theme. Join Boomer Sassmann from Big Boom Design as he walks you through a Divi build out and helps to point some of the pitfalls along the way.
Speaker(s): Boomer Sassmann
Co-Sponsor(s): Henderson County Chamber of Commerce, Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce
Webinar info will be sent out after registration

Mon-Fri from 2-5pm. You have access to high speed internet, work space and HALF-OFF pastries when you present your college ID.

Be an Arts AllyJoin or renew your arts council membership between now and December 31st for your chance to win this raffle package, including a Wheel Thrown Shape vase from East Fork, truffles from Chocolate Fetish, a card set from Noir Collective, and two bottles wine from Marked Tree vineyard. |

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library puts books into the hands and hearts of children across the world. The Imagination Library creates a home library of up to 60 books and instills a love of books and reading from an early age. DPIL is now mailing a free book each month to over 4,400 registered children in Buncombe County. Here is the online registration form.
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| The residents of the Smith-McDowell House and grounds were woven in to the fabric of Asheville.
This driving tour begins at the Smith-McDowell House Museum on the campus of A-B Tech and continues through historic sites related to early occupants of the house. |
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Deep Dive into Archives is a living exhibit shining a light on the individuals who were once enslaved at the Smith-McDowell House through primary documentation.
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Western North Carolina has a rich assortment of county historical societies, archives, and museums. The Western North Carolina Historical Association seeks to help researchers, historians, genealogists, and the general public take full advantage of these resources.

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| Contained by its larger growing neighbor (Asheville), the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, and the Southern Railway line, the Town of Victoria existed from 1887 until 1905, when it was absorbed into Asheville. The community—which included the Smith-McDowell House and Fernihurst mansion—originally incorporated into a town to prevent unwanted development (particularly from the Vanderbilts). |
Get Started
Dance can be life-changing. We want to show you how. Come try two weeks of classes for just $29.99

Fall/Winter Schedule 2021/2022
Additional Information
ATTD New Fall 2021-2022 Class Schedule – August 22, 2021- May 27, 2022
*Note that ages serve only as a guideline. Below represents our Curriculum based ballet programs. Look for additional class offerings of Int/Adv Tap, Jazz & Hip- Hop TBA. Combo I – Elementary II placement is based on age. Level 1 and above are skill based placement. All schedules are subject to change.
Combo I : Pre- Ballet/Pre- Tap Curriculum (Age 3-4 )
Monday 4:00-5:00
OR
Wednesday 5:00-6:00
OR
Saturday 9:45-10:45
OR
Saturday11:00-12:00
Combo II : Ballet/Tap Curriculum Age (5-6)
Monday 4:00-5:00
OR
Wednesday 5:00-6:00
OR
Saturday 9:45-10:45
OR
Saturday 11:00-12:00
Elementary I : Introduction to Classical Technique w/Tap & Jazz (Age 6-7)
Monday 5:00-5:45 Ballet: Section A
5:45-6:30 Tap & Jazz : Section A
Wednesday 5:00-5:45 Ballet: Section B
5:45-6:30 Tap & Jazz : Section B
Elementary II: Introduction to Classical Technique w/ Tap, Jazz & Repertoire(Age 7-8)
Monday 5:00-5:45 Ballet:
5:45-6:30 Tap / Jazz
Thursday 5:00-6:15 Ballet
6:15-7:00 Repertoire
Boys Class:
Wednesday 6:00-6:45 w/Mr. Merz Elementary I- Level II
Level I : Classical Ballet Technique, with Repertoire and one enrichment class (Age 8-10 placement required)
Tuesday 4:30-5:30 Conditioning w/ Jazz Contemporary
5:30-6:30 Ballet Technique
Thursday 5:00-6:15 Ballet
6:15-7:00 Repertoire
Level II : Classical Ballet Technique, w/ Repertoire and 2 enrichment classes (Age 9-11 placement required)
Tuesday 4:30-5:30 Conditioning w/ Jazz Contemporary
5:30-6:30 Ballet Technique
Thursday 5:00-6:15 Ballet
Friday 4:00-5:30 Ballet Technique
5:30-6:30 Repertoire
Level III : Classical Ballet Technique w/Repertoire, pre-pointe, conditioning, specialty classes (Age 10-12 placement required)
Monday 5:00-6:30 Ballet Technique
6:30-7:15 Pre- Pointe/Variations
Tuesday 4:30-5:30 Conditioning w/ Jazz Contemporary
5:30-6:30 Ballet Technique
Friday 4:30-5:30 Ballet Technique
5:30-6:15 Repertoire
Level IV/V : Classical Ballet Technique w/ Repertoire, pointe, conditioning, specialty classes ( Placement required)
Monday 4:30-6:00 Ballet Technique
6:00-7:00 Repertoire
Tuesday 4:30-6:00 Ballet Technique
6:00-7:00 Modern
Wednesday 4:30-6:00 Ballet Technique
6:00-7:00 Pointe/Conditioning
Thursday 4:30-6:00 Ballet Technique
6:00-6:45 Pointe
*Saturday 11:00-12:15 Warm-up Technique **ONLY WHEN CALLED**
12:30-2pm Rehearsal **ONLY WHEN CALLED**
PreProfessional Day Program : Vocational Ballet Training ( Age 14- audition required)
Monday: 2:00-3:30 Ballet Technique
3:30-4:30 Pointe-Conditioning/Pointe
4:30-6:00 2nd Technique barre en pointe
Tuesday 2:00-3:30 Ballet Technique center en pointe
3:30-4:30 Modern
4:30-6:00 2nd Technique barre en pointe
Wednesday 2:00-3:30 Ballet Technique
3:30-4:30 Pointe/Repertoire
4:30-6:00 2nd Technique
Thursday 2:00-3:30 Ballet Technique
3:30-4:30 Pointe Variations
4:30-6:00 2nd Technique
Friday 2:00-3:30 Ballet Technique
3:30-4:30 Pas de Deux
*Saturday 11:00-12:15 Warm-up Technique
12:30-2pm Rehearsal


The exhibit was developed as part of the celebration of the 450th anniversary of the Juan Pardo expeditions. Several years ago, archaeologists identified a site near Morganton as the location of Joara, one of the largest Native American towns in what is today Western North Carolina.
Joara was occupied from approximately 1400-1600 A.D. Two Spanish expeditions led respectively by Hernando de Soto and Juan Pardo visited the town in the 1500s. The Pardo expedition was part of a larger effort to establish a string of forts from the coast of present-day South Carolina all the way to Mexico. In 2013, archaeologists confirmed that Joara was also the site of Fort San Juan, established by Pardo in 1567, nearly 20 years before the English settlement at Roanoke on the coast of North Carolina and 40 years before the settlement at Jamestown.
Through various artifacts uncovered by the archaeology, the exhibit showcases the Spanish occupation of Fort San Juan and the lives of the native people who lived in the Joara area.
The exhibit is on loan from the Exploring Joara Foundation Inc. Exploring Joara engages the public in archaeology in the Carolinas, and emphasizes the discovery of the Native American town of Joara and Fort San Juan. The exhibit will be on display at the Western North Carolina Historical Association’s gallery inside the Smith-McDowell House through December 15.
The gallery is open for visitation Thursday, Friday, and Saturday between 10:30am and 4:00pm. Reservations are recommended.








